Category Archives: Health

What is new in the field of Health. Trending topics, and cutting edge research in the are of Health. Press Releases that give us updates on Health.

TrialScope Launches Website as Free Resource for Researchers, Patients on COVID-19 Trials


Home page of new online resource for COVID-19 clinical trials

CoronaClinicalTrials.com

We felt we had an obligation to make COVID-19 clinical trial information easily accessible.

Just as the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow worldwide, the amount of information – and misinformation – available online is increasing to overwhelming proportions. In an effort to provide an up-to-the-minute source of credible clinical trial information, TrialScope has launched CoronaClinicalTrials.com.

The website automatically syncs clinical trial information from ClinicalTrials.gov, the national registry of clinical trials. Established by the United States National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, it houses the largest database of clinical trials. 

CoronaClinicalTrials.com features a robust search engine, powered by TrialScope technology, that enables site visitors to search for COVID-19 clinical trials by keyword or location. An advanced search function offers additional filters: distance, study status, study phase, as well as age and gender requirements for participants.

“Utilizing the TrialScope Engage platform to streamline the information and the clinical options available to COVID-19 patients was our small part in response to this global pandemic,” said Christina Masturzo, Director of Product Management at TrialScope. “Any diagnosis can be frightening, and the challenge of finding research options often compounds that fear. It was important to me that we think about these patients and provide them with helpful resources to learn more and locate clinical trials available to them.”

To that end, the website distills the clinical trial data to focus on the most important information that can help patients and the public find relevant trials, with an interactive map that allows visitors to pinpoint nearby study locations. The detail page of each study includes a “Contact Us” button for quick and easy access to the research study.

“Because we work to make clinical trial data publicly available on a daily basis, our team could not sit idly by during this health crisis,” said TrialScope CEO Jeff Kozloff. “We felt we had an obligation to make COVID-19 clinical trial information easily accessible to both healthcare professionals and the public. We plan to include additional information and resources as they become available. At TrialScope, we are passionate about disclosure of clinical trial information. Coronaclinicaltrials.com is a reflection of our commitment to data sharing and transparency.

“I want to thank our incredible staff, all working remotely, for working nonstop over the past week to launch this website quickly. More importantly, I want to recognize all the researchers, healthcare professionals and first responders working diligently and the brave clinical trial participants volunteering to stop this pandemic.”

In addition to information on the coronavirus, the website also educates the public on clinical trials. In order to combat the coronavirus, a vaccine and treatments are needed. And these require clinical trials to prove efficacy and safety. Now, more than ever, it is important to build awareness of clinical trials and make them easier to access. Educational resources and advocacy services are provided for patients and the public by the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP), an internationally recognized nonprofit organization.

About TrialScope 

TrialScope is the global leader in clinical trial disclosure and transparency management technology, supporting 16 of the top 20 industry clinical trial sponsors worldwide. TrialScope provides proven solutions that optimize the efficiency of disclosure activities, maximize trial data transparency, and foster more informed, engaged patients through open research sharing. To learn more about TrialScope, visit TrialScope.com. 

About CISCRP

The Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation is a first-of-its-kind nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and informing the public, patients, medical/research communities, the media and policy makers about clinical research and the role each party plays in the process.

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‘The Healthy Habit Handbook’ offers blueprint to improve health, happiness and vitality


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Life-changing obstacles left Loz Antonenko a lesson: that they profoundly shape and improve one’s identity. Wanting to share this lesson, and all other wisdom she has learned throughout her journey, she pens “The Healthy Habit Handbook” (published by Balboa Press AU).

The part autobiography, part self-help book contains a blueprint to improve health, happiness and vitality. In this digestible book, Antonenko shares how she conquered her deepest fears, built up her self-esteem and failed forward on her way to success. A simplified framework and practical exercises for creating healthy habits are offered in the book to help readers break free from stagnation, live a fulfilling purpose-driven life and improve their quality of life.

Antonenko’s own journey will forge many touch points across different areas of life that are relevant to a wide audience. By baring her own vulnerabilities throughout the pages of the book, she hopes to inspire others to transform their lives and break free of the self-imposed limitations of their consciousness. “The Healthy Habit Handbook” — her debut in the publishing scene — was a way for her to explore the perceived edges of her comfort zone.

“This book helps the reader engage with their purpose, overcome their fears, set meaningful goals and take massive action to achieve them through a relatable framework,” Antonenko further describes. “We are all engineers of our lifestyle and have the capacity to live a fulfilling, purpose-driven life where we feel authentic, happy and healthy. And it’s not as difficult as it may seem.”

For more information on the book, please visit https://www.balboapress.com/en-au/bookstore/bookdetails/806850-the-healthy-habit-handbook.

“The Healthy Habit Handbook”

By Loz Antonenko

Softcover | 6×9 in | 128 pages | ISBN 9781504320795

E-Book | 128 pages | ISBN 9781504320801

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Loz Antonenko started her first business at age 15, selling customized nametags for school bags — and her entrepreneurial spirit has stayed with her ever since. After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in college, she started a family business with her father. Now, Antonenko is a certified personal trainer, life coach, group fitness and mat work Pilates instructor, weight loss coach, mindfulness specialist, award-winning bikini fitness model and wellness advocate.

Balboa Press Australia is a division of Hay House, Inc., a leading provider in publishing products that specialise in self-help and the mind, body and spirit genre. Through an alliance with the worldwide self-publishing leader Author Solutions, LLC, authors benefit from the leadership of Hay House Publishing and the speed-to-market advantages of the Author Solutions self-publishing model. For more information or to start publishing today, visit balboapress.com.au/ or call 1800 050 315.

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Critical Alert to Extend Its Canopy Software to Assist in Preventing Mass Outbreaks of COVID-19 within Hospitals


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Canopy can provide hospitals with the vital information they need to prevent a mass outbreak of the virus within their facility and it can be implemented remotely eliminating the need for our personnel to be on-site

Critical Alert announced today it will extend its Canopy Software to assist in preventing mass outbreaks of COVID-19 within hospitals. The company will offer a free 6-month trial to aid in the fight against the virus.

When dealing with a pandemic, time is of the essence. Identifying times, places, and caregivers that have interacted with a particular individual can be the difference between preventing the spread of an infectious disease and a mass outbreak within a healthcare facility.

Many hospitals have antiquated nurse call systems with limited or no reporting capabilities. Critical Alert’s Canopy software application eliminates these limitations. Canopy aggregates data from any nurse call system that has a data output mechanism and provides the ability to assess patient and staff interactions by person, room, unit or multi-tenant enterprise. In essence, Canopy can be utilized and integrated with a hospital’s current nurse call hardware.

“We are here to support those who are on the frontlines of this pandemic,” stated John Elms, CEO of Critical Alert. “Canopy can provide hospitals with the vital information they need to prevent a mass outbreak of the virus within their facility and it can be implemented remotely eliminating the need for our personnel to be on-site,” continued Elms.

Please call Critical Alert at (888) 846-8346 or email Canopy@CriticalAlert.com to learn more.

About Critical Alert

Critical Alert offers a solution set of enterprise class, software-based products, services and strategies that enable hospitals and healthcare enterprises to give a voice to their patients, empower their clinical staff with actionable intelligence, unburden their support and IT teams and save money. CommonPath Enterprise, our software-driven patient communications platform includes UL-1069 nurse call, alarm management & event notification, patient experience monitoring, advanced clinical analytics and a portfolio of integrated partner offerings.

For more information, visit: http://www.criticalalert.com. Follow Critical Alert on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Critical Alert is a trademark of Critical Alert. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.

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RevSpring Releases New Patient Financial Experience Report


“This report, which exposes first-hand sentiment from patients themselves, is a key indicator of where the market should focus as it relates to patient experience and engagement,” said Marty Callahan, RevSpring’s president of healthcare.

RevSpring, the leading provider of healthcare financial engagement and payment solutions, today released a report highlighting its latest national survey of healthcare consumers. Among the key findings:


  • Patient confidence in electronic communications and payment channels is high, yet gaps remain;
  • 48 percent of respondents said they found medical bills confusing;
  • A negative experience or outstanding balance is driving many to avoid future care or shop for new providers.

The report makes a compelling and comprehensive case for why a conventional approach to financial engagement must transform to meet patient expectations and improve financial performance.

“This report, which exposes first-hand sentiment from patients themselves, is a key indicator of where the market should focus as it relates to patient experience and engagement,” said Marty Callahan, RevSpring’s president of healthcare. “These insights fuel our product roadmap, our analytics initiatives, and the way in which we consult with our customers on transformative solutions.”

Multiple takeaways provide practical insight into how healthcare providers can begin now to reap the benefits of digital customer financial engagement and payment strategy evolution. The report also includes special sections on patient payment obstacles, digital financial communications, and practical ways hospitals and other providers can begin to transform the financial experience for patients. The 2019 Patient Financial Experience Report is available in its entirety here.

About the Report

The report measured patient sentiments around a range of financial engagement issues and compared findings with another national survey RevSpring conducted in 2017. Survey participants included 3,000 consumers who were responsible for paying a hospital bill within six months of taking the survey. Geographic, income and other demographic details were diverse to reflect as wide a swath of U.S. consumers as possible. The survey measured perceptions of healthcare billing systems, including roadblocks to satisfaction.

About RevSpring

RevSpring leads the market in financial communications and payment solutions that inspire patients to pay. The company has built the industry’s most comprehensive and impactful suite of patient engagement, OmniChannel communications and payment solutions backed by behavior analysis, propensity-to-pay scoring, contextual messaging, and user experience best practices. Using proprietary data analytics to tailor the engagement from pre-service to post-service, we improve the financial experience and outcomes for providers and their patients. To learn more, visit revspringinc.com/healthcare.

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US Sports Camps Celebrates SUNY Potsdam Summer Basketball Camps’ 50th Summer in 2020


This co-ed overnight basketball camp in Potsdam, NY allows campers to experience what it is like to be a collegiate student athlete.

This co-ed overnight basketball camp in Potsdam, NY allows campers to experience what it is like to be a collegiate student athlete.

I am grateful to have experienced Potsdam Basketball Camp a camper, a counselor, and now as the Co-Director.

Since 1970, thousands of campers have trained, competed and improved at the SUNY Potsdam Summer Basketball Camp in Potsdam, NY, part of St. Lawrence County. Over the years camp instruction has always been led by the Head Basketball Coaches at SUNY Potsdam and is currently Co-Directed by Jim Bechtel and Brittany Cohen.

“It’s amazing to have our basketball camp up and running for its 50th consecutive year,” says Coach Cohen, Head Women’s Basketball Coach at SUNY Potsdam. “I have grown up with this camp and have many fond memories of my grandfather Stan Cohen, who coached at Potsdam for over 40 years. I am grateful to have experienced Potsdam Basketball Camp a camper, a counselor, and now as the Co-Director.”

This New York basketball camp offers players the choice to attend as an overnight or day camper. Open to both boys and girls, this camp will immerse players in an in-depth basketball experience and undergo specialized drills that Coach Bechtel and Coach Cohen have created for the players. Campers have reported learning imperative life skills like being a good teammate, increased communication and how to push yourself to be the best you can be.

“It’s unique to have a camp that has been passed down through the generations,” says Brent Koonce, Sr. VP of Nike Basketball Camps. “Every year we get calls from mothers and fathers who attended camp back in the day and are now looking to sign up their kids. It’s pretty incredible to be part of a camp that has been such a huge part of local family’s summer traditions.”

Coach Bechtel and Coach Cohen, along with their collegiate-level staff, will guide the campers through fundamental instruction, game situations, and basketball-specific conditioning while also providing a fun and positive environment for all levels.

This program is set to run July 12-15 and is open to boys and girls, ages 8-18, of all ability levels. Players, coaches, and parents interested in camps can visit Nike Basketball Camps. For more information, please call 1-800-645-3226.

About US Sports Camps

US Sports Camps (USSC), headquartered in San Rafael, California, is America’s largest sports camp network and the licensed operator of Nike Sports Camps. The company has offered summer camps since 1975 with the same mission that defines it today: to shape a lifelong enjoyment of athletics through high-quality sports education and skill enhancement.

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Block Buddy Announces Partnership with Global Response Management


Block Buddy Pro is partnering with Global Response Management to provide education about regional anesthesia nerve blocks to high-risk, low-resource areas across the globe with their mobile app.

Block Buddy Pro is partnering with Global Response Management to provide education about regional anesthesia nerve blocks to high-risk, low-resource areas across the globe with their mobile app.

Block Buddy Pro is partnering with Global Response Management to provide education about ultrasound guided nerve blocks to high-risk, low-resource areas. The Block Buddy Pro mobile app will be utilized by GRM medics in the field when performing life-saving operations across the globe.

Block Buddy, the company behind the popular Block Buddy Pro mobile application, is proud to announce their new partnership with Global Response Management.

Block Buddy Pro is a mobile application that provides education for anesthesia providers about performing ultrasound guided peripheral nerve blocks and point of care ultrasound (POCUS). The app contains lessons with videos, detailed images, and descriptions for dozens of different nerve blocks, along with various other tools and resources.

Global Response Management (GRM) is a medical not-for-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides emergency and trauma care in low-resource and high-risk areas across the globe. The Block Buddy Pro app will be utilized by GRM medics in the field when performing life-saving operations and procedures. Importantly, the app offers offline access that medics will use in areas with little to no WiFi access.

To learn more about Global Response Management, and to learn how you can contribute, visit global-response.org.

Block Buddy Pro can be purchased in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. To learn more about Block Buddy, please visit myblockbuddy.com.

About the Owners

The creators of Block Buddy, Scott Urigel and Jeff Molter are highly skilled and respected anesthesia providers who share a passion for providing their expertise and knowledge to areas around the world that may not have access to quality medical education. Jeff and Scott are committed to improving the lives of patients and increasing the knowledge of their peers.

Both Scott and Jeff have received numerous awards and accolades for their service over the years. Most recently, Scott Urigel was honored with the Alice Magaw Outstanding Clinician Award at the 2019 American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Annual Conference. And Jeff Molter received the CRNA of the Year Award at the 2019 Ohio State Association of Nurse Anesthetists’ (OSANA) Conference. To learn more about Scott and Jeff, visit myblockbuddy.com/category/instructors/.

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TeleMed2U to Provide Telemedicine-based COVID-19 Consultations to Public


Dr. Javeed Siddiqui

Dr. Javeed Siddiqui, M.D., MPH – Chief Medical Officer of TeleMed2U

TeleMed2U, a provider of transformative telemedicine solutions, announced today it will provide virtual COVID-19 consultations directly to the public, led by board-certified infectious diseases physicians.

Since 2011, TeleMed2U has provided telemedicine-based specialty care to its clinic and hospital clients through its network of over 80 board-certified physicians across 20 specialty fields, which has included an infectious diseases team since the company was founded.

In response to hospital capacity shortage stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and effective immediately, TeleMed2U has now opened access to its team of infectious diseases doctors to the public, via live video call consultations.

Anyone with potential novel coronavirus symptoms or concerns may now schedule an online video consultation for a COVID-19 assessment and meet a board-certified doctor from any smartphone, tablet or computer, from the convenience and safety of home.

“Hospitals are now forward-triaging, that is evaluating patients before they enter a hospital, to reserve capacity for the critically ill. This is where telemedicine plays an important role, allowing the ‘worried well’ or those with non-life-threatening symptoms to seek early medical attention, in isolation at home and by a qualified physician,” stated Dr. Javeed Siddiqui, M.D., MPH and Chief Medical Officer of TeleMed2U. “Using a virtual care option can help reduce the risk of spreading the virus and we have made the process easy and affordable for everyone,” added Dr. Siddiqui.

COVID-19 virtual consultations are available in multiple states to anyone, at subsidized self-pay member rates or with qualifying Medicare. TeleMed2U physicians will evaluate patients via face-to-face video to provide medical advice, diagnosis and treatment care as applicable and in coordination with a patient’s existing Primary Care Provider. To learn more about TeleMed2U infectious diseases team or to request virtual care consultation visit book.telemed2u.com.

About TeleMed2U

TeleMed2U was founded in 2011 as a multi-specialty practice that has grown to 80+ board-certified specialist providers covering 23 medical specialties in areas including infectious diseases, endocrinology, mental health and more. The company provides an expansive portfolio of telemedicine solutions built to serve the evolving specialty care needs of primary care providers, health plans and patients directly, across a wide range of in-patient and out-patient clinical settings.

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Fitness Studio Agency Helps Gyms Move Virtual, Maintain Revenue During COVID-19 Closures


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Loud Rumor, the nation’s leading consulting agency for fitness studios, developed and launched a free course to help its 1,300 plus fitness studio clients pivot and move fitness offerings online to maintain revenue, amidst COVID-19 closures.

During this international crisis, small businesses like fitness studios are forced to temporarily close for an undermined length of time, which means no revenue, potentially leading to layoffs and permanent closures. Loud Rumor CEO Mike Arce said that less than two weeks ago, he started receiving messages and calls from fitness studio owners who were at a loss for what to do, and fearing they would lose their businesses.

“I pivoted fast,” said Arce. “Our clients needed our support, so within 24 hours we developed and launched an online course that walked our clients step-by-step through how to deal with the crisis and how to continue adding value to their customers to ensure the monthly recurring revenue still came in.”

The course includes a step-by-step guide to allow a gym owner to convert their physical fitness studio to an online fitness studio so members can live stream classes. Arce said the course teaches which tools to purchase or subscribe to, how to set them up and integrate them, email scripts, marketing templates and more. Loud Rumor also created more than 50 different digital ad campaigns selling these new virtual fitness classes. Clients running the campaigns across the nation are seeing unprecedented low costs per lead, roughly $2 – $5 compared to the normal $15-$25 average cost per lead.

Brittany Welk and Marciea Allen, co-founders of Lady Strong Fitness in Chicago, were one of the first calls Arce got just over a week ago. “We were devastated,” said Welk. “We were having to shut down our studio, which meant not providing quality workouts to our members. Yet, we still had rent, bills and employees to pay. We thought we were going to lose our business.”

Arce helped Welk and Allen convert their studio into an online fitness studio in just a matter of days. So far, they have maintained all 236 of their members through daily streaming workouts.

“We know we have months of this ahead of us, and are so appreciative of our members who are still supporting us while we pivot the classes they love to the digital platform,” said Allen. “We’re confident that we’ll be able to keep business going until we can fully open back up to in-studio classes thanks to our amazing community supporting us during this trying time.”

Arce also launched a sister podcast to his internationally-known fitness business podcast, The GSD Show, called “GSD COVID Updates” where he has produced 50 episodes in just one week in order to bring fitness studios all the information they need. On the show, Arce interviews financial experts to talk about SBA loan options and tax adjustments and he talks to legal experts about landlord negotiations, among many others. He plans to continue to add content to cover every topic a fitness studio owner could need to access during this critical time.

For more information, visit http://www.loudrumor.com.

ABOUT LOUD RUMOR

Loud Rumor is an agency for fitness studios with three main services: Done For You, Done With You, and Do It Yourself. Loud Rumor serves more than 2,000 fitness studios and wellness companies within 50 different franchises. Loud Rumor CEO Mike Arce is the creator and host of the internationally-known podcast, The GSD Show, and is also a keynote speaker and published author with two books: Fitness Marketing Secrets and Fitness Selling Secrets.

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MDmetrix Offers COVID-19 Mission Control Subscriptions Free of Charge to Hospitals Nationwide


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“In a healthcare crisis, access to critical data and the insights derived from that data saves lives,” said Dan Low, MD and associate professor at University of Washington School of Medicine. “MDmetrix’s COVID-19 Mission Control is vital for quickly improving care and protecting lives.

MDmetrix, a clinical performance management platform, announced today that the COVID-19 Mission Control for Emergency Medicine will now be offered free of subscription fees to hospitals nationwide. The MDmetrix platform transforms care by allowing healthcare professionals to view outcomes across patients through leveraging real-world data from electronic medical records. With the push of a button, clinicians and hospital administrators can visualize, evaluate, and monitor patient care and clinical performance so they can quickly adapt and improve care across teams, conditions and protocols.

The COVID-19 module will allow hospitals to surface insights that will improve care, optimize use of crucial resources, and better understand the virus and how it may be changing. For example, the COVID-19 module will allow healthcare professionals to quickly answer questions such as:

-How many patients were screened for COVID-19 today? How many of those actually tested positive?

-Is the time interval between symptom onset and presentation getting shorter? Longer?

-Are more/fewer COVID-19 patients arriving who contracted the virus from a known contact?

-How many patients needed escalation to the ICU?

-Of patients who escalated to the ICU, how many needed a ventilator? What were their characteristics (e.g., demographic profile, lab results)?

The COVID-19 Mission Control is already deployed at UW Medicine, which includes the University of Washington Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center, the only Level I Trauma Center in Washington State. The platform will be implemented at other hospitals throughout the nation over the coming days.

“In a healthcare crisis, access to critical data and the insights derived from that data saves lives,” said Dan Low, MD and associate professor at University of Washington School of Medicine. “MDmetrix’s COVID-19 Mission Control is vital for seeing and comparing patient outcomes across our hospital and healthcare system. MDmetrix empowers our clinicians to quickly improve care and protect lives.”

“Our team at MDmetrix is committed to doing all we can to fight this global health crisis,” said Warren Ratliff, chief executive officer at MDmetrix. “We are working around the clock to provide critical technology support to our healthcare professionals who are on the front lines of this effort.”

MDmetrix’s Mission Control platform has enabled substantial healthcare improvements since 2016, including enabling the first opioid-free surgery center in Bellevue, Washington. MDmetrix’s tremendous impact on the quality and cost of patient care has been documented in more than 30 academic publications and recognitions in the past year.

About MDmetrix

MDmetrix is a clinical performance management platform that serves hospitals and surgery centers. By empowering medical leaders and frontline clinicians to visualize, evaluate, and monitor clinical and workflow outcomes, MDmetrix enables providers to improve care and lower costs, transforming clinical operations. Founded in Seattle in 2016, MDmetrix was created by a team of clinicians who saw the need to view outcomes across patients to quickly advance care. To learn more, please visit http://www.mdmetrix.com.

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Offers Free and Discounted Embedded Secure Video Chat Solution for COVID-19 Telemedicine Fight


“Our dedicated video chat solution is a natural fit for healthcare, as physicians can be up and running quickly while providing peace of mind to their patients that each interaction with VeriShow is secure and encrypted, complying with HIPAA regulations.”

VeriShow, maker and provider of proven embedded and encrypted video chat services for the banking and insurance industries, announced that it is making its software available unlimited free for the next 60 days to solo or individual practices, and at a 50 percent cost savings to healthcare systems to quickly implement dedicated video chat services in response to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic.

“With COVID-19 cases climbing in the U.S. by the hour, healthcare providers and healthcare systems will need safe and secure methods to triage and treat patients so as to not overwhelm hospitals and physician offices. We want to do our part to help healthcare teams obtain the best tools to help the most people. We don’t want cost to be a hurdle for medical staff across the world already stressed and stretched thin,” said co-founder and CEO Yuval Moed. “Our dedicated video chat solution is a natural fit for healthcare, as physicians can be up and running quickly while providing peace of mind to their patients that each interaction with VeriShow is secure and encrypted, complying with HIPAA regulations.”

VeriShow telemedicine features include:


  • PRIORITIZE SERIOUS CASES – Patients won’t be unnecessarily exposed by coming into an office. Medical professionals will efficiently pre-screen patients to allow only the most serious cases to come in for physical treatment.
  • EXPEDITED SETUP – VeriShow will provide the solution instantly and train medical staff to operate the software.
  • ADVANCED SECURITY MEASURES – Each VeriShow session can be recorded and then encrypted ensuring doctor/patient confidentiality.

For more information on VeriShow’s telemedicine capabilities or to discuss implementation, please visit http://lp.verishow.com/

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