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AI changing radiology, but not replacing human input
In 2017, Ezekiel Emanuel, a well-known oncologist and health policy commentator, said radiologists would soon be out of work, thanks to machine learning.
That hasn’t...
US study challenges assumptions about youth and digital media
A study of young people’s digital media use suggests smartphone ownership may actually benefit children – but also a link between social media posting...
Petition urges improved care for SA’s diabetic children
A new petition launched by SA Diabetes Advocacy, in partnership with several national diabetes organisations, is calling on the National Department of Health (NDoH)...
Cutting-edge surgical robotics system for Free State
The launch of a first-of-its kind surgical robotics system at a Free State hospital has catapulted the province – and the country – into...
First AI skin cancer detector approved in Europe
The world’s first autonomous AI system for skin cancer detection, DERM, has received Class III CE marking in Europe, achieving 99.8% accuracy in ruling out cancer...
Hope for blood test to ID 50 cancers
The makers of a blood screening test that is able to detect 50 types of cancers say it could be rolled out by the...
Ditching cellphones for three days can reshape brain activity
For many of us, our cellphones are almost constantly in our hands – and now, a study has highlighted the effects on brain activity...
Inaccurate blood sugar monitors could harm non-diabetics – British study
Popular glucose monitors used to take regular blood sugar readings could be driving poor diets and food restrictions because of inaccurate measurements, according to a recent study.
Continuous...
Warning about potential air travel effects on insulin pumps
An alert has been issued by Medtronic about possible fluctuations in insulin pump delivery during changes in air pressure during, for example, aeroplane take-offs...
Hackers target Aussie IVF giant in data breach
One of Australia’s largest IVF providers, Genea, is urgently investigating a cyber-attack that may have exposed the data of thousands of families and expectant...
First Netherlands patient gets implant for chronic migraine
The first patient in The Netherlands has been treated with an innovative implant designed to address chronic migraine, marking a significant milestone in ongoing clinical...
AI won’t replace doctors, nurses – Life Healthcare boss
The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) should not be seen as a threat to human doctors and nurses, but rather, as a tool...
FDA wants rethink on oximeters and skin tone discrepancy
New guidelines have been proposed by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for blood oxygen monitoring devices to improve their performance across skin...
State lab must beef up cyber security, say doctors
After last year’s catastrophic ransomware attack on the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), a pair of Western Cape doctors has called for an urgent...
First NHS patients get app-controlled apnoea microchip
A new treatment in which surgeons implant a chip on a critical nerve could mean relief for the 8m people in the UK with...
NHS trials AI tool to predict diabetes risk
England’s NHS is launching a world-first trial of a transformative artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can identify patients at risk of type 2 diabetes...
AI chatbots outstrip doctors in diagnoses – US randomised study
A small study found that ChatGPT outdid human physicians when assessing medical case histories, and has suggested that although doctors are being exposed to...
Companies partner to create secure health records from birth
Parents can now effortlessly establish a lifelong medical record for their children right from birth, thanks to a collaboration between Ajuda, a personal digital...
Teens’ anxiety, depression, rises after four hours’ screen time, say experts
Teenagers who spend four or more hours in front of the screen each day are more likely to experience anxiety and depression, according to a new report from...
Regulatory challenges with rapid rise of AI technology
Medical device technology is now deeply entrenched in many patients’ healthcare and can have an extraordinary impact on their lives, with artificial intelligence (AI)...
JAMA launches AI website
In acknowledgement of the increasing importance of artificial intelligence in healthcare, a website devoted to research and news related to AI and machine learning...
Apple Airpods now double as hearing aids
With the help of new software authorised by the US Food and Drug Administration, everyday devices, already owned by millions of people, could soon...
NHS dumps hip implant after fractures increase
A metal hip implant used in thousands of NHS patients will be axed because of an increase in bone fractures, according to the Medicines...
Virtual hearts a game-changer for cardiac surgery
Twice a week, scores of people gather at Boston Children’s Hospital in the US to plan the most difficult cardiac surgeries. They analyse three-dimensional,...
FDA clears Apple’s new sleep apnoea feature
The FDA has cleared Apple’s new sleep apnoea detection feature, which analyses a metric called “breathing disturbances” via an accelerometer measuring wrist movements indicating normal...
Musk’s vision implant gets FDA’s breakthrough device tag
Elon Musk’s brain-chip start-up Neuralink announced last week that its experimental implant aimed at restoring vision has received the US Food and Drug Administration’s...
AI and what it might mean for healthcare in SA
With varying degrees of success, artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to play the role of research assistant, radiologist, health educator and even therapist more...
Major WHO review finds no link between phones and brain cancer
A WHO-commissioned review of all available published evidence worldwide has concluded that there is no connection between mobile phone use and an increased risk...
AI diagnosis based on tongue colour
A computer algorithm has achieved a 98% accuracy in predicting different diseases by analysing the colour of the human tongue, say researchers, who suggest...
Musk’s second patient gets brain implant chip
Just six months after the first implant, Elon Musk’s Neuralink has successfully implanted a chip into a second paralysed patient’s brain, the procedure having...
UK boy first kidney patient to have robot surgery
A seven-year-old boy has become the first patient in Britain to undergo robotic surgery for a kidney condition that if left untreated, can lead to loss of kidney...
Healthcare systems hit hard by global Microsoft outage
Doctors, nurses and hospital administrators around the globe were going into panic mode last week as they raced to manage the consequences of the...
NHLS system still faltering as cyberattacks hit global healthcare
The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), which had expected to restore its systems by 15 July after hackers forced it to revert to paper...
Philips issues urgent update for ventilator use
Philips Respironics has issued updated instructions for its OmniLab Advanced+ (OLA+) Ventilator because of a demonstrated failure in the inoperative alarm that can cause...
Prosthesis driven by nervous system improves gait – US study
Using a new surgical intervention and neuroprosthetic interface, researchers were able to restore a natural walking gait in people with amputations below the knee,...
Cutting edge robotic surgery at Cape Town hospitals
Surgical robots have been used to perform more than 600 surgeries at two Cape Town public hospitals, beacons of excellence offering a glimmer of...
Device fitted in UK boy’s skull slashes seizures
A British boy with severe epilepsy has become the world’s first patient to trial a new device that has reduced his daytime seizures by...
NDoH looks to artificial intelligence in quest to combat TB
The National Department of Health is considering the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) to expedite the screening and diagnosis of TB and silicosis, after...
‘Internet addiction’ and neurological changes in teens – systematic review
A study in in PLOS Mental Health suggesting that in teens with “internet addiction”, there is a disruption of the signalling between brain regions important...
Olympic athletes embrace diabetes tech in quest for medals
The tiny continuous glucose monitors used by diabetics to track their blood glucose levels have become popular among athletes who hope to boost their...