The hottest topics in medicine in 2024

Ozempic, obesity, and changing trends

Now more than ever, obesity is a core concern for many physicians and their patients. Global adult obesity rates have more than doubled since 1990—and quadrupled for adolescents.^[] Obesity is a complex, chronic disease, and the stigma and psychological consequences around it present mental health challenges for patients.

It’s no wonder, then, that obesity can weave a complex web of medical issues for patients and challenges for the providers treating them. When it comes to treating obesity, many physicians support a multifaceted approach addressing not only the patient’s physical but also mental and behavioral health.

Accessibility remains a challenge

Playing off the above, physicians’ and patients’ interest in GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Ozempic to treat obesity is skyrocketing. However, accessibility remains far from ideal. Supply does not always meet demand, and for many, GLP-1 prices are not affordable—even with insurance.

Medscape reports that 91% of their physician survey respondents said that “steps should be taken to improve affordability and availability specifically in communities with higher rates of conditions such as type 2 diabetes…”^[]

While some insurers may not cover GLP-1s to treat obesity, many survey respondents believe that they should be covered by both private payers and state insurance. Doing so would improve access and equity to these medications throughout the patient population.

Astronomical healthcare costs

Healthcare expenditures are on the rise, and physicians agree in recognizing this issue. A staggering 88% of respondents said that current medical treatment costs are an inherent ethical problem. Going further, patients may be underinsured, and they may not have access to treatments for financial reasons.

The assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024 thrust this topic further into the spotlight, alleging the suspected killer’s motive revolved around insurance woes. The public’s reaction to the killing was even described, in general, as one of “morbid glee.”^[]

Medical misinformation abounds

Although GLP-1s have increased in popularity, physicians believe they are still not well understood by the patient population. Approximately 60% of the Medscape survey respondents believe that the public is poorly informed about these drugs, including what they can reasonably achieve and what their potential risks are to overall health.

Ozempic misinformation is just one example—this year, the internet was rife with influencers glamorizing "health" trends that often only caused patients harm.

AI intrigue and dilemmas

While AI presents exciting opportunities for revolutionizing healthcare, it’s not without its concerns. Over 50% of physicians surveyed responded that they are “very concerned” or “concerned” about potential ethical dilemmas with AI in healthcare. These concerns include questionable accountability when poor outcomes arise, data breaches, and biased AI-development data, which could potentially lead to bias-driven practices. On the other hand, some doctors surveyed indicated that this may be “fear of the unknown,” and that concerns should dissipate over time.

A majority of the physicians surveyed believe that AI could play a significant role in interactions with patients. Conversational AI, a system used to simulate human conversation, could potentially mimic a provider-patient interaction by providing key information and answering questions. Going further, AI may also play a role in obtaining informed consent. In the Medscape survey, 64% of physicians believed that AI is currently or will eventually be sophisticated enough to obtain informed consent.

However, concerns arise that removing the human component from these interactions could make the patient encounter increasingly sterile and impersonal. Additionally, some physicians expressed concerns about AI answering specific patient questions, as well as questioning AI’s ability to fully comprehend patient concerns.

Informed consent ethics

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued updated guidelines on informed consent in April 2024.^[] This update was in response to widespread concerns about having healthcare practitioners and medical students perform pelvic, breast, prostate, and rectal exams for educational purposes on patients under anesthesia. As CMS noted, “patient advocates, physicians, and the students themselves have expressed concern about whether patients, especially anesthetized patients, have been sufficiently informed about this practice and whether their full consent was obtained before these educational exams were performed.” In the survey, 69% of physicians agreed that written consent for a pelvic exam should be obtained prior to anesthesia administration.