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- This is Naomi Diaz

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with the Becker's Digital Health Podcast.

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Here's your daily industry news briefing

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for today, April 22nd.

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First, former employees
with United Health Groups.

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Optum and its subsidiaries took

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to social media beginning April 18th

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regarding a reduction force.

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They say occurred across
the company Optum declined

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to provide more information.

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April 19th. Becker has not
confirmed an exact number

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or range of employees who
may have been terminated

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or when layoffs would be
effective across LinkedIn.

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Former employees with Optum

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and affiliated providers
have detailed layoffs

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enacted at their organizations.

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A range of roles appear

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to have been affected
from RN case managers

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to senior director and
management positions in 2023.

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Many large insurers conducted
large workforce reductions due

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to financial or operational
challenges in certain segments,

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along with restructuring strategies.

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Optum, Optum also laid
off an unknown number

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of employees in August.

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Affected facilities
included the Everett Clinic

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and the Poly Clinic in Seattle.

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Med Express Urgent Care

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and WellMed UnitedHealth is
still recovering from the cyber

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attack on change Healthcare.

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In February. The company had
TATed 80% of the functionality

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for its claims payment

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and pharmacy services as of April 16th.

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Second. Telehealth utilization has led

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to enhancements in certain
healthcare utilization

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and quality metrics, but
it has also been associated

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with a 1.6% increase
in healthcare spending.

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Health affairs research
confirmed April 17th.

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In this study, researchers
assessed telehealth's effects on

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healthcare utilization,
quality and spending.

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To do so, they compare data
from traditional Medicare

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patients who received care
from health system utilizing

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higher levels of telehealth
services during the Covid

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to 19 pandemic with data from patients

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and health systems that
predominantly offered

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in-person services.

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Researchers found that in 2020,

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patients receiving care at health systems

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with the highest use of
telemedicine had an average

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of 2.5 telemedicine visits
per person making up

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26.8% of their total visits.

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In contrast, those in health system

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with the lowest telemedicine
use had only 0.7 telemedicine

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visits per person accounting
for 9.5% of their visits.

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Additionally, from 2021 to 2022

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patients in the highest
telemedicine use Cortel experienced

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some changes compared to
those in the lowest cortel.

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For example, they saw an average increase

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of point 21 total outpatient
visits combining telemedicine

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and in-person per patient year marking a

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2.2% relative increase.

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These had a reduction

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of 14.4 non COVID-19 emergency
department visits per 1000

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patients per year, a
relative decrease of 2.7%.

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However, there was a $248 rise
in per patient spending per

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year reflecting a 1.6% relative increase.

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According to the study,

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patients in high tele telemedicine
use health systems had

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better adherence to taking statins and

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- Metformin, but no
difference was observed in

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hospitalizations or preventative care.

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Researchers said more study

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of telemedicine's effect on
spending and quality is needed,

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but the modest cost
increases may not be enough

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to justify a return to pre covid

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to 19 Telehealth funding
restrictions in Medicare

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and light of the increases in quality

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and continued popularity of telehealth.

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Third, 40% of US physicians
said they are prepared

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to use generative artificial intelligence

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during patient interactions
at the point of care.

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In April 16th, survey from
Walters Culver found from

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February 8th to the 13th,
Walters Culver surveyed a

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hundred US physicians.

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These physicians, according to the survey,

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all work in large hospitals
or health systems see patients

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and are currently using a
clinical decision support tool.

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The survey found the following,
81% of physicians believe

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that gen AI will enhance care team

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interaction with patients.

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More than half of physicians think

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that Gen AI will save them 20% more, 20%

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of time or more.

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68% of physicians state
that gen AI can save time

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by swiftly searching medical literature.

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59% of physicians believe
that gen AI can save time

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by summary summarizing
patient data from the EHR.

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Only 3% of physicians do not believe

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that gen AI will improve
interactions with patients.

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Additionally, the survey found

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that physicians sentiments
towards gen AI have changed.

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Or according to the survey, 60%.

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68% of physicians have had a change

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of opinion over the last year
saying they are now inclined

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to believe that gen AI would
be beneficial for healthcare.

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