#282: LLMs, DOAC, and Other Easily Impressed Things
The one-minute (ish) healthtech roundup, by SomX - this week is kindly sponsored by Whereby.
Whassup healthtech fans.
What a week: Algorithms in pharma boardrooms, what LLMs have in common with DOAC interviews, and a reminder that vibes are not a clinical governance framework, no matter how much your CFO wants them to be.
đ Fancy this newsletter in podcast form? đ Well⊠Jessica and Harry from SomX chat through all the best news from this week with Niki Loboda from Whereby and Carlo Alberto Gaetaniello from Serenis.
Click this linky link to get the pod on Spotify. And itâs on the SomX YouTube channel if you want to look at them while they say things.
Integrating video calling into digital health can be a challenge and in reality, âgood enoughâ, rarely is. Security gaps, clunky experiences, and unreliable connections all risk eroding patient trust. Whereby is different. For over a decade, weâve partnered with healthcare professionals to move away from mediocre by delivering secure, reliable, and easy-to-use video consultations. Our flexible API makes it simple to embed video calls directly into your platform, reducing engineering overhead, leaving you to focus on what you do best.
News Bites đ„Ș
đș Dama Health Launches AI Tool to Support Clinicians in Hormone Care Management: US startup Dama Health* has launched Dama Assist, an AI tool built to help clinicians make evidence-based calls without spiralling into a guidelines black hole. With only about a third of obs and gynae doctors (OB/GYNs if youâre from đșđž) getting formal menopause training (what the actual F in 2026, seriously), and patients arriving armed with app data and Google ChatGPT research, it is no wonder everyone feels frazzled. Unlike the generic LLMs that fumble their way through womenâs health, this one is trained properly on clinical data and expert consensus. We love to see it.
đ„Œ AI models more likely to accept medical misinformation if written in professional tone: Lancet article: What do LLMs and DOAC have in common? Yep⊠when the source of the health info looks credible, theyâll believe absolute nonsense**. Turns out, if it comes from an official hospital summary, fake recommendations will fool LLMs around half the time, AND, even more awkward, throw in something that sounds like it came from a senior clinician and itâs even worse. It does beg a few questions⊠should you not trust info thatâs reached an official document? Or info from a senior clinician?
đ· Former health minister calls for digital detox services to tackle alcohol harm costing NHS billions: Former Health Minister, Dr Dan Poulter wants a digital rethink of alcohol services after a report found 9/10 people drinking at clinically risky levels donât see themselves as heavy drinkers. That translates to >17M Brits over the clinical threshold without even realising it. Doctor-led, tech-enabled detox pathways with remote monitoring are the proposed fix, aiming to cut readmissions, keep people out of A&E and the hangxiety at bay.
â The wearables are already here. The NHS just hasnât switched them on yet: Nearly everyone you know is tracking something to do with their health. If itâs not their sleep, itâs their stress levels or the unheard-of-before-2020-metric, HRV. And yet, inside the health system, realistically, wearable data doesnât really feel credible enough to use. Orlando Agrippa (OG guest on The Healthtech Podcast - ep here if you fancy a 2019 (!) throwback) reckons the solution is to build the translation layer that turns everyday data into something safe and actionable. Weâve talked about it a lot here on the consumer side, but why do wearables still feel so far away from being a part of routine care? ReAl WoRlD eViDeNcE yâallâŠ?
đ€ Sanofi CEO: The enterprise AI shift will reshape pharma in 2026 â AI is not âjust a phaseâ for Sanofi in the same way being a Belieber is not âjust a phaseâ for Pigeon***. According to the pharma giant CEO****, AI is now part of its core infrastructure. It now has a say in drug development meetings, assessing which assets move forward and which, respectfully, do not. The outcomes so far have been pretty decent too - 10 new drug targets identified in a year, clinical trial recruitment up 65% (thanks to smarter patient matching), and early stage timelines potentially shaved by a quarter.
âĄïž Sava reports âworld-firstâ 10-day clinical evidence for CGM via microsensors: If youâre up to date on your nanotechnology, youâll know that the race is on to crack the least invasive monitoring of the most useful biomarkers over the longest possible time - and the TLDR here - thereâs been a positive signal to keep an eye on. Savaâs much shorter microsensor can track glucose in interstitial fluid over 10 days according to a 46-person study just completed. Big moments coming (youâd hope) for less invasive CGM as they now work towards a bigger study, regulatory submission and commercial availability by 2027.
đ§ AI algorithm enables tracking of vital white matter pathways â MIT, Harvard, and Massachusetts General Hospital have built an AI tool that can zoom in on the brainstemâs tiny white matter bundles in live MRI scans. Whyâs this important? Well, the software looks at, and segments, 8 distinct nerve tracts and has already picked up telltale changes in Parkinsonâs, MS, Alzheimerâs and TBI (traumatic brain injury). It even tracked bundle recovery in a coma patient over several months. If this holds up, we could be looking at a whole new set of biomarkers for some of neurologyâs toughest conditions to track. Awesome.
And finallyâŠ
1ïžâŁ Google Brings Fitbit AI Health Coach to iPhone as Apple Pulls Back on iOS 27 Health Plans: The saga continues. Fitbit are first out the gates with the AI health assistant. You snooze, you lose [insert other AI health assistant tool name here]; unless youâre sporting a wearable, in which case, if you snooze, youâll undoubtedly be congratulated. The Gemini-powered health coach inside Fitbit is now your 24/7 digital advisor, fitness trainer, sleep whisperer and wellness accountability buddy. All wrapped neatly around your wrist. Buuuuut, how good is it really, and why are Apple retreating from this space like a shy toddler at an over-stimulating soft-play? Jessica, Harry, Niki and Carlo had many thoughts on this weekâs podcast.
Telehealth isnât just for GP appointments anymore - The next phase of virtual care is quietly expanding across the healthcare ecosystem. In their latest blog, Whereby explores how video consultations are powering new models of care, from pharmacy services and physio follow-ups to fertility support, care home coordination, dermatology triage, and even veterinary medicine. The takeaway? Video is becoming less of a pandemic workaround and more of a core layer for delivering accessible, blended care at scale, which means this pigeon can attend even more of its healthcare appointments from the comfort of its own nest!
What to Listen to đ
This is what you call real podcasting. Not from a studio. Oh no no, Tjasa recorded his interview in the car, after picking up her guest, Bart De Witte, from the airport*****. Itâs giving Carpool Healthtech-eoke, and this Pigeon is a big fan. Yes thatâs a real caption from the episode. Hilarious.
Founder of one of the UKâs biggest personalised skincare brands on this one. Needless to say, some members of the team have been fan-pigeoning this one in a big way. Skin+Meâs James Mishreki covered all the core bases: personalised care, trust, regulation, hiring well, and making decisions that hold up as you scale (and he should know - ÂŁ37M ARR within 5 years⊠đ°).
Events đ
Breaking into MedTech: NXGN x MTF
đ
16th Feb 2026
đ»Virtual, 20:00 - 21:00 GMT
For anyone curious about entering the healthtech space, pivoting careers or understanding where their skills fit within the ecosystem, come on down to this online event. Big Pigeon James is on this one.
Techscaler Health & Medtech Innovation Summit
đ
24th Feb 2026
đŹđ§ Edinburghâs Futures Institute, Edinburgh
Half-day meetup for Scotlandâs health and medtech community to connect with founders, investors and ecosystem partners.
Radiology AI Summit
đ
24th-26th Feb 2026
đŹđ§ London Institute for Healthcare Engineering, London
A BNOC-galore summit bringing together clinicians, academics, industry and policy voices to focus on what it takes to move AI from promising demos into real diagnostic and clinical workflowsâŠ
Opportunities đ”ïžââïž
đ„ Head of People, Paloma Health â A famous Paloma once asked âdo you want the truth or something beautiful?â With this role at Paloma Health, who says you canât have both? Youâll lead the People function at one of the UKâs fastest growing NHS childrenâs autism and ADHD providers, partnering with the CEO to shape culture, organisational design and team development as the company scales. If you want your HR work to translate directly into better care for children and families, this is a big one.
đ Talent Acquisition Manager, Paloma Health â Double-whammy for Paloma Health this week and weâve already used up our single Paloma Faith-inspired pun. So anyway⊠as the Talent Acquisition Manager, youâll partner closely with hiring managers, run high-quality pipelines, sharpen sourcing and screening, and make sure every candidate experience reflects the impact of the work. An ideal role for someone who thrives in fast-moving environments and wants their hiring decisions to directly shape the quality of care families receive.
â Community Engagement Manager, Hale House: Youâll run the member experience and events programme at the hottest spot in London healthtech and act as the connective tissue between founders, NHS/industry partners, and the wider district. If youâre good at turning a building into a network, curating the right rooms, the right intros, and the right moments, this is a solid gig.
âïž Clinical Governance Lead, Numan: London (hybrid). Youâll lead and embed clinical governance systems to ensure safe, efficient, compliant care across Numanâs digital health services while managing risk, audits, incident response and safeguarding, looking for someone with strong clinical governance and operational experience.
* Like a mother hen, this Pigeon will always consider the heart of Dama health in the UK, but theyâve flown the nest to crack the problem in the US for maximum impact. A very proud export from two very beloved SomX OGs đ„č đ«¶đŒ
** âVulnerability to misinformationâ is the phrase if youâre in a professional context, which this newsletter is not đ
*** Tell me you let the GenZ draft this week's newsletter without telling me you let the GenZ draft the newsletterâŠ
**** Well, he was CEO until some leadership musical chairs last week and he was shockingly ousted đ
***** Be VERY careful what excuse you try and pull to get out of doing Tjasaâs podcast đđđ