The death of telehealth as we know it?🪦

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Welcome to this week’s edition of Supermedic, where we explore the latest developments in artificial intelligence and its transformative impact on healthcare.

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Victor

TODAY’S MENU

• The Death of Telehealth As We Know It? (VIDEO)

• First ‘Bilingual’ Brain Implants Restore Speech for Stroke Survivors

• BrainBridge: A Futuristic Vision of Head Transplants

• The Rise of the Chief AI Officer in Healthcare

• Elon Musk's xAI Secures $6 Billion to Revolutionize Healthcare

Read time: under 5 minutes

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

The Death of Telehealth As We Know It?

Glen Tullman, the man behind the $18.5 billion Livongo-Teladoc deal, has a bold prediction: the future of telehealth is not video, but text. He believes that in just three years, 80-85% of all virtual doctor visits will be chat-based.

Tullman's latest venture, Transcarent, is betting big on this shift with a new AI chatbot powered by the same tech as ChatGPT. The goal? To help Americans navigate the confusing and often frustrating $4.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system.

While some experts see navigation services like Transcarent as more of a Band-aid than a cure for the system's structural issues, Tullman believes AI can cut costs in half compared to human-based services.

Transcarent is targeting the self-funded employer health insurance market, where companies are looking for ways to rein in ever-rising healthcare costs. But the big question remains: will employees actually use these AI tools?

Tullman is confident that by making the experience as seamless as possible, Transcarent can become the "Amazon for healthcare" – a one-stop shop for all your care needs. Only time will tell if this bold vision becomes reality.

FUTURE IS NOW

First ‘Bilingual’ Brain Implants Restore Speech for Stroke Survivors

One out of three strokes result in a partial or complete loss in communication. Scientists have been working hard to change that, and they've already achieved incredible things by translating patients' thought patterns into text. But what about those who speak more than one language? Researchers at the University of California San Francisco have stepped up, creating the first-ever brain implant that decodes thoughts in both Spanish and English using AI.

How It Works:

Meet Pancho, a stroke survivor who lost his ability to speak at 20. The team at UCSF installed an implant on his cortex, initially training it to recognize brain activity patterns for English words. They then took it a step further, incorporating Spanish, Pancho's native language. The result? An AI-driven system that switches between languages with 88% accuracy and decodes sentences correctly 75% of the time. Now, Pancho can engage in natural bilingual conversations, despite learning English only after his stroke.

Why It Matters:

• This breakthrough shows how AI can interpret brainwaves, pushing the boundaries of neuroprosthesis.

• It caters to bilingual individuals, who make up about half of the global population.

• The research reveals that our brains use the same regions for learning and switching languages.

• The goal isn’t just to replace words but to restore meaningful connections and interactions for people with severe speech impairments.

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BIOTECHNOLOGY

BrainBridge: A Futuristic Vision of Head Transplants

Have you seen the "BrainBridge" video that's been blowing up on social media lately?

The video showcases an octopus-like robotic surgeon swiftly transferring a dying man's head to a young, healthy body, touting BrainBridge as a revolutionary concept in head transplantation.

Despite its polished presentation, BrainBridge is not a real company. Created by Yemeni science communicator Hashem Al-Ghaili, the project serves as a provocative billboard for radical life-extension ideas, proposing head transplants as a shortcut to bypass aging. While the idea might sound outlandish, it has historical roots in crude experiments, like the 1970s monkey head swap by neurosurgeon Robert White.

Al-Ghaili's video aims to push boundaries and test the feasibility of such ideas. The video not only challenges ethical norms but also explores futuristic possibilities, like head transplantation onto animal bodies or maintaining a brain on a heart-lung machine.

Public reaction has been mostly negative, with many finding the concept disturbing, while others are intrigued by its potential.

MANAGEMENT

The Rise of the Chief AI Officer in Healthcare

As AI technology rapidly advances in healthcare, many organizations are hiring Chief AI Officers (CAIOs) to lead their AI strategies and drive adoption.

The CAIO's role is multifaceted, focusing on:

• Balancing safety and innovation in AI applications

• Navigating regulatory requirements and governance policies

• Aligning AI initiatives with strategic objectives

• Fostering a culture of experimentation and innovation

• Developing and upskilling AI talent within the organization

Having a CAIO provides healthcare organizations with agility and a competitive edge in the evolving AI landscape. They guide investment priorities, manage risks, and ensure compliance while encouraging exploration of new ideas and technologies.

Which health systems have hired Chief AI Officers?

Here are some hospitals and health systems that already have CAIOs:

• Mayo Clinic Arizona in Phoenix named Bhavik Patel, MD, as its new Chief AI Officer.

• UC Davis Health, located in Sacramento, hired Dennis Chornenky as its first Chief Artificial Intelligence Adviser.

• UC San Diego Health appointed Karandeep Singh, MD, as its inaugural Chief Health Artificial Intelligence Officer.

• UCSF Health, based in San Francisco, named Sara Murray, MD, as its Chief Health AI Officer.

BUSINESS

Elon Musk's xAI Secures $6 Billion to Revolutionize Healthcare

xAI, led by Elon Musk, has just closed a Series B funding round, securing nearly $6 billion from top investors like Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz. Launched only a year ago, xAI aims to accelerate scientific discovery through AI. Musk's proprietary AI model, Grok, has already been integrated into the X platform (formerly Twitter), expanding its user base and learning capacity.

Musk's Neuralink, which develops brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, has made headlines with its recent human implantation. This technology aims to help people with severe disabilities control devices with their thoughts, presenting opportunities for cross-pollination between xAI and Neuralink.

Additionally, Musk's vision for the Tesla Bot, now named Optimus, could see xAI integrated into a humanoid robot capable of performing various care tasks, from mundane chores to assisting the elderly.

While xAI faces stiff competition from established tech giants, Musk's unique ecosystem provides promising opportunities for groundbreaking advancements in healthcare.

Other AI Healthcare news :

• Cardiology: AI health coach lowers blood pressure and increases patient engagement in those with hypertension, study finds.

• Neurology: New AI model helps physicians read confusing EEGs, potentially saving thousands of lives.

• Neurology: AI-Powered MRI predicts Surgery Outcomes for Brain Cancer Patients.

• Pharma: AI-driven app tracks global Ozempic shortages as high demand for weight loss treatment impacts diabetes care.

• Psychiatry: UIC professor develops AI-powered app to detect mental illness using smartphone data.

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