Health Daily - 08/01/2026

• NICE draft guidance recommends using AI‑driven spirometry tool ArtiQ.Spiro in GP surgeries and community diagnostic centres during a three‑year evidence‑generation period, funded by core NHS resources. 
• The guidance also lists eight digital asthma‑self‑management platforms (e.g., Asthmahub, AsthmaTuner) that can be used while further data are collected over the next three years. 
• Early evidence suggests these tools improve asthma control scores, reduce hospital visits and help patients use medication more effectively, though the impact on test quality and diagnostic accuracy remains uncertain. 
• The consultation on both sets of recommendations is open until 21 January, allowing clinicians, patients and the public to comment before final adoption. 

• AI rollout in the NHS is projected to create gendered workforce divisions, according to research with 27 clinical fellows across two London hospitals. 
• Female clinicians report extra vigilance, checking AI bias, cross‑referencing drug doses, and maintaining patient rapport, because AI tools often underperform for women due to biased training data. 
• Male clinicians worry about algorithms replacing them and about rigid digital systems limiting professional judgment, leading them to develop shortcuts and experience work‑hour intrusions. 
• Career breaks such as maternity leave exacerbate digital skill gaps for women, with inconsistent NHS support causing stress and slower work on return. 

• Dave Ross, CTO of Teladoc Health, says modern health‑IT CTOs must shift from pure team management to steering business strategy and front‑line innovation. 
• He urges CTOs to embed themselves with builders, end users, webinars, implementation meetings and support to surface real‑world problems and shape solutions. 
• Ross highlights the need for tight collaboration between “product‑minded technologists” and “tech‑minded productists” to deliver scalable, secure, AI‑driven products that improve patient access and clinical workflows. 
• He cautions CTOs to avoid duplicating effort, insisting on evaluating differentiation, compounding value, and leveraging Teladoc’s own data, staff and workflows as a unique advantage. 

• More than 500,000 Australians are now taking GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro each month, a ten‑fold rise since May 2020 driven mainly by private telehealth access. 
• Experts warn that off‑label GLP‑1 use can trigger or worsen eating disorders, with Australia having the world’s highest ED rates and an 86 % jump in diagnoses among 10‑19‑year‑olds since 2021. 
• The market for GLP‑1s is projected to grow from almost $800 million in 2024 to $3 billion by 2034, while companies like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly face criticism for advertising that skirts TGA rules and targets body‑insecure women. 
• Health professionals call for stricter federal oversight, PBS subsidisation, and mandatory dietitian or mental‑health screening to prevent misuse and protect vulnerable patients. 

• The global diabetes injection pens market is projected to grow at a ~7% CAGR through 2028, driven by rising diabetes prevalence and a shift toward convenient, precise insulin delivery. 
• Smart insulin pens equipped with Bluetooth/NFC are accelerating adoption, highlighted by Abbott’s 2023 acquisition of Bigfoot Biomedical and Novo Nordisk’s 2022 UK launch for NHS patients. 
• COVID‑19 heightened demand for connected pens as patients sought reliable glucose control, while North America remains the largest market and Asia‑Pacific shows the fastest growth potential. 
• Leading manufacturers such as Medtronic, Roche, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Abbott are pursuing product launches, partnerships and acquisitions to expand their foothold.