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Study: Patients don’t think payers, providers can protect their data
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareProviders and payers: Patients don't think you’re able to keep their personal data healthy and safe, even though you’re charged with doing the same for their health. That blunt assessment is from a skeptical public who is growing increasingly weary of seemingly daily news about breaches and hacks. According to a new study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and POLITICO, only 17% have a "great deal" of faith that their health plan will protect their data. Hospitals are not much further ahead.
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Infographic: How science-fiction AI has become reality
Brian Wallace Science & TechnologyWhen many of us were growing up, science-fiction books, movies, and television shows explored what was possible using science, technology and intelligent computers. These dreams are now becoming reality. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite real-life manifestations of AI in fiction.
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Study: Connected devices pose security risks for most health systems
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareRegarding healthcare technology, there are a few notable maxims: things move quickly; there's a lot of money pouring into the sector; and security always is a concern. Case in point: eight out of 10 healthcare organization security leaders admit that they have experienced an internet of things (IoT) cyberattack in the past year. Of these organizations, 30% said the security incident compromised end-user safety. These are the findings of a new study released by security software company Irdeto. The Netherlands-based firm polled 232 healthcare security decision-makers.
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Exploring the future reality of immersive technologies
Michelle R. Matisons Science & TechnologyScience fiction is awash in speculative depictions of technologies in entertainment venues, film studios, science labs and anywhere computers exist. The 1995 film “Strange Days” depicts a decaying police state using underground virtual reality technology. This technology passes hands as small discs containing a plethora of real human experiences — including murder. Later, the popular “Matrix” series moved the VR screen to "reality" itself. While depictions of VR may vary, one thing is clear. VR is becoming more mainstream.
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Artificial intelligence: Coming soon to a classroom near you
Brian Stack EducationAs a child, I was always enamored with books and movies that let me imagine what the future would look like. I wasn’t excited about the idea of traveling on spaceships from planet to planet with the crew on "Star Wars," and I didn’t care so much about flying a car like the people from "Back to the Future 2." Maybe I was afraid of heights. I did, however, love the idea that one day computers would be as smart (or smarter) than humans. That day has been slowly creeping up on us, and we haven’t even noticed.
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Exploring partnerships between Amazon, police departments
Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityAs more homes turn to Amazon-owned Ring for surveillance and home security, the partnerships between Amazon and police departments continue to raise privacy concerns. The doorbell camera company has partnered with 400 police departments across the country, allowing them potential access to homeowners’ camera footage. Homeowners have the right to decline the request. Ring officials say that, after the initial rollout, police have had a lot of success in solving crimes that would otherwise take a long time to solve and deterring them.
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UK airports introducing new scanners to speed up security screening
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotivePassing through security bag screening can quickly sour the joy of travel. Arriving at the scanner usually requires removing items of clothing and unpacking items from the bags you spent so long carefully packing. Now, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that new scanners, which have the potential to reduce the stress of screening and the time it takes, would be rolled out across the country’s airports over the next few years. One of the major benefits of the new scanners is in removing the need to remove liquids from luggage.
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Exploring the growing trend of K-12 online learning
Bambi Majumdar EducationThe 2019-20 school year in Tennessee started with hundreds of students across the state going back to school virtually. The state’s new online school, the Tennessee Connections Academy, launched recently and is offering K-12 children new options for learning. Tennessee is not the only state to see a surge in K-12 online learning. Education Week reports that over 3 million K-12 students in the U.S. opt for online classes, and the number is growing every day.
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Diversity in dentistry: Women researchers leading the way in dental advances
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareVolpe Research Center has been famous for developing materials, tools and technologies used in the field of dentistry for the last 90 years and counting. It's kind of a big deal. More than 200 products used in dental practices all over the world have come out of the Volpe labs. Some of science's brightest minds work there. Today, of the Volpe Research Center’s six principal investigators — those who manage and direct all the projects and research — four are women. That’s some serious girl power.
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Will AI and robots steal your healthcare job?
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareRobots and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly pervasive in most aspects of 21st-century life, including healthcare, medicine, and nursing. Fears abound that jobs are going to be lost to machines that can do our jobs 24/7 without needing to be paid or call out when the kids are home sick from school. Are these fears well-founded or are we looking down the wrong tech rabbit hole? The reality of healthcare technology in 2019 isn't necessarily a robot revolution, but things are changing and some concern is understandable.
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