COVID-19 has caused a surge in telemedicine, increasing access to health care without having to physically visit a doctor. In similar ways, it is changing things in the operating room, where advanced technology platforms enable surgeons and specialists to observe or weigh in on surgeries and allow manufacturer reps to assist in procedures using new devices.

PARIS – Barely one year after its formation, startup company Quantiq SAS has just closed an $825,000 seed round, to develop its contactless medical diagnostics technology. French business angels from the medical, artificial intelligence and fintech worlds participated in this initial fundraising.

COVID-19 continues to dramatically reconfigure medicine as an ever-broadening array of digital therapies rolls out and telemedicine tackles increasingly complex applications. Abbott Laboratories’ newly launched Neurosphere Virtual Clinic exploits both trends to make management of chronic pain and movement disorders easier for patients.

I-O Urology Corp. launched its Carepath platform to provide remote patient monitoring for urologic conditions. The platform uses a compact portable system to capture real-time urine voiding data and a mobile app to facilitate accurate reporting and timely communication between patients and their health care providers.

The Biden administration imposed a regulatory freeze in January, which among other things affected the final rule for the Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technologies (MCIT) program. Despite the freeze, Cybil Roehrenbeck, a partner in the D.C. office of Hogan Lovells US LLP, told BioWorld that this program enjoys broad support in Washington, and thus should survive the new administration’s review of the program under Xavier Becerra, should he be appointed the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

A bad patient experience with telehealth can blunt adoption regardless of the incentives for developers and doctors. Griffin Mulcahey, chief compliance officer at Wheel Health Inc., of Austin, Texas, said during a recent webinar that users of these digital health apps and telemedicine programs may need assistance to get up to speed on an application, a critical effort that may make the difference between success and failure in telehealth.

Several telehealth bills are in circulation on Capitol Hill, but U.S. federal government agencies have expressed concerns about the potential for fraud and abuse, and the impact on Medicare spending. Despite those concerns, two key members of the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee, Reps. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), said during a March 2 hearing that they have misgivings about those cautionary views of telehealth, suggesting that any related legislation will aggressively expand Medicare coverage of telehealth.