A Colorado endocrinologist helped spark a quiet revolution in weight care by changing how primary care clinics talk about - and treat - obesity. Instead of vague advice to "eat less and exercise more," a new system called PATHWEIGH gave patients a clear, judgment-free path to real medical support for weight management.
In 2035, AIs are more than co-pilots in medicine, they have become the frontline for much primary care. Gone is the early morning scramble to get through to a harassed GP receptionist for help. Patients now contact their doctor's AI to explain their ailments. It quickly cross-checks the information against the patient's medical history and provides a pre-diagnosis, putting the human GP in a position to decide what to do next.
Each year Americans make an estimated 500 million visits to primary care doctors. In fact, the CDC found just over 85% of Americans had a visit with a doctor or health professional in the past year. Whether for annual checkups, illnesses, ailments, or other physical concerns, these visits are relatively routine and somewhat expected. Contrast that with the American Medical Association's finding that less than half of the 43 million adults identified with a mental illness receive treatment.
The garage in their Pontiac home was filled with food, much of it perishable. Animals got into it. Summer arrived. The toxic smell of rotted food was inescapable. Uhle hoped someone would intervene, but no one did. Had her parents lived elsewhere, perhaps the story would have ended differently. Gleason and colleagues (2021) address this dilemma directly in "Managing hoarding and squalor," noting that general practitioners often play a key role in recognizing and managing these situations before they become dangerous.
Forty-four nurses and health-care professionals including social workers, dietitians, and pharmacists from the North York Family Health Team (NYFHT) have been on strike since Oct. 20. Rita Ha, a pharmacist and the group's bargaining unit president, told CBC Toronto the workers want to see the government funds redirected to staff along with a fair collective agreement. We've been doing negotiations since April 2024, she said. Every single time we come to the table, they're saying, There's no money, there's no money, there's no money.'
They will break from the status quo. They will add to the care we already value. Staffed by GPs and nurses. And you won't need to call up for an appointment. That means more people can go after work - when it fits with their lives.
