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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 28-Oct-2026 17:17 ET (28-Oct-2026 21:17 GMT/UTC)

Chatty chatbots can mislead users, but verification tools help, researchers find

Penn State
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots become more popular and more human-like in the way they communicate, users are increasingly turning to them as trusted sources of information on topics ranging from personal finance to health. That may be problematic, according to Penn State researchers, who found in a recent study that the more conversational an AI chatbot is, the more likely users will trust it — even when it shares misinformation. The team said verification options may help rebuild needed skepticism.

Journal: Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication

NIH R01 grant funds study of physical activity and binge eating in children

George Mason University
Grant and Award Announcement

With an R01 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, George Mason University researcher Tyler Mason aims to inform new approaches to eating disorder prevention.

Making healthy lifestyle change accessible for teens is goal of American Diabetes Association grant awarded to UB investigator

University at Buffalo
Grant and Award Announcement

Preventing diabetes by making healthy living tools easily accessible for adolescents is the goal of a new American Diabetes Association (ADA) grant awarded to an investigator at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo.

Mayo Clinic Care Network marks 15-year milestone as a global community of member organizations to advance healthcare

Mayo Clinic
Business Announcement

Mayo Clinic announced today that its Mayo Clinic Care Network reached a 15-year milestone as a global community of more than 50 member organizations, representing 80 hospitals and nearly 20,000 physicians.

Largest study to date will measure effect of wildfire smoke and extreme heat on pregnancy

University of Maryland
Grant and Award Announcement

Wildfire smoke and extreme heat – increasingly the new norm – each have their own harmful effects on pregnant people and babies, including preterm birth and low birthweight. Now University of Maryland School of Public Health (UMD SPH) researchers will lead a $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to examine how the combined experience of these hazards affects maternal health in the United States.

University of Toronto research finds AI scribes save doctors’ time and may ease administrative burden

University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Artificial intelligence (AI) scribes can reduce the time physicians spend documenting patient visits by 69.1% during simulated primary care appointments, according to research led by University of Toronto PhD student LaShawn Murray.

The study — published in the journal JAMIA Open, and co-authored with University of Toronto professor Enid Montague and Dr. Onil Bhattacharyya of Women’s College Hospital — involved nine physicians completing simulated patient encounters both with and without the use of AI scribes. These digital tools are capable of recording audio and using it to generate structured, regulatory-compliant clinical notes for a patient’s medical chart — the record physicians use to document their care.

The researchers used video recordings of each appointment to analyze how physicians spent their time. They found that when the scribes were in use, the doctors spent significantly less time documenting.

Journal: JAMIA Open

New study shows nationwide increase in metastatic and aggressive prostate cancer

Dartmouth Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study from the Dartmouth Cancer Center, led by James B. Yu, MD, MHS, reveals that more men in the U.S. are being diagnosed with advanced and aggressive forms of prostate cancer. Analyzing nearly two decades of data, the study highlights trends such as rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, an increase in high-grade tumors from 2008 to 2015, a steady rise in cases of metastatic prostate cancer since 2007, and growth in higher-risk genetic features of tumors.

Journal: American Journal of Clinical Oncology
Meeting: American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting

As wildfire smoke exposure grows, UC Davis researchers seek answers

University of California - Davis Health
Grant and Award Announcement

UC Davis researchers received a $14 million NIH grant to uncover how wildfire smoke affects heart and lung health and identify new prevention strategies.

Chen adapting the family and group conferencing model to care families of persons living with dementia

George Mason University
Grant and Award Announcement

Li-Mei Chen, Gerontologist, Department of Social Work, College of Public Health, received $75,000 from Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Center on Aging for “Circles of care: Adapting the Family and Group Conferencing Model to care families of persons living with dementia.”

Funder: Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Center on Aging