Population Health

From the "cold chain" to clinicians' devices at the point of care, the roll-out of a COVID-19 vaccine presents bad actors with a wide array of vulnerable targets.

Solutions include its medical supplies management system, training platforms, and new additions and updates to its mobile app.

Dr. Suliman Alomran, medical informatics lecturer at the College of Medicine, King Saud University, discusses Saudi Arabia's response to COVID-19, the contact tracing apps adopted and the digital platforms that will be used long after the pandemic.

The university health network helped employees better cope with anxiety, while saving $17 in face-to-face mental health costs for every dollar spent on the digital program.

Dr. Joe Drozda, director of outcomes research at Mercy, discusses COVID-19's impact on health systems' supply chains.

Panelists at the HIMSS Healthcare Security Forum this week said cybercriminals will likely use tried-and-true techniques, such as phishing emails themed around COVID-19 vaccines or President-elect Biden, to keep exploiting novel vulnerabilities.

COVID-19 is highlighting the need to drive digital maturity with investment, while addressing data sharing models, says Ahmad AbuSalah, health informatics and intelligence officer at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre.

It's been a busy year. As health systems continue to grapple with the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis, we look back on the tech lessons learned these past many months – with cautious optimism for a better year ahead.

We start 2021 with hope and well-founded optimism, despite the ravages of the pandemic, reflects Dr Charles Alessi, chief clinical officer at HIMSS. 

Experts call the logistics of getting doses into the hands of distributors a "phenomenally critical" challenge – and not one that's easily solved.