What You Should Know
The News: Wandercraft has enrolled the first patient in a groundbreaking clinical trial at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital) to test its self-balancing exoskeleton in the ICU.The Goal: The study aims to determine if the Atalante X robot can safely mobilize fragile thoracic surgery patients days earlier than current standards, potentially improving cardiorespiratory function and mental well-being.The Implications: Beyond patient
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Digital Health | News, Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
The Burnout Paradox: Why “Purpose-Built” Workplaces Are Failing the Frontline
What You Should Know
The Problem: A new JLL report reveals a "satisfaction gap" for frontline workers (retail, healthcare, labs). While their facilities support productivity, they fail on human-centered needs like wellbeing and flexibility.The Paradox: Frontline workers report higher burnout (44%) than office workers, yet have similar intentions to stay—often due to a lack of other options rather than loyalty, creating a "trapped" workforce.The Fix: The report calls for a strategy pivot:
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Quantum Health Deploys Agentic AI to Fix the Care Journey
What You Should Know
The News: Quantum Health has launched a new "agentic" technology platform, moving beyond standard chatbots to AI agents that can independently initiate outreach, schedule appointments, and resolve billing issues.The Structure: The company is pivoting from a single offering to a flexible three-tier suite: Quantum Signature (comprehensive), Quantum Flex (configurable), and Embold Plus (digital-first entry point).The Tech: The platform fully integrates Embold Health’s
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Vega Imaging Curates World’s Largest Paired DBT Dataset for AI
What You Should Know
The News: Vega Imaging Informatics has successfully curated the world’s largest Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) dataset, containing over one million studies.The "Holy Grail": Unlike standard image sets, this dataset includes "paired histology outcomes" for over 22,000 patients, meaning the images are linked to definitive biopsy results (including 7,000+ confirmed cancer cases).The Engineering Feat: DBT files are up to 50x larger than standard x-rays. Vega’s ability to
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Kontakt.io Launches “Patient Flow Agent” to Reclaim the 22% of Hospital Days That Are Unnecessary
What You Should Know
The Launch: Kontakt.io has introduced the "Patient Flow Agent," an orchestration platform designed to reduce hospital length of stay (LOS) by blending real-time location data (RTLS) with electronic health records (EHR).The Thesis: The company argues that hospitals are suffering from a "flow orchestration problem," not a bed shortage. By fixing decision-making context, they aim to eliminate the 22% of inpatient days deemed clinically unnecessary.The ROI: For an average
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Hume AI Taps Appen Veteran Andrew Ettinger as CEO to Scale $100M Research Platform
What You Should Know:
- Voice AI research company Hume AI announced a significant leadership transition and strategic expansion of its research infrastructure business.
- Andrew Ettinger has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer, taking over as co-founder Alan Cowen moves to Google following a technology licensing agreement between the two companies.
Leadership and Strategic Shift
Andrew Ettinger, formerly Chief Revenue Officer at Appen, brings 15 years of
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Clawbacks vs. Withholds: How to Structure Your Next Digital Health Contract
What You Should Know
The News: The Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) has released a comprehensive "Playbook on Performance-Based Contracting," signaling a market-wide shift away from paying for mere access to digital health tools.The Pivot: The report argues that traditional "clawback" models—where vendors refund money if they miss targets—are failing. The new standard is a "two-stream" model: a base fee for engagement plus a withheld payment released only upon verified clinical
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The Hidden Dangers of AI in Care: ECRI Ranks the Top 10 Health Tech Hazards for 2026
What You Should Know
The Core News: ECRI has named the misuse of AI chatbots (LLMs) as the #1 health technology hazard for 2026, citing their tendency to provide confident but factually incorrect medical advice.The Broader Risk: Beyond AI, the report highlights systemic fragility, including "digital darkness" events (outages) and the proliferation of falsified medical products entering the supply chain.The Takeaway: While AI offers promise, ECRI warns that without rigorous oversight and
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4DMedical Secures $100M+ to Scale U.S. Respiratory Imaging Rollout
What You Should Know:
- 4DMedical, the leader in software-based respiratory imaging technology, today announced US$100+ million (AU$150 million) in new institutional placement.
- The investment will primarily be leveraged to accelerate U.S. adoption of its class-leading "CT:VQ™" product and significantly boost research and development—bolstering 4D's technology lead in software-based lung imaging. Backed by new institutional funding, 4DMedical is advancing its respiratory imaging
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AnswersNow Secures $40M to Disrupt Broken Autism Support Systems
What You Should Know:
- AnswersNow, the leader in virtual Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy, today announced that it has raised $40 million in Series B funding led by HealthQuest Capital, with participation from existing investors Left Lane Capital, Owl Ventures, and others.
- AnswersNow delivers clinically proven outcomes in one-sixth the hours of traditional therapy, creating substantial cost savings for payors while delivering superior results for families.
AnswersNow Scales
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