#Health Informatics

[innonurse]

Researchers develop AI tool to transform MS monitoring through rapid brain MRI analysis

- By InnoNurse Staff -

University College London researchers have developed an advanced AI tool called MindGlide to analyze brain MRI scans of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

MindGlide can rapidly (in 5–10 seconds) detect key brain changes like lesions and shrinkage, even from routine or lower-quality scans that previously couldn't be used effectively.

The AI tool outperformed existing methods (SAMSEG and WMH-SynthSeg) in identifying brain abnormalities, showing up to 60% improved accuracy. It also successfully tracked treatment effects using real-world images, not just clinical trial data.

Tested on nearly 15,000 MRI images from over 1,000 patients, MindGlide proved reliable across time points and scan types, including those not designed for MS analysis. Researchers hope it will unlock insights from millions of archived hospital scans, helping both research and future clinical care.

Currently, MindGlide analyzes only brain images—not the spinal cord, which is also crucial in MS—so future development aims to expand its scope.

Ultimately, MindGlide could transform MS monitoring and treatment evaluation by providing fast, accurate, and wide-reaching AI-powered insights.

Read more at University College London/Medical Xpress

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Other recent news and insights

Canada: Healthtech startup Vopemed secures $2.29 million in pre-seed funding for AI-enhanced surgical imaging (BetaKit)

[nuadox]

Researchers release the most extensive dataset of neural connections ever recorded

- By Nuadox Crew -

Harvard and Google researchers, led by Jeff Lichtman of Harvard, have published a groundbreaking study in the journal Science detailing the largest 3D brain reconstruction ever created.

The study showcases a high-resolution map of a cubic millimeter of human cortex, which astonishingly contains 57,000 cells, 230 millimeters of blood vessels, 150 million synapses, and equates to about 1,400 terabytes of data.

This work is part of a nearly decade-long collaboration that merges advanced electron microscopy and AI algorithms to color-code and map the intricate neural wiring of mammals.

The ultimate objective of this ongoing research, which is part of the National Institutes of Health BRAIN Initiative, is to develop a detailed neural wiring map of a mouse's brain, projected to contain 1,000 times more data than the current human cortex sample.

The study not only advances our understanding of brain structure, including rare neural formations seen in epilepsy patients but also enhances tools available for connectomics—a field dedicated to the comprehensive mapping of brain connections to better understand brain function and disease.

Moving forward, the team plans to focus on mapping the mouse hippocampal formation, key in studying memory and neurological diseases.

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Header image: Six layers of excitatory neurons, color-coded according to depth. Credit: Google Research and Lichtman Lab.

Source: Anne J. Manning, The Harvard Gazette

Full study: Alexander Shapson-Coe et al, A petavoxel fragment of human cerebral cortex reconstructed at nanoscale resolution, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adk4858. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk4858

Read Also

3D mapping a fruit fly’s brain (video)

[goodoldbandit]

Healthcare IT Breakthroughs: A New Era of Patient Care.

Sanjay Kumar Mohindroo Sanjay Kumar Mohindroo. skm.stayingalive.in Emerging Healthcare IT Innovations transform patient care through telemedicine, wearable devices, AI-powered diagnostics, and health informatics.
 A Brave New World in Healthcare IT The world of healthcare is changing fast. Technology is reshaping how care is given. New tools are making care more patient-friendly. We see many…

[billingguides]

"Key ICD-10-CM Medical Coding Changes by CMS for FY 2025" "Discover the significant updates in ICD-10-CM medical coding rolled out by CMS for the fiscal year 2025. These updates are essential for healthcare providers and coders to stay compliant and ensure accurate billing. To learn more about how these changes will impact medical practices, read our comprehensive blog post: https://imedclaims.com/cms-icd-10-cm-changes-for-fy-2025/. Stay ahead with the latest coding updates and compliance guidelines."

[medicom]

Health Informatics: Integrating Health Data with Technology

Health informatics, encompassing healthcare, medical, and biomedical informatics, merges health data with technology to optimize resource management, equipment utilization, and data collection, storage, and utilization methods. Its applications span nursing, clinical care, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, and biomedical research.

Source: Wikipedia - Health Informatics

Health Information System

Health information encompasses data on population demographics, economics, and social factors, including individual details like age, gender, education, occupation, and residential location, as well as vital statistics such as birth, illness, and death rates. It also covers public health personnel, financial budgets, and material and equipment resources essential for healthcare provision.

Health information serves a vital role in shaping effective health policies and services, aligning them with community needs and addressing public health concerns comprehensively."

[alatariel-galadriel]

3 Common Misconception: HIPAA Edition

(aka I have HIPAA tattooed under my eyelids and I want to make it everyone else’s problem)

This is pedantic, but the act protecting your health information is HIPAA, not HIPPA. One ‘p’, two ‘a’s. HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, not the oft-quoted (and non-existent) Health Information Privacy & Protection Act. Not a huge deal, since it protects your health information regardless, but it’s a pretty decent metric to mark if someone actually knows what they’re talking about.

HIPAA protects you from employees of healthcare organizations sharing your information without your consent.  HIPAA violations occur when someone who has access to your medical information *as part of their job* either a) purposely accesses information outside of their job requirements b) shares your health information without your consent or c) puts health information in a position where it can be improperly accessed by others, purposefully or not. You can shout your medical information to the hills. People who you've told your medical information to can shout it to the hills, so long as they didn’t get that information through their job. People can demand that you share your information--but your doctor can’t hand it over without your consent.

Exceptions to HIPAA exist. There's quite a few of them, actually, and I’ve made a detailed list below the cut; but to correct the biggest misconception: yes, there are situations where health care employees are required to share your information with the government. This typically falls under mandatory reporting (think child abuse, gunshot wounds, or highly infectious diseases), but your information can also be accessed via warrant or subpoena for criminal proceedings.

Here is the government’s webpage breaking down the HIPAA Privacy Rule if you want to know more! I love love love HIPAA and will gladly talk about it for as long as anyone will let me (hence the cut below).

Detailed breakdown of HIPAA exceptions under the cut:

TPO: This stands for Treatment, Payment and Operations, because if your health info was on complete lockdown, no healthcare entity could function. Employees can access/share your info when that info is necessary for them to...

Provide treatment (ie: your nurse can share your info with your doctor)

 Receive payment (ie: giving your info to your insurance company)

Maintain operations (ie: health data/medical records staff. This is me--as a health systems analyst, I can’t do my job without access to the data within the medical records system)

Public Interest: ie: when required by law/governmental function. This includes:

Mandatory reporting (discussed above. Healthcare professionals are required to report infectious diseases like measles or rabies, as well as incidents like gunshot wounds or domestic violence.)

Health oversight activities. These are the organizations who evaluate and investigate whether a facility meets safety/performance regulations and standards. Trust me, you want your info shared with these folks!! 

 Law Enforcement. I’m going to be really specific here, because there’s been a lot of (justifiable) concern post-Roe v Wade. Your info can be shared if it is is…

Subpoenaed, court ordered, or court-ordered warrant by a court, judge, or administrative tribunal

 Requested by law enforcement to id a suspect, fugitive, witness, or missing person

 Requested by law enforcement for info about a victim/suspected victim of crime

 To alert law enforcement of a person’s death if the organization believes a crime has occurred

If the healthcare organization believes the information is evidence of a crime that occurred on its premises.

In emergency situations, providers can share information about the nature of a crime, the location of crime/victims, and the perpetrator of the crime.

Decedents: Funeral directors, coroners, and medical examiners all need your info to do their jobs, Being deceased, you can’t give your authorization, so an healthcare org sharing your info with them is not a HIPAA violation

Organ/Eye/Tissue donation: pretty self-explanatory. Some of your information as a donor might be shared to ensure a healthy transplant.  

Research (limited data sets): This one tends to freak people out, but if you’re on one of these, anything that can identify you is removed (name, address, etc.). Instead, details of specific conditions/treatments are stored to provide data for researchers. For example, every state has, by law, a cancer registry--used to identify sudden spikes that might be attributable to environmental factors.

Serious threats to health/safety. If a serious, specific threat is made against a person or the public, this can be shared with law enforcement and the person who the threat is made against. There’s a lot of grey area here in what counts as a specific threat, and this can get complicated quickly, but if someone tells a medical professional that they are planning on harming you, you will be notified alongside law enforcement. Likewise for a bomb or other public threat.

Essential government functions. If you are in prison or other correctional facility, you are not protected by HIPAA. Some government benefit programs will require the disclosure of health information. (It also includes national security and military missions).

And last, but not least: worker’s compensation. Healthcare orgs have to share parts of your information for you to receive worker’s comp, as part of the verification process. Fantastic!

[gihsonlineofficial]

Health Management Courses Online in India

The Global Institute of Health Science offers online Health Management courses in India, empowering students to drive change through education, research, and a commitment to health equity and social justice.

[sihspgdhia]

Future-Proof Your Career with Health Informatics Courses: Discover the PGDHIA Program at SIHS Pune

In today’s technology driven healthcare ecosystem, the ability to understand and manage data is just as important as clinical expertise. As the world of healthcare rapidly adopts digital transformation, professionals equipped with skills in informatics and analytics are in high demand. If you're searching for cutting-edge health informatics courses, the PG Diploma in Healthcare Informatics and Analytics (PGDHIA) offered by Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences (SIHS), Pune is a program worth exploring.

What is the PGDHIA Course?

The PGDHIA is a one-year diploma course designed for graduates and working professionals from healthcare, life sciences, IT, and related domains. Offered in a blended learning format, this course allows learners to gain in-demand skills while continuing their current education or career paths.

This program empowers students with a solid understanding of how healthcare systems function and how data can be leveraged to optimize processes, enhance decision-making, and ultimately improve patient care.

Why Choose Health Informatics at SIHS?

SIHS, a constituent of Symbiosis International (Deemed University), is a reputed name in health sciences education. The PGDHIA course stands out among other health informatics courses in India due to its industry-aligned curriculum and practical approach to learning.

Key Features of PGDHIA at SIHS:

Blended mode of delivery suitable for working professionals.

In-depth training in healthcare IT systems, analytics, electronic health records, and data visualization.

Real-world case studies and hands-on tools to develop practical skills.

Expert faculty from healthcare, IT, and analytics domains.

Career Opportunities After PGDHIA

Upon completing this diploma, professionals can explore roles such as:

Healthcare Data Analyst

Clinical Informatics Specialist

Health IT Consultant

EHR Implementation Specialist

Public Health Informatics Analyst

With digital healthcare gaining momentum in India and globally, the career scope is both vast and promising.

If you're aspiring to build a career at the intersection of healthcare and technology, the PGDHIA course at SIHS offers the perfect foundation. Among various health informatics courses available today, SIHS stands out for its academic excellence, flexibility, and industry relevance.

To know more, visit the official course page: https://www.sihs.edu.in/pg-diploma-in-healthcare-informatics-and-analytics

[vzyee]

i should start a dream journal

[innonurse]

Innovative technique merges nano informatics with AI for potential breakthroughs in cancer prediction

- By InnoNurse Staff -

A new study has unveiled a cutting-edge approach that integrates nano informatics and machine learning to accurately forecast cancer cell behaviors. This method facilitates the identification of cell subpopulations with unique traits, such as drug sensitivity and metastatic potential.

Read more at Hebrew University of Jerusalem/Medical Xpress

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Other recent news and insights

Irish healthtech startup Altach raises €1.2M to improve treatments for articular cartilage injuries (Silicon Canals)

[academiceurope]

Job - Alert 📚

📚✨ Professor/in (w/m/d) für Gesundheitsinformatik an der Technische Hochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS) gesucht! 

Wir suchen eine engagierte Persönlichkeit für die W2-Professur im Bereich Gesundheitsinformatik, insbesondere für KI-gestützte Systeme. 

Ihr Profil: Abgeschlossenes Studium in Gesundheitsinformatik oder verwandten Fachrichtungen. 

👉🏼 Erfahrung in angewandter Forschung und Teamarbeit.

Fühlen Sie sich berufen? 

Wir freuen uns auf Ihre aussagekräftige Bewerbung über unser Online-Portal: 

https://www.academiceurope.com/job/?id=6889

[best-u-of-feenis-program]

Doctor of Nursing Practice

(no propaganda submitted)

Graduate Health Care Informatics Certificate

(no propaganda submitted)

[ds4u]

A Updated Guide to Healthcare Informatics Software

The current state of healthcare is characterized by an ongoing data flood and an increasing focus on digital effectiveness. A key component of this revolution is healthcare informatics software, which gives clinicians the means to improve patient care, streamline processes, and glean insightful information from enormous medical databases. For healthcare workers at every stage of their employment, this thorough reference is a useful resource.

[achamporado]

Challenges and possible solutions in dental practice during and post COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be the most horrific epidemic of the century, starting off as a community health emergency. It completely rocked the economic, social, mental, and health facets of society and all facets of the healthcare industry. Herpes simplex virus-1 infection, xerostomia, opportunistic fungal infections, gingivitis, oral ulcerations, and recent loss of taste perception were among the oral symptoms. In order to safeguard the public and themselves from this new sickness, dental professionals also had to update their knowledge of developing diseases and revise their infection control practices.

The main recommendations for dental professionals were to perform procedures in a negative pressure room, practice good hand hygiene, take extraoral radiographs rather than intraoral ones, limit the number of visitors and care providers, use rubber dams and a high evacuation suction, use EPA-approved chemicals to disinfect surfaces, and wear N95 masks, face shields, or goggles to protect their eyes in addition to gowns and gloves. Dentists may find it useful to assist patients with a reduced risk of cross-infection by utilizing the Smart Appointment System, Teledentistry, and Triage policy. During this pandemic, teledentistry gained a crucial place in dental practice and contributed to a shift in the perception of dentistry. In light of the potential for COVID-19 to worsen access inequities to oral health care, oral health care professionals and patients must work together to prioritize preventative treatment. Regular virtual sessions could be utilized to keep frontline healthcare staff informed about the COVID-19 trend.

Dentists are more likely to contract infectious infections due to the nature of their work and the oral environment of continuous salivary flow. Additionally, as the COVID-19 epidemic spread, dentists faced an increased number of hazards and difficulties. Safe dental procedures may benefit from a full awareness of the hazards associated with aerosol transmission and how to mitigate them. According to a few studies conducted in industrialized nations, teledentistry was seen favorably in terms of patient satisfaction, usability, and efficient access to clinical treatments.

Preventative care is the cornerstone of community health practices. Therefore, rather of emphasizing surgical intervention, dental healthcare professionals can now focus on oral disease prevention thanks to the COVID-19. In the aftermath of the pandemic, the dental profession will require significant adjustments going forward. It is necessary to provide practicing dentists with refresher courses on infection prevention. The dental authority must create guidelines and courses for orientation and refresher training for dental practitioners, as well as mobilize resources and taskforces. It is necessary to conduct research on infection management in different dental specializations. New research in several dental specialties covering all procedures and pertinent infection control measures is required for the development of best practices. The departments of public oral health must look for ways to shed light on how patients feel about going to the hospital and what worries them. The financial sustainability of private clinics and governmental hospitals may be restored with the aid of this information. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented the dental community with a plethora of obstacles and difficulties, but it has also acted as a catalyst for the revision of oral health policies and recommendations. One important way to lessen the load is by practicing preventive dental care with routine dental examinations.

[riveraxeus]

Public Health Informatics - Revolutionizing Healthcare for a Safer Future

In today's digital world, the power of information technology is transforming various industries, and the field of public health is no exception. The application of information science and technology to public health practices, has emerged as a game-changer in improving healthcare outcomes and safeguarding communities. By harnessing the potential of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and connectivity, public health informatics is revolutionizing the way we approach disease prevention, surveillance, and healthcare delivery.

Enhancing Disease Surveillance- One of the key areas where public health informatics is making a significant impact is disease surveillance. Traditional surveillance methods often rely on manual reporting, which can be time-consuming and prone to errors. With the advent of digital systems and real-time data collection, it enables faster detection and response to disease outbreaks. By monitoring indicators like symptoms, hospital admissions, and laboratory test results, health authorities can swiftly identify patterns, track disease progression, and implement targeted interventions to curb the spread of infections.

Improving Health Monitoring and Management- Public health informatics also plays a crucial role in enhancing individual and population health monitoring. With the rise of wearable devices and mobile health applications, individuals can track their vital signs, physical activity, and even sleep patterns. These data points, when combined with public health databases, provide a comprehensive picture of the population's health status, allowing healthcare professionals to identify trends, assess risk factors, and develop personalized interventions for disease prevention and management.

Enabling Precision Medicine- Another promising aspect of public health informatics is its contribution to precision medicine. By leveraging the power of big data analytics and genetic profiling, researchers can identify genetic variations that influence disease susceptibility, treatment response, and drug interactions. This knowledge allows healthcare providers to tailor medical interventions to individual patients, ensuring more effective treatments, reduced adverse reactions, and improved patient outcomes.

Supporting Disaster Response- During times of crises, such as natural disasters or pandemics, public health informatics is invaluable in supporting effective disaster response efforts. By utilizing data-driven models and simulations, authorities can predict the spread of diseases, allocate resources efficiently, and coordinate emergency response efforts. Additionally, geospatial information systems (GIS) enable real-time mapping and visualization of affected areas, aiding in identifying vulnerable populations and facilitating targeted relief efforts.

Addressing Ethical and Privacy Concerns- It is essential to address ethical and privacy concerns associated with data collection, storage, and sharing. Safeguarding sensitive health information and ensuring transparency and informed consent are crucial to maintain public trust. Striking a balance between utilizing data for public health benefit while protecting individual privacy is an ongoing challenge that must be addressed through robust regulations, policies, and technological safeguards.

[sihspgdhia]

Admissions are now open for the PG Diploma in Healthcare Informatics and Analytics at Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences (SIHS). This program bridges healthcare and data science, equipping professionals with essential analytical and technical skills. Ideal for healthcare and IT aspirants, it prepares you for in-demand roles in the evolving digital health ecosystem. For more detail visit us at https://www.sihs.edu.in/pg-diploma-in-healthcare-informatics-and-analytics website.