A new study from the University of Eastern Finland indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has seriously affected healthcare service usage among patients with 2 type diabetes in North Karelia, Finland, but essential care was continuously provided. The delivery of many essential services was facilitated by processes that strongly relied on telemedicine already before the pandemic.

Obesity affects millions of individuals worldwide and is associated with a significantly increased risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. A study publishing June 16th in the open access journal PLOS Digital Health by Annabell Ho at Noom, Inc. New York, United States, suggests that while setting a weight-loss goal, analytical language was associated with greater weight loss success and a lower likelihood of attrition.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is an efficient, minimally-invasive, gold standard procedure used for removing large kidney stones. Creating an access from the skin on the back to the kidney - called renal access, is a crucial yet challenging step in PCNL. An inefficiently created renal access can lead to severe complications including massive bleeding, thoracis and bowel injuries, renal pelvis perforation, or even sepsis.

A smartphone app that identifies severe jaundice in newborn babies by scanning their eyes could be a life-saver in areas that lack access to expensive screening devices, suggests a study co-authored by researchers at UCL (University College London) and the University of Ghana.

In recent years Alzheimer's disease has been on the rise throughout the world and is rarely diagnosed at an early stage when it can still be effectively controlled. Using artificial intelligence, Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) (Lithuania) researchers conducted a study to identify whether human-computer interfaces could be adapted for people with memory impairments to recognise a visible object in front of them.

A University of Minnesota Twin Cities research team has developed a new microfluidic chip for diagnosing diseases that uses a minimal number of components and can be powered wirelessly by a smartphone. The innovation opens the door for faster and more affordable at-home medical testing.

Both telemedicine and community screening for diabetic retinopathy (DR) in rural and urban settings are cost-effective in China, and telemedicine screening programs are more cost-effective, according to a study led by a group of ophthalmologists and economists.

The results were published in Health Data Science, a Science Partner Journal.