Viewpoints: Deepfake Doctors Are Damaging Public Trust; Coffee To Prevent Dementia? Yes, Please.
Opinion writers tackle these public health topics.
On Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms, highly respected doctors are endorsing a wide variety of medical products — and racking up millions of views in the process. (John Whyte, 2/17)
A new study seems almost too good to be true: Drinking coffee may help prevent dementia. (Leana S. Wen, 2/17)
Data suggest that over a third of Americans use large language models for health advice. (Adam Rodman, 2/17)
Last May, the White House released a budget request for FY2026 that proposed eliminating the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Nine months later, President Trump signed into law an appropriations bill that fully funds it for the rest of the fiscal year. What happened in between is a roadmap for public health as it navigates an administration that continues to target its mission, work, and personnel. (Sharon Gilmartin, 2/16)
When there is not enough pain medicine to go around, who gets it? The teenager in agony after a crushed leg, or the 80 year old down the hall dying an excruciating death from cancer? Medication shortages are now a routine feature of American health care. (Parker Crutchfield, Casey Chmura and Abram Brummett, 2/17)
