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. 19 to 23.
Quest Diagnostics reports cybersecurity breach
Secaucus, N.J.-based Quest Diagnostics disclosed Thursday a cybersecurity breach to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The company said in the disclosure it believes an unauthorized party gained access to certain patient records through its Quantum Lab Services Manager system on Oct. 21. Patients use the system to place orders and receive results.
The full scope of the breach remains under investigation, but Quest has implemented remedial measures and notified federal law enforcement officials. External cybersecurity experts are involved with the investigation.
Withings, Function integrate services for members
Withings announced it has integrated its connected devices with Function health platform to connect daily body measurements with advanced lab data in a single view.
Through the integration, Function members can sync daily readings from Withings’ devices directly into the app. Moreover, Function’s lab testing services will also sync directly into the Withings app.
“Your health information should live in one place,” said Jonathan Swerdlin, Function CEO and co-founder, in a statement. “Our partnership with Withings is a major step toward that unified vision, connecting everyday biometrics with Function's longitudinal results and Medical Intelligence so members can see how the signals they track every day influence what is happening with their biology.”
Withings users can receive a $30 credit on a Function subscription while Function members can receive 10% off Withings products, according to the announcement.
WebMD Ignite unveils agentic AI ‘growth ecosystem’
WebMD Ignite launched Thursday what it calls an “agentic AI growth ecosystem” aimed at transforming marketing for healthcare systems and providers.
The solution—dubbed WebMD Ignite Ruby—allows those involved in the healthcare provider marketing lifecycle to perform an array of functions in a continuous workflow. The agents are able to analyze markets and competitors, identify audiences, develop strategies, plan media and more.
WebMD Ignite Ruby combines WebMD Ignite's proprietary healthcare-specific data and market intelligence with an organization's own approved data and other sources, the company says. Data includes 2.7 billion de-identified healthcare encounters from more than 400 electronic medical record feeds and predictive models across more than 650 clinical conditions.
It can also be paired with WebMD Ignite Agency Services to help turn agent-generated intelligence into campaigns.
“AI agents give healthcare organizations an opportunity to make marketing more precise and more efficient by helping teams identify and reach the right audiences with the right message,” said Ann Bilyew, WebMD Ignite Healthcare Solutions Group EVP, Health and President, in a statement. “That precision can help marketers make better use of every dollar they spend, while agents can also take on work that has traditionally required significant time and resources. WebMD Ignite Ruby combines agents with healthcare intelligence and connects them to work together toward a common objective, while keeping marketers in control of the decisions that matter.”
Lirio says AI-powered nudges boosted vaccination uptake
The program found that 40% of patients reached through Lirio’s Precision Nudging technology got vaccinated.
Lirio conducted extensive consumer research to understand evolving attitudes toward vaccination and used those insights to inform its outreach strategy for the pharmacy across five vaccine types — flu, COVID-19, RSV, pneumococcal and shingles — each with different eligibility considerations and patient attitudes.
The company's research found that personalized messaging reinforcing patients’ right to make their own health decisions resonated regardless of their views on vaccination. Lirio’s AI then used individual signals to assess each patient’s likelihood of taking action or opting out, helping determine whether and when to send a message.
Nearly half of those who ultimately got vaccinated did so after just two nudges, while unsubscribe rates declined 62%, showing how more targeted communication can drive meaningful engagement without sacrificing the patient experience, Lirio executives said.
Healthcare organizations are navigating a moment where what worked to engage patients even a year ago may not work today,” said Amy Bucher, Ph.D., chief behavioral officer at Lirio. “The answer isn’t to send more reminders. It’s to better understand what matters to each person and use that insight to determine what to say, when to say it and, importantly, when not to say anything at all. These results show that when you combine behavioral science with AI, you can help more people take action while respecting the choices they make about their health.”
Novant Health launches virtual men’s health clinic
Novant Health launched a virtual men’s health clinic Tuesday aimed at making specialized care for men’s sexual health concerns more accessible.
The clinic will operate Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with appointments available for scheduling through MyChart or the system’s website.
“Sexual wellness issues like erectile dysfunction can have a meaningful impact on a man's health and quality of life. That's why it's important for patients to have convenient, flexible options for how they receive care," said John Schwabe, M.D., the clinic’s lead physician, in a statement. "Novant Health Virtual Men's Health offers a new way to connect men with specialized expertise and personalized treatment, helping patients find the right approach for their needs without disrupting their daily lives."