Artificial intelligence (AI) has been quickly adopted in healthcare as a tool to help diagnose patients. Some programs work to determine the type of care patients need or inform patients of their risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Now, a new tool out of Somerville, Massachusetts-based Mass General Brigham (MGB), a health system that includes Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is using AI and analyzing de-identified electronic medical records to help clinicians determine if patients have or have ever had long Covid, the system announced in a release on November 8. The results of the study were published in health journal Med last week.

Long Covid occurs in some patients who were previously diagnosed with Covid-19, and can cause symptoms like fatigue, chest pain, digestive issues, brain fog, and headaches, according to the CDC. As of October 26, the World Health Organization estimates that there have been a total of 777+ million Covid cases throughout the world, 103+ million of which were diagnosed in the US.

While other diagnostic studies have suggested that approximately 7% of the population suffers from long Covid, this new approach reveals a much higher estimate—22.8% of the 337+ million people in the US. The authors argued in the study that this figure aligns more closely with national trends and paints a more realistic picture of the pandemic’s long-term toll.

Keep reading here.—CM

Venture capital (VC) giant General Catalyst has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Akron, Ohio-based health system Summa Health, the firm announced on November 7.

General Catalyst, via its healthcare company formed in October 2023 called the Health Assurance Transformation Corporation (HATCo), first announced intent to purchase the Ohio nonprofit system in January 2024. The goal was to use it as a testing ground for health tech products developed by the firm’s portfolio companies. Some of General Catalyst’s healthcare portfolio companies include Maven Clinic, a women’s health virtual care platform, and healthcare provider chain Cityblock Health.

At the time, executives said they planned to finalize the agreement within a few months.

By the numbers. The VC firm plans to spend $485 million to buy Summa, which has roughly 8,500 employees and comprises three hospitals, 14 medical centers, the SummaCare health plan, a multispecialty group practice, a research and medical education program, multiple foundations, and an entrepreneurial entity.

Keep reading here.—MA

GoodRx has officially ventured into e-commerce.

On October 31, the Santa Monica, California-based company announced that it would start dispensing medications through its website, starting with Opill, which became the first FDA-approved over-the-counter (OTC) birth control medication in July 2023.

GoodRx did not previously offer medications for purchase directly on its site, but it did offer discounts on other prescription meds. Since its 2011 launch, GoodRx said that its 10 million users have saved $75 billion on prescription drugs, both generic and name brand.

But GoodRx is not stocking, handling, or delivering the medications, the company said in a statement. Instead, it will have a webpage that is integrated within Opill’s, so patients will get their medication directly from the birth control maker.

Keep reading here.—CM