FDA Issues Warning On Smartwatches That Claim To Measure Blood Sugar
AP and Reuters report on the FDA's warning about noninvasive smartwatches and rings that claim to measure blood sugar levels without a needle. Other health tech news is on the use of AI in fighting burnout, addiction apps leaking sensitive data, and more.
AP:
FDA Warns Against Smartwatches And Rings That Claim To Measure Blood Sugar Without Needles
Smartwatches and rings that claim to measure blood sugar levels for medical purposes without piercing the skin could be dangerous and should be avoided, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Wednesday. The caution applies to any watch or ring, regardless of brand, that claims to measure blood glucose levels in a noninvasive way, the agency said. The FDA said it has not authorized any such device. (Aleccia, 2/21)
Reuters:
US FDA Warns Against Using Smartwatches To Measure Blood Glucose
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ... said it was working to ensure that manufacturers, distributors and sellers do not illegally market unauthorized gadgets that claim to measure blood glucose levels. The devices are different from smartwatch applications that display data from FDA-authorized blood glucose measuring devices that puncture the skin, the regulator said. (2/21)
On technology and burnout —
The Hill:
83 Percent Of Doctors In New Survey Say AI Could Help Fight Burnout
Most physicians in a new survey said they regularly feel burned out, and many believe artificial intelligence (AI) could be the solution. The survey, released Wednesday by Athenahealth, found around 93 percent of respondents experienced burnout after working 15 hours over their normal hours. ... Roughly 83 percent, however, said AI could contend with some of those problems hovering over the health care industry, per the survey. (Timotija, 2/21)
CNBC:
Doctors Feel Burned Out But Encouraged By Potential Of AI, Survey Says
Doctors in the U.S. are struggling to contend with burnout, staffing shortages and overwhelming administrative workloads, but many are optimistic that artificial intelligence could help to ease these problems, a new survey found. (Capoot, 2/21)
Axios:
Burnout Is Worse For Women Health Care Workers
Health care's big burnout problem is significantly worse for women working in the field than men, according to a new comprehensive review of research on health care worker wellbeing. Burnout pushes some exhausted health care workers out of the industry, and it can also increase the risk of medical errors that put patients in danger. (Goldman, 2/22)
AP:
How AI Health Care Chatbots Learn From The Questions Of An Indian Women's Organization
Komal Vilas Thatkare says she doesn’t have anyone to ask about her most private health questions. “There are only men in my home — no ladies,” said the 32-year-old mother and housewife in Mumbai. “I don’t speak to anyone here. So I used this app as it helps me in my personal problems.” The app she uses is powered by artificial intelligence running on OpenAI’s ChatGPT model, that Myna Mahila Foundation, a local women’s organization, is developing. Thatkare asks the Myna Bolo chatbot questions and it offers answers. Through those interactions, Thatkare learned about a contraceptive pill and how to take it. (Beaty, 2/21)
Politico:
House AI Panel Has Health Care Expertise
The new bipartisan House AI task force includes members well-positioned to consider artificial intelligence’s impact on health care. Among the 24 representatives on the task force are several with health care policy expertise. ... Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced the new task force Tuesday and asked it to recommend actions Congress could take to set new AI regulatory standards and spur investment in the technology. (Payne, Paun, Reader and Schumaker, 2/21)
Politico:
Addiction Apps Are Leaking Sensitive Data, Group Claims
Advocates for people who suffer from substance use disorder say addiction recovery apps are leaking sensitive data to third parties including Facebook and Google. A new report from the Opioid Policy Institute, which supports better addiction care and is lobbying for a government crackdown, names 21 substance use disorder apps that it says have shared information about the people who use them. They include DynamiCare, Workit Health, Bright Heart Health and Eleanor Health. (Reader, 2/21)
