Battle of the ambient scribes

AIScribes_v2_Illustration_MollyFerguson_072924-645x645

Since STAT's Generative AI Tracker started keeping score of health systems using the technology, one product has been leading adoption. Today, the tracker counts almost 90 health systems using ambient scribes, which can listen in to patient visits and convert the audio into structured clinical notes for the EHR. The tools are becoming so ubiquitous — and sometimes hard to tell apart — that many hospitals are testing multiple scribes at once, what one CIO called the "Pepsi challenge" of health care.

As scribe companies try to differentiate themselves, STAT's Katie Palmer reports, they're increasingly trying to prove their value — not just by saving doctors time on documentation, but by maximizing revenue by suggesting and automating billing codes based on that same visit audio. Read more about the features could convince more health systems to sign on, and the risks that could come with injecting generative AI into the coding process. And check out our Generative AI tracker here.

venture capital

A dental startup that won over Mark Zuckerberg's dad

Perceptive, an early-stage startup working on automating each stage of a dentist visit, announced on Tuesday that it has received $30 million in funding. Investors include Pacific Dental Services, Y Combinator, and Ed Zuckerberg — a dentist who happens to be Mark Zuckerberg's dad.

The Boston startup's dental system includes a handheld imaging machine, an AI algorithm to help diagnose and suggest treatment, and a surgical robot to complete the procedure. It has tested the device on its first patient in Baranquilla, Colombia, but has not yet released any comprehensive data. The journey to FDA clearance is still years away.

But the company's funding growth is a sign of growing investor interest in dental tools imbued with AI, as my colleague Casey Ross wrote last year. To learn more about Perceptive and dental AI, read my story.

telehealth

Telehealth disruptions are coming

Medicare coverage is set to expire for some telehealth services at the end of 2024. The looming deadline is causing stress for providers and patients, Mario Aguilar reports.

The Covid-19 pandemic prompted Congress to pass a bill expanding the kinds of care people on Medicare can receive over telehealth. Lawmakers are working to pass another bill extending telehealth flexibilities for two years, but minor holdups and the election ramping up have caused the legislation to stall. In November, telehealth companies will need to start warning older patients that their sessions may not be covered by Medicare in the new year.

"What we're seeing is that the urgency of passing this isn't commensurate with the need for these patients to have clarity around their health care," said Victor Sadauskas, chief executive of lung rehab company Kivo Health. Read more from Mario here.

POLICY

Grindr makes a move on Washington

LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr is stepping into the lobbying world, my colleagues Nicholas Florko and Sarah Overmohle write. The company has hired The Daschle Group, founded by former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, to lobby on "HIV prevention; LGTBQ family formation challenges including surrogacy and IVF," according to disclosures filed last week.

The move comes amid legislative battles over reproductive health care, including IVF access. No other popular dating apps have registered to lobby on health care issues, Nick and Sarah found. Match Group, which owns the popular dating apps Tinder and Hinge, spent $650,000 last quarter lobbying on digital privacy issues.

Read more about Grindr and health care lobbying here.

First Opinion

Complying with medtech regulations

Medical device leaders often blame harsher regulation for stifling innovation, but it's actually outdated compliance practices that are the culprit, compliance software leader Erez Kaminski writes in an opinion piece for STAT.

"Modern software companies are known for moving fast," the founder of Ketryx Corporation, a compliance software, writes. "That certainly isn't the case for medtech companies. Manufacturers' antiquated processes and tools hinder productivity and time to market, making compliance programs more expensive and less efficient over time."

More around STAT

Check out more exclusive coverage with a STAT+ subscription

Read premium in-depth biotech, pharma, policy, and life science coverage and analysis with all of our STAT+ articles.

What we're reading

In a big step for liquid biopsy, FDA approves a blood screening test for colorectal cancer, STAT
'Nobody's immune': States move to limit health data breach liability, Politico
How artificial intelligence can bolster Europe's competitive edge in biopharma, STAT