Blog
Introduction:
In healthcare IT’s evolving landscape, solutions that streamline operations, cut costs, and drive digital innovation are crucial for success and improved patient care. I recently sat down with Jackson Fiser of TSplus Group, an industry leader in remote desktop and application delivery software, to explore how their solutions are transforming the healthcare sector. Here are some highlights from our conversation.
Interview:
Inna: Jackson, TSplus has been making waves in the IT industry, particularly in healthcare. Could you share with us, in your experience, which healthcare organizations are ideally positioned to benefit from TSplus products and services?
Jackson: TSplus has provided value to all scales of healthcare companies. We’ve successfully worked with Doctor and Dental offices, Urgent Care providers, large hospitals, and healthcare software providers.
Inna: That’s quite a range. How does TSplus contribute to reducing IT costs in these organizations?
Jackson: Our approach is straightforward yet impactful. We offer perpetual licenses, which are more cost-effective than annual subscriptions from alternatives like Citrix or Microsoft RDS. This, along with our easy-to-manage web servers, significantly reduces finance expenditures and needed resources.
Inna: Regarding scalability, how does TSplus support business growth?
Jackson: TSplus facilitates the growth of healthcare organizations by offering flexible licensing options, ensuring smooth IT infrastructure scaling. Our system is designed for quick, secure workstation setup, tailored for essential groups like medical staff and administrators, allowing them to focus on their core work without system complexities.
Inna: Can you describe the implementation process for TSplus?
Jackson:Sure. Our clients appreciate the straightforward nature of our implementation. An admin can have web servers operational in about 10 to 15 minutes. This simplicity, along with our free trial period, minimizes disruption and eases the transition. This is one of key reasons our clients’ users have switched over from alternatives – simplicity. Our licenses are straightforward, implementation and management is easy, and we offer a free trial period to test the product, including what set-up would look like.
Inna: Most of the IT industry has focused on modernizing their technology platforms and stacks. How does TSplus assist a client in digital transformation?
Jackson: TSplus facilitates digital transformation by securely moving applications, including legacy ones, to the cloud. Our focus on robust security features, including compliance with standards like HIPAA, ensures a secure and efficient transition.
Inna: Can you share with us some of your clients’ feedback regarding TSplus?
Jackson: We’ve received overwhelmingly positive responses. Our clients value the affordability, user-friendliness, and exceptional support we offer. We’re committed to not just selling a product but to fostering lasting relationships and ensuring our clients feel supported and valued.
Conclusion: In the critical arena of healthcare IT, TSplus emerges as a vital ally, offering innovative solutions that prioritize patient data security and operational efficiency.
Their dedication to customer satisfaction and ease of use makes them a go-to choice in the market. Discover how TSplus can enhance your healthcare IT infrastructure by visiting TSplus Official ® | Remote Access Software Suite or reaching out to Jackson Fiser directly at jackson.fiser@tsplus.net.
About the Interviewee: Jackson Fiseris a Sales Manager at TSplus who joined to focus on the U.S. efforts. He has spent his career in Cybersecurity and Healthcare IT, primarily serving private offices and the ASC industry. He believes software must make sense on both the front end business-wise, and on the back end for users and admins. He looks to provide logical solutions.
About the Author: Inna Berkovich, a CIO & Executive Management Consultant at Emerging Technologies, Inc., specializes in driving visionary solutions in healthcare IT. Her deep commitment to integrating technology in healthcare drives her to explore and share insights on how IT solutions like TSplus can revolutionize patient care and healthcare management.
Explore the transformative power of TSplus in healthcare IT with #HealthcareInnovation, #DigitalTransformation, #HealthcareIT, #RemoteAccess, #TechLeadership, #HealthTech, #ITStrategy, #CloudComputing, and #Cybersecurity.
In my recent engagements with various healthcare companies during their 2024 budgeting process, I’ve noticed a pivotal shift: a critical re-evaluation of investments in Information Technology. Amidst rapid technological advancements and changing pricing models, it’s become clear that traditional IT strategies are falling short. From these observations, it’s evident that companies aiming for success must urgently realign their budgets to focus on cloud-driven solutions, integrated systems, and digital patient engagement. This shift represents not just an upgrade, but a strategic imperative for staying ahead in the evolving healthcare landscape.
As we explore the shift in healthcare IT strategies and the heightened focus on innovation, let’s pinpoint the specific outdated IT trends that demand our attention and understand where companies are redirecting their efforts.
- The Ongoing Legacy Systems Enhancements
As healthcare companies confront the challenges of enhancing legacy systems, a significant shift is underway. These systems, once the foundation of healthcare IT, are now recognized as impediments to innovation. Their design, while effective in the past, now presents challenges in terms of rigidity and compatibility with newer technologies. This is particularly problematic as the demand for real-time analytics and efficient data management grows. The limitations of these outdated systems often result in operational inefficiencies and slow responses to business needs. Consequently, many organizations are now pivoting towards cloud-based, modular systems for 2024. This move, essential for improved interoperability and scalability, enables organizations to quickly adapt to evolving technologies and client needs. For company leadership, adopting digital solutions that facilitate this transition is crucial, ensuring that their services stay competitive and are not impeded by the limitations of legacy systems.
2. Spreadsheet and Paper-Based Processes
In an era where data accuracy and efficiency are crucial, continuing to rely on manual spreadsheets and paper-based processes has become a hindrance. These traditional methods, time-consuming and error-prone, lack the advanced analytical capabilities essential for modern data management. As we look towards the upcoming year, a notable shift is expected towards digital workflow and data management tools. These tools go beyond mere digitization; they utilize AI and Machine Learning to dynamically adapt and evolve. This transition streamlines operations and significantly enhances data integrity and accessibility. It reduces reliance on subject matter experts, turning routine data handling into a vital component of the company’s intellectual property. Embracing this change in data management is fundamental to informed decision-making and improving patient outcomes, placing healthcare organizations at the vanguard of technological progress.
3. Stand-Alone Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems
Stand-alone EHR systems, while foundational in digitizing patient records, now pose a challenge in the integrated healthcare landscape. These systems often lead to data silos, limiting the exchange of patient information across different platforms. In 2024, healthcare providers need to shift towards integrated EHR systems that support bidirectional data flow. Such systems enhance interoperability and provide a complete view of patient health records, crucial for delivering coordinated and effective patient care.
4. On-Premises Data Centers
The traditional approach of maintaining on-premises data centers is becoming increasingly unsustainable, due to financial investment in infrastructure, security, DR and staffing shortages. These centers demand significant capital investment, constant maintenance, and are not as scalable as their modern counterparts. As the volume and complexity of healthcare data grow, cloud storage solutions emerge as a more practical choice. They offer scalability, enhanced security, and cost-effectiveness, addressing the limitations of traditional data centers. The shift to cloud storage in 2024 will not only reduce overhead costs but also provide organizations with the agility to respond to evolving data needs. Additionally, exploring Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) should be a key consideration for organizations looking to move away from dedicated data center operations.
5. Traditional Patient Engagement Methods
The reliance on traditional, often in-person, patient engagement methods limits the reach and effectiveness of healthcare services. As digital literacy and technology usage continue to rise, incorporating digital channels for patient engagement is becoming essential. This includes telehealth, mobile health apps, and online patient portals. The 2024 budget should embrace these digital channels to enhance patient engagement, offering convenience, personalized care, and a broader reach.
Charting the Course Forward
The healthcare IT sector stands at a crucial juncture, where embracing change is not just advantageous but essential for the sustained success of organizations. For financial leaders and key executives, the call to action is clear: reallocate 2024 budgets towards addressing these evolving strategies. By doing so, organizations can significantly boost operational efficiency and patient care, ensuring they remain at the forefront of a rapidly changing healthcare technology landscape.
In my own experience, it’s essential to continuously evaluate and update our approaches to technology. Being adaptable and forward-thinking is key to ensuring that healthcare IT not only meets the current demands but is also prepared for future challenges and opportunities.
What other outdated Health IT trends have you encountered, and how are you steering your organization toward adopting more advanced technologies?
In my role as a strategic advisor in the healthcare sector, I’m always exploring innovative solutions that can significantly benefit my clients. Today, I’m spotlighting Trustmi, a leader in B2B payment security. Their mission to enhance and streamline payment protection is particularly relevant in the complex financial landscape of healthcare. With global business payment fraud causing an estimated $300 billion in annual losses and an average of $150,000 per incident, the importance of Trustmi’s approach in detecting and addressing transactional anomalies cannot be overstated. Their strategies, adept at tackling both intentional fraud and common payment errors, are redefining the standards of payment security, positioning Trustmi as a key asset in the healthcare industry.
I recently had the chance to discuss these advancements with Shai Gabay, Co-Founder and CEO of Trustmi. Our conversation delved into how Trustmi is reshaping payment security in the healthcare industry. Let’s explore the insights from this informative discussion.
Inna: With the variety of payment security solutions out there, I’m curious about what sets Trustmi apart, especially in the healthcare sector. Could you elaborate on that?
Shai: At Trustmi, we focus on B2B payment security, an area often overlooked in favor of B2C solutions. This is particularly important in the healthcare space, where the scale is larger, systems are more complex, and there’s often a reliance on older technologies. These factors can lead to significant events such as security breaches that might not be immediately obvious. Our approach is designed specifically for this challenging environment. We aim to address the unique issues in B2B transactions, especially in healthcare, where accuracy and security are critical. Trustmi’s solution is tailored to ensure that transactions are not just secure, but also precise, making it a valuable tool for the healthcare industry.
Inna: Given the critical importance of data privacy in healthcare, how does Trustmi ensure the security of sensitive financial data? And in this context, does Trustmi utilize AI-driven machine learning to detect unusual transaction patterns?
Shai: In healthcare, where data privacy is crucial, Trustmi adopts a thorough approach to safeguarding sensitive financial data. We utilize a blend of advanced technologies as well as the collective intelligence of our Trust Network powered by a self-learning AI engine. The Trust Network captures data of all vendors and companies within the network and verifies their identities and detects fraud incidents that occur, alerting everyone of any attacks. This technology collects anonymized and tokenized data from our clients, forming unique ‘fingerprints’ of their vendors’ information and behaviors. Our approach is vital for effectively spotting unusual patterns in vendor transactions. It’s similar to how the Waze navigational application identifies traffic patterns by crowdsourcing information from its users. In much the same way, our system adds a dynamic and intelligent layer of security by gathering information on payment patterns across millions of vendors and organizations to detect anomalies within our Trust Network. We’re focused on more than just protecting data; we’re actively on the lookout for potential threats. Such proactive measures are key to upholding the financial integrity of the healthcare sector.
Inna: Are Trustmi’s operations and solutions aligned with HIPAA compliance to ensure regulatory adherence?
Shai: Trustmi is carefully designed with security and privacy at its core, ensuring that we meet HIPAA compliance standards. We take our customers’ privacy seriously, so we don’t collect any Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Our approach is to build security into every part of our system from the start. We place a lot of emphasis on following all the best practices in the industry and have SOC2 Type 2 certification, which shows our dedication to meeting high security and compliance standards.
Inna: Integration with existing systems is often a key concern. Can you walk me through how Trustmi integrates with existing systems, ensuring minimal disruption?
Shai: At Trustmi, our core philosophy is that enhancing security shouldn’t necessitate altering your existing business processes. We achieve this by seamlessly integrating with our clients’ current financial systems and tools. Our approach involves adding a sophisticated layer of security that functions unobtrusively yet effectively. This ensures that every vendor payment is correct, secure, and goes to the right place on time. Our goal is to strengthen financial processes without interrupting the usual way of doing things, giving clients better security and enabling their operations to run smoothly.
Inna: Moving from integration to the broader picture, does your service involve identifying financial vulnerabilities within an organization and providing support in addressing these weaknesses?
Shai: Yes, our service involves a comprehensive analysis of an organization’s financial transactions. We use the organization’s past payment data to train our AI system. This training helps us track how payments have been processed in the past, and enables us to spot any unusual patterns or behaviors in the future. This process does two important things. First, it makes our system more intelligent and accurate. Second, it helps us find areas where there might be risks, past fraud incidents, or mistakes in payments. Our goal is to not only make our AI better but also give organizations useful insights. In this way, we can spot and fix any issues early on, making sure their financial operations are both secure and efficient.
Inna: Human error can be a significant factor in payment fraud. How does Trustmi’s solution specifically address this element to reduce risk?
Shai: Trustmi tackles the issue of human error in payment fraud by improving the usual manual checks with automation. Nowadays, fraudsters are using more advanced tools like AI Voice impersonations and deepfakes, which makes manual processes more prone to mistakes. Our solution fits right into the systems clients already have, adding automatic checks that greatly lower the chance of errors that could lead to fraud. This means financial teams can work more securely and efficiently, staying ahead of the latest threats and ensuring better protection against payment fraud.
Inna: Scalability is a critical factor for healthcare organizations of varying sizes. How does Trustmi’s solution cater to this diversity in scale and complexity?
Shai: Our solution is built to fit healthcare organizations of all sizes and levels of complexity. Whether it’s a small clinic or a large hospital system, our platform can adapt and scale to meet different needs and requirements. We have a proven track record of successfully implementing our system in large enterprises, handling extensive scales with efficiency. We’re well-equipped to work with various types of healthcare organizations, making sure our solution can grow and evolve along with their business.
Inna: How quickly can an organization expect to see results?
Shai: Within 10 business days, organizations will start seeing a reduction in fraud risks and errors in payments. Our system’s proactive detection of anomalies means potential threats are identified and addressed quickly, enhancing financial security. This immediate impact on operational efficiency and financial integrity is a tangible benefit we deliver swiftly to our clients.
Inna: Lastly, how does Trustmi measure the effectiveness of its solution in real-time, and how is this communicated to the client?
Shai: Trustmi’s effectiveness is demonstrated in real-time through our comprehensive dashboard, which shows the value we deliver, including savings from fraud prevention and corrected payment errors. Additionally, our monthly reports aggregate these metrics, providing a clear view of trends and improvements in financial operations, equipping decision-makers with actionable insights for their payment security strategies.
As our conversation with Shai Gabay wrapped up, the role of Trustmi in revolutionizing B2B payment security became clear. They are not just addressing payment fraud; they are preempting it with precision and foresight, crucial in our complex financial environment. Their approach combines real-time effectiveness, seamless integration, and scalability, transcending mere impressiveness to become truly transformative.
Leveraging emerging technologies, Trustmi proactively addresses the latest security vulnerabilities, ensuring client protection before fraud occurs. The insights from Shai and his team at Trustmi exemplify the impact of innovative solutions in tackling financial and security challenges.
Recognizing the unique challenges and struggles faced by healthcare companies today, it’s clear that Trustmi’s innovative approach is well-suited to meet the dynamic needs of this sector. For those in my network aiming to enhance their payment security strategies, Trustmi stands as a model of proactive and advanced security solutions.
If you’re ready to see the difference Trustmi can make, I encourage you to reach out to me or explore more at Trustmi’s website.
How we assisted clients deciding on the Fix vs. Build vs. Buy/License vs. Hybrid/Customize direction
This a follow-up to our original article on steps we took to help a company decided on Buy vs. Build of their software assets.
In the recent past ETI worked with a startup that was facing significant challenges with their legacy system and ability to support and enhance it in order to align with the changing needs of the business. The legacy CRM-based system was originally created and tailored for simpler tasks and processes. As the company business expanded and client base grew, approximately 80% of their operations deviated from typical case processing. This forced the client to highly customize their internal system. Staffing a very small IT organization with very specific skillsets, the company was also grappling with the departure of key IT personnel who held critical business process knowledge that was otherwise buried within the code. The allocated IT annual budget focused on supporting legacy system and no longer aligned with the rapidly growing company needs as well as multiple islands of unstructured information. High annual clerical personnel turnover, due in part to poor system performance, process complexity and a lack of automation, further compounded the company’s challenges. Process confusion, inaccuracies and low confidence in the system became more and more evident. The client brought in ETI and asked for an honest evaluation of the existing system vs business’ current and ongoing needs and requested recommendations going forward.
Analysis:
ETI performed multi-dimensional analysis of the client’s current and future operational needs, capabilities and alternatives. Below are some of the techniques used to asses and propose options. Please see Buy vs. Build for more in-depth list of analysis techniques:
Identify Core Business Needs: One of the first steps to begin analysis process was to identify and define the core requirements, and team competencies. We evaluated how the current assets match key business objectives and future needs of the client. One of the techniques we used was to MindMap (graphically map out) the entire business processes including all Business Process exceptions based on current business needs and compared it to how IT team understood and implemented it. Another was to understand the basis for decision making by management. We evaluated how the client collects and uses their data for making strategic and operational decisions. We evaluated and documented all integration between business and their clients and customers, creating a full visualization of the business to ensure we had correct understanding of the entire eco system.
Skill Gap Analysis: Concurrently we conducted an internal audit of IT and business personnel to identify if existing team has the skills and capabilities to successfully execute or manage the needed changes going forward. Through a series of in person interviews, review of recorded work, observations and detailed surveys we obtained a full understanding of current staff capabilities and potential as well as any skills that may be desired going forward.
Essential Customization Assessment: In the course of the analysis phase, we had to determine what aspects of the business processes were common to an industry and which were very specific to the business of the client. We created a fully distinguished quadrants of the need versus nice-to-have capabilities and separated them into common or unique industry features. This visualization helped us understand whether the client is seeking something that is potentially available in the marketplace or requires development and customization.
Budget Allocation Modeling: In order to determine whether the client had a realistic budget set aside for the initiative, we performed a detailed estimate for each of the options that were proposed. We broke the system into detailed features and provided an estimate model based on variety of variables including time to delivery, staffing size and costs, subsets of deliverables deemed of highest importance and other factors. The model inputs gave the senior leadership ability to understand what can be reasonably expected given either a total budget goal or approximate initial total cost if variables are adjusted,
Vendor Research and Market Analysis: Whether a company decides to purchase a solution or build its own, it must explore the available options, and perform due diligence in evaluating external vendors and products based on objective qualities and potential costs of each. We assisted the client with such effort by evaluating all options, given our own expertise in the field, experience working with vendors in the past, meeting with vendor representatives and interviewing them using the same set of criteria. We performed objective evaluation of internal talent to understand how it could be upgraded and enhanced through integration with additional or external resources. Aside from calculating anticipated costs of obtaining the desired solution, the potential time to going live and estimated cost of support, we also maintained Vendor Scorecards for each category of solution. This allowed us to present to client the order of preference and any benefits and drawbacks they need to consider when making their final decision.
Legal and Compliance Checks: Some of the most critical but often overlooked criteria to consider when making a strategic decision are considerations of whether the solution will address legality, industry compliance, potential risks, data security and software flexibility, maintainability and scalability. Often these topics take a backset to more operational aspects during the evaluation but could become major issues and roadblocks when the product is ready to be rolled out. We ensure that these are not overlooked when making the strategic decision based on the Vendor Scorecards.
Comprehensive TCO (Total Cost of Ownership): It is critical to know upfront what potential total cost of ownership is anticipated every year in order to properly budget and set realistic expectations. We assist the client in recognizing all of the anticipated costs and potential savings that each solution may provide. We identify those costs that are within company’s control and those that may vary from year to year. This gives management another key metric based on which ultimate decision will be made.
The list above was just a part of a full comprehensive analysis we performed for the client before presenting them with the options. Please see Buy vs. Build for more in-depth list of analysis techniques
Introduction
In the strategic landscape of ‘Buy vs. Build’ choices, think of each decision as a calculated chess move, not a coin flip. Each option you consider should resonate with your organization’s unique objectives, size, and operational nuances. Based on our extensive experience helping numerous companies through this critical decision-making process, we’re here to spotlight the methodologies that should either be embraced, fine-tuned, or abandoned to optimize your ‘Buy vs. Build’ assessments.
By diving into this article, you’ll gain actionable insights that go beyond the ordinary, arming you with strategies to make more informed and impactful decisions.
So, are you ready to unravel the complexities? Let’s get to it.
Continue: Strengthening Your Foundations
When it comes to current practices that are consistently effective, we’ve pinpointed several areas where organizations tend to excel. These methods often act as the cornerstone for making well-informed, strategic Buy vs. Build decisions:
Vendor Research and Market Analysis: Firms often thrive in scrutinizing potential suppliers and understanding market dynamics. This due diligence can reveal whether an off-the-shelf solution can suffice, thereby conserving resources.
Initial Budget Allocation: Many organizations are skilled at setting a foundational budget for the project, providing a financial framework for the entire decision-making process.
Stakeholder Involvement: Including key stakeholders from various departments early on ensures that multiple viewpoints are considered, contributing to a more successful outcome.
Identifying Core Business Needs: Companies generally do well at pinpointing their essential requirements before exploring solutions. This focused evaluation not only streamlines the decision-making process but also ensures that the solution you choose becomes a strategic asset, aligned with your key business objectives.
Time-to-Market Estimates: A lot of companies are keenly aware of this factor, often making it a key metric in their ‘Buy vs. Build’
evaluations. This allows them to align their choices with market opportunities and seasonal trends, ensuring they don’t miss the boat.
Legal and Compliance Checks: Companies are proficient at understanding the legal and compliance aspects of their options, ensuring
that the chosen solution adheres to relevant laws and industry standards.
Post-Implementation Support: Most have already integrated this consideration into their ‘Buy vs. Build’ decision-making, recognizing
that a solution’s life cycle extends far beyond the initial rollout. This ensures that the chosen solution continues to deliver long after it has gone live.
By consistently applying these proven approaches, organizations can streamline their ‘Buy vs. Build’ evaluations, mitigate risk, and align more closely with their strategic goals.
Stop: Rethinking Common Pitfalls.
While several aspects of the ‘Buy vs. Build’ decision process generally perform well, there are specific practices that often lead companies astray. Our in-depth consultations across numerous enterprises have highlighted these pitfalls to be aware of:
Ignoring Standardization: Over-customizing can lead to an unwieldy solution that’s hard to manage. It’s crucial to find a balance between customization and standardization.
Overlooking Outsourcing Options: In-house isn’t always better. Not considering outsourcing as a viable alternative can limit your strategic options and possibly increase costs.
Skimping on Risk Assessments: A casual attitude toward identifying potential risks can jeopardize the entire project. Rigorous risk assessment is non-negotiable.
Assuming Vendor Size Equates to Quality: Bigger isn’t always better. A large vendor may not offer the agility or specialized attention that a smaller or more niche provider could.
Tunnel Vision on Costs: Though upfront costs are important, a myopic focus can blind you to long-term expenses or benefits. A comprehensive look at ROI is essential.
Isolated Decision-Making: To ensure the solution aligns with overall organizational needs, the input should come from multiple departments, not just IT or Finance. Include stakeholders from HR, Marketing, and Operations for a 360-degree view.
Overlooking Scalability: Falling into the trap of choosing a solution that meets only your immediate needs can bottleneck your future growth. Always opt for a platform that can adapt and scale with your evolving business landscape.
By taking a hard look at these practices, you can refine your approach to ‘Buy vs. Build’ decisions, aligning more closely with your long-term goals while sidestepping common pitfalls.
Start: Raising the Bar in ‘Buy vs. Build’ Decisions
Informed by hands-on consultations on ‘Buy vs. Build’ evaluations, we’ve pinpointed several underutilized strategies that could provide a significant competitive advantage. These are the key practices that many organizations overlook but would do well to start adopting:
Comprehensive TCO (Total Cost of Ownership): Extend your financial analysis to consider ongoing costs like maintenance, updates, and even exit costs.
Rollout Considerations: Decide on the rollout strategy in advance, whether it’s a “Big Bang” immediate implementation or a more cautious, phased approach.
Skill Gap Analysis: Prioritize an internal audit to identify if your team has the capabilities to successfully execute or manage the solution you’re considering.
Vendor Scorecards: Adopt a comprehensive scoring system that not only evaluates vendors on factors like reliability, cost, and support, but also rigorously assesses their cybersecurity measures.
Understand OOB (Out-of-Box) Features: This helps you assess how closely the platform aligns with your business needs without any modifications, allows you to identify the areas where you might require additional customization or third-party integrations, and offers a baseline for comparing different solutions. OOB features can also serve as a benchmark against which you can measure any additional customization costs, not just in financial terms but also in time and complexity.
Essential Customization Assessment: Distinguish between your “must-have” and “nice-to-have” customizations from the get-go, ensuring your chosen solution aligns perfectly with your non-negotiable requirements.
Pilot Testing: Before committing to a large-scale roll-out, launch a smaller pilot test. This not only identifies potential hiccups but also serves as a valuable platform for stakeholder feedback, ensuring your solution is technically sound and organizationally aligned.
Integrating these advanced strategies will position your organization for sharper, more calculated ‘Buy vs. Build’ decisions.
| 🚀Start | 🛑Stop | 🔄Continue |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive TCO Analysis | Ignoring Standardization | Vendor Research |
| Rollout Strategy Planning | Overlooking Outsourcing | Initial Budget Allocation |
| Initial Budget Allocation | Skimping on Risk Assessments | Stakeholder Involvement |
| Vendor Scorecards | Vendor Size = Quality Myth | Identifying Core Business Needs |
| Understand OOB Features | Tunnel Vision on Costs | Legal & Compliance Checks |
| Must-have vs. Nice-to-have | Isolated Decision-Making | Post-Implementation Support |
CES:
CES also known as the Consumer Electronics Show is an exposition annually held in the Las Vegas Convention Center. It has been the popularized center of innovation and is widely known for its significant releases from major companies and startups that are introducing life-changing products and concepts for both the consumer and businesses.
Why is such a large exposition so impactful in today’s society?
CES has been around for over 50 years and was first held in New York and Chicago. During these early years CES’s focus mainly directed exhibitors to entertainment products such as TVs and Audio Devices, but slowly began to grow to many different markets such as the Videogame Industry and other consumer electronics such as more advanced cellular technology and inventive household products. Around CES 2016 is when exhibitors began to see a rise in the advances in Healthcare and Wearable Fitness Tracking followed by virtual and assistive devices meant for doctors and healthcare workers alike. By CES 2020 we were presented with all kinds of advances in this market segment as the interest in healthcare tech exploded and the trend of health data benefitting healthcare companies more than financial data became very apparent. The impact of these new technology advances provides more and more accurate information to healthcare providers so that they can better aid patients and consumers. At the same time, they are also providing the information to consumers directly via health tracking products such as wearables. The following article will delve into the details all of the new products that are relevant to health and how they are impacting the world half a year later.
Impactful Healthcare Technology from Large Corporations:
Proctor & Gamble (P&G):
Summary: P&G is currently the largest consumer health and personal care corporation that parents some of the greatest leading brands in consumer products across the world. It was founded back in 1837 and has since bought out and started some of the most recognizable brands of today such as Gillette, Tide, Bounty, and so much more. They are also the world’s biggest advertiser.
Subsidiaries of P&G that unveiled new products at CES 2020:
OPTE –
The product presented was a skincare device that “detects tonal imperfections” and blemishes due to stress and other underlying issues and corrects the tone using “camouflaging optimizing serum”. The final product is a wand-like device that scans and detects spots and claims to work on 98% of skin tones. The serum is a proprietary formula that is supposed to use natural minerals and skincare ingredients to immediately create a natural look and allow skin to “retain moisture and stay hydrated” while also “reducing the appearance of age spots over time”. While early users got to experience the conceptual version of the product, it’s purpose/effectiveness as a real dermatologic solution is still unclear as the actual product has not actually been released to the public as of this writing.
Pampers –
One of the largest brands focused on infant and baby products has unveiled their new smart monitoring system “Lumi” which comes in a number of packages and allows parents to monitor their infants nap. Depending on the package Lumi can provide an all-in-one camera with night vision and a 2-way microphone, disposable tracking stickers that allow a parent to monitor sleep/vitals/bowel movements via patterns it detects, and a smartphone app in which a parent can access full HD 1080p, 180-degree view video and analysis from the tracker with secure encryption to ensure that a baby is safe and nurtured at all times. This product is now on the market and is fairly successful. It was satisfactory to most consumers based on reviews and Pampers is continuing to sell their packages at different prices on their site.
Oral-B iO –
The iO is a smart toothbrush that uses a linear magnetic drive system that “leads more of the mechanics to the point of the brushing to every individual bristle” and is 20x more likely to cover all the surfaces in your mouth. 3D tracking technology that connects to smartphone learns how you brush and demonstrates it in a proprietary app. This may be the most successful of P&G’s new production line as it is currently the most advanced smart toothbrush on the market and has sold out in less than a month after being released in early August 2020.
Philips:
Similar to P&G, Philips is a Dutch international conglomerate corporation with its headquarters based in Amsterdam and founded all the way back in 1891. While formerly being one of the largest electronic companies in the world, Philips has since expanded into the healthcare market focusing mainly on hygienic and mouth care. Now you can find a variety of different Philips products in stores worldwide.
SmartSleep –
This is a line of products that connect to an app for smartphones that can analyze and help you sleep via thorough analysis of brainwaves and other tracking methods that promise to treat problems such as snoring and sleep apnea. The only products that this brand has on the market right now are “Light Therapy Lamps” that can aid a user’s circadian rhythm and is selling fairly well on the market as of right now.
Pregnancy+ –
Pregnancy+ is simply an app Philips released to aid pregnant women through the stages of pregnancy using a 3D fetal imagery from time of conception to the time a baby is born. The app is currently on the Apple AppStore and Google Play Store for free with in-app purchases and sync with Apple’s Health App.
Lumify –
Ultrasound app with a proprietary transducer, or in other words a “portable ultrasound machine” that can plug into a smartphone and actually scan with accuracy a real ultrasound test. As of right now it is not available as a direct to consumer purchase, but can be bought through distributors or through Philips’ website using a contact form. It is unclear as of now how accurate the technology is, but it looks promising from the available online demos.
Teledentistry –
This product is still fairly experimental and not for the average consumer, but provides dental smart tools like smart tooth brush that allows you to get checked by a dentist without going in to see one: a big step for tele-health. Like Lumify it is not available as a direct to consumer purchase, but Philips is now allowing a 30-day free trial to their Teledentistry as a service.
Abbot:
Abbot Laboratories is another large international corporation, but they specialize/focus towards creating medical devices because they are a strictly Health Care-Oriented business. They were founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1888. They have made a significant impact in 2020 with all of the devices for analysis that they created specifically for Covid-19 treatment and testing. Abbot had a fairly small presence in terms of innovative technology during CES 2020 but that will most likely change in 2021.
Confirm RX –
This is an implantable cardiac monitor that continuously monitors your heart 24/7 for up to two years. It is meant to keep a user engaged with their vitals and sends information to healthcare provider. It was demonstrated to be a successful implantable device that has improved the accuracy of cardiac monitoring with proven results.
FreeStyle Libre –
A smart continuous glucose monitor for people with diabetes that the user wears and scans using NFC on your phone, which then tells you your vitals. This does what other glucose monitors do without need for pricking a finger. It was recently approved by the FDA. The company is currently giving a 14-day free trial for their product on their website.
Impactful technology from smaller corporations to keep an eye out for:
Sleep Number –
A bed that warms and cools sleepers for an overall better sleep. Research shows that these beds provide up to “100 more hours of restful sleep a year”. It won the “Best of Innovation” Award at CES 2020 and was selected as a CES Innovation Honoree in the categories “Health & Wellness” and “Tech for a Better World”. While the mattresses themselves are fairly priced depending on features (from around $1k – $5k), the complete set will cost a whopping $8,000 and the durability is obviously still unclear since it is in the early stages of its release.
Aluna –
This device is a spirometer that helps kids with asthma train their lungs to breathe better with apps and games that actually use your “breath strength” as a parameter to control each game. This seemingly successful product app combo has been featured on The Huffington Post, Forbes, New York Times and in other publications. They have even implemented Covid-19 diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment technology into their latest update.
Reducept –
This is a virtual reality app that treats a users’ pain by utilizing visuals to rewire someone’s brain so that it interprets pain differently. As of right now it is offered as a service on VR devices and smartphones and claims that 78% of users experienced less pain after going through the treatment.
MedWand –
This device checks all kinds of vitals and sends that information using a pc app to your medical professional via tele-health software. It allows your doctor to conduct a live exam remotely or even conduct the exam yourself for a doctor to review later. The product currently has FDA clearance for Fall 2020 so it is very possible that devices like this may become essential tools for tele-health in the upcoming years.
Capillus –
In the wearable category, Capillus uses laser light therapy to regrow hair via wearables that are apparently indiscernible from regular caps. These caps are based on wattage or the electrical power with pricing based on the amount of megawatts claiming the more powerful lasers to be more effective. These caps are a promising hair regrowth tool backed by the FDA and seem to be successful with the first iteration of their product.
Bello –
This product analyzes your belly fat and tells you what you should or shouldn’t be including in your diet. It only requires a quick scan of your belly fat and is available for pre-order from the crowdfunding site Indiegogo for now.
Withings Scanwatch –
This may seem like your everyday watch, but has been built in ECGs to track for atrial fibrillation, sleep apnea, and other diseases. This product was a 2020 Honoree during CES 2020 and the #1 watch with ECG & Sleep Apnea detection worldwide.
BrainCo Fitness Headband –
During CES 2020, BrainCo introduced a Headband that could process brainwaves and help a user track how focused they are or how much focus increases from meditation and similar stress-relieving tasks. Since this year’s CES, BrainCo has also released a development kit allowing coders to create treatments and exercises for their proprietary FocusCalm.
UrgoNight –
For UrgoNight the headband user wears during the day that will track brain activity to help user sleep at night using apps to amplify “SMR Waves” which are very important in helping one’s sleep. UrgoNight has bee featured on CNN, CNet, and Tech Crunch and was a CES Honoree for Best Innovation.
Digitsole –
Integrated electronics in footwear offer consumers more functions for well-being, with a large focus on athletes. These are the first smart insoles that can be connected to a smartphone app for cycling, running, and all kinds of athletics. Via Bluetooth and an app you can review and analyze your results.
Eyeque –
This device allows users to take vision tests at home using a smartphone and an attachable VR-like device. While this seems like a late entry into the VR market, this is the first device that is proven to give accurate results and share them with an optometrist with convenience.
Myant –
This company is focusing on creating clothing that actually tracks and gives vitals information via a connected smartphone app. While showcasing health-tracking underwear at CES (since that was a clothing most accurate for tracking vitals), Myant has since pivoted to other clothing such as masks and have even gone as far as to make their products detect and treat Covid-19.
Omron –
At CES 2020 Omron presented it’s product VitalSight, a remote patient monitoring system that helps doctors monitor blood pressure from the user’s home. The product is available universally for both clinicians and patients at home. Omron is implementing their technology into blood pressure monitors, EKGs, and their newly released wearables, such as blood-pressure checking smartwatches.
Owlet –
Since CES, Owelet Baby monitor that tracks baby’s heart rate, oxygen levels and sleep, has been greatly successful on the market, receiving 5 star ratings in a variety of online stores. While not as advanced as Pampers’ “Lumi”, the device included streams live video of the user’s baby/infant to an app that allows extensive monitoring. This product is picking up traction with parents across the US.
Snoo –
A responsive baby bassinet that boosts a baby’s sleep. This cradle isn’t the average bed for a baby and will set you back $1,400, but by combining gentle rocking with soothing white noise and snug, safe swaddling this is a technological advancement that the public consumer surely has not witnessed before and can be a huge convenience to parents of newborns.
CES 2020 was held remotely this year for safety reasons related to Covid-19, but while it was virtual, it did not yield from showcasing some of the most creative inventions, smartest of smart devices, and eye-opening healthcare technology. CES has progressively shown its ability to produce important changes in the healthcare world and it is exciting to anticipate the inventions that will be showcased next year during CES 2021.
This is a short introduction to concepts of upcoming cutting-edge technology and what the world of healthcare may encounter and even incorporate in the future of their practices. Many of these modern technologies are already far into development and even being utilized today such as Virtual Reality Headsets, Augmented Reality Headsets / Goggles / Glasses / Cameras, Wearables, and all kinds of deep and machine learning AI utilizing a lot of the aforementioned hardware. In this blog series you will learn about the latest news on this technology involving and progressing the world of healthcare. Currently, much of this hardware and software is already being used today for:
-Telehealth
-Assisted Surgery
-Medical Training
-Simulations
-Advanced Visualization
-Educational Purposes
-Therapy (Physical, Optical, Psychological)
-Exercise
-Business / IT in Healthcare
-Remote Conferencing
-And much much more
In future blog posts we will explore the different types of ways Healthcare is utilizing advanced tools from major companies such as Oculus, HTC, Valve, Samsung, Google, Microsoft, Magic Leap, and more to explore and effectively perform tasks that would be deemed otherwise difficult due to outdated or traditional tech and tools. We will be following major tech releases from conventions and gatherings including CES, HIMSS, Tech Crunch Disrupt, Apple WWDC, Google I/O, WSJ Tech Health, 4Front Colorado, Ai4, Intelligent Health London, and Medfuse. The future is sure to hold many new conferences that have not been announced yet, but by following us we will keep you updated so you never miss a beat when it comes to how the world of health and healing is progressing. In upcoming posts we will share with you some of the already successful and upcoming companies and websites disrupting the healthcare world with this new wave of technology.
If you would like to be informed of the most recent technology news and you are interested in improving your healthcare business, feel free to add our RSS Feed to your RSS client: https://www.emergingti.com/category/Future-of-Healthcare/feed/ or add this page to your bookmarks in your browser. If you have any questions feel free to email us at jason@emergingti.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an IT healthcare company we stand with the changes the world brings and will adapt to improve our company, as well as yours.
Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic more and more companies are asking employees to work from home. I’m happy to say that our company has been operating 100% remote for many years, as we have helped our clients transition their teams to a distributed work structure.
We get many questions about how we make it work and wanted to share some of the practices that we have implemented and are incorporating into our daily work routine.
- Provide remote team with the best suite of tools to be productive. These tools focus on software development, team communication and collaboration, knowledge management and project controls.
- Develop an outcome-based process with clearly defined and agreed to expectations of deliverables, timelines and quality of work, without the need for continuous monitoring of employees.
- Implement a continuous discipline for estimation of work, evaluation of deliverables and daily online team check-ins and updates.
- Incorporate security measures to protect systems and data
- Acommodate flexible work schedules, with the exception of mandatory core meetings attendance.
- Organize teams by feature/product based verticals to streamline remote collaboration of smaller and more targeted groups.
- On the technology side, use system architecture that support microservices and microsites for fully custom systems or PaaS (Platform as a Service) for Cloud based SaaS (Software as a Service).
- Utilize proper System Architecture to support quick and independent product/feature team releases to decrease feature to market times.
- Manage expectations and continuously improve business process by doing regular retrospectives. Don’t expect everything to work perfectly on day 1. There’s definitely a ramp-up period. Learn from your mistakes, improve your practices on a continuous basis, customizing the process based on composition of the team and needs of the business.
As we meet new challenges, taking advantage of available tools and skillsets allows us to help our clients to continue to grow and succeed.
What are some of your tips to make transition to remote work a success? What are your biggest challenges?
