Chris Chan

Blue Health Intelligence, a data analytics and software company, undertook an evaluation of almost 170,000 unique GLP-1 users for weight loss, notes less than half of those prescribed stay on the medication for 12 weeks or more. Younger adults were less likely to continue the drug, whereas those who were prescribed the medication by an endocrinologist or obesity medicine specialist were more likely to continue for longer. Indeed, this data states 30% of patients dropped out of treatment after the first four weeks, and 58% at 12 weeks. Those who dropped out are unlikely to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss.  The likelihood of continuance was further exacerbated for those with health inequities or who lived in underserved health regions. The data comes from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association members participating in Plans that provided coverage of these products, from 2014 through to end of 2023. Razia Hashmi, vice president for clinical affairs at Blue Cross Blue Shield wants to ‘…paint a clearer picture of what makes somebody successful.’ The missing piece here is why the patients stopped – side effects, failure to achieve initial weight loss, stigma and discrimination, or coverage issues related to cost and access. My longtime friend, colleague and bariatric surgeon at Stanford University, Dr. Dan Azagury rightly states ‘…The goal is for patients to stay on this for a significant amount of time. Most likely… beyond 12 weeks.’ https://lnkd.in/ediQskQx

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A whirlwind of activity last week at the America's Physician Groups conference. Lots of solid insights shared by health system leaders. Some notable thoughts: +++ Artificial intelligence is intelligent in different ways: By now, we all know ai has a diverse set of use cases, incorporated in different applications and tools. But there are fundamental differences in how the intelligence itself is brought to life. Examples include: - Predictive AI, used to forecast future outcomes by leveraging historical data. Shout out to UCLA’s CKD/ESRD early intervention protocol (Joycee Berin) and Diagnostic Robotics’ intelligence care post-dicharge journeys (Kira Radinsky) - Protocolized AI, used to automating a user’s administrative load by using a set of detailed, pre-defined rule sets. Thanks to ARC for sharing their experience using Elaborate 's automated outpatient lab summaries (Manish Naik) - Generative AI, used to create new content. Great overview of ambient documentation at MGB as well as Cedars’ Sinai talking through its medical ontology model powering acute triage (Caroline Goldzweig) Across system leaders and experts, there was clear agreement that the first step to implementing intelligence intelligently is defining the ‘jobs to be done’. That way, internal and external stakeholders are clear on what they're solving for when they architect the solution.  +++ Scaling AI takes time and rigorous observation: Market leaders describe a phased pilot approach that allows clinicians to build confidence and system leaders to measure ROI before deploying systemwide. Loved hearing Rebecca Mishuris outline MGB’s novel approach of piloting two solutions against one another, to pressure test implementation, workflow, and value creation. +++ Proving ROI continues to be challenging: Lots of vendors using lots of different metrics to prove value, but the majority of leaders agreed that estimating the ROI of these new tools today is part science, part art. Demonstrating the ROI of the “soft” metrics around provider burnout and retention seemed to be a big opportunity, especially for investment in more efficient primary care and PCP wellbeing. After all, PCPs drive referrals to specialty-level care (and higher reimbursements) for health systems. Appreciated Anurang Revri's overview of how working team setup can also impact ROI estimates. +++ Value-based care = tools + humanity: VBC will require not only implementing tools to support clinical documentation, risk capture, upcoding, etc, but also humanizing interactions to engage patients. Countless examples, but one that made me smile was a depression focused chat bot responding in the following interaction: - Context: post-discharge check in Bot: Hi Freida, how are you feeling today after your surgery?  Patient: I’m having a tough time, am in a lot of pain.  Bot: Well, it can’t be that bad, I’m sure it will get better with a positive mindset!    🤣 🤣 🤣 Can't wait for next go-around!

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I always read Rock Health's digital health reports as they give a nice pulse feel for what is happening in the digital health funding space. Good to see funds raised in H1 2024 suggest funding in the sector seems to have stabilized at 2023 levels. Its no surprise the report emphasis the buzz around AI and healthcare. There have been clear winners in the AI healthcare space in the area of process and cost optimization and the R&D space. The impact of AI in care and treatment delivery is so far much more muted. One area I never though to look at AI was in its ability to bring together multiple healthcare pathways and digital point solutions into a more holistic seamless experience for the patient. There is a clear trend away from using stand alone digital health point solutions, and could AI address this challenge by facilitating the efficient integration of disparate processes and technology into unified care programs. I can see this happening with digital health products but this will be more tricky to do with physical care programs involving clinicians and HCPs. “AI is helping us combine multiple parts of the care journey, across all care experiences. In the future, benefits navigation, clinical guidance, and care delivery won’t be delivered by separate companies or point solutions within the healthcare ecosystem. They’ll be features that work in concert within products, and they’ll happen in under 90 seconds for a seamless patient experience.” – Glen Tullman, CEO, Transcarent and Managing Partner, 7wireVentures

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Digital health isn't just about apps and wearables. It's about rewiring our neural circuitry for wellbeing. Join me on Charmhealth's podcast as we explore the frontier of brain-based behavior change. #DigitalHealth #NeuroscienceRevolution https://lnkd.in/gTFka44P

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This 👂 podcast episode and insight’s from a16z Bio + Health's Julie Yoo spoke so clearly to the fundamental challenge facing both 🩺 clinicians and 🏥 healthcare systems.  There is a huge disconnect between supply, in the availability of clinicians, and demand, in the increasing volume and complexity of healthcare needs. -     36% of physicians plan to reduce their hours next year according to the AMA -     48% of physicians reported feeling burned out in a 2024 Medscape survey At the same time, the demographic baby boomer bubble and steady increase in the prevalence of major chronic disease, which consumes up to 90% of healthcare expenditures according to some estimates, is driving demand. With this context, Yoo points to a major opportunity for AI adoption in healthcare in 2025. Yeah, a VC hyping a wave of new AI companies that will replace the decades of training and experience of clinicians, the skeptic would say.  But Yoo is thoughtful in pointing to the role AI can play, and is already playing, through solutions such as ambient, autonomous scribe solutions (of which local star Abridge is leading the pack) in not replacing, but freeing up productivity for clinicians. There is so much unstructured context in both the complexity of disease and treatment options and the social/emotional considerations that we shouldn't be looking for AI to *replace* clinicians. But companies are getting better at finding the structured, repetitive and time-consuming places where AI tools can *help* clinicians. Nearly two-thirds of doctors cited bureaucratic tasks as the leading contributor to burnout. Rigorously trained-AI driven solutions can be a force multiplier for clinicians, and I’ve seen several interviews where nurses and doctors go as far as to say some of these solutions are ”restoring their joy in practicing medicine”. Our health is precious; and we rightly want any technology engaging with it to be developed thoughtfully and thoroughly tested. This requires top AI talent and diverse and realistic training data. Pittsburgh’s strengths in both areas is why we are an emerging hub for data-driven healthcare. #AIinhealthcare #clinicianburnout #healthinnovation #digitalhealth

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AEP Chronicles: Day 1️⃣7️⃣ Kickoff today’s PSA with a HUGE shoutout to the Los Angeles Dodgers on their World Series victory! ⚾️🌎🧢👏🏽📣 Next, as a follow up from yesterday’s discussion on Medicare updates, “a lot of you guys have been asking” (classic social phrase), why is Medicare Part D so important? 🤔 We’ll simply put, Medicare Part D is important because it provides prescription drug coverage to Medicare beneficiaries. This option isn’t included in the standard Medicare plan (Parts A and B), refer to cms.gov for more insight. Medicare Part D helps people pay for necessary medications that could otherwise be very costly, especially for individuals with chronic conditions who require multiple prescriptions. 💊 Lastly, can I say thank you for engaging with these daily AEP posts? Glad to help educate the LinkedIn community a bit on Medicare, it’s been fun! 🤩 Have a great day ahead y’all! 🎃👻🧌🧟‍♂️ #Healthcare #Seniors #AEP #Education #HaveFun #Grit #GrowthMindset

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What you won’t find: Wheel powering any of the sketchy DTC GLP-1 compounding companies. What you will find: This market exists because companies like Wheel, who prioritize clinical quality and regulatory compliance in every process and product, refuse to take shortcuts. We're committed to ensuring that patients receive high-quality care—not just drive quick profits. Sometimes, choosing ethics over revenue means we don't see a short-term windfall during a "Gold Rush." But as CEO, I can assure you that it also means that patients, customers, and clinicians can trust that Wheel is always on the right side of history. I believe GLP-1s will transform healthcare as profoundly as AI, and Wheel is dedicated to being at the forefront—delivering compliant, accessible, and responsible care.

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Join host Sam Tejada in this compelling episode of ‘A Healthy Point of View’ as he sits down with Dr. Joseph Purita, a pioneer in functional and regenerative medicine, to discuss groundbreaking methods for health and longevity. Dr. Purita shares his journey from traditional orthopedics to becoming a leading expert in regenerative therapies and the science of cellular health. This conversation covers a fascinating array of topics, from Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy and the role of mitochondria in preventing neurodegenerative diseases, to cutting-edge treatments like intermittent hypoxia therapy and extracorporeal blood oxygenation. Throughout, Dr. Purita emphasizes the importance of viewing the body as both hardware and software—highlighting how our cellular pathways and mitochondria play a pivotal role in keeping us youthful and energized. If you’re curious about the future of health, healing, and functional medicine, this episode is a must-watch. Tune in to hear insights from two health visionaries dedicated to reshaping wellness care. PUR-FORM Joe Purita, MD #AHealthyPointOfViewPodcast #AgeManagement #Wellness #FunctionalMedicine #PurForm #DrJosephPurita #Viral #OOTD #Fashion #HealthTok #HealthTips #HealthyTips #IVDrips #Liquivida #SamTejada #Stemcell #VO2Max #DexaScan #Biohack #biohacker #WINNERGY

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For all the talk about value-based care, progress still is very slow. Advisory Board data shows the small amount of progress made from 2017 to 2022, which varies drastically by line of business. Medicare Advantage is the primary segment driving VBC, mainly due to aligned incentives where plans and providers could get paid more through upcoding (or "appropriate coding") of patients to drive more revenue & margin through the entire system. That drove penetration of VBC in MA, and CMS has paid attention, releasing significant headwinds (v28, RADV, Stars) aimed at reducing these perceived overpayments. In other segments, VBC has been very slow to grow. Commercial VBC arrangements were essentially stagnant. Anecdotally, this is starting to change. Plan sponsors (employers) -- especially large, sophisticated ones -- are demanding more from their carriers. They want to see network arrangements that impact quality & cost. Will that be enough to drive VBC activity in the commercial space? We'll see. Employers -- the customers -- will be the ones who will drive VBC forward here. TPAs alone don't have the incentive to make changes. I remain hopeful, but skeptical. #valuebasedcare #healthtech #digitalhealth

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Thank you to Pulse 2.0 for highlighting FeelBetter's story! It’s been an incredible journey, and I'm so proud of our team for developing an AI-powered platform that directly and comprehensively tackles the challenges of polypharmacy. Our goal from the start has been to ease the burden on healthcare providers and help them deliver better care, ensuring patients get the right treatments and the right time, without unnecessary deteriorations or hospitalizations. It’s exciting to see how far we’ve come, and there’s much more ahead. Check out the full interview to learn more! If you are at #HLTHUSA, let's meet! #polypharmacy #medicationmanagement #AI #valuebasedcare #populationhealthmanagement #pharmacoclinicalintelligence

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Alot of bad actors and a few good actors. $2.5T HC capital raised & $1T invested by PE in last decade. $31B in 2013 vs. $217B in 2021. We know the story. Misaligned incentives - unrealistic multiples, short-term profit focus, aggressive cost-cutting, unrealistic scaling, misunderstood market dynamics, just to name a few. However, our industry needs money. But our industry is more infrastructure asset class than tech start-up (James Nicholls gave me that epiphany). Mic drop on the lyrical genius of Alex Fair of MedStartr Ventures as he literally gives the whole story poetic justice as he reads HIS POEM on this "On The Road at VIVE" episode of The Reverse Mullet Healthcare Podcast w/BP2 Health. This is the perfect episode for a Friday afternoon! He and Paulo J Machado donned the actual reverse mullets and joined us back in February at #VIVE2024 to talk about the need for REAL change in healthcare, startup focus and investor expectations. It was one to remember and one that is in desperate need of a full-length follow-up episode. Give us a like and a watch or a listen https://lnkd.in/e4w4mjkv https://lnkd.in/egmK3kMB

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-In Q1 2024, U.S. digital health startups raised $2.7 billion across 133 deals, reflecting a decrease from previous quarters -AI-led digital health firms drew significant attention, securing $1.1 billion, representing 40% of the quarter's total funding -Despite a challenging economic landscape, the focus has shifted towards startups that demonstrate strong outcomes and value for investment, emphasizing the importance of solid performance metrics over mere growth potential. #digitalhealth #healthcareai #venturecapital

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I don't think anyone would argue that 2023 / 2024 were rough years for the healthtech sector, however I would say the worst has past with 2025 looking up compared to the last two years. The Q3 earnings report from FierceHealth on the financial performance of 3 healthtech companies also highlights the success cases in the sector, these 'champions' show digital health companies can grow into sustainable ventures. There are a couple of interesting takeaways from these businesses, and I'll focus in on hims & hers, since the team at Peach Health Asia focuses on patient facing digital health products. i) Execution trumps tech: Hims and Hers success doesn't rely on using the most innovative or advanced tech, rather the Company has executed the commericialisation side of their business exceptional well using a digital platform that is fit for purpose. ii) Its hard to work SaaS models in patient facing solutions: Every successful digital health which engages patients directly uses some level of healthcare professional engagement and other human resources to power a commercial model. This might change in a world where AI can replace doctors but we are there yet! iii) Digital health is scalable....in certain areas: Digital health enabled models lend itself to certain areas of the healthcare sector like allied health and primary care settings. Patient facing products that work deep in a clinical setting are still valuable and they can offer a lot of value. However one thing history has show is these are expensive and difficult to scale in any short to medium time scale compared to products that manage patients in a contained ecosystem. iv) Digital health plus: virtual care is good, hybrid care is better from a commercial value angle. Hims and Hers I would argue does the same thing, but provides a hybrid virtual care service plus product model to drive patient engagement and profitability.

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Thank you Saul Marquez for being on "This Week in Pharmacy" --TWIRx In this insightful episode, we sit down with Saul Marquez, veteran of Medtronic and the visionary founder and CEO of Outcomes Rocket, a #podcast and company dedicated to improving healthcare outcomes and driving business success. Outcomes Rocket is a unique shared knowledge hub that brings together healthcare leaders, non-healthcare operators, and investors to discuss and solve pressing healthcare challenges. Key Discussion Points: About Outcomes Rocket: Saul explains how Outcomes Rocket started as a podcast and evolved into a company with a mission to connect healthcare leaders, share best practices, and break down industry silos. By focusing on collaboration and knowledge-sharing, Outcomes Rocket aims to transform healthcare into a more efficient and patient-centered industry. The Power of Connection: Saul dives into how Outcomes Rocket connects healthcare silos, enabling leaders to share knowledge and improve outcomes. By fostering collaboration across the industry, Outcomes Rocket helps bridge gaps and drive positive change in healthcare delivery. Join us as we explore how Saul Marquez and Outcomes Rocket are making a significant impact in the healthcare landscape by fostering a community of leaders committed to improving care and business success. Whether you're a healthcare professional, investor, or entrepreneur, this episode will provide valuable insights into the power of connection and collaboration in healthcare. YouTube Interview here: https://lnkd.in/eEXXRyTz

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***From Best Practices to Next Practices*** This article from Jon Warner and Jomo Kenneth Starke discusses the shift from Return on Investment (ROI) to Return on Value (ROV) in healthcare, emphasizing a holistic approach that includes innovation, impact, and investment returns. ​ ROV considers qualitative factors alongside financial gains, guiding organizations to align investments with their missions. ​ It encourages long-term perspectives, justifying patient capital for incremental value creation. ​ Challenges in quantifying non-financial returns are acknowledged, but the benefits of ROV outweigh them. ​ This framework aids in strategic decision-making, resource allocation, and partnership formation to maximize value for individuals and society. ​ #Healthcare #ReturnOnValue #Innovation #PatientOutcomes #Collaboration #nextgen #valueovervolume https://lnkd.in/gihZBhSY

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We just released our H1 2024 Digital Health funding summary. https://lnkd.in/gAZY64tp H1 2024 Digital Health funding closed at $12.4 billion invested across 719 deals. - Q2 2024 is outperforming Q1 by 34% ($7.1 billion vs. $5.3 billion)! - Digital Health funding has shown sustained investor confidence. Funding in Digital Health in North America is up 14% to $9.5 billion. Investment in Europe is down 10% to $1.52 billion, while funding in APAC dropped by 7% to $1.17 billion. - Partnerships in Digital Health are flat in the first half at 1,730. NVIDIA has been the strongest corporate partner in H1 2024 - 96 M&As, 8 bankruptcies, 5 delistings from the stock market and 3 relistings from NASDAQ to OTC market. The full report will be available for free next week. Feel free to comment and share if you want to receive a copy prior to our official launch 😊 Galen Growth | Insights You Can Trust #funding #digitalhealth #investments #partnerships

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