Trending News Today: Childhood Brain Cancer May Influence Independence in Adulthood

Artificial intelligence (AI) company Babylon Healthcare announced it would invest $100 million to expand its capabilities to manage chronic diseases such as diabetes and depression, Reuters reported. According to the article, Babylon has developed an AI-powered platform that it says can assess symptoms and diagnose illnesses to the same capability as a physician. The AI, which typically interacts with the patient through a smartphone app, will perform a health assessment and then create a personalized treatment plan, monitoring progress through multiple devices connected to Babylon’s platform, the article reported.

Adults who had childhood brain cancer may have a harder time living independently than adults who did not have these tumors in adolescence, Reuters reported. According to the article, the study analyzed 306 childhood brain tumor survivors who were 26 years old on average and had typically been diagnosed with cancer approximately 18 years earlier. Forty percent had achieved levels of independence similar to those who had not had childhood brain cancer, 34% were only moderately independent, and another 26% were non-independent and needed assistance with personal care and navigating daily life, according to the study. Radiation therapy appeared to influence independence, the article reported.

A new study found that immigrants use fewer health care services and account for less spending by public and private insurance programs than individuals born in the United States, Reuters reported. According to the article, immigrants’ health care utilization was only one-half to two-thirds as high as that of US-born individuals. Undocumented immigrants account for 1.4% of total medical expenditures in the United States, even though they make up 5% of the population, the article reported.