• District of Columbia: HHS' Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response has added a new cybersecurity module to its Risk Identification and Site Criticality (RISC) 2.0 Toolkit, which is used by thousands of hospitals and health systems. The new modules ask about an organization's cybersecurity policies and practices and evaluate them against industry frameworks. "We must acknowledge that cyber safety is patient safety and that cyber threats can cause cascading problems across the healthcare industry," said John Knox, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. "The new cybersecurity module will help our partners understand what is needed to strengthen their resilience, and we strongly encourage them to take advantage of it." (Bruce, Becker's Health IT, 3/5)
• Massachusetts: Servier has agreed to acquire Day One Biopharmaceuticals for $2.5 billion. The deal will allow Servier to access Day One's drug Ojemda, a treatment for pediatric low-grade glioma — the most common type of childhood brain cancer. Servier will also be able to expand its pipeline of experimental drugs for rare cancers. "Servier's dedication to the rare disease community preserves the patient-first mindset that has defined our company since the beginning and has driven our deep commitment to the communities we serve," said Jeremy Bender, CEO of Day One. Separately, Servier president Olivier Laureau said the deal "marks another decisive step in strengthening Servier's position as a global leader in rare oncology." According to Servier, the deal is expected to close in the second quarter of the year. (Miller, Wall Street Journal, 3/6; Joseph, STAT+ [subscription required], 3/6)
• Washington: Microsoft has launched a new AI assistant called Copilot Health, which can analyze users' medical records, help them prepare for doctor's appointments, and more. The new Health feature has its own separate, secure space within Copilot, and company leaders say that it was designed with access, privacy, and safety controls in mind to ensure users' sensitive health information was protected. Through Copilot Health, users can connect their hospital and lab data, as well as data from wearable devices, to receive personalized answers to any health-related questions. According to Microsoft, Copilot Health was built on data from credible health organizations in 50 different countries and verified by the company's clinical team. Responses from Copilot Health also include citations with links to source material and expert-written answer cards from Harvard Health. "We truly believe we're on the path to medical superintelligence that brings together both the wide-ranging knowledge of a family doctor or general physician as well as the deep domain expertise of a specialist," said Dominic King, VP of health at Microsoft AI. "AI is now able to provide both breadth of expertise, but also able to do really deep work where it's necessary." Recently, technology companies have increased their focus on healthcare, especially as more people turn to AI for health advice. For example, OpenAI recently released ChatGPT Health, a health-focused chatbot, and Amazon has expanded access to its Health AI assistant. (Landi, Fierce Healthcare, 3/12)

As healthcare grows costlier, more people are using AI chatbots for health advice. However, new research suggests that these chatbots can vary significantly in accuracy, leading health experts to say that "AI just isn't ready to take on the role of the physician."