Healthcare AI Guy Weekly Newsletter | 1/16

Our Picks ✨

Highlights if you’ve only got 2 minutes…

1/

JPM24 highlights

As expected, AI dominated a lot of conversations and presentations at the JPM conference as major players like Mayo Clinic and smaller startups are plotting their AI strategies to leverage the technology in innovative ways. Below are the updates worth calling out:

• Mayo Clinic + Cerebras Systems AI Partnership: Mayo Clinic unveiled a new partnership with AI startup Cerebras Systems. The pair will develop a foundation AI model upon Mayo Clinic’s various structured and unstructured data. (link)

• Option Care Health + Palantir: Option Care Health (NASDAQ: OPCH), a provider of post-acute care and infusion services, inked a multi-year partnership with analytics company Palantir Technologies (NYSE: PLTR) to use its AI platform. The company will use Palantir's AI and large language models to optimize nurse scheduling, patient onboarding, purchasing, and supply chain execution. (link)

• Innovaccer’s AI assistant/scribe: Innovaccer, maker of digital tools for providers, launched an AI assistant that transcribes, analyzes and summarizes conversations between providers and patients. (link)

• Kindbody: Kindbody founder Gina Bartasi also told Fierce Healthcare during an interview that the fertility startup planned to make investments in AI this year to build out predictive analytics for fertility care. (link)

The updates and announcements from JPM24 prove that optimism in healthcare AI continues to be high. But growing pains are ahead this year too as many health systems still grapple with foundational issues like developing their AI strategy and data governance.

2/

CES 2024 favorite AI gadgets

A lot of companies showed off their new tech and gadgets this week at CES 2024. Below we list some of our favorite healthtech reveals:

• AI assistive tech: The new class of assistive tech is built on the experiences and data of people living with disabilities — and the hope is that it's more affordable and scalable than existing services. (ex. lumen which replaces the guide dog with smart glasses for the blind) (link)

• ElliQ elder care robot: ElliQ, a voice-operated, AI-enabled care companion robot, is gaining traction with older adults. Intuition Robotics described ElliQ as a "sidekick for happier, healthier aging," and she will nudge older seniors to meet certain goals or to get out of the house and engage in social events. (link)

• Clinatec brain-computer interface: Clinatec is a research center in France that develops brain-computer interfaces to help restore movement for people with neurological injuries or diseases. At CES 2024, they demonstrated an implant helping people who are paralyzed to walk, grasp objects, or perform other actions again. (link)

• Withings ‘BeamO’ home health check device: French tech company Withings unveiled the world’s first four-in-one vital monitor that takes only one minute to complete a health reading. (link)

• Baracuda’s smart mirror: The smart mirror uses AI and natural language processing to analyze expressions — adapting to a user’s mood with light therapy, guided meditations, and affirmations. (link)

Another exhilarating week at CES in the books that set the technology narrative for the year ahead. I’m energized by all the innovation in the healthcare AI space!

3/ 

Google develops AMIE medical diagnosis AI

Google researchers just introduced AMIE (Articulate Medical Intelligence Explorer) an AI system trained to have conversations to diagnose patients by learning from real doctor-patient dialogues and simulations. Some details below:

• AMIE is designed to ask intelligent questions, reason through diagnoses, and communicate empathy with patients.

• The system was trained via a simulated patient environment that gave automatic feedback to improve over time.

• AMIE matched or exceeded primary care physician performance in patient simulations, ranking higher in both diagnostic accuracy and quality of advice.

While previous LLMs have focused more on medical summaries and basic questions, AMIE's diagnostic capabilities mark a significant advancement in the integration of AI within healthcare and could pave the way for more models to follow this approach. (link)

Tool Box 🧰

Latest on business, consumer, and clinical healthcare AI tools and partnerships…

🔧 OpenAI releases GPT store: The GPT Store was launched and allows users to find and launch custom versions of ChatGPT based on natural language prompting. Over 3 million GPTs have already been created and builders will be paid based on their GPT usage. (link)

🔧 AI exoskeleton: A joint team from Harvard and Boston University have developed a soft robotic exoskeleton that detects movement and utilizes algorithms to estimate the walker’s gait. Cable-driven actuators kick in, assisting walking midstride. (link)

🔧 Nemo AI: AI mental health assistant on WhatsApp. (link)

🤝 Atropos Health + Arcadia: Arcadia is the latest partner to join the Atropos Evidence Network, adding another data asset that already includes Mayo Clinic, Clarify, and others. Arcadia’s provider customers can now access Atropos’ portfolio of evidence-generating applications to support value-based performance, while Atropos users can conduct real-world evidence studies leveraging Arcadia’s longitudinal research dataset. (link)

🤝 GE Healthcare + MIM Software: GE HealthCare entered into an agreement with MIM Software, a provider of medical imaging analysis and AI in radiation oncology, molecular radiotherapy, diagnostic imaging, and urology. (link)

🤝 Nvidia + Amgen: Nvidia announced a new partnership with biotech firm Amgen to build generative AI models for drug discovery. (link)

Deal Desk 💸 

Spotlight on latest capital raises, M&A and investments…

📈 Artisight: an AI-based smart hospital workflow platform based in Chicago raised $42M in Series B funding from firms like Nvidia. (link)

📈 Neocis: a developer of robot-assisted dental implant surgery tech based in Miami raised $20M from NVentures and Mirae Asset Management. (link)

📈 DigitalOwl: a company designed to streamline the review of medical records with AI raised $12M in funding from Reinsurance Group of America. (link)

📈 Rune Labs: a provider of symptom-tracking AI tech for Parkinson's based in SF raised $12M in Series A funding led by Nexus NeuroTech Ventures. (link)

📈 Care Continuity: a care coordination platform raised $10M in Series A funding. The new financing will help integrate AI capabilities and enhance patient care journeys. (link)

📈 Peerlogic: an AI assistant for dental offices based in Scottsdale, AZ raised $5.7M in seed funding. AZ-VC led the round and was joined by In Revenue Capital, Cervin Ventures, Singularity Capital, and Revere Partners. (link)

📈 Credo Health: an AI-enabled VBC platform secured $5.25M in Seed financing. The startup's platform performs risk analysis, clinical summaries and HEDIS Gap Closure. (link)

📈 QuantHealth: an AI-powered clinical trials platform, secured strategic investment from Accenture. (link)

Other Relevant News 🔍

News, podcasts, blogs, tweets, resources, etc…

• Google Health: 3 predictions for AI in healthcare in 2024 (link)

• Bessmer Venture Partners: 2024 healthcare & life sciences predictions (link)

• AI models can extract SDoH data from EHRs (link)

• Johns Hopkins study shows AI-driven eye exams for diabetes-related eye disease in youth increased screening rates vs standard referrals (link)

• CNBC’s Cramer thinks investors more interested in using AI for ads instead of healthcare (link)

• IMF says AI will affect almost 40% of jobs around the world (link)

• FDA Commissioner: agency needs assistance to regulate AI in digital health (link)

• Sam Altman & Bill Gates chat about AI, atomic energy and more (link)

Visuals of the Week 📸

Funny memes, cool pics, and interesting data from around the web…