Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Big Question Underlying CES' Gadget Palooza: Which Actually Help Improve Health Outcomes?
Stat: At CES, Health Gadgets Gave Me A Detailed Accounting Of My Flaws
After a few hours in the CES exhibit hall, I’m armed with a laundry list of my flaws and products that claim to fix them — but not necessarily make me any healthier. That tension underscores one of the biggest challenges facing digital health technologies these days: Which products can actually improve outcomes, and which are just flooding users with data? There are, of course, countless cutting-edge technologies on display that have the potential to make a big impact on people’s health and wellness. There are fall detection sensors for seniors, brain stimulators to curb tremors, and devices that use artificial intelligence to improve hearing aids. (Thielking, 1/10)
In other health and technology news —
The Washington Post: Video Games For Doctors Are A Growing Medtech Trend That Helps Save Lives
Justin Barad never would have guessed that he’d help operate on a gorilla during his residency at the UCLA Medical Center, where he was training to be an orthopedic surgeon. Yet in August 2014, The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens needed specialists to help Jabari, a 400-pound gorilla who was limping and unable to put weight on his leg. The surgery was successful — but it was a challenging endeavor for a team that didn’t normally operate on animals. (Favis, 1/9)
