Welcome to this latest instalment of our international news in brief, where we take a look at some of the health tech news and stories to have caught our eye over the last few weeks.
EPR roll out across Guyana
The Minister of Health for Guyana has offered an update on plans to roll its EPR out across the country, with work having begun on digitising patient records at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Guyana’s main public hospital.
The GPHC roll out is hoped to be completed by the end of the year. Following an evaluation of the system, it will then be expanded to other public hospitals, with plans also to work with private providers to allow for patient information to be transferred between facilities.
The Minister also shared ambitions to introduce a clinical decision-making tool capable of identifying potentially harmful drug interactions before alerting clinicians to review.
Health records used to proactively identify patients at risk of substance abuse
The Mississippi State Department of Health is rolling out a new programme with an aim to identify patients at risk of substance abuse early and allow them to access treatment closer to home. By using Epic and MyChart, earlier screening is now taking place, with Epic delivering “nudges” to clinicians as a patient moves up the risk chart. All patients now complete an annual screening via MyChart before their visit, or using a tablet upon arrival.
Following a pilot in six counties, every county in the state is reportedly now on the programme. Patients screened as high risk receive follow-up care from specialists via video call. “Mississippi is showing what is possible when clinical leadership, public health infrastructure, and technology are aligned around patients,” said Dan Edney, MSDH executive director and state health officer.
Fujitsu and IBM Japan plan sovereign cloud platform for AI
Fujitsu and IBM Japan have announced their collaboration on the development of a sovereign cloud platform to enable data integration and the use of AI for healthcare providers across Japan. Both companies will run their EHR solutions on Fujitsu’s sovereign cloud platform, and will “mutually leverage” their AI solutions for healthcare in use cases such as medical documentation and streamlining on-site operations.
Collaboration will take place with medical institutions to validate use cases for health data usage and AI. The suppliers also report that they will consider integration and expansion with multiple medical information systems, and the realisation of patient-centric health services covering steps from appointment booking through to post-treatment follow-up.
Quantum Health unveils new approaches and virtual primary care model
In its annual Connect conference, Quantum Health unveiled a series of new approaches including a virtual primary care model and a “fully integrated pharmacy navigation solution” with built in decision support. The Cirrus MD virtual primary care model allows members to connect with a clinician in under 60 seconds at any time of day, it states, with a connected experience offering diagnosis and treatment of multiple concerns in a single encounter.
“Major enhancements” have also reportedly been made to the company’s Action-to-Impact reporting and insights platform, combining self-service analytics, interactive dashboards, and AI-supported insights, allowing users to explore trends and performance.
WHOOP to launch EHR syncing, AI functionality, and on-demand video consultations
WHOOP, a “human performance” company focusing on sleep, strain, and recovery via the use of wearables, is set to launch a new range of offerings, including EHR syncing, AI, and on-demand video consultations with clinicians. From Summer 2026, US users will be able to connect with clinicians live from the app, supported by months of continuous data, and with the potential to link EHR data to access clinical history.
WHOOP is also introducing My Memory and Proactive Check-ins, with personalised coaching and recommendations that can be tailored to suit changing goals. Users can also benefit from AI insight into behavioural change and life events, with WHOOP AI making suggestions based on patterns it detects, and Behavior Trends visualising how behaviours influence recovery over time.
