Apple Watch could miss hypertension diagnoses in seniors

Copyright TechTarget - All rights reserved https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html Techtarget Feed Generator en Thu, 19 Feb 2026 05:20:03 GMT https://www.techtarget.com/whatis editor@techtarget.com While smartwatch-based notification features can help identify adults with undiagnosed hypertension, there is a potential for hypertension misclassification as well, <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2844767?guestAccessKey=e4ad66b7-3c91-4aa2-a9c7-e000a1186cbd&utm_source=for_the_media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=020926">new research reveals</a>. Published in JAMA, the study assessed the impact of the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/Apple-Watch">Apple Watch</a> hypertension notification feature on screening among U.S. adults without diagnosed hypertension. Apple <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/virtualhealthcare/news/366630518/Apple-Watch-launches-new-hypertension-notification-feature">launched the feature</a> as part of the Apple Watch Series 11 last year, stating that the smartwatch's algorithm will passively review blood vessel data over 30-day periods, notifying users if it identifies patterns indicating hypertension. The Food and Drug Administration cleared the feature in September 2025. Researchers from the University of Utah and the University of Pennsylvania, who conducted the study, noted prior research showing that 58.8% of people with undiagnosed hypertension did not receive an Apple Watch alert. About8% of those without hypertension received a false alert. Thus, they set out to examine how Apple Watch hypertension notifications would change the probability that a person has hypertension. The researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2020. They included data from 3,983 NHANES participants, 22 years or older, who were not pregnant and were not aware of a prior hypertension diagnosis. They found that receiving an alert increased the probability of having hypertension from 14% to 47% among people younger than 30. Not receiving an alert lowered the odds of hypertension to 10% for this population. But for adults 60 and older, receiving an alert increased the probability of having hypertension from 45% to 81%, and not receiving an alert reduced it to 34%. This means that older adults with hypertension may go undiagnosed by the smartwatch feature. Additionally, the study shows variation in alerts and hypertension probability across racial and ethnic groups. Receiving an alert increased the probability of having hypertension from 36% to 75% among Black adults, while not receiving an alert lowered it to 26%. Meanwhile, an alert increased the probability of hypertension from 24% to 63% for Hispanic adults, while the absence of an alert lowered the probability to 17%. Researchers concluded that though a "large proportion of individuals unaware of their hypertension may be made aware" through the Apple Watch notification, "an even larger proportion of individuals with undiagnosed hypertension could receive no alert at all."  In a <a href="https://www.newswise.com/articles/new-study-reveals-gaps-in-apple-watch-s-ability-to-detect-undiagnosed-high-blood-pressure/?sc=dwhr&xy=10067848">press release</a>, Adam Bress, Pharm.D., senior author and researcher at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, underscored that the Apple Watch hypertension notification feature should supplement, and not replace, standard blood pressure screening. Anuja Vaidya has covered the healthcare industry since 2012. She currently covers the virtual healthcare landscape, including telehealth, remote patient monitoring and digital therapeutics. Research suggests there are gaps in the smartwatch's ability to detect undiagnosed hypertension, particularly among older adults who experience higher rates of the condition. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/virtual%20health_g673493724.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/virtualhealthcare/news/366639198/Apple-Watch-could-miss-hypertension-diagnoses-in-seniors Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:37:00 GMT Apple Watch could miss hypertension diagnoses in seniors Eli Lilly is positioning its popular obesity drug Zepbound for a potential push into the immunology space. Phase 3 findings show that combining Lilly's GLP-1 dual agonist with Lilly's autoimmune drug Taltz produced positive outcomes in patients with psoriasis who also have obesity or overweight. Results from the late-stage trial, dubbed Together-PsO, indicate that Zepbound taken with Taltz, an IL-17A antagonist, delivered significantly stronger patient outcomes than Taltz alone. The Taltz–Zepbound combo hit its primary endpoint and all key secondaries in the 274-patient psoriasis trial, the company <a href="https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lillys-taltz-ixekizumab-and-zepbound-tirzepatide-used-together-0">said</a>. Notably, 27% of participants saw their skin completely clear up and lost at least 10% of their body weight by week 36, compared to the 6% of patients who reached those benchmarks on Taltz alone. According to a key secondary endpoint, patients taking Lilly's two drugs were also 40% more likely to experience full skin clearance (PASI 100) than those who only took Taltz. "For people living at the intersection of these chronic inflammatory diseases, these PASI 100 results represent far more than a clinical milestone -- they demonstrated what becomes possible when we address both simultaneously,” Adrienne Brown, Lilly’s immunology chief, said in the press release. Around 6 out of 10 people in the United States with psoriasis struggle with obesity or excess weight along with at least one weight-related comorbidity, underlining the need for therapies that tackle the full scope of disease burden, the company said. The Together-PsO study included patients with a particularly high disease burden, which is a population often linked to less favorable treatment outcomes. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34256035/">Research</a> shows that people with a higher body mass index (BMI) are less likely to achieve complete skin clearance (PASI 100). Patients in the trial had an average BMI of more than 39 across both treatment groups, Lilly said. "This study involved patients with particularly high BMI and difficult-to-treat psoriasis, making the PASI 100 results with Taltz plus Zepbound especially remarkable," Mark Lebwohl, M.D., Dean for Clinical Therapeutics, and Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and the study's principal investigator, added. "The findings show that treating psoriasis and obesity or overweight at the same time significantly improved outcomes, reinforcing psoriasis as an obesity-related condition and supporting a potential comprehensive approach to care." The full details from the 36-week study will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and shared with regulators, the company said in its release. However, no timeline was provided. While a potential label expansion would hinge upon regulatory review, these phase 3 results build on the findings from another late-stage <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lillys-taltz-ixekizumab-and-zepbound-tirzepatide-used-together-delivered-superior-efficacy-in-first-of-its-kind-phase-3b-trial-for-adults-with-active-psoriatic-arthritis-and-obesity-or-overweight-302656726.html">study</a> announced last month that involved patients with psoriatic arthritis. In that trial, 32% of patients who took Zepbound–Taltz achieved a 50% improvement in disease activity while also losing at least 10% of their body weight. Comparatively, just 1% of patients taking Taltz alone met both benchmarks. These first-of-its-kind study results could pave the way for broader treatment strategies that address both chronic inflammatory and metabolic conditions. Alivia Kaylor is a scientist and the senior site editor of Pharma Life Sciences. Eli Lilly’s late-stage psoriasis study shows promising results for combining its obesity drug Zepbound with Taltz, potentially setting the stage for expanded approval. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/pharma_g1402983594.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/pharmalifesciences/news/366639180/Lillys-ZepboundTaltz-combo-wins-again-in-obesity-psoriasis-study Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:28:00 GMT Lilly's Zepbound–Taltz combo wins again in obesity, psoriasis study With its latest Analyst Studio update, ThoughtSpot continues its progress toward becoming an agentic platform. First <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/366617947/ThoughtSpot-adds-data-preparation-with-Analyst-Studio-launch">released in January 2025</a>, Analyst Studio is ThoughtSpot's <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/feature/Top-data-preparation-challenges-and-how-to-overcome-them">data preparation</a> suite. Initial features included connectors that enable analysts and engineers to combine data from disparate sources, an AI-assisted <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/SQL">SQL</a>-based development environment, and capabilities aimed at helping customers control data management costs. Among other tools, the update, released on Wednesday, adds SpotCache, a caching capability that builds on Analyst Studio's pre-existing cost management capabilities, a data preparation agent that enables users to perform tasks using natural language and a native spreadsheet interface for scaling data preparation workloads. Coming just over two months after ThoughtSpot unveiled plans <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/366636078/ThoughtSpot-automates-full-platform-with-new-Spotter-agents">automate its analytics capabilities</a> with agents, the new version of Analyst Studio represents ThoughtSpot's progression beyond agentic analytics toward agentic data management as well, according to Donald Farmer, founder and principal of TreeHive Strategy. "I don't think this release is a big deal in itself, but it steadily moves ThoughtSpot forward on the path to an agentic data platform," he said. "With each release, the workflow is less dashboard-centric." Michael Ni, an analyst at Constellation Research, similarly noted that the Analyst Studio is significant because it shows ThoughtSpot moving beyond its roots as an analytics specialist toward becoming a more broad-based data and analytics provider. "Thoughtspot addresses a key pain by reducing prep friction, improving cost predictability and tightening governance," he said. "At the same time, it's strategic for ThoughtSpot. The expansion upstream into data prep and cost control -- areas traditionally owned by hyperscalers and transformation tools -- moves [ThoughtSpot] toward becoming an AI workload optimizer. That's where enterprise dollars are moving." Based in Mountain View, Calif., ThoughtSpot provided an AI-powered analytics platform from its inception in 2012. Now, just as peers such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/252493644/Data-prep-in-browser-highlights-Tableau-BI-platform-update">Tableau</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/366626961/Qlik-adds-trust-score-to-aid-data-prep-for-AI-development">Qlik</a> did before, ThoughtSpot is expanding beyond its roots to provide a wider array of data, analytics and AI development capabilities. <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Predictable data prep"> <h2 class="section-title">Predictable data prep</h2> While some enterprises are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ey.com/en_us/newsroom/2025/07/ai-investments-surge-but-agentic-ai-understanding-and-adoption-lag-behind" rel="noopener">investing heavily</a> in building AI tools that make employees better informed and operations more efficient, the expense required to develop and maintain agents, chatbots and other AI applications has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pmi.org/blog/why-most-ai-projects-fail" rel="noopener">proven prohibitive</a> for many others. <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> The expansion upstream into data prep and cost control -- areas traditionally owned by hyperscalers and transformation tools -- moves [ThoughtSpot] toward becoming an AI workload optimizer. That's where enterprise dollars are moving. </figure> <figcaption> Michael NiAnalyst, Constellation Research </figcaption> </div> </blockquote> AWS recently made cost control one of the focal points of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366635663/Latest-AWS-data-management-features-target-cost-control">the data management capabilities</a> it introduced during its annual re:Invent conference. In addition, numerous database vendors have made performance a priority so that customers can run more efficient workloads. With SpotCache now available in Analyst Studio, ThoughtSpot is similarly taking aim at helping customers reduce spending on part of the development process. Caching is the process of storing data in a temporary storage area -- a cache -- to enable fast access that improves the performance of applications and other systems. Using SpotCache, developers and analysts can create representations of data that can be queried an unlimited number of times in ThoughtSpot, which lowers costs by reducing the frequency data must be accessed in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/feature/Evaluate-cloud-data-warehouses-based-on-data-outcomes">cloud data warehouses</a>.  Given that SpotCache addresses one of the problems enterprises encounter when trying to develop cutting-edge AI tools, it is perhaps the most valuable new feature in Analyst Studio, according to Ni. "SpotCache is the sleeper hit in their announcement," he said. "While agentic data prep is powerful, cost certainty is what unlocks enterprise scale. If leaders know they can run unlimited AI-driven queries without blowing up their warehouse bill, adoption accelerates. That's what makes this the most strategically significant feature." Farmer likewise highlighted SpotCache, noting that cloud cost control -- or lack thereof -- has been <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitchannel/news/365532532/Cloud-cost-management-takes-center-stage">an ongoing problem</a>. "I like that they are tackling the problem of scaling with predictable cost management," he said. "That has been a barrier to broader adoption for some time. So, SpotCache stands out as arguably the most valuable new feature here." Beyond SpotCache, ThoughtSpot's Analyst Studio update includes the following features: <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li>A governed spreadsheet interface so that users familiar with Excel worksheets can perform data preparation tasks such as advanced manipulations in a familiar environment without having to leave Analyst Studio.</li> <li>A data prep agent that enables analysts to profile datasets, generate queries and troubleshoot schemas using natural language.</li> <li>Unified Data Mashup, a feature that enables data teams to deliver a unified, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/opinion/Trusted-data-is-the-foundation-of-data-driven-decisions-GenAI">trusted view</a> of their organization's business by blending data across cloud data warehouses, business applications and files such as Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets within Analyst Studio's SQL-based development environment.</li> <li>Flexibility to choose live connections for real-time needs or cached snapshots through SpotCache.</li> </ul> Like Farmer and Ni, Anjali Kumari, ThoughtSpot's vice president of product management, named SpotCache the most valuable of Analyst Studio's new features. Meanwhile, she noted that the impetus for designing the new capabilities came from observing how agentic AI and generative AI have <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/366618249/Trusted-data-at-the-core-of-successful-GenAI-adoption">intensified the need for data</a>. "Getting data ready for AI has become the most important step in how organizations use, benefit and see valuable return on investment," Kumari said. "We understand the pressures that are placed on data analysts, and these tools are designed to streamline their role by addressing their top concerns -- speed, efficiency and cost." While ThoughtSpot's expansion beyond business intelligence into data preparation with Analyst Studio is beneficial for the vendor's users, pairing analytics and data management is not unique. Not only do hyperscale cloud providers such as AWS, Google and Microsoft offer an array of data management, application development and analytics tools, but so do <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/366637892/Domo-adds-App-Catalyst-to-platform-to-aid-AI-development">Domo</a>, Qlik, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/366553555/Sisense-unveils-composable-toolkit-for-app-development">Sisense</a>, Tableau and other one-time analytics specialists. However, the launch of a data prep agent is unique, according to Farmer. "The biggest differentiator from other prep tools, such as Tableau or [Microsoft's] Power Query, is that ThoughtSpot offers a natural language data prep agent whereas AI in other tools is mostly limited to 'smart suggestions' or separate AI copilots," he said. In addition, by integrating data preparation, data modeling and analytics in a single workflow designed for consumption via AI applications, ThoughtSpot is doing something different than its <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/tip/Top-cloud-based-analytics-tools-for-enterprise-use">closest competition</a>, according to Ni. "Data prep is consolidating into platforms, and every business intelligence vendor has some version of it. What's interesting here is that ThoughtSpot is making data prep part of an agentic operating model," he said. "Instead of separate tooling for prep, modeling and analysis, they're collapsing it into one workflow designed for AI readiness." </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Looking ahead"> <h2 class="section-title">Looking ahead</h2> With the Analyst Studio update generally available, ThoughtSpot is focused on turning its platform into an enabler of autonomous action, according to Kumari. Spotter is <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/366615693/ThoughtSpot-AI-agent-Spotter-enables-conversational-BI">ThoughtSpot's agent-powered interface</a>, and the vendor provides Spotter agents for specific tasks such as building dashboards and embedding intelligence. Together, with Spotter as the central orchestrator, ThoughtSpot aims to automate analysis and data preparation to deliver insights within user workflows. "To power this, we are investing heavily in data readiness and expanding our semantic and modeling capabilities, ensuring these agents operate on a robust, context-aware foundation," Kumari said. As ThoughtSpot expands beyond its roots, Farmer advised the vendor to add <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/news/366636690/Agentic-orchestration-the-next-AI-issue-for-CIOs-to-tackle">multi-agent coordination capabilities</a>. ThoughtSpot's <a target="_blank" href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/getting-started/intro" rel="noopener">Model Context Protocol</a> server enables agents to securely interact with data sources. Soon, as more enterprises deploy agents, the agents will need similar secure connections to each other to become fully autonomous. "Multi-agent coordination [is] moving from a single prep agent to a 'hive' where a prep agent automatically communicates with a security agent to apply row-level permissions during the transformation process," Farmer said. In addition, ThoughtSpot could add <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/write-back">write-back</a> capabilities and add to its burgeoning support for unstructured data by integrating unstructured data processing directly into Analyst Studio. Ni, meanwhile, suggested that ThoughtSpot move beyond descriptive BI to incorporate more forward-looking <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/tip/Descriptive-vs-prescriptive-vs-predictive-analytics-explained">predictive and prescriptive capabilities</a>. "Descriptive BI is yesterday, diagnostic AI is today, and predictive and prescriptive intelligence that tell me what could happen and where I should focus is tomorrow," he said "ThoughtSpot is strong at explaining the past and present. … Their next leap is forecasting impact and prioritizing what matters next." Eric Avidon is a senior news writer for Informa TechTarget and a journalist with more than three decades of experience. He covers analytics and data management. </section> A data prep agent and caching capabilities aimed at helping users control spending help the vendor stand out from its peers as it evolves toward becoming an agentic data platform. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/disaster_recovery_a379640336.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/366639258/ThoughtSpot-boosts-agentic-push-with-Analyst-Studio-update Wed, 18 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT ThoughtSpot boosts agentic push with Analyst Studio update Streaming data specialist Redpanda on Wednesday launched new features in its Agentic Data Plane aimed at enabling customers to create a unified governance layer for managing connections between agents and data sources. Redpanda <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366633563/Streaming-vendor-Redpanda-buys-SQL-engine-unveils-AI-suite">first launched the Agentic Data Plane</a> (ADP) in October 2025 featuring capabilities that enabled connectivity between agents and streaming data sources, including support for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/feature/One-year-of-MCP-Support-a-must-for-data-management-vendors">the Model Context Protocol</a> (MCP) and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/news/366622027/Google-intros-tools-for-building-agents-and-a-new-protocol">Agent2Agent Protocol </a>(A2A) frameworks. However, capabilities that govern those connections were not yet ready. Now, the vendor is adding features such as AI Gateway to provide users a centralized governance pane, AI observability via the <a target="_blank" href="https://opentelemetry.io/docs/specs/otel/protocol/" rel="noopener">OpenTelemetry Protocol</a> (OTLP) to inspect and monitor agent behavior and new security controls. Given that agents and multi-agent systems require proper governance frameworks to ensure that they act in accordance with an enterprise's policies and meet regulatory requirements, the new ADP features are significant for Redpanda customers, according to William McKnight, president of McKnight Consulting. "The ADP has the potential to transform Redpanda from a simple streaming engine into a centralized governance layer for enterprise AI," he said. "The update addresses critical barriers by providing unified security and operational control over AI costs and token budgets. This update enables 'glass box' visibility and framework flexibility, allowing users to move … from risky experimentation to secure production." Based in San Francisco, Redpanda provides <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366574612/Redpanda-serverless-streaming-option-targets-cost-control">a streaming data platform</a> that enables users to capture and process data to fuel real-time analysis. Like many data management providers, the vendor has responded to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/the-state-of-ai" rel="noopener">increasing interest in AI development</a> and added tools that let customers connect data to agents and other AI applications in addition to traditional data products such as dashboards and reports. <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Keeping control"> <h2 class="section-title">Keeping control</h2> Agents need governance. <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> The ADP has the potential to transform Redpanda from a simple streaming engine into a centralized governance layer for enterprise AI. </figure> <figcaption> William McKnightPresident, McKnight Consulting </figcaption> </div> </blockquote> Unlike chatbots and other AI applications, agents are <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/A-technical-guide-to-agentic-AI-workflows">capable of autonomous behavior</a>. Rather than requiring user prompts before taking action, they can be trained to work independently. For example, they can constantly analyze an enterprise's data estate to surface insights that a human analyst might never have discovered. They can take on repetitive, menial work so that employees can be more efficient and spend time doing more meaningful work. And they can work together to optimize complex processes such as managing supply chains. Because they can make entire organizations better informed and more efficient, agents have been <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/feature/Agents-semantic-layers-among-top-data-analytics-trends">the dominant trend</a> in AI development over the past two years. But because just one agent taking the wrong action can <a target="_blank" href="https://hackernoon.com/22-examples-of-incompetent-ai-agents" rel="noopener">cause significant harm</a>, strict policies and procedures must be  in place to ensure that agents can be trusted when put into production. With most AI initiatives <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2680-1.html" rel="noopener">never making it past the pilot stage</a>, a mix of customer feedback and Redpanda's own experiences developing agents provided the impetus for adding new ADP features designed to engender trust that agents will act as intended once deployed, according to Tyler Akidau, the streaming data vendor's chief technology officer. "Our roadmap has been developed in response to direct customer feedback, our own experiences developing and deploying agents internally and our vision for what is needed to unlock agentic AI in the enterprise," he said. AI Gateway acts as a unified access layer for connecting agents with AI models and MCP servers by centralizing routing data, enforcing organizational policies, limiting <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitchannel/news/365532532/Cloud-cost-management-takes-center-stage">spending that can spiral</a> when cloud usage isn't controlled and enabling observability of AI systems. Observability includes automatically generated metrics, traces, logs and transcripts using the OTLP Protocol so that users can check agent behavior in their Redpanda console and take appropriate action such as debugging when necessary. In addition, the ADP now includes security through <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/feature/How-to-use-OpenID-Connect-for-authentication">the OpenID Connect standard</a> and fine-grained authorization policies so that every interaction with an agent, whether by a human user or another agent, is properly checked and governed. Meanwhile, the ADP is designed to work in conjunction with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/AI-agent-frameworks-A-guide-to-evaluating-agentic-platforms">any agentic framework</a> so that customers can easily run and govern agents fueled by Redpanda's streaming data capabilities. Collectively, the new ADP features are valuable for Redpanda customers given that they address numerous concerns and that they add governance to data that fuels real-time analysis, according to Kevin Petrie, an analyst at BARC U.S. "This announcement … is comprehensive," he said." Redpanda's platform addresses data and AI governance, observability and even FinOps objectives. That's a broader set of capabilities than most platforms have. The announcement [also] stands out because Redpanda is building these capabilities onto a data streaming platform rather than a standard data-at-rest platform."  Perhaps the most significant of the new ADP features is AI Gateway, according to McKnight. Meanwhile, from a competitive standpoint, Redpanda's new governance capabilities could help differentiate the vendor's capabilities from competing streaming data platforms <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366633567/Streaming-specialist-Confluent-unveils-AI-development-suite">such as Confluent</a>, which is the industry standard for commercial Apache Kafka and is now under agreement to be <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366636098/IBM-acquiring-Confluent-to-boost-AI-development-capabilities">acquired by IBM</a>, he continued. Redpanda's streaming capabilities are comparable to Confluent's, outperforming Confluent in some benchmark testing, McKnight noted. But AI governance is where Redpanda could truly stand apart. "Redpanda is starting to differentiate by shifting from 'data piping' to a dedicated AI governance infrastructure," McKnight said. "Unlike standard tools that require fragmented security at every source, its AI Gateway will provide a centralized control plane for managing policies, token budgets and Model Context Protocol servers." Petrie similarly suggested that the breadth of the new ADP features help Redpanda distinguish itself from competitors, which include AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft, beyond <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/252529637/Data-streaming-platforms-fuel-for-agile-decision-making">streaming data specialists</a>. "This announcement strengthens its competitive standing by integrating so many capabilities into one streaming solution," he said. "To get the same features from the larger vendors, you would need to buy multiple products. Redpanda also has the advantage of platform neutrality -- it operates across sources, systems and clouds." </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Next steps"> <h2 class="section-title">Next steps</h2> Following the initial launch of the ADP last October, Redpanda's new governance features represent the second phase of the streaming data vendor's ADP rollout. With an overarching goal of helping customers deploy agentic AI across their organization, more features that enable users to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/opinion/Building-governance-for-machine-speed-The-path-to-trusted-AI-autonomy">trust and deploy agents</a> are a prominent part of Redpanda's roadmap, according to Akidau. "We'll be delivering additional features in our AI and MCP gateways, rolling out more agent evaluation functionality, delivering manual and automatic agent kill switches, connecting agents to more data sources, and rolling out [a SQL engine] for federated query support," he said. One way that Redpanda could better serve its current users and perhaps attract new ones would be to market AI Gateway as a tool for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/feature/Predictability-emerging-as-enterprise-ITs-new-north-star">financial governance</a> in addition to technical governance, according to McKnight. "They could also solidify the 'real-time' advantage by demonstrating that [its] low-latency foundation creates better agents, not just faster data," he said. Eric Avidon is a senior news writer for Informa TechTarget and a journalist with more than three decades of experience. He covers analytics and data management. </section> New Agentic Data Plane features enable users to create a governance layer for agents and could help the vendor differentiate itself from its closest competitors. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/ai_a373894778.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366639150/Streaming-specialist-Redpanda-adds-governance-to-AI-suite Wed, 18 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT Streaming specialist Redpanda adds governance to AI suite Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults still turn to their doctors for medical information, according to a new Gallup <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/702164/americans-rely-mainly-own-doctor-medical-advice.aspx">report</a>, while only 16% are turning to AI chatbots. These findings are notable, as the medical industry contends with the insurgence of AI and the impact it could have on the consumer experience. Mere weeks into 2026, leading AI companies announced the launch of their healthcare-specific chatbot tools. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366637098/OpenAI-launches-ChatGPT-Health-for-consumer-use">ChatGPT Healthcare</a>, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechanalytics/news/366637160/Claude-for-Healthcare-launches">Claude for Healthcare</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366637543/Amazon-One-Medical-unveils-Health-AI-assistant-for-patients">Amazon One Medical's Health AI assistant</a> all seek to streamline the patient experience by letting users upload their medical records and providing care navigation and advice. Although none of the AI chatbots claim to replace the expertise of a doctor, there have been concerns across the industry about the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366637635/More-patients-use-AI-chatbots-Is-this-a-patient-safety-risk">implications of over relying on these technologies</a>. This latest report, which Gallup based on its probability-based Gallup Panel, showed that there might not be much of a risk. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366631852/Survey-83-of-patients-trust-their-docs-for-health-advice">Patients are still mostly seeking healthcare information from healthcare professionals</a>. Specifically, 73% of patients say they turn to their doctors or other medical professionals when seeking medical information, representing the most relied upon resource included in the Gallup report. Another 53% said they use medical websites written by or endorsed by medical authorities, such as well-known hospitals or public health agencies. According to Gallup, people who consult medical authorities for health information can be divided into two subgroups: folks who rely solely on their personal doctor (30%) and those who <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366584277/US-lags-in-usual-source-of-care-primary-care-access">don't have a usual source of care</a> but rely on medical websites or even family and friends who are medical professionals (11%). But with a growing list of medical resources, the Gallup report showed some subgroups are starting to mix in other sources. While using tools like AI chatbots or listening to health-related podcasts are still overall uncommon behaviors, there's a growing contingent Gallup dubbed the "Health Media Oriented" who are starting to integrate these sources into their healthcare. Notably, this group, which Gallup said skews mostly female, still relies on healthcare professionals for medical information. It's just that they are also likely to integrate other sources into their information-seeking. For example, 51% of those in this group read books about health and medicine, 38% <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366613215/Patients-trust-social-media-over-docs-for-health-information">consume health-related social media</a>, 37% watch health reports on TV news programs and 30% listen to health-related podcasts. AI chatbots still aren't popular with these patients, with fewer than a fifth (16%) consulting them for health advice. Rather, it's the group Gallup called the "Health Self-Navigator" who are most likely to use AI chatbots, with 39% saying they use them. Another 51% said they consult with family and friends who aren't medical professionals and 49% said they read websites not affiliated with medical institutions, too. Again, it should be noted that this crowd still values the word of their provider, with 74% saying they consult their doctor or another medical professional for healthcare information. In fact, it's that penchant for a doctor consultation Gallup emphasizes. Despite emerging technologies promising to provide access to health information -- and, according to some, imperiling patient safety -- the doctor is still the most trusted source of medical information. As medical professionals adjust to a growing library of AI chatbots designed to steer patient access to health information, they must recognize the role they have in informing patients. Providers could be instrumental in helping patients understand the opportunities and the limitations of these technologies and arm them with the skills to parse fact from fiction if and when they use them. Sara Heath has reported news related to patient engagement and health equity since 2015. As the options for health-related AI chatbots increase, most patients still prioritize information from their doctors of medical professionals. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/health%20analytics_g1479456331.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366639235/73-of-patients-ask-docs-for-health-info-while-only-16-ask-AI Wed, 18 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT 73% of patients ask docs for health info, while only 16% ask AI With retrieval-augmented generation pipelines struggling to deliver the relevant data that agents and other AI applications need to deliver trustworthy outputs, Graphwise launched GraphRAG to provide customers with an alternative designed to enable more successful AI development. Retrieval-augmented generation (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/retrieval-augmented-generation">RAG</a>) is a framework for connecting applications such as agents and chatbots with data sources. However, with most AI initiatives failing to make it past the pilot stage and into production, standard RAG pipelines haven't proven good enough on their own to enable enterprises to deliver usable, trustworthy AI tools. In January, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366637142/New-Databricks-tool-aims-to-up-agentic-AI-response-accuracy">Databricks launched Instructed Retriever</a>, an alternative to RAG that adds more context to data retrieval such as user instructions and previous examples.  Traditional RAG systems only use a user's query. Graphwise's GraphRAG, which was released on Feb. 16, unites agents and other applications with a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/knowledge-graph-in-ML">knowledge graph</a> that acts as a semantic layer and is similarly aimed at improving on standard RAG pipelines. Alan Morrison, an independent analyst, noted that while knowledge graphs can be traced back to the 1960s, they are taking on greater importance because agents need the context knowledge graphs provide to perform to enterprise standards. As a result, GraphRAG is a significant addition for Graphwise users. "Graphwise can bring all enterprise data, content and knowledge together using standard-based graph description logic that's been around for decades, but only now becoming indispensable because the agent paradigm is here, and agents desperately need reliable context," he said. "With GraphRAG, tapping the power of that contextualized data becomes simpler." Stephen Catanzano, an analyst at Omdia, a division of Informa TechTarget, likewise noted that GraphRAG is valuable for Graphwise users given that it combines graph technology and RAG. "Bringing them together is powerful," he said. "GraphRAG is a significant addition for Graphwise customers as it enables them to leverage knowledge graphs as a semantic backbone, ensuring AI responses are grounded in verifiable enterprise facts and complex relationships. This is something standard RAG systems struggle to achieve." With a North American headquarters in New York City and a European headquarters in Sofia, Bulgaria, Graphwise is a graph technology vendor formed in 2024 when Ontotext merged with Semantic Web Company. Competitors include specialists such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366630145/Neo4js-latest-targets-graph-database-performance-at-scale">Neo4j</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366618412/TigerGraph-launches-Savanna-to-aid-AI-development">TigerGraph</a> as well as broader-based database providers featuring graph database capabilities including AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft. <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Improving AI development"> <h2 class="section-title">Improving AI development</h2> Problems related to data aren't the sole reason <a target="_blank" href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2680-1.html" rel="noopener">most AI initiatives fail</a> before making it into production. Unrealistic expectations, lack of a clear business case and difficulties integrating applications into real-world workflows are among the other reasons an estimated 80% of all AI projects fail. <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> GraphRAG is a significant addition for Graphwise customers as it enables them to leverage knowledge graphs as a semantic backbone, ensuring AI responses are grounded in verifiable enterprise facts and complex relationships. This is something standard RAG systems struggle to achieve. </figure> <figcaption> Stephen CatanzanoAnalyst, Omdia </figcaption> </div> </blockquote> But issues with data -- including the lack of sufficient high-quality, relevant data -- are among the main ones. Graphwise's new feature targets the discovery of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/feature/Talend-CEO-discusses-importance-of-mining-relevant-data">relevant data</a>. Agents and other applications are built for specific tasks. For example, many enterprises are building agents that autonomously handle customer service. If the pipelines that feed those agents don't deliver the specific data relevant to an individual customer and their problem, the agent won't be effective. Semantic modeling -- ensuring that metadata is consistently and clearly classified whenever it is ingested or transformed -- is one means of improving search relevance and is <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366631576/New-consortium-to-aid-AI-by-standardizing-semantic-modeling">gaining popularity</a> as enterprises <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/the-state-of-ai" rel="noopener">invest more heavily in AI initiatives</a>. Graphwise's knowledge graph serves as a semantic layer, adding context to data and finding relationships between data points to make them easily discoverable. GraphRAG unites large language models, an enterprise's data, a structured knowledge graph and multiple search methods such as similarity search and keyword search to deliver appropriate data to agents and other applications to provide accurate outputs at a much higher rate than standard RAG. "The development of GraphRAG was driven by a specific structural failure in the market we call the 'Prototype Plateau,'" said Andreas Blumauer, founder of Semantic Web Company and Graphwise's senior vice president of growth. "While customers were indeed requesting better accuracy, the primary motivation came from observing enterprises stuck in a cycle of failed pilots." In particular, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/RAG-best-practices-for-enterprise-AI-teams">RAG systems</a> didn't provide enough context to retrieving data, he continued. "Our motivation was to transform RAG from a simple associative engine into a reasoning engine," Blumauer said. "By injecting a 'Semantic Backbone', we moved beyond probability-based guesses to explicit, logic-based relationships." Specific GraphRAG features include the following: <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li>Semantic Metadata Control Plane, a semantic model designed to substantially improve the accuracy of AI outputs, including reducing the likelihood of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/Why-does-AI-hallucinate-and-can-we-prevent-it">AI hallucinations</a>, by grounding responses in an enterprise's consistent metadata.</li> <li>Explainability and Provenance Panels that display how AI responses are generated, enabling users to check for accuracy and supporting regulatory compliance by providing transparency.</li> <li>Visual debugging and monitoring capabilities that allow developers and engineers to trace an error path and drastically reduce the amount of time previously needed to troubleshoot.</li> <li>A low-code interface that enables business users to adjust AI logic without involving <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Python">Python</a> code experts.</li> <li>Built-in templates that provide governance and enable query expansion that would otherwise require extensive research and development and technical support.</li> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/" rel="noopener">Simple Knowledge Organization System</a> (SKOS)-like enrichment to capture domain-specific intelligence so that AI tools can understand an enterprise's unique terminology and ensure that users get accurate responses regardless of how they phrase a query.</li> </ul> Most valuable are the Semantic Metadata Control Plane and SKOS-style enrichment, according to Morrison, who noted that the control plane is where enterprises can make data accessible and discoverable across their entire data estate while SKOS-style enrichment allows non-technical users to work with data. Catanzano likewise highlighted the Semantic Metadata Control Plane. In addition, he noted the value of the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/tip/Low-code-no-code-tools-simplify-AI-customization-for-engineers">low-code interface</a>. Meanwhile, capabilities such as GraphRAG help Graphwise differentiate from competing graph technology vendors by integrating knowledge graphs with AI, Catanzano continued. "Its capabilities, such as explainability, provenance, and domain-specific intelligence, position it as a leader in making generative AI reliable and scalable, surpassing the limitations of traditional graph database vendors," he said. </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Looking ahead"> <h2 class="section-title">Looking ahead</h2> With GraphRAG now available, Graphwise's product development plans include adding AI-assisted automation capabilities and improving the memory of its platform, according to Blumauer. Memory initiatives include moving beyond session-based interactions to retaining user preferences and context to provide more personalization. AI-assisted automation plans include tools that augment text <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/tip/How-to-make-a-metadata-management-framework">with metadata</a> to make it discoverable and generating <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/schema">schemas</a> to aid data modeling. "A major theme is reducing manual effort through AI-assisted automation," Blumauer said. Morrison advised that Graphwise to develop a multi-layer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/context-graphs-capturing-why-age-ai-dharmesh-shah-oyyze/" rel="noopener">context graph</a> to expand on the context GraphRAG currently provides. Catanzano, meanwhile, suggested that Graphwise develop new integrations with data and AI providers to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/252515720/Gartner-Augmented-analytics-ecosystem-for-BI-now-key">expand its ecosystem</a> and create prebuilt templates that simplify its platform for enterprises in certain industries. "Industry-specific templates … would not only deepen its value for current users but also attract new customers seeking tailored, ready-to-deploy solutions," he said. Eric Avidon is a senior news writer for Informa TechTarget and a journalist with more than three decades of experience. He covers analytics and data management. </section> With standard RAG pipelines proving unreliable, the vendor's new feature uses knowledge graphs to add needed context to the data retrieval process that fuels AI outputs. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/code_g1304896250.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366639196/Graphwise-aims-to-boost-AI-accuracy-with-GraphRAG-launch Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:34:00 GMT Graphwise aims to boost AI accuracy with GraphRAG launch Salesforce's planned acquisition of commerce technology startup Cimulate promises to expand Agentforce Commerce's capabilities in a world where search engines are replacing website clicks with AI summaries. Cimulate includes a basket of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/12-of-the-best-large-language-models">large language model</a> (LLM)-fueled AI features, including AI-powered search and browse, a product recommendation engine, AI content optimization, conversational shopping agents and agentic interfaces. Merchandising features also offer analytics insights. The company's customers include blue-chip retailers such as Pacsun, Boot Barn and CDW. In a press release detailing the sale, Salesforce said Cimulate will provide customers with better "intent-driven" shopping experiences. Understanding <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/semantic-search">searcher intent</a> is a general benefit of LLMs. Cimulate's CommerceGPT LLM-based operating system incorporates <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/natural-language-understanding-NLU">natural language</a> into shopping search and product recommendations. For example, when a customer searches for "blouse," "shirt" or "top," the LLM knows what they're talking about, unlike rules- or keyword-based search engines that CommerceGPT would replace. <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LUmydzv96ok?autoplay=0&modestbranding=1&rel=0&widget_referrer=null&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0" loading="lazy"></iframe> </div> Futurum vice president and research director Keith Kirkpatrick said that Cimulate could help Salesforce keep up with evolving commerce experiences. Customers increasingly expect to be able to jump channels -- such as from messaging to web to SMS text -- while researching and buying, and Cimulate technology could fill gaps in the Agentforce Commerce -- formerly Commerce Cloud -- platform. "It's very much like <a target="_blank" href="https://buckrogers.fandom.com/wiki/Buck_Rogers_Wiki" rel="noopener">Buck Rogers</a>, where everything, all the time, is at your fingertips," Kirkpatrick said. "That is how you're going to capture the customer in a world where everything is pretty much undifferentiated in terms of product quality." Yet even the ideas around how shopping works outside the browser are still being invented. Digital marketing experts can't yet even agree on what to call the function of making something rank well in AI search summaries. Some call it <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/news/366626187/Adobe-takes-on-AI-search-optimization-with-LLM-Optimizer">generative engine optimization</a> or generative experience optimization (GEO); others call it AI search optimization (AISO); still others, such as Cimulate, call it Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). Some have <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/news/366634642/Adobe-bolsters-AI-SEO-with-planned-19B-Semrush-acquisition">different definitions</a> for those terms, while others use them interchangeably. Whatever terminology the users of marketing and e-commerce technology settle upon, it's still in its infancy -- as marketers rush to find an edge in these new digital spaces. At the same time, AI search summaries gobble up what used to be customer clicks to their websites. Cimulate will also bring technology to Salesforce that will enable the creation of autonomous shopping agents. While consumers may or may not adopt shopping agents -- <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/news/366638716/Vendors-hawk-everything-AI-retailers-take-measured-approach">opting instead for the dopamine hit</a> of doing their own shopping -- there is an opportunity for shopping agents to automate B2B transactions and ordering, especially for standing or repeat orders of supplies or inventory. In rules-based inventory management, it's pretty easy for a hardware store to look at, for example, snow shovel inventory. The store could figure out how many it sold last year, look at weather predictions for this year, and guess how many to order before the first snow. Kirkpatrick said that generative AI models will be able to process far more complex signals than rules-based analytics to determine how much shovel inventory to allocate and where to distribute it. "Obviously, we're beyond [the basics of inventory management], but we're not at that level of 'Let's try to optimize production and supply chain, making sure that we're taking the right route and optimizing fuel,' because that stuff is going to take a bit more time to get right," Kirkpatrick said. "I certainly see agents as being a part of that." The acquisition of Cimulate is expected to close in the next three months, Salesforce said in a press release. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Don Fluckinger is a senior news writer for Informa TechTarget. He covers customer experience, digital experience management and end-user computing. Got a tip? <a href="mailto:don.fluckinger@informatechtarget.com?subject=Tip%20from%20article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Email him</a>. Agentforce Commerce is the beneficiary of Salesforce's latest startup buy. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/iot_g1206800961.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/news/366639253/Salesforces-acquisition-of-Cimulate-to-boost-AI-shopping Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:04:00 GMT Salesforce's acquisition of Cimulate to boost AI shopping HHS is looking to restart a controversial 340B drug rebate model that shifts pricing from upfront discounts for covered drugs to a backend coupon system. Through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/17/2026-03042/request-for-information-340b-rebate-model-pilot-program">released</a> a new Request for Information (RFI) on Feb. 13 seeking industry feedback on implementing a rebate model in the 340B Drug Pricing Program. The RFI comes one week after <a href="https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/hhs-scraps-340b-drug-rebate-pilot-aha/811592/">HHS scrapped a rebate pilot program</a> set to take effect this year, which was delayed by a court ruling that paused its implementation. HRSA is now looking for comments through March 19 on whether it should move forward with a 340B rebate model and how the rebate framework should work. HHS intends for the rebate model to quell challenges the 340B program has encountered with duplicate discounts. These duplicate discounts occur when participating hospitals claim a discount on a 340B covered drug that is also subject to Medicaid and the new Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. However, provider groups have opposed a rebate model in the 340B program, arguing that a pay-then-reimburse system would threaten the financial viability of safety-net hospitals. Operational costs associated with a rebate model could also range from $150,000 to over $500,000 per 340B hospital, with additional costs excepted from payment delays and denials, the American Hospital Association (AHA) previously <a href="https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2025-09-30-aha-says-hrsa-vastly-underestimates-costs-340b-rebate-pilot-program-will-inflict-hospitals-urges">reported</a>. It was the AHA, Maine Hospital Association and four nonprofit health systems that had sued HHS in December over the 340B rebate pilot program. HRSA encourages industry stakeholders to include "supporting facts, research, and evidence" in their comments on the RFI -- a directive AHA is taking to heart to support its continued opposition to the rebate model. "The AHA welcomes HRSA’s attempt to gather detailed information about the impact of a rebate model. We look forward to working with the agency to answer the many specific questions it has posed to 340B hospitals and other stakeholders," Aimee Kuhlman, vice president of advocacy and grassroots at AHA, said in a statement. "We hope that after careful consideration of comments from 340B hospitals and other stakeholders, HRSA will recognize that imposing hundreds of millions of dollars in costs on hospitals serving rural and underserved communities is not a sound policy."   AMGA also continues to see problems with a 340B rebate model, although the RFI signals that HHS has heard providers' concerns. "One of the things that jumped out to me was [HRSA] trying to address the timeframes and they've acknowledged the potential cash flow problems for covered entities and providers," Darryl Drevna, senior director of regulatory affairs at AMGA, told RevCycle Management. Within the RFI, HRSA specifically included a section on payment timing and potential cash flow impacts for covered entities. This section indicates that a potential rebate model could require drug manufacturers to pay or deny a rebate within 10 calendar days of claim submission. "I think [HRSA] heard our concerns, which is a positive, but ultimately, a rebate model is still going to force providers to chase down a rebate, so from our perspective, it's still a problem," stated Drevna. Providers use the upfront discounts on 340B drugs to expand access to care, he continued. But the effects of a rebate model could impact those savings and how providers use them to support patient care. Retraining staff and restructuring IT systems to align with a rebate model will also sap already-stretched resources from providers. Upfront discounts "provide hospitals with predictability and stability, enabling them to stretch scarce resources to meet community needs," according to Maureen Testoni, president and CEO of 340B Health, an industry group representing 340B safety-net hospitals. Jacqueline LaPointe is a graduate of Brandeis University and King's College London. She has been writing about healthcare finance and revenue cycle management since 2016. HHS is seeking industry feedback on implementing a 340B rebate model after it scrapped a similar pilot earlier this month. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/pharma_g1878483820.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/revcyclemanagement/news/366639120/HHS-revives-340B-rebate-model-idea-seeks-industry-feedback Tue, 17 Feb 2026 13:38:00 GMT HHS revives 340B rebate model idea, seeks industry feedback <div> The HHS Office for Civil Rights announced new <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-announce-civil-enforcement-program-sud-patient-records.html">civil enforcement mechanisms</a> to protect substance use disorder, or SUD, patient records. Effective Feb. 16, 2026, entities subject to 42 CFR Part 2 rules, commonly known as "Part 2," are required to comply with breach notification requirements or else face penalties aligned with those administered under HIPAA. Entities are now able to file breach reports under Part 2 using a new form on OCR's existing <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/breach_frontpage.jsf?faces-redirect=true">breach portal</a>, and OCR will accept complaints of alleged violations.  </div> <div> "At President Trump's direction, HHS is aggressively enforcing federal safeguards to protect substance use disorder patient records as part of the Great American Recovery Initiative," HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., said in the announcement. "Americans seeking treatment for substance use disorder deserve comprehensive care without sacrificing their privacy or legal protections."  </div> <div> Since 1975, Part 2 regulations have protected the confidentiality of individuals experiencing SUD. Part 2 rules apply to any entity that is federally assisted. This can include SUD treatment programs, general hospitals with designated SUD units, private practices, third-party vendors and others receiving any type of federal grants or funds.  </div> <div> The rules have undergone several revisions since they were first enacted. Most recently, in 2020, section 3221 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act required the HHS secretary to align certain aspects of Part 2 with HIPAA and the HITECH Act.  </div> <div> HHS published a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechsecurity/news/366593970/HHS-Finalizes-Changes-to-Substance-Use-Confidentiality-Regulations">final rule</a> in February 2024, solidifying this alignment and aiming to increase coordination among providers treating patients for SUDs.   </div> <div> Among its provisions, the final rule permitted the use and disclosure of Part 2 records based on patient consent given once for all future uses and disclosures for treatment, payment and operations purposes. It also permitted the redisclosure of Part 2 records by HIPAA-covered entities and business associates as defined by the HIPAA Privacy Rule.  </div> <div> Notably, the final rule said that SUD confidentiality regulations would be subject to the same requirements as the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechsecurity/feature/Your-Responsibilities-Under-the-HIPAA-Breach-Notification-Rule">HIPAA Breach Notification Rule</a>.  </div> <div> Now that the rules are in effect, entities that experience breaches of SUD patient records will be subject to the same level of enforcement as other types of breaches, from resolution agreements to monetary settlements, civil money penalties and corrective actions. In August 2025, Kennedy <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechsecurity/news/366629947/RFK-Jr-delegates-Part-2-enforcement-to-OCR">delegated the authority</a> of Part 2 to OCR, positioning it to issue enforcement actions and conduct compliance reviews once the February 2026 compliance deadline arrived.   </div> <div> "OCR's civil enforcement program will instill confidence in patients and encourage them to seek SUD treatment from covered SUD providers. At the same time, compliance with the updated Part 2 regulation will improve care coordination and reduce administrative burdens," said OCR Director Paula M. Stannard.   </div> <div> "OCR is uniquely positioned to enforce patient rights and the regulated community's obligations given our extensive experience administering compliance and enforcement programs for health information privacy, security, and breach notification under HIPAA."  </div> <div> OCR published a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/privacy-practices-part-2/index.html">model Part 2 notice of privacy practices</a> to aid entities in compliance efforts. Part 2 programs that are also HIPAA-covered entities are permitted to maintain a combined notice that meets the requirements of the Part 2 patient notice and the HIPAA notice of privacy practices.  </div> <div> In the past, OCR has expressed to Congress that it <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechsecurity/news/366593960/HHS-Delivers-Reports-to-Congress-on-HIPAA-Compliance-Enforcement">needs more funding</a> to support its HIPAA enforcement efforts. Between 2018 and 2022, OCR saw a 17% increase in HIPAA complaints and a 107% increase in large breaches reported. OCR also lost staff during the 2025 HHS layoffs efforts. With the additional Part 2 enforcement responsibilities, OCR will likely have to juggle a higher complaint volume in the coming year. </div> <div> Jill Hughes has covered healthcare cybersecurity and privacy news since 2021. </div> OCR will now accept notifications of substance use disorder patient record breaches as part of its new Part 2 civil enforcement program. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/privacy-shield-security-data.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechsecurity/news/366639162/OCR-launches-Part-2-civil-enforcement-program-new-breach-portal-features Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:07:00 GMT OCR launches Part 2 civil enforcement program, new breach portal features CenterWell, a division of Humana, has completed its acquisition of MaxHealth, a network of primary care clinics and other healthcare services reaching more than 120,000 patients, the companies <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260213106397/en/CenterWell-Completes-Acquisition-of-MaxHealth-From-Arsenal-Capital-Partners">announced</a> late last week. MaxHealth will now be owned by and affiliated with CenterWell Senior Primary Care, which CenterWell said will expand its scope into new markets and allow it to serve more patients. "We are pleased to complete the acquisition of MaxHealth and are excited to welcome their dedicated team of clinicians and staff to CenterWell Senior Primary Care," Sanjay Shetty, M.D., president of CenterWell, said in the announcement. "MaxHealth is a patient-centered, results-driven organization that simplifies the healthcare experience and empowers patients to live their best lives -- values that align closely with everything we do at CenterWell," Shetty added. "Together, we will make an even bigger difference for those we serve." All said, CenterWell acquired MaxHealth's 54 owned primary care clinics, 4 owned specialty/ancillary clinics and 24 downstream affiliate clinics throughout West and South Florida. MaxHealth sees 120,000 patients, including 80,000 enrolled in value-based care programs. CenterWell acquired MaxHealth from Arsenal Capital Partners. "This milestone reflects the extraordinary work of the founders who built MaxHealth, the physicians who deliver exceptional care every day and the teammates across our organization who bring our mission to life," Michelle Leslie, MaxHealth's CEO, said in a press statement. "We are deeply grateful to Arsenal Capital Partners for its partnership and support during a period of meaningful growth. As we join CenterWell, we are excited to build on this strong foundation and further expand access to high-quality, patient-centered care for the communities we serve." CenterWell's acquisition of MaxHealth is another show of the growing trend of vertical integration in the healthcare payer market. Vertical integration in the health insurance market is defined by the single corporate ownership of payers, providers, pharmacy benefit managers and pharmacies. This practice is <a href="https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/insurer-ownership-primary-care-doctors-medicare/752420/">becoming more commonplace in the primary care space</a>, with payer-operated practices accounting for 4.2% of the national Medicare primary care market compared to just 0.8% in 2016, according to a 2025 Health Affairs article. According to payers, vertical integration helps them better coordinate care for members. But critics say vertical integration makes it easier for payers to direct members to payer-owned providers, which could lay the groundwork for higher prices and less choice for patients. Some evidence also suggests vertical integration lets payers sidestep some industry guardrails. For instance, a November 2025 report, also in Health Affairs, showed that <a href="https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/unitedhealthcare-pays-optum-doctors-more-than-other-doctors-study/804600/">UnitedHealthcare paid its self-owned Optum doctors more than other doctors</a>. This might mean UnitedHealthcare is manipulating its medical loss ratio, which assesses how much in member premiums gets directed toward clinical care. In other words, payers can claim they are funneling a significant chunk of cash toward patient care, but they're actually paying that cash to themselves because they own the clinic that delivered the care. For its part, UnitedHealthcare refuted the Health Affairs study findings, stating that it pays Optum providers similar rates as other providers. Still, the vertical integration trend in the healthcare payer space has raised alarm bells for the nation's lawmakers. In a January House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing with major U.S. health insurance CEOs, <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/events/health-subcommittee-lowering-health-care-costs-for-all-americans-an-examination-of-health-insurance-affordability">congressmembers lambasted payers for the practice</a>. Sara Heath has reported news related to patient engagement and health equity since 2015. CenterWell's acquisition of MaxHealth's primary care clinics is another step in a growing trend of health insurance vertical integration. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/health%20analytics_g690610092.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/healthcarepayers/news/366639145/Humanas-CenterWell-acquires-MaxHealth-primary-care-clinics Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:33:00 GMT Humana's CenterWell acquires MaxHealth primary care clinics Tuesday was a day of doubles for SurrealDB. The startup <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/feature/The-rise-of-multi-model-databases-to-support-data-variety">multimodel database</a> vendor secured $23 million in venture capital funding, an extension of its Series A round that nearly doubles its total funding to $44 million. In addition, SurrealDB launched version 3.0 of its platform. The $23 million brings SurrealDB's Series A round to $38 million, with Chalfen Ventures and Begin Capital joining previous investors FirstMark and Georgian in their investment in the database specialist. As part of the deal, Mike Chalfen, founder of Chalfen Ventures, joins SurrealDB as a director Meanwhile, SurrealDB 3.0 includes new features such as a new control layer and improved vector storage and indexing capabilities, and is designed to help customers unify multiple data models -- relational, document, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366593101/Graph-technology-helps-battle-election-misinformation">graph</a>, time-series, vector, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/252523998/Geospatial-data-a-key-means-of-combating-climate-change">geospatial</a> and key-value -- to fuel AI development. Both the new funding and platform update are significant for SurrealDB users, with one providing the cash that will enable SurrealDB to grow its multimodel capabilities and the other demonstrating those capabilities, according to Kevin Petrie, an analyst at BARC U.S. "This funding announcement reflects the compelling pain that so many enterprises feel as they adopt AI," he said. "They struggle to integrate disparate data sources to provide agents with the business context they need to make trustworthy decisions and actions. This level of funding can help SurrealDB deepen its product capabilities and get more serious go-to-market activities." Based in London, SurrealDB provides a platform that supports various data types so that users can integrate data to inform decisions based on more than just one type of data. Other vendors providing multimodel capabilities include <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366636081/Couchbase-adds-agentic-AI-development-suite-to-Capella-DBaaS">Couchbase</a>, Redis and the <a href="https://www.theserverside.com/tip/MySQL-vs-PostgreSQL-Compare-popular-open-source-databases">open-source PostgreSQL platform</a>, while hyperscale cloud providers AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft also offer multimodel databases. <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Cash infusion"> <h2 class="section-title">Cash infusion</h2> SurrealDB's latest funding comes at a time when venture capital investments in data management vendors are few and far between. Throughout the 2010s and into the early 2020s, funding poured into the data and analytics market. In 2021 alone, vendors such as Aiven, Confluent, Databricks, Reltio, SnapLogic, ThoughtSpot and TigerGraph raised $100 million or more with Databricks' funding round reaching $1 billion. In early 2022, Aiven raised another $210 million and Sigma secured $300 million. But then <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/252520740/Tech-stock-sell-off-signals-tough-times-for-data-vendors">tech stock prices plummeted</a> in mid-2022, and the funding for data and analytics vendors evaporated. Since then, while vendors such as Aerospike and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/news/366585775/Differentiation-key-as-Sigma-Computing-raises-200M">Sigma</a> have attracted investments, few data and analytics vendors have raised capital. The common theme among the data and analytics vendors that continue to attract funding is their enablement of AI development. Databricks, for example, has focused heavily on AI, and continues to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366636532/Databricks-adds-4B-funding-round-IPO-could-be-next">attract massive amounts of investment capital</a>. SurrealDB aims to be a layer in the AI development process. It's that focus on enabling customers to develop agents and other AI applications that helped the vendor raise funding, according to Tobie Morgan Hitchcock, SurrealDB's co-founder and CEO. "Raising now signals we're not just another database vendor, but increasingly an enabling layer for enterprise AI workflows," he said. "SurrealDB is being used as part of enterprise AI deployments, including agentic workflows that depend on fast, consistent data access. … Investors are leaning into infrastructure that makes AI systems production-grade, which is exactly what we are building." Matt Aslett, an analyst at ISG Software Research, similarly noted that SurrealDB's ability to attract venture capital funding reflects its focus on helping enterprises <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/ai-venture-funding-continued-surge-third-quarter-data-shows-2025-10-06/" rel="noopener">build AI applications</a>. "While many VCs are chasing potential returns from investment in AI specialists, there is always investor interest in startups with the potential to make an impact in the lucrative database market, especially providers that are responding to the need for innovation to support AI initiatives," he said. SurrealDB plans to use the added $23 million to accelerate product engineering and improve go-to-market efforts, according to Hitchcock. "It lets us scale the team and the platform in parallel, shipping more capability, hardening reliability and security, and supporting larger deployments," he said. "In short, it accelerates our path from rapid adoption to durable, global scale." Given that SurrealDB, which was founded in 2021, is a relatively new database vendor compared to peers such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/252525824/ArangoDB-expands-scope-of-graph-database-platform">ArangoDB</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/252514648/Redis-launches-JSON-database-capabilities-with-RedisJSON-20">Redis</a>, improving its platform and increasing its profile are wise areas of focus, according to Aslett. "SurrealDB is in the early stages, and its new funding round will help the company accelerate the development of both its core database and its platform capabilities, as well as expanding investment in support and services resources as well as raising its profile in a crowded market," he said. </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Platform update"> <h2 class="section-title">Platform update</h2> While the new funding will be used, in part, to fuel future product development, SurrealDB 3.0 represents the vendor's current product development. <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> This funding announcement reflects the compelling pain that so many enterprises feel as they adopt AI. They struggle to integrate disparate data sources to provide agents with the business context they need to make trustworthy decisions and actions. </figure> <figcaption> Kevin PetrieAnalyst, BARC U.S. </figcaption> </div> </blockquote> SurrealDB is designed to provide agents and other applications with unified data -- disparate data types integrated as one -- to give them proper context and memory so that they remember facts even as <a target="_blank" href="https://explodingtopics.com/blog/data-generated-per-day" rel="noopener">data volume and complexity increase</a>. To provide that proper context and memory, SurrealDB positions context graphs in its database next to the data. With that focus on enabling customers to build intelligence applications that feature contextual awareness and the memory to recall and learn from previous interactions, SurrealDB, though a startup competing against more established vendors for market share, has an opportunity to play the role of disruptor, according to Aslett. "The evolving requirements for operational databases are to support the development of intelligent applications infused with contextually relevant recommendations, predictions and forecasting driven by machine learning, generative AI and agentic AI," he said. "These evolving requirements are providing opportunities for emerging database providers to disrupt established incumbents." ISG predicts that within the next two years, around three-quarters of all enterprises will have adopted operational databases specifically designed to support the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/What-is-AI-inference">AI inferencing</a> capabilities that intelligent applications require, Aslett added. SurrealDB 3.0 builds on previous platform capabilities by adding the following: <ul type="disc" class="default-list"> <li>Surrealism, a layer that enables developers and administrators to customize <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/business-logic">business logic</a> -- the rules, processes and operations that determine how an enterprise uses SurrealDB -- including access controls and version controls.</li> <li>Improved vector search and indexing to enable the discovery and use of unstructured data such as text and images.</li> <li>Support for both <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/Structured-vs-unstructured-data-The-key-differences">structured and unstructured data</a>.</li> <li>Architectural changes that add stability and improve SurrealDB's performance such as separating data values from data expressions.</li> <li>An improved developer experience, including a refined model that enables users to define custom API endpoints directly within the database, among other functions.</li> </ul> A combination of customer feedback and market observations provided SurrealDB with the impetus for developing the individual features that comprise its update, according to Hitchcock. "The focus is on removing friction -- making the platform easier to adopt, operate, and scale -- while expanding the capabilities teams need in production," he said. "The goal is to keep the developer experience simple as use cases become more demanding." </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Competitive standing"> <h2 class="section-title">Competitive standing</h2> Looking ahead, SurrealDB is focused on three main initiatives, according to Hitchcock: maturing its platform to meet the needs of enterprises at scale, expanding its capabilities so customers don't have to integrate it with as many other tools to build AI applications and continuing to enhance <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/feature/6-key-ways-to-improve-developer-productivity">the developer experience</a>. "As more customers deploy AI in production, we're investing in capabilities that make it easier to deploy and scale AI-powered applications and agentic workflows," Hitchcock said. "Our focus is broad. … It's all about simplification." Despite still prioritizing some foundational capabilities such enabling enterprise-scale workloads and adding features that allow users to simplify their AI development stacks, SurrealDB is establishing itself as a viable alternative to other database vendors, according to Aslett. All database providers are similarly adding capabilities that foster AI development, such <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/feature/Vector-search-now-a-critical-component-of-GenAI-development">as vector storage and indexing</a>. But Aslett noted that SurrealDB's support for various data types and the quality if its vector storage and indexing capabilities stand out. "SurrealDB is ahead of many established providers in terms of delivering differentiating capabilities, including enhanced vector search and indexing as well as native agent memory and context graphs, … an intuitive visual user interface and support for relational, document, graph, time-series, vector, search, geospatial and key-value data types in a single database." Petrie similarly noted that SurrealDB is staking out a place for itself in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/tip/Compare-NoSQL-database-types-in-the-cloud">a competitive market</a> with the variety of its multimodel capabilities. "I'm impressed with the range of data types that SurrealDB already supports as a Series A startup," he said. "This really simplifies your agentic AI architecture. The more you can consolidate diverse data and models onto a single platform, with real-time performance and memory, the better you can streamline your projects and reduce time to production." Eric Avidon is a senior news writer for Informa TechTarget and a journalist with more than three decades of experience. He covers analytics and data management. </section> Though funding isn't flowing as freely into data management as it once was, the startup is attracting interest by focusing on enabling customers to unify data for AI development. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/money_g1250581414.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/news/366639042/SurrealDB-raises-23M-launches-update-to-fuel-agentic-AI Tue, 17 Feb 2026 09:51:00 GMT SurrealDB raises $23M, launches update to fuel agentic AI Storage and data management teams are dealing with an onslaught of challenges as AI adoption increases in the enterprise. Organizations are interested in using AI applications that draw from unstructured data stores in complex ways, such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/Real-world-agentic-AI-examples-and-use-cases">agentic AI</a> for multistep decision-making processes, according to industry experts, vendors and practitioners. However, implementing those lofty automation goals that use years of company-compiled data involves three major challenges: data trust, storage technologies and organizational liability. The overall goal with overlaying AI on top of stored data is to bring machine-readable order to an inherently messy and human decision-making process, said Sanjeev Mohan, founder and principal analyst at SanjMo. The path to that goal will vary widely depending on an organization's needs, desires and funding, Mohan said. "The goal is to take unstructured data and make structure out of it," he said. <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Trust"> <h2 class="section-title">Trust</h2> Most organizations should be bracing for a "tsunami" of data to process, according to Christophe Bertrand and Scott Hebner, analysts at TheCube Research, in a recent <a target="_blank" href="https://thecuberesearch.com/governance-and-compliance-in-the-age-of-data-and-ai/" rel="noopener">webinar</a> titled "Governance and Compliance in the Age of Data and AI." Agentic AI implementations, which use a collection of AI services to make decisions based on training data and prior decisions, will create a massive amount of new data if used in conjunction with generative AI, Bertrand said. Organizations will need to not only find ways of backing up and storing this data, but also find ways to cull bad information or decisions at a rate that human intelligence likely can't keep up with. <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> When you look at this tsunami of data, it's no wonder nobody is going to trust this stuff. </figure> <figcaption> Christophe BertrandAnalyst, TheCube Research </figcaption> </div> </blockquote> "When you look at this tsunami of data, it's no wonder nobody is going to trust this stuff," Bertrand said in the webinar. "We have a compliance issue because of the data issue, and now we have an agent issue that's going to compound everything else." Data spawned from agentic decision trees could also create international liabilities around what data is ingested into these systems, especially among nations with stronger data privacy laws than the U.S., like the EU's <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/General-Data-Protection-Regulation-GDPR">GDPR</a>. "You can deregulate all you want within your own state [or] your own country, but you're going to be bound by other countries' regulations, and that's going to be what prevails," Bertrand said. As an example, the EU also has <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/news/366573519/EU-AI-Act-sets-global-standard-for-managing-AI">an act regulating AI models</a> and their level of risk. Data sovereignty is also becoming a large concern. Organizations that have fully vetted and trust their own in-house data might still run into issues down the line using popular large language model (LLM) services, SaaS AI services or even their storage partners, he added. The tsunami of data that AI systems create must be generated, processed, converted and stored, all of which must comply with the laws of the country in which the data is generated. This also increases a system's complexity, making it more difficult for auditors. Many IT teams can be lax about their enforcement and backup of SaaS data, which can be compromised without their knowledge through attacks on the provider or using tools that might violate an organization's own standards and expectations. "If you don't know 100% of your data, you don't own it," Bertrand said. Ultimately, the volume of junk or unnecessary data will require an organization's leadership to establish strong data management and control policies, said Matt McVaney, who was chief revenue officer at BombBomb and is now an independent operating advisor. AI needs data that matches an organization's overall mission for its customers, McVaney said during an episode of InformationWeek's That DOS Won't Hunt <a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7fP6cezPWsX7RSD1y9JSGI" rel="noopener">podcast</a>. Whether that focuses on AI entirely for revenue generation or other purposes, having data that matches customer patterns and needs should be priority No. 1 in any AI data strategy. "Data is not useful whatsoever unless it drives insights, decisions and actions," McVaney said. "You have to understand the customers, you have to understand their behaviors at a really microscopic layer. If you know what they want or need, that determines everything else thereafter." AI data customers should also make sure that the technology they're purchasing aligns with their own mission and specific needs around performance, price and capability, said Greg Statton, vice president of AI solutions at Cohesity, a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/news/366618483/Cohesity-exec-Gaia-will-unlock-data-for-AI-applications">SaaS backup vendor that also sells AI services</a>. He said standards to which vendors hold themselves accountable might not align with customers or competitors, so buyers should keep their own expectations or vetting standards from third parties, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nist.gov/ai-test-evaluation-validation-and-verification-tevv" rel="noopener">like NIST</a>, in mind. "As the excitement rises around the new model, agentic framework or standard, people are going to realize all of this won't matter unless the data is there and the data is good," Statton said. "There are too many standards for [the] evaluation of data and too many ways for organizations to have wiggle room in their evaluation outputs. AI tools and applications are never going to be perfect -- never ever." <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BqdPuwvwPk4?autoplay=0&modestbranding=1&rel=0&widget_referrer=null&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0" loading="lazy"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Find the right technology stack"> <h2 class="section-title">Find the right technology stack</h2> The next major issue facing storage and data management teams is finding the ideal technology stack to ensure that data from storage can be discovered, prepped and delivered to a variety of AI services. Most storage and data management platforms have settled on using metadata as the connective tissue for data across various services and processes, such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/opinion/Vectorized-data-uses-see-resurgence-with-generative-AI">vectorization</a>, data lakes and agentic AI, according to Mohan. Although <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/metadata">metadata</a> exists within almost all data, created either at the time of data creation or added through software after the fact, there is a lack of standardization across vendors and technologies, he said. Storage systems might use their own form of metadata, which is then ingested into either unstructured or semistructured data lakes and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/news/366619465/Block-storage-and-Kafka-events-come-to-Vast-Data-Platform">services such as Kafka</a>, which are then further cataloged in AI processes, Mohan said. Having a formalized tagging standard and technology stack prepared in advance can help mitigate some of those challenges. "Dozens of these products are capturing some metadata to do their job, but it's an overlap," he said. The next major <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/opinion/Can-AI-save-the-storage-admin">challenge facing storage admins</a> will be developing around the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/How-to-solve-the-black-box-AI-problem-through-transparency">black box</a> nature of proprietary and popular LLM services, Hebner said in a follow-up interview with Informa TechTarget. Although open source LLMs do exist, many organizations opt for proprietary models like Microsoft Copilot, which uses <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Microsoft-Copilot">Microsoft's LLM technology, Prometheus</a>. Either for protecting trade secrets or other <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/The-creative-thief-AI-tools-creating-generated-art">possibly legal</a> reasons, proprietary models are not viewable like open source variants, but offer faster onboarding and implementation into enterprise workflows. That approach creates a liability for organizations using such technology, as implementing AI tools without fully understanding every aspect of an agent's decision-making process could create new risks, Hebner said. "Because of the way they operate as black boxes, they're not really able to explain the rationale of what they're telling you," he said. <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/trustworthy_ai_framework-f.png "> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/trustworthy_ai_framework-f_mobile.png " class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/trustworthy_ai_framework-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/trustworthy_ai_framework-f.png 1280w" alt="Trustworthy AI. " height="493" width="560"> <figcaption> What a trustworthy AI framework should look like when not in a black box format. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> </div> </figure> These services used without official permission, sometimes <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/Shadow-AI-poses-new-generation-of-threats-to-enterprise-IT">called shadow AI</a>, could also pose risks to data sovereignty and security. Storage services have already been <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/tip/Understand-cloud-abstraction-for-your-IT-needs">moving toward more abstraction</a> in operation, primarily through the pay-as-you-go managed service model of the cloud, said Mike Matchett, founder and principal analyst at Small World Big Data. This model will similarly arrive for AI services using storage to create new, initially unknown bottlenecks about how to best optimize hardware and infrastructure, Matchett said. Storage administrators in the future might not actually be all that concerned with the underlying technology over the results, but ignorance about the components and capabilities could create inefficiencies with overspending or underprovisioning. "Ideally, managing storage at a lower layer becomes built-in," he said. "But every time that level of advancement happens, you gain a lot of efficiencies at the higher level and lose a lot at the lower level. You're paying for what you use, but you have no control over how you use it." Matchett echoed Hebner's concerns about the black box approach to AI, noting that organizations will need to get comfortable with the loss of visibility in AI decision-making processes. "You have an agentic AI layer making these decisions that's invisible to the user," he said. "We've ceded all that to the agent. We no longer have the visibility." </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Possible liability?"> <h2 class="section-title">Possible liability?</h2> A blank check and the fastest GPUs the cloud can beam down won't absolve an IT employee of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/AI-lawsuits-explained-Whos-getting-sued">legal responsibilities and liabilities</a> surrounding AI. Even AI industry leaders like Google are bracing for legal blowback with indemnification <a target="_blank" href="https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/ai-machine-learning/protecting-customers-with-generative-ai-indemnification" rel="noopener">offerings</a>. AI adoption byproducts like <a href="https://www.theserverside.com/tip/The-case-against-vibe-coding">vibe coding</a> have already merged together what were previously several different jobs and responsibilities, letting one employee become coder, designer, UX specialist and more, Mohan said. As these tools evolve and become a larger part of the enterprise, organizations will need to consider who AI agents or employee-generated applications report to, how they're managed, and what their data policy is. "The steps don't change, [but] the speed we're doing it has changed," Mohan said. "The question is now who owns [an AI] agent and who is using this agent, [as] you've done a little bit of everything." Agentic AI for expediting automation will become a defining use of enterprise AI in the coming years, Hebner said. Market sentiments reflect his thinking, as a <a href="https://research.esg-global.com/reportaction/515201959/Marketing">January 2025 survey</a> from Omdia, a division of Informa TechTarget, found that 49% of 653 respondents consider process automation cost savings a pivotal factor in determining AI's effectiveness. Organizations that use agents and the users who build them will need to understand how each agent comes to a decision and make sure that those paths are documented, he said. "We're in a changing environment [where] GenAI has largely been used to automate repetitive tasks [for] more of a productivity use case," Hebner said. "More enterprises are reaching a point where they want to use AI for an action path." Most of this AI responsibility will fall on <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/How-business-leaders-are-measuring-generative-AIs-ROI">executive leadership rather than IT employees</a>, Bertrand said in a follow-up interview. AI vision, missions and importance must be dictated and expounded by an organization's top brass rather than individual employees. "The storage admin is not at the top of the pyramid -- the storage admin is really at the execution level," he said. "While they have a lot of responsibility, [the] governance piece has to come from the top. [Executives] need to get more specific on use cases, capabilities and what [an organization's AI] success actually means." Those leaders will also need to make sure that they're ready to make a hard decision should a crisis around bad data used in AI arise, McVaney said. "Ultimately, somebody has to make a call where [data's] going to go and what it's going to be," he said. "You can't have it be a case where there's a battle in the conference room." </section> Storage admins should stock up on aspirin as the continued enterprise AI adoption throughout 2026 will continue to create new challenges in trust, technology and legal liability. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/code_g1195673150.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/feature/AI-brings-storage-admin-challenges-of-trust-tech-and-liability Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT AI brings storage admin challenges of trust, tech and liability <div> Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-demands-information-blue-cross-blue-shield-texas-and-conduent-part">investigation</a> into Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and Conduent Business Services over the cyberattack and data breach at payments contractor Conduent, which occurred between October 2024 and January 2025.  </div> <div> Paxton is demanding that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBS) and Conduent provide documents and information pertinent to the investigation and evidence of their compliance with state laws.  </div> <div> The Conduent data breach <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechsecurity/news/366633568/Conduent-data-breach-impacts-millions">affected millions</a> of individuals across several states, including 4 million Texans. The breach impacted several BCBS locations, Premera Blue Cross in Washington, Humana and organizations in other sectors.   </div> <div> An April 2025 Securities and Exchange Commission filing stated that Conduent experienced an <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechsecurity/news/366634453/Conduent-faces-mounting-financial-losses-from-data-breach">operational disruption</a> beginning Jan. 13, 2025, and restored normal operations within a few days.   </div> <div> However, further investigation revealed that the intrusion began in October 2024. A cyberthreat actor successfully exfiltrated files containing personal information until Conduent contained the breach in January.  </div> <div> "The Conduent data breach was likely the largest breach in U.S. history. If any insurance giant cut corners or has information that could help us prevent breaches like this in the future, I will work to uncover it," Paxton said.   </div> <div> The total number of impacted individuals has not yet been disclosed, but some estimates put the current number at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/data-breach-exposes-personal-data-25m-americans">25 million</a>. Despite Paxton's claims about the historic nature of this breach, this figure does not come close to the Change Healthcare data breach, which impacted 193 million individuals.   </div> <div> "Texans deserve to know that their private health information is being handled responsibly and in full compliance with the law," Paxton continued. "My office is committed to uncovering exactly what went wrong, taking action to protect Texas families, and ensuring there is justice for any negligence."  </div> <div> Paxton is seeking information about BCBS's efforts to protect confidential information, as well as information about Conduent's security measures, communications and compliance with Texas law.  In a written statement provided to Healthtech Security, Conduent said it would cooperate with the Texas attorney general's investigation. "From the outset of this incident, we acted promptly and in alignment with incident‑response protocols to contain and investigate the issue. We engaged leading third‑party cybersecurity experts, disclosed the incident through an 8-K filing, notified clients and relevant authorities, and worked to support those impacted by the event, including most recently sending notifications on clients’ behalf. To date, there is no evidence that any underlying data has been misused, posted, or made publicly available, and we continue to monitor closely," Conduent said. "We look forward to working cooperatively with the Texas Attorney General's Office to provide the relevant information, consistent with our longstanding practice of constructive engagement with regulators." </div> <div> Jill Hughes has covered healthcare cybersecurity and privacy news since 2021. Editor's note: This article was updated to include a statement from Conduent. </div> Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is demanding answers from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and Conduent Business Services as the data breach count grows. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/German/article/data-leak-breach-2-adobe.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechsecurity/news/366638968/Texas-attorney-general-launches-investigation-into-Conduent-breach Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:23:00 GMT Texas attorney general launches investigation into Conduent breach An update to IBM's FlashSystem line of all-flash arrays this week beefed up storage density with a new custom hardware module design and introduced AI-driven data placement within and across arrays. Three new IBM FlashSystem arrays will ship March 6: <ul class="default-list"> <li>FlashSystem 5600, which supports up to 2.5 effective petabytes (PBe) per 1U chassis and up to 2.6 million IOPS.</li> <li>FlashSystem 7600, which supports up to 7.2 PBe in 2U and up to 4.3 million IOPS.</li> <li>FlashSystem 9600, which scales up to 11.8 PBe in a 2U system and up to 6.3 million IOPS.</li> </ul> The new arrays include FlashSystem.ai, management software that uses AI agents to perform <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/news/366571365/IBM-FlashSystem-update-focuses-on-ransomware-detection">ransomware detection</a> and automated recovery, and to calculate compression and data deduplication using field-programmable gate array (FPGA) processors inside IBM's custom FlashCore Modules. FlashSystem.ai also performs proactive performance tuning, including optimized data placement at the individual drive level, and non-disruptive data migration across fleets of arrays, such as third-party storage systems virtualized behind a FlashSystem controller. "Non-disruptive migration of data from one array to another, when coupled with the AI capabilities, improves the options that the AI can present to address concerns over performance or capacity issues," said Scott Sinclair, an analyst at Omdia, a division of Informa TechTarget. "The AI can simply offer to move the workload over to another system and automate the process." FlashSystem.ai provides recommendations to human operators before changes are made, including a "view rationale" button that displays the reasoning behind its conclusions. <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Agentic storage management table stakes"> <h2 class="section-title">Agentic storage management table stakes</h2> IBM is not the first to offer automated storage management embedded within arrays. NetApp has <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/news/366632757/NetApp-adds-AI-Data-Engine-expands-Nvidia-partnership">AI Data Engine</a>, which performs in-place data curation, real time synchronization and policy-driven governance within its storage systems. Dell has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Storage-data-management-tools-What-they-do-and-whats-available" rel="noopener">CloudIQ</a> for its PowerScale NAS systems, which offers performance anomaly detection and impact analysis. Unlike those systems, however, which focus on file and object storage, IBM FlashSystem is a block storage system, typically used with structured data applications such as core banking applications and databases. Thus, its AI automation could be a better fit for that kind of enterprise workload, according to Brent Ellis, an analyst at Forrester Research. <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> We expect it to happen more broadly in overall IT infrastructures, predictive movement of workloads between entire environments, with the help of AI. </figure> <figcaption> Natalya YezhkovaAnalyst, IDC </figcaption> </div> </blockquote> "IBM is trying to address operations and scalability issues -- not necessarily the same problem that NetApp is trying to address, which is essentially easing the deployment of AI workloads," Ellis said. "IBM fits into a trend of increasing data security and auditability services inside storage platforms that enable the use of agentic AI operations and more flexible, automated control."  In general, however, real time AI-driven storage management is becoming table stakes for storage vendors, said Natalya Yezhkova, an analyst at IDC, replacing the previous rules-driven approach to performance optimization. "Moving workloads among storage tiers has existed for many years, but dynamic placement according to SLAs [service-level agreements] and the health of the system is important," Yezhkova said. "We expect it to happen more broadly in overall IT infrastructures, predictive movement of workloads between entire environments, with the help of AI." </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Brainy FlashCore Module sets IBM apart"> <h2 class="section-title">Brainy FlashCore Module sets IBM apart</h2> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/ibm_flash_core_module-f.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/ibm_flash_core_module-f_half_column_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/ibm_flash_core_module-f_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/ibm_flash_core_module-f.jpg 1280w" alt="IBM FlashCore Module" data-credit="IBM"> <figcaption> IBM's custom-designed FlashCore module now supports up to 105 TB capacity. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> </div> </figure> In terms of raw capacity per storage enclosure, the new IBM FlashSystem arrays leapfrog <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/news/366637226/Dell-PowerStore-adds-30-TB-QLC-drive-amid-market-supply-woes">Dell's PowerStore Q</a> update last month, which packed 2 PBe into 2U using 30 TB QLC SSDs. However, these updates represent two different approaches to hardware design -- Dell was flexing its supply chain muscles by sourcing a high-capacity third-party SSD, while IBM builds its own custom FlashCore Modules, Ellis said. "FlashCore Modules are physically larger than commodity SSDs, but this is the benefit of creating your own module, because IBM is the one that is organizing the flash NAND on the actual wafer, and so it can do some engineering and architecture to use the space better," Ellis said. It also represents IBM's answer to the ongoing <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/news/366637161/Nvidias-new-KV-cache-makes-waves-in-enterprise-storage">global shortage of memory</a>, according to Ellis. "It means IBM can source flash from multiple vendors and is cutting out a layer of the supply chain, which cuts out a layer of cost, and it allows it to more confidently be able to provide supply to customers," he said. In Ellis's view, IBM FlashSystems' closest competitor is Pure Storage, which offers Pure1 AIOps, including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.purestorage.com/products/aiops/pure1.html" rel="noopener">automated workload placement</a> across storage systems, and builds its own DirectFlash Modules that support up to 150 TB per drive. But there are some differences between IBM and Pure's approaches that might be significant for some security-sensitive workloads, Ellis said. While Pure focuses on system-level storage management and resilience, IBM distributes storage and security management across the FPGAs in FlashCore Modules. "IBM can run some of those functions directly on the drive, so essentially, you have security down to the drive, not just to the OS, and so you have a deeper root of trust boundary," he said. Beth Pariseau, a senior news writer for Informa TechTarget, is an award-winning veteran of IT journalism. Have a tip? <a href="mailto:beth.pariseau@informatechtarget.com?subject=News%20tip">Email her</a>. </section> IBM FlashSystem refresh includes a high-capacity flash module amid a memory supply crunch and automated data placement at block storage speed. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/storage_g539954410.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/news/366639135/IBM-FlashSystem-adds-105-TB-modules-with-agentic-AI-smarts Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:37:00 GMT IBM FlashSystem adds 105 TB modules with agentic AI smarts Viking Therapeutics plans to advance the oral version of its leading drug candidate into phase 3 development later this year, following positive results from its mid-stage study, the company <a href="https://ir.vikingtherapeutics.com/2026-02-11-Viking-Therapeutics-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-Year-End-2025-Financial-Results-and-Provides-Corporate-Update">announced</a> yesterday. The investigational GLP-1/GIP receptor dual agonist, dubbed VK2736, is being developed in oral and injectable formulations as Viking builds out its late-stage obesity program. VK2736's oral program is slated to begin phase 3 testing for obesity in the third quarter of the year, Brian Lian, Viking's President and CEO, said during yesterday's <a href="https://ir.vikingtherapeutics.com/webcasts?item=79">earnings call</a>. The company recently wrapped up its end-of-phase 2 talks with the FDA and received feedback, Lian also said. "We'll provide more details on study design in the coming months," Lian added. Viking's decision to push its obesity hopeful into late-stage development is buoyed by encouraging top-line results from the phase 2 Venture oral study, which were <a href="https://ir.vikingtherapeutics.com/2025-08-19-Viking-Therapeutics-Announces-Positive-Top-Line-Results-from-Phase-2-VENTURE-Oral-Dosing-Trial-of-VK2735-Tablet-Formulation-in-Patients-with-Obesity">announced</a> last year. The trial met its primary and secondary endpoints, with patients achieving a mean weight loss of 12.2% at 13 weeks without plateauing, setting the stage for even greater weight loss results in phase 3 development. The California-based drugmaker is also planning to advance the subcutaneous version of its main asset through its phase 3 Vanquish program, which includes two studies -- Vanquish-1 for obesity and Vanquish-2 for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Enrollment in Vanquish-1 finished ahead of schedule at the end of last year, while Vanquish-2 is expected to complete enrolling patients later this quarter, the company shared. Currently, Viking Therapeutics has no approved products and has yet to generate revenue, placing the advancement of VK2736 at the heart of the company's growth strategy. Alivia Kaylor is a scientist and the senior site editor of Pharma Life Sciences. Viking Therapeutics is progressing the oral version of its leading drug candidate, VK2736, into phase 3 testing this year, following a mid-stage win. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/pharma_g657050204.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/pharmalifesciences/news/366638831/Viking-Therapeutics-pushes-GLP-1-GIP-obesity-pill-to-phase-3 Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:00:00 GMT Viking Therapeutics pushes GLP-1/GIP obesity pill to phase 3 Having a usual source of care, and particularly a primary care provider, significantly increases the odds of receiving preventive screening services for chronic disease, according to a new Milbank Memorial Fund <a href="https://www.milbank.org/publications/investing-in-primary-care-the-missing-strategy-in-americas-fight-against-chronic-disease/">report</a>. This is essential, as the nation stares down a primary and preventive care crisis. According to 2024 figures from the Commonwealth Fund, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366584277/US-lags-in-usual-source-of-care-primary-care-access">87% of American adults have a usual source of care</a>, a rate that's much lower than in other similarly developed nations. But it's better than findings from a 2022 report from the Primary Care Collaborative and American Academy of Family Physicians Graham Center, which found that only about <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366584607/Fewer-Patients-Have-Usual-Source-of-Care-Primary-Care-Provider">three-quarters of adults have a regular primary care provider</a>. This latest report from Milbank underscores the importance of having a usual source of primary care, particularly in terms of preventing, detecting and managing chronic illness. <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Kids and adults with a PCP get more screenings"> <h2 class="section-title">Kids and adults with a PCP get more screenings</h2> Using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the researchers found that both kids and adults with a usual primary care provider were significantly more likely to be screened for key chronic illnesses. For example, nearly all adults (95.5%) with a usual source of care received preventive services for chronic disease, especially heart disease. This compares with just 67.6% of adults without a usual source of care. Breaking these figures down by service type, adults with a usual source of primary care were more likely to receive the following services: <ul class="default-list"> <li>Blood pressure checks (95.5% versus 67.6%).</li> <li>Cholesterol screening (89.2% versus 56.7%).</li> <li>Tobacco use screening (74.4% versus 48.6%).</li> </ul> This indicates that nearly every primary care provider is screening for risk factors related to heart disease, which the researchers said can ultimately help prevent heart disease. When irregularities arise, primary care providers can help <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/feature/How-do-social-determinants-of-health-affect-chronic-disease">coach patients in chronic disease prevention</a> to stave off illness. But it's not just heart disease that gets the attention of primary care providers. Adults with a usual source of care are also more likely to get the following types of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366584631/Preventive-Care-Takes-a-Hit-Cancer-Screenings-Drop-80-Amid-Pandemic">cancer screenings</a>: <ul class="default-list"> <li>Mammogram (83.8% versus 54.2%).</li> <li>Colon cancer screening (79% versus 59.5%).</li> <li>Pap smear (84.4% versus 70.5%).</li> </ul>  Although cancer screenings cannot actually prevent cancer, they can help detect the illness early, improving outcomes. These benefits are seen in a pediatric population, too, with children seeing a regular primary care provider being more likely to receive key childhood screening tests. For example, 95.6% of kids seeing a primary care provider get an obesity prevention screen, compared to 80.6% of kids who don't. Meanwhile, 73.7% of kids seeing a primary care provider get a preventive vision screen, compared to 20.9% of kids who don't. Kids seeing a primary care provider are about twice as likely to get an accident-injury prevention screening (43.7% compared to 21.7%) and a secondhand smoke exposure screen (37.1% versus 20.9%). </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Primary care access supports chronic disease management"> <h2 class="section-title">Primary care access supports chronic disease management</h2> Even when kids and adults do <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthcarepayers/news/366605012/Top-Chronic-Diseases-Behind-Payer-Spending-And-How-to-Prevent-Them">have a chronic illness</a>, their connection with a usual source of primary care benefits them. For example, adults with a chronic disease who have a usual source of care were 20% less likely to be hospitalized and 11% less likely to have an emergency department visit for any reason, compared to those without a usual source of care. Those trends were more pronounced among kids. Compared to those without a usual source of care, children with a primary care provider were 50% less likely to have an emergency department visit or hospitalization. Fewer emergency department and hospital visits translate into overall lower healthcare costs for individuals with a usual source of care. For adults, having a usual source of primary care was linked with nearly 54% lower healthcare costs. For kids, that number was 40%. These trends were even more pronounced for patients experiencing continuity of care, meaning they visit with the same primary care provider for a long time and have <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366585095/Good-Patient-Provider-Relationship-Proves-to-Boost-Outcomes">built a trusting and ongoing relationship</a>. Continuity of care means there will be a stronger "therapeutic bond" that helps enhance long-term chronic disease management, the researchers said. </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Building stronger primary care access"> <h2 class="section-title">Building stronger primary care access</h2> According to the Milbank researchers, building a stronger primary care network will make it easier for patients to enjoy the benefits of primary care. To get there, healthcare stakeholders will need to increase their investment in primary care. For example, better Medicare reimbursement for primary care, particularly through the Advanced Primary Care Management codes and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/revcyclemanagement/news/366634092/CMS-finalizes-CY-2026-Medicare-Physician-Fee-Schedule">Medicare Physician Fee Schedule</a>, could be effective. Medicare might also consider redefining all primary care services as preventive, thus exempting them from <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthcarepayers/news/366603406/Deductibles-Copayments-OOP-Max-Trends-Indicate-Cost-Sharing-Growth">cost-sharing requirements</a>. Also at the federal level, the Milbank researchers suggested policymakers expand primary care capacity in underserved areas, including by increasing community health center funding and enhancing reimbursement models. On the state and Medicaid level, creating mechanisms to direct reimbursements directly into primary care clinicians and practices will be key. Supporting Medicaid reimbursement rates at parity with Medicare and requiring Medicaid managed care organizations to meet certain primary care spending targets could also be effective. On the employer side, large employers can support primary care access by prioritizing <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthcarepayers/news/366604012/Employer-Sponsored-Health-Plans-Generate-Significant-ROI-Benefits">employer-sponsored plans</a> with benefit designs that promote access to primary care. Finally, a concerted effort in the graduate medical education sector will be key. Specifically, addressing the cost of medical school and making it easier for those pursuing medical careers to choose a primary care specialty will be essential. "Addressing the burden of chronic disease in the United States requires helping all Americans have access to a regular, trusted source of care, yet the number of people in the country who report having a usual source of primary care is declining," the researchers concluded. Sara Heath has reported news related to patient engagement and health equity since 2015. </section> The report showed that 95.5% of adults with a primary care provider get screenings for chronic disease prevention, compared to just 67.6% of those without a PCP. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/health%20analytics_g1133722107.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366638871/Report-Having-a-PCP-improves-chronic-disease-prevention-management Thu, 12 Feb 2026 13:52:00 GMT Report: Having a PCP improves chronic disease prevention, management Financial performance among rural hospitals is  on an upswing, but upcoming health policy changes could undermine these improvements, according to a new <a href="https://www.chartis.com/insights/2026-rural-state-state">report</a> from Chartis. In this year's "Rural State of the State" report, Chartis reported a national median operating margin of 2% for rural hospitals. This puts about 41% of all rural hospitals in the U.S. operating in the red, the healthcare consulting firm reported. While this state of financial performance is still dire, it marks an improvement from last year's report, when 46% of all rural hospitals were operating in the red. Researchers attributed this improvement to stronger financial performance of rural hospitals in states that expanded Medicaid. Rural hospitals in expansion states had a median operating margin of 2.9%, with about 35% operating in the red. In 2025, the median operating margin was 1.5% and about 43% were operating in the red. Meanwhile, rural hospitals in non-expansion states faced a median operating margin of -0.7% and approximately 52% are in the red. Chartis reported similar financial performance among these hospitals last year. Medicaid expansion has been linked to improved hospital financial performance. Evidence shows that hospitals in Medicaid expansion states have reduced uncompensated care costs and increased revenue from a shift in uninsured to Medicaid-covered patients. This has led to higher operating margins, particularly for rural and small hospitals. However, upcoming changes to Medicaid policy could threaten this upward trajectory for many rural hospitals, the report stated. Public Law 119-21, enacted on July 4, 2025, and commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), includes significant Medicaid reforms that will shift payer mix for rural hospitals. These reforms include capping federal financing for Medicaid, introducing mandatory Medicaid work requirements by 2027 and imposing cost-sharing in expansion states by 2028. The Congressional Budget Office <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61570">estimates</a> over 10 million people to lose health coverage by 2034 under OBBBA, with the majority of these people losing Medicaid coverage. Medicaid expansion states are slated to face the brunt of these changes. Chartis reported that over 10 million rural Americans rely on Medicaid. Consequently, Medicaid accounts for almost 10% of rural hospitals' total net revenue. Rural hospitals will have to manage Medicaid-related cuts from OBBBA, the report stated, alongside other policy-driven reimbursement cuts. For example, hospitals are still facing Medicare sequestration, an annual 2% cut to Medicare reimbursement, which Chartis reported will cost hospitals about $540 million this year. The report also stated bad debt reimbursement will see an annual 35% reduction from charity care payment cuts, eliminating another $148.4 million for hospitals. Rural America may see fewer hospitals in the coming years. The report indicated that 206 rural hospitals either closed or converted to models that exclude inpatient care since 2010. These closures have particularly affected certain states, including Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kansas and Mississippi. Another 417 rural hospitals across the country are also vulnerable to closure due to their financial standing. However, rural hospitals could see a boost from federal funds. CMS is injecting $50 billion into rural healthcare over the next five years through the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) program. The program authorized by the OBBBA seeks to offset some of the financial challenges from health policy changes in the law by providing approved states with grants to implement initiatives to achieve certain goals, such as improving sustainable access to care, adopting technology and attracting a robust workforce. The federal government's investment in rural healthcare is significant, but it is a little over a third (37%) of the estimated funding losses for Medicaid, KFF <a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/a-closer-look-at-the-50-billion-rural-health-fund-in-the-new-reconciliation-law/">reported</a>. Additionally, the grants are directed to the state and not all of the money will be used to stabilize rural hospitals, Chartis said. "While this is a significant step forward, the [Rural Health Transformation] program may be too late to prevent more hospitals from closing their doors or removing service lines such as OB or general surgery," the firm stated. Jacqueline LaPointe is a graduate of Brandeis University and King's College London. She has been writing about healthcare finance and revenue cycle management since 2016. Fewer U.S. rural hospitals are operating at a loss, but sweeping Medicaid reform over the next few years could offset these small financial improvements. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/HeroImages/finance-stockmarket-predictions-iamchamp-adobe.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/revcyclemanagement/news/366639093/41-of-rural-hospitals-in-red-ahead-of-Medicaid-policy-shift Thu, 12 Feb 2026 11:45:00 GMT 41% of rural hospitals in red ahead of Medicaid policy shift Telepsychiatry provider Talkiatry has <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talkiatry-raises-oversubscribed-210m-series-d-to-expand-nations-largest-full-stack-psychiatry-provider-302685678.html">raised $210 million</a> in series D financing, bringing the total amount it has raised since its inception in 2020 to over $400 million. The company employs more than 800 full-time psychiatrists and has delivered 3 million virtual visits to date. Through its Mindshare Partner Program, launched in 2023, Talkiatry has partnered with over 50 health systems to deliver in-network telepsychiatric care. Talkiatry offers care for a wide range of mental and behavioral health conditions, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The company's technology platform matches patients to psychiatrists after an initial online assessment. The patients then connect with psychiatrists via telehealth and receive a treatment plan, which may include a virtual prescription. According to the company's co-founder and CEO, Robert Krayn, the company will use the funds to expand into "more complex care" and "deeper partnerships." "Talkiatry is setting the standard for how psychiatry is delivered and measured, with a proven national operating model centered on employed psychiatrists built upon a proprietary technology platform," Krayn said in the press release. "Health systems, payers, and employers continue to choose Talkiatry as their psychiatry partner of record to deliver consistent, superior outcomes across their patient populations." The oversubscribed round was led by Perceptive Advisors, with participation from Sofina and Andreessen Horowitz, as well as a debt facility from Banc of California. Talkiatry last <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/talkiatry-secures-130m-series-c-funding-to-mainstream-value-based-behavioral-health-care-302175461.html">raised $130 million</a> in a series C financing round in 2024. The massive funding round shows that interest in telemental healthcare is alive and well. Even as overall telehealth visits declined after the peak of the COVID-19 public health emergency, telemental health visits soared, growing to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/virtualhealthcare/feature/Is-virtual-care-shifting-from-volume-to-value">72.3% in the fourth quarter of 2023</a>. Virtual mental and behavioral healthcare companies also experienced a regulatory win earlier this year when the U.S. DEA and HHS <a href="https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2025/12/31/dea-extends-telemedicine-flexibilities-ensure-continued-access-care">extended the telehealth prescribing flexibility</a> for controlled substances through Dec. 31, 2026. The flexibility allows healthcare practitioners to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/virtualhealthcare/feature/Understanding-telehealth-prescribing-Pros-cons-and-DEA-rules">virtually prescribe</a> Schedule II-V controlled medications via audio and video telehealth without having previously conducted an in-person medical evaluation. These medications include Adderall, Ritalin and Vicodin. However, telehealth prescribers have also <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/virtualhealthcare/news/366596689/DOJ-arrests-charges-telemental-health-company-leaders">faced federal crackdowns</a> on instances of fraud and abuse in recent years. Anuja Vaidya has covered the healthcare industry since 2012. She currently covers the virtual healthcare landscape, including telehealth, remote patient monitoring and digital therapeutics.       The telepsychiatry provider has doubled its total funding with this latest financing round, suggesting continued interest in telehealth-enabled behavioral health services. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/virtual%20health_g1274403122.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/virtualhealthcare/news/366639004/Talkiatry-snags-210M-to-expand-telepsychiatry-care Thu, 12 Feb 2026 11:01:00 GMT Talkiatry snags $210M to expand telepsychiatry care A group of health system, patient safety and technology leaders <a href="https://aicarestandard.com/articles/press-release-ai-care-standard">has launched an operational standard</a> focused on patient-facing health AI tools. The AI Care Standard provides guidelines for safe and responsible patient-facing AI, which the developers define as "AI that communicates directly with patients, or AI that mediates, generates, or meaningfully shapes provider communication with patients." The standard's launch comes as AI-generated patient communication through patient portals, chats and care navigation and outreach tools become increasingly common. While these tools can <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366584314/How-Can-AI-Chatbots-Help-Docs-Tailor-Patient-Education">support patient education</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/feature/Are-AI-chatbots-exposing-healthcares-patient-engagement-limits">potentially fill patient experience gaps</a>, there is a lack of standardized safety guidance for these types of communication. In fact, misuse of patient-facing AI chatbots <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/patientengagement/news/366637635/More-patients-use-AI-chatbots-Is-this-a-patient-safety-risk">topped ECRI's annual list</a> of the biggest health technology hazards this year.  The standard aims to address the lack of guidance through 10 core pillars spanning safety, equity, governance and real-world usability. Some of the pillars include AI systems that respond appropriately to psychological, emotional, and situational aspects of interactions, adapt to individual needs to build trust and empower patients to understand their health while respecting clinical boundaries. Developed by the PatientAI Collaborative cohort, the goal of the standard is to provide clear and enforceable expectations for patient-facing AI. The standard was developed through interviews with over 20 health system, policy, safety, patient experience and AI leaders, structured cohort discussions, stress-testing of real-world adoption and liability scenarios and review. The collaborative also developed an AI Care Standard Evaluation Framework to support the adoption of the standard. The framework provides questions that will enable healthcare organizations to assess whether their patient-facing AI meets the standard. In addition, the framework offers a structured review of how AI-generated patient communication is designed, governed and experienced by patients in real-world settings. "AI is outpacing governance and oversight," said Raj Ratwani, Ph.D., vice president of scientific affairs at MedStar Health Research Institute, in a press release. "The AI Care Standard provides the structure and rigor needed to evaluate and deploy AI responsibly in one of healthcare's highest-impact, highest-risk domains: communication with patients." Raj is a co-chair of the PatientAI Collaborative, along with Bridget Duffy, M.D., former chief patient experience officer at Cleveland Clinic. Other members include leaders from Highmark Health, Stanford Medicine, HCA Healthcare, Hackensack Meridian Health, Patients for Patient Safety US, Vital and MATTER. Anuja Vaidya has covered the healthcare industry since 2012. She currently covers the virtual healthcare landscape, including telehealth, remote patient monitoring and digital therapeutics.   The standard and accompanying framework aim to provide clear guidance and expectations for health AI tools that interact with patients. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/health%20analytics_g1133722107.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechanalytics/news/366639037/Standard-for-AI-based-patient-communication-launches Wed, 11 Feb 2026 16:27:00 GMT Standard for AI-based patient communication launches <div> McLaren Health Care agreed to a $14 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit stemming from two data breaches that potentially compromised patient information. McLaren, based in Grand Blanc, Michigan, comprises 12 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, a health plan and other services.   </div> <div> The first breach <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2023/10/06/ag-nessel-notifies-michigan-residents-of-mclaren-ransomware-attack">occurred</a> in August 2023, when McLaren first detected suspicious activity within its IT systems. According to a press release published by the Michigan attorney general's office, the cyberthreat group <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/news/366572372/Inside-an-Alphv-BlackCat-ransomware-attack">ALPHV/BlackCat</a> claimed that it stole six terabytes of McLaren's data. The breach impacted 2.5 million individuals.   </div> <div> One year later, McLaren <a rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" href="https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechsecurity/news/366602443/Latest-healthcare-cyberattacks-highlight-operational-risks">experienced a second cyberattack</a>, which was claimed by Inc Ransom cyberthreat actors. This breach impacted more than 740,000 individuals. According to the initial notice, McLaren immediately activated its downtime procedures and kept its facilities largely operational.  </div> <div> Individuals impacted by the cyberattacks consolidated their complaints into a single lawsuit filed in the 7th Judicial Circuit Court in Genesee County. The plaintiffs alleged that McLaren failed to protect their information from the two breaches and failed to take the appropriate actions to prevent foreseeable data breaches.  </div> <div> McLaren admitted no wrongdoing but agreed to a settlement to avoid further litigation. Under the settlement terms, class members will be eligible to receive up to $5,000 for documented losses related to the breaches. Class members can also submit claims for a pro rata cash payment, to be paid out after other settlement costs have been distributed.  </div> <div> Class members can also claim one year of credit monitoring and identity theft protection services. As part of the settlement agreement, McLaren agreed to enhance its security program.   </div> <div> The final approval hearing is scheduled for April 21, 2026.  </div> <div> Jill Hughes has covered healthcare cybersecurity and privacy news since 2021. </div> The settlement stemmed from two separate ransomware attacks that McLaren Health Care experienced in 2023 and 2024. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/ComputerWeekly/Hero%20Images/Data%20breach.Getty.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/healthtechsecurity/news/366639020/McLaren-Health-agrees-to-14M-settlement-over-two-data-breaches Wed, 11 Feb 2026 14:31:00 GMT McLaren Health agrees to $14M settlement over two data breaches WhatIs 60 webmaster@techtarget.com