New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
A recent National Institute of Health (NIH) grant will make the most of electronic health records (EHRs), as well as intelligent machine learning, to better diagnose circulatory illnesses. The package in question will bolster access to telehealth and increase its benefits for several years. This is not the only measure proposed to increase funding for necessary care and support for the country’s elderly population. This other measure will widen access to telehealth and widen its benefits for the next few years. Additionally, a third Senate bill is focused on increasing waivers for acute hospital-at-home care. This article reviews some of these potential measures to support the elderly in our country.
Increase Funding for Covid-19 Testing and Vaccination
The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease recently awarded almost a million dollars to a part of Illinois to lower barriers associated with testing and vaccinating for COVID-19. This funding will aid an effort run by various academics throughout the country designed to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The project leader academic intends to speak to a group of people who reside in East St. Louis in Illinois. This meeting will primarily be a face-to-face method of learning common reasons why people hesitate to get a vaccination or fail to follow government suggestions regarding Covid-19 precautions.
Support from the National Institute of Health Will Aid Machine-Learning
Another financial grant from the National Institute of Health will go to Dascena, which is a machine learning algorithm. Dascena is focused on combatting diseases and improving outcomes. The project’s goal is to create an unbiased tool that can be effectively and powerfully used to diagnose Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). Acute coronary syndrome is routinely caused by a plaque that collects in the heart’s arteries. Symptoms of the condition commonly include heart attack-like episodes as well as tightness in the chest.
Current methods for diagnosing ACS are not reliable and are created from historical studies that examine white men. This new equipment determines risk factors for ACS in various populations besides white men, which would have an extensive benefit on American society.
Extending Acute Care at Home
A Senator from Delaware and a Senator from North Carolina recently proposed a measure that would permit federal-at-home waiver extension. The measure would increase the date that the Covid-19 pandemic ends. In increasing these facilities, Congress will establish a pathway for medical professionals to realize the method of care delivery that permits patients to be treated with safe care in their own homes.
Proposed Measure Would Extend Telehealth
An extensive bill passed by both Congress chambers features the extension of telehealth capabilities that will benefit Medicare patients. Anticipated to become law shortly, this measure increases the reach of telehealth and allows a broader set of providers to participate in telehealth programs. The legislation also includes mental health waivers.