AI-powered Woebot raises $90M to scale up digital self-therapy platform
‘Digital therapist’ Woebot perks up with $90M for AI-powered mental health platform (FierceBiotech):
In news sure to excite even the most melancholy of artificial intelligence-powered chatbots, mental health platform Woebot has closed its series B funding round with a whopping $90 million.
The funds will go toward building out Woebot’s AI technology and digital therapeutics, as well as the teams responsible for the development and commercialization of the platform. Woebot’s technology centers around the eponymous “digital therapist,” which uses conversational AI software to form therapeutic bonds with users as ...
Source: SharpBrains - July 26, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Brain/ Mental Health Peak Performance Technology & Innovation artificial intelligence chatbot cognitive behavior therapy dialectical behavior therapy digital self-therapy digital therapeutics interpersonal psychotherapy mental health c Source Type: blogs
The need for ophthalmologists is greater than ever
Increased prevalence of ophthalmic diseases due to continued population growth and aging requires an increase in the number of ophthalmologists nationwide. Multiple sources, including the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), report that the number of people with the most common eye diseases will double between 2010 and 2050. ThisRead more …The need for ophthalmologists is greater than ever originally appeared inKevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - July 26, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/jeslin-kera" rel="tag" > Jeslin Kera < /a > < /span > Tags: Education Ophthalmology Source Type: blogs
Covid-19: preparing for the future - looking ahead to winter 2021/22 and beyond
This report warns that a mix of Covid-19, influenza, and the respiratory virus Respiratory Syncytial Virus, could push the NHS to breaking point this winter unless action is taken. The report urges policy makers and the NHS to prepare by expanding Covid-19 testing, increasing the speed and uptake of the Covid-19 vaccination, and strenthgened financial and staffing support.ReportThe Academy of Medical Sciences - news (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - July 15, 2021 Category: UK Health Authors: The King ' s Fund Library Tags: Covid-19 NHS performance and productivity Source Type: blogs
Arizona Lawmakers Underperform on Pharmaceutical Freedom for Women
Jeffrey A. SingerMy home and surgical practice are in Phoenix, Arizona. One hundred eighty miles to the west of Phoenix, a women can walk into aCalifornia pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to prescribe her hormonal contraceptives, bypassing the doctor ’s office and the $100+ fee for an office visit (and possibly an afternoon off from work). Drive 248 miles due east and a woman can get a prescription for hormonal contraceptives from a pharmacist inNew Mexico. Three hundred miles to the north, and 373 miles to the northeast, pharmacists can prescribe hormonal contraceptives to women inUtah andColorado respectively. And if a ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - July 6, 2021 Category: American Health Authors: Jeffrey A. Singer Source Type: blogs
The Third (or Fourth?) Great Transformation
I ' ve written before about Karl Polanyi ' s The Great Transformation. One lesson that jumps out on re-reading it is that as England made the transformation to industrial capitalism, nobody understood what was going on. One important consequence of the transformation that people in the U.S. don ' t appreciate is that it reduced the common people of the countryside to penury -- indeed, near starvation. (We came from a different starting place in the U.S. so this was not as dramatic or obvious.) It is well-known that everywhere, as people moved to cities and took industrial jobs, their life expectancies fell and they were im...
Source: Stayin' Alive - June 30, 2021 Category: American Health Source Type: blogs
The rs-FC fMRI Law of Attraction (i.e., Resting-State Functional Connectivity of Speed Dating Choice)
Feeling starved for affection after 15 months of pandemic-mandated social distancing? Ready to look for a suitable romantic partner by attending anin-person speed dating event? Just recline inside this noisy tube for 10 minutes, think about anything you like, and our algorithm willPredict [the] Compatibility of a Female-Male Relationship!This new study byKajimura and colleagues garnered a lot of attention on Twitter, where it was publicized by@INM7_ISN (Simon Eickhoff) and@Neuro_Skeptic. The prevailing sentiment was not favorable (check the replies)... Oha... " Resting-State Connectivity Can Predict Compatibility of a...
Source: The Neurocritic - June 29, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
The explosion of mental health apps raises substantial opportunities –and tough questions
In the eyes of the tech industry, mental health treatment is an area ripe for disruption.
In any given year, 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experience a form of mental illness, according to federal estimates. And research indicates only about half of them receive treatment in a system that is understaffed and ill distributed to meet demand.
For tech startups looking to cash in on unmet need, that translates into more than 50 million potential customers.
Venture capital firms invested more than $2.4 billion in digital behavioral health apps in 2020 — more than twice the amount invested in 2019 — touting support or treatment ...
Source: SharpBrains - June 28, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Kaiser Health News Tags: Brain/ Mental Health Technology & Innovation anxiety BetterHelp brain-illness Brightside cerebral depression digital behavioral health FDA Food and Drug Administration Ginger health apps mental illness mental-health-treatment Source Type: blogs
NC Pediatricians/Physicians RISE Against CHEAP/PROFITEERING Hospital Executives: Maybe I'm Not " Disgruntled " . . . Or " Disruptive " . . . OR ALONE . . . After All.
First, read the following article (linked in red) at North Carolina Health News - " lifted " from a story/letter published at the Charlotte Ledger:The doctor won ' t see your newborn now - North Carolina Health NewsIt only under-scores the cheap, supremely arrogant C-Suite mind-set that I ' ve been blogging about . . . and fighting . . . as an inpatient Pediatrician covering the duty in small/rural/community hospitals in NC and Virginia . . . for over 20 years.Pediatricians that work for hospitals are " a-dime-a-dozen " . We ' re " interchangeable light bulbs " . We can be " replaced by nurses " . The gen...
Source: Dr.J's HouseCalls - June 23, 2021 Category: American Health Tags: ApolloMD APRN Central Carolina Hospital CMS Duke Lifepoint JCAHO LDRP medical scope creep Mother-Baby Care Pediatric Hospitalist Pediatrics Quality Assruance Source Type: blogs
Here Is What ’s Stopping You From Fulfilling Your Life
The biggest misconception that I’ve ever heard of is that in order for us to find success in anything, we must be willing to give up something else. Whether it’s our career, wealth, relationships, health, something must be given up in order for the other to thrive.
After several years of improving myself, learning about myself, and helping others grow as well, I’ve come to realize that that isn’t true. We can be living a fuller life and there is no sacrifice necessary at all.
As I and others grew, the reality was that several other things were stopping us from living a more fulfilling life. Below are some of ...
Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement - June 21, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: leonho Tags: career creativity featured motivation philosophy productivity tips self-improvement success dreams goals self improvement Source Type: blogs
Preparing For The Next Generation of Ethical Challenges Concerning Heritable Human Genome Editing
by Robert Klitzman, MD
This editorial can be found in the latest issue of American Journal of Bioethics. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15265161.2021.1913894
On September 5, 2020, the International Commission on the Clinical Use of Human Germline Genome Editing, established by the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM), the National Academy of Science, and the British Royal Society, with members from 10 countries, issued its Report, recommending caution in future uses of heritable human genome editing (HHGE) (National Academy of Medicine, the National Academies of Sciences and the Royal Society 2...
Source: blog.bioethics.net - June 2, 2021 Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Robert Klitzman Tags: Editorial-AJOB Ethics Featured Posts Genetics Source Type: blogs
How To Build Your Digital Brain To Learn More
Our brains are a fascinating part of ourselves. It allows us to experience all kinds of information and is stronger than any supercomputer. But despite how strong our brains are, there are many people who struggle with retaining information and using it.
That much is clear as you can probably think of one person or many who are able to retain even the most mundane of information.
The thing is, it’s not really a secret. It’s just that most people don’t recognize that these individuals have developed a digital brain. Think of it as a second brain that has a wealth of information you can tap into.
It’s a valu...
Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement - June 1, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: leonho Tags: career communication featured internet culture motivation productivity tips self-improvement success digital brain learning hacks pickthebrain Source Type: blogs
Cardiac Organoids Self-Organize to Mimic Human Heart
Researchers at the Austrian Academy of Sciences have developed the most realistic cardiac organoids to date. The tiny structures self-organize from pluripotent stem cells to form a hollow chamber that can beat. The method to create the ‘cardioids’ involves stimulating a variety of signaling pathways in stem cells and does not rely on conventional tissue engineering techniques, which typically employ a scaffold material as a basis for such structures. Consequently, the resulting tissue growth mimics the developmental process in humans. The researchers hope that the organoids will provide more valuable data about heart d...
Source: Medgadget - May 25, 2021 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiac Surgery Cardiology Materials Source Type: blogs
Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled chatbot Wysa raises $5.5M to broaden access to mental health support
Conclusions: Although bonds are often presumed to be the exclusive domain of human therapeutic relationships, our findings challenge the notion that digital therapeutics are incapable of establishing a therapeutic bond with users. Future research might investigate the role of bonds as mediators of clinical outcomes, since boosting the engagement and efficacy of digital therapeutics could have major public health benefits.
News in Context:
Consumer Reports finds unclear, questionable privacy practices and policies among popular mental health apps
Teladoc Health, having acquired Livongo and myStrength, launches integrated ...
Source: SharpBrains - May 24, 2021 Category: Neuroscience Authors: SharpBrains Tags: Brain/ Mental Health Technology & Innovation cognitive restructuring cognitive-behavioral-therapy digital therapeutics mental health benefits mental health platform mental healthcare mindfulness W Health Ventures Wysa Source Type: blogs
Trojan Horse Virus Makes Tumors Destroy Themselves
Researchers at the University of Zurich have developed a virus-based therapy that causes a tumor to destroy itself. They modified an adenovirus, which is a common virus that typically infects the respiratory tract and which is already widely used in medicine, to deliver genetic material that codes for an anti-cancer protein. In a sneaky move, the researchers designed the therapy so that the virus would infect tumor cells, forcing them to destroy themselves.
Cancer therapies are constantly evolving. Immunotherapies, which include antibodies that stimulate the immune system to destroy cancer cells, are the latest class of...
Source: Medgadget - May 19, 2021 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Genetics Materials Medicine Oncology Source Type: blogs
Normal Toddler Behavior vs ADHD
An official diagnosis of ADHD can be hard to pinpoint as its symptoms can often be indicative of other conditions, but it is especially hard to diagnose in children under the age of four, as most children naturally experience about a year of extreme energy that generally encompasses their third birthday. This realization may be, in turn, both comforting and exhausting as parents learn that their toddler is likely just exhibiting the rampant energy normal for their age group.
What is ADHD?
Children with an official diagnosis of ADHD consistently present symptoms of inattentiveness, over-activity, impulsivity, or some combin...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - May 18, 2021 Category: Child Development Authors: Alan Greene MD Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog ADHD Toddler ADHD Source Type: blogs