Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Providers Collect Increasing Amounts Of Data But It Doesn't Always Lead To Better Care
NPR: Big Data Not A Cure-All In Medicine
Big data is a trendy term for the ever-expanding cloud of information that's online and increasingly searchable. Some researchers say it could change the way medical research is done and the way individual doctors make medical decisions. Others say big data raises too many big questions — especially when it comes to medicine. (Standen, 1/5)
Politico Pro: End-Of-Life Instructions Find No Place In EHR
U.S. hospitals are spending billions of dollars on computerized medical records so doctors can access everything they need to know about our health. But not about how we want to die. (Kenen, 1/5)
Meanwhile, other news outlets look at some specific apps being used to improve care -
The Wall Street Journal: Can A Smartphone Tell If You’re Depressed?
The app was part of an effort by Ms. Flowers ’s health-care provider to test whether smartphone data could help detect symptoms of postpartum depression, an underdiagnosed condition affecting women after they give birth. The app’s developer, San Francisco-based Ginger.io Inc., compared data from Ms. Flowers and nearly 200 other women against their answers to a weekly survey used to diagnose depression. The company says it found that behavioral patterns like decreased mobility on weekends and longer phone calls were associated with poor mood in surveys. (Walker, 1/5)
NPR: Self-Tracking Gadgets That Play Doctor Abound At CES
This week, Las Vegas hosts the International Consumer Electronics Show where companies large and small set up shop in the giant convention center to demo their latest cars, TVs, games and gadgets. This year a new wave of trackers and online tools, wristbands and apps, are hitting the show — ones that collect your vital signs for medical purposes. (Shahani, 1/5)
