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Will “Responsible AI” create new markets for technology?
This year’s gathering features HLTH’s signature pomp and spectacle. As usual, there’s a hair salon for attendees, an indoor puppy park, and a vast exhibit floor packed with fancy booths, giveaways, and high-tech demos. I narrowly avoided the lower quadrupeds roaming the showroom. Whether it has anything to do with health remains to be seen.
Between high-profile panel discussions and offline hallway conversations, the chatter seems to be centered around a few themes. AI will co-pilot every role in healthcare. and guardrails (or lack thereof) for cutting-edge medical technology.
Smart AI governance engine
We also visited the Las Vegas Sphere, where Avanade, a joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture, unveiled new technology products aimed at governance, transparency and regulatory compliance. Built in collaboration with Duke and Microsoft, the “Smart AI Governance Engine” will allow users to register algorithms, track performance, assess bias, and more, founders said in a semi-final in the hallways of Sphere. He spoke during a haphazard launch panel and subsequent streamed U2 concert. (I admit that the latter visual was impressive.)
Speakers include Michael Pencina, chief data scientist at Duke Health, David Rhew, global chief medical officer at Microsoft, and Lee Ayling, managing director at Avanade.
The founders said they chose to launch their product at HLTH because of its reputation as a gathering of forward-thinking thinkers and decision-makers. In line with HLTH’s flashy branding, Sphere is “a new wonder of AI and technology and was chosen as the perfect backdrop for the launch,” Eyring said in a statement.
When asked how the technology would integrate with electronic health records, Eyring said that EHRs operate in a more highly regulated environment and that “the use of AI within clinical settings is still emerging. He said the team recognizes that there is “no progress” and is “asking vendors to make it happen.” Input your own AI algorithm information into the platform. Some of these will be EHRs. ”
The Smart AI Governance Engine (SAIGE) is expected to hit the market in December. The first wave of users will be healthcare providers, hospitals, and healthcare systems. Avanade said pricing information will be announced after rollout.
FDA’s Khalif: AI is increasing health inequalities
On stage at HLTH, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Calif, a cardiologist and longtime policy veteran who also worked for Alphabet Inc.’s Verily, said he was disappointed that hot tech products were not focused on primary care. spoke. America’s health record is poor compared to other countries. “A pompous atmosphere is common at meetings like this,” he said. “Our fundamental problem is some kind of blocking and tackling. It’s like trying to throw a touchdown, but we can’t even do basic blocking or tackling. Primary care in this country is It’s a disaster.”
Rather than focusing on problems that afflict healthy patients who can afford it, tech companies are focusing on “basic basic medical care,” such as making sure patients get the latest vaccines or managing their blood pressure. He said the government should “relax in its support.”
AI also has the potential to exacerbate health inequalities, Khalif said. “It feels like the gulf is getting deeper and deeper” between patients who are marginalized and those who are affluent and healthy, he said. Instead, it could be used to enhance the capabilities of doctors and nurses, helping them with note-taking and filing so they can focus more on bedside care, he added.
As the primary AI regulator (e.g., the FDA oversees software as medical devices), Khalif is a former top AI official at the Department of Health and Human Services, Mickey Tripathi, who called for public-private collaboration. I agreed with the call.
“We have legal rules and guidelines. We are like referees in the system, but the first line of defense is for the industry to do what it is supposed to do in the first place,” he said. “In the world of AI, we need health systems and an industry that develops AI. We need to make sure that the lifecycle of the algorithms is done properly,” he said. If the FDA was in charge of everything, “we would be two to three times bigger than we are today,” he said. The agency employs approximately 18,000 people and has an annual budget of approximately $7.2 billion.
Product launch list: Noom, Oura, Amazon
While it’s nearly impossible to keep up with all the products that come out at HLTH-specific times, here are some of the news we’re tracking.
Telemedicine companies have had to contort themselves to adapt to the debate over the utility, cost and availability of the blockbuster obesity and diabetes drugs known as GLP-1, says Katie Palmer I’m writing. The lack of FDA-approved drugs and limited insurance coverage have led to two strategies. One is payer-focused programs that promise to maximize the effectiveness of expensive brand-name drugs, and the other is direct-to-consumer sales of compounded copies of drugs. Now, Noom is mashing them up. The company known for its weight loss app announced a new program for employers who don’t want to piggyback on GLP-1 coverage. It combines lifestyle and behavioral support through Noom with cash payment options (and potential discounts) for the recently launched service. compounded medicine. Another benefits program in collaboration with Waltz Health combines Noom Med’s clinical support for its FDA-approved brand GLP-1.
Some Essence Healthcare Medicare Advantage members will soon be eligible for a free Oura Ring and membership. Amazon One Medical announced several new AI tools designed to ease administrative workflows for healthcare providers, including automatically summarizing patient medical histories. The Coalition for Health AI announced a draft framework for certifying AI assurance labs, a concept for a federated network of healthcare organizations to evaluate AI, and a standard health AI “nutrition label.”
Senators demand answers about Pfizer and Eli Lilly’s telemedicine platforms
A group of senators led by Rep. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is investigating whether these companies are violating anti-kickback rules, among other things. The company is seeking answers from Pfizer and Eli Lilly about their partnerships with health care providers. Katie writes. Both Pfizer and Eli Lilly launched websites this year that direct patients to “talk to your doctor now” and fill prescriptions at online pharmacies.
The letter, co-signed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), said: “This manufacturer-sponsored arrangement appears to be aimed at steering patients toward certain drugs and increases spending on federal health care programs. “This creates the possibility of inappropriate prescribing that could lead to ), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), and Peter Welch (D-Vermont). read more.
HHS AI Secretary Mickey Tripati was unfazed by the election.
Tripathi, who will of course also be speaking at HLTH, stopped by STAT’s major summit last weekend to remind my colleague Casey Ross of his commitment to overseeing AI regulation through elections. He assured me that nothing would change.
Tripathi, the appointee and health department aide, said that in the remaining days of the Biden administration, “we’re just assuming that policies will continue, policies will continue, and we’re doing everything we can to put the right policies in place.” ” he said. Secretary for Technology Policy.
This doesn’t quite line up with what we’re hearing from official federal officials who are concerned that the upcoming election could impede Tripathi’s ability to play a key role in technology oversight. And as the White House warned me earlier this month, its approach to AI regulation could change dramatically depending on who wins.
what we are reading
Counsel Health Raises $11M Seed Round, Axios Bessemer Venture Partners State of Health Technology Report, BVP Amazon One Medical, Cleveland Clinic Expands Primary Care Locations in Ohio, Fierce Healthcare
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