Digital Health & Technology

  • December 19, 2024

    Google Health Tracking Plaintiffs Fight To Keep Suit Alive

    A California federal judge who was asked by Google to toss a proposed class action alleging that the tech giant illicitly scoops up users' personal data from healthcare providers' websites indicated during a Thursday hearing that he might grant the request while adding that he still has "a lot more thinking to do."

  • December 17, 2024

    UNC Doctor Can't Shield Minor Transgender Patients' Records

    A University of North Carolina doctor cannot assert privilege over medical records sought from the university by state Republicans fighting a suit by the physician and others seeking to enjoin a law imposing limits on transgender care for minors, a federal magistrate judge has ruled.

  • December 17, 2024

    Stanford Profs Say Roche's Trade Secret Claims Time-Barred

    Stanford University's trustees and three of its professors have asked a California federal court to dismiss trade secret theft claims bought by subsidiaries of F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, arguing that the allegations are time-barred because the companies were on notice of the purported misappropriation for over three years before filing suit.

  • December 17, 2024

    New Fed Health Data Rules: What You Need To Know

    The Biden administration this week established long-awaited regulations codifying how medical providers and vendors must share electronic health information. New provisions were included to thwart criminal investigations into reproductive healthcare.

  • December 17, 2024

    FDA Sharpens Focus On Celebrity Drug Endorsements

    Ads featuring celebrities such as tennis star Serena Williams and interior designer Nate Berkus surfaced in FDA enforcement letters this year. The agency has ramped up its scrutiny of influencer drug promotion.

  • December 11, 2024

    Ga. Judge Refuses To Reconsider Toss Of Patient Data Suit

    A Georgia federal judge has refused to reconsider the dismissal of a proposed class action alleging Piedmont Healthcare Inc. unlawfully shared patients' health data with Facebook via the company's tracking pixel tool.

  • December 10, 2024

    UpHealth Says Glocal Execs Stalling On $115M Award Suit

    Digital health services company UpHealth has asked an Illinois federal judge to favor its efforts to pin down assets belonging to executives of Indian healthcare firm Glocal as it looks to enforce a $115 million arbitral award, saying the respondents are engaging in "obstructionist" conduct.

  • December 06, 2024

    Google Must Face Trimmed BIPA Suit Over IBM Dataset

    A California federal judge on Thursday permitted Illinois residents to proceed with a pared-down version of their proposed class action accusing Google of violating biometric privacy laws with facial data collected by IBM, ruling they've adequately alleged a violation of the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act.

  • December 06, 2024

    NC Hospital Gets Initial OK For $1.1M Data Breach Deal

    A North Carolina Business Court judge has given his initial seal of approval to a $1.1 million settlement agreement in a data breach class action against Columbus Regional Healthcare System.

  • December 06, 2024

    Colo. Children's Hospital Fined $548K For Phishing Attacks

    Children's Hospital Colorado was hit with a more than $548,000 fine over phishing and cyberattacks that violated patient privacy rules, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • December 05, 2024

    Pain Management Clinic Fined $1.19 Million for HIPAA Breach

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has fined a Florida pain management clinic $1.19 million for alleged HIPAA violations involving a former contractor that impermissibly accessed the clinic's electronic record system.

  • December 05, 2024

    IQVIA Gets Final OK For $3.5M Deal In Ex-Workers' 401(k) Suit

    A North Carolina federal judge on Thursday gave his final seal of approval to a $3.5 million settlement for a class of 9,000 employees who accused healthcare technology company IQVIA of mismanaging its $1.13 billion 401(k) plan.

  • December 04, 2024

    Colo. Judge Tosses Data Breach Suit Against Hospital Chain

    A Colorado federal judge has dismissed a proposed data breach class action against hospital operator CommonSpirit Health, accepting a recommendation that found the lead plaintiff failed to allege any real injuries and therefore had no standing.

  • November 27, 2024

    Deloitte Posed As Consultant To Steal Vax Software, Suit Says

    An inventor has accused Deloitte Consulting LLP in New York federal court of stealing her proprietary vaccination management system and securing a multimillion-dollar government contract for rolling out COVID-19 vaccines, saying the firm colluded with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to pilfer the technology.

  • November 27, 2024

    X Corp Says Gov't Trying To 'Muzzle' Doc In Bitter HIPAA Case

    X Corp has told a Texas federal judge that government prosecutors were trying to "muzzle" a doctor accused of sharing protected patient information while talking to the press about a hospital's gender-affirming care practices, saying the government was out of line.

  • November 26, 2024

    Truepill's $7.5M Patent Data Theft Settlement Gets Initial OK

    A California federal judge Tuesday preliminarily backed a $7.5 million deal resolving a proposed class action alleging that online pharmacy PostMeds Inc., which does business as Truepill, failed to protect the sensitive information of millions of patients from a data breach.

  • November 19, 2024

    Judge Rejects Infosys' Bid To Seal NDAs In Trade Secrets Row

    A Texas federal judge shot down Indian tech company Infosys Ltd.'s efforts to seal nondisclosure agreements involved in a trade secrets case over healthcare software, ruling that there was "nothing commercially sensitive" about them.

  • November 19, 2024

    Congress' Dash For Telehealth Extensions: 4 Things To Know

    With Republicans set to take control of Congress and the White House, lame-duck lawmakers on Capitol Hill are in a mad dash to pass legislation ahead of the new year. Many are turning an eye toward making permanent the telehealth extensions that became available during the pandemic.

  • November 18, 2024

    'Sub-Par' Work By Data Breach Class Attys Earns Lower Fee

    A Connecticut federal judge awarded $340,000 on Monday to class counsel in a data breach lawsuit against Merritt Healthcare Advisors but criticized their request for $381,250 as out of line with reasonable rates and said some of their work in the case was "sub-par."

  • November 18, 2024

    Healthcare Atty Leaves GC Role To Lead Legal At GeneDx

    Connecticut-based genetic testing company GeneDx announced Monday that an experienced in-house healthcare attorney who most recently worked as general counsel at Zoetis was named its chief legal officer and corporate secretary.

  • November 15, 2024

    Orrick Trial Partner Joins Morgan Lewis In Boston

    Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP announced that an experienced litigator from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP joined the firm's Boston office as a partner, enhancing its capacity in areas such as life sciences and regulatory compliance.

  • November 12, 2024

    Thompson Coburn Hit With Suit Over Healthcare Data Breach

    Thompson Coburn LLP was hit with a proposed class action Tuesday in Missouri federal court alleging the firm did not do enough to safeguard data provided to a healthcare provider client, resulting in a data breach that compromised individuals' personal information.

  • November 12, 2024

    Ex-Oak Street Health CLO Joins Included Health

    California-based Included Health, which calls itself an "all-in-one" healthcare solution, announced Tuesday that it has snagged the former legal head at Oak Street Health as its new chief legal officer.

  • November 08, 2024

    Apple Didn't Hire Cercacor CTO To Steal Watch IP, Ex-VP Says

    A retired Apple executive defended the tech giant Friday in Masimo's trade secret suit over pulse oximetry technology, testifying in California federal court that Apple didn't hire a Masimo spinoff's chief technology office in order to obtain confidential information for the Apple Watch and never received any such information.

  • November 07, 2024

    Masimo Spinoff's Ex-CTO Denies Giving Apple Trade Secrets

    Cercacor Laboratories' former chief technology officer testified Thursday that he privately emailed Apple CEO Tim Cook offering to help the tech giant become a top health and wellness device brand, but denied accusations that he gave Apple any of the Masimo spinoff's pulse oximetry trade secrets.

Expert Analysis

  • EU Regulation Highlights AI Issues For Digital Health Cos.

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    As the regulation of artificial intelligence is high on the agenda for EU and U.K. policymakers and regulators, and likely imminent in the U.S., now is the time for providers in the digital health space to consider how compliance may need to change, and safeguard their position in the market, say Chris Eastham and Olivia Morgan at Fieldfisher.

  • What DOJ Enforcement Shift Means For Life Sciences Cos.

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    Though monitoring life science company compliance has historically been the domain of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recent trends suggest that the U.S. Department of Justice may be assuming a primary role going forward, raising interesting questions for the industry, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Ransomware Payment Lessons Amid DOJ Recovery Success

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent successes clawing back ransom payments made to hacking groups provide companies an additional factor to consider when deciding whether to engage with law enforcement after experiencing a breach, whether to pay a ransom demand, and whether to try to recover the payment, says Tyler Bridegan at Wiley.

  • What's Next For DOJ's COVID Enforcement In Health Care

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    As we enter the end of the third year of the pandemic, a few fraud-related trends and risks have emerged, necessitating important steps that health care and life sciences companies should take in light of continuing U.S. Department of Justice scrutiny, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • How To Minimize Risk When Launching Smart Medical Devices

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    Prior to launching a smart medical device, there are several critical steps that companies can take in order to protect their intellectual property, get approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and ensure the safety of their data, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Health Issues To Watch In Inflation Act, Other Policy Initiatives

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    The newly signed Inflation Reduction Act includes a number of significant drug pricing reforms, and the future holds a wider array of health issues that may be addressed in pending legislation when Congress returns in September, says Miranda Franco at Holland & Knight.

  • DOJ Filing Reawakens Fraud-On-The-FDA Theory Of Liability

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent statement of interest in U.S. ex rel. Crocano v. Trividia Health before a Florida federal court represents a substantial attempt to revive a False Claims Act liability theory involving misstatements to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, potentially leading to increased scrutiny of medical products, say attorneys at Duane Morris.

  • Digital Health Cos. Should Expect More Scrutiny Amid Growth

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    As the digital health market continues to flourish, the privacy and security of patient data has become a focus of legislative, regulatory and interest group action, and developers should be motivated to reassure both regulators and consumers that users' data is adequately protected, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • Anti-Kickback Circuit Split Holds Implications For Defendants

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    The Eighth Circuit's recent decision in U.S. v. D.S. Medical represents a significant step toward holding plaintiffs to more exacting burdens of proof in Anti-Kickback Statute False Claims Act suits, and the outcome of the resulting circuit split could decrease estimated damages for defendants, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Post-Dobbs HHS Guidance Brings Privacy Considerations

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, and ensuing guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will create new privacy compliance issues for health care providers and other companies collecting personal information concerning the use of reproductive health services, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • HHS Fraud Alert Is A Major Warning To Telehealth Industry

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    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently issued a rare fraud alert, indicating potential changes in telemedicine enforcement, and suggesting that digital health entities are likely to face subpoenas, civil investigative demands and other inquiries, say attorneys at Hooper Lundy.

  • FDA Medical Device Cyber Guidance Protects Patients, Cos.

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    By carefully following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations on cybersecurity for medical devices — including its latest guidance on premarket submissions — and anticipating, tracking and fixing vulnerabilities, manufacturers can reduce risks to patients, as well as their own risks of product liability and data breach claims, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • The State Of Digital Health Care's Pandemic Transformation

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    Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, tech companies are helping to drive the health industry's transition into a new era of greatly expanded digital health and remote care, though some new challenges involving system compatibility and cybersecurity have arisen as well, says Carter Gage at Sheppard Mullin.