Tag Archives: unable

Gallup Poll Shows Increasing Number of Americans Unable to Afford Healthcare

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The high cost of living in America not only drives up egg prices and housing costs but also contributes to the unhappiness of its citizens. The affordability of healthcare remains a major concern for millions of people. A recent investigation published on Wednesday sheds light on the challenges many individuals face in affording doctor visits and prescription medications, even before discussions about reducing government aid.

According to the survey, 11% of respondents reported being unable to afford necessary medication and care in the past three months, marking the highest level in the four years of the survey. More than a third of those surveyed, approximately 91 million adults, stated they would be unable to pay for medical care if needed.

The survey, conducted by Western Health and Gallup from mid-November to late December 2024, revealed a widening disparity between black and Hispanic adults and individuals with lower incomes. A quarter of respondents earning annual household incomes under $24,000 expressed inability to afford care in the past three months.

“The extent to which this issue is magnified highlights the vulnerability of these particular groups,” noted Dan Witters, a senior researcher at Gallup.

While white adults and high-income earners reported no significant change in their ability to afford care, the rising premiums, additional physician costs, and recent reductions in Medicaid coverage all contribute to the financial burden on individuals. The Trump administration and Republican lawmakers’ arguments about repealing Medicaid cuts and tax reductions under the Obamacare plan could further exacerbate the issue, experts warn.

“This puts additional strain on already burdened systems and leads to financial toxicity,” stated Tim Rush, president of the West Health Policy Center. Many families are already grappling with medical debt. Rush emphasized that avoiding necessary care due to financial constraints could result in severe health consequences or even death.

Sarah R. Collins, vice president of healthcare coverage and access at the Nonprofit Commonwealth Fund, pointed out that even with insurance, many individuals lack sufficient coverage to meet their healthcare expenses. She warned that proposed cuts by Republican lawmakers and the Trump administration could lead to a rise in the number of people unable to afford care.

Collins remarked, “We’re regressing to pre-Affordable Care Act levels.”

Source: www.nytimes.com

Why have fire departments been unable to control ongoing disasters for decades?

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California implemented stricter building standards in 2008, focusing on design and materials used in new construction in high-risk areas.

Discussing the issue, Crowfoot emphasized the challenge posed by older homes not meeting modern safety standards. A special committee formed by Governor Newsom aims to address this concern.

Since 2020, California has allocated at least $50 million to home hardening projects and initiated a grant program to incentivize homeowners to renovate their properties.

However, according to Kimiko Barrett from Headwater Economics, the current program is inadequate to deal with the scale of the problem, especially evident in Los Angeles County.

Despite meeting high safety standards, some homes, like those affected in the Paradise Camp Fire of 2018, still faced significant damage. Only 43% of homes built after 2008 survived the fire in Paradise.

JP Rose from the Center for Biological Diversity highlights the importance of not building extensively in high-risk fire zones without proper precautions to avoid future disasters.

Firefighters extinguish a house on fire along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, on January 8.
Juan Carlo / USA Today Network File

At a national level, there is a lack of significant investment in making structures more resilient to wildfires. The Federal Bushfire Commission Report acknowledges the immense cost of addressing the bushfire crisis annually.

Efforts to improve fire resilience in homes, like replacing wooden roofs, could require billions of dollars. Without government intervention, insurance companies may play a crucial role in encouraging homeowners to undertake costly renovations to safeguard their properties.

In the midst of the ongoing housing crisis in Southern California, the rebuilding process after recent fires, as supported by Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, aims to expedite the reconstruction of damaged properties.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Are you unable to focus? You could be one of the 20 people affected by Cognitive Withdrawal Syndrome

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Concerned that you may be dealing with ADHD? Have you ever caught yourself trailing off in the middle of a conversation, getting lost in your own thoughts? It is normal to lose focus, but if you constantly find yourself daydreaming and struggling to concentrate, you may be experiencing a lesser-known attention disorder known as Cognitive Withdrawal Syndrome (CDS).

While often mistaken for laziness, lack of motivation, or ADHD, CDS is actually a legitimate neurological disorder that is gaining more attention from scientists and researchers.

What exactly is cognitive withdrawal syndrome?

CDS was first described in the 1960s as “cognitive tempo slowing” and was rebranded in 2022 to better reflect its core feature: cognitive detachment.

“CDS is characterized by symptoms such as confusion, daydreaming, absent-mindedness, and drowsiness,” according to Dr. Sophia Boukas, an Academic in Psychology and Education at Brunel University, London, in BBC Science Focus. People with CDS often take longer to complete tasks, but this does not affect the quality of their work, they simply require more time.

Although CDS is gaining recognition, it has not yet been officially classified as a disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is used by medical professionals to diagnose mental disorders.

Research suggests that CDS may impact 5-7% of children, comparable to ADHD, indicating that a significant number of people may be experiencing CDS symptoms without realizing it.

Is CDS a form of ADHD?

CDS and ADHD are distinct conditions, but they share similarities and overlaps that can cause confusion. While ADHD can manifest in three ways, primarily inattention, hyperactivity, or a combination of both, CDS is more closely associated with predominantly inattentive ADHD, rather than hyperactivity disorder.

Research shows that between 25 and 40 percent of youth with ADHD exhibit symptoms of CDS. Importantly, CDS can also occur in individuals without ADHD.

What treatments are available?

As CDS is not yet officially recognized as a disorder, seeking treatment can be challenging. However, some psychologists are using questionnaires and behavioral observations to help diagnose the condition, which may eventually lead to formal diagnostic criteria.

Organizations like Cincinnati Children’s Hospital are pioneering CDS assessment and treatment, offering resources such as psychoeducation, parent training, cognitive behavioral therapy, and more.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, sleep hygiene, and mindfulness practices are emphasized for managing CDS. Treatment options are still evolving, with non-stimulant medications showing promise for CDS, while stimulants commonly used for ADHD may not be as effective.

If you suspect you or your child may have CDS, it’s important to consult a medical professional for guidance on treatment options.

About our experts

Sofia Barbosa-Boucas is a Lecturer in Psychology (Education) at Brunel University, London, known for significant contributions to psychology and education.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

University examiners unable to detect ChatGPT’s responses during actual examinations

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AI will make it harder for students to cheat on face-to-face exams

Trish Gant / Alamy

94% of university exam submissions created using ChatGPT were not detected as generated by artificial intelligence, and these submissions tended to receive higher scores than real student work.

Peter Scarfe Professors at the University of Reading in the UK used ChatGPT to generate answers for 63 assessment questions across five modules of the university's undergraduate psychology course. Because students took these exams from home, they were allowed to look at their notes and references, and could also use the AI, which they were not allowed to do.

The AI-generated answers were submitted alongside real students' answers and accounted for an average of 5% of all answers graded by teachers. The graders were not informed that they were checking the answers of 33 fake students, whose names were also generated by ChatGPT.

The assessment included two types of questions: short answers and longer essays. The prompt given to ChatGPT began with the words, “Include references to academic literature but do not have a separate bibliography section,” followed by a copy of the exam question.

Across all modules, only 6 percent of the AI ​​submissions were flagged as possibly not being the students' own work, although in some modules, no AI-generated work was ever flagged as suspicious. “On average, the AI ​​answers received higher marks than real student submissions,” says Scarfe, although there was some variability across modules.

“Current AI tends to struggle with more abstract reasoning and synthesising information,” he added. But across all 63 AI submissions, the AI's work had an 83.4% chance of outperforming student work.

The researchers claim theirs is the largest and most thorough study to date. Although the study only looked at studies on psychology degrees at the University of Reading, Scarfe believes it's a concern across academia. “There's no reason to think that other fields don't have the same kinds of problems,” he says.

“The results were exactly what I expected.” Thomas Lancaster “Generative AI has been shown to be capable of generating plausible answers to simple, constrained text questions,” say researchers at Imperial College London, who point out that unsupervised assessments involving short answers are always susceptible to cheating.

The strain on faculty who are tasked with grading also reduces their ability to spot AI cheating. “A time-pressed grader on a short-answer question is highly unlikely to come up with a case of AI cheating on a whim,” Lancaster says. “This university can't be the only one where this is happening.”

Tackling it at its source is nearly impossible, Scarfe says, so the education industry needs to rethink what it assesses. “I think the whole education industry needs to be aware of the fact that we need to incorporate AI into the assessments that we give to students,” he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Research shows that individuals who are unable to burp may experience feelings of anxiety and depression | Latest Science and Technology Updates

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A new study has found that people who are unable to burp due to a rare health condition feel more anxious, depressed and embarrassed.

Published on December 20th, the study was conducted by experts from around the world to investigate the social impact of retrograde cricopharyngeal muscle dysfunction (R-CPD), also known as “inability to burp syndrome.”

R-CPD involves dysfunction of the cricopharyngeus muscle, which prevents the patient from relaxing enough to expel gas. It was first reported in 1987, but it wasn’t given an official name until 2019.

Out of the 199 people who participated in the study, 98% reported feeling bloated, 93% reported a “socially unpleasant rumbling sound,” 89% reported excessive flatulence, and 55% reported difficulty vomiting.

R-CPD patients often have to lie down or force themselves to vomit to relieve painful symptoms.

Although the condition can be treated by injecting Botox into the affected muscles, the treatment is not available on the NHS in the UK and must be carried out in private.

Researchers found that participants reported high levels of embarrassment, anxiety, and depression, which also negatively impacted their relationships and work lives.

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“R-CPD is a disease that is unfamiliar to many healthcare providers and leaves patients underserved. It affects not only their daily lives but also their personal and professional relationships. It will affect you.”

“Understanding and raising awareness of the basic characteristics of the disease has the potential to improve diagnosis and treatment rates and improve quality of life.”

A spokesperson for NHS England said: “Clinical evidence for this condition is very limited due to the small number of people coming forward with the condition, but NHS staff have been advised by NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) to Establishing clinical advice, providing care and services appropriate to patients with specific conditions and needs.”

Source: news.sky.com