Patient Experience

Many Americans have postponed or gone without some medical services in the past year, a KFF poll found. Members of minority groups and those with lower incomes are more likely to have trouble with medical bills.

Two out of three consumers said they didn’t think large hospitals were as careful as they should be with their personal and payment information.

Telehealth use surged due to the COVID-19 pandemic and many patients welcomed the option. But a new survey shows some patients prefer in-person visits for some of their needs.

The surging market reached $23 billion in 2020. It’s expected to grow five times larger by 2025.

More than a dozen organizations are urging lawmakers to permanently protect access to telehealth services. The government has eased restrictions but the waivers are only in place during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Financial leaders of healthcare systems outlined some of the challenges in reducing unexpected bills in a new survey.

The groups say they support the law and key patient protections. But they argue a provision in the law must be fixed or it could hurt patient access to care and providers could lose out financially.

The $390 million deal is expected to close in early 2022. Cancer Treatment Centers will be converted to a non-profit organization.

Essen teamed up with Verustat to monitor patients in their homes. Essen’s founder calls the partnership a “game changer.”

As more payers shift seniors from in-patient facilities and back toward their homes, more patients need assistance, a new study shows. The burden on patients and families isn’t fully understood.

Mark Spinner, CEO of AccessOne, discusses some of the financing concerns that patients expressed in a recent AccessOne survey as well as some solutions that hospitals and health systems can implement to improve communication and price transparency.

The state's hospitals are dealing with serious capacity issues and a shortage of healthcare workers.

The federal policy led to more outpatient stays initially, but the rate of change has flattened. The rule carries substantial costs for hospitals.

More hospitals are now offering acute care at home. It’s another indication of how the COVID-19 pandemic is driving changes in hospitals and healthcare.

In New Hampshire, where several rural delivery units have closed in recent years, the driving time more than doubled.

Gathering and having access to an enormous amount of data isn’t the most important thing; using that data at the time of need to influence care choices is crucial, said Jim Adams, chief innovation officer, AllianceRx Walgreens Prime.

The hospitals are participating in a federal effort to collect and study the health data of women and babies. The hope is to reduce disparities in outcomes among racial and ethnic groups.

Hospital systems play a vital role in vaccinating children ages 5-11. But, they are setting up clinics amidst a staffing crunch, even while facilities are packed with patients.

The study concluded that some return visits within 30 days could have been avoided with better communication about medications and post-discharge plans.

Panelists during a session at the Galien Week of Innovation discussed their technological innovations that allow for a health system with a more connected patient.

Healthcare needs to adapt so Medicare beneficiaries can select the care setting that’s most appropriate for their health, safety and quality of life when they require care after a hospitalization.

Joe Polaris, senior vice president of product and technology at R1 RCM, discussed how price transparency can increase hospital revenues and address patient concerns regarding exorbitant healthcare costs as well as the impact that CMS’ new price transparency rule could have on hospitals.

Patients expect more convenient communication options and user-friendly technology from healthcare providers now.

Patients receiving care at Memorial Sloan Kettering preferred telemedicine visits over in-office visits with similar satisfaction scores.

Solving operational challenges starts by looking at operating models and staffing from a new perspective.