Author: healthadmin
Cedar, a patient finance platform for healthcare providers, announced Monday that its artificial intelligence voice agent has handled approximately 400,000 patient calls at healthcare providers nationwide since its launch last year. The platform debuted an AI voice agent (called Kora) in April 2025. The tool is available 24/7 to autonomously resolve common claims inquiries on the first interaction and is trained on Cedar’s proprietary medical claims data. Voice AI agents handle tasks such as patient authentication, bill collection, balance inquiries, bill clarification, and outbound collection campaigns. Since its launch, more than a dozen providers have implemented the solution, including Hartford…
From the frozen wastes of Antarctica to the heights of Mount Everest, microplastics have been found in some of the most remote places on Earth. And their range continues to expand. Recent research published in iscience Researchers have found that one of Nepal’s highest snow-filled lakes, located at an altitude of 4,917 meters (16,132 feet) in the Himalayas, contains high amounts of microplastic pollution. Researchers detected an average of 42 microplastic particles per liter of water, highlighting the reach of microscopic plastic pollution in some of the world’s most remote environments. “This is yet another evidence that the high consumption…
InStride Health, which provides specialized mental health care to children, teens, and young adults, has secured $30 million in Series C funding to fuel growth as it expands into new markets and expands its network of payment partners. Echo Health Ventures and FMZ Ventures led the Series C round as new strategic investors. Existing investors including .406 Ventures, General Catalyst, and Mass General Brigham Ventures also supported the round. News of this funding was shared exclusively with Fierce Healthcare. The company raised $30 million in Series B funding in March 2024 and $26 million in 2022. InStride has raised a…
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been used for more than 30 years to treat the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. More than 200,000 patients worldwide have now been implanted with these systems, which deliver continuous electrical stimulation to specific deep areas of the brain to reduce stiffness and tremors. However, despite clinical success, traditional deep brain stimulation (DBS) remains limited in its ability to address one of the disease’s most disabling symptoms: gait disturbance. Researchers in Lausanne develop a new approach, natural medicineadapting DBS in real time to patient movements in everyday situations. Thanks to artificial intelligence, the system continuously…
Climate change and pollution drive widespread health threats through rising temperatures, extreme weather, and degraded air quality, intersecting environmental health and climate change to accelerate respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
State laws banning the use of PFA in clothing and textiles have significantly reduced the amount of toxic “permanent chemicals” used in products. Public health advocates say this is a major public health victory and underscores the value of protective policies.However, some companies appear to be ignoring the law as their products still contain high levels of Pfas.Approximately 80% of the approximately 115 products tested showed levels of PFAS that complied with state law. Products were purchased from Internet and brick-and-mortar retailers in New York and California that have implemented bans on the intentional addition of Pfas.The tests looked at…
Recent research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences When a political leader suddenly expresses support for censorship, it suggests that his or her supporters are more likely to adopt the same view. The findings provide evidence that statements from prominent politicians can easily sway public opinion regarding fundamental democratic rights such as freedom of speech. This highlights how political language can influence voters to abandon long-held values in favor of restricting the rights of opponents. President Donald Trump has frequently portrayed himself as a strong defender of free speech. Following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk,…
A team of researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) has shown that a single dose of gene therapy that expresses the metabolic factor FGF21 can extend the healthy lifespan of old mice. A 27-month pharmacology study published in the journal Molecular Therapy showed sustained beneficial effects across multiple endpoints related to aging and healthspan. A study conducted at the Center for Animal Biotechnology and Gene Therapy (CBATEG) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) shows that a single dose of gene therapy that induces skeletal muscle production of the metabolic factor FGF21 (fibroblast growth factor 21) can extend…
Teresa is the lead writer for Morning Round, and her articles focus on gender-affirming care, reproductive health, and mental health. You can reach Theresa at signal theresagaff.97.Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with Morning Rounds, STAT’s free newsletter. Sign up here. good morning. At a bar in Cambridge on Saturday, I saw a couple who appeared to be straight huddled around a TV showing basketball while a more queer-coded crowd lingered on another soccer broadcast. I don’t think there was anything really going on, but it was fun. This “never-happening event” is happening more frequently Children…
The red color of red leaf lettuce is due to anthocyanin, a type of polyphenol pigment that is attracting attention for its antioxidant effects. Plants produce anthocyanins through a series of enzyme-driven reactions starting with the amino acid phenylalanine. In the process, this pathway produces a variety of flavonoids. Flavonoids are a broad category of plant compounds that serve many functions before some are ultimately converted to anthocyanins. In the new study, researchers used genome editing to switch off the gene responsible for producing dihydroflavonol 4-reductase, an enzyme involved in a critical step just before anthocyanin formation in red lettuce.…