HealthTech2Care Podcast

S1E23 - From The OR To Ambient AI: Why Patients Need A Playback Button | HT2C Podcast with Bert Fernandez


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HealthTech2Care (HT2C) Podcast featuring Dr. David Langer, Founder & Chief Medical Officer of Playback Health and Chair of Neurosurgery at Lennox Hill Hospital

🎙️ In this episode, Dr. Langer shares the full arc of Playback Health—from burning QuickTime videos on CDs for patients in 2008 to building one of the only ambient AI platforms that sends visit summaries directly to patients today. He explains why patient-facing tools are often overlooked by health systems, how ambient AI changes workflows for clinicians, and what the future holds as voice interfaces, agentic AI, and hospital operations converge.

David Langer, MD (Guest):

🌐 Playback Health: https://playbackhealth.com

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-langer-5264097

📺 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@playbackhealth4167

Bert Fernandez (Host):

🌐 HealthTech2Care: https://www.healthtech2care.com

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bert-fernandez

📺 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@HealthTech2Care

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 Playback's unique position: the only ambient company delivering direct-to-patient

01:00 Burning CDs for patients — the earliest form of patient education video

03:30 From private servers to templated videos — the evolution pre-startup

06:00 Why hospitals don't invest in patient-facing tech despite claiming to value experience

07:30 How Playback shifted into ambient AI after ChatGPT launched

09:40 Combining ambient listening with patient education and video summaries

13:10 Why video works better than printed discharge papers or EHR text

17:00 Use cases that benefit most: rehab, cancer, surgery, imaging-heavy specialties

22:00 The Epic barrier: integrations, incentives, and how Playback stands apart

26:00 Future of care: voice-first UI, agentic AI, and patient-controlled experiences

30:50 What's next for Playback Health & how to try the app

🔑 Highlights:

  • From burning CDs to ambient AI: how Playback Health began
  • Why video summaries directly to patients are still rare—and needed
  • What most health systems get wrong about patient-facing tech
  • The future of voice-first workflows in medicine
  • Epic, EMRs, and the friction blocking better patient communication
  • Where Playback is headed next with AI, agents, and integration

👉Learn what Playback Health is all about: https://playbackhealth.com

🔔 Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more conversations with standout voices in U.S. healthcare & life sciences: http://www.youtube.com/@HealthTech2Care

#AmbientAI #PatientEngagement #FounderStory #PlaybackHealth #HealthTech2Care

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HealthTech2Care PodcastBy Bert Fernandez