#11 A healthy world cup? ⚽
Also: AI offsets shortages of healthcare staff, menopause-at-work market, AirPods hearing aids & more.
From the depths of your slumber, I summon thee. Today’s newsletter is 630 words long, or a 2 minute read.
Think about it 💡
⚽ WHO and the State of Qatar have partnered with FIFA to lead the Healthy 2022 World Cup project. I know, let’s unpack this. First and obvious, with corporate sponsors driven to profit from unhealthy lifestyles, such as Coca-Cola and McDonald's, that is, as Alanis would say, a damn black fly in your Chardonnay. Not to mention said sponsors' slight tendency to massively pollute. As Europe experienced its hottest October on record, some are cooling off in air-conditioned stadiums that have claimed the lives of at least 6,500 workers, and where fans travel by shuttle planes. We will skip over human rights violations. But apparently, according to the WHO, this is the perfect setting to create lEgAcY fOr SpOrTs aNd HeAlTh. That would be ten thousand spoons when all you need is common sense.
🩺 Hospitals are using AI to address workforce needs. Nearly 334,000 clinicians left the workforce in 2021 in the United States alone. Retirements, burnout, and pandemic-related stressors (including increased workplace violence) have significantly reduced healthcare staffing. AI and machine learning models are helping healthcare organizations deal with the avalanche of unfilled job openings. They facilitate the application process, automate workflow to curb burnout, and help practitioners find the right position, stay there, and engage with colleagues and patients on a more human level.
Menopause in the workplace 💼
👩🏽🤝👩🏻 Speaking of workforce, women have also been leaving it. More precisely, millions of women have dropped out of the labor force compared to pre-COVID-19, and while men are rapidly recovering lost jobs, women are re-entering at a much slower pace. Heaps of reasons are brought up, but one is often left out. Although it is a natural phenomenon that affects at least half of humanity (and up to 20% of the current US workforce), menopause is still very much taboo.
💰 The global menopause market is expected to reach $24.4 billion by 2030, up from $15.4 billion in 2021. This is tackling a problem affecting a lot of people and worth a lot of money. So it's no wonder really that a growing number of companies are moving into this space (Carrot, Maven Clinic, Evernow…). However, even with the recent attention from startups, only 5% of Femtech is dealing with menopause. And there is still a big gap in the management of the condition.
Neat News 🗞️
🩺 Midlife health checks are going digital in the UK. Neat.
🔎 Cryos International Sperm and Egg Bank found that using VR during sperm donation enhances sperm quality. Vey neat.
💰 Upstream secured $140 million to deliver patient-oriented, value-based primary care. Ultra neat.
What the hellth? 🔬
🦻 Could Apple's $250 AirPods disrupt the over-the-counter hearing aid market? According to a recent paper published in iScience, maybe.
✏️ Apple's earbuds have a "live listening" feature that transmits amplified environmental sounds into the user's ears, similar to a hearing aid. The study compared the AirPods Pro to both basic and high-end models of hearing aids on the market. About two dozen adults - none of whom had ever used hearing aids - were asked to wear each device during a series of tests.
💡 Turns out that the AirPods Pro met four of the five standards developed by the Consumer Technology Association for Personal Sound Amplification products, although they are not currently commercialized as alternatives to hearing aids.
Clean Content 🧼
🥼 To loop back on our previous very sad poll results, there are reasons why it seems like your doctor doesn’t care about you.
🏩 A query for the ages: will sextech survive a tech crackdown and cost of living crisis?
🦠 WHO re-named Monkeypox Mpox to avoid stigma. I don’t know about you, but Mmmpox, ba duba pox.
This is what you came for 🍑
🏅 To conclude on our World Cup theme, a recent study examined monthly national birth rates for 50 European countries over a 56-year period, as well as measures of national team performance at 27 international soccer events. It showed that an increase in national team performance is associated with a reduction in birth rates nine months after the event. Seems like the more they score, the less you do ;)
Fare thee well.
Great content!!
Great stuff as usual!!!