The deal with Portugal could be a model for Medicare, CEO says
The Douro River and city of Porto in northern Portugal. The country has signed a deal that will make AI-powered physical therapy available to its 10 million people.Martin Bertrand / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images
Mario covers technology in health care, including FDA regulation of artificial intelligence; how Medicare pays for health tech; the use of AI in clinical care; mental health chatbots; and consumer wearables. He’s also the co-author of the free, twice weekly STAT Health Tech newsletter. You can reach Mario on Signal at mariojoze.13.
Can artificial intelligence-powered care solve medical problems at national scale? A modest-sized European country is about to find out.
Portugal’s National Health Service this month inked a deal with digital health company Sword to make its physical therapy care available to the country’s entire population of 10 million people. After receiving a referral from a doctor, patients will receive unlimited access to Sword’s virtual therapy, which leans heavily on artificial intelligence to help guide and supervise care.
