Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
10,000 Attending Physicians In University Of California System Could Form A Union
MedPage Today: Effort To Unionize 10,000 Attending Physicians Gets Underway
Some doctors are pushing to organize the 10,000 attending physicians within the University of California system, setting in motion what could become the largest union of employed physicians, organizers say. Factors driving the organization effort include hiring freezes, increasing patient loads, long hours, and clinician burnout, some of the attendings said during a news conference at UCSF Medical Center late last week. Some of them had been members of the Committee of Interns and Residents through Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare. (Clark, 7/27)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Ohio Doctor Arrested On Rape Charges
An Ohio doctor was arrested Monday after he was accused of sexually assaulting patients during medical examinations. Dr. Ali Ghasemzadeh, 63, is being held in the Brown County Jail without bond, according to jail records. He is charged with rape, sexual battery and gross sexual imposition, all felonies. (Pinckard, 7/28)
Becker's Hospital Review: WVU Medicine Gave $25K In Cash To Hundreds Of Aspiring Nurses. Did It Work?
When WVU Medicine started handing aspiring nurses up to $25,000 in cash, the bet was that money for life’s expenses, not just tuition, would keep them in school. Early returns suggest it is. As of late July, the Morgantown, W.Va.-based system had signed 985 students to its Aspiring Nurse Program and expected to cross 1,000 within a month, said Jessica Huffman, DNP, RN, assistant vice president of system nursing services. (Twenter, 7/27)
KFF Health News: Federal Loan Caps Add Barriers — And Likely Debt — For Healthcare Students
The federal government is capping the amount graduate students can borrow. The Department of Education says the new rules are designed to help curb student debt and pressure schools to lower tuition. But some loan experts fear those good intentions could leave many at the mercy of private lenders with higher interest rates. Saddling healthcare graduate students with pricier debt burdens can narrow their career choices. (Sausser, 7/28)
On the use of AI in healthcare —
The Guardian: Misleading AI-Generated Doctors Pose ‘Huge Danger To Public Safety’
Misleading health claims online pose a “huge danger to public safety”, experts have warned, after research has shown that AI-generated doctors are gaining millions of views on TikTok by spreading dubious health advice. The British Medical Association council deputy chair, Dr Emma Runswick, flagged the risks posed by AI accounts that “peddle medical myths and promote so-called miracle cures”. (Pinner, 7/27)
Fierce Healthcare: Current AI Scribe Evaluations Fall Short, Researchers Argue
As adoption of AI ambient scribe technology rapidly grows, the healthcare industry's standard method for evaluating clinical AI notes may be fundamentally flawed, failing to detect significant errors or omissions in patient notes. That's the position among researchers at Suki based on a study of evaluation rubrics. Suki offers an ambient clinical artificial intelligence solution for providers, and it works with more than 400 health systems. (Landi, 7/27)
CIDRAP: Adoption Of Artificial Intelligence Outpaces Training In Field Epidemiology Programs, New Survey Finds
A new study found that two-thirds of epidemiologists in specialized training programs used artificial intelligence (AI) in their work, despite only one in five having received AI training and one-quarter expressing ethical concerns about accuracy and bias. For the study, published in Eurosurveillance, researchers led by a team at the Public Health Agency of Canada surveyed 105 participants in Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETPs), referred to as field epidemiologists, about their use of AI. The survey consisted of 20 open- and closed-ended questions written in a neutral tone to reduce response bias. The respondents hailed from Canada, Europe, and the United States. (Bergeson, 7/27)
In other healthcare industry updates —
Asheville Watchdog: HCA In 'Potential Noncompliance' With Mission Sale, AG Warns
A report from the independent monitor tasked with supervising Mission Hospital has found two areas of “potential noncompliance” with the agreement HCA Healthcare signed when buying the hospital in 2019. (Clifford, 7/28)
Daily Herald: 3 Northwest Suburban Hospitals Accused Of Not Properly Providing Pricing Information
Three behavioral health hospitals in the Northwest suburbs are among the medical facilities the Trump administration says have failed to provide the public with basic pricing information. (Lissau, 7/27)
The CT Mirror: CT Hospitals Are Redesigning ERs For Behavioral Health Crises
Emergency rooms aren’t equipped to meet the needs of patients in the midst of a mental health crisis. The rush of people, beeping machines and bright, fluorescent lighting can all worsen anxiety, confusion and agitation. In many cases, hospital safety protocols also require removing all personal belongings from patients arriving with a psychiatric emergency and dressing them in paper gowns without strings or ties that could be used for self-harm. (Golvala, 7/28)
