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2020... A LOOK AHEAD...2020... A LOOK AHEAD...2020... A LOOK AHEAD...

Healthcare Technology in 2020 and Beyond:

Stay Nimble, Adaptable and Demanding

When peers in the technology industry ask me to predict the known security and risk management practices, and be intimately aware of
future of healthcare, my standard response is to the point: Three the local, state, federal and industry guidelines and laws that govern data
years from now, almost nothing that we’re doing today in health- and privacy in your profession, sector or specialty.
care tech will be the same, so remain nimble and adaptable for Ask what you need of vendors and partners, even if it’s unique to you and
what’s ahead. not in the standard contract. When VITAS was searching for cloud-based
Healthcare innovation itself is proceeding at a dizzying pace, vendors and technology providers, as an example, we insisted on and nego-
and the technology supporting it has its own built-in realities and tiated enterprise-level contract language guaranteeing that VITAS data
challenges. Just like the healthcare industry, healthcare tech is stored and transferred within the cloud remains geographically within the
defined by vast amounts of personnel, financial and federally pro- United States and is never transmitted through or stored in non-US loca-
tected patient data that must be available and transactable tions. Given current global threats to data security, we felt we needed US-
24/7/365. Hospitals, nursing homes, clinical laboratories, emer- only language as a necessary layer of added protection for the private data
gency departments and hospice companies do not end their work- of our patients and caregivers.
days at 5 p.m., and the technology that powers them must be Remember that both healthcare and technology are people-driven, so
always on and functional as well. BY PATRICK HALE consider the human factor when creating and deploying healthcare tech-
What recommendation do I offer for healthcare technology in nology. Insist on policies and practices that the users of your technology
2020 and beyond? At VITAS® Healthcare, we’re guided by these can understand and execute (e.g., limit access to certain data sources, use
and other insights and strategies: multi-factor authentication for some transactions, consider bans on use of personal
Find partners who bring real value to the table and hire them because they possess devices for work, etc.).
skills beyond your own organization’s capabilities. Expect your partners to be experts Pursue innovative technology that makes sense to your company/specialty. At
and leaders; expect their passion to match yours. VITAS, we’re exploring virtual reality technology as a tool to relieve anxiety and
Pay attention to the setting of care. In the hospice profession particularly and in stress among patients, enabling them to take bucket-list trips or enjoy relaxing, calm-
other medical specialties as well, healthcare is gradually moving out of traditional ing experiences without leaving their home or bed. Our recently updated hospice app
doctor’s offices, hospitals and clinics and into locations where it can have the most for clinicians helps our referral sources determine hospice eligibility with a disease-
direct impact—in patient’s homes, wherever they call home. VITAS services are pro- specific, interactive palliative performance scale.
vided in patients’ private homes, nursing homes and assisted living facilities, there- Staying pace with technology requires vigilance, innovation and a commitment to
fore our clinical technology systems have become “mobile-first,” allowing our hos- change. Let that be your guiding philosophy in 2020.
pice clinicians to handle most interactions, orders and record-keeping from their
iPhones and iPads. Patrick Hale is executive vice president and chief information officer for VITAS
Insist on security as a guiding principle—not as an afterthought—when collecting, Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care, established in 1978 and head-
transacting and migrating data. There are no healthcare practices or agencies that quartered in Miami, Florida. For more information, visit VITAS.com or download the VITAS
want to see their name in the headlines as a result of a malicious attack that exposes mobile app at VITASapp.com.
private patient data, inhibits patient care, or disrupts operations. Deploy the best-

Cover Story: Florida Medical Practices to

See Another Rate Decrease

in 2020 Workers’ Comp Rates

Continued from page 1
While this is great news for Florida medical practices and all businesses, the Office
of Insurance Regulation, lawmakers, and businesses are concerned about the pending
changes associated with the 2016 Florida Supreme Court rulings removing caps on
attorney fees and temporary total disability benefits. Many in this industry believe
that these rate decreases will be short lived once the effects of these changes take hold
unless the legislature can counter with new laws to reinstate the fee and disability
caps.
Workers’ compensation premiums are the one bright spot in the current Florida
insurance market. We are seeing rate increases in almost all other lines of insurance,
including medical professional liability, business, property, auto, and cyber coverages.
The medical malpractice insurance companies are experiencing an increased number
of claims and lawsuits, with a large number of “shock loss” judgements of over $10
million being paid out in the last year. This trend is expected to continue, and will
result in much-higher rates these next few years.

Tom Murphy is a workers’ compensation and
medical malpractice insurance specialist agent
with the firm of Danna-Gracey, Inc. in downtown
Delray Beach. He can be reached
at (561) 276-3553 or (800) 966-2120 or
Murphy@dannagracey.com.

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26 January 2020 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News