Technology | LocalHealthGuide

Health misinformation is rampant on social media – here’s what it does, why it spreads and what people can do about it

Studies show that health misinformation spread on social media results in fewer people getting vaccinated and can also increase the risk of other health dangers such as disordered eating and unsafe sex practices and sexually transmitted infections. Health misinformation has even bled over into animal health, with a 2023 study finding that 53% of dog owners surveyed in a nationally representative sample report being skeptical of pet vaccines.

November 3, 2023 Drugs / Technology

Amid Regulatory Gaps, Telehealth Prescribers Flourish

It’s easier than ever to get prescription drugs online. Should regulators be paying more attention?

May 1, 2023 Technology

How good is ChatGPT at diagnosing disease? A doctor puts it through its paces

Is our virtual doctor ready to see us yet? Not quite. We need to put more knowledge into it, learn to communicate with it and, finally, get it to overcome its prudishness when discussing problems we don’t want our families to know about.

March 21, 2023 Mental Health / Technology

AI chatbots are still far from replacing human therapists

Automated chatbots can be beneficial to people who may need immediate help, but they are not meant to replace traditional therapy.

March 14, 2023 Mental Health / Technology

AI chatbots are still far from replacing human therapists

Automated chatbots can be beneficial to people who may need immediate help, but they are not meant to replace traditional therapy

Illustration made up of the names of the many social media platforms on the web.

January 30, 2023 Media / Technology

COVID-19 conspiracy theories that spread fastest focused on evil, secrecy—WSU study finds

They found that the most common posts contained statements of belief that a theory was true, but those did not get as much engagement as posts about malicious purposes and secretive actions.

October 24, 2022 Child Health / Technology

Video gaming may be associated with better cognitive performance in children

Additional research necessary to parse potential benefits and harms of video games on the developing brain.

August 25, 2022 Technology

The rise of ‘Dr. Google’: The risks of self-diagnosis and searching symptoms online

The risks of using online health resources include increased anxiety and fear. The term cyberchondria can be defined as someone experiencing a high amount of health anxiety from searching symptoms on the internet. Self-misdiagnosis is also a danger, especially if doing so means not seeking treatment.

May 11, 2022 Drugs / Pharmaceuticals / Pharmacists / Technology

Automated Medication Dispensing May Cause Drug Mix-ups

Computerized medication cabinets are used in nearly all U.S. hospitals. Safety advocates say they’re primed for error.

May 4, 2022 Fitness / Technology

A boom in fitness trackers isn’t leading to a boom in physical activity

Since the mid-1990s, people have been doing less and less walking or bicycling to work and school and spending a lot more time staring at screens.

April 20, 2022 Cardiology / Heart and Circulatory System / Technology

Heartbeat-Tracking Technology Raises Patients’ and Doctors’ Worries

Gadget firms — starting with Apple and now Fitbit, which is owned by Google — are selling wearable devices that check heartbeat rhythms and alert users when something is out of sync. But some cardiologists say the information the devices produce isn’t always useful.