Articles Written By: Linda Moore

The recent qualification of the Apple Watch’s atrial fibrillation (AFib) history feature by the FDA as a Medical Device Development Tool (MDDT) marks a development in the use of digital health technologies in clinical trials. This feature, which utilizes the photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor of the Apple Watch to monitor heart rhythms and AFib, has been cleared for use as a secondary endpoint in trials assessing the effectiveness of cardiac ablation devices. The Apple Watch’s ability to passively collect data on the amount of time a patient spends in AFib provides a unique advantage for medical device developers. By recognizing this…

Blue Shield of California’s recent rollout of its digital musculoskeletal (MSK) pain treatment programs on the Wellvolution platform signifies an expansion of its healthcare services aimed at addressing a wide range of MSK conditions that affect nearly half of the U.S. population. The platform, which integrates services from Sworkit, Kaia, and Sword Health, is tailored to accommodate varying levels of pain and mobility issues faced by individuals. Sworkit offers video-guided workouts including stretching, strength training, and yoga, designed to assist in both the prevention and recovery from injury. For those suffering from more severe pain, such as chronic back or…

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking steps toward redefining at-home healthcare with the establishment of the “Home as a Health Care Hub.” This initiative, backed by a $1.2 million investment in a partnership with Dallas-based architectural firm HKS Inc., aims to build a virtual reality (VR) model of a home. This model is intended to help developers, policymakers, and healthcare providers better understand the structural elements of homes that can affect the deployment and utilization of medical devices within them. The VR models are set to focus particularly on the needs of rural and low-income populations, a move…

Headspace, renowned for its range of in-depth mental wellness tools, has started an expansion by introducing mental health coaching directly to consumers. This initiative marks a pivot from its traditional reliance on employer-based programs, positioning the company to directly address the needs of individuals seeking mental health support outside of employer-sponsored benefits. The service, accessible through the Headspace app, allows members to engage with mental health coaches. These coaches are professionals that are trained in techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. For a monthly fee, members can access three 30-minute sessions, which promise a personalized, action-oriented…

Scopio Labs has taken a step forward with the recent FDA De Novo clearance for its Full-Field Bone Marrow Aspirate (FF-BMA) Application. This development promises to transform bone marrow cytology by leveraging advanced digital and AI technologies. Traditionally, the examination of bone marrow samples is a laborious process requiring the work of skilled hematopathologists, which can be time-intensive and prone to variability. Scopio’s FF-BMA Application integrates seamlessly with their existing X100 and X100HT imaging platforms, transitioning from conventional microscopes to a fully digital analysis system. This integration facilitates faster, more accurate reviews and supports the remote assessment of samples, improving…

LunaJoy Health has entered maternal mental health care with its recent announcement of LunaCare, an integrated care program. With an injection of $4.2 million in funding, the program is supported by a coalition of investors including Y Combinator, FoundersX Fund, and Goodwater Capital, among others. This diverse financial backing highlights a broad-based commitment to addressing maternal and infant health disparities, particularly among underserved populations. LunaCare, designed to sync with this year’s impending rollout of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Transforming Maternal Health Model (TMaH), aims to enhance infrastructure and the quality of mental health care for vulnerable groups….

Maven Clinic is broadening its approach to fertility and family planning with enhancements to its services and platforms, aimed at improving outcomes through more natural and inclusive fertility care. With an emphasis on aligning with healthcare trends that prioritize low-intervention strategies, Maven has introduced its Trying-to-Conceive (TTC) health coaching program. This initiative is tailored for individuals who face difficulties in conceiving naturally, offering an alternative to conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) methods. Dr. Neel Shah, Maven’s Chief Medical Officer, explains that the traditional healthcare pathway often leads to the adoption of high-cost fertility treatments like IVF, overlooking preliminary natural conception…

Abbott’s recent recall of thousands of HeartMate II and HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist systems (LVAS) is a serious concern for cardiac support technology. This recall, affecting 13,883 units in the U.S. alone, was prompted by the accumulation of biological material leading to extrinsic outflow graft obstruction (EOGO), a flaw that compromises the device’s ability to effectively pump blood. This condition, which often develops over two or more years post-implantation, has already been associated with 273 reported injuries and 14 fatalities. The devices in question play a role in maintaining circulatory function by mechanically aiding the heart’s left ventricle, particularly…

Roche has recently made progress in the field of Alzheimer’s disease diagnostics. The company’s latest innovation, the Elecsys pTau217 plasma biomarker test, has been granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This designation is an important step, paving the way for a tool that can potentially transform the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer’s disease. Developed in collaboration with Eli Lilly, the test is designed to detect the presence or absence of amyloid pathology—a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. This is particularly noteworthy as the ability to identify amyloid pathology early can affect treatment approaches and patient…

Medical Microinstruments (MMI) has taken a positive step forward due to the recent de novo authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Symani Surgical System. This robotic platform facilitates intricate microsurgery by allowing surgeons to reconnect tiny blood vessels, an important aspect of procedures aimed at restoring blood flow and redirecting fluid during reconstruction or repair. This authorization marks the commercial availability of the Symani system in the United States, presenting a promising advancement in the area of surgical robotics. Microsurgery and supermicrosurgery, involving operations on vessels as small as 0.3mm to 0.8mm, have long been important…

Exact Sciences Corporation has unveiled groundbreaking data regarding its multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood test. Presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting in San Diego, the test has achieved a sensitivity of 50.9% at an impressive specificity of 98.5% across 21 different cancer types. This represents an advancement in cancer detection technology, particularly in identifying cancers with the shortest five-year survival rates, such as lung, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, where sensitivity increased to an impressive 63.7%. Exact Sciences’ MCED test is set apart by its utilization of methylation and protein biomarkers to capture shared, cancer-associated signals, eliminating…

Medtronic’s recent release of data from the SMART trial marks an advancement in cardiovascular medicine. The study, which compared Medtronic’s Evolut transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) system with Edwards Lifesciences’ Sapien platform, was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session and published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The SMART trial focused specifically on patients with small aortic annuli (SAAs), an anatomical characteristic predominantly observed in women. The aortic annulus, positioned between the left ventricle and the aortic root, helps to maintain optimal cardiac function. This shows the importance of understanding how different TAVR systems perform…

Beanstalk Benefits has recently burst onto the scene armed with an injection of $7.5 million in seed funding facilitated by Redesign Health. Founded by Matthew Sydney, the platform introduces a groundbreaking approach to employee benefits, aimed at giving individuals the autonomy to construct their own benefit packages tailored to their unique needs and preferences. Sydney emphasizes the platform’s ability to seamlessly cater to the dynamic needs of today’s diverse workforce. Beanstalk Benefits prides itself on offering an in-depth range of benefits covering a wide array of areas, including mind, body, lifestyle, family, and financial well-being. This involves an extensive range…

Aegis Ventures has announced its latest initiative, the Digital Consortium. This collaborative effort, backed by nine health systems, marks a step towards addressing healthcare’s most pressing challenges. With a focus on quality, equity, and cost, the consortium aims to pioneer digital solutions that enhance patient care. The founding members, including renowned institutions like Stanford Health Care, Northwell Health, and Ochsner Health, were carefully selected based on their proven track records of leadership and innovation in care delivery. The selection process was rigorous, evaluating each health system’s history of driving positive change in healthcare. These institutions collectively represent over $65 billion…

Baxter has received the FDA’s 510(k) clearance for its large volume infusion pump (LVP) Novum IQ. This clearance marks an important moment for Baxter after a prolonged three-year dialogue with the Food and Drug Administration, during which the company had to navigate challenges that had a severe impact on its sales forecast. The delay in authorization led to Baxter revising its sales forecast by $100 million in 2022, indicating the impact the clearance has on the company’s future trajectory. The journey towards FDA clearance for Novum IQ came with many challenges. The FDA had initially identified an issue with Baxter’s…

Esophageal cancer poses a serious health challenge in the United States, with it becoming increasingly common over the past few decades. Despite its increasing prevalence, esophageal cancer often remains undiagnosed until advanced stages, as it typically manifests without early symptoms. In addressing this pressing issue, Exact Sciences, in collaboration with Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, has started an effort to develop a non-endoscopic screening test for esophageal cancer and its precursors. The innovative screening tool, known as Oncoguard Esophagus, represents a promising advancement in early detection methods. Unlike traditional endoscopy, which can be invasive and costly, Oncoguard Esophagus offers a…

Labcorp’s recent agreement to acquire specific assets of BioReference Health from Opko Health for $237.5 million marks a notable move within the clinical diagnostics sector. The acquisition outlines Labcorp’s commitment to expanding its presence in key areas, particularly in reproductive and women’s health testing, which Labcorp has identified as one of its high-growth segments. By acquiring patient service centers and various customer contracts and operating assets related to BioReference’s reproductive and women’s health business, excluding operations in New York and New Jersey, Labcorp aims to solidify its position as a leading provider of laboratory services across the United States. This…

Renovo, a company specializing in the cleaning and reprocessing of medical devices, was issued a warning letter by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October. This letter highlighted serious concerns regarding Renovo’s practice of supplying reprocessed medical devices without obtaining 510(k) clearance, a necessary regulatory requirement. The FDA accused Renovo of providing reprocessed models that were beyond the range of its 510(k) clearances, failing to evaluate how cleaning and re-sterilization of these additional models could impact their performance and reliability. The FDA’s scrutiny focused on Renovo’s reprocessing of various medical devices used in procedures such as soft tissue ablation….

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking decisive action for the second time in an attempt to prohibit the use of electrical stimulation devices (ESDs) designed to curb self-injury or aggressive behavior. This move comes as the FDA has identified these devices as presenting an “unreasonable and substantial risk of illness or injury.” Disability rights advocates and international bodies, such as the United Nations Human Rights Council, have long been advocating for the banishment of these devices from the healthcare landscape. The FDA’s initial attempt to ban electric shock devices in 2020 faced a legal setback when a federal…

Johnson Matthey Plc (JM) has announced the sale of its Medical Device Components business (MDC) to Montagu Private Equity for a sum of $700 million. This transaction signifies a big step in JM’s broader divestment program and reflects its commitment to evolving its operational focus and maximizing shareholder value. As the global landscape continues to progress, Johnson Matthey remains committed in its goal of addressing pressing challenges through cutting-edge metals chemistry, positioning itself as a leader for positive change in a rapidly changing industry. The Medical Device Components business specializes in the production of important components for medical device manufacturers…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified its scrutiny of plastic syringes manufactured in China, issuing three warning letters to entities involved in their sale and distribution within the United States. These letters, dated March 18, 2024, were directed to Jiangsu Shenli Medical Production Co. Ltd., Medline Industries, LP, and Sol-Millennium Medical, Inc., outlining violations related to the unauthorized sale and distribution of plastic syringes not cleared or approved by the FDA for use in the U.S. The FDA also raised concerns about violations of quality system regulations pertaining to syringe products, particularly in the cases of Medline…

Siemens Healthineers has announced its decision to close down its Fast Track Diagnostics unit, a move that will impact approximately 90 employees based in Luxembourg. This decision comes as a response to a decline in demand for the unit’s polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing products. The Fast Track Diagnostics unit, which focuses on molecular infectious disease tests, experienced huge demand during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic but has witnessed a notable decrease since then, prompting Siemens Healthineers to reevaluate its priorities within the diagnostics business. The Fast Track Diagnostics unit represents only a minor player in the molecular diagnostics…

Exactech has received a warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerning packaging issues with its implants that could lead to faster degradation. This warning, issued on January 19, came shortly after healthcare providers were cautioned by the FDA against implanting Exactech’s Equinoxe Shoulder Systems due to defects in their packaging. The FDA’s concern stemmed from the potential for these defects to result in patients requiring revision surgery to address problems with the affected devices. The issuance of a warning letter is a serious regulatory action, signaling violations that could lead to further enforcement measures if left unaddressed….

Abbott’s recent recall of its Heartmate LVAD communication system has received attention from the healthcare industry due to the potential risks associated with the device. The recall was initiated by Abbott after discovering a flaw in the communication system that could unexpectedly cause the Heartmate 3 left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to stop or start, posing serious health consequences for patients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified this as a Class I recall, indicating the highest level of concern due to the potential for serious injuries or death. The Heartmate LVAD, acquired by Abbott in 2017 through the…

Medtronic has initiated a recall involving over 45,000 units of its cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage and sampling tubes in the United States. This action follows reports of 26 injuries linked to the use of these tubes, as highlighted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Classified as a Class I recall by the FDA, this designation outlines the severity of the situation, indicating the highest level of risk associated with the product. The FDA has emphasized potential risks such as infections, abnormal CSF drainage, and the severe consequences of uncontrolled over-drainage leading to neurological injury or even death. The Medtronic…

Laura Perryman, the former CEO of Stimwave Technologies, has been convicted by a jury of healthcare fraud and conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud. The trial lasted 11 days and ended in a unanimous verdict on Wednesday, sending shockwaves throughout the medical device industry. Perryman’s fraudulent activities  related to the creation and sale of a non-functional component for an implantable neurostimulation device aimed at alleviating chronic pain. Stimwave Technologies manufactured and distributed the StimQ PNS System. This $16,000 neurostimulator device targeted peripheral nerves outside the spinal cord. Complications arose when physicians encountered difficulties implanting the receiver component, known…

Fresenius Kabi has found itself under scrutiny as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter concerning issues discovered at its ex-Ivenix site. This development comes in the wake of Fresenius’s acquisition of Ivenix, a move aimed at improving its medtech business, particularly in the United States, for a sum of $240 million. The warning letter stemmed from concerns raised by FDA inspectors regarding the handling of corrective and preventive actions for the Ivenix Infusion System, which Fresenius gained through the acquisition. During an inspection of the Massachusetts-based site, FDA inspectors noted several shortcomings in Fresenius’s procedures. One…

Telecommunications giant AT&T has recently expanded its partnership with Maven Clinic, a leading provider of virtual healthcare services specializing in women’s and family health, granting all 125,000 employees access to fertility and family-building support programs as of the start of 2024. This workforce represents a diverse range of talents and backgrounds, all contributing to AT&T’s success in delivering cutting-edge telecommunications services to millions of customers worldwide. As of the start of 2024, all AT&T employees now have access to Maven’s fertility and family-building support program, marking an expansion of the existing collaboration between the two entities. Initially focused on maternal…

A recent study has shed light on the widening telehealth gap between rural and urban VA beneficiaries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research, entitled “Rates of Primary Care and Integrated Mental Health Telemedicine Visits Between Rural and Urban Veterans Affairs (VA) Beneficiaries Before and After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” emphasizes the pressing need to confront this inequality in healthcare accessibility. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has long promoted telemedicine as a tool for expanding healthcare access, especially for nearly 5 million rural patients across 50 states. Despite the VHA’s efforts to bridge the digital divide…

A new study has revealed that the utilization of mobile medical devices for remote physical assessments can offer improved access to healthcare for people who cannot attend to in-person visits. The researchers evaluated the effectiveness of employing a mobile medical device for remote physical examinations compared to traditional in-person examinations.  This study included 690 people with stable health issues, both with and without chronic conditions. Participants were assessed with a standard in-person exam and a mobile medical device. This device included an otoscope, digital stethoscope, integrated camera, integrated thermometer, and tongue depressor. Data taken using the device was compared to…

A new report has found that the majority of Americans feel uncomfortable with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in their healthcare. According to the Pew Research Center, six in ten U.S. adults say they would feel uneasy if their healthcare provider relied on AI to diagnose and recommend treatments, while only 39% say they would feel comfortable with it. The report explored American’s attitudes toward four specific applications of AI in healthcare that are either in use today or being developed for widespread use. These applications are AI-based tools for skin cancer screening, AI-driven robots that can perform parts…

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded the USC Institute for Creative Technologies (USC ICT) a $1 million grant for their Battle Buddy application. This unique AI-powered virtual human companion is designed to provide veterans with tailored health, wellness, and suicide prevention support. The app is able to be used with mobile phones or smartwatch wearables, making use of passive sensing to better serve veterans. This technology has the potential to help reduce veteran suicide rates in the United States. A report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that almost 14% of…

A recent study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has shown that total preoperative telemedicine in bariatric surgery is associated with noninferior clinical outcomes and hospital utilization compared with traditional, in-person patient care. The study highlights the advantages of telemedicine in terms of cost and time savings, which may facilitate access to bariatric surgery for the underserved. Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for medically refractory weight loss in people with severe obesity. However, low-income patients and patients from minoritized racial and ethnic groups have difficulty accessing health care, which makes them less likely to consider bariatric…

A groundbreaking study published on February 9, 2023 in PLOS Digital Health by Tiffany Kung, Victor Tseng, and colleagues at AnsibleHealth has revealed that ChatGPT, the large language model created by OpenAI, is capable of scoring at or near the passing threshold for the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). The research found that ChatGPT’s responses demonstrate a high level of coherence, internal consistency, and frequent insightful content, with scores hovering around 60 percent. This is a significant development in the field of artificial intelligence and healthcare, and has far-reaching implications for the future of medical education and practice. OpenAI’s…

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of Mass General Brigham, have identified a potential issue with biorepositories created to support precision cancer research and their vast stores of genomic data: lack of sufficient representation of cancer distribution among racial and ethnic minorities. MGH is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. With an annual research budget of over $1 billion, its Mass General Research Institute is the most extensive hospital-based research program in the United States. It includes more than 9,500 researchers working in more than 30 institutes, centers and departments. In the paper…

A new report from JAMA Network Open has revealed that the implementation of telehealth at an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center has led to a considerable decrease in carbon emissions. This suggests that virtual care could be a great way to reduce the environmental impact of healthcare. In 2020, global CO2 emissions decreased significantly due to the restrictions prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The US led this reduction with a nearly 13% decrease, mostly due to decreases in transportation. In the US, health care sector GHG emissions rose by 6% from 2008 to 2018. In response to the climate emergency, over…

Lorra Garey, a researcher from the University of Houston RESTORE Lab, has been granted $1.3 million from the National Institute of Drug Abuse to lead a research project assessing the effects of a mobile health (mHealth) application in reducing smoking among Black people living with HIV.  The global population has been greatly affected by HIV, a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that 40 million people have died from the virus, and the US Department of Veterans Affairs noted that 20 percent of US citizens with HIV don’t realize they have it….

A new study has demonstrated that several sociodemographic and health-related factors, such as age, gender, education, and depressive symptoms, are significantly linked to the long-term use of digital health technologies. The research, which was published in npj Digital Medicine, sought to determine the long-term use of digital health devices and apps in different studies. Smartphones, smartwatches, and Bluetooth-enabled devices are becoming more and more prevalent in health research as they enable the tracking of an extensive array of health behaviors and help patients to manage their diseases more effectively. However, researchers highlighted that one of the primary issues with digital…

In response to the growing mental health crisis among teenagers, Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and Analog Devices, Inc (ADI) have partnered to develop a wearable smartwatch device to detect suicidality and depression. Among children and adolescents aged 10 to 17, suicide is the second-leading cause of death, with rates rising from 6.8 per 100,000 in 2007 to 10.7 per 100,000 in 2018. Furthermore, 18.8 percent of high school students in the US have reported thoughts related to suicide. The demand for mental healthcare often exceeds the number of mental health beds available, forcing patients to wait in the…

Several program integrity risks associated with telehealth billing, such as duplicate billing and ordering needless durable medical equipment or laboratory testing, have been revealed in a study by a watchdog committee as telehealth use surged throughout healthcare programs offered by federal agencies.  During the initial year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee’s (PRAC) Health Care Subgroup published a study that investigates the usage of telehealth within selected healthcare programs across six federal agencies. The organizations investigated include Medicare, TRICARE, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, the Office…

The American Medical Association (AMA) and Manatt Health has published a Blueprint for Optimizing Digitally Enabled Care, which outlines six pillars that can aid in the optimization of digital health practices, with the aim of addressing negative outcomes associated with virtual healthcare. The AMA claims that there is great potential for digitally enabled care. According to the organization, there are several factors that influence how digitally enabled care develops and how it may be utilized to increase access and care quality, including investments, technology adoption, and patient demands. “When equitably designed and thoughtfully integrated, digital health tools can effectively augment…

According to a recent scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA), telehealth may efficiently deliver cardiovascular care while lowering costs, enhancing care quality, and expanding access to treatment, despite current barriers to technological availability. The AHA is a nonprofit group dedicated to enhancing treatment for heart disease and stroke. The association provided extensive information on the effects of telehealth use on the management of cardiovascular disease in a scientific statement that was published in the AHA’s flagship publication Circulation (CVD). Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has seen a huge increase in utilization. Up to 30 percent of all US…

In order to increase the use of telehealth, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a guide that included a number of suggestions and strategies for continued telehealth adoption. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the value of telehealth in providing healthcare to everybody, particularly to those who reside in rural locations and underprivileged populations. Even in nations with the most advanced healthcare systems, it has been difficult to guarantee widespread adoption and long-term sustainable access to telehealth services. Despite the fact that these services have typically been effective and accessible, the WHO has emphasized that there is still potential for improvement…

A recent study has found that Americans, notably Black Americans and adults with less than a high school education, became more eager to participate in video-based telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, which was carried out by nonprofit research group RAND Corp., included responses from 1,600 US adults who took part in the RAND American Life Panel. The primary focus of the survey was the respondents utilization of and attitudes regarding telemedicine. Survey participants completed the survey in February 2019, May 2020, August 2020, and March 2021. According to a research published in Health Affairs, the proportion of Americans…

According to a new study reported in the Patient Experience Journal that examined patient experience surveys, individuals’ satisfaction with telehealth consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic was comparable to the satisfaction they experienced with in-person care. As a result of the telehealth waivers during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers learned valuable information on the advantages of telehealth for patients looking for main and specialized care. However, maintaining the usage of the care method is contingent on patient satisfaction. Therefore, in order to gauge patient satisfaction with video-based telehealth, researchers performed the study. In conducting the study, researchers evaluated patients’ experience with telehealth…

Despite the advantages of using telehealth, a recent study reported in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine indicated that virtual physical therapy (PT) patients were less satisfied with their treatment than those who had it in person.  Due to COVID-19 pandemic limits on in-person care, PT had a strong adoption in telehealth utilization among patients compared to most other disciplines. When in-person treatment was once again accessible, researchers wanted to understand how it compared to it in regards to patient accessibility and satisfaction. The return to in-person care following the reduction in COVID-19 patients after the first increase in 2020…

The first phase of a research collaboration with Mayo Clinic to expand care to postpartum patients was revealed by Memora Health, the leading intelligent, clinically proven care application for virtual care delivery and complex care management. The program will enable maternity service teams to provide postpartum patients more attention and support in between sessions, enabling them to have a more connected relationship with care while also alleviating the workload on clinical and administrative patient care providers.  In order to create a more dynamic care journey that is suited towards each client’s requirements, Memora’s Artificial intelligence-backed, digitized care programs are designed…

A recent study published in JAMA Network Open has discovered that patients who had telehealth follow-up visits after consulting the emergency department (ED) were more likely to visit the ED again and be admitted to the hospital than those who received follow-up visits in person. The UCLA study compared hospitalization rates and subsequent ED visits for patients who had in-person follow-ups following their first ED visits to those who had virtual follow-up visits. The data included 12,848 adult patients who had visited one of the two EDs at an integrated urban academic health between April 1, 2020, and September 30,…

A study published by researchers from the University of California San Diego has found text messaging as a viable method for reducing virtual waiting times for patients. In the modern era of technology, customers expect instant access to goods and services. These expectations also apply to healthcare. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth use has increased rapidly in order to limit the spread of the virus. Telehealth has been found to eliminate geographical, temporal, or travel-related barriers to healthcare access by bridging the disconnect between the needs of the patient and provider availability. However, despite the extensive use…

One of the biggest health systems in the Southeast, Ochsner Health, recently published the results of a new pilot program that shows how remote patient management and access to digital medicine can help Medicaid patients with chronic diseases like hypertension and type 2 diabetes achieve better results. Ochsner Health is an integrated healthcare system that provides care in various areas including cancer, cardiology, neurosciences, and developing technologies. The health system operates 47 hospitals and 370 health and urgent care facilities in the Southeastern United States, which includes over 36,000 employees and 4,600 physicians in more than 90 different medical specialities. …