If you work or are considering working in the rapidly changing healthcare industry, you might be interested in learning more by reading blogs about healthcare. The many developments in the industry, from new technologies to evolving policies, can be challenging to keep up with. Marking some good blogs to read regularly can be one way you can stay abreast of the changes, and up to date knowledge of the field can help you as you begin or advance your healthcare career.
Finances and Information Technology
Finances and IT are two important elements of the industry, and you can learn about news and trends in two “companion” blogs called Healthcare Finance News and Healthcare IT News. Provided by HIMSS Media, the Finance blog provides timely posts for providers and payers on issues such as reimbursement, strategic planning, and revenue cycle management. The IT blog includes news stories as well as white papers and webinars of interest to those who work in healthcare IT. You’ll find topics such as patient engagement and electronic health records there.
News of Interest to Leaders and Communities
Published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Culture of Health is a blog focused on news of interest to healthcare leaders and communities. Some of their recent posts include articles about ways health insurers are involving themselves in youth development to help children maintain healthy weight, how climate change can affect a community’s health, and news about how food retailers are needing to change the nutrition information they provide on their menus. Education and public health issues are topics that seem to appear often on this particular blog.
More “Buzz” About IT
Since IT is such a big part of the changes in the healthcare field, it’s not surprising that you’ll find more than one blog about it. The industry has been moving to electronic health records, and HealthITBuzz helps to chronicle issues related to that change. This is a government sponsored blog that focuses on evolving policy as well as news that can help those involved in the day to day challenges of moving from paper to electronic records. Issues regarding consumer and patient access to records, privacy and security issues, and regulatory requirements are just some of the things you’ll come across as you peruse posts here.
General News You Can Use
NPR’s health news blog, cleverly called Shots, provides timely posts on news of interest to healthcare providers and patients. Healthcare policies, public health issues, and news on treatment developments are some of what you’ll find in this well-designed site. Updates on autism treatment, issues concerning pregnancy, and legislation regarding opioid treatment are three recent issues covered by their articles.
Another Look at the Mainstream
If you’re looking for another nice roundup of articles about healthcare issues and trends being discussed by ordinary people (in and out of the industry) you might want to read the Healthy Living blog of the Huffington Post. Foods that are considered healthy, the trend toward natural sunscreens, tips for college students who want to beat stress, and news about the Zika virus are some of the recent posts you’ll find on this popular website.
Though the pace of change in the healthcare industry can feel overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. Depending on your place within that industry, you can find blogs that fit your needs as a reader. Regularly reading blogs about healthcare can help you to stay updated on issues that matter to you as a healthcare professional or student.
