Excess mortality in Europe coincides with peaks of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), November 2023 to February 2024.

Since the end of November 2023, the European Mortality Monitoring Network (EuroMOMO) has observed excess mortality in Europe. During weeks 48 2023-6 2024, preliminary results show a substantially increased rate of 95.3 (95% CI:  91.7-98.9) excess all-cause deaths per 100,000 person-years for all ages. This excess mortality is seen in adults aged 45 years and older, and coincides with widespread presence of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) observed in many European countries during the 2023/24 winter season.

ChatGPT as an Information Source for Patients with Migraines: A Qualitative Case Study.

Migraines are one of the most common and expensive neurological diseases worldwide. Non-pharmacological and digitally delivered treatment options have long been used in the treatment of migraines. For instance, migraine management tools, online migraine diagnosis or digitally networked patients have been used. Recently, applications of ChatGPT are used in fields of healthcare ranging from identifying potential research topics to assisting professionals in clinical diagnosis and helping patients in managing their health. Despite advances in migraine management, only a minority of patients are adequately informed and treated. It is important to provide these patients with information to help them manage the symptoms and their daily activities. The primary aim of this case study was to examine the appropriateness of ChatGPT to handle symptom descriptions responsibly, suggest supplementary assistance from credible sources, provide valuable perspectives on treatment options, and exhibit potential influences on daily life for patients with migraines. Using a deductive, qualitative study, ten interactions with ChatGPT on different migraine types were analyzed through semi-structured interviews. ChatGPT provided relevant information aligned with common scientific patient resources. Responses were generally intelligible and situationally appropriate, providing personalized insights despite occasional discrepancies in interaction. ChatGPT's empathetic tone and linguistic clarity encouraged user engagement. However, source citations were found to be inconsistent and, in some cases, not comprehensible, which affected the overall comprehensibility of the information. ChatGPT might be promising for patients seeking information on migraine conditions. Its user-specific responses demonstrate potential benefits over static web-based sources. However, reproducibility and accuracy issues highlight the need for digital health literacy. The findings underscore the necessity for continuously evaluating AI systems and their broader societal implications in health communication.