Keeping health data private; Michael Specter on publish and perish; the Jackson Pollock health care system; and more

April 9, 2023 Check out STAT+

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By Torie Bosch Editor, First Opinion

This week in First Opinion, Alex R. Rosenblat writes that did everything she could to keep her health data private — but it still wasn't enough. Michael Specter examines the need for clearer regulations to keep us all safe from synthetic biology's riskier side. And much more! You can read all of this week's essays here. Have a potential piece for First Opinion? Send it to first.opinion@statnews.com.

Adobe I declined to share my medical data with advertisers at my doctor's office. One company claimed otherwise I spent much of my maternity leave trying to figure out why my doctors were trying to give my medical data away to advertisers. By Alex R. Rosenblat In a world of synthetic biology, publishing virus DNA sequences may mean perishing There are almost no rules when it comes to publishing the blueprints needed to make or alter a virus with the tools of synthetic biology. By Michael Specter How the U.S. health care system is like a Jackson Pollock painting Sea Mar, a comprehensive health center for Seattle's Latino community, offers a model for organizing the chaos of medical care. By Chris Dodd Adobe Millions of people take birth control to treat endometriosis — but it doesn't work In the U.S., the first-line treatment for endometriosis has been the same since 1957: the birth control pill. By Tracey Lindeman Emergency rooms need clear guidelines about how to handle law enforcement The ubiquity of law enforcement presence in emergency rooms is a major health equity issue impacting patient care, privacy, and trust. By Sally Mahmoud-Werthmann

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