Technology

From 2017 to 2022, patients with better communication with providers were more likely to report being offered and accessing a patient portal, but disparities persist.

The FDA announced it is allowing Florida to import medications in bulk from Canada at far lower prices than those offered in the United States; health insurance companies are revamping their technology to encourage more people to get their medications through the mail; nearly 17,000 patients with COVID-19 may have died after taking hydroxychloroquine during the first pandemic wave.

Kathi Mooney, PhD, RN, FAAN, of the University of Utah, discussed technologies she and her team developed to help improve the quality of life of patients with cancer and their families.

The most-read articles in digital health covered improved outcomes, patient management, and reduced cost of care in telehealth and app-based care.

Excision BioTherapeutics has so far released positive safety data from the first 3 participants living with HIV-1, with no evidence of vector shedding in sexual organ tissue.

Coverage from The US Oncology Network Payer Transformation Summit, held September 27-29, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia.

The FDA approved the first test to assess opioid addiction risk; Americans are using more cold and allergy medicines to mask any related symptoms to return to work and social gatherings, but may be overtreating themselves in the process; Rite Aid will be banned from using artificial intelligence–powered facial recognition technology for 5 years under a proposed Federal Trade Commission settlement.

This editorial provides suggestions for improving the process of e-consults, which are a promising method of expanding access to specialty care.

US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinicians’ perspectives on what constitutes a good e-consult and why suboptimal e-consult requests occur contain broadly applicable lessons for other health systems.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that children with obesity receive intensive counseling at age 6 to promote healthy diet and exercise habits; a new survey found that the majority of American patients are wary of their doctors using artificial intelligence (AI); a class-action lawsuit was filed Tuesday against health insurer Humana for using an AI algorithm that systemically denies seniors rehabilitation care recommended by their doctors.

CDC revealed nationally representative estimates of chronic fatigue; the proposed merger between Cigna and Humana has been terminated over financial terms and shareholder skepticism; ChatGPT provides inaccurate responses to medication queries.

Andrew Srisuwananukorn, MD, of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, explained the potential of artificial intelligence (AI)-based support tools for differentiating primary myelofibrosis (prePMF) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) in the community setting.

At last year’s San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, POSITIVE trial primary outcome data were presented on breast cancer–free interval, with women who paused endocrine therapy to attempt pregnancy having a similarly small rate of recurrence vs external controls from the SOFT and TEXT trials: 8.9% vs 9.2%.

A risk prediction model that was based on machine learning could help to make resource utilization more efficient by correctly predicting emergency department (ED) visits in patients with lung cancer.

Given its growing significance in health care, there is an increasing need for digital research ethics and appropriate consent methods, according to one study.

At 12 weeks, significantly more patients with fibromyalgia receiving the smartphone-based intervention reported clinical improvements compared with the control group.

ChatGPT is changing health care while also raising questions about artificial intelligence's promises and limitations; 24 Biden officials met with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives to discuss the FDA’s proposal to ban menthol cigarettes; a recent hospital cyberattack shows how the vulnerability of health care systems can put patients at risk.

Provisional CDC data show that US babies gained roughly a year in life expectancy in 2022; study findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly raised the risk of preterm birth for expectant California mothers; New York Attorney General Letitia James said about 4 million New Yorkers were affected by a data breach of the medical transcription company Perry Johnson & Associates.

Findings show breathing sounds recorded by smartphones during sleep at home can reliably identify obstructive sleep apnea, presenting an innovative and accessible alternative to traditional in-laboratory polysomnography.

Additional COVID-19 tests can be ordered amid rising cases and insurance challenges; therapies targeting toxic proteins in Alzheimer disease spark renewed interest; new poll indicates 55% approval for legal abortion on any grounds.

A retrospective, exploratory analysis identifies biomarkers predictive of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) response to nusinersen and suggests the efficacy of using machine learning algorithms to anticipate patient outcomes.

The FDA approved delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl (Elevidys, Sarepta Therapeutics) in June to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy in ambulatory pediatric patients aged 4 through 5 who have a confirmed DMD gene mutation.

Although telehealth is broadly accepted as a mode of cancer rehabilitation, accessibility and in-person challenges exist.

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) who wore an Apple Watch and reported daily pain scores could have their pain scores accurately predicted during hospital admission for vaso-occlusive crises and after discharge.

Posters presented at ACAAI 2023 Annual Scientific Congress assessed digital health tools to improve asthma self-management.

Critically ill older patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) had their 28-day mortality predicted using machine learning algorithms.

This qualitative study elucidates therapists’ perspectives on barriers to and facilitators of access to telemental health among Medicaid-enrolled youth served by a large safety-net organization.

A study suggests that human papillomavirus (HPV) screenings should be updated due to effective HPV vaccines; a new study shows that osimertinib (Tagrisso, AstraZeneca) reduced both the 5-year risk of recurrent cancer and the risk of death in patients with stage 1B to 3A lung cancer; a new smartphone-controlled technology could help those who suffer from migraines.

Artificial intelligence (AI) could help detect heart attack risk signs and prevent sudden cardiac death; Advocates demand the Biden administration finalize the proposed FDA ban on menthol cigarettes; Gun violence survivors and their families have many ongoing medical needs.

Despite the growing availability of prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs) coming to market, few products have gone through rigorous standards of evidence testing, according to one study.