Artificial intelligence is often hailed as the solution to many of healthcare's pressing challenges, especially in the face of a growing workforce shortage. However, industry leaders caution against viewing AI as a quick fix. Health systems are still in the early stages of developing AI governance and integrating it safely into clinical and administrative functions. Over the next decade, AI could realize a larger impact on the hospital workforce. The looming clinician shortage will lead to innovative ways for AI to assist human workers and support care delivery.
The Bipartisan Policy Center released a report on Wednesday that recommends that Congress reauthorize the pandemic-era Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver for five years so more hospitals and patients can benefit. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) “hospital at home” waiver has allowed hospitals to provide acute, in-patient level care to qualifying patients in their homes. The waiver was offered during the COVID-19 pandemic when hospitals were overwhelmed with COVID patients and HHS sought to decompress hospital capacity. The hospital-at-home waiver will expire in December without Congressional action.
The American College of Cardiology has released a workbook on remote patient management (RPM) that provides guidance to the cardiovascular care team on definitions, types, clinical uses, benefits and limitations of RPM. The workbook also aims to help clinical practices determine whether they are ready for RPM utilization and provide considerations about how to set up an RPM program. RPM is the recording, saving, transmitting and interpretation of certain health parameters, continuously or intermittently, outside of a clinical encounter setting. Cardiovascular clinicians report an increase in patients using consumer-grade RPM products, such as smart watches and other wearables.
Feds crack down on healthcare hackers
Federal agencies are intensifying their efforts to crack down on foreign hackers targeting U.S. hospitals and health systems. On July 25, the State Department announced that it was offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the identification or location of individuals acting under the direction or control of a foreign government who engage in malicious cyber activities targeting U.S. critical infrastructure. Specifically, the State Department is searching for information on Rim Jong Hyok, a man reportedly linked to North Korean military intelligence, who is allegedly involved in a scheme to hack into U.S. healthcare systems.
The Age-Friendly Health Systems movement recorded a significant achievement when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently added an Age-Friendly Hospital Measure as part of the fiscal year 2025 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) rule. The new measure, developed by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) in partnership with the American College of Surgeons and IHI, clarifies goals for those who work with older patients and incorporates aspects of the ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) framework into care delivery. Among other things, the measure calls for hospitals to have protocols in place to move older patients out of the emergency department within eight hours of arrival or three hours of the decision to admit.
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