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Katie Palmer

@katiepalmer.bsky.social

3.7K followers 530 following 37 posts

Health tech correspondent at STAT News (www.statnews.com) Share tips: [email protected] Signal: palmer.01

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Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Feb 10

As a health tech reporter at STAT News, I cover the role of technology in health care and clinical research — including artificial intelligence, telehealth, EHRs, and remote patient monitoring. Is there an untold story about how tech is impacting patients? Contact me securely on Signal: palmer.01

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · 2d

For 3 years, I've reported on 2 big telehealth trends: pharma partnerships and compounding. They've gone head-to-head as patients demand GLP-1s.

But they've been part of the same story for much longer. Here's how telehealth got hooked on drug-first thinking: www.statnews.com/2025/10/06/t...

From erectile dysfunction to weight loss, how telehealth got hooked on drug-first thinking

Marketing of on-demand telehealth prescriptions has rapidly become a constant presence for American consumers

www.statnews.com

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Jun 20

It's been 6 months since the FDA updated its public list of authorized AI-enabled devices. So @statnews.com went ahead and checked how things are going.

At least 167 more AI-enabled devices have gotten cleared or approved since the last one added to FDA's list:

www.statnews.com/2025/06/20/f...

As AI device market grows, FDA's accounting goes silent

As the market for AI enabled medical devices grows, experts say there is less transparency around device approvals.

www.statnews.com

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · May 20

Are you a physician or health care provider using AI tools like OpenEvidence? I want to hear about your experience!

I'm a health tech journalist @statnews.com reporting on clinical AI, and you can find me on Signal at palmer.01 (email in bio)

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Apr 30

May 1 is the deadline for health systems to make sure that AI and other tools informing patient care don't discriminate. But the Trump admin scrubbed information about the civil rights rule months ago. What does that mean for compliance?

My latest for @statnews.com www.statnews.com/2025/04/30/h...

Health systems in limbo as HHS stays quiet on nondiscrimination rules for AI, algorithms

Lack of clarity from officials delay providers' efforts to ensure clinical decision support tools don't discriminate.

www.statnews.com

Reposted by Katie Palmer

Usha Lee McFarling @usha.bsky.social · Apr 30

Work on insuring clinical algorithms are free of bias has been underway for years. Now a May 1 deadline to show tools are bias-free is in limbo as all information about the new rules have been removed from HHS websites. More from @katiepalmer.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2025/04/30/h...

Health systems in limbo as HHS stays quiet on nondiscrimination rules for AI, algorithms

Lack of clarity from officials delay providers' efforts to ensure clinical decision support tools don't discriminate.

www.statnews.com

Reposted by Katie Palmer

Elaine Chen @elaineywchen.bsky.social · Apr 29

The explosion of compounded GLP-1 offerings is ending, and many patients are left with no good options.

Telehealth companies and compounders are pursuing workarounds that may be riskier. At the same time, patients still can't afford the branded drugs. w/ @katiepalmer.bsky.social

The end of compounded GLP-1 copies leaves many patients in a ‘lose-lose’ position

With GLP-1 shortage officially over, patients who relied on compounded copies have only bad options to choose from

www.statnews.com

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Apr 1

In 2026, HHS was set to require fields for sexual orientation and gender identity in EHRs, supporting research and better care for LGBTQ+ patients.

Now, HHS won't enforce those requirements. Read in @statnews.com about impacts on providers and EHR vendors: www.statnews.com/2025/04/01/h...

HHS will not enforce gender and sexual orientation requirements for medical records

HHS will not enforce standards that medical records be able to capture patients’ sexual orientation and gender identity.

www.statnews.com

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Mar 31

Hi @jenniferholton7.bsky.social , I'm a health tech reporter at STAT News interested in hearing more about your experience. If you're open to sharing, feel free to reach out at [email protected]

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Mar 27

Reporters @statnews.com are following the HHS restructuring closely — on the health tech team, we especially want to hear from those impacted by the IT consolidation and those impacted at OCR. Reach out here: www.statnews.com/2025/03/27/h...

Are you affected by the HHS cuts and restructuring?

HHS is set to cut 10,000 jobs and consolidate divisions — have you been affected? @statnews would like to hear from you.

www.statnews.com

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Mar 12

Both of these stories highlight a consistent concern I hear reporting on direct-to-consumer telehealth: That, although it is important to increase access, framing virtual health care around specific drugs risks leaving patients with significant gaps in their health care

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Mar 12

And another dispatch on telehealth's role as an access point for drugs for @statnews.com: Senators are again questioning the financial relationship between pharma giants Eli Lilly and Pfizer and the telehealth companies they link to: www.statnews.com/2025/03/12/t...

Telehealth platforms in senators' crosshairs over relationship with Eli Lilly, Pfizer

Senators ask if contracts between drugmakers and telehealth companies violate the federal anti-kickback statute.

www.statnews.com

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Mar 12

Facing a shrinking market for compounded GLP-1 weight loss drugs, dozens of telehealth companies are marketing hormone therapies for men and women — many of them compounded options that use the same backbone built to capitalize on intense GLP-1 demand www.statnews.com/2025/03/11/t...

As GLP-1 compounding stares down a wall, telehealth companies pivot to hormones

As it gets harder to offer compounded GLP-1s, many telehealth companies are pivoting to hormone replacement therapy.

www.statnews.com

Reposted by Katie Palmer

Brittany Trang @brittanytrang.com · Feb 26

In today's edition of AI Prognosis we:

-Address the question of whether health care's adoption of AI scribes is entirely vibes-based

-Have an exclusive Q&A with co-founder of an AI deep research tool made specifically for scientists who just raised a $22M Series A

-Recommend a 🔥 Song of the Week

Are we adopting AI scribes based on... vibes?

The web edition of STAT’s AI Prognosis newsletter, our subscriber-exclusive guide to AI in health care and medicine.

www.statnews.com

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Feb 24

@benecal.bsky.social I'm a reporter working to understand the impacts of communications and grant freezes on business. If your friend would be open to speaking, they can reach me on Signal at palmer.01

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Feb 19

I'm looking to talk with VA employees who may be directed to alter gender-related fields in medical records. Signal: palmer.01. Please boost! #journorequest #veterans

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Feb 16

And here's the form on its own: www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/f...

Are you affected by firings at federal health agencies?

Have you been affected by firings at federal health agencies? @statnews would like to hear from you.

www.statnews.com

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Feb 16

On Saturday, Trump's layoffs hit the FDA.

If you've been affected by the firings in federal health agencies, you can contact STAT using the form in this story.

www.statnews.com/2025/02/15/t...

Trump administration lays off FDA employees

The cuts are part of a purge of 5,200 probationary workers across federal health agencies that started Friday.

www.statnews.com

Reposted by Katie Palmer

J. Emory Parker 🏳️‍🌈 @jaspar.bsky.social · Feb 14

Two weeks of work went into this and I’m not done yet. Coming soon:

- explore diffs of all datasets that have been republished with changes

- search and access all archived data

www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/t...

STAT is backing up and monitoring CDC data in real time: See what's changing

STAT is backing up and monitoring CDC data in real time: See what's changing.

www.statnews.com

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Feb 12

A potent story from @jonathanwosen.bsky.social and @angusrohan.bsky.social showing that threats to federal science funding are already having an impact on career choices for talented scientists, threatening the US's leadership position in biomedical research. www.statnews.com/2025/02/12/t...

Trump policies spark fears of brain drain, threatening to undermine U.S. dominance in biomedicine

A torrent of Trump administration policies is alarming scientists who fear the current climate is weakening researchers’ resolve to stick with careers in academic science.

www.statnews.com

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Feb 10

As a health tech reporter at STAT News, I cover the role of technology in health care and clinical research — including artificial intelligence, telehealth, EHRs, and remote patient monitoring. Is there an untold story about how tech is impacting patients? Contact me securely on Signal: palmer.01

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Feb 3

I'd appreciate the chance to learn more, Julie — email is in my bio if you'd like to reach out

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Jan 14

There's a hard deadline coming up in May for health care providers to vet clinical decision support tools for discrimination — but “most health systems just aren’t looking," one source told me.

Via @statnews.com:

www.statnews.com/2025/01/14/c...

As deadline looms, health systems rush to ensure clinical algorithms don’t discriminate

A deadline is fast approaching for federally funded health systems to show that clinical algorithms don't discriminate based on protected traits such as sex or race.

www.statnews.com

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Jan 6

FDA's AI device count has now ticked over 1,000. But it has also quietly received over 500 drug submissions with AI, and today it put out an anticipated draft guidance on AI in drug development.

What does high-risk AI in drugs mean to FDA? Read in @statnews.com:
www.statnews.com/2025/01/06/a...

FDA's new guidance on AI in drug development centers the risk introduced by the technology

After nearly a decade of machine learning innovations, the FDA has issued its first draft guidance on the use of AI in drug development.

www.statnews.com

Reposted by Katie Palmer

Lizzy Lawrence @lizzylawrence.bsky.social · Dec 17

NEW: Some consider him a fearless truth-teller with a deep respect for science. Others consider him a contrarian for contrarian’s sake, opining on matters for political clout. Which Marty Makary would run the FDA?
www.statnews.com/2024/12/17/m...

Truth-teller or reflexive contrarian: Which Marty Makary would run the FDA?

Pancreatic surgeon Marty Makary is a long-time critic of the medical establishment who's now set to regulate food, drugs, and medical devices at the FDA.

www.statnews.com

Katie Palmer @katiepalmer.bsky.social · Dec 17

A surprising finding in this analysis of FDA-authorized AI/ML devices: 22 devices indicated for use in kids were validated in adult datasets only.

That's part of a much broader problem in how representative (or not) AI devices' training and validation data are:
www.statnews.com/2024/12/16/f...

FDA authorizes many AI devices for use in kids. Are they validated in a pediatric population?

A new study resurfaces long-simmering concerns about the lack of transparency in data used to train and validate AI and ML-enabled devices.

www.statnews.com