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Security of Patient Data During Research and Pilot Programs

1 December, 201723 July, 2023 paolab Articles, Case studies, News

Security of patients’ data is a big concern in healthcare, mostly when the information is used for purposes of research or medical pilot programs. The ability to share medical and health data from patients with HealthCare Providers, Pharma, Payers or other Scientific Institutions have shown tremendous benefits in improving patient treatments, because it provides better insights for those involved in HealthCare about the management of several factors including medication. However, at the same time has increased security risks.
The option that patients have right now about participating in research or a pilot program sending health information remotely anytime, anywhere (through mobile phones, wireless medical devices, wearables, sensors and others), may enchance the relationship between those patients and HealthCare Institutions, Providers, Payers and Pharma. But the more remotely devices usability to send health or medical data, the more vulnerabilities in the management, visualization and storage of that data.

Those Health Entities have to be very careful when choosing and working with digital companies which provide the technical aspect. Because of digital companies are managing Health Information, they have to be in compliance with HIPAA law and have to adopt best practices handling Protected Health Information and Personal Health Information.

Here are some guidelines provided by Wilson Jaramillo, VP of engineering and technology at esvyda Inc.:

Several challenges have to be faced while adoption of security strategies:

Maintenance of software performance
Management of data registries
Management of security vs. latency of processes
Security of data vs. execution time, while ensuring systems do no collapse
Multithread administration to optimize hardware usage and provide traceability of every transaction done that involves data synchronization with mobile applications or third party systems.
Disaster recovery policies that allow to keep a secure backup of the data in different locations along with standby instances of the databases that increase the availability of the data if something happens or any maintenance is being done
Monitoring of user activities inside the application system, follow architectures like actor, action done, data modified, source of modification done, geolocation.

Combining strategies

Combined strategies may improve security. Those may include but are not limited to: Encryption, Hardware Security Modules (HSM), Decrypted keys during a limited user session (validation without compromising security). Strategies to detect weird behaviors of user accesing data from other devices different from those usually used by him.

Among other strategies, the use of standards and security policies with internal control of the company may allow the correct adoption of the tools that maintain secure data, including systems that monitor the user activities,

performance of the Operating System, and correct performance of data base, integrity of cache, load balancers, data base cluster sync and Firewall with real-time feedback of application software usage. In this aspect it is important to detect how many sessions are open by a specific user, understand their behaviors and monitor the lifetime of the sessions, thus that session that is not being used can be closed on time or a user accout can be blocked if something strange is happening. For that reason, second authentication factor allows to end use unblock their accounts securely.

Management of roles

Another key security strategy is the correct administration of users’ roles. The correct administration of users’ roles allows the management of permissions and protects the unauthorized access to data.

Encryption

The encryption of data is also a good strategy. The implementation of AES 256 to encrypt data at rest with initilization vectores, store the decryption keys encrypted, usage of a master decryption key inside an HMS system which is independent of application software, generate a different encryption key for every patient and for every kind of data, avoiding dictionary attacks that facilitate the easy decryption beyond a database register, because the computational effort would be high. It is very important the communication of data transmitted between networks, using secure protocols and implementing strategies to avoid atatcks like the man in the middle.

Protecting software deployment and data base to isolate the enviroment to only be accesible to authorized people and by the authorized applications using HTTPS implementations. To encrypt data at rest, access to the end user application always over HTTPS are a useful option combined with user accounts using strong password policies.

Although all these technologies increase overload over the hardware resources when any search includes any encrypted data, the usage of Keyed-hashing for Message Authentication along with encrypted storage of hashing keys allows to index data without compromising the security of the data.

Remotely Fault Report

The remotely fault report allows to log the “issues” that require special attention to offer a quick and effective support to users. Implement a supervisor system that keep the traceability of those issues and a project management system provides a reliable product that is able to respond quickly to new challenges like modern attacks that are looking for exploiting vulnerabilities. So, it is important to implement policies that keep the development and deployment tools updated to mitigate the effect of those vulnerabilities.

Smart Devices Communicated With Several Mobile Phones and Operating Systems

The use of several smart devices (classic or BLE Bluetooth) connected to different mobile phones and operating systems represent a security challenge. Although Bluetooth is a standard protocol, the different hardware device brands represent a challenge of integration to software developers to offer a stable product for the user. Medical devices with GPRS/2G/3G/4G technology have to use encrypted strategies too. In this area it is not only important to pay attention to the generated data by smart medical devices, but also to the context which includes the unique identification of every device and the integrity of the data transmitted, in order to avoid duplicated data and usage of devices that are compatible or they are not authorized by the application software.

Esvyda Inc.

Security of patients’ data is a big concern for esvyda Telehealth and Telemonitoring Solution, which has released a product that integrates medical and non-medical data to be shared by HealthCare Providers, Institutions, Pharmas, Payers and non-medical people involved in the care of patients. The solution helps to see, treat and follow-up patients in a holistic way and empowers patients to be proactive participants in their treatments, decreasing non-adherence to medication, hospital reamdissions and ER visits and saving costs to the health care system. We address security challenges with the implementation all of the aforementioned security strategies.

Want to know more?
Call us at (408) 905 0341 or (408) 660 8666
Email us: info@esvyda.com

How Esvyda helps health payers

2 October, 201723 July, 2023 paolab Articles

Reducing Readmissions and ER Visits, Improving The Quality of Lives

Esvyda Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring solution supports payers in the prevention and treatment of chronic conditions of their members, coordinating care among all care teams involved, providing real-time and actionable information. Care Providers may take action on time, reducing costs. Specially for Hispanic population.

Esvyda works with:

Healthy members to prevent diseases.

Those who are suffering chronic conditions.

Avoiding progressions of
diseases and manage
complications

Esvyda may interoperate with EHRs information related to patientallergies and active problems, patient vital sign metrics results, patient appointments and goals, messages and alerts, nurse notes and other customizable features.

Esvyda Technology

1. 24/7 Telemonitoring

Real-time information reports available at your Healthcare Providers hands! Integration with wireless medical devices. Task management and alerts.

2. Enhance communication capabilities

Better decision sharing among care teams or with other providers or facilities for suggestions or advises. Provide patient engagement to treatments. SMS, Chat, Video/Audio Interaction.

3. Medication Adherence

Reminders, alerts and rells. Drug dispenser Integration optional.

What we have for your Care Teams

Alerts and task management
Appointments scheduler
Care team management
Communication in real time
Interoperability

Medical devices
Easy to use mobile app for patients
Patients mood tracking
Patients daily times setup
Patients targets setup

Patients logbook
Prescriptions management
Re-engage patients tools
Patient satisfaction surveys
Medication management

Our solution allows to manage patients’ tasks in a customizable easy and understandable way for them.

Follow Up
Assessment
Medication
Use of Durable
Medical Equipment

Care Plan and Action Plan Management

Physical Activity
Diet and Nutrition
Social Interaction
Leisure Time

Engages patients with

Motivation

Education

Rewards

Esvyda works very closely with public and private health plans in all of their available programs

Programs to manage patients with chronic conditions: Care Management Services such as Chronic Care Management (CCM), Complex Care Management and Transitional Care Management (TCM).
Initial and Follow Up Online Consultations.
Senior Care.
Home Care.
Behavioral Health.
Preventive and Wellness. Programs: Fitness, nutrition and stress management activities.
Other Available Programs by CMS and Private Payers.

Esvyda support Patient's Journey

Our lifestyle coaches will support patients throughout their journeys, so they will never be alone, even when Healthcare Providers are not available for them!
Healthcare Providers may see step by step their improvements or discover some patterns that may lead to poor outcomes and take action in advance!

Esvyda makes Technology easier for Seniors

As people age, it is normal to experience changes in vision, hearing and mobility, but this does not have to impact a senior’s participation in staying healthy. Esvyda engage seniors making understandable the technology, using customizable channels of communication. Esvyda provide a senior-designed platform offering a single channel for presenting benefit, health-related and other resources to supportthem.

esvyda podcast

8 September, 201723 July, 2023 paolab Articles, Case studies, News

Topic: The Transition from Fee For Service to Value Based Care

In this podcast Dr. Duque gives his opinion about this change in the healthcare.

Cesar Duque is Medical Director at esvyda. He is an innovator visionary with more than 20 years of experience in healthcare, 16 as a Physician. He believes all professionals need to stay in the vanguard of technology in order to take advantage of the potential that exists. “We ought to evaluate ourselves often and transform. The ability to do this will allow us to learn from our challenges and change to stay competitive. How to do this and maintain a balanced life will determine your success”.

CMS – Care Management Services: Remote Monitoring and CCM

24 August, 201723 July, 2023 paolab Articles

Remote Monitoring and CCM

According to CMS, Practitioners who engage in Remote Monitoring of patient physiological data of eligible beneciaries may count the time they spend reviewing the reported data towards the monthly minimum time for billing the CCM code, it counts as part of 20 minute performance of CPT code 99490.

CMS - Care Management Services

Have you heard about new Care Management Services under general supervision for Medicare patients, reimbursed by CMS and available from 2017?

CMS has recently “recognized primary care and care coordination as critical components in achieving better care…” and wants to “encourage long-term investment in primary care and caremanagement services” through “accurate payment”.

From 2017, CMS is Reimbursing the Following:

Simplification of the chronic care management (CCM) billing rules.
Payment for complex CCM. Complex chronic care management is a service reimbursed on a monthly basis, for a patient who has chronic medical problems which require moderate or high medical decision making- 60 minutes of time spent with the patient.
Services: Medical and/or psychosocial need, establish or substantially revise a care plan, problems requiring moderate or high complexity Medical Decision Making (MDM), multiple Illnesses, i.e. Dementia, COPD, substance Abuse, Diabetes (that complicate their care), multiple medication use, inability to perform ADL, require a caregiver, and/or repeat ED visits.

Payment for care plan development.
Changing Direct supervision to General for CCM furnished by rural health clinics (RHCs) and federally qualied health centers (FQHCs). Thus, the clinical staff member does not have to be physically present in the same suite of offices when providing this service as it was currently performed.

How CCM is Simplied

Consent form is not required anymore: A physician may simply Document in the beneciary’s medical record that all the elements of consent were provided, and whether the beneciary accepted or declined CCM services.

How Esvyda may help you

We are ble to keep patient’s information available in your EHR system anytime, anywhere, thanks to our powerful interoperable capabilities.

Initial visit: Such initiating visit is required only for new patients and patients not seen within the last twelve months.

If an initial visit is required, our solution allows to book that appointment in a very convenient way for you, keeping all the information about the encounter secure and providing insights about the course of this patient’s treatment whether the encounter has been performed online or face-to-face.

24/7 access to care. The requirement regarding access to the beneciary’s care plan is eliminated.

Although this requirement is eliminated, as a patient engagement strategy, we enable the access of patient’s care plan in a user-friendly way, in a timely manner and available at anytime, not also to patients but also to any authorized person.

Management of care transitions. The continuity of care document does not have to be formatted in a specic manner. Facilitate and coordinate referrrals and follow up after ER or facility discharge. Coordinate with home and community based clinical Service Providers.

We enable care coordination of services, through the enhancement of communication capabilities such as SMS, Chat, Video/Audio Interaction for the management of care transitions. Care team members may share comments and ask for advice with other providers or facilities without disclosing PHI of patients.

Sharing Clinical summaries and care plan information: The electronic care plan must be timely available within and outside the billing practice as appropriate and must be shared electronically (Can include fax) within and outside the practice with people or entities involved in the beneciary’s care.

Our interoperable capabilities allow Health Care Providers share care plans and clinical summaries with patients and their authorized people as well as with others health care providers involved in their reatments.

Care plan given to patient: The specification of the format in which the care plan is to be provided is eliminated. May include fax.

Our interoperable capabilities allow health Care providers to share plans and clinical summaries with patients and their authorized people as well as with other health care providers involved in the treatment of patients.

Documentation in the EHR: Such communications must be documented in the patient’s medical record, but not necessarily a qualifying certied electronic health record.

We support the integration of any kind of documentation related to CCM programs in your EHR, available Anytime, Anywhere!

Esvyda works closely with public and private health plans in all of their available programs, making our solution the most complete out there in the market.

esvyda and its powerful interoperability solution: how does it work and how can it help you?

21 August, 201723 July, 2023 paolab Articles

Esvyda interoperability makes it easy for patients, medical staff, caregivers and family members to access to a complete solution anytime, anywhere.

Interoperability in Healthcare

The ability of health care practitioner’s information technology (IT) system to interface with systems of other clinicians to assist the practitioner in providing seamless and well informed care to every patient.

Interoperability can save $30 billion a year in the U.S healthcare system.

Information sharing and personalized care

0 %

Patients rated the ability for care providers to easily share and receive important information about their medical history- wherever they needed treatmentamong the most important factors to receiving personalized care.

0 %

Patients believe that their doctors can easily share and access important information about their medical history whenever or wherever care is needed.

Patients use digital health devices, want them connected to care

Patients say that they use a digital device (including mobile apps) to manage their health.

Patients believe it would be helpful for their doctor to have access to this information as part of their medical history.

Esvyda! App allows providers to integrate different functionalities inside their EHRs

Esvyda interoperability

Esvyda interoperability makes it easy for patients, medical staff, caregivers and family members to access to a complete solution anytime, anywhere.

Our Cloud-Based software is able to interoperate with any EHR system and other third parties such as wireless medical devices and wearables. We make it easy for patients, care teams, care givers and family members authorized who will have all medical information available in one place! Thus improving the communication and the patients engagement in their own treatments.

esvyda risk stratification of patients

21 August, 201723 July, 2023 paolab Articles

Esvyda risk assessment and management enables the reduction of readmissions rates to hospitals and ER visits, saving healthcare costs to the system; correlating factors such as vital signs, medication, physical activity and diet through our cloud-based software that is able to interoperate with any EHR system and other third parties such as wireless medical devices and wearables.

esvyda risk stratification of patients

This risk assessment and Management enables the reduction of readmission rates to hospitals and ER visits, thus saving healthcare costs to the system.

Patient Engagement: Beyond Technology

10 May, 201723 July, 2023 paolab Articles

Patient engagement is not a buzzword. Nowadays, healthcare providers and payers are realizing that patients are more self-concious about their role in their own health. They want to be more informed about diseases they are suffering or are at risk, they want to keep easy access to their health records or at least their care plans (i.e list of medicines, activities they have to do), they love to book appointments easily and access to a doctor in a short period of time. They want to have real-time access to everything related to them.

I am including overall population here, not just Generation X or millennials (who we are pretty sure have technology at the palm of their hands). Now, healthcare providers have to keep in mind those senior population that are becoming tech savvy and those who do not, but have caregivers who are looking for advises and easy access to the health of their loved ones.

In the healthcare market we are seeing a lot of digital offerings which claim to solve the problem, I mean, the patient engagement problem.

Healthcare providers have to understand their needs. They need to think about technology that fits better to them that is able to integrate in their workflows, affordable to budgets and easy to use.

If “Patient Engagement” Were just a problem with a digital solution, I would say that younger generations would be healthier than older ones. It could be true, from the physiological perspective, you know, physical impairments such as loss hearing, decrease in bone density, memory lost and other normal impairments that come with age.

But we are seeing young and adult population, (who are more tech savvy) suffering or at risk of multiple chronic conditions. In USA for example, it is well-known that adult and younger generations are not having healthy lifestyles. Increasing of junk food consumption, sedentary lifestyle (i.e spending a huge amount of hours at the computer and other electronic devices, driving cars rather than walking or running), alcohol consumption and smoking habits are reasons that probably are killing people in USA.

Then, if people are better informed about conditions, treatments, the best doctor to see. If people have the ability to see a doctor in 10 minutes or less, if medicines prescribed are delivered at patient’s home, if everything related to healthcare is at their hands, why the number of people suffering chronic conditions is increasing?

Patient Engagement goes beyond technology. A big health system may have the best technology for them, which makes automatization of processes, but still have a high rate of patient absenteeism to appointments and even high rate of readmissions rates and ER visits. This is more than that!

That human interaction is needed for all generations. Millenials for example, are self-independent, this is not a secret, but even so, they need to be reminded about basic things, things they know, because (we know) this generation and other, younger, are not only tech savvy but also have a high health literacy.

The technology by itself does not work. The human touch is relevant to engage patients in treatments. From the Doctor’s office to the patient’s home, to the patient’s workplace.

But how?

We would say from the improvement of “Patient Experience”, Which encloses “User Experience” Improvement.

The human interaction is very relevant for all healthcare practices, before moving to technological implementations, be sure not to lose it. Wheter you see a patient using video, or wheter your patients have to wait long time in a waiting room, be sure the experience be great for them. You may say “Hello” and you may try to remember patient name, you cannot imagine how important is for patient be reminded by name and not by a number. Train your staff about human relationships as well. Be kind, smile. Those apparently insignificant things, may make a big difference.

When your patients spend long time in waiting room, make it comfortable for them. Think about guests you invite at your place, you want your home to look as much comfortable as possible, so you start the conversation about topics they like and not about the ones you like. And how you get to know the main topics of your guests? Asking basic things to them, thus, you may know their likes and dislikes. And if you want to be visited by them again, you do everything needed for that: Cooking their preferred foods, keeping your home beautiful, talking to them about topics they want or like.

Once your guests are out your home, you try to get in touch with them once in a while, because you want they comeback, that is the same with your patients, once they are out your office, keep in touch with them, look for their preferred channel of communication and schedule for follow ups.

Digital offerings may help you on that. Try to analyze how well the offering may fit in your practice, how useful will be for your patients and, of course, what would be the ROI.

How Esvyda can increase patient engagement

Esvyda enables that patient engagement with the improvement of communication among health care providers, payers, caregivers and patients as well as the human touch interaction, developed by a health care coach who communicates with patients with empathy and non-judgment.

Esvyda complements its solution with technological tools such as telemonitoring of vital signs, lifestyle and medication and the integrated workflow for risk assessment, management and care coordination of patient, creating an efficient healthcare ecosystem in USA.

Combining strategies

Management of roles

Encryption

Remotely Fault Report

Smart Devices Communicated With Several Mobile Phones and Operating Systems

Reducing Readmissions and ER Visits, Improving The Quality of Lives

Esvyda works with:

Esvyda Technology

1. 24/7 Telemonitoring

2. Enhance communication capabilities

3. Medication Adherence

What we have for your Care Teams

Our solution allows to manage patients’ tasks in a customizable easy and understandable way for them.

Care Plan and Action Plan Management

Motivation

Education

Rewards

Esvyda works very closely with public and private health plans in all of their available programs

Esvyda support Patient's Journey

Esvyda makes Technology easier for Seniors

Remote Monitoring and CCM

CMS - Care Management Services

From 2017, CMS is Reimbursing the Following:

How CCM is Simplied

How Esvyda may help you

Interoperability in Healthcare

Information sharing and personalized care

Patients use digital health devices, want them connected to care

Esvyda! App allows providers to integrate different functionalities inside their EHRs

Esvyda interoperability

esvyda risk stratification of patients

How Esvyda can increase patient engagement

Support Schedule

Sales

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