innovation
Like clinicaltrials.gov, but for AI in health care
Adobe
Use of artificial intelligence in hospitals is blowing up, but how it's monitored (if at all) is entirely up to individual health systems. Enter a federal registry, maybe. Some researchers want a platform like clinicaltrials.gov but for AI tools, STAT's Casey Ross reports. The Biden administration also proposed something similar in a White House AI blueprint last year.
If you've spent any time with my colleagues' reporting on AI in health care, you can understand the stakes here. Providers are trying to automate time-consuming administrative tasks, such as documenting patient visits and responding to emails. But the next phase of AI adoption is expected to directly impact treatment decisions, an arena where biases could worsen disparities and simple errors could result in physical and financial harm. Without adequate oversight, such usage of AI tools, especially by insurance companies looking to increase profits, could lead to further restrictions in care and even patient harm. So, what would it take to build a registry and increase transparency? Casey tells us.
Opinion
Just left chow town
Who among us hasn't ordered a big bowl of pasta (with the intention of taking a doggy bag home) and then surprised ourselves by slurping down every last noodle? For Sophia Hua, an assistant professor of health policy at the University of Pennsylvania, spaghetti overload in a Denny's booth led to a realization: People tend to eat and drink what's set in front of them, even when it's more than they intended. For some, choosing a larger meal or drink option is a way to get more bang for their buck (RIP, endless shrimp).
That overconsumption is a public health issue, Hua writes in a new First Opinion essay. And it can be worked on, maybe even to the benefit of the restaurant industry. "While excess weight gain is a complicated problem with myriad causes, reducing portion sizes is one harm reduction tool we have to address the problem," Hua writes.
health tech
Pear is back on the menu
Remember Pear Therapeutics? The company was a pioneer of FDA-cleared prescription apps for treating psychiatric conditions, including substance use disorder. But Pear ran out of money and filed for bankruptcy last year.
Now, the company's apps are getting another chance, STAT's Mario Aguilar reports. Virtual addiction treatment company PursueCare bought Pear's apps for substance use treatment and is now offering them to its patients. Taking a step back, tech-forward approaches like this could be part of the solution to the nation's opioid epidemic, Mario says: "There's a feeling that tools like apps can be supportive of people in care." And tying them more directly to a provider for treatment may work better than when the products were marketed on their own. It takes some of the pressure off of companies to make treatment apps into standalone money-makers. Read more.
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