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Digital health tools are reshaping healthcare in the United States

A new study reveals that US hospitals and clinics are adopting digital health tools, supplementing in-person care with secure online patient portals and health apps. The study found a significant increase in patient-provider interactions via these channels, but in-person visits have rebounded since the pandemic.

SourceNYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine·JournalJAMA·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJun 22, 2026

New video dataset to advance AI for health care

Researchers have launched a new multimodal medical dataset, Observer, capturing anonymized, real-time interactions between patients and clinicians. The dataset links video, audio, transcripts, and electronic health records to study subtleties like body language and environmental factors affecting care.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science·JournalJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 16, 2025

AI model converts hospital records into text for better emergency care decisions

Researchers developed an AI model that converts fragmented electronic health records into readable narratives, enabling artificial intelligence to make sense of complex patient histories. The Multimodal Embedding Model for EHR (MEME) transformed tabular health data into 'pseudonotes' that mirror clinical documentation, achieving superi...

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences·Journalnpj Digital Medicine·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJul 2, 2025

Pennington Biomedical researchers assemble comprehensive history of electronic health records and their role in medical research

A comprehensive review explores the evolution and application of electronic health records (EHRs) in medical research over the past 25 years. The study highlights significant advancements in data analysis, artificial intelligence, and precision medicine, while also discussing challenges such as data security and privacy.

SourcePennington Biomedical Research Center·JournalJournal of Medical Internet Research·TypeSystematic review·DateFeb 12, 2025

COVID-19 pandemic drove significant rise in patients choosing to leave ERs before medically recommended

A recent study found that patients who left emergency departments before being medically advised had higher rates of readmission, mortality, and increased costs. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a 53.6% increase in such cases, primarily due to concerns about infection, long wait times, and dissatisfaction with care.

SourceTexas A&M University·JournalThe American Journal of Emergency Medicine·DateJan 30, 2025

Sex bias in pain management at emergency departments new study reveals

A new study found a significant sex bias in pain management at emergency departments, with female patients consistently receiving fewer pain medication prescriptions compared to male patients. Female patients also spend more time in the emergency department and have their pain scores less frequently recorded.

SourceThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateAug 5, 2024

About 20% of patients listed as alive in their electronic health records were actually deceased according to California data

A study by UCLA researchers found that nearly 20% of patients with serious illnesses listed as alive in their medical records were actually deceased according to California data. This discrepancy led to hundreds of wasteful follow-up outreach efforts, straining resources and healthcare workers' time.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences·JournalJAMA Internal Medicine·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateDec 4, 2023

Electronic health records can contain bias, potentially impacting clinical trials

A recent commentary highlights a potential hidden source of bias in electronic health records, which can impact clinical trials. Embedded pragmatic clinical trials rely heavily on EHRs for data collection, excluding people from underrepresented groups due to lack of access or inaccurate data collection.

SourceUniversity of Illinois Chicago·JournalContemporary Clinical Trials·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateJun 7, 2023

Alert banners dramatically increase prescribing rates of life-saving heart failure medication

Researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine found that automated systems with alert banners increased MRA therapy prescriptions for heart failure patients by 30%. The system aims to improve care and reduce costs by streamlining medical information in one place. The study tested two notification types, finding that banner-like alerts...

Researchers develop screening tool to aid early diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Researchers developed a universal screening tool for IPF that can alert primary care physicians to its possible presence, enabling earlier diagnosis and treatment. The Zero-burden Co-Morbidity Risk Score for IPF (ZCoR-IPF) algorithm uses existing patient records to identify patients at risk of developing the disease.

SourceUniversity of Chicago·JournalNature Medicine·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateSep 29, 2022

New study shows patient preference for medical cannabis products in the absence of clinical guidelines

A new study analyzed point-of-sale data from nearly 17,000 patients in New York's medical cannabis program to understand patient preferences for products and dosing. The researchers found considerable variability in product choice and dosing levels across different conditions, highlighting the need for clear clinical guidelines.

SourceUniversity of Southern California·JournalJAMA Network Open·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateAug 19, 2022

Recently updated ICPC guide provides health professionals greater understanding of patient functioning, promotes person-centered care

The recently updated ICPC-3 guide provides health professionals with a better understanding of patient functioning and its impact on primary healthcare. By implementing ICPC-3, clinicians can improve data documentation, enhance information exchange, and ultimately provide more effective care to patients.

SourceAmerican Academy of Family Physicians·JournalThe Annals of Family Medicine·DateJul 26, 2022

Improving serious illness communication for patients with advanced cancer

A quality improvement project at Dartmouth Cancer Center increased serious illness conversations between patients and providers from 0% to 70%, reflecting the importance of early discussions on prognosis and treatment options. The project's success was attributed to standardized work, an engaged interdisciplinary team, and system-level...

SourceDartmouth Health·JournalJCO Oncology Practice·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateJul 20, 2022

Standing physician orders had limited impact on guideline adherence in prescriptions to prevent febrile neutropenia

The study found that standing orders significantly raised guideline adherence for patients on intermediate FN risk regimens but did not change the FN rate among patients on chemotherapy at any risk level. Prophylactic CSF use rates were substantially below guidelines for both high-risk and low-risk regimens.

SourceSWOG Cancer Research Network·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateMay 26, 2022

Patient safety and quality of care: Regenstrief study explores medical record linkage with goal of improving match accuracy

A new Regenstrief Institute study evaluates commercially available matching methodologies against real-world gold standard data to identify opportunities for improving match accuracy. The study found that referential patient matching demonstrates greater sensitivity and accuracy than traditional probabilistic approach.

SourceRegenstrief Institute·JournalJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association·DateMay 19, 2022

LSU Health New Orleans study finds dramatic drop in opioid rx after state legislation enacted

A LSU Health New Orleans study reports a nearly 70% decrease in morphine milligram equivalent (MME) per discharge opioid prescriptions for patients who underwent common lower extremity surgical procedures. The study also found a significant decline in new opioid prescriptions, from 50% in 2013 to 19.3% in 2018.

SourceLouisiana State University Health Sciences Center·JournalJournal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons·TypeSystematic review·DateDec 7, 2021

Do hormonal contraceptives impact glaucoma risk?

Women using hormonal contraceptives face a 2-fold higher risk of developing glaucoma compared to non-users. Women with more than four prescriptions for hormonal contraceptives in the past two years had an even higher risk.

SourceWiley·JournalBritish Journal of Clinical Pharmacology·DateJun 23, 2021