Babylon Health won big government deals—but inside, doctors flagged problems
broad concerns that the companyThere’s a problem with that claim, says Hamish Fraser, a Brown University biomedical informatics professor who disputed Babylon’s assertions in aBritain’s premier medical journal. He points out that Babylon’s software had answered only 15 of the 50 exam problems and was allowed to give three answers to each question. “When doctors do this test, you get one right answer,” he says.
There are some doubts, for instance, about whether the software can fulfill one of its main aims: keeping the “worried well” from heading to the hospital. Early and current iterations of the chatbot advise users to go for a costly emergency room visit in around 30% of cases, according to a Babylon staffer, compared with roughly 20% of people who dial the national health advice line, 111. It’s not clear how many patients take that advice, and Babylon says it doesn’t track that data.
All of this has played out behind the scenes while Babylon was successfully marketing itself as a digital salve for overstretched healthcare systems. One of the company’s biggest fans is Britain’s health secretary, Matt Hancock, who said in a recent newspaper supplement that was sponsored by Babylon that he has “become known for using this GP at Hand app.”
Software is developed by iteration. Developers build an app and release it into the wild, testing it on various groups of live users and iterating as they go along. Silicon Valley’s mentality, once espoused by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, is to “move fast and break things.” But developing new drugs or medical devices requires a more deliberate approach, since human lives hang in the balance.
Despite the wariness of some doctors, Parsa is much admired by London’s tech community for his tenacity and grand vision to bring “accessible and affordable health service into the hands of every person on earth.” For many, it’s a refreshing dose of entrepreneurial grandeur that you don’t always find in modest Britain. Parsa’s story is an inspiring one. He
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Doctor App Babylon Health Offers Quick Appointments, But Grapples With Follow-Up Care For Mental HealthA third of London’s mental-health providers are rejecting patient referrals from Babylon Health, a video-calling service used by thousands. Former staff say the startup is struggling to plug into Britain’s healthcare system.
Read more »
$1 billion Sequoia-backed data startup Health Catalyst has picked lead banks for its IPOHealth Catalyst, a Utah-based healthcare data startup, has taken early steps toward an initial public offering.
Read more »
Signify Health acquires start-up TAV Health in multimillion-dollar dealSignify Health acquired TAV Health, marking a rare acquisition of a start-up that is focusing on social determinants of health.
Read more »
Medicare-for-all: Where Democrats stand on health-care issuesThe major Democratic presidential contenders have been vocal about the need to expand health-care coverage for more Americans. But they have split on how to do so.
Read more »
Analysis | The Health 202: Most states Trump administration pinpointing for HIV prevention didn't expand MedicaidThe Health 202: Most states Trump administration pinpointing for HIV prevention didn't expand Medicaid
Read more »
Whoopi Goldberg surprises 'View' co-hosts, drops by to give an update on her healthWhoopi Goldberg turned up at 'The View,' surprising Joy Behar, Meghan McCain and her other co-hosts. She's been out sick with pneumonia.
Read more »
Cuba says USA, not Canada, manipulating diplomat health incidentsCuba denounced the Trump administration on Thursday for continuing to refer to h...
Read more »
These tech companies aim to cure pain without pillsCompanies such as Bioness, Cefaly and Sana are developing technology to reduce pain -- and the need for addictive painkillers.
Read more »