Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1372822
55 INNOVATION Weill Cornell physicians testing prescription video game to curb COVID-19 brain fog By Hannah Mitchell R esearchers from New York City-based Weill Cornell Medicine are testing a prescription video game to see if it can help curb memo- ry loss and attention problems aer recovery from COVID-19, according to an April 19 report by e Verge. "EndeavorRx" was the first video game approved by the FDA to be prescribed as a medical treat- ment for children with ADHD. Faith Gunning, PhD, a neuropsychologist at Wei- ll Cornell Medicine, thinks the video game could help people who had COVID-19 and struggle with similar symptoms the video game targets. e study will test if the game can improve mem- ory and attention functions. One group who had COVID-19 and report having cognitive impair- ment will play the video game. A similar group who had COVID-19 and have the same symptoms will not play the game. e study will check if the group who played the video game's symptoms im- prove faster than the group who did not. Dr. Gunning said there is enough data "that sug- gests that a significant number of people who have suffered from COVID-19 will have some cognitive issues." "A video game is also scalable," Dr. Gunning said. "It's something that can be given to lots of people. We need things we can get out into the commu- nity. Even if it's a small subset of people who had COVID-19, the sheer number of people who had COVID-19 means we need interventions that are effective and can be disseminated widely." e study is looking for two main outcomes: improved cognitive skills and improved daily functioning. "Because really, that's the goal," Dr. Gunning said. "We're talking about COVID-19 disrupting peo- ple's ability to function in their everyday lives." n Former Cerner, Livongo exec Zane Burke joins pediatric digital monitoring company By Jackie Drees Z ane Burke, former CEO of Livongo Health and president of Cern- er, joined the board of directors for digital parenting and pediatric monitoring platform Owlet, according to an April 1 news release. Mr. Burke most recently served as CEO of Livongo Health, helping lead the company's $18.5 billion merger with Teladoc Health. He left the com- pany after the deal was finalized in October. Prior to joining Livongo, Mr. Burke served as president of Cerner, where he spent more than two decades and filled several executive roles in sales, strategy, finance and operations. He left the Kansas City, Mo.-based EHR vendor in 2018 to lead daily operations at Livongo. In February, Mr. Burke joined the board of directors for workers compen- sation digital health company Bardavon Health Innovations. As a mem- ber of Owlet's board, Mr. Burke will advise on virtual care and telehealth initiatives as the company looks to innovate healthcare experiences for parents and infants. "My personal mission has always been to propel a reinvention of our healthcare system, creating a different type of healthcare experience that makes it as easy as possible for people to stay healthy," Mr. Burke said in a news release. "I strongly believe that new virtual care will play a critical role in the future of pediatric care and that Owlet has the ca- pabilities to emerge as the leader entering this transformative period in the industry." n Ochsner Health, Xavier launch new grad programs for tech-driven medical careers By Jackie Drees O chsner Health and Xavier University of Louisiana, both based in New Orleans, are teaming up on graduate education programs that aim to accelerate medical technology careers in healthcare. Ochsner and Xavier are jointly developing two new graduate degree programs focused on health informatics and genetic counseling. Xavier will offer the two programs to students in the classroom, while Ochsner will host clinical rotations for the genetic counseling patients across its facilities, according to a March 23 news release. "Genetics is a rapidly growing segment in healthcare, especially in on- cology and precision medicine," Ochsner Chief Academic Officer Leo Seoane, MD, said in the news release. "Additionally, with the evolution of technology, there is a critical need for the medical informatics field, which is the intersection of information science, computer science and health." n