Latest California Healthline Stories
Why At-Home Rapid Covid Tests Cost So Much, Even After Biden’s Push for Lower Prices
Germans pay less than $1 per test. Brits get them free. Why do Americans pay so much more? Because companies can still demand it.
Apple Aims to Push More Patient Data to Doctors. But Who Can Gauge Its Impact on Health?
The Silicon Valley giant has been cryptic about its plan for the growing mound of health data available through its iPhones and watches. Health systems have experimented with the company’s health app, but it hasn’t yet become central to treatment.
The Pandemic Made Telehealth an Instant Hit. Patients and Providers Feel the Growing Pains.
Patients seem to like remote visits, and health care providers now depend on them. But outages, freezing and other glitches cost time and money, and compromise quality of care.
Calming Computer Jitters: Help for Seniors Who Aren’t Tech-Savvy
Millions of older adults want to be comfortable going online and using digital tools to enhance their lives. But many need help. A number of groups around the country offer assistance.
In a Murky Sea of Mental Health Apps, Consumers Left Adrift
Venture capitalists have poured billions into the digital mental health space, sensing an area of unmet demand that is ripe for disruption. The problem for consumers is separating the apps that might help from those that offer little more than distraction — or could actually do harm.
Covid Was a Tipping Point for Telehealth. If Some Have Their Way, Virtual Visits Are Here to Stay.
Pressure is mounting on Congress and the Biden administration to make permanent pandemic-inspired rules that fueled telehealth growth. Some fear fraud and ballooning costs.
Confronting Our ‘Frailties’: California’s Assembly Leader Reflects on a Year of Covid
California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon says covid exposed long-standing health care inequities that must be addressed. He told KHN he wants to get more people insured, boost broadband access so more patients can use telehealth and increase funding to local health departments.
Doctors Now Must Provide Patients Their Health Data, Online and On Demand
A new federal regulation makes it easy to get test results and see what your doctor is recording about your health. One downside: You might not understand what you read.
California’s Vaccine Appointment Website Has Glitches. No Surprise?
Experts give poor usability ratings to My Turn, the new statewide sign-up app for covid vaccination. But with so many problems plaguing the vaccination effort, it seems unreasonable to have expected this one to work perfectly.
Verily’s COVID Testing Program Halted in San Francisco and Oakland
Health officials in San Francisco and Alameda counties have cut ties with Verily’s state-funded COVID testing sites amid concerns about data collection and privacy.