Two new studies highlight how communication gaps can complicate efforts to protect vulnerable users of technologies such as social media and AI chatbots. Researchers will present the work at the 29th ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW 2026), held October 1–14 in Salt Lake City.

Many medical specialties now require graduating doctors to be skilled in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for diagnosing patients and performing procedures. POCUS is a portable, ultrasound device used when fast, accurate decisions are necessary to make fast, accurate medical decisions. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education lists this as an official milestone for graduation. Even though training is improving for its possible use in treating head, eye and nerve conditions, POCUS is only moderately by neurologists dealing with some  neurological conditions.

Ultrasound-guidance for procedures, such as lumbar puncture, is one application of POCUS.  Ultrasound assisted lumbar punctures (USLP) and ultrasound guidance for similar neuraxial procedures have been evaluated for safety and efficacy in other specialties. However, data supporting the use of this technique by neurologists and neurology trainees are limited.

In an editorial in the journal Neurology: Education, researchers from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine believe implementation of USLP in neurology could benefit the subsection of patients with the most challenging anatomy and urgent need for diagnostic clarity.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has established a new Physician Nutrition Specialist (F7) specialty code, effective for dates of service beginning October 1, 2026. The code was implemented in Medicare systems on October 5, 2026. It provides a way to identify physicians with advanced expertise in clinical nutrition within the Medicare system. 

ITASCA, IL--Unpasteurized milk, cheese and other “raw” dairy products are unsafe to drink or eat, especially for young children and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, according to updated guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The AAP renews its call for a ban on the sale and distribution of raw milk and dairy products, including raw cheeses, because they increase the risk of life-threatening infections. Claims that raw milk provides superior health benefits are not supported by scientific evidence.

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called “forever chemicals,” may play a role in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) years before symptoms appear, according to a new five-year study supported by a $3.3 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grant to researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.