Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: How Artificial Intelligence Changes Medical Practice; Birth Control Vs. Religious Liberty
Stat: The Rise Of Artificial Intelligence Means Doctors Must Redefine What They Do
This view of post-human medicine may seem repulsive to those who see medicine as uniquely human. Some of that view is grounded in arrogance — surely nothing could ever do what we do as well as us. But as medicine confronts its limitations, modern providers are faced with a paradox: We want the precision and specificity of the machine yet we want to believe that we can still do it all with our hands and eyes and ears. We probably can’t. So we need to start redefining what the human doctor of the 21st century will do. (Bryan Vartabedian, 10/16)
San Antonio Press-Express: Religious Discrimination The Sweet Spot For Undoing Birth Control
After a long history of public debate about women’s access to contraception, a University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll conducted just last year found the right to use contraception essentially a settled issue. Now the Trump administration’s high-profile action in the name of religious liberty has introduced conflict into an area where before there had been consensus. (Jim Henson and Joshua Blank, 10/16)
Los Angeles Times: Patients Face Tough Choices When A Healthcare Provider Calls It Quits
There are nearly 30 million people with diabetes in the United States. About 90,000 of them were just thrown a curve ball. Johnson & Johnson announced that it’s closing its Animas subsidiary and getting out of the insulin-pump business, leaving the field primarily to a single large competitor, Medtronic, which will control roughly 85% of the market. (David Lazarus, 10/17)
The New York Times: How A Healthy Economy Can Shorten Life Spans
The health of a nation’s economy and the health of its people are connected, but in some surprising ways. At times like these, when the economy is strong and unemployment is low, research has found that death rates rise. At least, in the short term. In the long term, economic growth is good for health. What’s going on? (Austin Frakt, 10/16)
