Bioethics.net

October 12, 2018 9:00 am

The approach to predictive medicine that is taking genomics research by storm (Nature)

October 10, 2018 9:00 am

That New Apple Watch EKG Feature? There Are More Downs Than Ups (The New York Times)

The heart monitor should not be considered a medical device and reflects wider problems with health screens.

September 19, 2018 2:00 am

A plan to advance AI by exploring the minds of children (MIT Technology Review)

The project brings computer scientists and engineers together with neuroscientists and cognitive psychologists to explore research that might lead to fundamental progress in artificial intelligence. Tenenbaum outlined the project, and his vision for advancing AI, at EmTech, a conference held at MIT this week by MIT Technology Review.

September 18, 2018 9:00 am

AI may detect depression just from your voice (Axios)

During a conversation, humans can grasp a friend’s mood or intent by relying on subtle vocal cues or word choice. Now, researchers at MIT say they have developed an algorithm that can detect if the friend is depressed, one of the most widely suffered — and often undiagnosed — conditions in the U.S.

September 10, 2018 9:00 am

At $1,650 per month, the first digital pill will soon roll out to certain Medicaid patients with mental illness (STAT)

The first digital pill will carry a price tag of $1,650 per month and soon be rolled out commercially to the first patients: people with mental illness covered by Medicaid, likely in regions including Florida and Virginia.

August 30, 2018 9:00 am

Open Medical Records Can Spur Frank Talk Between Doctors And Patients (NPR)

Theoretically, American patients have been able to see what doctors write about them for years. The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act, a 1996 law known as HIPAA, protects a patient’s right to see and get a copy of personal health records. In practice, though, formal records requests can take weeks to process and few patients take advantage of the option.A growing movement is using technology to try to change that. What started as an academic experiment has now become the norm at an increasing number of health care systems across the country: When doctors sign their notes, a copy is automatically visible to patients online.

August 17, 2018 1:26 am

The Next Phase of Human Gene-Therapy Oversight (The New England Journal of Medicine)

August 8, 2018 9:00 am

These tiny, stretchy speakers and microphones let your skin play music (Science)

If you’re prone to forgetting your headphones, new wearable technology that could turn your skin into a speaker should be music to your ears. Created in part to help the hearing and speech impaired, the new “smart skin” could be embedded into the ears—or into a patch on the throat. A similar device, described in the same study, acts as a microphone, which can be connected to smartphones and computers to unlock voice-activated security systems.

August 3, 2018 6:35 am

Ancestry, 23andMe and others say they will follow these rules when giving DNA data to businesses or police (The Washington Post)

Ancestry, 23andMe and other popular companies that offer genetic testing pledged on Tuesday to be upfront when they share users’ DNA data with researchers, hand it over to police or transfer it to other companies, a move aimed at addressing consumers’ mounting privacy concerns. Under the new guidelines, the companies said they would obtain consumers’ “separate express consent” before turning over their individual genetic information to businesses and other third parties, including insurers.

July 18, 2018 5:42 am

Editing human embryos 'morally permissible' (BBC News)

Should we or shouldn’t we be allowed to modify human DNA in future children? An inquiry into the ethical issues surrounding genetically altering a human embryo has found there is “no absolute reason not to pursue it”. But appropriate measures must be put in place before it becomes UK law, said the report – which calls for further research both medically and socially. Inquiry chair, Prof Karen Yeung, said: “The implications for society are extensive, profound and long-term.”