Welcome to Pulse: Hot Topics, where Louise and George unpack the big shifts shaping healthcare right now.

Australian MedTech Innovator Wins PM’s Prize
A Perth-based researcher-engineer-pathologist wins the Prime Minister’s Prize for New Innovators with two real-world solutions — one that makes finding veins as easy as using a stud finder, and another putting “heart health in a box.” Proof that Australian innovation is alive, practical, and personal. Congrats Dr Nikhilesh Bappoo!

ChatGPT Loses Its ‘Medical License’
OpenAI has clipped ChatGPT’s wings, banning personalised medical advice after legal and ethical backlash. We unpack what really changed, the mental health controversies driving the decision, and whether we’re throwing out the baby with the bathwater when it comes to AI in healthcare.

AI Drug Development: Promise, Progress, or Just Hype?
Billions have poured into AI-driven drug discovery — yet the much-touted pipeline of miracle medicines still hasn’t arrived. We look at why biology keeps humbling the algorithms, why hype outruns results, and what needs to change before AI truly delivers its pharmaceutical revolution.

Femtech: The Oura Ring’s Pregnancy Breakthrough
A study of over 10,000 pregnancies using data from the Oura Ring gives us the most detailed physiological map of pregnancy ever — all from wearable tech. We explore what this means for women’s health, early warning signs, and whether constant monitoring brings comfort or anxiety.

NHS AI Blueprint: Regulation Before Revolution

The UK’s NHS unveils a new AI regulation blueprint promising safer, faster adoption of AI across the health system. We discuss whether the world’s most-watched health service has found the right balance between innovation and accountability.

NHS Digital Safety Scandal

A jaw-dropping study finds that more than 70% of digital health tools in the NHS have no documented safety assurance. We break down what that means for patients, why safety can’t be optional, and what other countries — including Australia — should learn from this wake-up call.

Resources:

• Prime Minister’s Science Prize Winner Pulse+IT story link
• Dr Nikhilesh Bappoo LinkedIn
• AI Drug Development – turns out it’s hard! Sick Economics article
• FemTech: Oura Ring & Pregnancy study Research Paper
• NHS Digital Safety Crisis study: JMIR link
• Global Health Connector Online Summit 18-19 November. FREE to register Link

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