Stay up to date on the latest in health tech, digital health and health AI news with this weekly brief. Read below for news from the week of Oct. 12 to 16.
JAMA Network to add AI journal in 2027
JAMA Network announced Thursday the addition of a new journal, JAMA AI, to its collection beginning in early 2027.
JAMA AI will be a fully online journal that addresses the application of the technology in all facets of care, including AI and social media.
"We will strive to publish clinical research that involves not only AI, but the full range of computational tools as they are applied to improve human health," the announcement read.
Aside from AI tools, the journal will publish research relating to mobile apps, wearable sensors, physiologic monitors, digital imaging, virtual reality and more.
Although it plans to embrace its traditional rigorous standards, it will plan to incorporate AI into the editorial assessment and peer review process. Each submission will receive human-directed, AI-driven assessment and review, in what the journal says will "complement" the typical review process.
Roy Perlis, M.D., MSc, will serve as the journal's inaugural editor. The journal will begin accepting submissions in early 2027.
"Most importantly, in an era of rapid change in medicine, JAMA AI will emphasize the traditional standards of the JAMA Network of journals: scientific rigor, transparency, patient-focused investigation, and ethical conduct and reporting of research," the announcement read. "We will also not lose sight of Francis W. Peabody’s guidance to medical students: 'the secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient.' AI can do many things, but we believe the practice of medicine will remain essentially human."
UMass Memorial Health partners with Microsoft, Accenture
UMass Memorial Health announced Thursday a multi-year initiative with Microsoft and Accenture to modernize its data platform.
Through the initiative, UMass will establish a unified data platform to replace what it calls “siloed reporting systems” with more advanced analytics using Microsoft’s Azure cloud-based technology.
Moreover, Accenture will introduce agentic AI tools to automate workflows and insights.
UMass Memorial Health President and CEO Eric Dickson, M.D., said in a statement that the system is “continuously looking for new ways to provide innovative care” to meet patient needs and support providers.
“This partnership with Accenture and Microsoft will help us build a stronger foundation for how we deliver care today and in the future,” Dickson said. “Bringing our data together and moving key systems to the cloud will give caregivers faster access to the information they need and create a better experience for the patients we serve.”
Elation Health adds automated payment posting to billing capabilities
Clinical-first AI platform Elation Health announced Thursday it has added automated payment posting for primary care billing.
“In primary care, every dollar counts,” said Kyna Fong, Elation Health co-founder and CEO, in a statement. “We’ve always built clinical-first, starting with the physician and the patient in the room. Now that same thinking carries all the way through to primary care payments. The clinician and patient relationship stays at the center. Our goal is simple: The physician sees the patient, and everything else just gets done.”
Elation’s note-to-payment workflow has cut manual work per claims at practices by more than 70% since March, the company says.
The capability is currently in beta and will be available to customers beginning Nov. 1, executives say. And the company plans to continue expanding the platform's automation capabilities across the revenue cycle in the coming months.
Healthcare cyberattacks becoming more common, costly: report
Ninety-seven percent of surveyed healthcare organizations experienced at least one cyberattack in the last 12 months, a new report from Proofpoint Inc. found.
The 2026 Cyber Insecurity in Healthcare report drew insights from 705 IT and IT security practitioners across U.S. healthcare organizations. Among organizations reporting at least one cyberattack, 74% reported subsequent disruptions to patient care.
The average number of attacks also increased from 43 in 2025 to 51 in 2026, the report found. Moreover, the average cost of the most expensive cyberattack increased 8% to $4.2 million in 2026.
Analysts also note AI adoption is “moving faster than governance,” as 60% of respondents said they lack controls governing sensitive data. Only 42% report using security measures specifically for AI and only 32% have full visibility into employee use of unsanctioned tools.
HealthTap launches virtual primary care program for DME suppliers
Virtual primary care physician practice HealthTap launched Monday a clinical program for sleep and respiratory durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers.
The program connects patients with HealthTap providers for clinical evaluations, documentation and orders—then supports visits across the supply process. It can be embedded into existing DME systems and workflows, including call centers and reminder programs.
Suppliers can begin with a single use case and expand across the sleep-therapy journey as workflows require, executives say.
“Sleep DME teams work hard to keep patients on therapy, but too often progress stalls waiting on a prescription, an updated order, or a required clinical re-evaluation,” said Geoffrey Rutledge, M.D., Ph.D, HealthTap co-founder and chief medical officer, in a statement. “HealthTap gives suppliers a fast, integrated way to connect those patients with a licensed physician, who can evaluate them and determine the right next step. As a result, care keeps moving and suppliers get the documentation they need without the usual delays.”