New Study Offers Insight on VR Pain Management Outcomes
A recently published clinical study completed at Cedars-Sinai is providing a glimpse at the real-world outcomes of inpatient VR patient management. The research demonstrates that therapeutic virtual reality may not merely be an effective approach for hospital inpatient experiencing pain, but may retain its impact when provided over multiple days under real-world circumstances. In the study’s conclusion, the researchers wrote: “We found that on-demand use of VR in a diverse group of hospitalized patients was well tolerated and resulted in statistically significant improvements in pain versus a control group exposed to an in-room ‘health and wellness’ television channel. These results build upon earlier studies and further indicate that VR is an effective adjunct therapy to complement traditional pain management protocols in hospitalized patients.”
Uber Health Partners With American Logistics
Uber Health has announced a partnership with healthcare transportation management company American Logistics. The partnership will combine Uber’s network of drivers and payer partners to American Logistics’ transportation platform, allowing Uber to expand access to on-demand rides for medical appointments. The companies expect the integration of technologies will enable healthcare plans and organizations to provide patients with more accurate and efficient scheduling, pickup, & drop-off, GPS tracking, and messaging all through one platform. Since Uber first launched it’s healthcare arm in 2018, the platform has reportedly experienced a 400% year on year growth in the second quarter of 2019.
CashMD Launches Price Transparency Platform for Patients
Health tech company, CashMD has announced a new price transparency platform that will provide consumers with the expense of various procedures at local medical providers prior to booking an appointment. Through the platform patients are able to search for certain medical services, compare costs alongside the provider location, and book appointments.Based upon a cash pay model, the service is designed for those interested in paying for cash for a medical service as opposed to going through insurance. In a statement, Dr. Denny Brummett, founder of CashMD shared: “We are pleased to provide a solution to current healthcare system frustrations. CashMD is a ‘one stop shop’ offering pricing that is fair and transparent, offering flexibility and expedience to American patients and the healthcare industry.”
DHSC Announces New Predictive Analytics Health Checks
The U.K. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced a significant change to standard NHS health checks which centers upon analytics and data-driven technologies in order to deliver personalized health advice to patients. The analytics reporting will evaluate age, genetics, and socioeconomic factors in order to tailor programs which can more effectively prevent disease.
Additionally the DHSC will examine how data can be used to help reduce the risk of developing other conditions which cause early death including high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, strokes, and kidney disease. In a public statement, U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock explained: “Personalised, preventative healthcare is mission critical to the future-fit healthcare service we want to build. We must harness the latest technology and techniques to move away from the one-size-fits-all approach of the past.”