The 5 Hottest Health-Tech Stories of the Week

As another week closes, we’re back with a sizzling roundup of the stories that lit healthcare and tech on fire, on Twitter and the Healthcare Analytics News™ mothership. For us, it was hardly a surprise that our June cover story on WannaCry, NotPetya, and the cyberwarfare threat took the top honor. But other stories, focused on everything from the Apple Watch to mHealth, also earned considerable attention.

As a reminder, this weekly column is meant to serve as a jumping-off point to the most important news, features, and insights in health tech and health IT. All of these stories come from the digital (and sometimes print) pages of this magazine. Let this serve as your gateway to the rest of the journalism that we work hard to pump out every week.

>> READ: A Smart, Small, Familial Approach to Population Health

We’ve also included staff picks below this list. Be sure to check them out to dig up sleeper content or stories that came out too recently to pick up any real traction.

Got any thoughts on these stories? Wondering why something is missing? Or simply want to discuss some big ideas? Reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. We always welcome a good chat.

Top 5 Stories from the Week in Health Tech

1. WannaCry, NotPetya, and Cyberwarfare’s Threat to Healthcare

To mark the first anniversary of the devastating WannaCry and NotPetya cyberattacks, my colleague Ryan Black spent months reporting the inside stories of what happened each day. The resultant piece takes readers into the lives of victims, making clear some of the damages of cyberwar. What remains unclear, as Black notes, is how downed systems and devices and delayed or canceled appointments affected patients. Overall, this piece paints a grim picture of healthcare’s grave new threat: cyberwarfare. (Also, check out our podcast on this piece here.)

2. Will the Apple Watch Get a Blood Pressure Monitor?

Who doesn’t want to get the latest on all things Apple? In this piece, we examine a patent filed by the tech giant 3 years ago, which just came to light last week. The gist: It’s for a “low-profile blood pressure measurement system” for a portable device. From there, the story takes a deep dive into the patent and all things Apple Watch and blood pressure, giving you everything you need to know.

3. Healthcare, Wearables, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

In his first column for us, João Bocas, better known as the Wearables Expert, examines the technology’s place in healthcare and society at large. Do wearables represent a dramatic shift in the way we live, work, and get well? He thinks so, and he has the argument to back it up.

4. AMA, AHIP, and Others Unite to Form Healthcare Transformation Organization

Ryan Black strikes back with another piece in the top 5. This one details a rather quiet effort by some major names, like the American Medical Association, to launch a change-driven organization. But what will it do?

5. mHealth Might Solve Our Prisons’ Mental Health Problem

Many people with mental illnesses end up incarcerated in the United States. Behind bars, it’s difficult for them to get the proper care they need. Lauren Spath, an associate for our parent, Healthcare Research & Analytics®, explores how mHealth could improve behavioral health in prisons. We could be at the dawn of a major change, she writes.

Our Staff Picks for Health IT

Finding Fault When AI Kills

The latest episode of our podcast, Data Book, tells the story of the first human to be killed by a robot. Believe it or not, this occurred way back in 1979, but questions surrounding legal liability and automation persist. This is especially true when it comes to artificial intelligence, and healthcare will likely grapple with this very issue in the near future. What can we learn from self-driving cars?

Cyberwarfare Concerns Yield Consequences for Russian Tech Companies

Following up on his cyberwarfare cover story, Black reports on punitive actions taken by Western governments against Russian companies suspected of fueling the rogue state’s cyberwar engine. This spells trouble for a number of cybersecurity firms, namely Kaspersky.

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