Google launches MedLM, Holly Health Raises ￡650k, boosting NHS Productivity and more.

Hi, Kevin McDonnell here. Thank you for reading my latest newsletter. Every week I share my round-up of the most interesting stories from the world of Digital Health I've been reading so you can find the ideas, people, innovations and technologies that are shaping the future of healthcare. I hope you enjoy them! Happy reading! Don't forget to follow me or our page for more insights every day.

• Introducing MedLM for the Healthcare Industry - Google Cloud introduces MedLM, a suite of AI models tailored for healthcare. Building on Med-PaLM 2, MedLM offers two models for diverse healthcare needs, enhancing tasks like medical note-taking and pre-clinical research. Collaborations with HCA Healthcare and BenchSci exemplify its practical applications, promising improved healthcare efficiency and patient outcomes.
• Medtronic Doubles Down on Endoscopy AI Partnership, Inking $200M Deal with Cosmo Pharmaceuticals - Medtronic enhances its AI partnership with Cosmo Pharmaceuticals, focusing on endoscopic exam software. The $200M deal aims to develop a platform hosting multiple AI diagnostics. Cosmo's FDA-approved GI Genius system, distributed by Medtronic, aids in detecting polyps and lesions during colonoscopies, improving patient care and diagnostics accuracy.
• Medefy Health Lands $10M Series A to Help Employees Navigate Complex Health Benefits - Medefy Health secures $10M in Series A funding to enhance its healthcare benefits navigation platform. Unlike AI chatbots, Medefy offers real-time, human-guided support, simplifying employee health insurance complexities. This funding will boost product development, team expansion, and AI capabilities to increase healthcare plan utilization and reduce costs.
• Advancing Data Sharing to Support Digitally Enabled Care - The American Medical Association highlights the importance of data sharing in digitally enabled care. This issue brief emphasizes overcoming cultural and operational barriers to facilitate secure data exchange, which is crucial for coordinated patient care and reduced administrative burdens. It offers practical guidance and real-world examples for effective clinical data-sharing integration.
• The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare - Artificial Intelligence (AI) transforms healthcare, enhancing clinical decision-making, imaging analysis, and COVID-19 screening. Despite its potential in diagnosis, risk prediction, and drug development, AI raises ethical and privacy concerns. The article discusses AI's role in clinical operations, the need for trust and regulation, and the future of AI in personalised care and wearable tech.
• UK at High Risk of ‘Catastrophic Ransomware Attack’, Report Says - A UK parliamentary committee warns of a high risk of a catastrophic ransomware attack due to inadequate planning and investment. The report highlights vulnerabilities in critical national infrastructure, including health services, and criticises the government's lack of focus on cybersecurity. The NHS's reliance on outdated IT systems makes it particularly susceptible to such attacks.
• Boosting NHS Productivity Demands a Healthy Dose of Realism - The article discusses the challenges in boosting NHS productivity post-pandemic. It highlights the complexity of improving 'implied productivity' in healthcare, considering factors like increased patient needs and operational pressures. The piece calls for realistic government action, including capital investment and workforce planning, to support sustainable efficiency and productivity in the NHS.
• Pure Health IPO: Company Raises $986m in Oversubscribed Offering - Pure Health, the UAE's largest healthcare group, raised $986 million in an oversubscribed IPO on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. With a total demand exceeding $72 billion, the IPO reflects strong investor confidence. Pure Health's extensive network includes hospitals, clinics, and health technology platforms, marking a significant milestone in the region's healthcare sector.
• AI Medical Coaching App Holly Health Raises ￡650k - Holly Health, a personalised digital medical coaching app, has raised ￡650,000 in funding. Designed to support individuals with multimorbidity, the app uses AI to provide tailored lifestyle coaching. This funding, partly from Innovate UK, will help Holly Health alleviate NHS pressures by offering home-based support to over a quarter of UK adults with chronic health conditions.
• 6 Med Tech Innovations from 2023 That Could Improve Our Lives - Mashable's article showcases six medical technology innovations from 2023. These include a brain-computer interface for speech recovery, wearables for health monitoring, an implant for real-time organ transplant health, the world's first digital period pain clinic, the Flying Eye Hospital for vision impairment, and accessible beach chairs in Greece. These advancements highlight the intersection of technology and healthcare, aiming to improve lives globally.

You might like these insights:

• Six ways large language models are changing healthcare
• The Digital Dilemma in UK's Health and Social Care. We Need Urgent Transformation
• Unlearning to Innovate is the Real Challenge in Healthcare's Tech Revolution
• NHS tech budget slashed by ￡300m to plug deficits
• How Can We Harness HealthTech's True Potential Beyond Big Data's Shadow
• The Moral Imperative of Responsible AI in HealthTech
• A Deep Dive into NHS England's 2023-24 Business Plan
• How Can Quantum Computing Be Used in Healthcare?
• How can trust be built regarding the effectiveness and reliability of AI in Healthcare?
• Overcoming Past Struggles. The Role of Leadership in NHS Digital Transformation
• Is the Digital Transformation of the NHS a Dream or a Nightmare?
• ‘Most exciting’ applications for AI lie in healthcare
• Value Sharing Framework for NHS data partnerships - Unleashing the Potential of Health and Care Data
• Harnessing Smart Watches: A New Dawn in Early Parkinson's Detection
• The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan
• Essential Details HealthTech Entrepreneurs Should Consider in Crafting Their Intended Purpose for SaMD
• AI's Cold Comfort: The Unspoken Empathy Crisis in HealthTech
• The Paradox of Progress: Navigating the Fine Line Between Innovation and Trust in AI Healthcare
• Is Pivoting a Strategic Masterstroke or a Sign of Weakness in HealthTech?
• Digital is not the NHS's silver bullet
• Is Brilliant Technology Enough for Healthcare?
• Can Human-Centred Design Shape the Future of HealthTech and Patient Outcomes?
• Data Governance - The Overlooked Game Changer in Healthcare
• Pear Therapeutics: A Wake-Up Call for the Digital Health Industry?
• Are We Missing the Emotional Connection in AI?
• AI Doesn't Diminish the Humanity of Healthcare; It Amplifies it
• Why One-Size-Fits-All Digital Health Solutions Don't Work
• The Curse of HealthTech Complexity
• The Intersection of Digital Health and Mental Health
• Revamping the UK's Healthcare with MedTech
• Unlocking the Secrets of the Mind - Can AI Revolutionise Mental Health Research?
• How Generative Pre-training Transformer Models (like ChatGPT) will Change Healthcare
• AI is the key to unlocking the full potential of Remote Patient Monitoring and Telemedicine
• How will artificial intelligence (AI) transform healthcare in the future?
• How will the aging population and the rise of chronic diseases affect healthcare demand and the delivery of care?

You might like these featured guest articles :

• In a chaotic healthcare system, the ripple effect of digital technology is bigger than you think
• Last time we had an epidemic as severe as this we went into a national lockdown, so why are we still just raising awareness in mental health?

I hope you enjoyed reading this edition? Please feel free to share your comments below. If you know someone who would like it, why not share it with them??Don't forget to follow me or our page for more insights every day.

Kevin McDonnell, the founder and CEO of Datalla and author of "The Future Health ' is an advisor, coach and consultant who helps HealthTech, MedTech, and Digital Health CEOs, Founders, and Entrepreneurs unlock potential, grow faster, and scale themselves and their companies.

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