Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Growing Trend, Hospitals Offering Tablets And Apps For Patients, Family Members To Track Care
The Washington Post: For Hospital Patients, Bedside Tablets And Apps Are Providing Some Control Over Care
Shannon Olson got more sleep than she expected during her daughter Emilia’s hospital stay in January. Emilia, 2½ , was hospitalized for 10 days at the Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville, Pa., to treat an infected cyst on her face. Olson slept in Emilia’s room and had planned to wait up for the nurses’ last rounds. Instead, she went to sleep before the late rounds, and each morning logged into an app on the tablet Geisinger offers each patient. The app provided access to Emilia’s hospital chart. “It made it so much easier knowing that all of Emilia’s updated chart information was available to me on the tablet,” Olson said. (Kritz, 4/7)
The Wall Street Journal: Amazon Wants You To Use Alexa To Track Health Care
Amazon.com Inc. is positioning Alexa, its artificial-intelligence assistant, to track consumers’ prescriptions and relay personal health information, in a bid to insert the technology into everyday health care. Seattle-based Amazon says Alexa can now transfer sensitive, personal health information using software that meets health-privacy requirements under federal law. Five companies, including insurer Cigna Corp. , diabetes-management company Livongo Health Inc. and major hospital systems, said they developed new Alexa features for consumers using the federal protocol. (Evans, 4/7)
The New York Times: Can Technology Stop The Duane Reade-Ization Of New York?
Four years ago, Eric Kinariwala woke up with a throbbing headache from a sinus infection. So he did what most New Yorkers do. He called his doctor, got a prescription for a Z-Pak, and walked to the Duane Reade near his apartment on the Lower East Side. When he got there, the elevator to the basement pharmacy was broken, and 40 people were in line ahead of him, he said. After waiting for an hour, the pharmacist told him they were out of stock. His phone had died, so he couldn’t ask his doctor to send the prescription elsewhere. “It was so miserable,” said Mr. Kinariwala, 36, who left the drugstore that day without antibiotics. “I’m a pinball in the middle of this thing.” (Lokting, 4/5)
The Washington Post: Telemedicine Tied To More Antibiotics For Kids, Study Finds
Sniffling, sore-throated kids seen via telemedicine visits were far more likely to be prescribed antibiotics than those who went to a doctor’s office or clinic, according to a new study. Many of those prescriptions disregarded medical guidelines, raising the risk they could cause side effects or contribute to the rise of antibiotic-resistant germs. “I understand the desire for care that’s more convenient and timely,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Kristin Ray of the University of Pittsburgh. “But we want to make sure that we don’t sacrifice quality or safety or effectiveness in the process.” (Stobbe, 4/8)
