So, you’re checking out STAT’s Health Tech newsletter online, huh? Cool stuff. If you want this goodness delivered straight to your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday, sign up for it. Now, let’s dive into some health tech news.
HHS is keeping things hush-hush about a nondiscrimination rule that the Biden administration rolled out last year. This rule is all about making sure clinical decision support tools, some of which use AI, don’t discriminate against patients based on things like age, sex, race, and disability. It’s supposed to kick in for federally-funded health systems on May 1, but there’s a bit of a snag. Seems like these systems are kinda stuck in limbo because they’re not really sure how to follow the rule. The previous administration wasn’t too keen on anything related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, so they scrubbed info about the rule from health department websites. Sketchy, right? Get more deets here.
Now, let’s talk telehealth deals. Teladoc Health just dropped $30 million to scoop up UpLift, a virtual mental health company. But wait, doesn’t Teladoc already have a big mental health player in BetterHelp? Yup, it does. UpLift, though, works with health plans and has deals covering over 100 million people. Plus, unlike BetterHelp, folks usually pay for it through benefits coverage. Teladoc is hustling to boost BetterHelp’s revenues after a rough patch post-pandemic growth. Speaking of deals, Novo Nordisk is teaming up with telehealth providers like Hims & Hers, Ro, and LifeMD to make cheaper versions of its GLP-1 drugs more accessible online. Novo wasn’t too thrilled about telehealth companies selling knockoff versions of its popular diabetes and weight loss meds, but now they’re playing nice. LifeMD also made moves by snagging Optimal Human Health MD, a virtual care provider focused on women’s health. Hormones, bone density, metabolism, and wellness, oh my!
In the world of AI, it’s kinda wild that over half of AI medical devices greenlit by the FDA didn’t even share data about how well they work. A recent study found that out of 901 AI devices on the FDA’s list, only 505 had clinical performance data, with 218 straight-up saying no performance studies were done. That’s a bit concerning, don’t you think? Like, how do we know if these devices actually do what they’re supposed to do? And speaking of missing data, Katie recently wrote about the lack of info on how well devices perform in kids. Yikes.
Oh, and did you hear about the EHRA’s “Smart Deregulation” proposal? They want to ease up on certain software requirements for medical record systems used by health systems working with Medicare. Not everyone’s on board with this idea, though. Microsoft Research’s health bigwig thinks it could mess with important data access features. Plus, rolling out new patient-friendly features usually needs a hefty investment, and without clear rules, companies might not bother. The struggle is real.
On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are cooking up bills to pump up Medicare payments for remote patient monitoring in rural areas. Medicare’s payment formula tends to shortchange rural docs, so these bills would set a payment floor to push more remote monitoring in underserved regions. The goal? To make sure remote monitoring tech can shine where it’s needed most.
And finally, a quick round-up of some other cool news: Verily scored a sweet $14.7 million grant to dig into Parkinson’s disease. Atropos Health teamed up with Stanford Health Care on a new pilot project. Two Chairs is expanding their mental health services to include psychiatry. Lots of exciting stuff happening in health tech, folks.
That’s all for now, stay tuned for more juicy updates.
