We’ve partnered with Inspire, a company that builds and manages online support communities for patients and caregivers, to launch a patient-focused series here on Scope. …
Month: January 2014
Developing a Google-like search system to improve diagnosis, treatment of pediatric brain disorders
What if doctors could consult a digital library of pediatric MRI scans to determine if an abnormal structure in a patient's brain was cause for …
Measuring the physical effects of yoga for seniors
As my grandmother marched into her 80s, she would regularly eyeball pieces of furniture before sitting on them. "I'm afraid I won't be able to …
Text message reminders shown effective in boosting flu shot rates among pregnant women
Influenza is now widespread in 35 states across the country. Changes to the immune system during pregnancy make expectant moms more susceptible to the flu, …
Managing primary care patients' risky drinking
Centers for Disease Control Director Thomas Frieden, MD, wants more physicians to screen patients for risky alcohol consumption. From a public health viewpoint, this makes …
Grand Roundup: Top posts for week of January 5
The five most-read stories published this week on Scope were: Introducing SMS Unplugged: First-year med student Hamsika Chandrasekar kicks off Scope's weekly SMS Unplugged series, which …
Using personal robots to overstep disability
The current issue of STANFORD magazine profiles an alumnus of note, Henry Evans, MBA, a former startup CFO who went on to become a TED …
Examining how microbes may affect mental health
Over on the NIH Director's Blog today, there's an interesting post about research efforts aimed at determining how the colonies of bacteria in our gut …
Researchers challenge conventional wisdom to identify source of lead contamination in Bangladesh
What could be causing lead contamination in one of the poorest corners of the world - a place where roads are scarce and there are …
Medical student makes real diagnosis on "fake" patient
Now, this is cool: A medical student practicing how to examine and diagnose patients wound up discovering a real, and serious, disease in an older …
Using a traffic light system to encourage healthier eating habits
Imagine going to your favorite restaurant and discovering that high-calorie foods and sugar drinks were now listed in a red section on the menu, slightly …
Providing medical, educational and technological tools in Zimbabwe
Medical missions can provide immediate relief after a natural disaster or support for local doctors in low-resourced countries. But global health efforts that involve education …
The Lancet documents waste in research, proposes solutions
Science is hard work. So hard, in fact, that it's pretty disheartening to hear that much of that effort is wasted. A major series of …
Study reveals initial findings on health of most extreme runners
Those of us who feel accomplished after jogging a 5K may wonder what drives more serious runners – marathoners, and even ultramarathoners, who run races …
Stanford Medicine X Live! explores strategies for achieving your 2014 resolutions
It's one week into the New Year, so how are those 2014 resolutions coming along? If your motivation is starting to slip, don't stress. As …
Introducing SMS Unplugged
Five years ago, I sat down to write my college application essays and found myself struggling most with questions that read, “Tell us why (insert …