Thursday Shorts: Follow Ups
May 23, 2024
A) Researchers used artificial deep learning to analyze satellite imaging to predict cardiovascular risk by census tract. This article, published in JAMA Cardiology, demonstrates how AI’s pattern recognition ability can help us do predictive analytics. Here are a few recent posts on artificial intelligence: September series, AI could increase costs; AI and the eye.
B) Medical students and abortion bans. I wrote in March that all obstetrical residency positions were filled - including those in states that had banned or severely restricted abortion care. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) just published data that showed that even though all the positions were filled, medical school graduate applications to residency programs across specialties in states with abortion restrictions declined substantially. Here is the AAMC report, and here is an article on this from National Public Radio and KFF. Here’s a link to the transcript from KFF’s What the Health podcast, with an interview of study author Atul Grover.
Since many physicians practice where they complete their training, this could bode poorly for access to care in some states over the next decades.
Change in Number of Residency Application by State Abortion Status
Source: Orgera, et al AAMC, May 9, 2024 LINK
C) Recipient of pig kidney transplant dies. There are few details on the cause of death, and I’m hopeful that pig organs will produce a new source of kidneys for transplant in the future. Here’s a link to a post from last month about what employers can do now to improve the quality of care of those with kidney failure.
D) Narcan (naloxone) can save lives, and you might find it in your local public library! I’m now carrying naloxone in my backpack in case I come upon someone who has unexpectedly lost consciousness. I could have purchased this over the counter or gotten it by prescription, but I got this at my local public library. As part of the public health harm reduction plan, the library also had available fentanyl strips which allow people to test any drug they might use to be sure it does not contain fentanyl. Here’s are links to recent posts on naloxone in the workplace from February, and September and September and a podcast from March.
