These interviews and expert-written features offer a look into the healthcare industry from those who know it best: professors, practicing healthcare administrators, advocates, and leaders in professional associations.
August 15, 2023
While the U.S. has some of the best hospitals and medical schools in the world, our healthcare system is fraught with systemic issues that limit access to quality healthcare and ultimately compromise public health.
August 9, 2023
Vaccination rates in the US have lagged behind other rich countries. The reasons for that lag are multivariate, but sometimes grouped under the generic label of vaccine hesitancy: the refusal or reluctance to have oneself or one’s children vaccinated against an infectious disease or diseases.
July 31, 2023
Machine learning (ML) refers to a set of computational algorithms that apply statistical modeling to a specific task. Think of a task as a question or an input. The algorithm uses logic applied to that question to generate an answer or output. To emphasize the distinction between AI and ML, remember that AI refers to computational systems which mimic human behavior—ML refers to specific types of algorithms. Systems are built from algorithms; algorithms work inside of systems.
July 28, 2023
Artificial intelligence is not an easy technology to implement, even on a limited scale for a controlled pilot. The processes to evaluate, implement, validate, and scale AI tools within a healthcare application are especially complex and resource-intensive.
July 27, 2023
In 2018, approximately 30 percent of the world’s data volume was being generated by the healthcare industry. Electronic health records, remote patient monitoring, wearable gadgets, and other advancements have almost certainly edged up the share even further.
July 20, 2023
The last Baby Boomer turns 65 in 2030. That’s also the year when one in five Americans will be over 65, and an estimated nine million will be over the age of 85—a nearly 50 percent increase from 2020.
July 12, 2023
Today’s healthcare administrators face stormy waters. Public health emergency funding is ending, while inflation has kept costs high. Meanwhile, understaffing creates its own vicious cycle, increasing burnout and worsening working conditions, making recruitment and retention even more difficult.
June 30, 2023
The way in which the United States finances, delivers, and regulates care in nursing home settings is unsustainable (NASEM 2023). Immediate action is necessary to correct decades of underinvestment and unaccountability. Advocates are heartened that the issue is receiving significant attention from the federal government and the general public, but disagreements remain.
June 21, 2023
It’s time to revolutionize long-term care. This segment of the healthcare system has endured enormous challenges over the last few years. Over 200,000 long-term care facility residents and staff died from Covid-19 during the pandemic. The Baby Boomer generation has entered old age, a demographic shift that reinforces how important long-term care and nursing home care are. Administrators and other staff in long-term care have had to repeatedly make do with too few resources and too much regulation.