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October 25, 2026

Takeaways from the most recent news in the technology and policies shaping healthcare.

Telehealth

GLP-1s Are a $70B Market. Patients Still Turn to TikTok

By Healthcare Technology News ·

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound have become a $70 billion market, yet many patients are getting their day-to-day guidance from TikTok influencers rather than clinicians, according to MedCity News. The reason is structural: the healthcare system does a good job writing the prescription and a poor job supporting what comes next.

In practice, patients are left to figure out dosing schedules, manage nausea and other side effects, navigate nutrition and muscle loss, and decide what to do when symptoms hit. With little clinical follow-up, social media fills the void, and the advice ranges from helpful to dangerous. That gap carries real risk, including poor adherence, avoidable side effects, and patients abandoning therapy.

The opportunity is equally clear. Digital health companies, pharmacies, and providers that build structured, ongoing support around GLP-1 prescriptions can improve outcomes and capture loyalty in a fast-growing category. As MedCity News notes, closing the space between prescription and understanding is where the next phase of competition will play out.

Sources

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Telehealth

Health Systems Exit Hospital-at-Home Despite Medicare Extension

Three health systems are ending hospital-at-home programs in 2026 despite Congress extending Medicare's Acute Hospital Care at Home initiative through 2030.

Why it matters: Federal policy certainty through 2030 is not enough to keep some hospitals in the hospital-at-home model, exposing the economics and operational strain behind the care-at-home push.

Telehealth

Remote Monitoring Targets US Maternal Care Gap in Rural Areas

Health systems are using remote patient monitoring and care management to extend prenatal and postpartum care into rural America, targeting preventable maternal deaths that often occur at home.

Why it matters: Most US maternal deaths are preventable and happen after patients go home, making remote monitoring a practical tool to reach rural mothers between visits.

Telehealth

10 Health Systems Now Use AI Triage for 24/7 Virtual Care

UVA Health joins at least nine other U.S. health systems offering 24/7 virtual care that uses AI to triage patients before connecting them with a clinician.

Why it matters: AI triage is shifting from experiment to standard infrastructure for how health systems run their digital front door.