Social Media Is Fueling Enthusiasm for New Weight Loss Drugs. Are Regulators Watching?
Online platforms are overflowing with testimonials for GLP-1s. The drugs show promise for inducing weight loss, but many aren’t FDA-approved for that use.
Raincoats, Undies, School Uniforms: Are Your Clothes Dripping in ‘Forever Chemicals’?
The full health risks of wearing apparel made with PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” are still unknown. But states are taking action so clothing makers will remove them.
¿Será tu celular tu próximo consultorio médico?
La yema del dedo presionada contra la lente de la cámara de un celular puede medir la frecuencia cardíaca. El micrófono, colocado junto a la cama, puede detectar apnea del sueño. Incluso el altavoz está siendo modificado para monitorear la respiración usando tecnología de sondas.
Will Your Smartphone Be the Next Doctor’s Office?
Entrepreneurs see smartphones as an opportunity to meet patients where they are. But many app-based diagnostic tools still need clinical validation to get buy-in from health care providers.
How Private Equity Is Investing in Health Care: A Video Primer
Investors are putting money into everything from emergency room obstetrics units and dermatology practices to nursing homes and hospice care — from cradle to grave.
You may have seen the ads that promise weight loss and better health — phone apps, rings, and other devices — by giving you data on how your body reacts to food, exercise, and sleep. Is this information enough to help consumers achieve their goals?
Watch: Navigating Social Media After Mass Shootings
A University of Pennsylvania professor shares advice on navigating the intersection of gun violence and social media as part of KHN’s new “Spotlight” interview series.
Watch: UVA Doctor Talks About the State of the Pandemic and Health Equity
KHN checks back in with Dr. Taison Bell to pinpoint changes in health care equity since the rollout of the covid-19 vaccines.
Should You Worry About Data From Your Period-Tracking App Being Used Against You?
After a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion was published May 2 suggesting that Roe v. Wade would soon be overturned, social media users started worrying that their use of period-tracking apps could lead to trouble if they sought an abortion and lived in a state with strict limits or bans on the procedure.
Travel Nurses See Swift Change of Fortunes as Covid Money Runs Dry
Travel nurse contracts that were plentiful and paid the temporary nurses far more than hospital staff nurses are vanishing. Hospitals nationwide are turning their energies to recruiting full-time people.
Why Nurses Are Raging and Quitting After the RaDonda Vaught Verdict
The former Tennessee nurse faces prison time for a fatal error. Reaction from her peers was swift and fierce on social media and beyond ― and it isn’t over.
Black Therapists Fight to Be Seen on TikTok. When They Are, They Find Solidarity.
Black mental health therapists talk openly on TikTok about working in a predominantly white field, while at the same time making mental health care more accessible for people of color who might be shut out of the health care system.
Why You Can’t Find Cheap At-Home Covid Tests
You probably won’t be testing everyone at your Thanksgiving table for covid because the tests are expensive and hard to find. Why? The federal government is partly to blame.
Why At-Home Rapid Covid Tests Cost So Much, Even After Biden’s Push for Lower Prices
Germans pay less than $1 per test. Brits get them free. Why do Americans pay so much more? Because companies can still demand it.
Microbiome Startups Promise to Improve Your Gut Health, but Is the Science Solid?
A raft of startups are charging consumers hundreds of dollars to analyze the microbes in their gut and offer dietary advice based on the results. But scientists say scant research has been done, and as customers of one company have learned the hard way, the experience isn’t always smooth.
The Pandemic Made Telemedicine an Instant Hit. Patients and Providers Feel the Growing Pains.
Patients seem to like remote visits, and health care providers now depend on them. But outages, freezing and other glitches cost time and money, and compromise quality of care.
Covid Testing Has Turned Into a Financial Windfall for Hospitals and Other Providers
Because there are no caps on cost, consumers and insurers often get billed hundreds of dollars for the most reliable PCR covid test. Prices are rising and they can’t fight back.
Backed by Millions in Public and Private Cash, Rapid Covid Tests Are Coming to Stores Near You
Over-the-counter covid tests could help speed the economy’s recovery, allowing students and workers to test themselves at home and get quick results. Could they become as ubiquitous as toothpaste and cold remedies on store shelves, or will demand dry up as the nation gets vaccinated?
California’s Smallest County Makes Big Vaccination Gains
In rural Alpine County, where snowbound mountain passes isolate small towns, distributing the covid vaccine is a community effort. Unlike in many urban areas where residents jockey for limited appointments, the pace of vaccinations here is strong and steady.
Why Employers Find It So Hard to Test for COVID
COVID-19 cases are surging across the U.S., and most workplaces are still open for business. As workers fear catching the disease while on the clock, why aren’t more companies footing the bill for testing employees?
