#36 Highway to Healthtech 🔥
Also: Trump's Pharma Fiasco, Jab Con Job, Festive Friskiness, & more.
Welcome to the final 2023 issue of The Healthcare Hoagie. Today’s newsletter is 530 words-long, or a 2-minute read.
Think about it 💡
🪨 Rock Health's report on Digital Health at the turn of 2024 outlines the trajectory of key innovations using their innovation maturity curve analysis. The report identifies seven pivotal developments in digital health, highlighting their relative maturity based on indicators like research publication volume, venture funding, and partnership activities. From nascent advancements like Food as Medicine and Digital Obesity Care to more developed sectors like AI in Healthcare and Value-Based Care Enablement, each area offers distinct opportunities and challenges.
As the industry moves into 2024, the report emphasizes the need for strategic considerations, including early mover advantages, adapting to market conditions, and navigating the evolving landscape of digital health innovations. Leaders are encouraged to focus on capabilities, partnerships, and innovation to sustain growth and competitive advantage in this ever-evolving sector.
💊 In a concerning twist, Trump's latest campaign rhetoric takes aim at Big Pharma, suggesting their products may harm Americans, especially children. This divisive language, reminiscent of the anti-vaccine movement's playbook, rings alarm bells for public health and signals a growing skepticism within a segment of the Republican party toward health institutions post-pandemic. Despite cautious tiptoeing from medical groups and the pharmaceutical lobby, Trump's stance daringly challenges the trust placed in prescribed drugs, painting a picture of negligence within the system. It's an unsettling echo of broader far-right skepticism toward science and healthcare expertise.
Jab Con Job 💉
⚠️ In the shady corners of Telegram, scammers have donned their virtual white coats, posing as doctors to peddle phony COVID-19 vaccination papers and medical documents. Uncovered by eagle-eyed researchers at Logically, this elaborate con involving 60 Telegram channels has raked in a hefty $286,000 through cryptocurrency maneuvers. Targeting anti-vaxxers, these scammers manipulate sentiments with conspiracy theories, expanding their offerings beyond COVID passes despite most countries no longer requiring such documents. Despite the removal of some channels, the active ones continue to disseminate conspiracy theories, spread fear about vaccines, and offer unverified goods, exacerbating global health system trust issues. This fraudulent trend, powered by evolving AI capabilities, also raises concerns about identity theft's sophistication in the future.
Neat News 🗞️
🧪 FDA approves first test to help screen for risk of opioid use disorder (though some experts remain skeptical of its use). Neat.
💸 Gorillas founder Kağan Sümer raises pre-seed round for secret healthtech startup. Super neat.
💰 Pulmonary embolism startup Flow Medical added $2 million in funding. Ultra neat.
Clean Content 🧼
🎭 AI in healthcare: are people losing or gaining control? That is the question.
💡 The inside story of why this once high-flying digital health startup failed, as told by the unparalleled Christina Farr.
⚖️ Explainability or accuracy? Want to hear what two of the leading experts in the field have to say about AI's biggest dilemma for healthcare? You can do so here.
This is what you came for 🍑
🎁 'Tis the season of less ho-ho-ho and more "ho-hum". Research peeking at Clue app data of over 500,000 users reveals a pre-Christmas lull in intimacy due to stress, overindulgence, and family fuss, especially for younger folks and multitasking moms. But fear not, post-Christmas revelry sees a remarkable spike in bedroom shenanigans, hinting at a New Year's resolution for more action. This merry-go-round of sexual activity syncs with a slight baby boom come September, aligning seasonal fertility and festive frolics. Looks like our holiday spirits aren’t just confined to the eggnog.
👏 Big props to the brilliant minds who fueled this week's Hoagie inspiration: Irene Golden, Mihir Somaiya, Sari Kaganoff, Caitlin Owens, Matt Burgess, Hamid Farooqui, Christina Farr, Linda Geddes, Deidre McPhillips, Kai Nicol-Schwarz, and the phenomenal Femtech Insider crew.
Byeeee,