STAT+: MDCalc is scoring the clinical calculators used by millions of doctors

STAT PlusHealth tech MDCalc is scoring the clinical calculators used by millions of doctors The ratings are meant to drive accountability and equity in how clinicians use the tools to make care decisions Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Katie PalmerJuly 17, 2026 Health Tech Correspondent Katie Palmer[email protected]Katie covers the impact of health technology on patients, clinicians, and businesses. Her stories explore the price tag of clinical AI, digital health at the FDA, and the boom in direct-to-consumer telehealth. Confidential tips can be sent on Signal at palmer.01. Every day, doctors turn to specialized calculators to make decisions about their patients’ care. Kidney performance? There’s a calculator for that. Chance of a successful vaginal birth after a previous C-section? There’s a calculator for that. Medicine has accumulated hundreds of these clinical scores and decision-making tools, and their numbers continue to grow along with the scale of clinical data. But just because a calculator exists doesn’t mean doctors should always trust its output. Advertisement “In clinical practice, a lot of the tools that we use, we genuinely have no idea how limited it is in its validation,” said health systems researcher and gastroenterologist Shazia Siddique. That is why MDCalc, the company Siddique joined last year, is launching a quality-rating system to apply to the more than 800 clinical tools and calculators that doctors use through its site. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — and get additional analysis of the technologies disrupting health care — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in Monthly $39 Totals $468 per year $39/month Get Started Totals $468 per year Starter $30 for 3 months, then $399/year $30 for 3 months Get Started Then $399/year Annual $399 Save 15% $399/year Get Started Save 15% 11+ Users Custom Savings start at 25%! Request A Quote Request A Quote Savings start at 25%! 2-10 Users $300 Annually per user $300/year Get Started $300 Annually per user View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Log In health care, health care costs, STAT+ Submit a correction requestReprints Katie Palmer Health Tech Correspondent Katie covers the impact of health technology on patients, clinicians, and businesses. Her stories explore the price tag of clinical AI, digital health at the FDA, and the boom in direct-to-consumer telehealth. Confidential tips can be sent on Signal at palmer.01. Newsletter Tech is transforming health care and life sciences. Our original reporting is here to keep you ahead of the curve. Recommended Health July 17, 2026 Why affirming trans identities can be critical for suicide prevention counseling First Opinion July 17, 2026 MAHA is rewriting the vocabulary of American mental health care Advertisement Biotech July 17, 2026 STAT Plus: Can ultrasound unlock the power of gene therapy? A startup makes big claims Exclusive July 16, 2026 STAT Plus: Fresh turmoil roils American Diabetes Association following controversy at conference The Readout LOUD July 16, 2026 Predicting biotech clinical trials and a new Alzheimer’s drug controversy Subscriber Picks