COVID-19, the heroism of nurses, and virtual care—these are just a few of the topics that readers wanted to hear about on the MEDITECH Blog this year. As we persevere through the challenges of 2020 and highlight the importance of thought leadership in healthcare, let’s recap our five most popular blogs of the year and look forward to innovation, clinical transformation, and brighter days in 2021. 

In the ever-evolving world of health IT, one growing trend is the introduction of consumer tech, such as virtual assistants, into the medical space.

Are you looking for the latest news and opinions from healthcare IT leaders? During these challenging times, it is important to sift through the noise. By following top influencers in our industry, you can stay informed without getting distracted. Here are some of my favorite go-to people to follow. Take a look and start following today. Also, don’t forget to stay up to date with the latest from MEDITECH on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Recently, Interlace Health had the privilege of hosting and presenting with a group of health IT executives from MEDITECH, Salesforce, and CereCore. The exclusive virtual roundtable discussion focused on their experiences leading through the pandemic, strategies for ensuring a safe return to work, and thoughts on what the future of care delivery might look like. It was a remarkable “inside look” into how several leading organizations are responding to the unprecedented challenges we’re facing in the healthcare IT industry.

In reflecting on how much we rely on data, it’s possible to say that we have become physical representations of it; people, companies and industries can be reconstructed as ever-expanding archives of information.

Putting trust in the digitized, invisible realm of data can have unintended implications — while data can bring confidence in thought and action, universal connectivity also carries with it the undertow of a global threat, a darker side of exploitation, blackmail, and ransomware.

When new providers enter the field, they need to be ready to deliver quality care to patients, and it’s important that they’re equipped with healthcare technology experience to complement their medical expertise.

In addition, the continually changing healthcare IT landscape poses another challenge for medical professionals.

The COVID-19 outbreak presents an unprecedented challenge to the medical community — and the pandemic has shaken many of the basic functions of society. It has been an inspiration to see healthcare experts and front-line providers maintain their vigilance and professionalism under exceedingly trying conditions.

Our mission with the MEDITECH Blog is to share new ideas from thought leaders across the health IT industry — and during 2019, we welcomed more than a dozen new authors representing clinical, executive, and media perspectives.

In part one of this blog, MEDITECH Vice President Advanced Technologies Scott Radner and I discussed the company’s journey to the cloud and its dedication to making modern technology available to all of its customers. In part 2, Scott expands on MEDITECH’s decision to use the cloud for its application development environment and the company’s approach to seeing how its customers can best benefit from implementing cloud solutions.

Reading about a hospital’s success is one thing, but hearing stories face-to-face with clinicians is something entirely different. I recently visited Halifax Health to hear how MEDITECH Expanse is helping real doctors care for real patients at this busy trauma center and health system.