Technology and Automation to Help Prevent Staff Burnout
With greater burden on staff and a rising shortage of personnel, organizations are turning to technology to alleviate the stressors that are driving staff away or preventing them from practicing at the top of their license. One way they’re accomplishing this is automating tasks wherever possible. In fact, McKinsey says that roughly a third of all healthcare provider tasks are automatable.
‘Tripledemic’ Reveals Critical Need for Better Patient Triage and Transfer Services
During November 2022, hospitals in states such as Maryland, Massachusetts, and North Carolina were forced to set up triaging tents in their parking lots, postpone elective surgeries, or impose visitor restrictions owing to the high numbers of patients showing up in their EDs. In December, patients at one Oregon health system had to wait for more than two days to be transferred to other facilities for higher levels of care. In effect, the situation felt like 2020 again.
How Will the End of the PHE Affect Telehealth and Digital Health?
When the PHE was created in January of 2020 to help the nation deal with the growing pandemic, a number of waivers and exemptions were put in place by federal and state regulators to help healthcare organizations expand and be reimbursed for digital health and telehealth services. The idea behind this was to allow providers to use virtual and connected health tools and platforms to reduce the spread of the virus and make sure consumers were able to access needed healthcare services.
Long COVID is Partly to Blame for Workforce Shortages
Some 71% of claimants with long COVID were still receiving treatment and unable to return to work for six months or more, according to data from the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF), the largest worker compensation insurance fund in the state. The study analyzed more than 3,000 COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims received by NYSIF between January 1, 2020, and March 31, 2022.
It’s Official: COVID-19 Public Health Emergency to End on May 11
As promised, the White House is giving ample notice—the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) will end on May 11. In a statement January 30, the White House said it would end the PHE, which has allowed hospitals and other providers a number of compliance and other waivers to help ease the burden on healthcare.
Pandemic’s Toll: 55.3% of Surveyed Healthcare Workers Report Subthreshold PTSD Symptoms
The recent study, which was published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, is based on survey data collected from 852 healthcare workers from January 2021 to February 2021. The survey participants were recruited from emergency departments affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and emergency medical service agencies in several states, including Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
OSHA’s Regulatory Plans for 2023
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh recently confirmed that three OSHA healthcare rulemakings are priorities for the Labor Department: a permanent healthcare COVID-19 standard, a proposed infectious disease standard, and a rulemaking to address workplace violence in health care and social services.
The Exec: Coronavirus Pandemic Remains a Top Challenge
Marjorie Bessel, MD, has been with Banner Health for more than a decade. She has held many physician leadership roles at the health system, including serving as chief medical officer for several hospitals and working as chief medical officer of Banner Health’s Arizona Division. Before taking on the chief clinical officer role, she served as vice president and chief medical officer of community delivery.
And Again: PHE Continues After 90-Day Renewal Issued
The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) is now extended. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra issued the renewal on January 11. The typically 90-day extension would then last through April 11, 2023.
OSHA Proceeding With Healthcare Rulemakings
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will proceed with three rulemakings focused on the healthcare industry—standards for COVID-19, infectious diseases, and workplace violence—the Department of Labor (DOL) announced as part of the fall 2022 unified regulatory agenda unveiled January 4.