The implosion of a mental health startup; the looming crisis of fungal infections; and much more

February 12, 2023 Check out STAT+

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By Patrick Skerrett Editor, First Opinion

A baker's dozen First Opinion essays this week, ranging from the demise of a vaunted mental health app to the looming crisis of fungal infections and using convalescent plasma to treat Covid-19. Please send me ideas for First Opinion, or complete essays, at first.opinion@statnews.com.

Adobe Mindstrong's demise and the future of mental health care Mindstrong discovered a fundamental truth: Americans value mental health extremely highly — until they have to pay for it. By Roy Perlis The fungal crisis is here and desperately needs addressing The U.S. is ill-prepared to deal with the crisis posed by C. auris and other disease-causing fungi. It needs to take action. By Henry Skinner Covid convalescent plasma: the 'little engine that could' The withdrawal of monoclonal antibody therapy leaves Covid convalescent plasma as a key option for immunocompromised people and others. By Michael J. Joyner and Nigel Paneth and Arturo Casadevall Brandon Bell/Getty Images How formula companies continue to thwart breastfeeding A series of papers in The Lancet lays out how the marketing tactics of companies selling formula deter breastfeeding around the globe. By Cecília Tomori The tyranny of the inbox: What it's like to be a PCP with OCD For a physician with OCD, the perpetual flood of messages from patients, test results, and notifications from the EMR can be overwhelming. By Russell Johnson To diversify STEM fields, colleges should replace 'weeding out' with 'welcoming in' STEM fields need more women and individuals from underrepresented groups. There are several ways to welcome them in and help them flourish. By Paula A. Johnson Adobe Pregnancy complications heighten heart risks in later life. It's time to pay attention Pregnancy-related problems like preeclampsia are on the rise. That could herald an increase in heart disease down the road. By Nisha Parikh and Alison Cowan 2022 was a breakthrough year for understanding rare diseases. 2023 needs to be better A 33% increase in the number of recognized rare and ultra-rare diseases represents important new thinking on finding treatments for them. By Bruce Bloom Pregnant people with substance use disorders need treatment, not criminalization People with active substance use disorders during and after pregnancy need support, not barriers to treatment or criminalization. By Nora D. Volkow Samuel Corum/Getty Images State of the Union highlights America's awkward conversation on financing the development of new medicines Trying to put caps on medicine prices and trying to cure are contradictory policies that overlook the value of discovering new medicines. By MacKay Jimeson STAT+ | Mr. President, health care has a data problem. 'Let's finish the job' The lack of health care data interoperability is one of the most significant drivers of administrative waste in the U.S. health care system. By Steven Lane STAT+ | How technology can help solve mental health care's biggest barrier Mental health care is embracing technology, from AI to TikTok, which is making many clinicians uneasy. There are ways to marry the two. By Jessica Watrous Justin Sullivan/Getty Images CVS's acquisition of Oak Street doesn't address health care's woes Acquisitions of primary care companies do little to improve U.S. health care. What's needed is more direct primary care. By Zak Holdsworth

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