Howdy. Today’s newsletter is 545 words long, or a 2-minute read.
Think about it 💡
🎢 In a pandemic-fueled rollercoaster ride, telehealth titan Amwell went from soaring high to crashing low. Once basking in the glow of a near $6 billion valuation, its stock now struggles to even buy a cup of coffee on Wall Street, with a market cap that's seen better days, hovering around a meager $235 million. According to Axios’ latest exposé, Amwell's downfall reads like a tragic comedy of errors: from overhyping its tech prowess to bungling product rollouts and missing the boat on adaptability post-pandemic peak. Despite attempts to keep the ship afloat, including pep talks from top brass and internal document scrutiny, the ship's still sinking. Rushed client grabs, delayed product launches and a revenue-focused leadership style led to more exits than a fire drill. While telehealth boomed, Amwell found itself stuck in the mud, highlighting a tale of missed opportunities.
🧀 Two decades back, senior housing executives whipped up an algorithm-based staffing system called "Service Alignment” to boost revenue and cut costs at assisted-living homes. Brookdale Senior Living, the big cheese of assisted-living chains, jumped on the bandwagon and rolled out this system across its extensive network. However, employee complaints have surfaced, highlighting the algorithm's failure to grasp the intricacies of caring for vulnerable seniors, leading to dangerously low staffing levels. Despite managers waving red flags and lawsuits flying around like confetti over resident suffering, Brookdale denies wrongdoing, asserting that local managers have autonomy in setting staffing levels. The complex needs of elderly residents, coupled with financial pressures, have resulted in instances of neglect and safety lapses, prompting scrutiny of the industry's reliance on algorithmic staffing solutions.
System sizzle 🌶️
…your zoom in on ingenious health systems.
💡 The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic's Virtual Second Opinions (VSOs) are shaking up the healthcare game. Recent analysis shows these VSOs are not just saving an average of $8,705 per patient, but they're also making serious strides in improving patient outcomes. With 67% of VSOs recommending changes to diagnosis or treatment plans and suggesting alternatives to surgery 85% of the time, they demonstrate their effectiveness in preventing misdiagnoses and reducing overtreatment. And in a country where misdiagnoses alone claim 800,000 lives or lead to disabilities annually, their impact is nothing short of crucial. The analysis further highlights substantial savings across various medical conditions, including musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and cancer-related cases, with average savings per patient ranging from $4,306 to $28,220. Beyond financial benefits, VSOs also offer patients peace of mind and better quality of life.
Neat News 🗞️
🏥 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is to roll out Nabla Copilot ambient AI Assistant. Neat (in our humble opinion).
📝 WHO report shows that digital tools can help improve women’s health and promote gender equality. Super neat.
💸 Brightside Health secured $33M to propel expansion into Medicare, Medicaid populations. Ultra neat.
Clean Content 🧼
🍿 Grab your popcorn, Rebecca Pifer rounded up AI governance talks at HIMSS.
🧃 Erin Brodwin compared AI medical scribes, and it's a juicy one.
🚪 Knock-knock-knockin' on personalized medicine’s door - and it’s not answering just yet.
This is what you came for 🍑
🎲 This Saturday marks International Scrabble Day, and some folks are swapping wordplay for foreplay. Turns out, there’s a scandalous alternative rulebook for our dear game and it’s spicier than a jalapeño. We won’t spill the juicy specifics here, but Philly's sexperts have graciously laid it all out for the curious minds over here.
Byeeeee,
🙌 A massive shoutout to the brilliant minds who fueled the Hoagie this week - Erin Brodwin, Douglas MacMillan, Christopher Rowland, David Raths, Rebecca Pifer, Heather Landi, Edward Abrahams and Christopher J. Wells.