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Health News Results - 61
Cyberattack Leaves Health Care Providers Reeling Weeks Later
- Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
- March 13, 2024
- Full Page
Following a cyberattack on the largest health insurer in the United States last month, health care providers continue to scramble as insurance payments and prescription orders continue to be disrupted and physicians lose an estimated $100 million a day.
Cyberattack Stalls Prescription Dispensing at UnitedHealth
- Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
- February 27, 2024
- Full Page
For nearly a week, prescription drug orders have been disrupted at thousands of pharmacies as the largest health insurer in the United States tries to fully restore services following a cyberattack.
The security breach was first detected last Wednesday at Change Healthc...
Misinformation Is Everywhere. Experts Offer Tools to Counter It
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- November 29, 2023
- Full Page
The world is being flooded with internet-driven misinformation, but there are ways to counter fake news with the facts, a new report says.
These include aggressive fact-checking, preemptively debunking lies before they take root and nudging people to be more skeptical be...
Internet Poses No Threat to Mental Health, Major Study Finds
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- November 28, 2023
- Full Page
It might seem that surfing the web could cause a person's mental health to suffer, but a landmark new study has concluded that internet use poses no major threat to people's psychological well-being.
Researchers compared country-level internet and broadband use to the me...
Social Media 'Kid Influencers' Are Promoting Junk Foods
- Serena Gordon
- October 26, 2020
- Full Page
Is your kid suddenly clamoring for a fast food meal or a sugary cereal you've never even heard of? He or she may have seen the product featured on a favorite "kid influencer" video.
In a new study, researchers viewed the top 50 kid influencer videos on YouTube and foun...
Virtual Care After Surgery May Be More Convenient For Patients
- Robert Preidt
- October 7, 2020
- Full Page
Virtual follow-up care for surgical patients provides as much face time with doctors as in-person care, according to a new study.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many surgical patients are being offered virtual follow-up appointments instead of in-person visits, the...
As Virtual Doctor Visits Spike, Concerns About Equity, Missed Diagnoses Grow
- Dennis Thompson
- October 5, 2020
- Full Page
Telemedicine has rapidly grown as a way to get medical care in the era of COVID-19, but a new study reveals that a doctor's evaluation by phone or video may miss crucial clues to impending health problems.
Telemedicine visits accounted for about 35% of primary ca...
Smartwatch EKGs Quickly Deliver Crucial Heart Data
- Alan Mozes
- September 1, 2020
- Full Page
Could a smartwatch app save a heart attack patient's life? Quite possibly, according to Italian researchers.
They found that electrocardiograph (EKG) readings from a smartwatch were nearly as accurate as standard EKGs among patients with suspected heart attacks.
...
Online Therapy, Coaches Help Ease Eating Disorders
- Serena Gordon
- August 31, 2020
- Full Page
Most college students with an eating disorder never seek treatment, but more than 8 in 10 were willing to try a new treatment that combines digitally guided therapy with coaching assistance, a new study reports.
Even better, the new technique was more effective at re...
Pandemic Learning Can Strain Children's Eyes
- Robert Preidt
- August 27, 2020
- Full Page
If your child will be doing online learning this school year, you need to take steps to protect them from eye strain, the American Academy of Ophthalmology says.
"I really have seen a marked increase in kids suffering from eye strain because of increased screen time....
Many Americans Pause Social Media as National Tensions Rise
- Steven Reinberg
- August 3, 2020
- Full Page
The coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement have prompted some Americans to take a break from social media, new research finds.
The national survey by Ohio State Wexner Medical Center of 2,000 people found that 56% changed their social media hab...
Will the Telemedicine Boom Outlast the Pandemic?
- Dennis Thompson
- July 30, 2020
- Full Page
Telemedicine has exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the United States on track to log more than 1 billion virtual doctor visits by the end of 2020, experts say.
But how important will telemedicine remain to U.S. health care after the pandemic becomes just a ...
Tech Is Keeping More Americans in Touch With Doctors
- Steven Reinberg
- July 8, 2020
- Full Page
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, nearly 50% of Americans have used technology to communicate with their doctors, a new study finds.
But less than one-quarter have talked with their doctors about using health information technology, the researchers found.
Telehealth Programs Improve Blood Sugar for Rural Americans With Diabetes
- Serena Gordon
- June 19, 2020
- Full Page
If you have diabetes and live in rural America, the closest specialist may be hours away. But new research shows that effective help may be as close as your phone.
The study found that a six-month telehealth program led to a significant drop in blood sugar levels. P...
HealthDay In-Depth
The AI Revolution: For Patients, Promise and Challenges Ahead
- Anne Harding
- June 10, 2020
- Full Page
Streaks of color swirl through a pulsing, black-and-white image of a patient's heart. They represent blood, and they're color-coded based on speed: turquoise and green for the fastest flow, yellow and red for the slowest.
This real-time video, which can be rotated an...
HealthDay In-DepthHealthDay In-Depth
The AI Revolution: Robots Already Helping Humans Deliver Better Care
- Anne Harding
- June 9, 2020
- Full Page
Bright yellow and looking like a headless deer, Spot can travel across ground too risky for humans. "Built for dirt and danger," in the words of its maker Boston Dynamics, this robot is now helping humans battle a different threat: the spread of coronavirus.
Equipped...
Parents Unaware of Young Kids' Smartphone Use: Study
- Robert Preidt
- June 1, 2020
- Full Page
Preschoolers may spend more time on smartphones or tablets than their parents realize, and some use apps intended for teens and adults, researchers report.
A new study tracked mobile device use among 350 children aged 3 to 5 over nine months and compared their findin...
Why Anti-Vaxxers Often Win Out on Facebook
- Robert Preidt
- May 13, 2020
- Full Page
Groups that spread vaccine misinformation on social media have more impact than government health agencies and other expert organizations on undecided people, a new study finds.
The spread of false information could have significant public health consequences if an e...
Tweets Show Americans Are Following COVID-19 Precautions
- Robert Preidt
- April 10, 2020
- Full Page
An analysis of Twitter data suggests that Americans are heeding social distancing and other safety recommendations during the coronavirus pandemic, researchers say.
Officials have told people to limit travel, stay home and distance themselves to slow the spread of th...
Cough, Fever, Fatigue? Head to CDC's Online Coronavirus Symptom Checker
- Dennis Thompson
- March 27, 2020
- Full Page
You went jogging and developed a cough. You did some yard work and now you're wheezing. Maybe your throat is scratchy.
Your first thought is: Do I have COVID-19?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has posted a new coronavirus self-checker o...
Too Much 'Screen Time' Could Slow Your Toddler's Language Skills: Study
- Serena Gordon
- March 23, 2020
- Full Page
Everyone is glued to some sort of media these days, but for young kids, that screen time could delay or limit their language skills, a new research review suggests.
"Our findings are really consistent with the guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP]...
Vaccine Myths Widespread on the Web, Especially Facebook: Study
- Steven Reinberg
- March 19, 2020
- Full Page
Social media is rife with misinformation about the safety of vaccines, according to a new study.
Lead researcher Lucy Elkin's team found that false claims about vaccines are readily available on Google, Facebook and YouTube despite efforts to control access to misin...
Is Your Smartphone or Tablet an Injury Risk?
- Robert Preidt
- February 25, 2020
- Full Page
Here's a good reason to put your electronic devices down whenever you can: Experts say that using them incorrectly or too often can put you at risk for a range of injuries.
"When people position their hand, arm or neck in uncomfortable positions for a prolonged perio...
Vaping Illnesses May Have Many Americans Quitting E-Cigs
- Robert Preidt
- February 21, 2020
- Full Page
New research suggests that last summer's spate of severe lung illnesses tied to vaping prompted many Americans to consider giving up e-cigarettes.
Online searches about how to quit vaping spiked after serious lung injuries among vapers started being reported, the stu...
Texting Trauma: Many Teens Suffer 'Digital Dating Abuse'
- Amy Norton
- February 19, 2020
- Full Page
Many U.S. teenagers may be using their smartphones to harass, humiliate or otherwise abuse their dating partners.
That's according to a recent national survey of teens who'd been in a romantic relationship in the past year. Researchers found that 28% had been vic...
How Does Social Media Shape Your Food Choices?
- Robert Preidt
- February 10, 2020
- Full Page
For better or worse, your social media friends might be influencing your eating habits, British researchers report.
They asked nearly 400 college students to estimate how much fruit, veggies, snacks and sugary drinks their Facebook friends ate each day.
Tho...
Online Bullies Make Teen Depression, PTSD Even Worse: Survey
- Kayla McKiski
- February 4, 2020
- Full Page
Cyberbullying can worsen symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in young people, new research shows.
That's the conclusion of a recent survey of 50 teens who were inpatients at a suburban psychiatric hospital near New York City. Researchers reporte...
Vaping Is the Darling of Instagram
- Robert Preidt
- January 22, 2020
- Full Page
Vaping has been deemed hazardous for your health by public officials across America, but you wouldn't know it by scrolling through Instagram.
Instead, researchers discovered that Instagram posts that promote use of the devices outnumber anti-vaping content by a shock...
Virtual Reality Can Bring Real-Life Pain
- Kayla McKiski
- January 16, 2020
- Full Page
From carpal tunnel to a stiff neck, too much time on the computer can cause a slew of health problems. But what if you ditch the keyboard and mouse for virtual reality?
New research from Oregon State University in Corvallis showed that even stepping into virtual real...
Probiotics: Don't Buy the Online Hype
- Serena Gordon
- January 15, 2020
- Full Page
Many people turn to the internet with health questions, but how reliable is the information you find? When it comes to probiotics, a new study urges caution.
The research found that of 150 websites that came up with a search of probiotics, most were commercial sites,...
Seniors Still Wary of Online Reviews When Picking Doctors
- Steven Reinberg
- January 6, 2020
- Full Page
Most older Americans don't fully rely on or trust online ratings of doctors, a new study finds.
Among men and women between the ages of 50 and 80, only 43% have looked online to see how patients rated a doctor, researchers report.
Of these, two-thirds...
AI Beat Humans in Spotting Breast Tumors
- Amy Norton
- January 3, 2020
- Full Page
Machines can be trained to outperform humans when it comes to catching breast tumors on mammograms, a new study suggests.
Researchers at Google and several universities are working on an artificial intelligence (AI) model aimed at improving the accuracy of mammograph...
Don't Believe Online Claims for Pot's 'Benefits'
- Steven Reinberg
- January 2, 2020
- Full Page
A lot of the dope you read online about the benefits of marijiuana is just hooey, but it can influence attitudes and actions, researchers say.
Looking at tens of thousands of pot-related posts on Twitter, researchers saw a lot of bogus health claims that they fear ma...
Your TV, Smartphone Screens May Send Toxins Into Your Home
- Robert Preidt
- December 27, 2019
- Full Page
Your smartphone, television and computer screens may be contaminating your home with potentially toxic chemicals, a new study suggests.
An international team of researchers found the chemicals -- called liquid crystal monomers -- in nearly half of dozens of samples o...
'Shopping Addiction' Can Cause Harm, and It's Moved Online
- Alan Mozes
- December 24, 2019
- Full Page
The holidays are peak buying time, and perhaps the worst time of the year for people who simply can't control their urge to shop.
Now, research shows that the ease of online purchasing could be making things worse for people with so-called "buying-shopping disorder" ...
Fewer Americans Have a Primary Care Doctor Now
- Amy Norton
- December 17, 2019
- Full Page
The number of Americans who have a primary care doctor is shrinking -- with potential consequences for their health, researchers say.
Their new study found that in 2015, an estimated 75% of Americans had a primary care provider -- down from 77% in 2002. The d...
Smallest Tots Spending Too Much Time on Screens
- Steven Reinberg
- November 25, 2019
- Full Page
Even infants are now watching screens, and as they grow so does the time they spend doing it, two new studies show.
In fact, watching TVs, computers, smartphones, tablets or electronic games occupies about an hour a day of an infant's time and increases to more than ...
'Hey, What Is This?': Social Media, Not Docs, Increasingly Diagnosing STDs
- Dennis Thompson
- November 5, 2019
- Full Page
The HIV test came back positive and the patient, full of fear and denial, took to the STD forum on the popular social media site Reddit.
"I'm really scared because they said my results showed 'HIV-1 Confirmation.' I have to go back and get another test but I'm wonderi...
Are You Lonely? Your Tweets Offer Important Clues, Experts Say
- Robert Preidt
- November 4, 2019
- Full Page
Analyzing people's tweets could reveal if they're lonely, researchers say.
Loneliness -- which has been linked with depression, heart disease, dementia and other health problems -- affects about 1 in 5 adults in the United States.
Researchers analyzed publi...
Pacemakers, Insulin Pumps Could Be Hacking Targets: FDA
- Steven Reinberg
- October 1, 2019
- Full Page
Medical devices that can connect to the internet might be at risk for hacking, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Tuesday.
"While advanced devices can offer safer, more convenient and timely health care delivery, a medical device connected to a communicatio...
All That Screen Time Won't Hurt Your Kid's Grades - Maybe
- Dennis Thompson
- September 23, 2019
- Full Page
Parents can relax a little about how much time their kids spend in front of screens, new research suggests.
A large review of the scientific evidence on the topic concluded that media time overall is not associated with the academic performance of children or teens.<...
Online Learning: What's in It for You?
- Len Canter
- September 16, 2019
- Full Page
Taking courses online has made it easier for thousands of college students to meet their degree requirements, but this type of learning may hold the most benefit for people who are interested in continuing education throughout their lives.
Courses that let you explor...
Lots of Time on Social Media Linked to Anxiety, Depression in Teens
- Dennis Thompson
- September 11, 2019
- Full Page
Teens who spend more time with social media are more likely to suffer from social withdrawal, anxiety or depression, a new study says.
Twelve- to 15-year-olds who spent more than six hours a day on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media were nearly three t...
Don't Blame Technology for Young People's Mood Problems: Study
- Robert Preidt
- September 10, 2019
- Full Page
Spending time on their phones or online doesn't harm teens' mental health, according to a new study that challenges a widely held belief.
"It may be time for adults to stop arguing over whether smartphones and social media are good or bad for teens' mental health an...
Posting All Those Selfies Online Could Backfire, Study Finds
- Kayla McKiski
- August 29, 2019
- Full Page
Posting selfies on social media won't do you any favors in terms of likability.
A small new study finds that many people take a dim view of others who post a lot of selfies on Instagram.
Researchers at Washington State University conducted an experiment to...
'Dr. Google' Helps Some Patients Diagnose a Rare Disease
- Alan Mozes
- August 19, 2019
- Full Page
A middle-aged woman had persistent symptoms that doctors couldn't explain. Frustrated, she took an increasingly common route: a search through the internet.
"Dr. Google" led the woman to specialists at Wake Forest University Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. Ther...
Here's How Too Much Social Media Can Harm Girls
- Steven Reinberg
- August 14, 2019
- Full Page
Bingeing on social media isn't good for any teen, but new research has pinpointed three ways in which hours spent on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook may harm the mental health of young girls in particular.
"Almost all of the influence of social media on men...
Less 'Screen Time,' More Sleep = Better-Behaved Kids
- Amy Norton
- August 14, 2019
- Full Page
School kids who get to bed early rather than staring at their devices at night may be better equipped to control their behavior, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that 8- to 11-year-olds who got adequate sleep and had limits on "screen time" were less likely th...
Sexting May Be Less Common Among Teens Than You Think
- Kayla McKiski
- July 26, 2019
- Full Page
Parents of budding teens can breathe a little easier: A new study says adolescent "sexting" is not an epidemic.
On the other hand, it's not disappearing, either, despite campaigns to curb it.
"Sexting is perceived as an epidemic because the news highlights...
U.S. Youth Suicide Rate Reaches 20-Year High
- Dennis Thompson
- June 18, 2019
- Full Page
Suicide rates among teens and young adults have reached their highest point in nearly two decades, a new study reports.
Suicides among teens have especially spiked, with an annual percentage change of 10% between 2014 and 2017 for 15- to 19-year-olds, researchers s...