This is Bruce Friedman's Typepad Profile.
Join Typepad and start following Bruce Friedman's activity
Bruce Friedman
Bruce Friedman graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1966. He completed a residency in Pathology at the University of Michigan in 1971. Following a two-year stint in the U.S. Army Medical Corp, he returned to the University of Michigan as a faculty member in the Department of Pathology. He retired from the Medical School faculty in 2006. His specialty for most of his career was Pathology Informatics which addresses the deployment of information technology in both Clinical Pathology and Anatomic Pathology.
Recent Activity
Quest Offering "Consumer-Initiated" COVID-19 Antibody Testing
We are still far from the development of an organized, rational lab testing strategy for COVID-19 sat the national level. Whatever plan that exists today is marked by a lack of federal coordination and divisive political messaging. This mix of confusion and contradictory messages continues with the two major for-profit... Continue reading
Posted May 4, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Walgreens' Find Care, a Digital Marketplace for Health Services
One of the few positive aspects of the Covid19 pandemic is that healthcare consumers are increasing turning to their digital devices for access to health services such as virtual visits with their personal physicians or filling prescriptions. I have been blogging about lab test ordering on the web, direct access... Continue reading
Posted Apr 30, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Will the Effects of COVID-19 Be Mitigated by the Warm Spring Weather?
One of the best articles I have come across lately regarding COVID-19 with a strong scientific orientation is: Why the Coronavirus Has Been So Successful. I have personally been wondering whether our upcoming warmer weather will ameliorate the effects of the pandemic as we have seen with our yearly influenza... Continue reading
Posted Mar 20, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Drive-Through Collection of Samples for COVID-19 Testing in Cleveland
The notion of drive-through to collect nasal swabs for COVID-19 testing is a practical and efficient idea and, I think, will ultimately be used across the country. Here's an article about how such a collection process is being organized by two Cleveland hospitals (see: University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic Partner... Continue reading
Posted Mar 16, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
1
AI Platform to Assist Hospital Physicians in Lab Test Ordering
I have blogged extensively about the deployment of AI in healthcare (see, for example: CMS Offers $1M Reward for AI to Predict Unplanned Hospitalizations). I have learned that the simplest AI applications may sometimes have the largest beneficial effects (see: Medical Community Braces for Algorithm to Reduce Unnecessary Imaging Orders).... Continue reading
Posted Mar 12, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Some Details about an Emerging Healthcare Service -- Hospital-at-Home (HaH)
One of the new services in healthcare, hospital-at-home (HaH), has caught my attention. I encountered an article providing more details about one company in this business (see: In-Home Healthcare Companies Bring High-Acuity Care, Including Clinical Laboratory Testing, to Patients at their Homes and Workplaces). Below is an excerpt from it:... Continue reading
Posted Mar 10, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
An Attempt to Make EHRs More Physician Friendly with Virtual Assistants
It's recognized that EHRs are a major cause of physician burnout due to the demands on their time for dictating notes and documenting various types of patient interactions (see: Relationship Between Clerical Burden and Characteristics of the Electronic Environment With Physician Burnout and Professional Satisfaction). Solutions for this problem include... Continue reading
Posted Mar 6, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Humana's Launches New Venture: Medicare-Centric Primary Care Clinics
Humana is expanding its primary care presence (see: Humana's Broussard calls latest primary care venture an 'expensive, complicated deal'). Below is an excerpt from this article describing this new initiative: Humana's recently announced joint venture to launch senior-centric primary care clinics was far from easy or cheap....The clinics will be... Continue reading
Posted Mar 4, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Six Health Systems Suffer Financial Losses Following EHR Deployments
I have been blogging for at least seven years about the "numbing costs" of installing a new EHR (see: Who Says a Hospital CIO Can't Get Fired for Picking the Epic EHR?). These costs and sometimes subsequent financial losses are due to the enormous cost of installing such a system,... Continue reading
Posted Mar 2, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Mayo Clinic's Web Site Contains a "Find Diseases and Conditions" Feature
Searching for reliable web sites that discuss the diagnosis of diseases can be a hit-or-miss proposition. The process is sometimes jokingly referred to as "consulting Dr. Google" (see: The precautions you should take before consulting ‘Dr. Google’). Regarding the use of lab tests for diagnosis, one of the best resources... Continue reading
Posted Feb 27, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Hospital Outpatient Visits Drop for First Time; Long History of Similar Inpatient Declines
It is well documented that hospital inpatient admissions have been declining for the past thirty years (see: The Case of the "Disappearing Hospital Beds"; Implications for Pathologists; Inpatient Admissions Decreasing; Implications for Hospital-Based Labs). Now comes news of a decline in outpatient visits (see: Outpatient Visits to Hospitals Decline Year-to-Year... Continue reading
Posted Feb 24, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Big Tech Initiatives in Healthcare Coming from Many Directions
Posted Feb 20, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Health System YouTube Videos Fulfill an Important Educational Function
My understanding of the legality and propriety of hospital "advertising" in social media was rather vague but an article on this topic cleared away the cobwebs (see: Hospital Advertising). Below is an excerpt from it. It turns out to be legal but later in the post I will discuss why... Continue reading
Posted Feb 19, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Analysis of the Failure of IBM's Watson; Vertical Integration Backfires
I have blogged periodically about IBM's Watson which has never lived up to its early expectations (see: Scandal at M.D. Anderson -- Operating Loss and Then Watson Deep-Sixed). Forbes recently published a piece about Watson with an analysis of this failure (see: IBM Watson And The Value Of Open) and... Continue reading
Posted Feb 17, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Why Some Hospital CEOs May Be Opposing Interoperability in Support of Epic
In a recent post, I discussed the opposition to the proposed HHS rule on EHR interoperability on the part of Judith Faulkner, founder and CEO of Epic, and the CEOs of some 60 health systems (see: Faulkner Opposes Proposed HHS Hospital Interoperability Rules; No One Surprised). In this note, I... Continue reading
Posted Feb 16, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Continuing Discussion about the Epic/Faulkner Opposition to Interoperability
In response to my note yesterday concerning Epic and Judith Faulkner's opposition to the proposed HHS rules about EHR interoperability, a reader of this blog, Ivan Miller, submitted the following comment: Faulkner replicated Steve Jobs business model. He made a proprietary, locked system that he guaranteed would work-- and consumers... Continue reading
Posted Feb 13, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
1
Faulkner Opposes Proposed HHS Hospital Interoperability Rules; No One Surprised
Much in the EHR news lately has been about Judith Faulkner and Epic's opposition to the proposed HHS interoperability rules (see: Epic may sue HHS over interoperability rules concerns, Judy Faulkner says). Almost 60 health system CEOs have stated that they are in agreement with Faulkner and Epic on this... Continue reading
Posted Feb 12, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
1
Bundled Cash Pricing May Provide an Ideal "Transparency" Solution for Many Hospitals
Major changes are now underway in the healthcare industry including the impending CMS price transparency rules that are eliciting marked opposition from various segments of organized medicine (see: Ohio Healthcare Network Serving Amish and Anabaptist Communities Could Provide Blueprint for Hospital Price Transparency). Below is an excerpt from an article... Continue reading
Posted Feb 10, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Health Insurers and Retail Pharmacies Expand Primary Care Services
I have blogged extensively about how health insurers and retail pharmacies have been entering the primary care market. Market Watch recently published an article informing the investor community about this trend (see: Health insurers and retail pharmacies are making a play for primary care). Below is an excerpt from this... Continue reading
Posted Feb 6, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Express Scripts Throws Lifeline to Some Digital Health Startups
I have blogged extensively about pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in the past (see, for example: Pharmaceutical Companies and PBMs Helped to Create Our Opioid Crisis; CVS's Caremark Expands Its Diabetes Care Program with Analytics and Coaching; Amazon-PillPack Pushes Against CVS with Prescription Deliveries; Also Seeking PBM Status). Now comes news... Continue reading
Posted Feb 4, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
"Deaths of Despair" in the U.S. Require Broad Federal Policy Initiatives
It seems to me that there has been relatively little written about the current major public heath crisis in the U.S., the opioid epidemic and deaths of despair. (see: Every American family basically pays an $8,000 ‘poll tax’ under the U.S. health system, top economists say) ...[Princeton University economists Anne... Continue reading
Posted Jan 30, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
New Technology to Destroy Cancer Cells, Oncotripsy, May Offer Promise
Many of the readers of this blog will be familiar with lithotripsy which involves the use of shock waves to disintegrate stones in the kidneys, bladder, and ureter (see: Lithotripsy). Scientists are now experimenting with the use of ultrasound to selectively kill cancer cells (see: Ultrasound selectively damages cancer cells... Continue reading
Posted Jan 28, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Companies Emerge Offering Remote Text-Based Primary Care Consultations
In a recent note, I explored the difference between virtual care and telemedicine (see: Understanding the Distinction between Virtual Care and Telemedicine). Here is the explanation copied from the note: Simply put, the term virtual care is a way of talking about all the ways patients and doctors can use... Continue reading
Posted Jan 23, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
What Part of the Wellness Economy Should Be Pursued by Health Systems?
Posted Jan 21, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
Virtual Personal Assistants as a Key Factor in Wearable Health Ecosystems
I have posted a number of notes pertaining to wearables and wearable health ecosystems (see, for example: Sony Develops Health Wearable Providing Connectivity, Stipulating That It's Not a Smartwatch; The Evolution of "Wearable Health Ecosystems" and Associated Partnerships; Status Reports and Hospital Referrals from Wearable Health Ecosystems). I have not... Continue reading
Posted Jan 16, 2020 at Lab Soft News
Comment
0
More...
Subscribe to Bruce Friedman’s Recent Activity
0 Favorites
Blogs and Sites
Around The Web