Articles related to MEDTECH

Revolutionizing Sleep Apnea Diagnosis with Wearable Technology Tackling the increasing prevalence of sleep disorders like sleep apnea, Georgia Tech researchers have brought a paradigm shift in the field of sleep diagnostics. Their development of a wearable sleep monitor patch, characterized by its accuracy and comfort, offers the promise of a more accessible and cost-effective means of diagnosing sleep disorders, revolutionizing the way sleep medicine is practiced.

AI technologies are reshaping the world of nursing, creating opportunities for enhanced patient care and efficiency in healthcare delivery. In this ever-evolving landscape, nurses can use AI to guide decisions, take autonomous actions, and predict risks, making them critical players in this transformation. Clinical decision support tools, empowered by AI, assist nurses in making informed clinical decisions. These tools, such as alerts in the electronic health record (EHR), clinical practice guidelines, and order sets, boost the accuracy and specificity of predictions and suggestions beyond human capacity. For example, AI algorithms can accurately predict fall risks and suggest interventions, ensuring patients’ safety while reducing human error. Meanwhile, mobile health and sensor-based technologies are paving the way for remote patient care. These technologies, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, allow nurses to deliver care and monitor patients with limited resources, proving particularly beneficial for managing chronic illnesses. Through smartphones, apps, and wearable technologies, nurses can receive real-time data about patients’ health and respond accordingly. In addition to these, voice assistants and robotics are joining the nursing workforce. Voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant can potentially collect patient data and remind patients about medication or checkups, easing the load on nursing staff. Similarly, […]

Nurses, let’s dive right into this fascinating development in the field. Picture this: as the demand for inpatient care skyrockets, and nursing resources become stretched, finding an experienced nurse for mentorship has become a real challenge. But what if you could get that mentorship right when you need it, from a virtual source? Introducing the groundbreaking concept of the Virtual RN, or ViRN. Created to bolster support for both you, our invaluable bedside RNs, and the patients in designated general care inpatient units, the ViRN is changing how we operate. This role provides real-time virtual clinical guidance to you at the bedside, while also actively monitoring patients. Imagine the possibilities! Now, you might be wondering, how do nurses feel about this integration of ViRNs into our nursing care team? Well, a recent survey sent out via email to bedside RNs gives us some insightful answers. It turns out that RNs are valuing the consistent availability of the ViRN’s expert nursing knowledge and virtual assistance with nursing tasks.

Let’s delve into the groundbreaking application of endoscopic electroporation and semaglutide that’s changing the game in diabetes management. First off, the EMINENT study is unveiling a revolutionary approach in treating type 2 diabetes. This method combines endoscopic electroporation, known as ReCET, with the medication semaglutide. The main goal is to reduce or potentially eliminate the need for insulin, revolutionizing glycemic control. The innovative ReCET procedure employs electroporation to ablate the superficial layer of mucosa in the small intestine. Researchers hope that by rejuvenating the duodenal lining and employing a GLP-1 receptor agonist, they could address insulin resistance, the fundamental problem in type 2 diabetes. Interestingly, ReCET doesn’t use extreme temperatures to ablate intestinal tissue. Rather, it uses a pulsed electric field, yielding precise control and limited depth of penetration. This method disrupts the cellular membrane of the mucosa and superficial submucosa, triggering natural cell death within a day, thereby significantly minimizing the risk of complications. A single-arm pilot study conducted as part of EMINENT involved 14 patients with type 2 diabetes using long-acting basal insulin. All patients underwent the ReCET procedure and started on semaglutide two weeks later. Researchers noted the feasibility and safety of ReCET, with a 100% success […]

Navigate the rapidly changing landscape of patient communication, as we explore the ins and outs of charging for MyChart messages. The COVID-19 pandemic has swiftly transformed the dynamics of healthcare communication. Consequently, healthcare providers increasingly rely on telehealth visits and digital communication tools to connect with patients. A significant offshoot of this shift is the growing trend of charging for MyChart messages. Healthcare systems have begun charging for the time providers spend responding to messages. Some hospitals have even expressed plans to bill up to $50 for MyChart messages. This new approach was permitted through changes to the 2020 Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. The revised codes introduced three new time-based categories, thereby allowing providers to bill for time spent addressing patient-initiated messages over a week. Despite these changes, not all services come with a price tag. As per the Cleveland Clinic, any work taking under five minutes or any service that leads to an in-person consultation will not be charged. Furthermore, no fees apply to prescription refill requests, appointment requests, and follow-up care related to a surgery performed within the last 90 days. However, specific services can be billed. For instance, messages necessitating a clinical assessment, ordering a test […]

In a recent single-center prospective cohort study, the effect of unsuccessful treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) on mortality rates in patients with severe pneumonia was evaluated. The study involved 585 mechanically ventilated patients with severe pneumonia and respiratory failure, including 190 with severe COVID-19, all of whom underwent at least one bronchoalveolar lavage. A novel machine learning approach, CarpeDiem, was employed to group similar ICU patient-days into clinical states based on electronic health record data. Findings indicated that the lengthy ICU stays experienced by COVID-19 patients were largely due to prolonged periods of respiratory failure. The study discovered that although VAP wasn’t a contributing factor to mortality rates overall, patients with a single episode of unsuccessfully treated VAP demonstrated a significantly higher mortality rate (76.4%) compared to those with successfully treated VAP (17.6%). Furthermore, the CarpeDiem model highlighted that unresolved VAP was linked with transitions to clinical states associated with increased mortality. The study underscores that unsuccessful treatment of VAP is correlated with higher mortality and that patients with COVID-19 are at an elevated risk of VAP due to prolonged respiratory failure.