The Digital Pulse: An npj Digital Medicine podcast

The historical legacy of Henrietta Lacks continues to guide our understanding of consent, privacy, and data usage. But as generative AI and large language models integrate rapidly into clinical workflows, how do those ethical standards translate to modern medical data? In this episode of The Digital Pulse, discover how researchers and advocates are proposing new frameworks for data transparency and patient autonomy.Drs. Benjamin Mazer and Joseph Kvedar talk with Tej Azad, Suchi Saria, and Deven McGraw.

In this episode of The Digital Pulse, we are joined by Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft, alongside Selin Everett and Bryan Bunning of Stanford. We discuss their recent publication on Clinician-AI collaboration that explores how physicians and AI interact with each other. This conversation explores the design challenges of human-computer interaction in medicine, the nuances of AI-first versus second-opinion workflows, and the pitfalls of treating advanced language models like standard search engines. The guests share fascinating insights into how AI integration compressed performance outliers to boost average diagnostic accuracy, while also cautioning against the hidden dangers of "sycophancy", where a model overly accommodates a clinician's initial feedback at the expense of independent analysis.Whether you are a practicing clinician or a digital health innovator, this episode offers a critical look at how human factors, system trust, and workflow design shape the future of AI in healthcare.Hosted by Benjamin Mazer, MD. Produced by Daniel Jung.

In this episode of The Digital Pulse, we are joined by Dr. Bertalan Meskó, widely known as "The Medical Futurist." Dr. Meskó discusses his unique career path merging medicine, technology, and future studies, sharing insights on how healthcare professionals can best navigate an era of rapid digital transformation.Whether you are a clinician, a scientist, or a digital health innovator, this episode provides a high-level perspective on how to build a routine language for talking about the future and making more informed decisions in the present.Produced by Sohayla Eldeeb and Edited by Daniel Jung

In this episode of The Digital Pulse, Dr. Ziad Obermeyer joins us to discuss how bias can become embedded in medical algorithms and why these tools can unintentionally worsen health inequities. The conversation discusses the hidden assumptions behind healthcare data, the risks of using flawed proxies for patient need, and the future of more equitable, evidence-based medical AI. Produced by Sohayla Eldeeb and Edited by Daniel Jung

In this episode of The Digital Pulse, we sit down with former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of digital medicine, with a focus on generative AI. Drawing on his experience across academia, industry, and federal regulation, Dr. Califf reflects on a central challenge: innovation in AI is outpacing both clinicians and regulators.Dr. Califf explores how such technologies could reshape decision-making in medicine but also raises critical questions about trust, validation, and oversight. This episode offers a timely and nuanced perspective on how healthcare systems can responsibly integrate AI, balancing innovation with safety, and ensuring that both patients and clinicians remain at the center of digital transformation.Produced by Sohayla Eldeeb and Edited by Daniel Jung