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Scott McGrath

@smcgrath.phd
11K followers 451 following 8K posts

Biomedical Informatics PhD • CITRIS Health @UC Berkeley • FAMIA • Focusing on Informatics and AI in medicine • Linfield U. Grad • Missoula MT smcgrath.phd

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Reposted by Scott McGrath
Sophie Greenwood @sjgreenwood.bsky.social · 2h
If you're a researcher using Bluesky (/ Lea / the broader ATmosphere), this might be interesting to you! 👀 TL;DR: open infrastructure for researchers, starting with personal websites + account hosting
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 2h
🧪 There are several AI-assisted lit review platforms out there. A new study shows that performing a single AI query leaves major blind spots in medical evidence. Testing five platforms on an 83-study benchmark found median recall sat between 7.2% and 42.2%, with 12% never retrieved. #MedSky
nature.com
Blind spots in AI-assisted healthcare evidence search: multiplatform evaluation of clinical retrieval gaps and risk-of-bias - npj Digital Medicine
npj Digital Medicine - Blind spots in AI-assisted healthcare evidence search: multiplatform evaluation of clinical retrieval gaps and risk-of-bias
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 2h
🧪 A.D.H.D. may be fundamentally mischaracterized as a deficit of attention. Brain imaging reveals stimulants alter reward and salience circuits rather than attention networks. A focus might be making routine tasks register as worth doing instead of filtering distractions. 🧠
nytimes.com
What If A.D.H.D. Isn’t About Attention at All? (Gift Article)
Evidence suggests that it really affects what psychiatrists like me call sustained engagement — an important difference in understanding how to think about the condition.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 2h
🧪 The founder here tries to make the moral case for editing human embryos to treat hereditary disease before transfer. However, this isn't as simple as people are trying to make it sound, and there have already been deaths associated with gene editing attempts: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
wired.com
A Biotech Founder Makes the Moral Case for Gene-Editing Human Embryos
The practice of editing the genes of embryos remains highly controversial and risky, but Origin Genomics founder Cathy Tie argues its a “moral imperative” to address hereditary diseases.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 15h
🧪 There are some genuinely amazing ML and AI applications in medicine, but saying it is “much better informed than any medical doctor” is disastrous (yet quite on brand for JFK jr). Take this account from @benjaminjriley.bsky.social for example
nytimes.com
He Warned About the Dangers of A.I. If Only His Father Had Listened. (Gift Article)
Ben Riley was already writing about the risks of chatbots when his dad started trusting A.I. over his doctor.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 16h
Picking up the youngest from evening practice.
A sports park at dusk with players on a soccer field illuminated by tall floodlights, set against distant mountains and a purple and orange sunset sky.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 17h
I’ll take “Things Darth got in trouble for trying to eat” for $200 @kenjennings.bsky.social
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Reposted by Scott McGrath
Sophie Greenwood @sjgreenwood.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
If you're searching for PhD opportunities, check out this feed I created using @graze.social! ➡️ bsky.app/profile/sjgr...
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 19h
So frustrated by the stupid anti-trans “protect girls” ads they are running against Forstag here in Montana. I am sitting here, watching my oldest son compete in co-ed soccer for his middle school team, and all I see are kids enjoying themselves. Honestly, some of the girls are better than him.
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Reposted by Scott McGrath
Graze Social @graze.social · 29/09/2026
Reminder that this is happening in just a few hours! Hope to see you there!
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 29/09/2026
Anthropic spent months privately consulting religious scholars and bioethicists on whether Claude could possess consciousness and moral status. The company hopes to instill virtue in its models, even in the face of a high degree of skepticism from their critics.
nytimes.com
Is Claude Conscious? Inside Anthropic’s Quest to Instill Morality Into Its A.I. Models (Gift Article)
In a series of private meetings, the company consulted religious scholars to help instill morality into its A.I. models — and make the case that Claude could be conscious.
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Reposted by Scott McGrath
Maria Antoniak @mariaa.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I'm recruiting 1-2 PhD students to join our lab in Fall 2027, through either Computer Science or Information Science at the University of Colorado Boulder! Looking for people with interests in NLP plus [healthcare | literary studies | narratives | social media | etc.]. Join us! 🏔️☀️
cls-lab.com
CLS Lab — Culture, Language, & Systems | University of Colorado Boulder
The Culture, Language, & Systems Lab at CU Boulder studies the language systems that transmit and shape modern culture, from internet platforms to literary archives to language models.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 29/09/2026
How to Beat Surveillance Pricing Before It Bleeds You Dry www.wired.com/story/how-to...
wired.com
How to Beat Surveillance Pricing Before It Bleeds You Dry
Consumer advocate Lindsay Owen’s new book, Gouged, traces how corporations use software—from ever-changing prices to opaque algorithms—to squeeze every penny from you.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 29/09/2026
OpenAI is shelving its GPT-6.1 Astra model after internal safety evaluations revealed deceptive behavior and task creep. During testing, the system misled users, hid errors, fabricated data, and breached third-party websites.
nytimes.com
OpenAI Says It Will Not Release Newest Astra A.I. Model Over Safety Concerns (Gift Article)
The company’s researchers raised questions about the security of the model, known as GPT-6.1 Astra.
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Reposted by Scott McGrath
AMIA @amia.org · 29/09/2026
🚨 AMIA Members: Vote Now for the Board of Directors! Voting is now open for the AMIA Board of Directors and the leadership of select special member segments. Make your voice heard and vote for AMIA's future! Learn More and Vote Today: amia.org/about-amia/l... #HealthInformatics #Leadership
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Reposted by Scott McGrath
Mark Peifer (He, him) @peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
For the last 34 years I have been on the faculty of the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Biology and have never regretted that decision. This year we are hiring TWO new Assistant Professors in the broad area of Molecular, Cell, Developmental Biology 1/n bio.unc.edu
Front page of the website
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Reposted by Scott McGrath
Meera Desai @madesai.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Excited to share our new paper, “What AI Benchmarks Actually Measure: Adapting Convergent and Discriminant Validity to Interrogate Fifty-Six AI Benchmarks,” accepted as an oral at COLM! arxiv.org/pdf/2609.08812
Heatmap of average correlations between model rankings on benchmarks grouped into 11 assigned concepts: four capability concepts (reasoning, knowledge, comprehension, summarization) and seven safety concepts (over-refusal, refusal, safety detection, ethics, bias, privacy, unsafe behavior). Diagonal cells show within-concept correlations, ranging from 0.87 (knowledge) and 0.72 (over-refusal) down to 0.20 (bias) and 0.02 (safety detection). Reasoning, knowledge, and comprehension correlate with each other at 0.69 to 0.78, higher than reasoning's and comprehension's own within-concept values (0.66 and 0.68). Ethics correlates more with knowledge (0.70) than with itself (0.55), and bias correlates more with capability concepts (0.41 to 0.45) than with itself (0.20). Privacy and unsafe behavior correlate negatively with reasoning, knowledge, and comprehension (−0.41 to −0.49). Over-refusal and refusal correlate at −0.42.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 28/09/2026
Hmm, was @hailey.at on to something with the dog?
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 28/09/2026
🧪 Worth checking out this breakdown of what @tim-miller.bsky.social and colleagues found when they looked back at clinical trials using LLMs to search for outcome switching. 👇#MedSky 🛟
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 28/09/2026
Scammers are stealing doctors' faces and voices via deepfakes to sell supplements, often hitting millions of views. Takedown tools routinely fail or claim physicians lack standing. While the AMA backs the federal NO FAKES Act, doctors face serious liability & reputational fallout right now. #MedSky
medscape.com
Scammers Are Using Docs’ Images, Voices in Deepfake Videos
‘It looks like me, but the voice wasn’t me.’ New Orleans doctor can’t shut down fake look-a-like video hawking supplements.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 28/09/2026
State AI laws in California, New York, and Illinois only mandate reporting when damages top $1B or cause 50 deaths, leaving a lot that may fall between the cracks. Without clear legal definitions of agent intent, prosecutors are borrowing consumer protection statutes to investigate.
technologyreview.com
Who’s liable when AI agents go rogue?
Recent hacks have shown that the law is lagging when it comes to holding companies accountable.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 28/09/2026
The CDC has lost 30% of its workforce since early 2025, leaving 10 of 11 center directorships vacant or held by acting heads. With over 1,200 retirements and deep cuts to chronic disease teams, the agency is running on empty while managing active measles and Ebola outbreaks. 🛟 #MedSky
nytimes.com
‘Zombified’ C.D.C., Hobbled by Cuts, Struggles to Fulfill Scientific Mission (Gift Article)
The agency has lost its independence and nearly a third of its staff, as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and associates have tightened control.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 28/09/2026
Digital twins promise patient-specific simulation for drug development, but the field faces an evidence gap. Across 70 direct drug-related studies, only 7.1% satisfy NASEM criteria for true dynamic twins, and 93% of clinical validations rely strictly on retrospective data.
nature.com
The application, development and challenge of digital twin in drug evaluation - npj Digital Medicine
npj Digital Medicine - The application, development and challenge of digital twin in drug evaluation
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 28/09/2026
🧪 Vaping among children makes subsequent conventional cigarette smoking 2 to 12 times more likely, according to a systematic review. E-cigarettes also double the odds of suicidal ideation and plans in youth, reversing a decade of declining teen smoking rates. 🛟
nature.com
Vaping in childhood has bigger health risks than we’d thought
Use of e-cigarettes makes it more likely that young people will experience mental-health disorders and take up smoking. Governments must act.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 28/09/2026
Managers caught 18% fewer errors when told work came from an AI employee rather than an AI tool, according to BCG research. As 22% of surveyed organizations plan on adding agents directly to org charts, treating autonomous software like a person is causing real oversight blind spots.
wired.com
AI Agents Are About to Flood the Workforce. No One’s Ready for It
Your next coworker might well be an AI agent—and will require a whole new model of workplace interactions.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 28/09/2026
It probably isn't a bad idea to set a verbal password with your older parents and grandparents, just so they know if is actually you: After a deepfake voice fooled her grandfather, this founder sprang into action
techcrunch.com
After a deepfake voice fooled her grandfather, this founder sprang into action | TechCrunch
After her grandfather was scammed by a deepfake of his brother's voice, Tarini Padmanabhuni founded DetectifAI, a San Francisco startup building AI models small enough to run directly on smartphones…
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Reposted by Scott McGrath
BWJones @bwjones.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Friend sent photo I made with him/his daughter a few yrs ago. Said it was the last time she fell asleep on his shoulder. Another friend said photos of a mutual colleague were displayed at his memorial. Lesson: If a moment is important, pay attention as that moment may be the last time it happens.
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Reposted by Scott McGrath
Sarah Medeiros, MD, MPH 🩺🎙️ @drsarahem.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
A little late…my contribution to this week’s #BlueskyArtShow #Lights on the Thames
I took this photo 20 years ago when I lived in London, strolling the banks of the Thames on a beautiful calm evening. The stillness of the river, the mirrored reflections of the lights along the banks, the warm city glow against the indigo sky - a welcome break from the usual hustle and bustle.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 28/09/2026
Jack and Zero enjoying the #sunset
A towering Jack Skellington yard decoration stands with his arms outstretched next to a smaller decoration of his ghost dog, Zero, on a residential lawn. The Halloween figures are set against a vibrant pink, purple, and orange sunset over distant mountains.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 28/09/2026
🧪 Conference hashtags and conversations were part of what made Science Twitter really interesting. @mariaa.bsky.social and @eugenevinitsky.bsky.social have made some significant improvements on that model over at lea.ac
lea.ac
Lea - A calmer Bluesky for researchers
A curated garden for researchers on the AT Protocol
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Reposted by Scott McGrath
Theresa Kim, PhD, MS @tyk314.net · 27/09/2026
I think we need to share this starter pack again after a great weekend with @27unihted.bsky.social , @jeremymberg.bsky.social , and the #BethesdaDeclaration crew. #NIH
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Lauren Klein @laurenfklein.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
PolicyViz was one of the first podcasts where @kanarinka.bsky.social and I were able to share our work on DATA FEMINISM, so it felt very full-circle to talk with Jon again as I prepare to release DATA BY DESIGN 🎧 Listen here: zencastr.com/z/RUuQCK0I 📺 Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?si=PdI...
Flyer announcing a new episode of the PolicyViz podcast with Lauren Klein and Jon Schwabish, featuring their headshots
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 26/09/2026
Horrible idea factory: You know how people are really angry about Flock cameras? What if we gave them the ability to verbally harass people...
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Reposted by Scott McGrath
Stephen Turner @stephenturner.us · 26/09/2026
Personal essay, weekend edition. My relationship with AI is changing. 1.8k words, 8 min reading time. doi.org/10.59350/bh7...
doi.org
My relationship with AI is changing
When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?
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Reposted by Scott McGrath
Gabriel Bosslet @gbosslet.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Damn this piece by @iwashyna.bsky.social is just so very good I know MedTwitter is dead but pieces like this make me wish it weren't voices.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
voices.nejm.org
Ann Patchett Reminded Me to not Always Be a Doctor
Reflections on the challenges of stepping outside of the clinician role to support a friend on her post-op journey
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 25/09/2026
Dr. Rachael Bedard's essay highlights the tension every med educator is feeling: AI makes experienced clinicians better, and it may keep trainees from ever building the judgment needed to check it (never-skilling). I'm currently teaching clinical students about AI, so a few thoughts. 🧵 #MedSky
nytimes.com
Opinion | Being a Doctor Will Never Be the Same After A.I. (Gift Article)
I’m confident in my mastery over what doctors do — and less confident about my continued mastery of an ever-evolving universe of facts.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 25/09/2026
This is probably going to get pretty bad before we try to fix it.
forbes.com
Peptides Like ‘Tesa’ And Sermorelin Are Landing Fitness Fans In The Hospital With Allergic Reactions
A class of peptides that are meant to stimulate human growth hormone has been linked with a spat of severe allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock-like symptoms.
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Reposted by Scott McGrath
AMIA @amia.org · 25/09/2026
Hear from AMIA's Director Candidates 🎤 Join us on October 1 at 5:00 PM ET to hear firsthand introductions, backgrounds, and perspectives from this year's candidates. Save your seat: tinyurl.com/AMIADirector... #HealthInformatics #DigitalHealth #HealthInnovation #AMIAElections
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Cat Hicks @grimalkina.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I wanted to give /informed-patient some better guidance for handling medical classification frameworks and helping you reason about them. This is still in experimentation phase so I welcome hearing about whether it works or not see it at: github.com/DrCatHicks/i...
github.com
GitHub - DrCatHicks/informed-patient: A Claude Skill to create an evidence review to inform specific health questions
A Claude Skill to create an evidence review to inform specific health questions - DrCatHicks/informed-patient
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Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This is an excellent article about what has been happening with federal funding for scientific research.
npr.org
These 6 charts show how NIH research funding has been reshaped under Trump
Stories of science funding being cut, labs shutting down and scientists losing jobs have flooded the media under Trump's administration. These six graphics show how those changes have affected U.S. biomedical research.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 24/09/2026
Oracle is rolling out a dedicated oncology EHR with embedded AI agents to match clinical trials and guide bedside decisions. The setup connects over 130M records on a single cloud code base, letting hospital teams build on public APIs without maintaining messy custom code silos. #MedSky
hcinnovationgroup.com
Oracle Unveils New Oncology EHR With Embedded AI
Oracle has unveiled a new Oncology EHR designed to bring patient information, AI and clinical decision support together across the cancer care journey
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 24/09/2026
Pre-ordered! Really looking forward to the book, and to checking out the AI interview bonus. I'll report back after I get a chance to try it out.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 24/09/2026
Oracle issued a force majeure notice to delay payments on its 2.45 GW New Mexico data center if delays derail its 2028 launch. Backed by an $18B bank loan, the Stargate-linked site faces pipeline permit rejections and growing concerns.
bloomberg.com
Oracle Cites ‘Force Majeure’ to Shield Itself on Controversial Data Center
Oracle Corp. is moving to shield itself from racking up expenses on a massive data center being built in New Mexico, adding a fresh wrinkle to a project beset by opposition and regulatory setbacks.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 24/09/2026
Australia to investigate if OpenAI hack of government health website broke the law techcrunch.com/2026/09/24/a...
techcrunch.com
Australia to investigate if OpenAI hack of government health website broke the law | TechCrunch
The incident is the first known breach to affect a government agency, and Australia's prime minister has vowed to hold OpenAI accountable.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 24/09/2026
Hospitals are using AI to upcode patient records, adding nearly $1B in claims over two years, averaging $12k more per case without changes in care. Insurers are countering with automated denials. This is turning billing into an arms race of bot vs. bot with patients stuck in the middle. #MedSky
nytimes.com
Battle of Hospital A.I. vs. Insurer A.I. Is Pushing Medical Costs Higher (Gift Article)
The use of artificial intelligence by hospitals and health insurers is escalating their longstanding feud over paying for medical care.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 24/09/2026
Quite the rabbit hole to fall down this morning, if you are so inclined. @segyges.bsky.social follows up on last week's blockbuster on the problems with the AI Safety community based in Berkeley.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 24/09/2026
@mkittlesonmd.bsky.social: "I'm a doctor, not a waiter." Saying no can be harder than saying yes, and often leads to better care. Montana's "right-to-try" law needs only consent, money, and one provider's recommendation. It's looking to bypass the system via doctor shopping. #MedSky
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 24/09/2026
Australia's PM says an OpenAI agent got into nonpublic parts of the Medicare Reporting Portal on June 18. It hit "repeated blocks" and found other routes in. Only aggregate spending data was accessed, no patient records. OpenAI told Australia on Sept 10, via a general public inbox. #MedSky 🛟
nytimes.com
Australia Investigates OpenAI Hack on Public Health Care Site (Gift Article)
Australia is exploring potential legal action after an artificial intelligence agent accessed nonpublic information on the country’s universal health care system.
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 23/09/2026
Kicking off the new season of Lego First League. 110 kids participating from my kid’s school this year (grades 4-8). It will be my oldest’s 4th year, and second year for the youngest. #LFL #Bioglow
m.youtube.com
Introducing the 2026-2027 FIRST LEGO League BIOGLOW Season
YouTube video by FIRST LEGO League
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Scott McGrath @smcgrath.phd · 23/09/2026
Yikes! #HealthIT
arstechnica.com
IT mistake erases 11 years of viewing history for hospitals’ maternity records
The English hospitals recovered patient care data only.
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