Industry Watcher’s Digest

Buzzworthy developments of the past few days.

• Do you believe new iterations of healthcare AI will deliver breakthrough advancements in 2024? If so, you’re a member of a slim majority. A survey by Medtronic with Morning Consult finds 51% of 2,200 Americans holding that view. Expectations are even less sunny around AI’s reliability. Some 83% name the technology’s likelihood to mess up as a high hurdle on the road to broad acceptance. More findings plus infographic here.
   
• MD Anderson is opening a major new data science operation focused on finding a literal cure for cancer. The University of Texas institution says its Institute for Data Science in Oncology, or IDSO, is recruiting top scientists from around the world and training the next generation of cancer-busting pioneers. Peter Pisters, MD, president of MD Anderson, says some of the institute’s programs will be “the first generation of data science applied to the challenge of ending cancer.” Announcement.
   
• A fivesome of young adults with ties to MIT and Harvard has launched a large-language AI company just for healthcare. Calling their outfit Layer Health, the leadership team is positioning their initial product, Distill, as a means of tackling clinical, administrative and research tasks that call for analysis of unstructured data. Layer is hitting the ground running, as it’s backed by $4 million from Google Ventures, General Catalyst and Inception Health. Announcement here.
   
• Here’s a generative AI platform that instantly integrates with Epic EHR systems. The technology is the brainchild of collaborators at two-hospital John Muir Health and AI startup Ambience Healthcare. The partners, both denizens of the San Fran Bay area, say they needed just two weeks to pull off the integration. The achievement will let Ambience’s generative AI read directly from—and write directly to—Epic. All John Muir clinicians need do is watch for accuracy. Announcement.
   
• Patient monitoring is just one potential function of a novel AI technique developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The method applies large language models to analyze broad areas from just a few measurements. Picture a readout showing ocean-wide temperatures from a relatively small number of sensors on ships and satellites, and you get the idea. Details.
   
• In somewhat similar fashion, researchers at Karolinska Institute in Sweden are combining AI with satellite technology and environmental ecology to analyze tumors in new ways. A senior scientist on the project suggests the team is uncovering unexpected insights into how cancer works. Learn more.  
   
• Cloud-based software giant Salesforce and global professional services firm Accenture are building on the generative AI collaboration they jointly announced in the spring. Fall finds the duo taking numerous steps to help industry operators in the life-sciences space leverage big data and AI to speed drug development, improve patient care and experience, and otherwise boost efficiency and productivity. Announcement.
   
• The University of Miami Health System is spreading Aidoc AI software around its three-hospital enterprise. Aidoc, which has 13 FDA-approved products in its portfolio, is already active in aiding the South Florida institution with multiple clinical indications. These include things like pulmonary embolism and intracranial hemorrhage as well as care coordination and follow-up. The updated engagement builds on the established momentum. Aidoc announcement.
   
• From AIin.Healthcare’s news partners:
   
  • Cardiovascular Business: The future of cardiology: 5 potentially game-changing AI studies from AHA 2023
  • Health Imaging: Lunit AI-powered 3D breast imaging receives FDA clearance
  • Radiology Business: Radiology Partners reaches ‘milestone,’ deploying clinical AI across more than 20 million exams
  • Cardiovascular Business: AI specialists raise $80M to ramp up commercialization of imaging analysis software
  • Radiology Business: Imaging AI firm specializing in CT analysis raises $80M in series C financing
  • Health Imaging: RapidAI receives FDA clearance for subdural hematoma alert module
  • Cardiovascular Business: CMS increases reimbursement for AI-powered heart failure platform
  • Health Imaging: AI generates concise, accurate radiology reports that rival humans’