Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Voice Analysis Technology May Take Tricky Guesswork Out Of Diagnosing PTSD
The New York Times: The Military Wants Better Tests For PTSD. Speech Analysis Could Be The Answer.
Post-traumatic stress disorder has long been one of the hardest mental health problems to diagnose because some patients try to hide symptoms while others exaggerate them. But a new voice analysis technique may be able to take the guesswork out of identifying the disorder using the same technology now used to dial home hands-free or order pizza on a smart speaker. A team of researchers at New York University School of Medicine, working with SRI International, the nonprofit research institute that developed the smartphone assistant Siri, has created an algorithm that can analyze patient interviews, sort through tens of thousands of variables in their speech and identify minute auditory markers of PTSD that are otherwise imperceptible to the human ear, then make a diagnosis. (Philipps, 4/22)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Artificial Intelligence Tool Can Detect PTSD From Patient Voices, Study Suggests
A computer program can analyze the voices of war veterans and determine which of them have post-traumatic stress disorder with 89 percent accuracy, according to a study published this week in the journal Depression and Anxiety. The results suggest voice could be a biomarker for PTSD, providing the basis for an objective test to diagnose the disease. (Pattani, 4/22)
NPR: Alphabet's Google And Verily Develop AI For Health
One of the biggest corporations on the planet is taking a serious interest in the intersection of artificial intelligence and health. Google and its sister companies, parts of the holding company Alphabet, are making a huge investment in the field, with potentially big implications for everyone who interacts with Google — which is more than a billion of us. The push into AI and health is a natural evolution for a company that has developed algorithms that reach deep into our lives through the Web. (Harris, 4/22)
Arizona Republic: Safeway Stores Offering Health Care Powered By Artificial Intelligence
Virtual health kiosks opening up inside in Arizona Safeway stores are similar to using the self-checkout line for groceries — only in this case, the commodity is medical care. There's no doctor or nurse inside the walk-in Akos Med Clinic. Rather, the clinics use technology powered by artificial intelligence and augmented reality to gather symptoms and vitals, as well as determine possible diagnoses. (Innes, 4/22)
The Wall Street Journal: It’s Grandparents V. Parents In The Battle Over Kids’ Screens
Grandparents have long indulged their grandchildren with sweets, toys and late bedtimes, often to the dismay of the parents stuck in the middle. But concerns about screen time and cellphone usage are creating a whole new set of issues. When they hear that the grandparents are giving the children extra screen time, parents debate whether to lay down the law or let it go. Grandparents themselves are wondering: What’s the big deal? Usually, neither side wants to rock the boat too much. Grandparents don’t want to lose time with the kids and parents don’t want to lose the babysitting. (Jargon, 4/23)
The Washington Post: Smoking And Depression Apps Are Selling Your Data To Google And Facebook, Study Finds
The pitch: Health apps for users who are battling depression or want to quit smoking. The problem: Many of the apps designed to track a user’s progress are sharing the personal details they collect with third parties, like Google and Facebook, without consent. That’s according to a study published Friday in the journal JAMA Network Open. Researchers say the findings are especially important in mental health, given the social stigmas and the risks of having sensitive information shared unknowingly. (Siegel, 4/22)
Modern Healthcare: EmCare Email Breach Exposes Data From 31,000 Patients
An unauthorized user recently accessed several employee email accounts at physician-staffing firm EmCare, compromising personal information from roughly 31,000 patients. EmCare said it became aware of the data security incident "recently," leading to an internal investigation. It has engaged a forensic security firm to determine the scope of the breach, according to a notice the company posted online Saturday. EmCare determined on Feb. 19 that the email accounts in question contained patient data, including some names, dates of birth, clinical information and Social Security numbers. (Cohen, 4/22)
