JAMA Medical News

Søren Dinesen Østergaard, a professor at Aarhus University and expert in affective disorders, joins Roy H. Perlis to delve into the groundbreaking use of machine learning for predicting the onset of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. They discuss how these models can identify at-risk patients in the critical prodromal phase, emphasizing the importance of timely diagnosis. The conversation also touches on the challenges of cross-site validation and the need for careful interpretation of predictive outcomes in diverse clinical settings.

Changes to CDC’s Website Threaten Patients, Public Health; Landmark Study of Black Women and Cancer Launches Related Content: As Missing and Altered CDC Webpages Threaten Patient Care, Efforts Grow to Fill Information Gaps Landmark Study Aims to Enroll 100 000 Black Women to Investigate Their Cancer Risks and Outcomes

A recent report from the Engineering Research Visioning Alliance emphasizes the urgent need for engineering-directed research to mitigate the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. Anita Shukla, PhD, a professor of engineering at Brown University, discusses its findings with JAMA Medical News Associate Managing Editor Kate Schweitzer and presents several key opportunities. Related Content: Five Engineering Advancements That May Help Solve the Growing Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance

Pilar Ortega, a Multilingual Latina physician leader at the University of Illinois, sheds light on the crucial need for language equity in healthcare. She discusses how AI can help break down language barriers, enhancing communication for non-English speaking patients. Ortega emphasizes the importance of cultural competencies and the role families play in navigating healthcare systems. She advocates for integrating language education into medical training and highlights a new framework for using technology to ensure equitable access to healthcare.

Cristiana Baloescu, an Assistant Professor at Yale University specializing in emergency medicine and machine learning for ultrasound, joins Yulin Hswen to discuss cutting-edge research on AI-guided lung ultrasounds. They delve into how AI can enhance image acquisition for non-expert clinicians, improving accuracy in diagnosing dyspnea. The conversation also highlights real-world challenges in implementing this technology, particularly in resource-limited settings, and the potential for AI to transform emergency care.

Sanjat Kanjilal, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, explores how machine learning is reshaping the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. He discusses a groundbreaking study on urinary tract infections, revealing the effectiveness of traditional antibiotics despite outdated guidelines. Kanjilal emphasizes the importance of understanding antimicrobial resistance and the challenges of biases in AI within healthcare. He advocates for better data infrastructure to harness AI's full potential in enhancing patient care and medical decision-making.

Cornelius James, MD, a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan, shares insights on the surprising adoption of digital health technologies by older adults. He challenges societal biases about seniors' tech engagement and discusses how patient portals enhance access to healthcare. The conversation explores the digital health divide faced by rural and low-income groups, the importance of in-person care, and how healthcare providers can support older patients in navigating technology. AI's role in improving healthcare experience is also highlighted.

How do patients feel about the quality of AI-generated responses to their messages to clinicians? Author Eleni Linos, MD, DrPH, of Stanford joins JAMA+ AI Editor in Chief Roy H. Perlis, MD, MSc, to discuss her recent study in JAMA Network Open that characterized satisfaction with these messages. Related Content: Study Finds People Prefer AI Over Clinician Responses to Questions in the Electronic Medical Record Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence–Generated Responses to Patient Messages

Rita Rubin, the lead senior staff writer at JAMA, dives into the transformative impact of weight-loss drugs like GLP-1 on bariatric surgery. She discusses the decline in surgical bookings as these medications gain traction. The conversation also covers safety concerns surrounding compounded GLP-1 drugs and the shifting perspectives on cancer classifications. Rubin raises thought-provoking questions about renaming certain cancers and how these changes can influence patient treatment choices, ultimately advocating for better patient awareness.

Eden English, Senior Medical Director of Informatics at UCHealth and a respected author, shares her insights on the use of AI to ease clinician burnout. She discusses how tools like PamChat streamline communication by drafting replies to patient messages. The conversation also delves into refining AI prompts to improve response accuracy and the critical need for clinicians to oversee AI-generated messages. English highlights the challenge of misinformation, particularly around vaccines, and the ethical considerations of integrating AI in patient care.