The ACCESS Model’s Behavioral Health Track
The CMS Innovation Center’s ACCESS Model launches on July 5 2026 with a behavioral health (BH) track that pays $180 per beneficiary in the Initial Period and $90 in the Follow‑On Period, contingent on meeting PHQ‑9 or GAD‑7 improvement thresholds. The track delivers care entirely through mobile apps, eliminating hardware and reducing marginal costs to near zero. Outcome‑Aligned Payments (OAPs) reward providers only if at least half of participants achieve a 5‑point PHQ‑9 or 4‑point GAD‑7 reduction. Recent systematic reviews show modest but statistically significant symptom gains from digital mental‑health interventions, suggesting the model could be profitable if efficacy targets are met.
Digitized Dysfunction: Why Healthcare Must Eliminate Work — Not Just Automate It
Healthcare’s digital overhaul has largely added, not removed, administrative work. Clinicians now spend more than half of their day navigating electronic health records and fragmented portals, prompting hospitals to hire extra staff to manage the overload. The authors argue that...
WWL Embeds National Clinical Guidance Into Altera Digital Health’s Sunrise EPR to Transform Acute Abdomen Pathway
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust partnered with Altera Digital Health to embed National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) guidance into its Sunrise Electronic Patient Record. The integration automated decision support, one‑click CT ordering, and risk scoring, driving...
Unpacking What We Really Know About NHS Online
What do and don't we know about NHS Online, the health service's big bold plan for our health service? My latest @bmj_latest https://t.co/YC0M4ekLy2
Telemedicine Adoption, US Ambulatory Visits, and Total Medical Spending, 2019-2023
The study examined 3.04 million U.S. adults from 2019‑2023 using multipayer claims to gauge how regional telemedicine adoption impacted total ambulatory visits and per‑member spending. High‑adoption hospital referral regions recorded a 2.4% dip in visit volume and a 0.5% reduction in...
Radiologist-AI Combo Has Highest Potential to Improve Pulmonary Embolism Detection, Experts Charge
A new study from the Neiman Health Policy Institute shows that pairing radiologists with AI yields the highest potential to improve pulmonary embolism (PE) detection. Researchers applied Aidoc's AI to 32,500 CT pulmonary angiography exams from 2021‑2023, achieving 99.2% sensitivity...
Wristwatch-Like Device Enables Assessment of Health Risks for Astronauts on Mission to the Moon
NASA confirmed that the Artemis 2 crew will wear a wristwatch‑like actigraph developed by Brazil’s Condor Instruments. The device combines accelerometers, light‑spectrum and temperature sensors to map sleep‑wake cycles and melanopic exposure in real time. By capturing circadian data during the...
Truveta and Knit Health Team Up to Fuse 130M‑Patient Dataset with Clinical Behavior AI
Truveta and Knit Health announced a collaboration that merges Truveta’s 130 million‑patient real‑world data set with Knit’s Large Clinical Behavior Model. The partnership aims to embed dynamic AI pathways into everyday clinical workflows, promising faster, more coordinated care.
Study Reveals the Key Ingredients for Successful Social Media Mental Health Interventions
A meta‑analysis of 17 randomized trials involving 5,624 participants shows that social‑media‑based mental‑health programs produce moderate‑high reductions in stress and low‑moderate improvements in anxiety and depression. The benefits are amplified when interventions are human‑guided, socially oriented, and compared against care‑as‑usual...
LRVHealth’s Keith Figlioli on the Evolving Landscape of AI Procurement
Keith Figlioli, managing partner at LRVHealth, outlined a three‑layer framework for AI procurement in healthcare—core enterprise platforms, foundation‑model platforms, and specialized use‑case solutions. He emphasized the growing influence of hyperscalers like Microsoft and Google, which are embedding AI tools such...
Morning Headlines 5/14/26
Healthcare providers are actively testing generative AI tools for clinical decision‑making, but adoption remains experimental. Critics note that AI often projects confidence even when its recommendations are inaccurate. Quebec’s recent attempt at a custom‑built AI platform for its health system...
CMS Taps 30 Healthcare Organizations for Prior Authorization Initiative
CMS launched the Electronic Prior Authorization Acceleration initiative, naming 30 early‑adopter organizations to speed electronic prior‑auth adoption before the 2027 federal rule. Participants include major health systems such as Cleveland Clinic and EHR vendors Epic, Oracle, Athenahealth, and Meditech. The...
AI Uses 12-Lead ECGs to Predict Long-Term Stroke Risk
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and its Boston affiliates have unveiled ECG2Stroke, an AI model that reads standard 12‑lead electrocardiograms to forecast long‑term ischemic stroke risk. Trained on data from more than 100,000 patients, the convolutional neural network achieved...
OM1’s AI‑Generated Real‑World Evidence Secures FDA Approval for Hologic HPV Test
OM1 used its AI‑driven platform to compile and validate real‑world data from more than 650,000 women, supporting the FDA clearance of Hologic’s Aptima HPV assay. The case shows that AI‑generated evidence can meet the agency’s rigorous standards, opening a new...
Wearable Sweat Sensor Monitors Multiple Biomarkers Continuously for 21 Days
University of California, Irvine researchers unveiled the IREM‑W₂MS₃, a battery‑free, wireless wearable patch that continuously monitors cortisol, glucose, lactate and urea in sweat for up to 21 days. The device regenerates its sensing surface via low‑voltage pulses, preventing performance loss...
Re: King’s Speech: Government Unveils NHS Modernisation Bill Amid Labour Turmoil
The UK government’s NHS Modernisation Bill aims to introduce a single electronic patient record that clinicians can access anywhere. Earlier attempts under the Blair administration faltered due to public privacy fears, but today patients appear more receptive and technology is...
FDA Approves Grifols Malaria Blood Screening Assay
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared Grifols’ Procleix Plasmodium assay for malaria screening of blood donors. The nucleic‑acid test uses magnetic target capture, transcription‑mediated amplification and chemiluminescence to identify ribosomal RNA from five human‑infecting Plasmodium species. It runs on...
Brain Signal Predicts and Restores Attention in Children
Researchers at SickKids identified a millisecond‑scale brain signal that predicts attention lapses in children. Using machine‑learning on intracranial recordings, they created a closed‑loop system that delivers a brief electrical pulse exactly when the signal appears, instantly restoring focus. The same...
BCI Neurofeedback Lets Humans Volitionally Switch Cortical States, Cutting Reaction Times
Researchers published in PNAS have shown that a brain‑computer interface can train participants to voluntarily toggle between distinct cortical states, leading to significantly faster muscle contraction and relaxation reaction times. The skill transfers to overt motor tasks, suggesting a pathway...
Tolion Health AI Launches Free AI‑Powered Brain Coach App for Cognitive Longevity
Tolion Health AI introduced Tolion Brain Coach, a free AI‑driven mobile app for brain health and longevity, available on Android and iOS. The platform merges wearable data with a proprietary knowledge engine to deliver personalized prevention plans for Alzheimer’s risk,...
FDA Clears ArteraAI Breast, First AI Tool to Guide Chemotherapy for Early‑Stage Breast Cancer
Artera announced FDA clearance of its ArteraAI Breast digital pathology risk‑stratification tool, the first AI‑driven test approved to guide chemotherapy decisions for early‑stage hormone‑receptor‑positive, HER2‑negative breast cancer. The multimodal model, trained on data from more than 8,500 patients, provides oncologists...
Fewer Biopsies, Happier Patients: Why Molecular Blood Testing Is a Game-Changer for Managing Heart Transplant Recipients
Heart‑transplant patients have long depended on frequent endomyocardial biopsies, a process that can involve up to 14 invasive procedures in the first year and carries risks of perforation, bleeding, and sampling error. CareDx’s HeartCare platform introduces two complementary molecular blood...
AI Chatbots Sometimes Outdiagnose Doctors, Evaluation Still Debated
Some AI chatbots now outperform physicians on certain diagnostic tasks. But researchers still disagree on what those results really mean—and how medical AI should be evaluated. https://spectrum.ieee.org/ai-clinical-decision-support?share_id=9487059
Can AI Chatbots Reason Like Doctors?
A study published in Science on April 30 found that OpenAI’s o1‑preview large language model outperformed two internal‑medicine physicians on clinical reasoning tasks using real emergency‑room records, achieving an exact or near‑exact diagnosis 82% of the time versus 79% and...
Whoop and the Future of the Quantified Self
WHOOP is expanding its wearable platform into a clinical‑grade Health Operating System by adding on‑demand video telehealth, EHR synchronization with HealthEx, and a generative AI layer called My Memory. The telehealth feature launches in the United States in summer 2026,...
InsideTracker Study Shows Biomarker‑Driven Supplement Personalization Improves 43 Health Markers
InsideTracker’s peer‑reviewed study of more than 20,000 platform users found statistically significant improvements across 43 blood and wearable biomarkers after personalized supplement recommendations. The findings, published in PLOS, signal that data‑driven biohacking is moving from niche experimentation to measurable health...
Bluesight Launches Prism AI Platform, Cutting Drug Diversion Analysis Time by up to 97%
Bluesight introduced Prism, an AI platform for hospital pharmacy and compliance teams, with its first product, Prism Assistant, reducing drug diversion investigation time by up to 97%. The tool is already deployed in 20 health systems and integrates securely within...
Forus Raises US$160m for AI-Powered Medicine Platform
Formerly known as Tandem, Forus announced a $160 million funding round led by Thrive Capital, General Catalyst, Accel and other top VCs to scale its AI‑powered platform that links doctors, payers, pharmacies and biopharma. The platform automates insurance authorisation, financial assistance...
From Trial-and-Error to Data-Driven Oncology Decision Making: AI-Enabled Functional Precision Medicine Is Rewriting the Future of Cancer Treatment
AI‑enabled functional precision medicine (FPM) platforms combine patient‑derived tumor testing, multi‑omic profiling, robotics and machine learning to recommend therapies tailored to an individual’s cancer. Traditional genomics‑driven precision oncology benefits only a small fraction of patients—about 8% are eligible for genome‑driven...
Abu Dhabi Unveils First Real-World Longevity Test Lab, Invites Global Startups
At the Milken Institute Global Conference, H E Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, chairman of Abu Dhabi's Department of Health, announced the opening of a government‑backed longevity test lab. The “living lab” will let biotech and AI firms trial interventions across the emirate’s health...
Australian Budget Looks to Advance Interoperability and Promote Sharing of Health Data
The 2026 Australian Federal Budget earmarks AUD 598.3 million (≈ USD 395 million) over two years to upgrade the My Health Record platform, alongside AUD 79.2 million (≈ USD 52 million) for state‑level digital health reforms. A further AUD 2 billion (≈ USD 1.32 billion) will fund the Thriving Kids programme and a new National...
OpenEvidence AI Tool Used by 65% of U.S. Physicians in April, Sparking Monetization Debate
OpenEvidence, a free AI‑driven clinical decision‑support chatbot, was used in roughly 27 million patient encounters in April, representing about 65% of U.S. physicians. The rapid uptake has prompted questions about the platform’s funding model as its CEO hints at a shift...
Medicare Launches AI‑driven ACCESS Payment Model with 150 Pilot Firms
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has selected 150 companies, including Pair Team, for its new ACCESS program that will roll out on July 5. The 10‑year initiative replaces fee‑for‑service rules with AI‑enabled outcome‑based payments, a shift that could...
Deep Learning-Powered Biochip to Detect Genetic Markers
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University have unveiled a nanophotonic biochip that, paired with deep‑learning image analysis, can detect microRNA biomarkers in just 20 minutes. The platform uses a colour‑camera‑enabled chip and a Mask R-CNN algorithm to image and classify thousands...
Soft, Skin-Interfaced Electronics Enable Cannula-Free Wireless Monitoring of Sleep Respiration
Researchers have unveiled a soft, skin‑interfaced nasal patch that monitors sleep respiration without a cannula. The ultrathin device translates airflow‑induced tissue deformation into strain signals using a laser‑induced graphene sensor and liquid‑metal interconnects. A modular architecture separates a disposable skin‑contact...
Nexsen Secures First Asian Hospital Partner for Diagnostic Commercialisation
Nexsen (ASX: NXN) has signed a binding term sheet with GHK Hospital, the operator of Hong Kong’s 500‑bed Gleneagles Hospital, to validate and commercialise its rapid point‑of‑care diagnostics across North Asia. The initial validation will focus on Group B Streptococcus...
Amazon Unveils Health AI Agent to Deliver Personalized Care and Prescription Management
Amazon has launched a Health AI agent that provides personalized health insights, books appointments and manages prescriptions. The service aims to ease the burden for the roughly two‑thirds of Americans who feel overwhelmed by the current health‑care system, marking the...
AI-Powered Handheld Microscope May Improve Early Cancer Detection
Researchers at Rice University and MD Anderson have created PrecisionView, a pen‑sized handheld endomicroscope that combines AI‑designed optics with deep‑learning reconstruction. The device delivers cellular‑level resolution across a field of view five times larger and a depth of field eight...
Roche to Acquire PathAI in Up‑to‑$1 B AI Cancer‑Diagnostics Deal
Roche announced on May 1, 2026 that it will acquire U.S. digital‑pathology firm PathAI in a transaction valued at up to $1 billion. The move deepens Roche’s investment in artificial‑intelligence tools for cancer testing and positions the group to compete for...
Human Longevity Rolls Out $599 Clinical‑Grade Whole‑Genome Sequencing with AI Health Insights
Human Longevity, Inc. introduced a $599 clinical‑grade whole‑genome sequencing report that couples full‑genome data with AI‑generated health‑risk insights. The nationwide service targets biohackers and health‑focused consumers seeking proactive disease‑prevention tools.
Labcorp Adds Full Test Menu to Epic Aura, Deepening EHR‑lab Integration
Labcorp announced an expanded partnership with Epic, embedding its complete test menu into Epic’s Aura EHR. The move promises faster ordering, reduced errors and broader access to diagnostics for hospitals nationwide.
Ontario AG Finds Flaws in AI Scribes
Ontario’s auditor general released a scathing report on AI‑driven medical scribes, revealing that a majority of the 20 evaluated systems produced hallucinated content and factual errors. Nine of the tools fabricated treatment recommendations, twelve recorded incorrect medications, and seventeen omitted...
PointClickCare Wins Award for Best EHR
PointClickCare has been named the best electronic health record solution in the 2026 MedTech Breakthrough Awards, chosen from over 4,000 global nominations. The ONC‑certified platform serves more than 30,000 provider organizations across skilled‑nursing, senior‑living, and physician practice groups, delivering AI‑infused...
Isomorphic Labs Secures $2.1 B Series B to Scale AI Drug Design Engine
Isomorphic Labs announced a $2.1 billion Series B funding round led by Thrive Capital, with participation from Alphabet, GV, Temasek, CapitalG and the UK Sovereign AI Fund. The capital will expand its IsoDDE AI engine, accelerate its therapeutic pipeline and fund...
$62.3M for eHealth Sask Upgrades Not Enough?
eHealth Saskatchewan has secured up to $62.3 million CAD (≈$45 million USD) for system upgrades over the next three fiscal years, targeting data‑center hardware, Windows 10 migration and new security tools. The funding follows the 2019 Ryuk ransomware attack that compromised more than...
Digital CBT Reduces Mental Disorders and Boosts Access to Care in College Students
A population‑based randomized trial across 26 U.S. colleges tested a digital cognitive‑behavioral therapy (CBT) guided self‑help program delivered after universal mental‑health screening. Over a two‑year follow‑up the intervention lowered the combined prevalence of anxiety, depression and eating disorders by roughly...
On‑device Optical Sensors Enable Real‑time Decisions in Surgery, Space
New optical sensors can analyze data within the device itself, enabling real-time decision-making in applications like surgery and space exploration while reducing reliance on external computing. innovation
These Optical Sensors Don't Just See—They Think Fast Enough to Change Surgery, Space Exploration and More
Texas A&M researchers unveiled electrochromic hyperspectral embedding (ECHSE), a sensor that processes and compresses optical data internally, shifting AI from cloud servers to the hardware itself. Published in Nature Sensors, the framework shows compact photodetectors can perform hyperspectral classification without...
Health Leaders Join Forces to Launch Women’s Health AI Consortium
On May 12, Willow Innovations and Ema EQ announced the Women’s Health AI (WHAI) Consortium, the first industry body dedicated to AI standards in women’s health. The group brings together leaders such as Clue, Thrive Global, Oura and Willow to set ethical, bias‑reduction...
AI Startup Knit Health Raises $11.6M in Seed Funding
AI startup Knit Health, spun out of UC Berkeley, announced a $11.6 million seed round led by Uncork Capital and Frist Cressey Ventures. The company is building a Large Clinical Behavior Model (LCBM) that learns from real clinical decision patterns across...