Digital Health Coffee Time Briefing ☕ 

Your morning summary of digital health news, information and events to know about if you want to be “in the know”. 

???? News  

❤ Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have harnessed the power of AI to enhance the assessment of the heart’s right ventricle, which sends blood to the lungs. Conducted by a team using AI-enabled electrocardiogram (AI-ECG) analysis, the research demonstrates that electrocardiograms can effectively predict right-side heart issues, offering a simpler alternative to complex imaging technologies and potentially enhancing patient outcomes. The findings were described in the December 29 online issue of Journal of the American Heart Association. 

???? Aptar Digital Health, a company providing Software as a Medical Device (SaMD), digital Patient Support Programs (PSPs) and disease management solutions, today announced a new collaboration with Gerresheimer, a systems and solutions provider and global partner to the pharma, biotech and cosmetics industries, to develop a tailored solution to support patients and health care professionals in cancer therapy management. 

????‍???? Humetrix, a leader in digital health technologies, heads to CES 2024 to introduce SOSQR Global, an AI-powered international health communication platform that securely translates medical terms and prescriptions into 20+ languages and across 150+ countries, enabling the instant sharing of data between patients and healthcare providers throughout the world. Humetrix is exhibiting at CES, January 9-12. 

???? While musculoskeletal imaging volumes are increasing, there is a relative shortage of subspecialised musculoskeletal radiologists to interpret the studies. In a new article in the journal Radiology, BU researchers provide an overview of AI applications for musculoskeletal radiology, including basic principles, image acquisition and interpretation, and prediction of future outcomes. Their article also discusses AI implementation challenges, the non-interpretive uses of AI and how it may transform the daily professional lives of musculoskeletal radiologists. 

????‍⚕️ Solera Health, the premier technology platform for connecting people seamlessly and easily to health solutions that work, today announced an expansion of its HALO Platform, a next-generation omni-condition management solution, to enable payers and employers to address high-cost specialty conditions. The expansion furthers the platform’s value-based care enablement by unlocking access to specialist physicians who provide high-value care for the costliest and most burdensome chronic diseases affecting society today. 

❓ Did you know that? 

While there were 521,000 (9%) fewer emergency admissions to NHS hospitals in 2022 compared with 2019, the average length of stay for these patients increased by 1.1 days (14%). A recent analysis by the Health Foundation explores some health-related factors that might underlie this increase. 

???? What we’re reading 

General practice faces key challenges in how to provide a workforce trained to provide remote services. A Nuffield Trust study concluded that a new approach and set of training competencies is needed to train all clinical and non-clinical members of practice teams to better provide care for patients through a mix of telephone, face-to-face and online consultations. 

???? This week’s events 

4-5 January, London – International Conference on Medical and Health Sciences