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Results for search "Computers / Internet: Misc.".

10 Apr

Is ChatGPT a Reliable Source for Breast Cancer Info?

Researchers test ChatGPT using 25 questions about breast cancer screening. While most of the responses were appropriate, they warn about the downsides of this new technology.

19 Oct

Online Sexual Abuse of Kids Is Common, New Study Finds

Researchers say a considerable number of children have been victims of online sexual abuse and the perpetrators are most often NOT strangers.

18 Aug

Allergy Info on YouTube Is Often Misleading, New Study Finds

More than one third of hay fever videos on YouTube contain misinformation, researchers say.

Health News Results - 275

An 'AI' Doctor Is Helping Hospitals Predict Readmissions

New York University doctors and hospital executives are using an artificial intelligence (AI) computer program to predict whether a newly discharged patient will soon fall sick enough to be readmitted.

The AI program “NYUTron” reads physicians' notes to estimate a patient’s risk of dying, the potential length of their hospital stay, and other factors important to their care.

T...

How Good Is ChatGPT at Answering Tough Health Questions?

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies like ChatGPT someday may make a big difference for people seeking answers to questions such as "How can I stop smoking?" They may even offer resources to someone who was sexually assaulted.

But they’re not quite there yet, a new study reveals.

Researchers wanted to see how well ChatGPT performed for people seeking information and resource...

Does Your Kid Need a Summer Vacation From Smartphones?

Summer vacation has begun for some families and screen use may already feel like too much.

A psychiatrist from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston offers some tips for making sure smartphones and tablets are put to good use and not used to excess.

Dr. Laurel Williams, a professor in the dep...

More Older Americans Use Online 'Patient Portals' to Access Care

Older Americans are increasingly likely to log into “patient portals” to access their health care information — but confidence levels vary.

About 78% of people aged 50 to 80 now use at least one patient portal, according to the new University of Michigan (U-M) National Poll on Healthy Aging.

Five years ago, just 51% in this age range used patient portals, the researchers sai...

U.S. Surgeon General Warns That Social Media Can Harm Teens' Mental Health

Social media presents a “profound risk” to young brains, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned on Tuesday.

In a report, Mu...

Even After Pandemic, Cancer Patients Prefer Telemedicine Care

During the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the only ways to see a doctor was via video or phone appointment, and it turns out many people with cancer still prefer telemedicine visits over in-person ones.

The recent end of the U.S. public health emergency will remove some of the flexibilities that were put in place during the pandemic to allow for wider use of telemedicine...

DEA Extends Telemedicine for Prescribing Controlled Meds as Pandemic Measures End

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday issued a six-month extension for people seeking to fill controlled medication prescriptions via telehealth.

That ability had been set to expire along with the ending of the pandemic public health emergency on May 11.

“These medications, i...

International Group of Health Experts Raise Alarm About Dangers of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) research and development should stop until its use and technology are properly regulated, an international group of doctors and public health experts said.

Certain types of AI pose an “existential threat to humanity,” the experts wrote in the May 9 issue of the journal

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • May 10, 2023
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  • Psychologists' Group Issues First Guidelines on Teens' Use of Social Media

    It's easy for kids to get drawn into Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok, and a leading U.S. psychologists' group warns they need some training in social media literacy beforehand.

    The American Psychological Association on Tuesday issued 10 science-based recommendations for teen and preteen social media use, the first time it has done so. The APA compares training in social media to getting a ...

    Need Accurate Info on Liver Disease? Don't Head to TikTok

    About 4.5 million adults in the United States have liver disease. If they're looking for information about their condition, they'd be wise to look beyond TikTok, new research suggests.

    About 40% of posts about liver disease on the social media platform are false or misleading, pushing claims about fad diets and detox drinks, according to a researcher from the University of Arizona College...

    Everyday Internet Use by Older Adults Might Help Keep Dementia at Bay

    In a world increasingly consumed by social media, much has been made of the amount of time younger generations spend online every day — and the harms that habit can bring.

    But now a new study of older adults suggests that regular internet use may actually be a boon for older Americans, staving off the long-term risk for dementia.

    “We studied the association between internet usag...

    In Survey, Half of U.S. Parents Believe Social Media Is Harming Their Kids

    Half of U.S. parents think social media is bad for their kids' mental health, a new survey reveals.

    The finding highlights growing concerns about how these platforms affect children's and adolescents' well-being, according to the On Our Sleeves Movement for Children's Mental Health, which had the Harris Poll conduct the survey.

    The program encourages parents to help their kids by t...

    Patients Rated ChatGPT Better Than Real Doctors for Empathy, Advice

    Only five months have passed since the world got its first taste of the ground-breaking artificial intelligence (AI) tool known as ChatGPT.

    Promising a brave new world of human-machine connectivity, AI demonstrates near-instantaneous access to in-depth information on almost any subject, all in full conversational sentences, often delivered in a human-sounding voice.

    A

  • Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
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  • April 28, 2023
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  • Can ChatGPT Give Women Accurate Advice on Breast Cancer?

    ChatGPT, the AI chatbot everyone is talking about, can often give reliable answers to questions about breast cancer, a new study finds. But it's not yet ready to replace your physician.

    The big caveat, researchers said, is that the information is not always trustworthy, or offers only a small part of the story. So at least for now, they said, take your medical questions to your human doct...

    Telehealth for Opioid Use Disorder Helped Curb Fatal ODs During Pandemic

    Telehealth appointments — meetings with a doctor through a phone or video call — are valuable tools in the fight against opioid use disorder in the United States, researchers say.

    The use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with medications for addiction, reduced the risk for fatal overdose among Medicare recipients, a new study finds.

    The study findings support co...

    Too Much Time Online Might Raise Kids' Odds for Mental Health Woes: Study

    Children's screen use could be altering their developing brains as they enter adolescence and increasing their risk for mood disorders, a major new study finds.

    Children ages 9 and 10 who spend more time on smartphones, tablets, video games and TV exhibited higher levels of depression and anxiety by the time they were 11 and 12, researchers found.

    Further, the investigators linked s...

    Too Much Social Media Could Raise Risk for Eating Disorders

    Curated images of perfect bodies -- often highly filtered and unrealistic -- are common on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

    And a broad new review of 50 recent studies across 17 countries finds that relentless online exposure to largely unat...

    Buzzkill: Don't Try the Burt's Bees TikTok Trend

    Don't put lip balm on your eyelid, even if you saw it on TikTok.

    It's bad for your eyes, according to a Michigan Medicine expert.

    The trend first began back in the 2010s, but has seen a resurgence in 2023.

    Called “beezin',” because the trend is to use Burt's Bees lip balm in particular, some believe it gets them high, heightens the sensation of being drunk or high, or in...

    You Can't Trust Sleep Advice Found on YouTube: Study

    If you're struggling to find ways to get a good night's sleep, you may not want to use YouTube videos as a resource.

    Researchers found what they described as an alarming amount of medical misinformation in YouTube videos about sleep disorders.

    "What's tricky is that so much of health information is very nuanced, and a lot of popular YouTube videos have clickbait and appeal to shorte...

    Feds Will Start Limiting Telehealth Prescriptions for Painkillers, ADHD Drugs

    Federal officials plan to tighten access to drugs that have the potential for abuse by reinstating federal prescribing requirements that were loosened during the pandemic.

    The Biden administration will require that patients see a doctor in person, rather than through a telehealth appointment, to get a first prescription for opioid painkillers and the attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD...

    Cutting Down on Social Media Brings Quick Boost to Teens' Self-Image

    All those images of beautiful-looking people on social media can deflate a young person's self-image, but there may be an easy fix: limiting time spent on TikTok, Instagram and the like.

    A new Canadian study finds that teens and young adults who already had symptoms of anxiety or depression and who cut their social media usage by about 50% experienced a significant improvement in how they...

    Emailing Your Doctor Could Soon Cost You

    Email has become an easy and essential form of communication between patients and physicians -- so much so that doctors are deluged daily with messages from patients.

    Now, some hospitals and health systems have started charging for doctors' responses to those messages, depending on the amount of work needed to respond. Only a handful of health systems have started billing for these, and t...

    TikTok Videos on Abortion Pills Are Largely Accurate: Study

    While you can't trust everything you read or see on social media, some information is reliable.

    Researchers from Duke University studied popular videos on the social media site TikTok. The videos offered information on ways to obtain a medication abortion.

    These were typically informative and useful, the study authors said.

    “When we started the study, we expected to find mor...

    Patients Give High Ratings to Pre-Surgery Telemedicine Consultations

    Despite distance and occasional technical glitches, a new study finds that most patients like seeing a surgeon for the first time via video.

    The study was published Jan. 19 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

    "We see patients ...

    Ransomware Attacks on U.S. Hospitals Have Doubled Since 2016

    Ransomware attacks on America's health care systems have more than doubled in recent years, disrupting needed medical care and exposing the personal information of millions, a new study reports.

    These attacks — in which computer systems are locked down by hackers until the victim agrees to pay a ransom — hit all levels of health care, from your doctor's or dentist's office up to ...

    Pennsylvania Man Found Guilty of Massive Fraud Involving Bogus Dog Cancer 'Cures'

    A Pennsylvania man who persuaded desperate pet owners that he could help cure their dogs' cancer was convicted by a federal jury of wire fraud and interstate shipment of misbranded animal drugs.

    Jonathan Nyce, 73, of Collegeville, Pa., was charged in February 2020 in a years-long scheme to defraud pet owners by falsely claiming to sell canine cancer-curing drugs, according to U.S. Attorne...

    New Insight Into How Dry Eyes Can Weaken Corneas

    Researchers studying dry eye disease in mice have found that the condition can alter how the cornea heals itself. They have also identified potential treatments.

    “We have drugs, but they only work well in about 10% to 15% of patients,” said senior researcher Dr. Rajendra Apt...

    What Is Glaucoma, and How Can You Prevent It?

    A comprehensive eye exam could be the key to determining if you have glaucoma, a silent thief of sight.

    Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that affect the optic nerve, and the leading cause of preventable blindness, according to The Glaucoma Foundation.

    But most people are unaware of their risk...

    Smartwatch Study Finds No Unusual Heart Effects From COVID Boosters

    COVID vaccine boosters appear to be perfectly safe for your heart, data gathered from nearly 5,000 smartwatch wearers shows.

    Researchers tracked the heart health of thousands of Israeli smartwatch users, including more than 2,000 who received a booster dose of Pfizer's COVID vaccine.

    The result: no lasting effect on a person's heart after they got the vaccine, compared to others who...

    Frequent Social Media Checks May Affect Young Brains

    Social media's impact on young people is a hot topic, with most kids and teens wanting to do whatever their friends are doing and parents worrying about setting limits.

    A new study examines whether frequent checking of social media sites (Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat) is associated with changes in functional brain development in these early adolescents, about age 12.

    Using brain...

    Anger Management Treatment Via the Internet Shows Promise

    Swedish researchers studying anger say it appears there is a pent-up need for anger management and that an internet-based treatment can work.

    Scientists from the Centre for Psychiatry Research at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, had to close its recruitment site after a few weeks because there was so much demand for help with anger issues.

    "It is usually very difficul...

    Can Too Much Screen Time Raise a Child's Odds for OCD?

    Preteens who spend much of their free time watching online videos or playing video games may have a heightened risk of developing obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), a new study suggests.

    Researchers found that among 9,200 9- and 10-year-olds they assessed, the odds of developing OCD inched up ...

    Using Devices as Babysitters Can Backfire on Parents

    It's an all-too-familiar scenario for many parents: Your preschooler starts to act up just as the phone rings or you start dinner.

    Maybe you hand over an iPad or smartphone to soothe the child so you can get down to business.

    And this probably does the trick. But if this is your go-to strategy, your child may be at risk for developing longer-term behavioral issues — especially boy...

    Buying Testosterone on the Internet Comes With Dangers: Study

    With more American men turning to testosterone therapy as a way to boost energy levels, build muscle and tackle erectile dysfunction, it's no wonder that web-based merchants have stepped into the breach, seeking to grab market share away from doctors and pharmacies.

    But are online testosterone purchases safe? No, a new investigation warns.

    The conclusion follows an anonymous te...

    1 in 10 Teens Have Sexted, Many See Porn by 6th Grade: Study

    A high number of preteens and teens in the United States have viewed pornography and many have also sent or received nude or seminude photos -- sexting -- over their smartphones, a new study reveals.

    “The prevalence rates we found in this study suggest that school counselors must be prepared to talk about sexting and pornography use with students, and to change the narrative about the...

    Using an Online Pharmacy to Buy Meds? It's Buyer Beware, FDA Says

    It might be tempting to buy prescription medication online, but buyers should beware, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.

    While some pharmacy websites operate legally and can offer convenience, privacy and lower costs, others may be selling unapproved, counterfeit and unsafe medications, the

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • November 18, 2022
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  • Telemedicine's Popularity Has Risen During Pandemic

    Telemedicine became widespread during the pandemic, and that may have shifted patient views about using technology as way to communicate with their doctors, a new study suggests.

    Certain groups, including Black patients and those with lower education levels, became especially more apt to use it.

    "Our findings suggest that more Americans are becoming comfortable with telehealth and u...

    How the Pandemic Affected Americans' Blood Pressure

    Although blood pressure levels among Americans rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research suggests things could have been far worse.

    "We expected blood pressure control to be worse due to decreased physical activity, stress, poor sleep and other cardiovascular disease risk factors that worsened during the pandemic," said study leader

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • November 3, 2022
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  • New TikTok Trend of Mouth Taping During Sleep Carries Dangers

    A new trend promoted on the social media platform TikTok has people taping their lips shut at bedtime -- a practice that could be dangerous, an expert warns.

    The purpose of mouth taping is to keep from breathing through your mouth at night.

    "If you have obstructive sleep apnea, yes, this can be very dangerous," sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta told CNN.

    "There is lim...

    Video Games May Bring Cognitive Benefits to Kids: Study

    School-age kids who spend hours a day playing video games may outperform their peers on certain tests of mental agility, a new study suggests.

    Researchers found that compared with children who never played video games, those who regularly spent hours gaming had higher scores on two standard cognitive tests: one measuring short-term memory and another gauging impulse control.

    Experts...

    Online Sexual Abuse of Kids Is Common; Perps Usually Friends, Partners

    Substantial numbers of kids and teens are being tracked, lured and sexually abused online, and adult strangers aren't always the perps.

    In many cases, it's friends and dating partners who are doing the grooming, a new study shows.

    The prevailing image of online sexual abuse is an older predator ...

    Telehealth Boosts Odds That Patients Show Up for Post-Surgery Care

    Telehealth became a common way for doctors to see patients during the early days of the pandemic.

    New research suggests that surgical patients offered virtual care are far more likely to keep appointments before and after their operation than those who rely on in-per...

    Most Docs Want Telehealth for Opioid Abuse Treatment to Stick Around

    Many doctors who used telehealth to treat patients with opioid addiction because of the COVID-19 pandemic would like to make it a permanent part of their practice.

    A new study from Yale School of Public Health surveyed more than 1,100 physicians who treated opioid-use disorder patients via telehealth.

    Researchers found that 6 out of every 7 physicians were in favor of making this ...

    Patient Care Delayed at Large Hospital Chain After Ransomware Attack

    A ransomware attack at one of the country's largest hospital chains disrupted care at hospitals from Seattle to Tennessee last week.

    The attack on CommonSpirit Health, the

  • By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • October 10, 2022
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  • Instagram 'Post-Baby' Body Shots Don't Reflect Average Women, Study Finds

    Millions of women routinely check Instagram after giving birth, only to see posts by other new moms showing off how fast they got back into svelte shape.

    Of course, photos like those can be a real downer for women who don't have the time or resources to lose pregnancy weight...

    One App Is Especially Bad for Teens' Sleep

    Many teens look at screens at bedtime, but some apps are more likely to keep them awake than others, leading to sleep problems.

    That's the upshot of a new study in which researchers found YouTube fans experienced consistent and negative effects on sleep. Surprisingly, traditional TV was associated with earlier bedtim...

    Telemedicine Diagnoses Match Those of In-Person Doctor Visits Most of the Time

    With online medical visits growing in popularity, a new study offers some reassurance: Diagnoses made via video are usually on the money.

    Mayo Clinic researchers found that of preliminary diagnoses made during video appointments at their centers, 87% were later confirmed during in-person visits.

    The caveat is, the accuracy varied somewhat according to the type of medical condition: ...

    Used During Pandemic, Telehealth Lowered U.S. Opioid Overdoses

    Telehealth flourished during the pandemic, and now a new study shows it saved lives: The practice meant more people struggling with opioid addiction stayed in treatment longer and thereby lowered their risk of dying from an overdose.

    For the study, researcher...

    'Digital Self-Harm': When Teens Cyberbully Themselves

    Up to 9% of American teens say they've engaged in what's known as "digital self-harm" -- anonymously posting negative comments about themselves on social media.

    As is the case with acts of physical self-harm such as cutting, this "virtual" self-harm is associated with a higher risk for thinking about or attempting suicide, according to a startling

  • Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
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  • September 2, 2022
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  • Many Teens Easily Fooled by Fake Online Health Messages

    Many teenagers have a hard time discerning between accurate health messages and “fake news," a new study finds.

    Presented with a choice between fake and true health messages, about two in five teenagers considered both messages equally trustworthy, researchers found...

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