Author: Shannon Muchmore

The most common problem was providers not sending health records via email when patients requested them. About a quarter of providers were also potentially noncompliant with the health privacy law's fee limitations. Source: Healthcare Dive, https://www.healthcaredive.com

Though health systems and IT vendors are doing little to market their efforts to improve health record access, researchers found more patients are viewing their info through APIs. Source: Healthcare Dive, https://www.healthcaredive.com

Only a quarter of survey respondents said their work sites effectively address the challenge, citing initiatives to improve workflow and reduce administrative burden, provide flexible scheduling and support wellness. Source: Healthcare Dive, https://www.healthcaredive.com

The 2017 law was also perceived to have driven further provider consolidation in response to the leverage shift, according to research published in The American Journal of Managed Care. Source: Healthcare Dive, https://www.healthcaredive.com

"What is crystal clear is that there's a huge unit cost payment differential between government and commercial payers," John Pickering of Milliman said. "What isn't clear is whether there's a causal effect between those two." Source: Healthcare Dive, https://www.healthcaredive.com

Same-hospital adjusted admissions were up 2.2%, which the hospital chain said represented its strongest volume growth since 2014-15. Source: Healthcare Dive, https://www.healthcaredive.com

Same-hospital adjusted admissions were up 2.2%, which the hospital chain said represented its strongest volume growth since 2014-15. Source: Healthcare Dive, https://www.healthcaredive.com

Both outpatient and inpatient providers are planning to invest in the technology, with 90% slated to do so in the next 18 months, according to a pair of surveys by Definitive Healthcare. Source: Healthcare Dive, https://www.healthcaredive.com