Emerging Tech
The Evolution of Public Health
Driven by a global pandemic, federal agencies stepped up with new strategies and embraced new technical capabilities to combat the coronavirus and meet their missions.
Emerging Tech
Robotic Surgeries Are Changing the Game Inside One VA Facility
More than 60 robotics-boosted surgical procedures were performed since March—and the program will likely expand in the next year.
Modernization
Bipartisan Cadre of Lawmakers Call for Permanent Telehealth Expansion
Telehealth has proved vital during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more than four dozen lawmakers want to see maximized moving forward.
Artificial Intelligence
GAO: AI Promising in Health Care, but Challenges Remain
The nascent technology is leading to positive health care outcomes, but issues may impede widespread adoption.
Emerging Tech
VA Moves to Expand Its 5G Experimentation
One of the agency’s senior innovators shed light on what’s to come—and how existing 5G pursuits have paid off in the pandemic.
Emerging Tech
COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium Shifts Focus to Patient Outcomes
In its second phase, the supercomputing group will prioritize projects that offer to help coronavirus patients in the near future.
Ideas
5 Ways to Improve Emergency Preparedness for Next Time
A permanent team that is focused solely on national preparation and ensuring that the relevant federal agencies are all on the same page should coordinate all five of these components.
Artificial Intelligence
Homeland Security’s Small Business Program Will Focus on Viruses, Security and Networks in 2021
The Small Business Innovation Research program identified 12 tentative topics as priorities for the coming year.
Emerging Tech
AFWERX Looks to Buy Thousands of COVID-19-Spotting Wearable Devices
The innovation unit is interested in accessing them in as quick as 60 days.
Artificial Intelligence
VA Turns to Machine Learning to Automate Prescription Workflows
One of the agency’s senior innovation-focused officials also shed light on how additive manufacturing might disrupt modern health care.
Ideas
Move to Telehealth Strains Therapists and Their Clients
A big issue was client access to technology and reliable internet services.
Emerging Tech
‘First-Ever,’ Living 3D-Printed Brain Aneurysm Made—and Treated—at LLNL
The work could pave the way for safer, more personalized medical attention.
Emerging Tech
Pentagon Scientists Seek Device to Detect COVID-19 in the Air
The Pentagon’s research and development arm is looking for new ways to detect coronavirus.
Artificial Intelligence
Watch App Identifies Sounds for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People
People found the app was useful for letting them know if there was something that they should pay attention to.
Emerging Tech
Naval Hospitals Deploy Germ-Killing Robots Amid Pandemic
The tools are intended to provide an extra level of disinfection against COVID-19.
Ideas
Health Insurers Are Starting to Roll Back Coverage for Telehealth – Even Though Demand Is Way Up Due to COVID-19
Due to the financial strain on health care systems and insurers, the increase in telehealth use may be forced to shrink even though the public health crisis remains.
Modernization
VA Launches New Electronic Health Record Platform Amid a Pandemic, Wildfires and Citywide Power Outages
Nature seemed to be against the Veterans Affairs Department’s new EHR system. But officials are reporting a “flawless” cutover for the first deployment.
Artificial Intelligence
Defense Department Jumpstarts Deployment of AI-Driven, Cancer-Detecting Augmented Reality Microscopes
Similar capabilities could be applied to the realm of radiology.
Ideas
AI Checks out 'Rash Selfies' to Detect Lyme Disease
Researchers trained the tool to identify redness associated from Lyme disease from other skin problems.
Modernization