Eradicating hepatitis C is within reach

The Kentucky metro area has some of the worst air quality in the country, leading to concerning rates of asthma and respiratory disease well above the national averages. But a group called AIR Louisville has implemented a creative, crowdsourced solution that utilizes GPS-enabled inhalers to help patients identify and address asthma patterns based on numerous factors such as avoiding heavily-polluted parts of town, and identifying the best treatments based on lifestyle needs.

Missing a doctor's appointment has a significant cost. Hospitals lose money and doctors lose time that they could be using to attend to other patients. Dr. Alex King believes that through testing and then implementing certain behavioral nudges, hospitals will stop losing as much money and patients will benefit from a better experience.

In light of a study published in BMC Medicine, authors Nancy Fullman and Alexandra Wollum take a deeper dive into Nigeria’s gains against polio and what they could mean for the country’s routine vaccine systems.

In 2020, Nigeria's Rural Electrification Agency installed a 50-kilowatt solar-hybrid system at Gombe State Specialist Hospital, providing uninterrupted electricity to critical units, including the ICU and emergency departments. Since its installation, maternal mortality dropped from 15-20 deaths monthly to 1-2 per month, and neonatal deaths also decreased from 50 to 20-25 monthly. The system has also helped healthcare workers perform life-saving surgeries without interruption, as these surgeries were often delayed or impossible due to power outages.

Digital public infrastructure is helping African countries build more sustainable health systems by replacing fragmented, donor-funded projects with interoperable digital services. In Zambia, for example, the SmartCare Pro electronic health record system uses thumbprints to identify patients and track chronic diseases like TB and HIV, ensuring continuity of care, where it was historically missing.

The WhatsApp group SURG Africa and remote Managed Clinical Network connect district hospitals with specialists, like surgeons and anesthesiologists, who can provide support and advice on difficult medical cases. The goal of the group is to improve healthcare services available and increase access to necessary care, specifically in rural areas.

Northwell Health provides telehealth services and support to Ukranian doctors and hospitals in need of assistance during the war as they face an increased need of medical care.

The Da Vinci Robot allows surgeons to perform soft tissue procedures with advanced technologies like electrocautery to cauterize tissue as it cuts and 3-D camera, without having to make a big incision. The robot acts as an extension of the surgeon’s hands, replicating human movements in a more fluid and flexible way than tools used for other minimally invasive surgeries. After substantial training on the device, studies show that the robot reduces physician error and anecdotal evidence supports the laboratory finding that the robot leads to faster recovery and less pain for patients.

As more doctors move towards retirement than doctors entering the field, many states are facing the realities of an upcoming shortage. To combat this, Maine is trying to position primary care in rural areas as the backbone of medicine through partnerships that aim to keep doctors in the states.

Patients suffering from chronic illnesses can often be overwhelmed with their care routines and doctors typically only have limited time to monitor them. A small robot is changing this narrative, however, by providing personalized health monitoring.