Digesting recent government updates
It’s not all turkey pardons—the past several weeks have seen a flurry of government activity impacting the digital health sector. President Biden ordered HHS to align on regulatory approaches to ensure safety, security, and equity across AI healthcare applications. Meanwhile, the FDA updated its list of AI/ML-enabled devices legally marketed in the U.S. and spotlighted trends across 500+ included algorithms. On Capitol Hill, the Senate Finance Committee advanced the Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs, and Extenders Act, which would require pharmacies to report costs for medication data, and pushes for increased access to mental health care for children on Medicaid as well as Medicare patients in rural and underserved areas. To round things out, the White House launched an initiative on Women’s Health Research, which will deliver recommendations for action within 45 days.
Policy is a powerful lever to drive private market innovation. The 21st Century Cures Act has created opportunities for interoperability innovation, while price and coverage transparency rulings have catalyzed new data-sharing tools and partnerships. Similarly, we expect that recent regulations will spur new startups, partnerships, and product launches that target earmarked funding or compliance requirements.
Headlines
How The Shakeup At OpenAI Underscores The Need For AI Standards In Health Care
OpenAI’s clashing imperatives for innovation and caution leave healthcare partners concerned STAT
AstraZeneca Launches New Company To Share Digital Clinical Trial Expertise
Evinova’s drug development suite is based on trial solutions used by AstraZeneca Fierce Biotech
Virtual Reality Company BehaVR, Fern Health Merge To Become RealizedCare
Creating a care management platform for chronic pain powered by VR digital therapeutics MobiHealthNews
Providers Report Significant IT Budget Increases For 2024
Survey shows >85% of health systems are increasing spend on digital health and IT Healthcare IT News
Talkspace Inks $26M Contract To Provide Mental Health Services To NYC Teens
Teenspace program will offer free tele-mental health services to 400K NYC teenagers Fierce Healthcare
Ayble Health, Mayo Clinic Collaborate To Treat High-Acuity Patients In Person
Hybrid model matches GI patients to in-person and virtual care based on acuity Fierce Healthcare
Recent Funding
- D2C medical imaging marketplace Medmo secures $9M
- Augment Therapy pulls in $2.7M for its pediatric-focused AR exercise and rehabilitation games