Improving communication between patients and physicians is easier said than done. A recent study published in the American Journal of Medical Quality outlined how a hospital-wide communication training program was able to improve patients' perceptions by 9 percent.

Having productive conversations is the baseline in providing high quality care to patients, but can communication reach such a level through an app or website? Researchers conducted a study, published in Human Communication Research, testing the effectiveness of online health tools when using different tones. 

A new study called the NCI-MATCH trial that analyzes patients’ tumors to determine whether they contain gene abnormalities for which a targeted drug exists and assigns treatment based on the abnormality has gained popularity since its open enrollment in August 2015.

J. Patrick Bewley, CEO of Big Cloud Analytics, and Moulay Elalamy, VP of information technology at Benchmark Senior Living, presented a study at HIMSS 2017 in Orlando on the effects of wearable technology on seniors living in a community center.

The social determinants of health (SDOH) are conditions such as geographic location, genetics, diet and education that can impact the health of population groups. In a session at HIMSS 2017 in Orlando, Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, MA, MHSA, discussed how technological advancements can engage consumers and providers to address these SDOH that can improve or diminish health risks.

In patients with Type 1 diabetes, having correct glucose levels is the first step in high quality care. A recent study, published in Diabetes Care, tested the effectiveness in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with and without blood glucose monitoring (BGM) measurement. 

With the growing number of diabetes devices on the market, including insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, patients are taking control of their diabetes. Just how interested patients are and what barriers these devices must overcome to reach patients is unknown. A recent study, published in Diabetes Care, identifies the barriers diabetes devices face and which patients use them.

Maintaining a level of physical activity is key in not only preventing the rise of obesity but also many chronic diseases. A recent study led by researcher from the American Cancer Society, and published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, showed that continuously assessments of physical activity during visits to the physician could lower rates of chronic diseases.