Hands-Off Health Tech

Peer support is an often overlooked but important tool that can reduce isolation, increase confidence and complement various health services. We take a look at a project in Ireland where older volunteers are paired with those in a similar age bracket to provide a weekly chat and ...  Show more

Cities are growing and developing at a faster rate than at any time in history. More than half the world’s population now live in cities. But cities don’t always offer the best opportunities for those living within them. They can be polluted, congested and often don’t have enough ...  Show more

Research shows that large numbers of Covid deaths could have been prevented if people in low and middle income countries had better access to vaccines. But this week the World Trade Organisation said it could not reach a consensus on waiving intellectual property rights on Covid- ...  Show more

In the pandemic when intensive care units were full and visitors were not allowed some families kept in touch using phones and tablets. A new study in the UK shows that this “virtual” visiting did help to reduce the distress felt by relatives – and the practice still continues to ...  Show more

Health-care workers are under threat from more than just the coronavirus itself: The mental health effects of the work are grave. Doctors and nurses fighting Covid-19 are watching patients die at rates rarely seen in civilian medicine; and they’re delivering the news to family me ...  Show more

During World War I, thousands of soldiers suffered catastrophic facial injuries. If these soldiers survived their injuries, they were often shunned once they got back home. Some were forced to sit on brightly painted blue benches so that the public knew not to look at them. Many ...  Show more