Deep Dive

Heart attacks struck Sek Kathiresan's family. He's devoted his life to stopping them.

After several family members had early heart attacks, Kathiresan vowed to understand why they happen. His research journey has changed medical practice and led to a new biotech startup, Verve Therapeutics.

Ben Fidler • Dec. 2, 2021

Medical device security continues to be casualty of hospital-medtech divide

FDA says manufacturers and hospitals are both responsible for protecting devices from growing cybersecurity threats. However, healthcare organizations carry a much heavier load.

Greg Slabodkin • Dec. 1, 2021

How hospitals leveraged on-site child care during the pandemic in a bid to drive retention

An overwhelming amount of healthcare jobs are held by women. On-site child care can drive better retention amid a "Great Resignation," as burned out employees across all industries reevaluate their roles and workplaces.

Hailey Mensik • Nov. 3, 2021

Why are women more likely to use telehealth?

As Washington mulls over telehealth regulations post-COVID-19, it's important not to roll back access in a way that could disproportionately affect women, experts say.

Rebecca Pifer • Nov. 2, 2021

Nurses bore the brunt of the pandemic. Nearly 9 in 10 of them are women.

Women have an outsized role in caring for the nation's health, and were hit exceptionally hard by the pandemic at home and at work.

Samantha Liss • Nov. 1, 2021

A look at Teladoc's primary care strategy from its head of US group health

In an interview, Kelly Bliss teased upcoming clients for a new virtual-first primary care product and parsed out Teladoc's growth strategies for 2022 and beyond.

Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 27, 2021

Anatomy of a medical device recall: How defective products can slip through an outdated system

A fragmented system has medtechs notifying hospitals via mail or FedEx, leading to missed notices, putting patients at risk, critics say.

Ricky Zipp • Oct. 19, 2021

Will a software bill of materials help or hurt medical device cybersecurity?

For years, FDA has talked about the need for an electronically readable inventory of third-party components in devices, as a way to address the problem of widespread cyber vulnerabilities.

Greg Slabodkin • Oct. 8, 2021

How Morgan Health hopes to finally move the needle on employer health costs: 5 insights from a chat with the venture's CEO

Morgan Health learned a lot from Haven, but is a different beast with better knowledge of the buy-in needed to disrupt the health benefits space, CEO Dan Mendelson told Healthcare Dive.

Rebecca Pifer • Oct. 7, 2021

Predicting the future of healthcare: 10 takeaways from HIMSS21

Along with "guarded optimism" on the current state of the pandemic, some 19,000 on-site attendees in Las Vegas mulled what's next for AI, telehealth, cybersecurity, mental health and more.

Rebecca Pifer and Hailey Mensik • Aug. 13, 2021

8 insights from a chat with Joe DeVivo, Teladoc's head of hospitals and health systems

DeVivo hinted at joint R&D with tech behemoth Microsoft, a future API marketplace and where Teladoc sees virtual visits stabilizing post-pandemic.

Rebecca Pifer • Aug. 12, 2021

Medtech M&A expected to be robust in second half after 2021 began with a flurry

Even after already eclipsing the number of deals last year, analysts predict robust activity in particular among diagnostics companies flush with cash from 2020's COVID-19 test sales.

Ricky Zipp • July 19, 2021

How close is quantum computing in healthcare?

Potential applications run the gamut from streamlining clinical trials to optimizing back-end functions for payers and providers, and could be used in practice within a few years.

Rebecca Pifer • July 19, 2021

Medtech pay to doctors plunged in 2020 as COVID-19 pummeled electives, in-person services

Zimmer Biomet had the biggest drop, cutting general payments nearly 80% to $63 million. Other notable decreases include Stryker, J&J's DePuy Synthes and Boston Scientific.

Ricky Zipp • July 13, 2021

Legacy medical devices, growing hacker threats create perfect storm of cybersecurity risks

Aging medtech and increasingly sophisticated criminals are leaving hospitals highly vulnerable to attacks.

Greg Slabodkin • June 23, 2021

In historic move, FDA approves closely watched, controversial Alzheimer's drug

With the decision, the agency cleared the way for what many predict will become a lucrative and highly sought-after option — though fierce debate continues over whether Biogen's aducanumab actually benefits patients.

Jacob Bell • Updated June 7, 2021

Medtronic HeartWare system hit with slew of Class I recalls, device reports since 2012 PMA

The pump has a higher rate of malfunction reports than rivals, according to an ECRI analysis of the FDA's MAUDE database. But it's hard to draw conclusions from a disparate system of safety reporting.

Ricky Zipp • May 24, 2021

Virtual proctoring, training poised to be new normal in post-pandemic surgical interactions

Prior to the COVID-19 public health crisis, momentum to transition operating rooms into digitally connected learning environments was building. Social distancing mandates accelerated those efforts.

Greg Slabodkin • May 20, 2021

All eyes on elective care after a rollercoaster year for medtech

After shutdowns slammed procedure-dependent firms in 2020, industry and Wall Street are waiting to see when non-emergency surgeries fully return and what a comeback might look like.

Ricky Zipp • March 18, 2021

1 year of COVID-19 has changed what it's like to work in healthcare

A year of working on the front lines brought more focus on the challenges facing nurses and physicians, who are reporting higher rates of burnout as well as a lack of trust and engagement with the organizations employing them.

Hailey Mensik • March 17, 2021

Independent primary care docs more financially stable, but fed up with vaccine exclusion

For the private practices that survived 2020, things have improved. But even as volumes recover, front-line physicians are still facing fresh challenges, including worries about downstream effects from delayed care.

Rebecca Pifer • March 16, 2021

Hospital executives share lessons learned 1 year into the pandemic

Some health systems won't be returning to pre-coronavirus operations, as the crisis has forced them to rethink how they operate. Executives from across the country share what they've changed and what still keeps them up at night.

Samantha Liss • March 15, 2021

Hospitals lift curtain on prices, revealing giant swings in pricing by procedure

The eye-popping variations demonstrate "the total insanity of American healthcare pricing," Niall Brennan, CEO of the Health Care Cost Institute, said.

Samantha Liss and Nami Sumida • March 11, 2021

4 healthcare antitrust issues to watch

The FTC is looking to get more aggressive with anticompetitive tie-ups while states eye ways to beef up oversight. And if handed the reins of HHS, Xavier Becerra would likely put an antitrust lens to potential rules.

Samantha Liss • March 1, 2021

CGM, insulin pump players look to 2021 as watershed year for diabetes wearables market

Insulet, Dexcom and Medtronic have product launches set for this year, with all looking to capitalize on the recent skyrocketing of virtual care due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ricky Zipp • Feb. 4, 2021