Bonus Features: AI Goes Daily for PAs, Americans Over 50 Go Digital, and 24 More Health IT Updates

Bonus Features - December 14, 2025: 56% of PAs use AI daily, 46% of Americans 50+ use digital health, plus 24 more stories

This week's roundup pulls together the numbers, moves, and product updates that matter if you work in healthcare. Short, practical, and built for quick scanning.

Here's what stands out: AI use among clinicians is moving from pilot to practice, seniors are embracing digital tools, and leaders are split on the near-term outlook. Keep a close eye on TEFCA activity, value-based care momentum, and the steady embedding of AI into clinical and admin workflows.

News and studies

• Federal teams published two ONC blogs on TEFCA: one framing HIPAA, TEFCA, and information blocking as signals to share data; another highlighting The Sequoia Project's guidance to streamline government benefits determination. TEFCA overview * Sequoia Project TEFCA
• 46% of Americans over 50 use digital health tools (up from 35% a year ago), per AARP. More seniors now see tech as an "ally" for healthy aging.
• Deloitte: 43% of healthcare leaders feel uncertain or neutral about the near-term outlook (up from 28%). Regulation and policy shifts lead the concerns.
• Sage Growth Partners: 77% of health system and hospital C-suites plan to increase value-based care participation in the next two years, yet only 20% see real progress so far.
• Wolters Kluwer Health: 56% of physician assistants use AI daily; 19% rely on it extensively.
• ABMS selected Ovid Synthesis as an official quality improvement workflow platform; BHRUT (NHS) adopted UpToDate Enterprise Edition.

Partnerships

• Castlight Health adds Noom for employer programs.
• Welldoc integrates CLEAR identity verification for cardiometabolic management.
• DrFirst's RxInform now integrated with Tebra's EHR+.
• Lindus Health partners with Quotient Sciences to boost Phase I-IIa recruitment.
• Microsoft Dragon Copilot to embed in athenaOne in H1 2026.

Products

• Cedar Gate (IQVIA) launches tech and services for bundled payments, supporting commercial prospective bundles and CMS TEAM.
• eClinical Solutions debuts AI agents for managing Phase III trial data volume.
• Included Health introduces Dot-an AI assistant guiding health plan members.
• Kontakt.io releases an AI agent to optimize outpatient room assignments.
• Momentum launches Open Wearables, an open-source platform unifying wearable data via a single API.
• Sleep.ai rolls out Sleep Sense for smartphone-based sleep tracking without wearables.

Implementations

• WellSpan Health expands Aidoc radiology AI across 9 hospitals and 250+ care sites.
• Northeast Alabama RMC selects Conifer Health for end-to-end RCM.
• 26Health expands NuvemRx partnership and plans its first Orlando pharmacy.

Company news

• Lightbeam Health Solutions achieves NCQA Population Health Management Prevalidation.
• ResMed receives FDA clearance for Personalized Therapy Comfort Settings (Smart Comfort).
• Sentact unifies Hardenbergh Group, Preverity, and National Credentialing Solutions under one brand.
• WellSky adds CarePort Community Referral Network to Epic's Toolbox for Community Resource Network.

People

• HeliosX appoints Dr. Bryony Henderson as Medical Director for the EU and U.S.
• WEDI announces its 2026 Board and Officers (three new, seven reelected, six officers).
• Blend Health Technologies adds Dr. Luke Laffin to its advisory board.

Why this matters

• AI is already routine for many clinicians. Set clear governance, create feedback loops, and fund training so frontline teams get real gains without extra clicks.
• Seniors are leaning into digital health. Prioritize accessibility, caregiver access, and device-agnostic experiences.
• VBC intent is high; confidence is not. Refresh risk models, data sharing, and physician alignment now-before payment models tighten.
• TEFCA momentum means fewer excuses for data silos. Map your connections and close gaps that block care coordination and public program eligibility checks.

Quick next steps

• Run a 90-day AI pilot in a high-friction workflow (e.g., inbox triage, coverage determination) with measurable targets.
• Update your TEFCA roadmap and benefits determination workflows with your HIE/QHIN partners.
• Stand up a VBC playbook: attribution hygiene, coding accuracy, care gap closure, and bundled payment analytics.
• Refresh patient experience for adults 50+: simple onboarding, clear privacy language, low-friction support.

If you're building AI literacy for clinicians, operations, or IT, browse practical training by role here: AI courses by job.

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