The widespread adoption of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that it is not only possible to deliver care remotely, but it is imperative for hospitals and health systems to integrate telehealth as a standard service.

More than 70 healthcare organizations have signed a Digital Health Equity Pledge from Executives for Health Innovation, the independent Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit announced Dec. 13.

There is no question the healthcare industry is operating in a new era. Virtual care hit its stride during the pandemic, so it's no surprise consumers are bringing their everyday expectations of user experience from the retail, travel and entertainment industries into healthcare. Consumers prioritize flexibility and convenience and want to access to care on their own terms. It's a dynamic that many hospitals and health systems were working towards prior to 2020 but was catalyzed by the pandemic.

Investments in the health technology sector are higher than ever, according to a Deloitte report released Dec. 8.

Private equity company CB Insights released its third annual list of the top companies using digital technology to transform healthcare on Dec 8. The top companies tackle a range of challenges in healthcare using digital methodology, from home health tech to workflow diagnostics. 

Life sciences innovation firm Flagship Pioneering on Dec. 7 spun out Harbinger Health, a startup that uses artificial intelligence to diagnose cancer from a blood test, and named former FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn, MD, as CEO.

Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health and Phoenix-based Banner Health have both launched digital mental health platforms for their employees.

Google is partnering with the World Health Organization to build an open-source developer kit to empower healthcare providers in low- and middle-income countries.

The Scripps Research Digital Trials Center has partnered with Microsoft and WebMD, among others, to create a new research consortium aimed at improving maternal health.

Patient access to care can be best improved by technology in the coming year, hospital leaders said in a report by the Center for Connected Medicine and KLAS Research published Dec. 7. 

Innovations in artificial intelligence and sensors are helping patients detect and manage chronic health conditions, but not all physicians are fully on board with the popular technology, according to a recent Deloitte report. 

Digital health startups continue to expand across the industry, with many shifting focus to providing care on their own rather than selling services to healthcare organizations, according to Jonathan Slotkin, MD, and Chrissy Farr. 

Ryan Smith will leave his role as CIO of Intermountain Healthcare early next year to serve as COO of Graphite Health, a digital health platform launched by the Salt Lake City-based health system and other providers, according to a Dec. 1 news release. 

Charleston-based Medical University of South Carolina on Dec. 1 began a partnership with healthcare automation company Notable to improve the digital patient experience.

Direct-to-consumer DNA testing company 23andMe is spending the funds it raised during its recent public listing on the development of two cancer drugs, The Wall Street Journal reported Nov. 30.

New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health inked a multiyear deal with patient engagement platform Playback Health to provide patients with resources and care plan information via audio, video, picture and text. 

One year ago, Intermountain Healthcare made digital health company Omada Health's diabetes prevention program available as a covered benefit to the Salt Lake City-based system's medical group patients. Here, two executives familiar with the initiative answer questions about its progress and results.

Complications following a discharge after surgery are common, but mobile devices and wearables present an opportunity to mitigate these risks and reduce strain on emergency departments, according to a Nov. 12 report published in Nature Digital Medicine.

Patients who use their smartphone to snap and share photos of postsurgical wounds with their clinicians may get a quicker diagnosis of an infection after surgery, according to a study published Nov. 18 in NPJ Digital Medicine. 

Here are four incubators that have been launched in the past five months to accelerate the growth of digital health startups.