Healthcare News

RSS

Big tech drives the rise of direct-to-consumer health AI assistants

JMIR Publications today released a timely new feature in its News and Perspectives section, providing one of the first comprehensive overviews of the rapidly expanding consumer health AI landscape.

5 May 2026

Silicosis remains widespread among mineral miners worldwide

Researchers from National Jewish Health conducted what is believed to be the largest systematic review of silicosis in mineral miners.

5 May 2026

New coating prevents protein adhesion to reduce hospital infections

A non-toxic coating developed by researchers at University of Toronto Engineering prevents proteins from sticking to surfaces - potentially offering a new tool in the fight against hospital-acquired infections.

5 May 2026

Stroke incidence rises again with widening ethnic health inequalities

A new study presented today at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) 2026 shows that after decades of decline, stroke incidence is rising again, driven by higher rates in some ethnic minority populations and concentrated among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.

5 May 2026

Poor mental health linked to worse care quality and lower confidence in healthcare system

People with self-reported poorer mental health also report worse quality of care and lower confidence in healthcare systems, according to a study published May 5th in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Margaret E. Kruk from Washington University in St. Louis, U.S., and colleagues.

5 May 2026

Bariatric surgery costs significantly less than GLP-1 drugs over two years

A new real-world analysis of more than 90,000 patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes finds metabolic and bariatric surgery is costs significantly less than weekly injections of GLP-1 drugs over a two-year period, according to a new research presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

Specific health labels may better motivate reduced alcohol consumption

Although the United States requires a warning label on alcoholic beverages, alcohol-related deaths have risen steadily over the past two decades.

5 May 2026

Study links educator confidence to improved outcomes for vulnerable youth

To better understand how young children experiencing trauma are supported in early learning settings, Adelaide University researchers examined the role of teacher self-efficacy – the confidence teachers have in their knowledge and abilities – in creating safe, responsive learning environments.

5 May 2026

Nose attractiveness influences how people view overall facial features

Attractiveness of the nose affects how people view the face – with attractive noses actually drawing less attention than unattractive noses, reports a study in the May issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

4 May 2026

People share incomplete details with AI in symptom reports

It is quite possible that in the near future, people will have to describe their symptoms to an AI before they can get a doctor's appointment.

4 May 2026

Disruptions threaten progress in inclusive clinical trials and health equity

JMIR Publications today featured a critical new story in its News and Perspectives section examining the recent waves of disruption to inclusive clinical trials and the emerging strategies to keep health equity on track.

4 May 2026

Study finds weak penalties for Medicare Advantage rule violations

A new study from health policy researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health suggests that while regulators have several tools at their disposal to penalize insurance plans that break the rules, they rely mostly on relatively small financial penalties that may do little to deter violations.

4 May 2026

Study reveals gaps in dementia care services across Mississippi counties

Some 80% of Mississippi counties have no adult day service centers, and even counties that do have centers cannot meet the needs of people with dementia and their caregivers, a new University of Mississippi-led study indicates.

4 May 2026

Cannabis leads microdosing trends among U.S. adults, study finds

Researchers from University of California San Diego have found that microdosing - taking very small amounts of psychoactive substances - is more common among U.S. adults than previously recognized, with cannabis leading by a wide margin.

4 May 2026

EVALI outbreak reshaped public perceptions of e-cigarette harm

Cigarettes are one of the deadliest products on the market – but the risks of alternatives are not always clearly understood.

4 May 2026

Combining cannabis edibles and alcohol significantly increases driving impairment

In a study supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers added to evidence that using cannabis edibles and alcohol together worsens driving impairment compared with consuming either substance alone.

4 May 2026

Nonprofit hospitals spend billions on consultants with little measurable benefit

In recent decades, management consulting firms have become a fixture in the American healthcare system, wielding outsized influence compared to most other economic sectors.

4 May 2026

Food baskets for tuberculosis patients could save thousands of lives

Undernutrition is the single greatest modifiable risk factor for tuberculosis (TB), contributing to immune suppression, treatment failure, and death.

4 May 2026

Learn B.E. F.A.S.T. to recognize stroke signs and save lives

A stroke can change a life in an instant. In the minutes after symptoms begin, quick action can help protect the brain, reduce long-term disability and save a life, according to the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

4 May 2026

A more accurate tool for assessing Arsenic toxicity

Public health experts estimate that more than 200 million people worldwide are exposed to arsenic through contaminated drinking water. Scientists know long-term exposure to arsenic is associated with increased risk of chronic illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular disease, but there hasn't been a reliable way to track these exposures and fully understand their effects on the body and the mechanisms behind them.

4 May 2026