Read article – Continued coverage of comments by Jennifer Emond, assistant professor of biomedical data science and of pediatrics, in an article about a study that found that interactive digital toys and mobile apps designed for little kids get in the way of creative play and interactions with caregivers that are essential for child development.

Read article – A news brief announcing that Steven Leach, the Preston T. and Virginia R. Kelsey Distinguished Chair in Cancer and director of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. (Similar coverage in the Valley News.)

Read article – An opinion piece coauthored by Agnes Binagwaho, adjunct professor of pediatrics and of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, in which she and her colleagues discuss how to achieve sustainable development goals.

Read article – An article remembering the life of Lisa Schwartz, professor of medicine, community and family medicine, and of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, who died on November 29 after a seven-year struggle with cancer. Schwartz and her husband and fellow Geisel professor Steve Woloshin, have been international thought leaders in research on communication of medical information for the public, health professionals, the media, and policymakers.

Read article – An obituary for Lisa Schwartz, professor of medicine, community and family medicine, and of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, who with her husband and fellow Geisel professor Steven Woloshin devoted her life to warning patients about the dangers of unnecessary medical tests and treatment and excessive diagnoses. Schwartz and Woloshin trained hundreds of journalists to become more skeptical about claimed scientific breakthroughs and miracle cures. (Picked up by WRAL.)

Read article – Quotes Jennifer Emond, assistant professor of biomedical data science and of pediatrics, in an article about a study that found that interactive digital toys and mobile apps designed for little kids get in the way of creative play and interactions with caregivers that are essential for child development. “Often parents may feel pressure to get their kids the newest digital educational toy for their children, but this … is not needed,” says Emond, who was not involved in the study. “Toys can be crafted from supplies available at home … We don’t need to spend a lot of money on toys to help our children develop; simpler may be better.” (Picked up by Eyewitness News.)

Read article – Quotes Steven Woloshin, professor of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, medicine, and community and family medicine, about the questions you should ask your doctor before taking a screening test for signs of a disease before it shows symptoms. “It only makes sense to get screened if you’re testing for something you can do something about—and if treatment is more effective when the problem is detected before symptoms develop,” says Woloshin.

Read article – Quotes Ellen Meara, professor of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and adjunct professor in economics, in an article about three recent reports released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week that found that American life expectancy is continuing its recent decline. “Sadly, this result confirms what many suspected based on data coming out earlier this year: that we continue to lose ground due in large part to preventable causes of death like overdose, suicide, and for deaths due to chronic lower respiratory diseases, many of which are attributable to tobacco use,” says Meara.

Read article – A news brief about a new program called Qmmunity, which looks to pair Dartmouth medical students as mentors with LGBTQ youth in the Upper Valley. Qmmunity is a collaboration between the Geisel School of Medicine and the group Rural Outright. (Similar coverage in Kaiser Health News.)

Read article – Quotes Ellen Meara, professor of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and adjunct professor in economics, in an article about how drug overdoses and suicides are causing American life expectancy to drop. “Sadly, this result confirms what many suspected based on data coming out earlier this year, that we continue to lose ground due in large part to preventable causes of death like overdose, suicide, and from deaths due to chronic lower respiratory diseases, many of which are attributable to tobacco use,” says Meara.