NBC News (2/13, Bendix ) reports that a study “suggests that familiar scents could help unlock” specific memories in people with depression. Investigators found that “people with depression recalled more specific memories when they were exposed to familiar scents — such as ground coffee or tobacco — than when they heard words that corresponded to those smells, such as ‘coffee’ or ‘cigarette.’” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Familiar scents unlock memories in people with depression. Could ‘smell therapy’ help patients?,”Aria Bendix, NBC News, February 13, 2024

Healthcare Finance News (2/12, Lagasse ) reports, “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its Office for Civil Rights and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has finalized modifications to the Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records regulations, which protect the privacy of patients’ SUD treatment records.” In particular, “the final rule increases coordination among [healthcare professionals] treating patients for SUDs, strengthens confidentiality protections through civil enforcement, and enhances the integration of behavioral health information with other medical records to improve patient health outcomes.”

Related Links:

— “HHS seeks to enhance care for substance use disorder,”Jeff Lagasse, Healthcare Finance News, February 12, 2024

The Washington Post (2/12, Searing ) reports 55% of mental health appointments “are being conducted remotely, mainly via videoconferencing rather than in-person visits, according to a brief research report.” The research found “that the volume of telemedicine visits overall increased dramatically once the coronavirus pandemic began, becoming far more common than in-person visits.” The findings were published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

mHealth Intelligence (2/12, Vaidya ) reports, “Patterns in the use of audio-only or video-based telehealth to receive mental healthcare are mixed, differing based on age, sex, education, income, and location, according to new research by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University Irving Medical Center.” Notably, “adjusted percentages of video visits were higher for younger adults than for middle-aged or older adults, women than men, and college graduates than adults without a high school diploma.” The findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Telemental Healthcare Use Varies Across Sociodemographic Lines,”Anuja Vaidya, mHealth Intelligence, February 12, 2024

Healio (2/9, Welsh ) said, “One-third of transgender and gender-diverse individuals on testosterone will experience at least one breakthrough bleeding episode, even after their first year of use, researchers reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.” According to the study, “overall, 34% of transgender and gender-diverse adults reported breakthrough bleeding while on testosterone.”

Related Links:

— “One-third of gender-affirming testosterone users report breakthrough bleeding,”Erin T. Welsh , Healio, February 9, 2024