International health IT week in review: November 21

Germany lags on digital health, equity and access in virtual care, Medtronic eyes digital health, Sweden launches vax pass, Vocera and Amazon team up for Alexa, interoperability in eight years, “dismal” cybersecurity in healthcare
Pandemic stress-tests Germany’s two-tier health system
Financial Times ~ Joe Miller ~ 18/11/2021
An OECD ranking of the health information available to policymakers in individual countries found that only Ireland was worse than Germany, among European countries.
Telephone, video, equity and access in virtual care
Nature Digital Medicine ~ Tyla Thomas-Jacques ~ 18/11/2021
Current public health measures catalyzed a large shift to virtual care, resulting in a great uptake in telephone and video-enabled care.
Medtronic ups ante in digital health
Computer Weekly ~ Aaron Tan ~ 18/11/2021
Medtronic wants a slice of the burgeoning digital health market and is teaming up with startups and other organisations in Asia-Pacific’s healthcare ecosystem to raise its game.
Sweden joins European trend, adopts COVID vaccination pass
AP ~ Staff writer ~ 18/11/2021
Sweden is introducing a digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate for public gatherings and events with more than 100 people indoors.
Amazon, Vocera team up on new Alexa skill for patients in hospitals
MobiHealthNews ~ Laura Lovett ~ 18/11/2021
Medical communication company Vocera is teaming up with Amazon to build a new skill on Alexa aimed at making patients’ hospital experience more connected.
What should interoperability look like in eight years? ONC asked, you answered
Healthcare IT News ~ Kat Jercich ~ 17/11/2021
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT said it received more than 700 predictions from stakeholders about healthcare outcomes in 2030.
Why is healthcare cybersecurity dismal? Inconsistencies, poor investments
SC Magazine ~ Jessica Davis ~ 15/11/2021
“Is healthcare really bad at cybersecurity? Probably. It’s not just bad, it’s probably dismal.”
Posted in Australian eHealth