< + > Four Benefits of Drones for the Healthcare Industry

The following is a guest article by Greg James, VP of Business Development at DroneUp

The integration of drones in the healthcare industry holds immense potential to revolutionize the delivery of medical services. With their ability to overcome geographical barriers and streamline logistics, drones offer numerous benefits that can significantly enhance patient access to healthcare, ensure safer and more reliable deliveries, enable faster and more frequent distribution, and contribute to sustainability while lowering operational costs. 

In this article, we’ll explore these four key advantages of employing drones in the healthcare sector, shedding light on the transformative impact they can have on the delivery of medical care.

Expand Patient Access to Healthcare

According to the National Institutes of Health, about 20% of Americans live in rural parts of the country. Many rural communities experience a lack of access to both grocery stores (and healthy food options) and doctors. Plus residents in many small towns don’t receive (home delivery) mail or packages causing some to pay $70-170/year for a PO Box.

Drone delivery offers an excellent solution by allowing patients to stay home and bypassing any limitations in rural infrastructure. Drones offer a distinctive means for delivering time-sensitive medical packages over short distances (approx. 1-3 mi), which will grow in the near future. DroneUp is actively working on projects that create access to prescriptions and virtual healthcare support for those in rural communities. The utilization of drones for healthcare service delivery has been extensively documented in humanitarian relief initiatives and in response to major natural disasters in remote areas worldwide and similar uses could be applied to reach rural residents in an emergency.

Create Safer and More Reliable Deliveries

Medical drone delivery eliminates some human steps in the distribution process, such as person-to-person contact. In addition, drone logistics alleviate many of the safety and delay challenges typically associated with road-based transportation, such as congestion, unplanned deliveries, and human error. Drone delivery can offer secure, contactless delivery for greater peace of mind.

During the height of the pandemic, Walmart conducted a pilot for drone delivery of at-home COVID-19 self-collection kits, as an innovative new way to provide additional, and contactless, testing options in North Las Vegas, NV and Cheektowaga, NY. 

Ensure Faster and More Frequent Deliveries 

On-demand patient care via drone delivery enables medical providers to issue critical medicinal supplies quicker than ever before. Patients can receive their prescriptions without needing to travel long distances or stand in line at the pharmacy and can also pre-plan prescription deliveries. This reduces financial losses due to patient non-adherence and leads to better business outcomes for hospitals. Drones can also maximize a healthcare provider’s ability to process lab work to transport patient samples. In addition, ground couriers operate at scheduled intervals. Having a drone delivery solution allows supplies to be sent as soon as they’re needed, increasing overall throughput and diagnostic turnaround time.

Carilion Clinic, a not–for–profit healthcare organization based in Roanoke, is currently investigating how drones can be used to improve healthcare delivery throughout Virginia and beyond with a proof-of-concept study to see if delivering crucial medical supplies can effectively be done using drone technology. The three-week trial began on June 9, 2023 with the focus on exploring the ways in which drones can be used to reduce delivery times and costs enabling frontline caregivers to spend more time with their patients.  Delivering to 6 locations across campus, the results showed that drones can be a reliable delivery modality for Carilion, with delivery times averaging 10 minutes.  The Hospital also operates MEDEVAC helicopter flights, so the teams worked together to determine standard operating procedures and technology to deconflict busy airspace.

Enhance Sustainability  & Lower Operational Costs

The FAA recently stated that delivery packages via battery-powered drones would reduce the use of fossil fuels and curtail carbon emissions and the RAND think tank estimated that nearly 47 gallons of diesel fuel could be saved by shifting 20% of deliveries from trucks to drones.

Medical drone delivery enhances a healthcare provider’s environmental sustainability. Utilizing drones for deliveries – as opposed to vehicles – lowers energy consumption and reduces carbon emissions. As a result, logistics operations are more sustainable and leave a smaller carbon footprint. Delivery by drone is also done at a fraction of the cost of traditional ground delivery and in substantially less time. 

Conclusion

Drones offer a multitude of benefits for the healthcare industry, ranging from expanding patient access and ensuring safer deliveries to enabling faster distribution and enhancing sustainability while reducing operational costs. As drone technology continues to advance and regulatory frameworks evolve, it is clear that drones have the potential to transform the healthcare landscape, improving the lives of patients and healthcare providers alike.

< + > Featured Health IT Jobs – Epic Application Analyst/Coordinator

We like to regularly feature a healthcare IT job that might be of interest to readers. Today, we’re featuring the Epic Application Analyst/Coordinator position that was recently posted on Healthcare IT Central. This position was posted by Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic and is located in Toppenish, Washington.

Here’s a description of the position:

What We Offer

• Sign-on bonus of $1,500 in first paycheck and $1,500 at 12 months of employment
• Salary $70,000-$90,000 DOE with ability to go higher for highly experienced candidates (salary will be prorated if less than 1.0 FTE)
• 100% employer-paid health insurance for employees including Medical, Dental, Vision, Rx, 24/7 telemedicine; profit sharing, 403(b) retirement plan, generous paid time off, paid holidays, and more

Essential Functions/Responsibilities/Duties

• Designs, develops, implements, maintains, and troubleshoots Epic systems
• Monitors and evaluates systems and takes action to resolve any issues
• Observes end users and utilizes knowledge of workflow to make recommendations for system innovations and improvements
• Works with clinical, operational, and administrative stakeholders to understand their needs
• Gathers system requirements from stakeholders and makes modifications to the system as appropriate
• Evaluates need for hardware and software upgrades, modifications and repairs
• Performs adequate testing to troubleshoot new and existing equipment
• Ensures compatibility and operability with existing systems
• Performs technological feasibility studies for Epic Systems implementations or enhancements
• Plans, executes, and finalizes Epic systems projects
• Performs cost-benefit analysis, documents project scopes, and designs implementation plans
• Provides technical support during implementation and installation of Epic Environment systems and associated 3rd party products
• Serves as primary contact for the Epic Environment and provides consultation and information to decision makers regarding the Epic system
• Provides consultation and support to end users regarding their technical issues
• Coordinates and performs in-depth system software testing, including regression, system and ad-hoc testing
• Works with vendors on existing or new systems
• Maintains tracking systems to ensure issues are reported and resolved in a timely manner
• Works with the IS Security team to ensure all company policies concerning HIPAA and general system security are adequately represented, reflected and enforced for the systems they are responsible for
• May be assigned responsibility to ensure the timely provisioning and de-provisioning of appropriate levels of access for the systems that they support
• May require periodic travel by automobile to various YVFWC sites located across our service regions (Washington and Oregon) to engage with business partners and provide IS support as needed

Qualifications

• Education
  • Bachelor’s Degree in a Computer or Healthcare field
  • Four years’ experience working in a healthcare setting with Epic and/or applications support may be substituted for the required education
• Experience
  • Two years of experience in a technical environment supporting applications and working with end users
  • Experience in a healthcare setting preferred
  • Previous Epic systems experience preferred
• Professional Licenses/Certificates/Registration
  • Epic Certificate Training Status preferred
    • Or ability to acquire an Epic Certificate Training Status within 90 days of completed training
  • Clinical certifications, licenses, or credentials may be preferred
  • Valid Driver’s License and proof of automobile liability insurance coverage
• Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
  • Knowledge of hardware, software, and peripheral equipment and troubleshooting techniques
  • Knowledge of clinical workflows and clinical business systems
  • Knowledge of system security concepts in including provisioning and access management governance
  • Knowledge and familiarity with various project management methodologies including traditional waterfall and Agile methodologies preferred
  • Ability to assess various equipment and procedures and make recommendations for improvements
  • Ability to work with gather system requirements
  • Ability to document clinical and business processes and procedures
  • Ability to design, build, and execute comprehensive workflow-based test plans and scripts
  • Ability to effectively manage multiple, concurrent priorities
  • Ability to develop effective working relationships to gain trust and establish credibility at all organizational levels
  • Ability to lead group discussions and guide them to make key decisions
  • Effective project management capability throughout the project lifecycle of planning, organizing, managing, and finalizing outcomes
  • Ability to analyze complex data and communicate observations in a simplified manner
  • Strong analytical and decision making skills to be able to assess the root cause of an issue and determine an optimal solution
  • Effective verbal, written and listening communication skills
  • Basic proficiency with a variety of computer programs including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Visio and PowerPoint

About YVFWC

We serve more than 197,000 patients across 28 medical clinics, 15 dental clinics, 11 pharmacies, and 49 program sites in two states. We are Level 3 Certified as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). With integrated services including medical, dental, pharmacy, orthodontia, primary care nutritional counseling, autism screening, and primary care behavioral health, YVFWC’s patient-centered model of care offers patients the full spectrum of care and shelter assistance, energy assistance, weatherization, HIV and AIDS counseling and testing, home visits, and four mobile medical/dental clinics.

Working at YVFWC

Working in our organization means being the passionate champion for those who have no voice. It means having the opportunity to work with underserved populations and with peers committed to the same work.

At Farm Workers Clinic

• We will consistently trust one another to work for the common good
• We will foster integrity by demonstrating ethical behavior and insisting on doing what we say we will do
• We will demonstrate transparency by being candid and truthful no matter the risk
• We will create partnerships to strengthen ourselves and our community
• We will fight for just treatment for all individuals
• We will let joy in
• We have the courage to be an agent of change and refuse anything short of excellence

Our mission celebrates diversity. We are committed to equal opportunity employment.

Looks like a great opportunity for those with experience with Epic application analysis and coordination! If this looks like a position that would interest you, check out the full details for the job and how to apply.

As always, you can search our Health IT job board for a variety of jobs from leading companies in the industry. You can also register for free and post your resume where recruiters search for job candidates regularly.

< + > Vendor notebook: Amazon Clinic now offers telehealth nationwide, Philips co-designs a custom virtual care platform

Also: PointClickCare announces that Massachusetts' hospitals, carriers and state health agencies will use its behavioral health treatment and referral platform to expedite patients awaiting disposition in emergency departments.

< + > Environmental Health Surveillance Powered by GIS Technology Enhances Public Health Efforts at San Bernardino County

San Bernadino Public Health knows that monitoring the mosquito population benefits community health directly. This is why the public health team is tracking mosquitos breeding areas and leveraging GIS technology to better coordinate mosquito control efforts in order to prevent the spread of disease.

Healthcare IT Today spoke with Serene Ong – Geographic Information Systems Analyst, Andrew Mackey – Statistical Analyst, and Anthony Arce – Research Analyst at San Bernardino County Department of Public Health (SBCDPH) to find out more.

Mosquito Surveillance

Mosquito Surveillance is used to monitor mosquito populations – their distribution and dynamics. That data can then be used to predict and plot potential vectors of human disease.

There are thousands of species of mosquitos and only a few of them carry bacteria or viruses that cause disease. However, the diseases they carry can be quite harmful to people. In recent years the Zika and West Nile viruses have affected many people in North America. Preventing the spread of these viruses means controlling the mosquito population.

San Bernardino County is leveraging GIS technology to aid in its mosquito control program.

“We will be mapping out mosquito breeding areas and their travel distance,” explained Mackey. “That data and map will help with inter-agency collaboration between Environmental Health Services, Preparedness and Response, Animal Care, and Communicable Diseases.”

Seeing mosquito data on a map makes it easer to determine where to set traps and which types of traps to set; correlating trap results with locations on a map; identifying potential treatment zones that are near schools, elder care facilities, etc.

Esri, makers of ArcGIS, which is used by San Bernardino County, published an excellent article about the use of GIS for mosquito surveillance.

Environmental Surveillance and Public Health

Mosquito surveillance is just one aspect of San Bernardino County’s overall environmental surveillance efforts. The county already monitors wastewater for communicable diseases and COVID-19. They plan to begin monitoring wastewater for opioids in order to see which communities are being impacted the most by the epidemic. This would be very similar to what the City of Tempe, Arizona did.

The data collected is not just for internal consumption. The county makes as much data publicly available as possible.

“We really want to engage with the public and all of our constituents,” said Arce. “COVID-19 data was very popular, and we now want to extend that same openness to other health outcomes and other programs.”

“The data that we collect is meant to help people,” stated Ong. “We look at that data and ask, ‘how can we help people in their daily lives?’”

Watch this short interview with Serene Ong, Anthony Arce, and Andrew Mackey to learn more about how San Bernardino County’s environmental surveillance efforts are enhancing their public health efforts.

Learn more about San Bernardino County at: https://main.sbcounty.gov/

Learn more about Esri at: https://www.esri.com/en-us/industries/health/overview

Learn more about GIS for Health at: https://www.healthcareittoday.com/gis-for-health/

Listen and subscribe to the Healthcare IT Today Interviews Podcast to hear all the latest insights from experts in healthcare IT.

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Tell us what you think. Contact us here or on Twitter at @hcitoday. And if you’re interested in advertising with us, check out our various advertising packages and request our Media Kit.

Esri is a supporter of Healthcare Scene

< + > At UMich, AI-based fraud, waste and abuse system aims to cut costs and protect patients

Dr. Mohammed Saeed from the University of Michigan Medical School discusses how the artificial intelligence tools can help improve provider practice patterns, potentially shielding patients from the harms of inappropriate or unnecessary care.

< + > Enhancing Patient Adherence & Improving Treatment Outcomes

The following is a guest article by Christine Lee, Head of Health Partnerships at AnalyticsIQ

Patients seeking healthcare for their ailments often receive detailed treatment plans tailored to their individual needs. However, the efficacy of these treatment plans relies heavily on patient adherence. Unfortunately, research indicates that only about half of the patients adhere to their prescribed treatments consistently and correctly. This surprising statistic reveals a significant problem in our healthcare system, especially for those with chronic conditions requiring ongoing treatments.

But how can we collectively combat treatment and medication nonadherence to drive better outcomes?

Healthcare providers need a deeper understanding of the patient as a person, by enhancing real-world data (RWD) with people-based intelligence and other social determinants of health (SDOH) factors. Everyone must understand the issue and drivers behind the scenes such as potential barriers to care that contribute to nonadherence.

With reliable, comprehensive data that provides insight into the patient as a person and the SDOH factors present in their lives, healthcare providers can begin to understand barriers to care and adherence to devise effective strategies to improve patient adherence and, ultimately, their health outcomes.

Understanding Barriers to Treatment Adherence

A crucial first step in enhancing patient adherence is identifying the barriers patients face in adhering to their treatment plans. These barriers can vary widely based on a multitude of factors, including patient demographics, social determinants of health (SDOH), and the nature of the medical conditions themselves.

Education-Related Barriers

A significant issue contributing to nonadherence is the lack of patient understanding – or a lack of health literacy – about their condition and the benefits of adhering to their treatment. This problem can often be traced back to the complexity of healthcare terminology and the difficulty patients may face in comprehending the importance and necessity of their prescribed regimen. Providers play a critical role in breaking down these barriers by using simple language, avoiding complex terminology, and providing accessible educational materials to improve health literacy and ultimately patient adherence.

Financial Barriers

Financial difficulties can significantly affect a patient’s ability to adhere to their treatment plan. High co-pays, deductibles, prescription price sensitivity, or the outright cost of medications and medical devices can pose significant challenges. Providers can help patients navigate these obstacles by transparently communicating costs and suggesting programs or payment plans that can aid in managing these expenses or patient price sensitivity.

Accessibility Barriers

Physical distance to healthcare services, lack of transportation, and language barriers can greatly inhibit a patient’s ability to adhere to their treatment plan. Addressing these barriers involves devising strategies that minimize or solve the physical distance between patients and services, ensuring language accessibility, and optimizing the delivery of healthcare to be more patient-friendly.

Additional Barriers

Additional barriers to adherence exist, such as social or cultural influences and even treatment side effects.

Religious and political beliefs, language barriers, and communication difficulties can all impact adherence, and some medical conditions historically have had stigmas attached to them. This may lead to some individuals avoiding treatment or disclosing conditions.

And when an individual experiences physical discomfort due to medication side effects, they may assume that the treatment is ineffective or that it is simply “not worth it”. This can lead them to modify or discontinue treatment altogether.

Overcoming Barriers and Improving Outcomes

Once these barriers have been identified with the right data, healthcare providers can work towards formulating strategies to improve treatment adherence.

Patient Education

By using clear, simple language, healthcare providers can ensure that patients understand their diagnosis and treatment plan. Encouraging patients to ask questions and providing reassurance can build patient confidence in the treatment plan and their ability to follow it.

Healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies can also develop personalized educational materials to demonstrate the benefits of adherence. These materials can be tailored to the patient’s diagnosis and treatment plan, making them highly relevant and effective.

Simplify Treatments

Simplifying treatment regimens can enhance patient adherence. Strategies like automatic refills, longer-term prescriptions, and collaborative approaches with other healthcare professionals can help lessen the burden on the patient. If adherence lags, providers should show a willingness to adjust treatments to more manageable, less time-consuming, or more affordable options.

Monitor Patient Adherence

Electronic reminder systems and feedback loops between appointments can help healthcare providers keep track of patient adherence. These strategies provide valuable data, allowing providers to understand whether a treatment is ineffective or whether the patient is simply not adhering to the plan.

Addressing Financial and Accessibility Barriers

Healthcare providers can alleviate financial barriers by communicating costs upfront and streamlining the prior authorization process. Assistance programs that offer financial aid, medication discounts, or even free medication can make treatment more attainable for patients.

Addressing accessibility issues requires the development of patient-centered strategies. This could involve offering telehealth services to minimize physical distance, providing materials in a patient’s native language, and implementing flexible scheduling options.

Encourage Active Patient Participation

Involving patients in the decision-making process gives them a sense of ownership and alignment with the treatment plan. Furthermore, adopting a culturally competent approach, taking into account the patient’s belief system, lifestyle, and lived experience can enhance a provider’s ability to improve patient adherence.

Moreover, supporting the mental and emotional well-being of patients, as well as encouraging community engagement and peer support, can provide a holistic approach to overcoming adherence challenges.

Take the Next Step

Nonadherence to treatment plans poses a significant challenge to healthcare outcomes. By identifying and understanding the barriers that patients face in adhering to their treatment plans by examining a combination of real-world, SDOH, and people-based data, healthcare providers can strategize to overcome these obstacles and enhance patient adherence.

Through personalized patient education, treatment simplification, regular monitoring, and addressing financial and accessibility barriers, healthcare providers can significantly improve treatment outcomes. A data-driven, patient-centric approach that takes into account the individual’s circumstances, beliefs, and lifestyle is crucial in this endeavor. Such comprehensive strategies will not only improve patient adherence but also contribute to the overall efficacy and sustainability of our healthcare system.

About Christine Lee

Christine Lee is Head of Health Partnerships for predictive data innovator, AnalyticsIQ. Christine has over a decade of experience in the data and analytics space and has worked with industry leaders across verticals like healthcare, pharma, non-profits, and more. Christine lives in Central Florida with her family, dogs, and cats – a house full of love!

< + > Parker Health Secures $25 Million in Series A Funding to Transform American Healthcare

Parker Health an innovative biotech company for electronic health records, hospital developer & management, and subscription-based health services, today announced that it has secured $25 million in Series A funding led by Bias Capital, a multisector and multi-stage angel syndicate, joined in this round by L’PAJ Ventures, CGT Capital Group, and other angel investors and family offices. This funding empowers Parker Health to further its position as the industry’s most compliant and competitive solution helping expand our medical technology and services and to employ global teams. Parker Health has raised $26.3 million to date.

Founded by Vincent Lopez in 2019 (Forbes 30 Under 30 Lister), the company has closed many significant partnerships and clients. Company highlights include:

• FDB Vela, a new, cloud-native electronic prescribing (ePrescribing) network that enables the seamless flow of critical medication prescription information, benefits verification, and clinical decision support between prescribers, payers, pharmacies, and other constituents
• The challenging of Oracle-Cerner’s $16B VA EHR Modernization contract with whitepapers, oral and written testimony before the Committee on Veterans Affairs of the US Congress
• The drafting and development of new policies for US Health IT standards, major research partnerships with NYU, UCF, & OSU
• Visits to major global diplomacy events: World Health Summit, World Economic Forum, & Forbes Healthcare Summit
• The development and funding of the nation’s first true SMART hospital in West Texas

As part of this round, Maximillian Naza, Principal at Bias Capital will also be joining the board.

About Parker Health

Parker Health is a multinational Mexican-American-founded and minority-led biotechnology company determined to advance healthcare and technology into the next century. Parker Health is on a mission to simplify the complexities of healthcare and deliver on the unfulfilled promises of digital health innovation and pioneer the future of healthcare.

Our proprietary full-stack multi-use Health Management System™, the Parker Suite™, is America’s first FHIR-built, interoperable, affordable, and compliant platform that is revolutionizing the industry with limitless applications for patients, providers, health systems, governments, researchers, and payors. Our cloud-based platform unifies patient-centric data, biometrics, diagnostic tools, patient outcomes, care delivery, practitioner engagement, pharmaceuticals, and more.

A member of the Sequoia Project, Parker Health is dual headquartered in Washington, DC and Dallas, TX, with offices in Menlo Park, CA. To learn more, visit ourparker.com.

Originally announced July 12th, 2023