These 20 people are not just theorizing about the whizzbang of hot technology but rolling up their sleeves and demonstrating its value in real-world settings—to improve diagnostic care, access information that can inform treatment, address health inequities, and ensure the financial sustainability of health provider systems that operate on razor-thin margins. Their collective work offers a blueprint for leveraging AI responsibly and (hopefully) ethically, from streamlining hospital operations and enhancing clinical decision-making to revolutionizing drug discovery.

The current AI evolution presents both opportunities and challenges. Health systems face increasing demands, including rising patient expectations and staffing shortages. Implementing AI and large language models (LLMs) can address these concerns by enabling faster and more accurate treatment plans, automating administrative burdens, and personalizing patient care. However, realizing AI’s full potential requires thoughtful application, ethical considerations, and a commitment to addressing disparities.

These 20 champion AI’s practical application, guiding health systems toward innovation without losing sight of humankind’s well-being. They exemplify how AI can enhance rather than replace human expertise—an essential message as we continue to adapt to this rapidly evolving landscape. By following their work, health-sector leaders and innovators can gain invaluable insights into deploying AI for meaningful impact.

Trailblazers Redefining Health Innovation

While many thinkers will wow you with the future possibilities of these technologies, the 20 on this roster demonstrate transformative influence on the future of diagnostics, operational efficiency, and personalized care while emphasizing responsible, ethical implementation. From academia to industry, they provide vital insights and direction into leveraging AI for better health outcomes. Their work underscores AI’s ability to augment human expertise, providing a roadmap for health systems to innovate without losing sight of patient-centric care. Thanks to them and the others appearing on our Medika Life 2023 and 2024 list, we define AI as “augmented implementation” and not artificial intelligence.

How were they selected? They are public-facing, sharing their thoughts in articles, books, keynotes, classroom talks, research papers, and conferences. They willingly share their knowledge with others on their social media platforms. They spark ideas and challenge our current thinking, and these behaviors make them invaluable to the future application of information and its human health impact. Each person appears in hyperlinks so that readers can explore the depth of their contributions and, whenever possible, follow them on their social media platforms.

20 Voices of Influence Shaping AI in Health

Regina Barzilay, PhD

Dr. Barzilay, an MIT professor and MacArthur Fellow, is revolutionizing oncology and drug discovery through AI. Her pioneering work in machine learning has led to breakthroughs in early cancer detection, particularly in breast cancer screening. As co-founder and AI faculty lead of the MIT Jameel Clinic and the AI Cures initiative, she’s spearheading efforts to deploy AI models for cancer risk prediction in hospitals around the globe and accelerate drug development for infectious diseases. Dr. Barzilay’s work in oncology and drug discovery is paving the way for screening policies and new treatments.

• LinkedIn
• X

Anthony Chang, MD, MBA, MPH, MS

Dr. Anthony Chang, a pediatric cardiologist and founder of AIMed, is a driving force in AI education for health professionals. His book Intelligence-Based Medicine has become a cornerstone text. Dr. Chang’s recent work focuses on developing AI-powered predictive models for pediatric cardiac care and implementing AI solutions to enhance hospital operational efficiency. His annual AIMed conference has become a global platform for sharing cutting-edge AI health innovation.

• LinkedIn
• X

Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH

Google Chief Health Officer DeSalvo leads initiatives that leverage AI and big data to address critical public health challenges and promote health equity. Her work includes developing AI-driven tools for early disease detection in underserved communities and creating platforms that provide real-time health data analytics for policymakers. Dr. DeSalvo’s leadership in responsible AI use ensures that Google’s health technologies prioritize patient privacy and ethical considerations.

• LinkedIn
• X

Pamela Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Davis is a distinguished researcher at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine specializing in AI-driven diagnostics and clinical applications. After 13 years as the Dean of the School of Medicine, she returned to the faculty. Her work centers on predictive algorithms for early disease detection and improved treatment planning. But Dr. Davis is an anomaly to this roster. She has no social media handles and her many published works are not curated carefully. Yet, tracking her contributions shows her depth and national influence on the future of AI in practice. With numerous published studies on AI’s transformative role in health, Dr. Davis continues to shape the future of diagnostic pathways.

• Mail

David Feinberg, MD, MBA

As Chair of Oracle Health, Feinberg champions using AI and cloud-based technologies to improve health outcomes. He focuses on predictive analytics and data-driven tools that enhance clinical decision-making and streamline hospital operations. His leadership drives innovation in health technology integration. Dr. Feinberg is widely recognized for his transformative leadership as CEO of Geisinger Health, where he pioneered initiatives in population health, precision medicine, and value-based care. His expertise in integrating technology with health-care delivery continues to drive innovation, making digital tools more accessible and impactful for providers and patients.

• LinkedIn
• X

John Halamka, MD, MS

John Halamka, President of the Mayo Clinic Platform, is a trailblazer in AI-driven health solutions, leveraging data and technology to transform patient care. Co-author of The Digital Reconstruction of Healthcare, Halamka is a leading voice on digital transformation, interoperability, and the ethical use of AI in medicine. His work at the Mayo Clinic focuses on developing scalable digital platforms and AI models to advance diagnostics, remote monitoring, and personalized medicine. With a background spanning emergency medicine, informatics, and policy, Halamka’s insights continue to guide health systems toward a more connected, efficient, and data-driven future.

• LinkedIn
• X

Taha Kass-Hout, MD, MS

Dr. Taha Kass-Hout, General Manager of Amazon Health AI, is a pioneer in leveraging artificial intelligence to drive advancements in healthcare delivery. With a background in clinical practice, public health, and digital innovation, he leads initiatives that harness AI for improved diagnostics, care management, and population health outcomes. Previously, as the first FDA Chief Health Informatics Officer, he championed data-driven approaches to public health. His leadership at Amazon drives scalable, data-driven health models that integrate machine learning with real-world applications, positioning him as a key influencer in the future of AI in health.

• LinkedIn
• X

Isaac Kohane, MD, PhD

Dr. Kohane, Chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School and co-author of The AI Revolution in Medicine: GPT-4 and Beyond, is a leading authority on the intersection of AI and clinical care. His research focuses on using machine learning for precision medicine and improving electronic health records. Dr. Kohane has been instrumental in developing AI models that enhance diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes. His recent work explores the potential of LLMs, such as ChatGPT, in clinical decision-making and patient engagement.

• LinkedIn
• X

Daniel Kraft, MD

Dr. Daniel Kraft is the founder of Exponential Medicine and a visionary in personalized medicine approaches. He’s an inventor, a former F-16 flight surgeon, and always ready to champion others’ bold ideas. Dr. Kraft explores how AI can transform health delivery and disease prevention. Dr. Kraft’s recent initiatives focus on AI-powered tools for early diagnosis and patient engagement. His next chapter includes the very successful NextMed Health and the evolution of Exponential Medicine. NextMed Health 2025 will be held in San Diego on March 30 and April 2, 2025.

• LinkedIn
• X

Tom Lawry

Tom Lawry, soon to be the author of his highly anticipated new book Health Care Nation: The Future Is Calling, and It’s Better Than You Think, may redefine the intersection of technology and patient care. Already renowned as the author of Hacking Healthcare, Lawry has built a reputation as a leading AI strategist who advises organizations on integrating cutting-edge AI solutions to boost operational efficiency. His former role at Microsoft as Director for AI for Health and Life Sciences, Director of Worldwide Health, and Director of Organizational Performance for the company’s first health incubator cements his standing as a trailblazer in health innovation. He’s almost always a keynote favorite at conferences such as HLTH and HIMSS.

• LinkedIn
• X

Fei-Fei Li, PhD

Dr. Fei-Fei Li is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in AI, emphasizing ethical considerations and societal impact. She co-founded AI4ALL, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing diversity in artificial intelligence, and has played a pivotal role in shaping policies for responsible AI development. Her leadership continues to influence the global AI landscape, bridging technology with human values.

• LinkedIn
• X

Vivian Lee, MD, PhD, MBA

Dr. Lee, author of The Long Fix, is a pioneering health tech executive driving data-driven health transformation. Her recent work includes developing AI-powered platforms for value-based care models and implementing predictive analytics to reduce hospital readmissions. Dr. Lee’s initiatives as former president at Verily Life Sciences focused on leveraging AI to optimize care delivery across diverse populations.

• LinkedIn
• X

Peter Lee, PhD

As Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Health, Dr. Peter Lee spearheads initiatives that apply AI to solve complex health-sector challenges. His recent projects include developing AI models for precision medicine and creating cloud-based solutions for health data interoperability. In his role, Dr. Lee seeks to solve complex health-sector challenges by integrating cutting-edge technology with practical healthcare applications.

• LinkedIn
• X

John Nosta

John Nosta has earned his place as a top influence in the AI landscape—particularly in discussions surrounding ChatGPT and large language models—due to his visionary insights and ability to demystify complex technological innovations. His thought leadership bridges the gap between cutting-edge AI research and practical, real-world applications, making the transformative potential of these tools accessible to a broad audience. By articulating AI’s promise and ethical challenges, Nosta fosters a balanced dialogue that drives the industry forward. His forward-thinking perspective and engaging commentary not only illuminate the evolving impact of AI on various sectors but also inspire both startups and established companies to reimagine the future of technology. Nosta has an upcoming book that is expected to drop sometime in fall 2025.

• LinkedIn
• X

Ziad Obermeyer, MD

Ziad Obermeyer, MD, is the Blue Cross of California Distinguished Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, researching the intersection of machine learning, medicine and health policy. His work has exposed biases in clinical algorithms and highlighted disparities in care delivery. As a co-founder of Nightingale Open Science, he promotes data transparency and collaboration to advance medical AI. His contributions are reshaping predictive analytics and decision-making in healthcare. Before his full-time career in emergency medicine, he consulted pharmaceutical and global health clients at McKinsey & Co. in New Jersey, Geneva, and Tokyo.

• LinkedIn
• X

Neal Patel, MD, MPH

As the Chief Information Officer for Health IT at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Dr. Patel leads the integration of advanced technologies into health delivery. With more than two decades of experience in HIT, Patel has been instrumental in computerized physician order entry systems and electronic health records to enhance clinical and quality processes. He focuses on translating VUMC goals into informatics strategies, optimizing patient care, and improving safety and services across the care continuum. Dr. Patel’s work underscores the transformative potential of AI and LLMs in the provider system.

• LinkedIn

Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP

As Senior Vice President at CVS Health, Rhee leads initiatives that leverage AI for health equity and personalized care. His recent projects include implementing AI-driven health risk assessments in underserved communities and developing machine learning models to predict medication adherence. Through his leadership, CVS has deployed AI-powered virtual care solutions expanding access to preventive services and helping to close care gaps while improving outcomes for diverse patient populations.

• LinkedIn
• X

Nigam Shah, MBBS, PhD

Dr. Shah, a professor at Stanford University, specializes in applying AI to clinical workflows and electronic health records. His recent work includes developing AI models for real-time clinical decision support and creating algorithms to identify patients for clinical trials. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals on machine learning applications in healthcare and co-authored chapters in Artificial Intelligence in Medicine. Shah also leads Stanford’s Center for Biomedical Informatics Research, advancing research on AI’s role in population health and precision medicine.

• LinkedIn
• X

Eric Topol, MD

Dr. Eric Topol is not just “a” trailblazer in digital medicine. He will likely be among those acknowledged singular voices bridging the possible with the practical. His groundbreaking work has consistently pushed the boundaries of health innovation. Dr. Topol redefined patient empowerment with his seminal book The Patient Will See You Now. He transformed the traditional healthcare model, advocating for a future where technology facilitates personalized, proactive care. As the author of Deep Medicine, he continues to champion the integration of AI in health, exploring its potential to revolutionize patient care. Dr. Topol’s visionary contributions and commitment to merging clinical expertise with cutting-edge technology have established him as a guiding voice at the intersection of care and innovation, making him a standout influencer in AI applications.

• LinkedIn
• X

Hal Wolf, III, FHIMSS

Harold (Hal) Wolf is the president and CEO of HIMSS, a global advisor and thought leader supporting the transformation of the health ecosystem through information and technology. If health-related smart technologies such as AI, ChatGPT, GenAI, and LLMs have a central home to discuss policies and implementation, it is HIMSS. Hal shepherds the world’s health information management community. While his staff advance science and policy, championing implementation throughout the ecosystem. Wolf and HIMSS are where theory meets action. Wolf is far more than a leader of a global society of import; he is the community’s ambassador to NGOs, governments, and industry.

• LinkedIn

The Rise of Generative AI in Digital Health: Key Insights from Galen Growth

Beyond tracking the 20 listed in the year’s people to watch and the previous two years, following the Galen Growth executive briefing Generative AI in Digital Health – Hype or Reality? The report is a must-read for AI, ChatGPT, and LLM professionals. It reveals how nearly 4,000 digital health ventures leverage AI, with 2% focused on generative AI. Notably, 27% of these applications enhance health management, and over 330 AI-driven ventures have partnered with health systems in the past five years. This report offers critical insights into AI’s growing impact on digital health innovation.

Acknowledgments

I thank my Medika Life colleagues, including Drs. Robert Turner, Jeff Livingston, Hesham A. Hassaballa, Patricia Farrell, and Michael Hunter, whose commitment to public health information inspire. I am also grateful to the many sector professionals I engage at events such as CNS Summit, DHAI, HIMSS, HITLAB, HLTH, and ViVE—people who generously share perspectives and contribute invaluable recommendations. A shout-out to Christina Raish, our new associate editor at Medika Life, for her support in making this feature possible.

Special recognition goes to those who have appeared on past Medika Life lists and remain engaged in advancing health and well-being. Their commitment to meaningful change is commendable to individuals and the planet. These trailblazers continue to push boundaries, demonstrating an unwavering dedication to improving lives.

Since the dawn of civilization, humanity has been awed and challenged by technological progress—from the mastery of fire to artificial intelligence. Each era, from the Stone Age to the Iron Age and now the Information and Cognitive Age, has demanded careful consideration of how best to harness innovation. Today, as we navigate the era of “thinking” technologies, one truth remains unchanged: the power of human insight, courage, and empathy must guide progress.

—Gil Bashe, Editor-in-Chief, Medika.Life

Remember to Follow the Voices of Influence from our 2023 and 2024 Rosters:

Spot a broken link, typo, forgotten degree, or name misspelled?

Oops! Apologies! While care has been taken in compiling this list and adding social media links, things go wrong: a name is misspelled, a link is broken, or an incorrect social media handle is listed. Please do get in touch to address typos, amendments, or omissions by reaching gil.bashe@medika.life.

Thanks in advance and be healthy!

The post 20 People Who are Transforming the Health Ecosystem Through Practical Paths to Apply AI – 2025 Roster appeared first on Medika Life.

The headlines often brim with excitement—just last week, Google’s DeepMind unveiled AlphaProteo, an AI that designs proteins to bind with unprecedented precision to target molecules, marking a major leap in drug discovery. The ability to generate protein binders in a single step could reshape the way we treat diseases like cancer, autoimmune disorders, and viral infections. A remarkable feat, no doubt—but it begs the question: is technology driving us further into the paradigm of “sick care”?

The “sick care” concept frames healthcare as an industry primarily designed to react to illness rather than prevent it. It’s a system built to treat disease once it has taken root, focusing its efforts on developing drugs, interventions, and surgical techniques. And indeed, this is where we see the lion’s share of technological advancements. AI has been transformative here—accelerating drug discovery, optimizing clinical trials, and personalizing treatments. The economic incentives behind such innovations are undeniable: the pharmaceutical industry thrives on the development of new drugs and with good reason. Curing or managing diseases after diagnosis is a multi-billion-dollar enterprise.

But what of the other pole of healthcare? The space where wellness, prevention, and lifestyle medicine reside? In this sphere, the story is far less dramatic. While we see incremental advancements in fitness apps, wearable technology, and AI-driven health monitoring, they pale compared to the transformative work done in sick care. And it’s not because prevention lacks importance—it’s because prevention lacks the same financial incentives.

AlphaProteo: A Case Study in “Sick Care” Innovation

Take AlphaProteo as a prime example. This AI system could fast-track treatments for cancer, autoimmune diseases, and viral infections by designing proteins that bind more effectively to disease-associated targets. In one case, AlphaProteo achieved an 88% success rate in designing a binder for BHRF1, a protein linked to autoimmune disorders, far surpassing traditional methods’ 18% success rate. This achievement is not only a technical triumph but also an economic one. The efficiency and precision of AlphaProteo could reduce the time and cost of drug development, potentially revolutionizing the industry.

Yet, in celebrating such advances, we may be reinforcing a system that is reactive by nature. We are focusing on treating diseases after they have already begun wreaking havoc on the human body. The technological revolution, it seems, is deeply intertwined with the mechanics of treating the sick rather than preventing sickness altogether. 

The Wellness Gap: Prevention and Technology

It’s not that AI is incapable of driving innovation in prevention and wellness—it’s that the incentives aren’t aligned. Prevention, by nature, is harder to quantify, monetize, and structure within the current healthcare paradigm. While we’ve seen some success stories in the wellness space—AI-driven personalized nutrition plans, predictive algorithms that gauge disease risk, and continuous health monitoring via wearable devices—the resources and attention directed here pale in comparison to the juggernaut of drug development and treatment.

Consider this: wellness and preventive care require a shift in thinking. They demand long-term investment for outcomes that may take years, even decades, to materialize fully. In contrast, sick care offers immediate, measurable returns. A breakthrough drug can earn billions in revenue within a few short years. Prevention, by contrast, often goes unnoticed because its success lies in what doesn’t happen. A disease that never manifests because of a carefully optimized lifestyle isn’t as celebrated as one that is heroically cured after diagnosis.

Why the Balance Matters

The disparity between sick care and preventive care isn’t just an economic or technological issue—it’s philosophical. It speaks to the way we view health and medicine. For centuries, healthcare has been about intervention—about stepping in after the fact to fix what’s gone wrong. But if we continue to pour all our technological resources into this model, we run the risk of reinforcing its limitations.

AI and technology have the potential to disrupt not only how we treat diseases but how we think about health itself. Imagine a world where AI helps us prevent disease with the same rigor and intensity it applies to curing it. AI-driven systems could personalize diets and wellness plans, continuously monitor our health markers, and predict disease years before it manifests. Such an approach could shift the very foundation of healthcare—from reactive to proactive, from intervention to prevention.

Is a Preventive Revolution Possible?

The real challenge lies in the structure of healthcare economics. For a true preventive revolution to take place, the incentives must change. Governments, healthcare systems, and tech companies must begin to value and invest in wellness with the same fervor they invest in drugs and treatments. In the meantime, sick care remains the dominant paradigm, and technology, for all its brilliance, is largely reinforcing this model.

The future of healthcare could be one where AI is equally adept at helping us live healthier, longer lives as it is at curing diseases. But for that future to materialize, we need to rethink our approach to healthcare innovation. Is it enough to celebrate breakthroughs like AlphaProteo, or should we challenge ourselves to develop technologies that keep us from needing these breakthroughs in the first place? We stand at a crossroads. Will AI continue to drive us deeper into the domain of sick care, or will we harness its power to reshape healthcare as we know it—focusing not just on extending life but on enhancing the quality of life from the very start?

The post Is Technology Reinforcing the Very Essence of “Sick Care?” appeared first on Medika Life.

“OMG, am I dying?”

“I read that this vaccine is dangerous”.

“I want to try this new supplement, does it work?”

“Is this normal, or. . .”

Have you ever put one of these queries into a search engine? Was it helpful? I get lots of questions about health information that folks have run across online. It can be great to read up and educate yourself, but it can also be really hard to tell what’s legitimate, what’s relevant, and what’s not.

What started out as a well-intentioned fact-finding mission can quickly spiral out of control as you try to make sense of the stew of opinions, science, sales pitches, and general noise that is in the online health space. Before we go any further, a disclaimer: nothing you read online is ever a substitute for personalized, professional medical advice. If you are experiencing an emergency, you should always seek medical care from a professional, not from an online search.

OK? Good. Now, let’s go through some of the places you might land when you’re googling health topics and identify the best ways to use what you find.

University and government sites

If you are looking for solid, reliable, mainstream information about a health condition, seek out a university or government sites (.edu or .gov). National charities associated with a particular condition (like the national Eczema Association or Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation) are also usually good sources.

You can use these to learn the background and basics of disease and to understand general treatment options. Keep in mind that there are limitations to applying this information to yourself without additional context or expertise.

Not everything that’s generally true about the topic will be relevant to you. Overall, trust these sources as generally accurate but not tailored to you.

Message boards

These are great places to find personal narratives from individuals. It can be helpful to share experiences and build community with other patients. This can be really validating and can also sometimes uncover patterns and new information that you might not have thought of or noticed.

However, this kind of forum can also spread misinformation when people generalize their experiences to apply to everyone. When you are only considering a handful of people, you can’t truly know what’s related to a medical condition or treatment and what’s not.

Scientific evidence is how we determine whether treatments are safe as well as whether they work, and this means systematically comparing groups of people. Another issue with online health communities is that just like our bodies can respond well to the placebo effect by improving, we can also be influenced by our expectations that things won’t go well — this is sometimes called the “nocebo” effect.

So absolutely, communicate with other people to share experiences and frustrations, but keep your common sense intact. Make sure that if you’re going to try something new, it doesn’t carry risks that you might not have thought about. This might mean asking a healthcare professional about it, especially if you’re going to try a drug or supplement with the hopes of treating a medical problem.

The bottom line is, value others’ experiences and let them help you think about your own, but do not assume that what works for others is definitely right for you.

Symptom checkers

Want to hear your doctor’s best-exasperated sigh? Mention that you found something on WebMD. There’s a disclaimer on the symptom checker page on WebMD that reads “this tool does not provide medical advice”. Please heed this warning.

The two major pitfalls of WebMD and other symptom-checking sites are that it gives you a worst-case scenario, and it can lead you to anchor on a particular idea that’s hard to let go of if it turns out to be incorrect. I searched “headache in the morning” just now, and the list it gave me included “cerebral hemorrhage” and “pneumococcal meningitis” along with a lot of other stuff. Of course this will freak you out!

But those things could be effectively ruled out by some quick screening questions from someone who knows what they’re doing. If you’re thinking “brain tumor” and your doctor says to just drink more water and pop an ibuprofen, it’s easy to feel like you’re not being taken seriously. This doesn’t necessarily mean your doctor isn’t listening! They are able to interpret your symptoms in context in a way that you may not, and their expertise is why you went to see them in the first place.

You’d be better off skipping the google search, starting with some basic self-care, and being on the lookout for symptoms that are really and truly unusual or distressing for you. Look for things that are severe or persistent. This means knowing your body and what’s really “out of range” for you. Most little body quirks aren’t concerning despite what WebMD might come up with. If you choose to check your symptoms online, try not to fixate on the rare and serious things. There’s a saying in medicine that “true disease declares itself”. Remember this and don’t talk yourself into a catastrophe every time you notice something slightly off with your body.

Facebook

Please don’t crowdsource your symptoms on Facebook. You will hear terrible ideas from a lot of people who are high on confidence and low on knowledge. I have seen some frighteningly bad advice given in Facebook comments by people who are well-intentioned. And for some reason, everyone loves to share their horror stories here. Don’t do it. You will feel worse 100% of the time.

PubMed

If you have any background in science and you’re curious, you might enjoy looking at scientific papers. This is for more of a deep dive on a topic than it is for practical advice. The best place to search the scientific literature for peer-reviewed papers is the PubMed database.

The peer-review process increases the credibility of the information by ensuring some degree of scientific merit. For the highest quality evidence, look for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, studies done with humans (not animals), look at the size and diversity of the samples. If you’re intellectually curious, scientifically educated, or interested in what might be coming down the pipeline, PubMed can be a great place to deepen your knowledge.

Alternative websites and blogs

Skepticism of the mainstream isn’t necessarily always a bad thing; sometimes the scientific establishment does miss the boat. How do you know if a non-mainstream source is legitimate or not? I suggest that you start with the idea of trusting science and also respecting its limitations.

When seeking out information and opinions that are not well established, consider the motivations and general philosophical orientation of the source. Some blogs that appear to provide alternative health information are vehicles for selling “alternative cures” that have no basis. Some are politically motivated disinformation. And some are really, truly reasonable sources of information about topics that don’t have a solid body of evidence behind them simply because they haven’t been sufficiently studied.

This category includes conditions that disproportionately impact women, poor people, and people of color, rare diseases, and conditions that are hard to diagnose with the methods currently in use. I suggest bringing an open mind and a critical eye to such sources.

If the source acknowledges and respects science and explains why its positions fall outside of the mainstream, it can be worth considering in the context of other available information. If it contains inflammatory political language, sells products, or is not clear about who its authors are, you should not consider it a credible source of health information.

Social media feeds

Consider the difference between active and passive information exposure. It’s good to seek information about a specific health issue or concern you might have, but it can be problematic to passively absorb what others are promoting, often with a vested interest. If your feed is full of health influencers, it can get really confusing really fast. It’s hard to tell who’s a true expert, who’s selling something, and who might be well-intentioned but not right for you. I suggest keeping this kind of content at arm’s length. Fill your social feed with pictures of cute dogs, and save the health stuff for times when you have specific needs. Then, you can seek out the right sources instead of whatever rose to the top of the algorithm that day.

I hope this helps you sort the good from the bad and the ugly, and remember you can always talk to a health professional who knows you if you have specific concerns. Keep learning!

The post How to Consult Dr. Google appeared first on Medika Life.

How the US fell out of love with Coronavirus searches

Perhaps the most telling data is the graph above. It shows a range of data searched on Google over the last year, including weather, news, music, and sport. Coronavirus hits a heady high in early March and then plummets with a slight resurgence in June and July. Now, it’s all but disappeared off the graph as people search for weather and news related events.

Covid is no longer news. What happened? Did Americans simply get fed up with the 24/7 coverage of Covid? Are they desensitized or did their focus turn elsewhere?

It turns out the consequences of the pandemic and the lockdown, financial and otherwise, are of far more importance to the average American. They are searching for topics that matter to them, a clear indicator of how the pandemic has affected the average American family. It is no longer about the fear of dying from an invisible virus, it’s about how those that survive the virus are going to cope. It’s about finances.

You can explore the top current coronavirus search trends using the interactive table below.

The American Coronavirus Educational Fail

Nearly a year later and Trump’s handling of Covid may as well be entitled ” A case study in how not to provide basic education to the public”. The average American still has questions, even the most basic, about their health and Covid-19. Here is a list of health-related queries that shows where their real concerns lie and where gaps in public education still exist.

President-Elect Biden’s Coronavirus team has the perfect tool at their disposal for formulating a campaign moving forward that addresses the actual needs of the public.

Where’s Wally?

You can keep an eye on which regions are really worried about Covid by checking Google’s area-specific searches, arranged by state within the US. This may even be a more accurate predictor of surges within states. It definitely shows us how people on the ground are reacting and that is often the most telling indicator of real-time events.

On the Economy and an uncertain Financial Future

Here are the latest trends on those topics and the search incidence over the last weeks.

Will Strip Clubs in the U.S. survive a Covid Vaccine?

You have to smile. Despite all the sickness and despair, the worlds oldest trade still flourishes, no keeping a good stripper down apparently. Hope she remembered her mask.

What does all this data mean?

Essentially, the data paints a picture of a population that has becomes desensitized to the dangers of the coronavirus. Beyond its broader impact on their way of life, financial and otherwise, most Americans now chose to go about their “normal” lives. The danger in this is that containing the virus in any meaningful way becomes impossible. The fear and novelty of the novel virus has come and gone in most American minds.

Coping with peak after peak of a new wave of infections hasn’t affected the general public’s activity online. Biden is going to be faced with an uphill battle. The media needs to take a more proactive role in re-educating the public, properly this time. Real and present dangers need to be stressed, containment protocols needs to be enforced and the spread of misinformation needs to be actively combatted. It isn’t going to be an easy path forward for Americans who, if search terms are to be believed, are more interested in vaccines (potentially months away for the public) than the very real threat that now permeates every corner of their country.

The post How America Lost Interest in Covid Amidst a Pandemic appeared first on Medika Life.