Viewpoints: AI Is The Future Of Medicine; Red State Policies Worsen Obesity Epidemic
Editorial writers tackle these public health issues.
The Washington Post:
This Year, Be Thankful For AI In Medicine
Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing medicine, making health care more accurate and less expensive for everyone. (11/27)
The Boston Globe:
Obesity's Stubborn Political Divide
Just before the election, the telehealth company hims & hers ran a full-page ad in The New York Times purporting to show that obesity is a nonpartisan issue. Featuring a map of obesity rates in each state, the company, which sells weight loss drug injections among other products and services, argued that the disease knows no political ideology. “Across state lines and beyond political divides, obesity is a shared and growing crisis for Americans,” the ad read. (Renee Loth, 11/29)
Stat:
Congress Can End The Year On A Rare Bipartisan Health Care High Note
With the recent conclusion of the 2024 election, the spotlight now shifts back to Congress as it enters the final weeks of the 118th session. While time is limited and there is much to accomplish, Congress has a critical opportunity to reshape health care affordability, enhance transparency, reduce costs, and lay a strong foundation for future reforms through the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act (LCMT) and Health Care PRICE Transparency Act 2.0. Taking action on key provisions during the lame-duck session could serve as a catalyst for addressing issues such as health care consolidation, cost disparities, and opaque pricing structures before turning the page to a new legislative chapter. (Jared Perkins and Chris Whaley, 12/2)
The Boston Globe:
When The Foster Care System Is In The Dark About Children’s Care
Many children benefit from medication to address mental health conditions, whether anxiety, depression, or ADHD. This can be particularly true of children who have undergone trauma, such as being removed from their home. For years, officials in the state Department of Children and Families have struggled to ensure that they provide necessary medication to children in their agency’s care — without overmedicating them. (12/2)
The New York Times:
I’m One of the Last Doctors in This Hospital in Gaza. I’m Begging the World for Help.
Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I walked into the operating room to perform surgery, on the stomach of a 4-year-old child whose house was destroyed by bombing. He was bleeding a lot from his stomach, but I somehow managed to perform the operation and thank God I was able to save that child’s life. We are working beyond our areas of specialization because we no longer have a qualified surgical team. We have called upon the world for protection for over 50 days but unfortunately there has been no response. I’m confounded by this world that claims to believe in humanity and democracy but does not respond. Not even the World Health Organization has any protection here. The human mind cannot imagine all the death and body parts and blood that surround us around the clock. But it remains our responsibility to keep on providing humanitarian services. (Dr. Hussam Abu Safyia, 12/2)
