Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FTC Warns Consumer Biometric, Health Data Must Be Better Protected
Axios: FTC Signals Tougher Rules For Health Companies' Use Of Data
The Federal Trade Commission issued a warning Thursday about companies' use of consumers’ biometric information such as facial recognition technology, saying it raises "significant consumer privacy and data security concerns." The warning comes as a growing number of companies amass data based on individuals' physiological features which could be used to infer consumers' health or other personal information. (Reed, 5/19)
Modern Healthcare: FTC Seeks Health Breach Notification Rule Clarity For Apps
The Federal Trade Commission wants to make changes to the Health Breach Notification Rule to make clear the protections extend to users of digital health apps. While the agency has considered health trackers, apps and other direct-to-consumer companies subject to the rule, proposed changes would codify that digital health companies handling medical information would be treated in many of the same ways as providers. (Turner, 5/19)
In other health care industry news —
Philadelphia Inquirer: Penn Medicine Is Opening A Crisis Response Center At HUP Cedar In West Philly
Penn Medicine is opening a mental health crisis response center at the former Mercy Philadelphia Hospital at South 54th Street and Cedar Avenue in West Philadelphia, replacing one that closed there in March 2020, the health system announced Friday. (Brubaker and Gutman, 5/19)
Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State To Open A $15 Million Women's Health Research Center
A new $15 million research center focused on making women's health more equitable is coming to Ohio State University. Sarah “Sally” Ross Soter and the Soter Kay Foundation pledged the gift to Ohio State's College of Medicine to establish the Sarah Ross Soter Women’s Health Research Program, according to a university news release. The funding will create "a multidisciplinary translational research hub that discovers new therapies to prevent and treat diseases that disproportionately affect women," according to the university. (Hendrix, 5/21)
AP: Kinsey Institute Experts Study Sex, Gender As Misconceptions Block State Dollars
Unfounded claims about Indiana University’s sex research institute, its founder and child sex abuse have been so persistent over the years that when the Legislature prohibited the institute from using state dollars, one lawmaker hailed the move as “long overdue.” The decision, largely symbolic, does not halt the Kinsey Institute’s work, ranging from studies on sexual assault prevention to contraception use among women. But researchers tell The Associated Press the Republican-dominated Legislature’s February decision is based on an enduring, fundamental misunderstanding of their work — a false narrative that they, despite efforts to correct such misinformation, cannot shake. (Rodgers, 5/21)
On artificial intelligence —
Modern Healthcare: GPT-4 In Healthcare Grows With Cleveland Clinic, Baptist Health
Two longtime friends are spearheading the use of generative artificial intelligence at health systems nearly 900 miles apart. Cleveland Clinic’s chief information officer Matthew Kull and Jacksonville, Florida-based Baptist Health’s chief digital and information officer Aaron Miri are working with Microsoft to brainstorm administrative and clinical functions for GPT-4 at their organizations. Microsoft invested $10 billion in OpenAI, which developed GPT-4 and ChatGPT, in January. (Perna, 5/19)
Stat: Making Sense Of AI Research In Medicine, In One Slide
Scientific journals have become something of a Mad Libs game for GPT: Artificial intelligence can now detect _____, or speedily tell the difference between _____ and _____. But which of these studies are actually important? How can clinicians sort them out from one another? At a recent AI conference, Atman Health chief medical officer and Brigham and Women’s associate physician Rahul Deo boiled the issue down in a single slide: the riskiest, most impactful studies draw far less attention these days than the rest of the research. (Trang, 5/22)
Fox News: AI-Powered ‘Lifesaving Radio’ Helps Surgeons Operate With Greater Efficiency And Accuracy
Music has long been shown to enhance athletic performance, whether that performance is on an NFL field or a treadmill at the gym. And now, with the help of artificial intelligence, music is helping surgeons achieve better results in the operating room. Backed by scientific studies, NextMed Health — in collaboration with the data science company Klick Health — has created the world’s first AI-based health care radio station called Lifesaving Radio. (Rudy, 5/22)
Also —
The Wall Street Journal: The Healthcare Plan Most People Should Buy—And Why They Don’t
Every fall, during open-enrollment period, over 100 million families can choose a health plan. Anyone who receives health insurance through their employer, Medicare, Veterans Affairs, the exchanges—including members of Congress, CEOs, teachers—is invited to participate in this national ritual. The decision, which has enormous implications for our health and finances, is horrendously complex. And we are universally terrible at it. (Chandra, 5/21)
