Fresh on Friday

Measles an imminent global threat due to pandemic, CDC and WHO say (CBC)

The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say measles immunization has dropped significantly since the coronavirus pandemic began, resulting in a record high of nearly 40 million children missing a vaccine dose last year. In a report issued Wednesday, the WHO and the CDC said millions of children were now susceptible to measles, among the world's most contagious diseases. In 2021, officials said there were about nine million measles infections and 128,000 deaths worldwide. More…

To mask or not to mask. The sequel (Healthy Debate)

Canada’s provincial medical officers of health are resisting calls for mask mandates despite pediatric hospitals facing a surge of hospitalizations from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID-19 and influenza. In B.C., Bonnie Henry says there is no need for “that heavy hand of a mandate … because we have many other tools and a high level of protection.” Instead, Henry has encouraged mask use in settings such as public transit, in crowds and when sick. In Ontario, Kieran Moore has “strongly recommended” the use of masks in all indoor public settings, despite hospitals at overcapacity and limiting services. Moore recently was widely mocked for going maskless at a public event shortly after making his recommendation. More…

A micro-thin smart bandage can quickly heal and monitor wounds (Popular Science)

Researchers at Stanford University have designed a smart bandage capable of monitoring wounds’ healing in real time, as well as accelerate tissue growth and blood flow around them while reducing scar severity. First described today through findings published in Nature Biotechnology, the team’s new material is only 100 microns thick (equivalent to a single layer of latex paint), yet contains radio antenna, electrical stimulator, biosensors, and other components resting atop a skin-like polymer known as a hydrogel. More…

How Great Leaders Communicate (HBR)

In the age of knowledge, ideas are the foundation of success in almost every field. You can have the greatest idea in the world, but if you can’t persuade anyone else to follow your vision, your influence and impact will be greatly diminished. And that’s why communication is no longer considered a “soft skill” among the world’s top business leaders. Leaders who reach the top do not simply pay lip service to the importance of effective communication. Instead, they study the art in all its forms — writing, speaking, presenting — and constantly strive to improve on those skills. More…

How Can You Make Trust Stronger If You Don’t Have It? (IHI)

Can you rebuild trust when trust is absent? Can you strengthen trust when it is not just weakened but broken?

These are two of the provocative questions recently asked by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Innovation Team. The Innovation Team serves as IHI’s internal engine for research and development of new care models. We explore promising improvement ideas in health care that may not yet have received the attention they deserve. More…