NaviNet Inc

Patient engagement is one of the most pressing issues in healthcare today–and arguably one of the biggest potential game-changers in the battle for patient wellness. The physician–a patient's most trusted advisor–has the ability to reach members at the moment of care. As a strategy for population health improvement, fostering the member-physician relationship can be highly effective.

During National HIT Week, we profiled some of Massachusetts' most innovative health IT companies. In this post, we recognize four companies that are at the forefront of innovation, drive meaningful change and make an impact on people's lives .

Administrative healthcare costs represent a staggering portion of a practice's overhead expenses. According to a report by Marlin and Associates, $150 billion per year is spent on tasks such as completing manual transactions and tracking paper records. This amounts to $125,000 per small practice, and $70,000 per physician in unnecessary administrative costs per year. What recourse does a practice have to realize cost savings and lower administrative expenses?

This week, September 12th-16th, marks the sixth annual National Health IT Week sponsored by HIMSS. National Health IT Week aims to educate healthcare stakeholders and policy makers on the value and importance of adoption of health IT in the US healthcare system. In honor of National Health IT Week, we'd like to take a moment to honor health IT companies in Massachusetts dedicated to innovation.

'Healthcare Innovation' is quite the buzzword lately. Between Todd Park encouraging innovation in health IT by opening a government data API and the mHealth app market set to triple by 2012, it's staggering how quickly technology in the industry is advancing. We'd like to take this opportunity to highlight one stakeholder group that is rapidly innovating to overcome today's challenges: health plans.

Todd Park stopped by NaviNet last week to share his insights on health innovation, highlight the opportunities we have to reduce healthcare costs and discuss using technology to improve the overall patient experience.

Fast Company released its list of 100 Most Creative People in Business in June. As always, it is a captivating piece highlighting some of the world's best, brightest and most creative business people.

There is no question that we are living in a world that is increasingly social. We have all heard the staggering statistics: Facebook now has over 500 million active users, and there are more than 25 billion pieces of content shared on the social network each month. There are also more than 150 million people who engage with Facebook on external websites monthly.

It's a tough world to be a patient in today. With family premiums on the rise, looming doctor shortages (especially in primary care), and no easy way to access personal medical records, seeking medical services can be more stressful than healing. Despite these challenges, several studies suggest that most individuals are far from giving up. After all, with education comes empowerment.

There's a lot changing in healthcare and health IT right now. Since reform has kicked off, all the key players in healthcare are juggling many new requirements and adjustments, like ICD-10 and Meaningful Use attestation, while also gearing up for new care delivery models like ACOs and patient-centered medical homes. The main priority is clear: continue to deliver (or even improve) top-notch care to patients across the country. Under the new mandate, it's no surprise that the industry hasn't yet