I cared whether I could still carry my groceries. Climb stairs. Finish a sentence without losing the thread

I cared how many good years I had left.

Not lifespan. Healthspan.

I wanted to know how long I could stay sharp, strong, and independent. Not just alive, but thriving. So I started asking a new question of my patients, my research, and myself:

What’s the one blood test that tells me how fast I’m aging?

Most people think it’s cholesterol. Or maybe blood sugar. But those are lagging indicators. They tell you what’s broken, not what’s brewing.

The test I care about most now?

Hs-CRP.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein.

Hs-CRP levels predict more than inflammation — they can forecast your future health. The higher the number, the shorter the path to chronic disease.

It’s not flashy. It doesn’t trend on social media.

However, it may be the most important number you’re not tracking.

Why Inflammation Matters More Than You Think

Hs-CRP is a marker of inflammation.

And inflammation, more than almost anything else, is what turns time into damage.

Chronic inflammation accelerates heart disease. It promotes cancer. It fuels Alzheimer’s, frailty, and age-related decline.

You don’t need a PhD to understand this: aging well means inflaming less.

Hs-CRP doesn’t measure one disease. It measures your body’s silent alarm system.

And when it’s elevated, things are already smoldering.

In healthy adults, hs-CRP should be below 1.0 mg/L.

Between 1 and 3 is a moderate risk. Anything above 3 is a warning sign.

Here’s the problem: Most people don’t know their number. And most doctors don’t order it unless you’ve already had a heart attack.

But if you care about your healthspan, you should.

Ask your doctor to add hs-CRP to your next blood panel. It could change how you age.

Why Most Doctors Don’t Order This Test

Medicine tends to focus on what’s urgent, not what’s important.

Hs-CRP doesn’t diagnose a specific disease. It doesn’t tell you what organ is failing. It just whispers: something’s wrong.

And in modern medicine, whispers get ignored.

In the U.S., insurance may not routinely cover it unless you’re already at high cardiovascular risk.

Clinical guidelines don’t push it for prevention.

And most physicians are too busy putting out fires to go looking for smoke.

But that’s exactly what this test reveals: slow, quiet inflammation that may not make headlines, but shortens your healthspan all the same.

Can You Order hs-CRP Without a Doctor? Yes — in most U.S. states, you can. Services like Ulta Lab Tests, Request A Test, or Walk-In Lab allow you to order an hs-CRP online for $30–$70. You choose a local draw site, such as Quest or Labcorp. No doctor visit required. Exceptions: New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island restrict consumer lab orders.

What My Patients Taught Me

Some of my fittest-looking patients had elevated hs-CRP.

Not because they were overweight.

But because they were inflamed.

Sleep deprivation. Chronic stress. Processed foods. Environmental toxins. Dental infections. Even loneliness.

Inflammation has many faces.

And that’s what makes hs-CRP so powerful: it doesn’t just reflect one system. It integrates them all.

The gut. The immune system. The heart. Even the brain.

Want more patient insights? Read What Dying Patients Taught Me About Living.

The Science Behind CRP and Aging

The liver makes C-reactive protein in response to inflammation. But it’s not just a random flare-up detector — it’s a proxy for systemic stress.

Numerous studies have shown that oxidative stress is linked to accelerated telomere shortening and dysfunction. Oxidative stress caused by inflammation, cell factors, or environmental exposures contributes to degenerative diseases and cancer.

The lower your inflammation, the slower your biological clock.

What Happened When I Lowered Mine

The first time I measured my hs-CRP, it was 2.9.

I was sleeping 5 hours a night, skipping meals between consults, and not drinking enough water.

Nothing looked wrong on paper. But I felt off—mentally slower, physically stiff, emotionally flat.

Six months later, I made three changes:

• I walked every morning before checking my phone.
• I swapped protein bars for real food.
• I prioritized sleep as if it were a prescription.

My hs-CRP dropped to 0.7.

My brain felt clearer.

My joints were less inflamed.

Even my mood improved.

One number, many ripple effects.

Lowering Your hs-CRP (and Raising Your Healthspan)

No drug magically cures inflammation. But lifestyle can.

What works?

• Fiber (especially soluble fiber from legumes, chia seeds, oats, and vegetables
• Omega-3s (like those from fish or algae oil)
• Sleep (7–8 hours, not negotiable)
• Walking (daily, ideally in nature)
• Resistance training (2–3x/week)
• Social connection (yes, seriously)
• Oral hygiene (brush, floss, and keep your mouth free of inflammation — it’s your body’s open door to systemic disease)
• Screen-free wind-down time (to calm your nervous system)

You don’t need to be perfect. But you do need to be in rhythm.

I check my hs-CRP every 6 months now. Not because I’m afraid of dying.

But because I want to live well.

The Textbook Answer

For most healthy individuals, routine C-reactive protein (CRP) testing is not necessary.

However, there are some exceptions where it can be useful, especially high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP), which can assess chronic, low-grade inflammation, a known risk factor for heart disease and other conditions.

Here’s a breakdown of when it might be useful:

You might consider hs-CRP testing if you:

• Have a family history of heart disease or early cardiovascular events.
• Have metabolic syndrome or multiple cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity).
• Have autoimmune symptoms (e.g., fatigue, joint pain, skin issues) and your doctor is evaluating for inflammatory conditions.
• You are already diagnosed with heart disease or chronic inflammatory conditions (like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus), and your provider uses CRP to monitor disease activity.

You probably don’t need CRP testing if:

• You’re young, healthy, and asymptomatic with no notable risk factors.
• You’re not going to change your treatment plan based on the result (i.e., no action would be taken).

Final Thoughts

You can’t choose your genes. But you can choose your daily fire level.

Inflammation is optional.

Hs-CRP is the one number I now track more than cholesterol, blood pressure, or glucose.

Because it reveals how much damage I’m silently absorbing.

And how much resilience I still have left.

If you want to extend your healthspan, start by asking for this one test.

Your primary healthcare provider can tell you if it is appropriate for you.

Curious how gut health and inflammation silently erode your health?
Read The Silent Killer in Your Gut — one of my most-read essays.

Scientific Sources

1. Ridker, P.M., Moorthy, M.V., Cook, N.R., Rifai, N., Lee, I.M., & Buring, J.E. (2024). Inflammation, Cholesterol, Lipoprotein(a), and 30-Year Cardiovascular Outcomes in Women. New England Journal of Medicine, 391(9), 2087–2097. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2405182

2. Lassale, C., Batty, G.D., Steptoe, A., Cadar, D., Akbaraly, T.N., Kivimäki, M., & Zaninotto, P. (2019). Association of 10-Year C-Reactive Protein Trajectories With Markers of Healthy Aging: Findings From the English Longitudinal Study of Aging. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 74(2), 195–203. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/gly028

3. Yao, S.-M., Zheng, P.-P., Wan, Y.-H., Dong, W., Miao, G.-B., Wang, H., & Yang, J.-F. (2021). Adding high-sensitivity C-reactive protein to frailty assessment to predict mortality and cardiovascular events in elderly inpatients with cardiovascular disease. Experimental Gerontology, 146, 111235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2021.111235

Want to Lower Inflammation and Extend Healthspan — Without Guesswork?

Want a clear plan to lower your inflammation and extend your healthspan?

I built a doctor-designed guide to lower your inflammation, heal your gut, and extend your healthspan:

Extending Life and Healthspan

Inside, you’ll find:

• The daily habits I use to reduce inflammation
• The #1 longevity lever I recommend to patients (that isn’t a pill)
• What I tell patients who want to age without decline

It’s simple. Practical. And rooted in the science, I trust.

Michael Hunter, MD, is a physician and writer focused on healthspan, helping people live longer, healthier lives — one lab result at a time.

The post The Number That Predicts How Fast You’re Aging appeared first on Medika Life.

In the first three days of this Los Angeles gathering, I’ve had the chance to pop in on countless sessions, swing by exhibits that occupy large and small footprints and chat with C-Suite voices from some of the nation’s most prominent health players and most promising start-ups.  But as Sheba Medical Center’s Chief Innovation Officer, Eyal Zimlichman, MD, MSc, thoughtfully reminded a filled-to-capacity room during one session: “Sometimes the challenge is not the technology or innovative approach.  It can be in the implementation.”

Several companies caught my attention during three days at ViVE.  Unexpectedly, the most impressive are enterprises that aren’t swinging for the bleachers of change but those who make incremental improvements in the health ecosystem, leading to better patient care and putting a lid on spiraling costs. More and more, there is a need for meaningful changes now.  What happens tomorrow is theoretical. Keeping the health system chugging ahead translates into keeping doors open to patients who might not have access to care.

What should readers do with this information?  Follow these companies.  Listen to what their senior executives say about how their approaches impact the health industry. Use their information to benchmark the “right now” that lays the groundwork for successful technologies that too often capture the buzz and have yet to show. As the adage goes, the “proof is in the pudding.”  These are companies that have a presence within the sector and demonstrate momentum.

Companies at the Forefront of Health Information and Innovation

Several companies invited Medika to swing by their exhibits or attend panel sessions.  These companies are working hard to help health systems improve workflow – recognizing that repetitive tasks can and should be automated. Highways have moved from coin-taking toll attendants to EzPass transponders. The benefits are clear – reduced traffic and smog. Give thought to eliminating hospital bureaucracy that burdens providers and consumers. 

The companies on the ViVE exhibit floor acknowledge that physician time – a precious resource – can be better used in patient care.  Others realize that the changes in technology and information systems are happening so fast that hospital systems must embed outsourced staff to keep current with transitions.  Innovation is only meaningful if used – otherwise, it’s merely conversational and conceptual.

ViVE is doing something needed and practical. It’s bringing together prominent players in health, companies that can make information valuable, and start-ups looking not to disrupt but positively evolve time-test but worn approaches. Here are some companies that caught my eye:

• The consumer appliance giant Best Buy presence at a health industry conference may seem out of place. They don’t have in-store clinics – they have gadgets and wearables. They have a Geek Squad ready to set up your home entertainment studio.  But they’re the perfect partner for hospital systems looking to discharge patients to heal at home and remain connected to their providers.  They are experts in helping seniors overcome the challenges of setting up and using remote monitoring technologies that incorporate blood pressure monitoring or ECGs.  They are pros in addressing tech questions virtually.  If aging and home care are to become a standard of care, Best Buy is ahead of the curve in helping health systems make it a possible leap.

• Technology should reduce workflow – not add to the headaches chief technology and information officers manage. Health systems must streamline repetitive operations and care processes. CereCore is a leading provider of IT services that help hospitals and health systems chart a course through the operational IT labyrinth. The company works with hospital systems to prioritize patient care and information streamline processes. Its “get it done approach” includes IT staffing, application support, technical professional and managed services, IT advisory services, and EHR consulting.  With more than 700 employees across the US, its workforce includes clinical and technical experts supporting 450 hospitals and implementing IT solutions across 4,000 care settings.

• Corti is a startup specializing in AI-enabled decision support tools for clinic and first responder environments. Corti develops solutions to improve efficiency and experience by analyzing emergency conversations using ambient clinical voice and real-time clinical discussions. Like large language models (LLMs), Corti trains on thousands of actual patient calls and clinical consultations, listens alongside professionals, and converts this learning into insights and suggestions using proprietary speech recognition and natural-language processing. Published data show that AI outperforms human call-takers in sensitivity and predictive accuracy. This advancement augments call-takers ability to triage and ensures faster and more precise emergency response.

• DigiCARE is an early company addressing a long-targeted goal of improving brain disease care.  Based on Indiana University research, a machine-learning algorithm powers its promising AI platform with an 80% performance accuracy and a one-year prediction horizon to detect all forms of unrecognized dementia. The platform mines already-collected data from electronic patient health records and sorts through structured and unstructured data, including patient demographics, diagnosis, medication history, and vast medical notes. The company is already working with health systems to deliver routine brain care for a growing aging population. Early detection of diseases such as Alzheimer’s treatments will accelerate new approaches to drug discovery and development.

• e4health fills expertise gaps in IT, HIM, coding, and CDI. When provider organizations face management issues and bandwidth concerns, the company provides expert resources to complete projects and achieve departmental goals on time and within budget. From legacy data conversion for new EHR implementations to staffing vacancies, e4Health delivers the highest levels of healthcare expertise alongside a relentless commitment to integrity and data accuracy. Their teams ensure consistent quality, accuracy, and productivity for the customers served.

• Like the “smart home,” eVideon is championing hospital smart room technology and digital workflow. The company’s flagship product, Vibe Health, automates clinical workflow, facilitates enhanced communication, and transforms care environments into personalized and interactive spaces. The solutions include an in-room Smart TV, digital whiteboard, digital door sign, and bedside tablet, redefining traditional care settings. These technologies integrate with the hospital’s Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system and other technologies, making real-time information accessible to patients, families, and the care team. Medika Life readers can access their Smart Room Technology Playbook— to understand how technology saves nurses time and improves the care experience.
• HCTec provides IT services to over 1,500 academic medical centers, health systems, community hospitals, critical access hospitals, and other healthcare provider organizations nationwide. HCTec teams offer health information technology expertise across clinical and business applications, data, security, and other technical services. With some 500 team members and decades of combined health experience, HCTec is highly KLAS-rated, providing healthcare IT staffing, managed services solutions, and EHR services.

America has a significant obesity challenge – a public health epidemic that is a tipping point to heart disease, diabetes and stroke. New medications called GLP-1 are a new class of medications and a partial solution – they address weight-key symptoms of the problem. They do not address the underlying diseases or modify the patient’s mindset long-term. Some other pathway is needed! Enter Intellihealth, a startup software solution that effectively scales obesity management and tackles weight management, risk management, comorbidities, diabetes, cancer, and heart and respiratory disease impact. The American Medical Association classifies obesity as a disease, but the US health system is no match for its prevalence.

• The “value-based care” buzzword continues to enter the health economics conversation.  Interwell Health, a kidney care management company, has impressive roots – formed from the merger of the value-based care division of Fresenius Medical Care North America with Cricket Health – and may be among the better examples demonstrating how information can guide physicians and staff to prioritize care decisions for people with chronic kidney disease care to end-stage kidney disease.  So far, the company has proven its ability to improve outcomes and deliver better quality of life for people while reducing the cost of care for payer partners and providing the resources physicians need to navigate a value-based world – all at scale.

• We need more information. TED Founder Richard “Saul” Wurman describes data dilemma perfectly in his bestselling book titled “Information Anxiety.”  The US healthcare system places tremendous weight on the shoulders of health providers to obtain, manage, and share clinical data. If health professionals need a remedy for their anxiety, MRO understands data exchange challenges between providers and payers.  MRO has been a key clinical data exchange player for some 20 years, modernizing health information analog and manual processes. The company is lightening the load for customers, and the proof is that it connects more than 200 EHRs, 200,000 providers, 35,000 practices, and 900 hospitals, drawing data from more than 1.3 billion clinical records.

NourishedRx is a purpose-centered digital health and nutrition company that has become a public health voice working to improve outcomes, lower medical costs and advance health-equity goals. Diet-related chronic conditions account for almost 20% of all US health care costs—particularly for people facing food insecurity and diet-related health conditions that can be tracked through blood pressure and HbA1c, NICU admissions and LBW births, pre-term births, depression, and more. Mission-centered NourishedRx is not a food bank! Its highly personalized model structures service through the lens of “food as medicine.” Its operating system is also a call to action—health and health equity—one meal, one individual, and one community at a time. Its customers are surprising—savvy payers who recognize that without access to healthy nutrition, vulnerable people at risk for non-communicable diseases are almost certain to tip into the abyss of illness.

Lauren Driscoll is the founder and CEO of NourishedRx and a Medicare Advantage expert. She founded NourishedRx in 2019 to support health plans’ efforts to address their members’ most actionable and critical non-clinical needs — nutrition and social isolation. Information can be linked to life-saving interventions. NourishedRx demonstrates that possibility.

There’s no clear consensus on whether ADHD is over- or under-diagnosed. However, it is universally understood that timely and accurate assessment can prevent emotional and academic struggles among children and teens.  Getting it right is hindered by a lack of standardized diagnostic tests. Qbtech is transforming objective ADHD care through a technology-first approach that augments professional care. Like many ViVE attendees in the busy hallways and crowded exhibit halls, Qbtech takes a practical solutions approach to health-sector challenges.  Its Food and Drug Administration cleared for marketing computer-based tasks monitoring system brings new perspectives to evaluation and treatment, and decision-makers welcome the 15-20 approach to initial assessment.  The system has been adopted across 43 US states and by organizations such as the NHS in the United Kingdom. Outcomes data appears in over 35 independent studies.

• Sendero is a management consulting firm that guides strategic planning, digital transformation, and organizational effectiveness. Sendero healthcare practice was developed to help clients navigate the industry’s complex and frequently changing operations, experience, and technology enablement challenges. The consulting group brings objective thought combined with years of experience to clients from project ideation through implementation so that health systems can maintain their focus on essential high standards and adapt to deliver solid patient experience, support employees, and engage in evolving waves of innovation. Objectivity and knowledge are precious resources.

• Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, the Chief Transformation Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at Sheba Medical Center, was on hand during VIVE.  Sheba is Israel’s largest medical center and a top-ranked Newsweek hospital. Dr. Zimlichman is the founder and director of the Sheba ARC (Accelerate, Redesign, Collaborate) Innovation Hub. This global innovation ecosystem aims to redesign the health system through digital health innovation. Here, Sheba was wearing a different health system hat. ARC is creating innovation communities worldwide and in locations where, beyond transformation, innovation can address social determinants of health, such as economics, education, and life experience. 

Sheba is also a “paperless-wide” health system: no faxes or massive file systems.  The health system can impact more than physical health. They can inspire young people to pursue careers in technology and reduce the carbon impact of hospitals to improve the environment.

• Tegria is a global healthcare consulting and services company partnering with provider and payer organizations to unleash their potential to contribute to a healthier future collaboratively. Like others, it delivers end-to-end solutions to help clients avoid economic strife that is too common among health systems and secure growth. But here, they are not wishes or empty words.  Tegria has over 1,500 professionals with technology expertise working alongside 500 clients in North America and Europe.

“When we invest in technology, we invest in partnerships and define our priorities,” said Ray Gensigner, MD, Tegria chief medical officer, responding to Medika Life. “Technologies must demonstrate a clear potential to benefit patients and healthcare providers simultaneously. To be on my investment radar, technologies should have credible validation and promise to make a tangible difference,” he added.

• The financial reports of the hospital system reflect the growing number of struggling care systems. Information is the lifeblood of patient care – but it’s also the navigational tool for hospital executives to build sustainable systems. ViVe was the setting for breaking news.  TruBridge is a new player on the scene with a heritage that spans four decades.  Numerous companies joining legacy company CPSI as acquisitions have united under this new brand identity.

While the name is new, the company continues to offer highly regarded revenue cycle management (RCM) solutions that enhance productivity and integrate financial operations across acute to post-acute and ambulatory settings. But rallying all its companies under one corporate identity clarifies for customers how TruBridge services, products and talent weave together and project the scale and strength of a mega sector player.

• On the go? 98point6 Technologies. has refocused its talent and time, making its AI-powered technology and software available to providers to expand access to care and improve patient engagement since the sale of its Care Delivery Division a year ago to Transcarent. In many ways, this renewed business focus secures 98point6 place as one of the nation’s leading virtual care platforms for patients and their physicians to connect when on the move. Its flagship 98point6 Technology Platform provides cloud-based software combining augmented intelligence with automated practice standards and EHR integration.  

At a time when primary care services are needed more than ever to stem the tide of non-communicable illnesses, 98point6 Technologies are a needed bridge between brick-and-mortar physicians’ services and consumers who now think hybrid and expect the world to respond to their flexible needs.

• Viz.ai harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve patient outcomes. Its FDA-cleared algorithms analyze medical imaging data, including CT scans, EKGs, and echocardiograms, and have the potential to provide real-time insights that accelerate diagnosis and treatment. The Viz Platform autodetects possible disease presence across therapeutic areas, including neurovascular, cardiovascular, trauma care, and radiology. Diagnosis sits at the heart of treatment – do that faster and more accurately, and physicians can do their best work with greater confidence and less stress.  This is not a “success is just around the corner technology.”  Already, Viz.ai has been adopted by more than 1,500 US hospitals – perhaps on its way to becoming a sector standard.

****

The concept of the future is always inviting and exciting. Futurists are rarely wrong.  It isn’t easy to judge what remains intangible. The difference between invention and innovation is scaled customer application.  AI, ChatGPT, and GenAI applied play to the strengths of the curious and bold. Using these technologies democratizes information for humanity’s benefit. The tools can improve care, increase workflow efficiency, and lower spiraling health costs.  This is all happening right now. 

The companies included in this ViVE summary are helping the health system and their customers deliver transformational health technology today. That may seem less “edgy” than tomorrow’s shiny object, but all ideas are judged by their impact and sales. Follow these companies who are paving the way for improved care delivery.

The post Is Innovation an Overused Idea? ViVE is Home to Real-World Health-System Evolution! appeared first on Medika Life.

Last year, Medika Life published a piece titled The Top 20 AI Voices to Watch, and most of the thought leaders, influencers, and theorists featured continue to demonstrate why they lead the AI conversation. Among those key voices – Tom Lawry and John Nosta – have focused on why conversation must center around “not will be” rather than what is!  What is happening with this technology right now to improve the system and human health?  Nosta points to how AI is an extension of the health professionals’ cognitive abilities, and Lawry reinforces that health systems that adapt and implement remain ahead of the care curve.

Too much of the side conversation distracts from the reality that AI isn’t a future shock; it’s happening – it’s been happening – now and for decades and is impacting health professionals’ abilities to rise to higher levels of performance and contribution within their communities. 

We had a chance to sit down with one of those market leaders whose ideas and organization are demonstrating the efficient value of AI to make medical diagnoses more timely, efficient, and effective.  Joseph Mossel, Co-founder and CEO of Ibex Medical Analytics is an engineer, entrepreneur, and supply chain workflow expert and has been partnering with pathologists, health systems, and pharmaceutical companies to add speed and reduce the human stressors around accurate diagnosis.

Medika Life sat down with Mossel to explore how he and his team at Ibex bring real-time practical value to the pathologist’s workflow and world and, in doing so, bring an authoritative voice and application to their output.

Conversation with Joseph Mossel – Ibex Medical Analytics

Gil Bashe, Editor-in-Chief, Media Life: People often discuss augmented intelligence – AI – as “futuristic” or theoretical technology. Then, there is abundant conversation about AI’s pros and cons. Can it replace skilled medical professionals?  But, as you and Ibex AI demonstrate, it accelerates critical analysis – sustains human life, and enhances research decisions. Your company’s customers embrace this “thinking” technology to improve workflow and reduce throughput stress. Perhaps most important is its ability to amplify critical thinking skills to provide deeper understanding. 

People want to understand how leaders take this technology, manage vast amounts of information, and operationalize it. You turn a wealth of information into practical business and clinical solutions that sustain and save lives. Do you agree with that basic premise?

Joseph Mossel, CEO, Ibex: Yes, I do. When we looked at this field, we saw a huge opportunity to do something that had not been done before by applying AI to pathology. While it’s been done successfully in radiology, digitization in pathology is far more recent, presents unique challenges, and offers significant opportunities for the research and clinical care communities. For us, it was crucial to feel that we were doing something meaningful and helping improve people’s health globally.

What’s interesting about Ibex is that our founders come from a computer science background. We set out to harness the technology within a clinical environment. But we were true to the goal of helping patients and physicians. This singular focus guided us throughout our journey to do something meaningful and, as you note, practical.

Bashe: Pathology, traditionally involved in examining wet slides under a microscope, now embraces digitization. You were applying computer science and thinking through an idea that would transform an insight-driven medical profession that navigates within a larger physician community.

When you and your co-founder began this journey, did you study the entire process, from sample collection to the pathology lab’s inner workings to how patient-centered professionals use these data? What was your approach to understanding and improving this sector?

AI Isn’t Only About Data – It’s Also Work Flow Change

Mossel: More than that. We come from a background that requires understanding how to build products that improve throughput and output. It’s in our DNA. This isn’t just about analyzing data; it’s about having products running in the market, accomplishing an engineering feat and a successful user experience. A lot of sector knowledge is core to the company’s DNA.

As we looked at pathology, three questions drove what we were doing:  

1. The pathology lab resembles a sophisticated factory with advanced machinery and highly trained technicians.  We wondered how to improve this (life-sustaining) factory—even considering how the experts’ experience improved.
2. How do we capture mistakes early to reduce professional anxiety?
3. How do we ensure the right cases get the right priority? We explored the steps, bottlenecks, challenges, and the IT status and infrastructure of the pathology lab.

The next set of questions is clinical. We needed to understand what happened after this sophisticated “factory” had completed its initial work. How is the information used in patient care or research?  How can it be prepared and offered so that it continues to advance within the decision-making process?

The slides are already there, and a pathologist is looking through, historically, the microscope, now on a computer screen, and conducting the analysis. The key is understanding the clinical questions pathologists must answer and having confidence in their observation beyond a black-and-white diagnosis. That is much more complex than just saying whether cancer cells are present or not.  It adds value to this professional’s presence in the care or research process.

Our goal is to identify tasks where AI excels, like counting cells, and tasks where human expertise shines, such as spotting very small, suspected regions. AI can ensure that everything is scanned and nothing is missed, highlighting interesting areas and ensuring the pathologist can confidently examine.  Augmented Intelligence, in this case, is not replacing the pathologist; it’s helping them do their job – the function that makes them essential in clinical care – even better.

If the Benefits Are Clear Change Is Possible

Bashe: No matter how valuable the idea or technology is, sometimes the culture of a community can create roadblocks to change. As an engineer with computer science and product development expertise, you understand the pathologist’s role as an ally to allied health professionals and as your customer. You have the keen ability as an engineer who understands computer science and building products, which means you understand customer expectations.

There is often a feeling that physicians feel threatened by AI; what was your experience sitting down with your advisors? What comments or feedback were you getting from those people?

Mossel: My view might be biased as I primarily meet with people already inclined toward using AI. The main reason I hear from early adopters is that pathologists are struggling to cope with their field’s increasing complexity, and they are genuinely open to help.

One of the things that we hear from many of our users is that it reduces stress levels. It also just helps them get through the cases faster. There’s less buildup of what they physically have on their desk – slides waiting to be made, for example – which adds stress.

But there’s an even deeper element: they don’t need to go home with this feeling at the end of the day. ‘What did I miss today? Was there something I didn’t see?”

So there’s always these remaining questions, and I think we’re helping them sleep better at night. In general, we make the experience of being a pathologist meaningful – even crucial to the next part of the patient’s journey. We’re not at all considering replacing pathologists. We’re focused on making their experience and clinical voices more authoritative.

Bashe: Technology augments the skills of health professionals; it doesn’t replace them. The human deploys or calls upon the technology to provide a greater value to the system, the patient, and the referring physician, and it becomes a much more authoritative voice because they’re championing it. They’re channeling their wisdom through technology.

Ibex chose to focus specifically on cancer diagnosis. Was that a personal, strategic, or market-driven choice? Because of the ability of the technology? Can we say, ‘Wow, it’s not that they have this type of cancer, from the molecular structure in the staging, it’s this type of cancer, and therefore, we’re best to go with this type of clinical approach’?

Paving the Pathway for Precision Medicine

Mossel: Yes, we are paving the way for precision medicine. I think that’s the third driving question for what we’re doing. One revolves around efficiency and the other concerns clinical quality. We primarily do that with our partnerships; we partner with pharmaceutical companies to use this information. 

Data coming out from pathology drives new insights that pathologists can’t do alone. We are finding these important clinical questions that guide treatment. The key here is getting your hands on the correct data sets that allow you to build what we like to call AI markers, like biomarkers, by analyzing these slides quantitatively, which is different from how a human pathologist does it, and putting this into a machine learning framework, generating novel predictions, creating novel tests.

Why cancer? First of all, you’re right. It doesn’t have to be about the technology. Pathology is not just about cancer; technology lends itself to anything. I think that the answer to your question is all of the above; some of it has to do with firsthand experiences with family members who had cancer. Cancer isn’t everything pathologists do, but it’s undoubtedly the most critical, meaningful, and at the heart of the profession.

If you tie it back to therapeutics, determining the right therapy is where the most significant need and opportunity resides. I see us expanding to other disease areas. Clinical diseases also vary. The diagnosis is a determinant of pathology, and we can certainly go into those domains. We are not limited just to cancer, but still, we think of ourselves as a cancer diagnostic.

Bashe: Cancer is the third major cause of death in the world. 72% of disease deaths relate to what they call noncommunicable diseases. Cancer has a substantial economic impact. If we could get to a correct diagnosis earlier, we could deploy treatments earlier; the fastest or quickest institutions to deploy technologies that make their people smarter, faster, more effective, and more efficient are often major academic medical centers.

Does this type of technology make academic medical centers more important to the biopharmaceutical industry because the quality of the data the department shares is more specific?  Will it make the data more valuable to pharmaceutical companies when submitting new medications?

Mossel: The way to think of it is that AI is, in a way, creating a new modality of data: the ability to extract quantitative objective features from vast information. When you work with human pathologists in a clinical trial, they’re much more limited in the amount and objectivity of the data they can get on the site. So yes, you create this new, much richer, more objective information set. You can do more sophisticated machine learning AI on this data and introduce new insights.

Interestingly, the most significant successes are from academic centers. We work with many, though much of our work is with community commercial pathology labs. These are the backbone centers that oversee high volumes. People in the community commercial pathology labs feel the most pain and stress.  Most of our success is in this domain.

AI Can Advance Health Equity

One of the biggest motivators for our actions is how we help promote health equity. If you’re a pathologist at one of these academic centers, you are well-trained with particularly good colleagues surrounding you. You have a fellow doing all your cases in advance of your searches. There’s a strong support network around you. If you’re a pathologist in a commercial lab, you work alone and don’t have the same level of support. We bring this lab our technology, which was trained by some of the world’s best pathologists and help drive up the quality. Most pathology cases go through these labs, and we are helping them—most people who don’t get their pathology sent out to Brigham and Women’s here in Boston.

Bashe: This is a two-pronged health equity front. Ibex enables the community-based or private lab pathologist to share equality with the state-of-the-art academic medical center’s pathology department. So, David equals Goliath when it comes to clinical output or throughput.

There is also the potential that people who often receive sub-optimal care, the Black, Indigenous Americans diagnostic, can get the same quality oversight as someone who has the private resources to go to Mass General or New England Deaconess or Dana Farber Cancer Center; they’re going to get the same quality review of their pathology data. This type of technology, deployed widely, can be a great equalizer in terms of both the ability of the pathologist to perform and feel comfortable about that, but also the ability of people who may have significant health risks to think that their data had the same oversight as someone from a different zip code. Is that accurate?

Mossel: Yes. This works within a specific country where you have a huge demand. This is not theoretical; we have actual numbers backing it up. But you see it within a specific country, the difference between the top academic centers and the periphery. It’s a dichotomy that exists both on a domestic and international level. If you go to the developing world, there is a massive shortage of pathologists, and there is opportunity there. That’s another part of our vision.

Our mission is to ensure that every patient gets the correct diagnosis. Everyone takes it as a given that cancer diagnosis is often wrong, and we do the best we can do. But we are now in a position where technology allows us to go beyond that, overcome these barriers, and make diagnostic errors exceedingly rare. But it’s not just a technological question, right? It’s a question for the healthcare system. For the technology companies, the providers, the payers, and the regulators – everyone needs to get together and solve this problem.

Bashe: You are a CEO, a founder. You’re an operational leader. You’re listening to the customer’s needs; you’re listening to the response. You talked about how you and your colleagues have created products before, and you understand that it has to be packaged, deployed, and used to assess market success. Could you share two or three measures of success from where you sit? What do you think the success measure should be?

Accuracy Decreases Workplace Stress

Mossel: We have one straightforward measure of success for Ibex that can be extended for the entire industry: the number of biopsies that go through our system. We have hard data showing that Ibex knows what we are doing and has proven that the more cases that go through our system, the fewer the diagnostic errors and the greater the efficiency for pathologists. And for us as a company, that’s what we rally around: driving up the usage. Everything will cascade from both the clinical and economic impacts and the success of Ibex as a company.

Bashe:  Joseph, thank you for your insights – practical guidance on how AI accelerates decisions that save lives. You and your colleagues are drilling down into an area that is one of the most expensive areas of health: managing people with cancer. It’s one of the most terrifying diseases, where people want to know that they have an authoritative diagnosis and where pathologists and oncologists don’t want to screw it up. You are enabling people to be much more confident that the information they’re sharing with their patients and their clinical decisions is on point, not because of their own life experience or clinical experience. But the data is there to back them up. It doesn’t get much more practical than that.

Futurists have the advantage of rarely being wrong.  Long after they’ve shared their predictions, the world moves along. People forget, and the edgy on-stage comment is forgotten.  Pathologists can never be wrong. When they are, it’s considered an error – sometimes with dire consequences.  The possibility of combining knowledge – trained and honed – with the aggregated intelligence of pattern recognition offers pathologists and their health professional community an added advantage.  Ibex AI demonstrates not what is possible – what is happening now. 

The concept of the future is always inviting and exciting.  The difference between invention and innovation is scaled application.  AI, ChatGPT and GenAI applied play to the strength of the curious and bold. Using these technologies can democratize information for humanity’s benefit.

The post Don’t Crystal Ball Patients’ Futures – AI Delivers Accuracy Right Now appeared first on Medika Life.

But what of the company that prioritizes using this powerful technology to become more efficient and faster – using powerful tools like ChatGPT and GenAI to primarily bolster the bottom line without adding value? Without policy bumper guards, AI might become a 21st-century dehumanizing sharp pencil in dispassionate bureaucrats’ hands.

“Digital technologies are changing the healthcare sector at an unprecedented pace,” notes Stan Kachnowski, PhD, HITLAB chair and host of the program’s ongoing Innovators Summit 2023 that brings together digital health leaders. “It is a priority area for the health ecosystem at large.”

At the 2023 Fall HITLAB New York City Conference, Downstate Health Science University CEO Dr. David Berger, offered counsel where medical institutions can shift functions that can be replaced by AI-driven tools. Berger shared a simple, thoughtful chart developed by Vineeta Agarwala, MD, PhD, a general partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (known as a16z).

The Timeless Tussle Between Bureaucracy and Humanity

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke recently in London about the sharp double-edged sword of AI in health delivery and why the government will need to create business guidelines:

“AI has the potential to do profound good to develop powerful new medicines to treat and even cure the diseases that have for generations plagued humanity, to dramatically improve agricultural production to help address global food insecurity and to save countless lives in the fight against the climate crisis. But just as AI has the potential to do profound good, it also has the potential to cause profound harm.”   

Why is the Veep worried?  Are her comments overreacting or reacting to people’s irrational fears? Is the administration in Washington sending a message to big businesses that the executive branch sees potential risk to people’s health via AI? This hand-wringing is more than just bluster.  Just look at AI’s entry into the access to care payer process: perhaps an algorithm gone amuck?

UnitedHealthcare and Cigna Healthcare are already facing consumer backlash after claims that these payer behemoths use automated data to deny beneficiaries needed medical care. These allegations have already ignited a broader conversation on how insurers perhaps overly rely on artificial intelligence algorithms when processing claims or prior authorization requests.  

Wounded reputations, customer outcries, and diminished care reinforce why companies must not install AI in the decision-making corporate motherboard at the expense of the human touch. Indeed, having already touched the hot stove, CIGNA stepped forward to acknowledge that human connection is key to maximizing the potential of AI to advance the healing process.

Humanity in the Loop

“Above all else, a human must be in the loop,” suggests Andy Fanning, vice president of intelligent automation, AI enablement, and business transformation at The Cigna Group, in a statement. “Our AI solutions must be used to augment, never replace, the human experience — allowing experts to spend more time in the areas where they can apply their expertise.”

Ever evolving, the health sector is poised to take a giant leap forward by inviting augmented intelligence and large language models like ChatGPT into the fold as technology partners in care decisions, clinical trial design, drug discovery, health information, patient diagnosis, manufacturing medical supply, and, yes, the dicey decision-making process of payer insurance claims. The operative word must remain ‘augment’ – with these new technologies never fully replacing the human element in service of technological potential.

All concerned observers hope smart technologies will advance diagnoses, treatment plans, and preventive care, improve medical records accuracy and refine cost management.  Machine learning algorithms – like newbies on the job scene – require mentors. Technology cannot work in a vacuum.  People must have their hands on its wheel in creating algorithms. 

As the adage goes, “Garbage in, garbage out.” AI applications are only as practical as the cognitive sophistication of their mentor. But who are the people doing the mentoring? Pencil pushers? Bean counters? Compassionate healers? AI and ChatGPT have a prominent place in healthcare, but their absolute power over the delicate balance of humanity in care and corporate objectives is still uncharted territory.  Do we succumb to our fears? Do we embrace inevitable advances, no matter the cost?  That remains a “people” call.

The US and EU are navigating the fine line between intelligent innovation and protecting patient interests as they grapple with regulating GenAI. The outcome of these discussions is pivotal in shaping the future of health, ensuring its safe and responsible integration into medical practice and safeguarding patient well-being and data privacy.

Change is a Perpetual Threat

Always looking around the corner at the future of innovation’s impact on humanity, John Nosta, a global health and technology go-to, writes in Psychology Today:

“The intersection of AI and human cognition is as much about philosophy and ethics as it is about technology. If history is any guide, every significant technological advancement brings with it societal trepidation. The printing press, electricity, and the internet all were met with a mix of awe and apprehension. The introduction of AI into our cognitive domain is no different.”

For centuries, change has threatened the status quo – how we live and earn our livelihoods.  Blacksmiths faced the horseless carriage with understandable fear. Today, toll booth clerks and fast-food workers see automated toll and ordering systems as a threat. Innovation will often create employment disruption. It will also help us to redeploy talent in new ways.

Almost 50 years ago, physicians fought the passage of legislation establishing Medicare and Medicaid with full-page New York Times ads. For most, it signaled the rise of “socialized medicine” and the end of their decision-making power. Today, it’s embraced by Americans – regardless of political affiliation – as a social benefit and a fundamental right.  AI is the health professionals’ new nemesis. It might question their clinical calls or offer added perspective. As baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra said, “The future ain’t what it used to be.”

We must not draw lines of entrenchment in the necessarily symbiotic relationship between empathy and augmented intelligence. The yearning for healing and the desire to heal has always called upon human touch, compassion, and knowledge. AI offers the greatest potential to serve as an extension of our intellectual, experiential, and emotional capabilities of any technological innovation we’ve seen to date.

ChatGPT and GenAI provide tremendous value, but they should be tools to enhance and complement human capabilities rather than replace them.

Empathy is at the Heart and Soul of Health

To understand the profound significance of human empathy in health, we must first acknowledge its irreplaceable role. Empathy is the cornerstone of effective patient care. It’s the ability to understand and recognize the feelings of the “other,” offering solace, compassion, and a comforting presence when people and their families face medical challenges.

When someone receives a life-altering diagnosis or undergoes a challenging medical procedure, the human touch provides reassurance and support. Empathetic clinicians, with their ability to connect on an emotional level, instill trust, alleviate fear, and foster a healing connection. No machine, no matter how intelligent, can replicate the power of human empathy.

AI and ChatGPT as Extensions of Human Capabilities

But AI and ChatGPT, in particular, may take a front seat in healthcare. They serve as invaluable extensions of our cognitive abilities. These technologies excel in tasks that require vast data analysis, pattern recognition, and information retrieval. By handling the data-intensive aspects of health synthesis, health professionals can focus on what they do best—providing amazing medical (and compassionate) care.

AI is not a competitor but a collaborator. It can sift through mountains of medical data, identify trends, and suggest potential treatment options, enabling healthcare providers to make more informed decisions. AI can rapidly process radiological images, analyze genetic data, consider the possibilities of undiagnosed rare diseases, and even predict disease outbreaks, all of which contribute to more accurate diagnoses and better patient outcomes.

One of the world’s most forward-looking thinkers on AI in medicine is Tom Lawry, former national director of AI at Microsoft, author of the business bestseller Hacking Healthcare, and now an advisor to health leaders suggests:

“Generative AI is the latest flavor of many flavors of what’s known as artificial intelligence. So, I like keeping things simple. So to your point, let’s assume AI is really related to IT systems, the sense, comprehend, act and learn. Probably, more importantly, it’s intelligence demonstrated by software with the ability to depict or mimic human brain functions. And I want to emphasize mimic human brain functions, not replace.”

Acknowledging this delicate dance is critical to harnessing the full potential of ChatGPT and GenAI in health. AI can enhance health efficiency and accuracy. Yet, it should always work in conjunction with human empathy. The two can harmoniously coexist, with AI as a valuable tool in the healthcare provider’s toolkit.

We must ensure that technology remains a faithful servant of empathy, not a quick and efficient replacement. AI can handle repetitive tasks and hone data-driven insight – it can scrape data from unwieldy electronic medical records.  But human touch provides emotional support, compassion, and a connection that cannot be replicated. ChatGPT can make the consumer seeker comfortable mining information around sensitive and potentially embarrassing questions. But getting medical help requires a relationship between healer and seeker.

Cognitively Sharp Physicians and the Future of Patient Care

Cognitively sharp individuals embracing AI and ChatGPT as extensions of their abilities can leverage technologies most effectively. More and more medical schools will need to shift their curricula to focus on the psychological power of empathy in healing and patient adherence. More and more physicians – with their iconic white coats and rank-signaling stethoscopes – will need to hone people skills to secure their positions as medical superstars.

AI will assist in diagnosing complex diseases, suggesting personalized treatment plans, and even providing real-time information during surgical procedures. When healthcare professionals integrate AI into their workflow, they become empowered with a wealth of data-driven insights, enabling them to make more precise decisions and deliver better patient care.

The Needed Partnership

The connection between human empathy and AI is not a zero-sum game. The essence of humanity in health delivery will continue to lead the way, with AI acting as a supportive ally. The health industry will thrive in this ever-evolving landscape by calling for a harmonious balance between providers’ emotional intelligence and AI’s fact-finding possibilities. United, human and machine will drive innovation, improve patient outcomes, and ensure humanity remains at the heart of health. In the delicate dance between human empathy and AI, the patient must always be the center of our focus and the defining voice that guides response.

The post The Defining Dance Between Empathy and GenAI in Health appeared first on Medika Life.

HLTH has joined the roster of the must-attend plug-in industry meetings to exchange ideas and tackle sector-wide challenges.  Attracting 10,000 people, it’s quickly become the replacement oasis for companies who once made San Francisco and JP Morgan their go-to roadshow stop.  Here, leaders focus less on the financial side of their businesses and more on game-changing ideas, health challenges that must be raised on the multiple stages, and the pursuit of B2B partnerships.

But HLTH is more than just the medical watering hole of US-based hospital systems and health technology companies. It’s become a place for global innovators to rub shoulders with smaller enterprises to tap into the brain trust at the meeting and secure pilot programs and clients. 

Israel As An Innovation Culture

The Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute (IEICI) has long served as the organizing body for Israeli life science companies looking to debut publicly or strengthen ties within the HLTH (and its newer sister meeting ViVE) meeting.  

The IEICI Health Tech Sector is at the forefront in matching the more than 1,000 Israeli life science companies with potential worldwide partners.  It’s a task – based on the country’s success – that has gotten easier and easier.  Over the years, an abundance of Israeli companies have been sought and acquired by larger US-headquartered counterparts.

Israel’s health innovation ecosystem is characterized by a strong emphasis on research and development, focusing on fields such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, digital health, and biotechnology. The country has a disproportionate number of engineers and a vast network of outstanding global academic institutions, including renowned universities like the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Weizmann Institute of Science, that are incubator launching pads for biomedical innovation and pharma-industry research collaborations.

US and Israeli Health Tech Agreements Fast Forward

Israeli startups have been instrumental in developing breakthrough technologies and treatments, from telemedicine to augmented intelligence, precision medicine and virtual and medical imaging. These innovations continuously improve health within Israel, home to Sheba Medical Center, one of Newsweek’s leading global hospital systems. They are exported globally, contributing to the country’s economy and worldwide standing as a top business development partner.

For Start-Up Nation attendees, the Las Vegas mega meeting comes on the heels of Israeli and US government leaders signing agreements that advance food security, drug and medical device licensing, public health collaboration around future pandemics, behavioral health, digital health, and the integration of augmented intelligence into the health ecosystem. HLTH was timed perfectly for follow-up conversations.

Israeli Health Exhibitors Face an Urgent Dilemma

While planning their travel to HLTH was long set, Israeli innovation champions faced an unbelievably sudden tornado of violence that has stunned the world – the massive attack by Hamas terrorists along its Southern border and endless barrages of rockets targeting its civilian centers. Sadly, that is not new to Israel. But, as HLTH planned to kick off on Sunday, October 8^th, a country known for its life-saving innovation faced a vastly different situation.

Just as Israel was deploying its Iron Dome technology as a shield against waves of incoming missiles, the terrorist group Hamas launched a massive simultaneous ground attack against civilian villages around its shared border with Gaza.  An IEICI delegation looking forward to being at HLTH and networking with others needed to pivot and make urgent changes to their travel plans.  Some were already in the States for pre-HLTH meetings; others learned that homes were under siege and their young adults were being mobilized for defense. Their decisions were clear.  Some remained in Israel, and others ran for US airports to secure the last seats on flights headed home to their beleaguered nation.

The remaining Israeli delegates seem in a fog—pained and worried about their family’s well-being. Some expressed concern for the Palestinian people who, for too many years, have been under the thumb of warlord-like terrorist rulers and need change.

Israel’s unofficial ambassador for health innovation and founder and curator of mHealth Israel, a 20,000 community, Levi Shapiro, issued a post today supporting the country’s HLTH delegation.

“A difficult moment for Israelis…To my friends attending HLTH in Las Vegas, consider something unique for a trade show- find someone at the Israel pavilion, ask them how they are doing, and give them a big HUG. It means a lot right now.”

[We have not learned – or asked – IEICI delegates whether family members are missing or worse. The pain etched on people’s faces illuminated their anxiety and worries about family, friends and business colleagues. But Israeli businesses that Medika Life has written about in the past are grappling with the tragedies that have struck their community.]

Responding to the Horror in Israel

The HLTH organizers rallied to their Israeli counterparts in Las Vegas. Concern for their wellbeing – emotional and physical – has been a priority.  The organization moved immediately to express support on its social media channel and encouraged meeting attendees to donate to the country’s emergency medical services.

“We are heartbroken for all the innocent people affected by the tragic events happening in Israel over the past few days. Among the international community at HLTH this year, we have over 100 attendees and sponsors from Israel, – including companies who are part of the Israel Export Institute Pavilion – some of whom are not able to make the event as a result. Our hearts are with all of those who have been affected. We stand with the many people and nations around the world that are currently under attack and being deprived of the freedoms we have today.

HLTH will be making a donation to the “AFMDA,” which is Israel’s National Paramedic and Red Cross Service. We encourage all of you to donate what you can. Please join us in donating here.”

Companies On the Innovation Radar Screen

The IEICI delegation and other Israeli companies attending cover the gamut of health innovation. Whether their exhibits were staffed and quickly abandoned as they headed home, all these companies should be on the radar screens of those looking to advance patient care and clinical decision-making. Here are some of those companies that caught my attention:

• 6Degrees, a wearable technology with an AI-driven intelligent controller that hones its ability to understand individual motion capabilities, enables people with upper limb disabilities to reclaim their digital lives. The motion-based controller translates movements into computer commands for any operating system or smart device. The founders saw the challenges of wounded veterans as an inspirational spark.
• Appscent Medical is tackling a health problem with a growing recognition of sleep apnea as a life-threatening respiratory condition impacting more than 900 million people worldwide. This medical device combines an AI diagnostic non-contact platform to monitor a patient’s breathing and sleep patterns. When approved for marketing by the Food and Drug Administration, it may become an alternative to the cumbersome CPAP machine.
• Belong.Life is a HLTH veteran. The company has become a global leader in patient engagement and the world’s largest cancer and multiple sclerosis and patient social and professional network and treatment platform.  But more than bringing these large communities together for confidential conversation, Belong.Life provides a practical service that accelerates drug trial patient recruitment and therapy adherence.  The big news has been the introduction of “Dave” – the world’s first real-time conversational AI oncology mentor providing empathetic and personalized answers to questions and concerns about cancer. For followers of decentralized clinical trials, Dave, along with Tara, a clinical trial AI assistant, (and Belong.Life) may be a vital ally in helping the process.
• Datos Health has its roots in consumer market insights. That genesis may explain why this automated remote care platform has moved fast to connect consumers with their providers and deliver hybrid healthcare across acuity or care-level situations with an ability to integrate with almost any EMR. While EPIC is the dominant health information platform, many other institutions, such as Amazon’s One Medical, have created their own system.  Datos Health flexibility and its “Design Studio” enable the company to develop remote care programs from the drawing board up or tap into a client’s existing protocols.
• Ibex Medical Analytics is transforming cancer diagnostics with world-leading clinical grade AI-powered solutions for pathology. Empowering physicians and supporting pathologists, Ibex is on a mission to provide accurate, timely and personalized cancer diagnosis for every patient. Ibex’s Galen™ is the first and most widely deployed AI-powered platform in pathology. Pathologists worldwide use Galen™ as part of their everyday routine to improve the accuracy of cancer diagnosis, implement comprehensive quality control measures, reduce turnaround times and boost productivity with more efficient workflows.
• IntraPosition looks to improve the hospital’s operational system – the supply chain of patient care.  The company offers a real-time location system technology with monitoring and analytics that keeps health professionals and hospital systems in the know. Israel has one of the world’s best and most efficient operating systems – from EMRs to supply chain management.  The IntraPosition technology has been tried and tested in a high-performing environment.
• Kahun AI engine runs a tailored literature search for each patient based on its incredible library of more than 30 million evidence-based medical insights. Developing technology following the building blocks physicians are trained in, the Kahun system does not rely on its vast library alone – it draws on patient input. It offers providers recommendations to consider for further evaluation in patient care.
• Kemtai offers a real-time feedback and corrective guidance system for physical therapists and rehabilitation specialists that identifies and analyzes patients’ exact movements by tracking 111 body motion data points. As more and more preventive treatment – geared to avoid surgeries – is a first effort by payers and even orthopedists to understand how movement may exasperate already worrisome and painful problems. Like many of the newer technologies appearing in the field, Kemtai does not use wearables to collect data. Its system requires no special hardware, sensors or devices.
• Maverick Medical AI focuses on one of the more essential aspects of the health system – the medical coding that influences reimbursement and the economic sustainability of health systems and practices. Using AI to reduce mistakes and address payer and provider needs, it claims to offer the industry’s first 85 percent direct-to-bill rate accuracy.  
• Neteera is a Food and Drug Administration-reviewed contactless remote patient monitoring platform that includes heart and respiratory rate and bio-data behavioral patterns.  What’s unique is that there is no camera or microphone, so the platform is HIPAA- and GDPR-compliant for maximal privacy.
• QuantalX Neuroscience has developed a device to help neurologists, clinical trial champions, and patient communities through real-time diagnostic capabilities that detect neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s, Small Vessels Disease, Stroke and Vascular Dementia.  Perfecting electrophysiological imaging is possible through high-resolution magnetic pulses. The Delphi–MD device could evolve into a detection standard for early neurologic biomarkers.
• RespirationScan may provide an efficient, life-saving use for AI – using digital information technology to diagnose pneumonia in patients through exhaled breath and combining “cheminformatics and AI to engage respiratory disease.  The company’s software finds biomarkers in breath and correlates them to VOCs, gases emitted into the air from products or processes that can alert physicians to medical risks.
• Nerivio by Theranica is the first and only Food and Drug Administration-cleared wearable device approved for ages 12 years and up for migraine treatment and prevention that works safely and effectively by activating natural pain pathways to inhibit migraine and associated symptoms.  The company has been dedicated to investing in a continuous flow of research to reinforce its clinical outcomes.
• XOLTAR tackles one of the health sector’s most vexing problems – patient medication adherence.  The challenge of patients to understand and follow through on their health providers’ guidance has both survival and economic impact. Combining the precision of technology and the human touch of skilled nursing, XOLTAR tackles the big issue – behavior.  The success of their efforts could fill the financial hole of some $650 billion in lost annual revenues from patients not leaning into the advantages of participating more actively in their care.

The passion to change the course of patient care tapping science and technology was evident among those Israeli health innovation leaders able to attend and those that were rushing to airports. According to Joseph Mossel, Co-Founder and CEO of Ibex Medical Analytics:

“The future of cancer diagnosis is AI-powered. As cancer cases continue to climb while growing in complexity, we face a shortage in pathologists who are struggling to keep up with demand. Supporting a critical need for quality diagnosis, Ibex is catapulting the pathology industry into the AI-driven era, providing clinicians with the tools to ensure that every patient receives a timely, accurate and personalized cancer diagnosis. 2023 has been a record year for our company, with strategic partnerships, live customer deployments and funding, and Ibex has plans to significantly broaden its reach in the coming year.”

HLTH was an out-of-the-park success! The content and speakers were on-point and the use of the exhibit hall as central to the conversations was well-orchestrated.  The incredibly difficult news coming out of Israel was a topic raised repeatedly by attendees concerned about friends made with the Israeli delegation in past years. 

HLTH rose to the challenge by acknowledging the human toll and desire of the community to respond and support a nation well-recognized for its life-changing innovation that has become central to many life science advances. We look forward to following the companies who had planned to attend and share updates.  We look forward to their speedy return to HLTH2024 in Vegas!

The post HLTH2023 is Packed as 10,000 Attendees Fill the Halls – Special Attention on Israel appeared first on Medika Life.

Achievements in science, tech advancements, shifts in health policy, a renewed interest in preventative care, and tackling health disparities can shift how we improve people’s health. Will these topics be front and center at HLTH?  We’ll know more in the days ahead. 

10 Predictions for the HLTH Main Stage

Here are my 10 predictions for health innovation in 2024 that have the potential to transform health – topics that should be woven into the commentary during HLTH mainstage conversations – that can make the most significant impact to improve people’s outcomes, reduce costs, and advance wellness. Let’s see what next weeks social media posts provide that give us indication of the changes ahead.

Prediction 1: AI-Driven Medicine Saves Lives

ChatGPT and AI (augmented intelligence) made their big public splash this year!  However, Microsoft and evangelists such as Tom Lawry and John Nosta have been pointing to AI as a life-sustaining tool in health for years. Surprisingly, “big data and “machine learning didn’t attract the same attention as the newest label – AI!  These technologies enable the development of highly personalized treatment plans based on an individual’s genetic makeup, medical history, and lifestyle and risk factors. AI-driven predictive models will assist health providers in making more accurate diagnoses faster and tailoring treatments for optimal patient outcomes.

Prediction 2: Telemedicine and Virtual Patient Monitoring Go Mainstream

Telemedicine saw unprecedented and “no alternative” growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.  It should continue to see prominence in 2024. Improvements in telehealth infrastructure and regulatory support make virtual consultations with health professionals accessible and efficient. One challenge has been reimbursement for providers compared to in-office visits.  There is a time and place for in-person care and virtual engagement.  Regardless, the urgencies of people in rural and remote communities and preventive care needs make telemedicine and virtual patient monitoring public health priorities.  There is no going back!

Prediction 3: Women’s Health Innovation Prioritized

Women’s health remains under-researched and is barely prioritized by biopharma companies and government-supported research grants. Women comprise half the adult population, but research into women’s health needs is embarrassingly low. The National Institutes of Health directs $42 billion on medical research annually, but only $5 billion of those funds are targeted to women’s health priorities. One global company stands out as a leader – more are needed. In the 1990s, women were more likely to die from their first heart attack compared to men due to gender bias. While those statistics have improved, women still face numerous public policy and care disparities – among the more pressing challenges – reproductive choice. These issues should take center stage and HLTH may be the platform for this long over-due (and urgent) conversation.

Prediction 4: Digital Therapeutics Take Center Stage

Digital therapeutics, including smartphone apps and wearables, will become integral to health intervention and connection. These innovative tools help patients manage chronic conditions, monitor vital signs, and adhere to treatment plans. The gamification of health through digital therapeutics will encourage patient engagement and long-term health outcomes.  Sector leaders, like Click Therapeutics Founder David Klein, are adopting “biopharma” like research models to demonstrate their value to patient care by conducting well-designed clinical trials that show complementary benefits with and with other therapies.  Those enterprises will set the stage for the future of digital therapeutics and redefine the category.

Prediction 5: Health Data Privacy and Security

Despite the hype, consumer-friendly cybersecurity technologies can shift how health data is managed and shared. Patients will have greater control over their health information and records, with the ability to securely share them with health providers, clinical researchers and other stakeholders as needed. Data that cannot be accessed or shared transparency and securely is useless in sustaining and saving lives. Consumers and health professionals need easier ways to protect sensitive health information and streamline data exchange for improved care coordination. EMRs are great if they offer convenient use and application; however, they are too often a jumble of inaccessible information. Security and utility are key! So long (hopefully) fax machine!

Prediction 6: Obesity as a Treatable Disease

Among the most dramatic ways to reduce disease burden and address heart disease, diabetes, respiratory illness, and even some cancers is to take obesity (very) seriously.  It Is not only about weight reduction but understanding that obesity is a domino effect, a multi-system disease. Weill Cornell’s Louis J. Aronne, MD‘s pioneering work recognized early that seeing this only as a “weight problem” underestimates its enormous human health impact. More and more, physicians will need to tap into the expertise of specialists to guide their treatment decisions.  With new medications available, physicians will examine the problem and think about solutions.  However, reducing weight is only part of the clinical response.  Getting it right will save millions of lives and billions in costs.

Prediction 7: Robotics and Automation

Don’t be surprised when robotic technology is increasingly integrated into health systems ORs and patient-care wings. Robots will soon perform set surgical procedures, dispensing medication, and performing patient-care tasks. Watch for Rafael Grossmann, MD, who first used Google Glasses in the OR to push the boundaries on what is possible and needed.  Automation will enhance efficiency, reduce human error, and improve patient safety. Robotic exoskeletons will also aid in rehabilitation and mobility for individuals with physical impairments. But remember the human touch!  While ChatGPT has become a patient favorite in searching out information and robotics will transform the patient experience, people’s confidence in skilled medical professionals remains paramount.

Prediction 8: Mental Health Priorities

There is a long-needed shift toward destigmatizing mental health issues and increasing access to mental health services. AI-powered chatbots and virtual therapists will provide on-demand support, while data analytics can identify at-risk individuals and tailor interventions. Virtual reality therapies will increasingly become a mainstream treatment option for anxiety and PTSD.  Services and upskilling are becoming an investment and professional-development priority.  However, while tech has a place in the process, there is something to be said for developing a personal relationship with a licensed psychologist or licensed clinical social worker skilled in face-to-face therapy. It’s always about caring for people!

Prediction 9: Global Collaboration for the Next Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of global collaboration in addressing public health emergencies. In 2024, international cooperation and data sharing must be at the forefront of pandemic preparedness. A global surveillance network will provide early warning systems, and rapid vaccine development platforms should be established to respond to emerging infectious diseases quickly.  COVID was a test run, and from a public health information standpoint, the developed nations stumbled.  From disappointment comes learning. Collaboration among public health professionals, policymakers, and medical innovators was paramount to the – even stymied – response. 

Prediction 10: Ethical Considerations for Health Innovation

As health innovation advances in 2024, ethical considerations must take prominence. The long overdue pain revealed during COVID must shift mindsets, behaviors and budgets. We must expect increased scrutiny and priority around data privacy, AI bias, health, and attention to racial and gender disparities.  We must set a path for responsible use of emerging technologies. We must recognize that public policy cannot diminish people’s care options. Ethical frameworks and regulations will be developed to ensure that health innovation benefits all people – and all nations – while respecting access, rights, and values.

A Common Call to Action at HLTH

These 10 predictions are a glimpse into the possibilities of what we might hear from speakers during HLTH. AI-driven personalized medicine, telemedicine and virtual patient monitoring, women’s health, digital therapeutics, cybersecurity, obesity management, robotics, mental health innovation, global collaboration, and ethical considerations should be front and center in the conversation to improve people’s health and well-being.  Life is often referred to “as a game.” It’s not. Health access cannot be roulette wheel spin left to chance. It requires advocacy, policy, planning and empathy. Kindness is a human quality that must be given center stage.

Right now, the people who often need preventive and primary care services face the most significant hurdles.  These predictions are based on one underlying principle – health innovation can only achieve its greatest potential when available to those with the greatest needs.  Hopefully, we’ll hear from more and more speakers stepping to the stages at HLTH that shared call to action.

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Along that difficult road is support – a place of respite from the complex environment innovators face – the community of HITLAB, the Health Innovation Technology Lab.  HITLAB is a leading academic research institution focused on improving global healthcare through innovation and technology and housed within Columbia University in New York City and Chaired by Stan Kachnowski, Ph.D. MPA, HITLAB has become a haven for health, technology, and design champions to find common ground.

“The HITLAB Innovation Summit is a dynamic platform where healthcare leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators come together to forge groundbreaking solutions,” reflects Dr. Kachnowski.  “It fosters collaboration, sparks creativity, and drives healthcare transformation through the power of technology and innovation.”

HITLAB academic roots at Columbia set a tone for research and training.  New York City has emerged as a hub for digital health innovation. It is home to more and more startups drawing on the resources of the nation’s financial capital, a close connection to academic medical centers and talent. The Big Apple – like Bean Town Boston – is a strategic epicenter to explore how emerging technologies such as augmented intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) find a meeting point with telehealth and remote patient monitoring through rigorous research, analysis, and design thinking.

Centered Around Cutting-Edge Solutions

At its annual HITLAB Innovators Summit 2023, conversations center around cutting-edge solutions for the digital health community to overcome social determinants of health and unite disparate hospitals’ information systems. The gathering is a digital health sector roadmap to advance health access, address challenges, and improve patient outcomes.

Attendees of this intimate Summit that combines keynotes, panel conversations and scheduling networking are fans!

“The HITLAB Innovation Summit is a game-changer for the healthcare industry. The convergence of technology, innovation, and expertise creates an electric environment that fuels groundbreaking ideas and fosters meaningful collaborations,” says John Anderson, chief technology officer HealthTech Innovations.

While other like-forums have evolved into co-counseling sessions on how to survive EHRs and the heavy life to onboard the 500-pound EPIC gorilla, attendees at HITLAB also learn about “EPIC envy” – where small and community health centers that don’t have the resources to afford this state-of-the-art software find alternative paths tapping into technologies to piece together other ways to track patient care and outcomes.

Also, in hearing from major biopharmaceutical companies such as Merck, Novo Nordisk, and others, digital health innovators can reflect on the importance of ample science to shift the conversation from hype to hope and fact-based cautious optimism.  In turn, big pharma share openly on the main stage how science alone – absent of technology – can fall short in meeting patient information, adherence and care needs. 

As in previous years, the HITLAB Innovation Summit 2023 brings together experts across the health innovation ecosystem, including clinical trials, pharma, private equity, public health, engineering, design, and data science. The diverse community is seeking solutions that integrate health tech – digital therapeutics, health information, and smart devices meaningfully. The gathering’s success lies in bridging the gap between patients, payers, product innovators, policymakers and providers. It enables these communities to connect and accelerate practical solutions that can be implemented in real-world settings.

Presenters are Category Leaders

Presenters are bold and blunt. From Bill Taranto, President, Merck Global Health Initiative Fund, to Dr. David Berger, CEO, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, to David Klein, CEO and Co-founder, Click Therapeutics, to Tim McCarthy, Head of Digital Sciences & Translational Imaging, Pfizer and representatives from public health, venture capital finance, legal and regulatory; the three-day gathering offers a bolus of category knowledge.

“The time is now for this space – a revolution in medicine is about to happen that will shift care to center around patients,” emphasizes Click Founder and CEO David Klein. 

Klein was among the key voices discussing integrating therapeutic choices and that physicians would look more holistically in treating patients with drugs, digital therapeutics and behavioral guidance – focusing on people care satisfaction.  Digital therapeutics must model its efforts akin to biotechnology driven by evidence-based clinical outcomes looking beyond the 510K regulatory milestone for approval.

Actionable Insights

The insights shared will guide business planning decisions among newcomers and veterans to the category.  Among the noted attendees at this year’s HITLAB Innovation Summit is Amir Kishon, Ph.D., CEO of Twig Health. Kishon was among the early pioneers in the sector.

“Healthcare as a regulated industry is somewhat apprehensive about innovation. It is in its DNA. Digital health is challenging this predisposition and the question I ask myself is when this industry will tip to appreciate that innovation is a friend. We are getting there,” notes Kishon.

The program conducts studies and clinical trials that set out the scientific methodology to assess digital health interventions’ efficacy, usability, and safety.  It’s now acknowledged that Food and Drug Administration 510K approval to market for digital applications and therapies is a necessary regulatory threshold; the barrier to success is convincing science as a solid foundation for access that requires payer and provider support and a clear pathway to reimbursement.

Bottomline – it’s about reimbursement and ease of use. In the session What’s Needed for Sustainable Adoption of Digital Health American Medical Association Vice President for Digital Health Strategy, Meg Baron, offered very clear insight into how digital health enterprises can better integrate into the physician’s workflow – the “return on health” to show value.

Beyond the Summit, HITLAB promotes entrepreneurship and innovation in the digital health space. HITLAB is multi-faceted – professional development, accelerator and crowd-sources community for startups and early-stage companies, helping them navigate the complex healthcare landscape, access funding opportunities, and refine their product or service offerings.

In incubating promising ideas, HITLAB fuels the growth of the digital health ecosystem, fostering the development of transformative solutions that address unmet needs and drive positive change. Put the fall meeting on your calendars!

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Surprised? You’re not alone! But the numbers are a tune you won’t forget.  The music industry is a significant contributor to the Nashville economy.  The Country Music Association reports that the music industry generates $10 billion in economic impact annually for the city.  That includes revenue from live music events, music tourism and recording studios.

But even if you add in the sales from hotel reservations and souvenirs, health wins hands down over music when it comes to economic impact. According to the Nashville Health Care Council, the city’s health industry contributes more than $67 billion annually to the region’s economy and employs 325,000 people. This includes health providers, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare IT firms. The health industry is also responsible for nearly 40% of all jobs in the Nashville region.

Nashville is a Given When it Comes to Hosting ViVE

Unsurprisingly, ViVE Events chose Nashville for its second gathering – a city quietly making its mark on the nation’s health system. Nashville is the perfect place for ViVE Events. It attracts change agents and digital health innovators known for their collaborative nature and seeking a friendly setting to exchange ideas and learn from each other.

“This is only the second year for ViVE and the conference is emerging as a big draw. Last year’s event attracted 5,000 people, and this year, ViVE is expected to draw around 7,500,” says Keith Fraidenburg, CHIME executive vice president and chief operating and innovation officer. CHIME is the main driver behind the ViVE gathering, centering around digital health and health information.

“Music City” is home to some of the most prestigious healthcare organizations in the United States, including HCA Healthcare, Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Community Health Systems. These institutions provide world-class medical care to patients from across the country and world and, much like Cambridge, MA, with its proximity to academic medical centers, universities and service supports, serve as engines of innovation for the health innovation sector.

In addition to leading healthcare providers, Nashville is home to a vibrant ecosystem of start-ups and entrepreneurs focused on health innovation. Many companies are spin-offs of HCA Healthcare, which long encouraged staff to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.  Now, the community is supported by local incubators and accelerators like the Nashville Health Care Council, Lifepoint Health, and Frist Cressey Ventures, which all provide resources, connections, and mentorship to help start-ups grow and thrive.

The iconic Tommy Frist Sr., who co-founded HCA Healthcare, and was a longstanding investor in entrepreneurial ventures, helped fuel Nashville’s growth as a national health hub.  “Nashville’s healthcare industry is a critical economic driver for the region, employing tens of thousands of people and generating billions of dollars in economic activity,” said Frist Sr, who died in 1998 and created the foundation for Nashville to be a national health system force: “As a lifelong Nashvillian and founder of one of the region’s leading healthcare companies, I am proud of Nashville’s role in advancing healthcare innovation and improving patient care.”

The concentration of healthcare providers and innovators in Nashville has attracted significant investment, with venture capital firms, legal powerhouse firms such as Waller and private equity groups recognizing the region’s potential for growth and innovation. This investment has super-charged the development of innovative technologies, therapies, and patient care approaches, transforming the healthcare industry.

Nashville’s position as a center for health innovation and provider services is critical to the future of healthcare in the United States. With a collaborative ecosystem of healthcare providers, academic institutions, start-ups, and investors, Nashville is well-positioned to drive new advancements in patient care and access. Its unique combination of expertise, resources, and quality of life makes it an ideal destination for healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs looking to impact the healthcare industry positively.

Start-Up Health Kicks Off at ViVE 2023

Some 100 company leaders were on-hand for the Start Up Health Transformers Unite! 2023 Health Transformer Workshop hosted by Steven Krein, co-founder and managing partner, and Jamey Edwards, chief platform officer of Start-Up Health.  Start-Up Health is a unique model for entrepreneurs seeking the support of an accelerator. 

A community with the rigor of an academy, Start Up Health offers health IT, health tech and wellness entrepreneurs a structure and curriculum to help them navigate the unique challenges – addressing everything from mindset to positioning to raising money to navigate the fragmented health ecosystem.  Now Start Up Health is working to ensure companies accepted into its supportive hive succeed in their missions to build sustainable growth businesses. 

According to Founder Unity Stoakes, “In a world full of limited-scope, short-form, quick-hit business advice, we’re building Health Transformer University with long-term transformation in mind. That means being stage agnostic, unbound by time, and globally connected.”

The ViVE 2023 gathering conversation centered around a clear development model by translating Maslow’s hierarchy of success into four steps for “Achieving Health Moonshots.”

1. Mission & Mindset
2. Rhythm & Progress
3. Relationships & Brand
4. Capital & Impact

The portfolio companies – all impressive – are hand-picked for receiving the time and attention of a leadership team that has graduated successfully from the Start-Up Health incubator community. The approach is working well for those accepted into its program.  Valera Health, offering mental health services, has also received support from Cigna. Another, Avanlee Care, has teamed up with Walmart to apply its technology to support millions of unpaid caregivers. Athelo Health, led by Jessica Thurmond, is pioneering long needed efforts in women’s health. Taking on long-neglected conversations around diagnosis, information access, treatment approaches, the company has launched a biometric-anchored virtual coach for women with breast and gynecologic cancers.

Start Up Health catalyzes long-awaited changes in the global health system.  Here are two profiles among the scores of companies participating in their incubator/accelerator community:

Vigilant Software is working to eliminate one billion common medication errors by digitizing hospital-based drug delivery. In a system still dominated by hand-written medical orders or patient charts – where faxes are still deployed to transmit vital medical information – there are bound to be mistakes – sometimes deadly.  Caring for patients on the floors is one thing.  But, when critical care is needed, analog data shouldn’t be considered a go-to system. Health information technology can be deployed to address urgent care speed.

This Start-Up Health-supported company seeks to help critical care nurses by eliminating workflow steps that often involve translating – or misinterpreting – handwritten instructions. Its automation platform –a proprietary barcode scanner and label printer – eliminates manual calculations so that IV infusions and injections are safer and, by reducing workflow, returns time to patient care.

Vigilant demonstrated that its digital health system could save some 4,000 hours of critical care nursing time annually in a typical American hospital. As hospitals shoulder the burden of nurse staffing shortages and nurse burnout, reducing drug-interaction risks, and automating tasks, have several clear benefits – from saving lives to strengthening staff retention.

equalityMD is changing how the LGBTQ+ community perceives and receives health services. The Start Up Health-guided company has evolved through the years.  First launched in January 2015 as an LGBTQ+ multimedia and marketing company called Q Media, it shifted into an LGBTQ+ consumer behavioral data analytics company. But the pandemic – the pressing need for health services within the LGBTQ+ community – pushed it into its current form as a life-sustaining and saving medical matchmaker. Its founder and CEO, Justin Ayars, JD, a former trial lawyer, recognized a long-standing health equity need and transformed the company into the first virtual LGBTQ+ inclusive healthcare platform.

Using a proprietary machine-learning matching algorithm, equalityMD connects the LGBTQ+ community with culturally competent primary care and mental health providers nationwide. The system seeks to create a safe space on what is likely the virtual first platform where this community can be their authentic selves and receive the care required. Providers complete LGBTQ+ cultural competency training through a third-party ACCME provider and are then invited to onto platform, enabling them to be matched with people seeking care. As an added benefit, providers can receive Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits by participating in these training programs.

equalityMD is certified both as a Benefit Corporation (B-Corp) and LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) – a National LGBT Chamber of Commerce supplier diversity status, is now strengthening ties with Blue Cross Blue Shield, CVS/Aetna, and Cedars-Sinai so that its business model is enduring, scalable and demonstrates outcomes.

Model for Health Innovation Collaboration in a Welcoming City

The CHIME ViVE 2023 model draws in collaborative partners such as Start Up Health. The InteropNow! and Cybersecurity Pavilions, as well as welcoming others such as UC Davis and Galen Growth to use the gathering to share breaking insights (watch for the following ViVE 2023 report), centered around a city of hospitality, fun and health innovation is the perfect medicine for health transformers looking to learn and apply.   

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Blood sugar levels are already routinely monitored in patients with diabetes or those at risk of developing diabetes, but the importance of maintaining stable blood sugar levels for overall health is becoming more widely recognized. Elevated blood sugar levels, even if not high enough to indicate diabetes, may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and other health problems.

As a result, tracking blood sugar levels without diabetes or pre-diabetes may become a tool for managing both disease and wellness. Or perhaps, availability of broader data sets can foster research examine blood glucose levels and trajectory to offer new insights into the pathophysiology of related diseases at earlier points in time.

Digital health has often offered monitoring solutions that reside in the consumers hands (or wrists). And this has certainly been a mixed blessing.  Some tools have provided valuable insights into health.  Yet some have become merely a source of arbitrary information that cannot be translated into clinical value.  Further, this added burden to healthcare providers may further preclude adoption.  But as innovation has taught us, the next big thing can often be close at hand.  The emergence of continuous blood glucose monitoring (CGM) has been transformative for patients.  And the new data sets have given scientists powerful insights into glucose kinetics and insulin administration.   And these insights maybe game-changing with the global concerns of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Your watch is becoming a value tool in wellness and disease management.  And that value is only beginning to be realized and implemented.

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Perhaps all we heard from the title and the take away is “I want it now.” When it comes to science and public health, that’s a mega problem. When do I want it? Now!

Clinical Trials Usually Take Years.  Enter Operation Warp Speed

How long do or should clinical trials take – well, it depends – but often years. Science takes time. It demands rigor and objectivity. It’s not a “now” pursuit. It’s why so many potential medicines fail to advance through clinical stages to our medicine chests as physicians and patients work diligently to evaluate their safety, effectiveness and long-term risks in observational studies. 

For example, the research into drugs to reduce life-threatening high cholesterol spans decades.  Many think of the incredible drugs now available as generic, which fueled continued research. Few think of the game-changing Framingham Heart Study or the groundbreaking and Nobel Prize-level work of scientists Drs. Michael Brown and Joseph Goldstein. There is beauty to science.  In the famed Academy Award-winning movie The Agony and the Ecstasy with Charlton Heston, as Michelangelo and Rex Harrison playing Pope Julius II, Heston’s character is constantly asked by Harrison, when will the Sistine Chapel ceiling be completed.  The artist replies: “When it’s done.”  That’s science!

It’s possible that COVID threw science – the purity of the art of discovery to improve humanity’s lot – out with the peer-review bathwater.  Everyone is at fault in some way. Government agencies, elected officials, public health champions, media, and, yes, the public are all part of the now movement.  We all wanted a biomedical elixir to ward off the virus NOW! We have been conditioned to get what we want quickly.  We order online at Grub Hub or Amazon, and within hours – a day tops – a vehicle pulls up to our doorstep.  NOW!

Now, how about COVID? We expected salvation at warp speed.  Companies no longer wait to share data at peer-review forums or in top-notch journals.  When the public cries out, we send out a press release. We expect answers from pharma, the White House and CDC immediately. We moved to evaluate, approve and move to rally people to access the COVID vaccines a mere 13 months after trial initiation. The mRNA vaccine became the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine on August 23, 2021.  That’s the equivalent of now when it comes to drug development.

It Takes Years to Develop a Vaccine – NOW?

In comparison, the usual vaccine development timeline is five to 10 years and sometimes longer to determine if a product is safe and efficacious in clinical trials, completes the required regulatory approval processes, and a manufacturer has a sufficient quantity of vaccine doses for public access.  COVID broke the previous record of four years set by the development of a mumps vaccine in the 1960s.

But there are reasons we were able to go fast. The infectious disease community is collaborative. There are previous models of engagement, We have technologies that enable us to screen options that didn’t exist in the 1960s. It’s impossible to compare apples to apples or oranges. The times have changed. Science can move faster; however, objectivity and peer review remain musts.

Don’t point the finger of blame at any one institution or segment of the process.  Everyone created and bought into this urge for now!  We were frightened for our survival, mental health and economies.  The White House was responding to public pressure.  Events changed rapidly, and so did the news flow.  Media leaped into the fray to bring out their wagons of consulting experts aboard, with varied opinions to keep eyes glued to screens. Researchers slept at lab benches to sustain the world – to ward off the – then-deadly pandemic. 

We cannot forget that while we criticize the scientific process and unknown long-term effects of these vaccines, the “power of now” drives decisions and actions.  We cannot forget that the ERs were filling up, and people were dying at the start of the pandemic.  We were scared, and fear ignited non-reflective action. Countless public health challenges were pressing – addiction, poverty, isolation and more. We needed a response. Sometimes the process is imperfect. Let’s not forget to evaluate how all this impacted science and apply the learnings in the future.

Tech as a Scientific Accelerator

Technology has become the gas pedal for science.  AI, AR, machine learning, and big data are all variations of the same concept, but technology does enable scientists to move rapidly. The urgency to offer hope tips the hat to companies being permitted to update the public via news releases and later share detailed information in a peer-review setting. Industry scientists yearn to help sustain lives. Everyone had good intentions. However, we need to find better balance and return to a culture that encourages objective reflection and third-party (even uncensored) pushback,

The Power of Now was geared to get us to think beyond the moment.  To consider who we are and our purpose in the world.  However, like most things, we commercialize good ideas. COVID left too many casualties – most important among them precious people and, yes – scientific exchange.  Now is a competitive advantage – often a first-to-market must.  However, science is a reflective task accelerated by technology. 

Let’s Open the Door to the Power of Options

The Power of Now has given way to the Power of Options, a concept shared by David Noble and Carol Kauffman in the recent issue of HBR. Scientists remain societal leaders.  Scientists are curious and explorers.  We must encourage scientists to create their life-saving magic in coordination with the checks and balances of their peer-review culture.

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