Why EMS Interoperability is the Biggest Opportunity in Healthcare Today [Video] Presented by ImageTrend

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Featured Story   Novartis Joins the Chase for a More Selective Breast Cancer Med The deal Novartis is paying $2 billion to acquire a Synnovation Therapeutics subsidiary whose main asset is a PI3Kα inhibitor in early clinical development for breast cancer and other solid tumors. These cancers must be characterized by mutated versions of the PI3Kα enzyme. Beyond the upfront payment, Novartis could pay Synnovation up to $1 billion more depending on the progress of the drug. The drug(s) Mutated versions of the PI3Kα enzyme contribute to cancer progression. The Synnovation drug, SNV4818, is a small molecule inhibitor of mutated PI3Kα. Novartis is familiar with the target, having commercialized the first drug in this class, Piqray. Roche has since won regulatory approvals for its PI3Kα inhibitor. SNV4818 is a next-generation PI3Kα inhibitor with potential safety and efficacy advantages. Why this matters While cancer drugs marketed by Novartis and Roche block mutated versions of PI3Kα, they also hit normal versions of the enzyme, leading to dose-limiting toxic effects. Acquiring the Synnovation drug brings Novartis into a group of companies developing selective inhibitors of the target. Last year, Eli Lilly acquired Scorpion Therapeutics' selective PI3Kα inhibitor, which is currently in Phase 1 testing. Other companies with selective PI3Kα inhibitors in the clinic include Relay Therapeutics, OnKure Therapeutics, and BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics. Soundbite "SNV4818 applies new mutant‑selective chemistry to more precisely target tumor biology while sparing normal cells," said Shreeram Aradhye, president of development at Novartis. "This approach has the potential to translate proven biology into improved tolerability and more durable benefit for patients through precision medicine." —By Frank Vinluan Sponsored   Why EMS Interoperability is the Biggest Opportunity in Healthcare Today [Video] Presented by ImageTrend Jeff Comeau, Strategic Advisor for hospital at ImageTrend, draws on his decades of experience as a former fire chief and paramedic to bridge the gap between emergency response and digital innovation.  Watch the full interview! Top Stories   Senate Democrats Unveil Plan to Cut Costs, Expand Coverage The skinny In a letter last week, 12 Democrats in the Senate Finance Committee laid out their plans for healthcare, aiming to lower costs, make it easier to get insurance and address corporate greed. The agenda The Senate Democrats proposed reversing cuts to health coverage, such as the recent expiration of the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits. They also plan to expand coverage for low-income Americans, and eliminate junk plans and surprise costs. In addition, they aim to simplify the insurance system with a streamlined enrollment process and standardized plans, while cracking down on insurance company practices that raise prices, limit competition and delay or deny care. Soundbite "The American people need relief from rising premiums and deductibles that are forcing families into financial ruin," the senators said in the letter. "They also want an insurance system that doesn't require them to jump through hoops and hack through red tape every time they need care, and they expect their elected officials to root out the business practices and middlemen that harm the very people that for-profit insurance companies receive billions in taxpayer funding to serve. Trump and Republicans have used their majority to increase Americans' health care costs and put new barriers between families and the care they need." — By Marissa Plescia Why Pure DTC Doesn't Work in Healthcare Consumer healthcare is having a moment Rachel Springate, co-founding general partner at Muse Capital, believes the next wave of healthcare startups will be built around consumer demand. "Consumer healthcare is having a moment," she declared. "I think consumers are pretty much fed up with the healthcare system today, and I think a lot of them are trying to take their own healthcare journeys into their own hands." Successful companies will build consumer-facing brands while integrating with the greater healthcare system, rather than trying to replace traditional providers, Springate said. She highlighted virtual-first care models that address unmet demand and supplement overwhelmed health systems as particularly promising. One example Midi Health is one startup in Muse's portfolio taking this approach. The company, which reached unicorn status last month, delivers virtual care for women, specializing in patients going through perimenopause and menopause. Patients can access care directly through its telehealth platform, but the company works and accepts insurance. Its services are available to women in all 50 states — far more accessible than traditional specialty clinics. "I think Midi is just a very good example of how you can build a consumer-facing brand that also respects and works with the existing healthcare infrastructure and systems. It's not about building against it or taking away — it's actually building with it and providing solutions," Springate stated. The right model to pursue In Springate's view, pure direct-to-consumer models rarely succeed in healthcare. Direct-to-consumer startups can reach patients quickly, but the reality of healthcare — from insurance coverage to clinical requirements — means that consumer access alone isn't enough. She thinks the most effective model is to begin with a consumer-driven solution addressing a clear unmet need, use that to collect data and prove outcomes, then pursue reimbursement, payer partnerships and health system integration. This approach is what allows companies like Midi scale, Springate noted. — By Katie Adams Ending the Voicemail Bottleneck: How Voice AI Is Transforming Patient Access Voicemail as a barrier Patients actively avoid it. Studies show that 80% of them will not leave a message, often resulting in missed scheduling opportunities or delays in receiving care. Voicemail was once primarily associated with after-hours access, but rising demand is increasingly exposing patients to the same experience during business hours. Long wait times and unanswered calls are becoming the norm, and projections suggest that this trend will continue. Agentic AI can help The good news is that we're ushering in a new wave of agentic AI designed to meet this challenge head-on — essentially eliminating the need for voicemail. Beyond simply recording or transcribing messages to lower call volumes, truly autonomous voice AI puts patients in the driver's seat of their own healthcare. It processes patient requests and information immediately and integrates actionable insights into the EHR, speeding next steps for clinicians and patients. The success of any voice AI solution, however, depends on a thoughtful strategy — one that considers the following three steps for achieving intelligent, patient-driven access. Three key steps First, identify clinical workflows where voice AI can assist. Secondly, identify low-complexity, routine calls. Many provider organizations will find that a sizable portion of their calls are routine scheduling requests. With the right voice AI and self-scheduling solution in place, these low-complexity calls can be routed outside of the front office or healthcare call centers to be handled directly by the patient. And finally, design strategies to deflect high-volume, low-complexity calls. After identifying lower-complexity calls, providers can deploy voice AI capabilities to deflect routine interactions. and better optimize administrative capacity. As patients are accustomed to using voice technology across other industries in their daily lives, there is a significant opportunity to bring voice AI into intelligent access models in healthcare. Doing so benefits all stakeholders. — By MedCity Influencer David Dyke Video   Video: Vibe @ ViVE From ViVE in LA: Jeffrey Sullivan, CTO of eFax® by Consensus (sponsor), talks about its role in the healthcare ecosystem. It has created a bridge between traditional health communications and modern digital health, in part, by converting unstructured data into structured data. He also discussed some of the technical barriers to interoperability.

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Imaging Interoperability Offers a Lifeline to Rural Hospitals and the Patients Depending on Them Typically, rural hospitals operate as "islands," where a patient might receive an initial scan at a community health facility, see a specialist at a regional medical center, and return home for follow-up care. In this scenario, it's common for their medical images to become trapped in three different systems. A Once in a Generation Opportunity to Reimagine Rural Health Leaders must resist the urge to replicate urban models that do not translate well to rural contexts. Instead, they should design solutions that are built for rural communities, grounded in local insight and enabled by scalable capabilities.

eBook   Selecting the Right EMR: A Practical Guide to Streamlining Your Practice and Enhancing Patient Care Choosing the wrong EMR can slow your practice down. This guide helps healthcare teams compare options, avoid costly pitfalls, and choose a platform that improves care, compliance, and patient experience. Read more

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