Google’s New ‘Loss of Pulse’ Feature Now FDA-Cleared
Google is making waves in the health tech sector with a series of announcements, chief among them being the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of a ‘loss of pulse’ detection feature for its Pixel 3 smartwatch. This 510(k) clearance allows the wearable device to use its sensors to detect when a wearer’s heart has stopped beating—a condition that may occur due to cardiac crises or overdose.
After a brief check-in period, the smartwatch will activate an alarm and a countdown sequence. If there’s no response, the watch will automatically use cellular or a connected smartphone to contact emergency services with context and location details. Google is also initiating an educational campaign with emergency services to familiarize them with the new calls.
The feature is not intended for individuals with pre-existing heart conditions requiring continuous monitoring.
Google also published a Nature paper detailing the development of the ‘loss of pulse’ feature. To train the model, the company used simulated events, including electrophysiologist-led tests involving implanted defibrillators.
Concerned about false positives and their impact on emergency services, Google designed the feature to prioritize certainty, leading to a sensitivity of 67.23% and a specificity of 99.987%. Prospective testing resulted in only one errant emergency call.
While acknowledging the potential life-saving capabilities, many questioned the functionality, particularly for individuals who experience cardiac arrest alone. Jake Sunshine, a research scientist at Google, highlights that the feature is useful even when a patient is not alone.
Given the low false positive rate, its potential impact makes the development a welcome step in the industry.
Teladoc Health Reports Revenue Decline with Focus on New Initiatives
In other news, Teladoc Health reported a 1% decline in 2024 revenue, totaling $2.57 billion. The company anticipates a revenue range of $2.47 billion to $2.58 billion for 2025, indicating possible minor growth at best, and more likely, another drop in yearly income.
BetterHelp, Teladoc’s virtual mental health subsidiary, continues to affect the company’s overall financial output and recorded an 8% decline in revenue compared to the previous year. Looking towards the future, Teladoc expects another yearly revenue dip in the range of 3.75% and 9.75%.
BetterHelp’s direct-to-consumer model relies on advertising expenses to obtain new users. Despite those costs, competition remains constant in the virtual mental health space.
CEO Chuck Divita referenced product enhancements, worldwide expansion, and a new weekly pricing model as potential paths to stability and growth to investors.
BetterHelp’s struggles overshadow Teladoc’s modest success with its integrated care services, which grew 4% in 2024 and may expand between 0% and 3% within 2025.
Teladoc witnessed massive growth during the pandemic but has struggled to evolve its user base into a sustainable business. Divita, who took over last year, reports a commitment to strategies that will put the company back on its feet. Some analysts believe that financial performance will improve by 2026.
Oura Expands Focus on Women’s Health
Smart ring maker Oura has announced several new initiatives targeting women’s health. These include a study with Scripps Research Digital Trials Center to research physiological changes during pregnancy and potential warning signs, aiming to enroll 10,000 participants. The company is also collaborating with Stanford researchers on a study focusing on underrepresented individuals in women’s health research.
Additionally, Oura announced that its readiness score will now consider biometric changes during the menstrual cycle.
Hyfe and Kyorin Partner on Digital Therapy for Chronic Cough
Hyfe, a company focused on cough-detection technology, has reached a deal with Japanese pharma company Kyorin to develop a digital therapeutic tailored for chronic cough in the Japanese market. The treatment will use Behavioral Cough Suppression Therapy and Hyfe’s technology to track cough frequency, duration, and patterns, helping to increase treatment success. Kyorin distributes Merck’s gefapixant for chronic cough in Japan, offering Hyfe a chance to market the digital treatment separately.
Hyfe has also expressed interest in bringing the solution to the U.S. market sometime in the future.
Color Health and OpenAI Collaborate on Cancer Treatment Plans
Color Health, a cancer screening and care management company, has released details of its partnership with OpenAI and UCSF. The collaboration aims to develop a “Large Language Expert” to assist in creating cancer treatment plans. The tool combines reasoning LLM models with clinical criteria decision logic to provide patient assistance and personalized treatment plans.
Correction
A previous edition of STAT Health Tech included an error in the subject line, misspelling California Representative Ro Khanna’s surname. The error has been corrected.
What We’re Reading:
- Are we adopting AI scribes based on… vibes?, STAT
- Human therapists prepare for battle against A.I. pretenders, New York Times
- Under siege after a tragedy, UnitedHealth grapples with fresh security threats and a customer backlash, STAT
