Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'ChatGPT Health' Soon Will Connect To Your Electronic Medical Records
Bloomberg: OpenAI Unveils ChatGPT Health To Review Test Results, Diets
OpenAI is introducing a new feature in ChatGPT that will allow users to analyze medical test results, prepare for doctors appointments and seek guidance on diets and workout routines — marking the company’s biggest push yet into the health care sector. ChatGPT Health, announced Wednesday, is intended to help provide useful health and fitness information but stop short of making formal diagnoses. The new feature can connect with peoples’ electronic medical records, wearable devices and wellness apps, such as Apple Health and MyFitnessPal, the company said. (Ghaffary, 1/7)
More news about artificial intelligence —
Modern Healthcare: Aidoc Names Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld As Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, former president of the American Medical Association, has been named global chief medical officer of Aidoc. The startup offers artificial intelligence-enabled tools designed to support clinical decision making. Ehrenfeld will work with health systems looking to implement a comprehensive approach to AI-powered clinical technology, Aidoc said in a Wednesday news release. (DeSilva, 1/7)
AP: AI Health Tech At CES Makes Big Promises, Experts Wary
Health tech gadgets displayed at the annual CES trade show make a lot of promises. A smart scale promoted a healthier lifestyle by scanning your feet to track your heart health, and an egg-shaped hormone tracker uses AI to help you figure out the best time to conceive. Tech and health experts, however, question the accuracy of products like these and warn of data privacy issues — especially as the federal government eases up on regulation. (Hill, 1/8)
The New York Times: Google And Character.AI To Settle Lawsuit Over Teenager’s Death
Google and Character.AI, a maker of artificial intelligence companions, agreed to settle a lawsuit that had accused the companies of providing harmful chatbots that led a teenager to kill himself, according to a legal filing on Wednesday. The lawsuit had been filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in October 2024 by Megan L. Garcia, the mother of Sewell Setzer III. Sewell, 14, of Orlando, killed himself in February 2024 after texting and conversing with one of Character. AI’s chatbots. In his last conversation with the chatbot, it said to the teenager to “please come home to me as soon as possible.” (Rocha, 1/7)
More health industry developments —
The 19th: Children's Hospitals Face HHS Probe Over Gender-Affirming Care
Three children’s hospitals are under federal investigation for providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth, as the Trump administration continues to use all the levers it can to block such care. (Rummler, 1/7)
Stateline: Freestanding Birth Centers Are Closing As Maternity Care Gaps Grow
Dr. Heather Skanes opened Alabama’s first freestanding birth center in 2022 in her hometown of Birmingham. Skanes, an OBGYN, wanted to improve access to maternal health care in a state that’s long had one of the nation’s highest rates of maternal and infant mortality. (Vollers and Hassanein, 1/7)
Becker's Hospital Review: Medical Groups Face Mounting Costs, Stagnant Revenue: 5 Things To Know
Operating expenses continue to exceed revenue for many system-affiliated medical groups, with average expense ratios over 100%, according to the “AMGA 2025 Medical Group Operations and Finance Survey.” The organization gathered data from 39 medical groups — 25 system-affiliated and 14 independent — encompassing more than 7,100 clinics and over 34,500 provider [full-time equivalents]. (Gooch, 1/7)
The Wall Street Journal: This Startup Wants To Bring Cancer Patients Care At Home
For cancer patients, traveling to receive drug infusions is often a regular part of treatment. Luminate Medical wants to bring infusions to them. The startup has raised $21 million in new venture financing from 8VC, Artis Ventures and others to deliver chemotherapy and other cancer-drug infusions in the home—a service that could ease burdens on patients, but one that isn’t typically offered today. (Gormley, 1/7)
KFF Health News: Solving The Home Care Quandary
You’re ready to leave the hospital, but you don’t feel able to care for yourself at home yet. Or, you’ve completed a couple of weeks in rehab. Can you handle your complicated medication regimen, along with shopping and cooking? Perhaps you fell in the shower, and now your family wants you to arrange help with bathing and getting dressed. There are facilities that provide such help, of course, but most older people don’t want to go there. They want to stay at home; that’s the problem. (Span, 1/8)
The Baltimore Sun: Stop The Bleed Could Save Maryland Lives
Earlier application of basic bleeding control called Stop the Bleed could have saved up to 70 Maryland lives, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis published by the Journal of the American College of Surgeons in December. (Hille, 1/7)
