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 Sept. 28 to Oct. 2.
Duke University launches digital twin initiative
Durham, N.C.-based Duke University announced Tuesday the launch of a program aimed at developing “human digital twins” using medical imaging, AI, wearable data and more.
The initiative is led by the Duke Center for Computational and Digital Health Innovation (CCDHI). Director Amanda Randles, Ph.D., said in a statement that health has traditionally been measured at individual points, “and then tried to piece those measurements together to understand what is happening.”
“A digital twin gives us a framework for connecting those measurements to a model of the individual and continually updating it as new information comes in,” Randles said. “That gives us the opportunity to understand health as a process that unfolds over time, rather than as a collection of disconnected measurements.”
Researchers will use CCDHI’s Platform for Research Integration of Secure Multimodal Modeling (PRISM), an AI-enabled platform integrating EHRs, imaging, behavioral signals and more.
The first pilot will focus on heart failure, with a long-term goal of identifying physiological deterioration before symptoms or hospitalization.
Yosi Health integrates scheduling, intake with Google Search and Maps
Specialty medical group patient management platform Yosi Health announced Wednesday that its scheduling and intake capabilities are now directly integrated with Google Search and Maps.
The integration is built on Reserve with Google and sends patients to organizations’ existing screening and intake workflow before selecting an appointment time. Patient health information is not shared with Google through the integration, executives say.
“Patients expect healthcare to be as convenient as every other digital experience in their lives,” said Hari Prasad, Yosi Health CEO and founder, in a statement. “By allowing patients to begin the scheduling process directly from Google Search, while preserving each organization's existing scheduling rules and intake workflows, we're removing unnecessary friction from one of the most important steps in the patient journey.”
Grindr acquires PurposeMed Inc. to improve PrEP education, access
Grindr announced Wednesday the acquisition of PurposeMed Inc., the parent company of telehealth provider, Freddie.
Freddie provides HIV prevention and PrEP care. The goal of the acquisition is to improve users’ access to PrEP through education, testing and prescriptions. Participation is voluntary, the company says.
Executives say the transaction marks the “first major acquisition” since its founding and a “significant step in building out the Global Gayborhood,” leading with Grindr Health.
“For generations of gay men, HIV shaped how we thought about intimacy, relationships and our own futures. Today, we have the tools to prevent it. New infections should be close to zero, and that is what we are striving to achieve,” said George Arison, Grindr CEO and chairperson, in a statement, “The challenge is connecting people to PrEP and helping them stay on it. Grindr has a direct line to millions of gay men, and Freddie brings the medical expertise to turn that reach into care. Together, we can revolutionize access to HIV prevention, just as Grindr revolutionized how gay men meet, and accelerate progress toward ending the HIV epidemic.”
The deal is valued at $250 million in cash and stock, and may include up to an additional $70 million in cash consideration. It is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026.
UVA Health, K Health partner to expand virtual primary care
AI-driven clinical care company K Health and UVA Health entered a strategic partnership Wednesday aimed at expanding access to virtual primary care and behavioral health for Virginia patients.
Through the newly announced partnership, UVA Health patients will gain expanded access to these services, with K Health’s clinical AI infrastructure supporting the visit experience in UVA Health’s patient portal.
“Academic medical centers like UVA Health operate at a level of clinical complexity that most consumer health tools were never built for,” said Ran Shaul, K Health co-founder and chief product officer, in a statement. “UVA Health's residency and fellowship programs, its research enterprise and its subspecialty depth are exactly the environment our technology was designed for. Our platform is designed to support completing administrative tasks and enabling time for more direct patient care.”
Welldoc launches AI-driven care loop platform
Welldoc launched Wednesday a digital-first, AI-driven care loop platform to connect patients’ daily health experiences directly to their care teams.
The care loop runs on the health tech company’s clinically validated small language models to ensure personalized, measurable and connected guidance. The platform is powered by more than 500 million health data points across more than 80 different health domains, executives say.
“People need simple, connected solutions that bridge daily life with clinical care,” said Kevin McRaith, Welldoc president and CEO, in a statement. “Our AI-Powered Care Loop translates complex data into trusted, real-time guidance straight to clinicians—helping them identify risks early, use resources wisely, and scale programs efficiently.”
GoTo expands athenaOne integration, expands AI capabilities
GoTo announced Monday that it has expanded its AI capabilities within athenaOne to include 24/7 automated appointment scheduling.
The capability is now available in athenahealth’s Marketplace. The AI automatically handles routine scheduling and allows for human escalation when needed.
“A missed call in the medical field isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a patient who didn’t get the timely care they needed,” said David Evans, GoTo general manager of unified communications and collaboration, in a statement. “By working with athenahealth to build this integration, we’re solving real problems for healthcare practices by providing the technology that enables better patient care. Medical practices shouldn't have to choose between caring for the patients in front of them and answering the phone for the next one, and now they don’t.”