Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic launched a new platform to increase remote diagnostic access for commonly transmitted diseases, the health system announced Oct. 12.

On Oct. 12, Microsoft took action to block ransomware distributor Trickbot, according to a company blog post.

Twilio, a communications software company, is making a multibillion-dollar purchase to boost its consumer engagement platform capabilities.

The Florida health department delayed reporting COVID-19 cases and deaths on Oct. 10 after receiving thousands of previously unreported tests.

The Missouri health department said it delayed updating its COVID-19 dashboard on Oct. 11 due to a data extract error.

The Office for Civil Rights announced its ninth settlement Oct. 9 for its HIPAA Right of Access Initiative, which requires providers to give patients access to their medical records quickly and without being overcharged. 

Big technology companies continue to move into the healthcare space, entering into strategic partnerships with health systems and investing in telehealth and digital health companies.

Unity Health Toronto, a Catholic hospital network in Canada, is alleging that a transcriptionist stole medical records and attempted to extort money for their return, according to a CTV News report.

The Colorado Hospital Association signed agreements with hospitals it represents to keep daily bed capacity and ICU bed counts confidential, according to a report from KOAA, a local NBC affiliate.

During the pandemic, clinicians transitioned their practice to virtual care, and a large portion of the workforce began to work remotely. Healthcare providers were hit hard financially during the early waves of the pandemic and now many are turning to technology to become more efficient and cost-effective.

Healthcare organizations this year have been tasked with managing an almost overnight shift to remote work, leaving IT leaders adopting new knowledge management strategies, according to Andrew Graf, chief product strategist at TeamDynamix, an IT service and project management platform. 

The pandemic has accelerated the use of telehealth, remote work, data analytics and precision medicine.

Innovation must be a collaborative, boundary-pushing process supported by a team that is diverse in every sense of the word, according to Megan Ranney, MD, director of the Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health, a partnership between Providence, R.I.-based Lifespan and Brown University. 

Changes in the healthcare environment necessarily require innovation on behalf of providers. Due to COVID-19, 2020 has been a transformative year for healthcare. Hospitals and health systems have risen to the challenge of a pandemic by packing years' worth of innovation and technology adoption into a matter of months.

Celebrity spokespeople have been used by retail marketers for ages, but they also could be helpful tools healthcare marketers can employ to better connect with targeted patient populations.

Apple teamed up with five health systems in the U.K. and Canada to make its Health Records app available to patients, according to an Oct. 7 news release.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has assembled a cross-functional team to help ensure the Nashville, Tenn.-based health system is prepared to comply with HHS' new interoperability rules Nov. 1.

Data analytics gives hospitals and health systems information to support strategic decisions and identify areas in need of improvement. 

The National Security Agency granted the University of Louisville (Ky.) $6 million to develop a healthcare cybersecurity online certificate program, according to an Oct. 9 news release.

Technology can help transform patient experience and service quality. As patients return to healthcare settings during the pandemic, a strong IT infrastructure is key to ensuring they're satisfied and receive top service.