Howard Rosen

Looking way, way back to when I started in health IT 17 years ago (this being a mid-life career epiphany), I had an idea of enabling patients by letting them use the technology they wanted as opposed to what they were being told to use. At that time, text messaging was just starting with the advent of smarter mobile devices (think flip phones as that new innovation). The response from health providers was very much akin to “Text? Who wants to text?” Fast forward years later, and not only has… Show more

Looking way, way back to when I started in health IT 17 years ago (this being a mid-life career epiphany), I had an idea of enabling patients by letting them use the technology they wanted as opposed to what they were being told to use. At that time, text messaging was just starting with the advent of smarter mobile devices (think flip phones as that new innovation). The response from health providers was very much akin to “Text? Who wants to text?” Fast forward years later, and not only has text become ubiquitous, but a myriad of means of communications that customers/clients want to use. Show less

“Digital Transformation” is one of the buzzwords of 2022, but it has also been one of the least successful strategies of the past few years. The idea of moving to more innovative, digital approaches to a business would seem like a natural move in our digital age, especially after the pandemic. Yet the evidence suggests that it has been a dismal failure. Look no further than a report noting that digital transformation across tech-oriented industries was less than 30% successful. In more… Show more

“Digital Transformation” is one of the buzzwords of 2022, but it has also been one of the least successful strategies of the past few years. The idea of moving to more innovative, digital approaches to a business would seem like a natural move in our digital age, especially after the pandemic. Yet the evidence suggests that it has been a dismal failure. Look no further than a report noting that digital transformation across tech-oriented industries was less than 30% successful. In more traditional industries, such as automotive and pharmaceuticals, success was only between 4% and 11%. Show less

So, how’s your data? Perhaps this is not the best pickup line. In fact, we hear so much about data, it is quickly becoming white noise. Yet, it should be at the core of decisions relating to business.

However, in the world of data, not only do you need to be mindful of good data, bad data and no data, but you also need to be aware of the other classifications of data, including qualitative versus quantitative data and subjective versus objective data. Fundamentally, for data to be of any… Show more

So, how’s your data? Perhaps this is not the best pickup line. In fact, we hear so much about data, it is quickly becoming white noise. Yet, it should be at the core of decisions relating to business.

However, in the world of data, not only do you need to be mindful of good data, bad data and no data, but you also need to be aware of the other classifications of data, including qualitative versus quantitative data and subjective versus objective data. Fundamentally, for data to be of any value regardless of its form, it needs to be considered “good” data that, when analyzed, could result in actionable strategies. Show less

Digital transformation here, digital transformation there—“digital transformation” seems to be everywhere as the services buzzword of early 2022. But what does it mean, and is it anything more than a catchphrase we need to have in our investor presentations for this month?

After earning a Master of Business Administration, working as a film and TV producer for 20 years and then entering and working in the HealthIT space for the past 15 years, I've had what many might consider an eclectic career full of transitions. It’s been interesting for me to watch the “Great Resignation” over the past few months, during which 4.5 million people quit their jobs in November alone.

So, what is going on? In the New York Times article “Quitting Your Job Never Looked So… Show more

After earning a Master of Business Administration, working as a film and TV producer for 20 years and then entering and working in the HealthIT space for the past 15 years, I've had what many might consider an eclectic career full of transitions. It’s been interesting for me to watch the “Great Resignation” over the past few months, during which 4.5 million people quit their jobs in November alone.

So, what is going on? In the New York Times article “Quitting Your Job Never Looked So Fun,” writer John Herrman noted, "Workers across social media are enjoying the vicarious thrill of chewing out a terrible boss. Some are even doing it." There are a great number of reasons workers could be choosing to leave their jobs right now. From my perspective, it is likely that the seeds were planted long before, and the pandemic finally pushed or pulled workers the past few months. Show less

So, you have this great idea, share it with colleagues and then hear one of them repeat it as their own. Sound familiar? I think it’s fair to say that there are very few things more infuriating than someone else taking credit for your work.

This all came rushing to the fore recently when I heard of this happening to yet another colleague. I was reminded of a favorite mantra on the issue, attributed to Indira Gandhi: “There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take… Show more

So, you have this great idea, share it with colleagues and then hear one of them repeat it as their own. Sound familiar? I think it’s fair to say that there are very few things more infuriating than someone else taking credit for your work.

This all came rushing to the fore recently when I heard of this happening to yet another colleague. I was reminded of a favorite mantra on the issue, attributed to Indira Gandhi: “There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition.” Show less

Have you been accosted by a shareholder/investor pushing their finger on your chest and asking why your business is not increasing 1,000% per month? Or has your competitor done a SPAC with no revenue and is now valued as a unicorn? Raise your hand if your answer is “yes.” From my experience, I think there would be a lot of hands raised if we were all in the same room. So, what is happening?

Sometimes fiction reflects more of our reality than we imagine. And as we have seen in the political arena, movie references such as “gaslighting” can become part of the popular vernacular and powerful phrases with real consequences. Sometimes even fantastical elements in movies can become a reflection of our own business reality. “Flying monkeys” is a term I recently came across in a context that took me by surprise, and yet, it made so much sense.

Flying monkeys has become a way of… Show more

Sometimes fiction reflects more of our reality than we imagine. And as we have seen in the political arena, movie references such as “gaslighting” can become part of the popular vernacular and powerful phrases with real consequences. Sometimes even fantastical elements in movies can become a reflection of our own business reality. “Flying monkeys” is a term I recently came across in a context that took me by surprise, and yet, it made so much sense.

Flying monkeys has become a way of referencing how someone else does the bidding of another, and not for altruistic purposes. More specifically, according to the article "Are You A Narcissist’s Flying Monkey?", the term was coined after the Wicked Witch of the West’s flying monkeys that “were sent by the witch to do her dirty work.” Show less

A couple years ago, while sitting at a restaurant near my cottage, I found myself marveling not at the nature around me but at a television screen showing the Formula One race. To be honest, I am not an F1 aficionado, but one of my sons is, and he pointed out that something a little unusual was going on.

In short, and to avoid getting into the weeds on this, there is apparently a major strategy involved when cars come out of the starting pits — something to do with no one wanting to go… Show more

A couple years ago, while sitting at a restaurant near my cottage, I found myself marveling not at the nature around me but at a television screen showing the Formula One race. To be honest, I am not an F1 aficionado, but one of my sons is, and he pointed out that something a little unusual was going on.

In short, and to avoid getting into the weeds on this, there is apparently a major strategy involved when cars come out of the starting pits — something to do with no one wanting to go first or last as my son explained to me. And there is a time clock associated with this. In this case, the announcers, and my son, were getting more and more anxious as the clock was winding down and none of the cars were moving. It was obvious how everyone was watching the others. As the clock counted down, everyone was expecting someone to move, otherwise, they would all be penalized. Show less

The LifeWIRE communication platform assists care professionals in managing both residential and non-residential patients with a number of behavioral and mental health affectations, including SU. LifeWIRE has been implemented in applications where the SU was comorbid with another affectation such as PTSD or High Risk Suicide. As an organization, we listen carefully to those we serve. The LifeWIRE platform benefits from over 3,500 client and patient insights.In this paper, we highlight a few of… Show more

The LifeWIRE communication platform assists care professionals in managing both residential and non-residential patients with a number of behavioral and mental health affectations, including SU. LifeWIRE has been implemented in applications where the SU was comorbid with another affectation such as PTSD or High Risk Suicide. As an organization, we listen carefully to those we serve. The LifeWIRE platform benefits from over 3,500 client and patient insights.In this paper, we highlight a few of these key insights directly related to substance use populations Show less

Over ten million people over the age of 18 suffer from a serious mental illness (SMI). The SMI population is disproportionately counted amongst those who are at risk for homelessness, are engaged in violent crime, commit suicide, and have a high recidivism rate in the criminal justice system. Housing the mentally ill in jails is a national crisis, and jail personnel are struggling with a lack of proper resources to manage this population. Availability of community-based outpatient and… Show more

Over ten million people over the age of 18 suffer from a serious mental illness (SMI). The SMI population is disproportionately counted amongst those who are at risk for homelessness, are engaged in violent crime, commit suicide, and have a high recidivism rate in the criminal justice system. Housing the mentally ill in jails is a national crisis, and jail personnel are struggling with a lack of proper resources to manage this population. Availability of community-based outpatient and residential mental health programs are limited, and transitional reentry planning is limited. Many inmates are released without a continuity of care involving supervision or treatment. Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) and clinical based Interactive SMS Communications, a type of Technology Assisted Care, may offer interventions that improve quality of life for persons suffering from SMI, reduce incidences leading to incarceration, and increase public safety. Show less

LifeWIRE’s interactive communication platform was initially implemented in small clinical settings where one clinician managed 20-30 patients. In that environment it was relatively easy to check in with each patient, at least a few times per week, and to manually make any changes to their treatment plans. As the utilization has become more robust, and it is being depended upon on for the primary monitoring, the work environment demanded that routine tasks be automated, even using patient/member… Show more

LifeWIRE’s interactive communication platform was initially implemented in small clinical settings where one clinician managed 20-30 patients. In that environment it was relatively easy to check in with each patient, at least a few times per week, and to manually make any changes to their treatment plans. As the utilization has become more robust, and it is being depended upon on for the primary monitoring, the work environment demanded that routine tasks be automated, even using patient/member responses to automatically modify the patient’s treatment environment. Show less

The content of TIP 60 was developed with input from a consensus panel of behavioral health clinicians and program administrators with significant experience, expertise, or interest in incorporating technology-assisted care into the provision of substance use and mental health services. The consensus panel developed key principles and overall guidance for the use of any type of electronic media or information technology in the delivery of services to treat or prevent substance use and mental… Show more

The content of TIP 60 was developed with input from a consensus panel of behavioral health clinicians and program administrators with significant experience, expertise, or interest in incorporating technology-assisted care into the provision of substance use and mental health services. The consensus panel developed key principles and overall guidance for the use of any type of electronic media or information technology in the delivery of services to treat or prevent substance use and mental disorders. These principles and guidelines address use of technology-assisted care in improving early access to care, fostering client engagement in and commitment to treatment and recovery, providing client education, implementing or augmenting specific treatment interventions, engaging in relapse prevention and recovery management, supporting extended recovery, increasing community engagement, promoting mental health, and preventing substance use disorders, among other areas. Show less

This second version of the mHIMSS Roadmap was developed by dedicated and knowledgeable contributors in the field of mobile health technology, part of HIMSS mHealth Community. While the first version was designed as a strategic framework to healthcare stakeholders to develop and implement a mobile strategy, this second version builds on the preceding one but is dedicated to mobile apps and the needs of healthcare stakeholders across all six topics of the Roadmap

Research-based recommendations for how mobile technologies are part of the financially responsible
solution to providing better access to services for Ontarians (see paper for full list of Primary Researchers)

The true potential of mobile applications will be realized only when stakeholders in healthcare, including government policy makers, engage and leverage the ubiquity of mobile technology. There is burgeoning need to apply these technologies in order to achieve strategic objectives associated with changing a dysfunctional healthcare delivery system. In the near future, healthcare organizations will need to use mHealth technologies to achieve many of the objectives
outlined in the mHIMSS… Show more

The true potential of mobile applications will be realized only when stakeholders in healthcare, including government policy makers, engage and leverage the ubiquity of mobile technology. There is burgeoning need to apply these technologies in order to achieve strategic objectives associated with changing a dysfunctional healthcare delivery system. In the near future, healthcare organizations will need to use mHealth technologies to achieve many of the objectives
outlined in the mHIMSS Roadmap, which aid in the improvement of patient safety, lower costs, facilitate patient engagement, and enable the movement of data across systems. Currently, the mHealth sector enjoys energy and momentum based on an emerging field of mobile health innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit. However, emerging developers and startups do not
always have the same breadth of understanding of the needs of institutional healthcare. More meaningful gains will be realized when traditional major players in the healthcare ecosystem apply energy and imagination into the applications of mHealth to significantly transform the
way healthcare is delivered and funded.
mHealth is a rapidly emerging field. With a wide range of stakeholders and potential innovations, assessing technology can be difficult. This challenge to integrate mobile devices in healthcare is fueled by a much broader user acceptance of mobile applications and the “cloud” in other sectors. As a result, mHealth is quickly attracting consumer interest while integration into the traditional
healthcare setting remains challenging. Show less

mHIMSS, the mobile initiative of HIMSS, presents the Roadmap. This Roadmap provides guidance to professionals, organizations, corporations and health systems on the adoption of mobile and mHealth devices. The Roadmap team, organized by mHIMSS, includes a variety of industry wide subject matter experts who volunteered time over the past year to develop the document. We-the mHealth community- recognize the rapid change related to the use of mobile and mHealth devices and the need to empower the… Show more

mHIMSS, the mobile initiative of HIMSS, presents the Roadmap. This Roadmap provides guidance to professionals, organizations, corporations and health systems on the adoption of mobile and mHealth devices. The Roadmap team, organized by mHIMSS, includes a variety of industry wide subject matter experts who volunteered time over the past year to develop the document. We-the mHealth community- recognize the rapid change related to the use of mobile and mHealth devices and the need to empower the use of these devices in healthcare. Increasingly, patients and providers are leveraging mobile devices to seek care, participate in, and deliver care. Mobile devices represent the opportunity to interact and provide this care beyond the office walls. The mHIMSS Roadmap combines up to date knowledge on how to implement mobile and mHealth best practices across a number of topics. The Roadmap is a living document and the mHIMSS team of volunteers will regularly post updates to reflect new industry developments. Show less

Many veterans returning from service in Afghanistan or Iraq suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or mild traumatic brain injury. Treating these conditions can be challenging because of high rates of relapse and associated memory impairments. We report on a pilot study that assessed the utility of mobile health (mHealth) technologies, including personal digital assistant-based ecological momentary assessment and two-way interactive text (SMS) messaging, for providing treatment feedback to… Show more

Many veterans returning from service in Afghanistan or Iraq suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or mild traumatic brain injury. Treating these conditions can be challenging because of high rates of relapse and associated memory impairments. We report on a pilot study that assessed the utility of mobile health (mHealth) technologies, including personal digital assistant-based ecological momentary assessment and two-way interactive text (SMS) messaging, for providing treatment feedback to clinicians, encouraging and motivating veterans throughout treatment, and monitoring participants for relapse after treatment discharge. The results of the pilot suggest that mHealth technologies are feasible adjuncts to traditional mental treatment in the veteran population. Additional work is needed to establish the degree of clinical and economic value. Show less

The report discusses how healthcare organizations, which provide high quality outcomes for patients, will be the ones who prosper under new health reform models, such as ACOs and Patient-Centered Medical Home. It also explores the concerns that come with patient engagement, and the advantages and strategies that should be explored.