Patient Experience Archives

Beyond Medicare: Inflation Reduction Act Impact

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Dec 9, 2023 | Healthcare Policy, Patient Experience

(3 minute read) The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 broadly impacts prescription drug prices in the United States and changes state Medicaid and employee health plans. The IRA introduces significant modifications to how Medicare pays for prescription drugs....

Don’t Believe Everything You Read

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Dec 8, 2023 | Artificial Intelligence, Healthcare Technology, Patient Experience

(2 minute read) When we look to buy something online, we first scan the reviews to see what others are saying about the product. However, we have learned over the years that some reviews are more valuable than others, as posting fake reviews is rampant throughout the...

Setting Proper Metrics to Balance Care With Profits

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Dec 4, 2023 | Artificial Intelligence, Healthcare Policy, Patient Experience

(2 minute read) The effort by physicians and pharmacists to unionize to take control of their workplace indicates that company profits take precedence over clinical outcomes and the patient experience. While analytics and its metrics are essential to ensure desired...

Revolutionizing Clinical Trials: Emergence of AI and NLP

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Nov 11, 2023 | Artificial Intelligence, Patient Experience

(2 minute read) Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the landscape of clinical research, offering promising avenues to overcome longstanding challenges in clinical trials. A recent article in JAMA Cardiology, highlighted in an editorial in JAMA, delves...

U.S. Infant Mortality Trends Unacceptable

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Nov 3, 2023 | Healthcare Policy, Patient Experience

(2 minute read) The Centers for Disease Control reports a 3 percent increase in infant mortality in the U.S., reaching 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. This uptick represents a trend that had a nearly continuous decline since 1995. Infant mortality, defined as the...

Let’s Get the Data to Deliver Healthcare Safely

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Oct 30, 2023 | Healthcare Policy, Patient Experience

(2 minute read) After numerous accidents and deaths, in 1976, the Federal Aviation Administration launched the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) to collect data on all errors, mishaps, and mistakes in commercial and private aviation. From pilot captains to...

Our Duty of Care

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Oct 30, 2023 | Healthcare Policy, Patient Experience

(2 minute read) When I see my healthcare provider, I trust that they have my best interests at heart. I bet you do, too. But what is the basis for our trust in them? “Duty of Care” is a framework that governs the conduct and responsibilities of healthcare providers....

Healthcare AI Opportunities Available Now

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Oct 16, 2023 | Artificial Intelligence, Patient Experience

(2 minute read) Artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in healthcare lags behind other sectors like finance and retail, generally paralleling the overall use of information technology. Challenges to using AI include the complexity of healthcare data, integration...

Middlemen Win Big From Healthcare Spending

by Barry P Chaiken, MD | Oct 9, 2023 | Healthcare Policy, Patient Experience

(2 minute read) For 17% of GDP, we receive shorter lifespans and higher infant mortality. While most ire is directed at hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, middlemen or intermediaries – insurers, pharmacies, drug distributors, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)...