​Evidence-based medicine (EBM) helps healthcare professionals make and implement informed decisions backed by clinical evidence. New research, technological advancements, new treatment methodologies, and a growing focus on personalized care have shaped EBM trends. These trends define healthcare delivery and present new opportunities to enhance patient outcomes.

The expansion of healthcare repositories and increased adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) have transformed healthcare data collection, analysis, and storage. Part of these advancements include leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), Machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and big data analytics in EBM. AI-based algorithms process large datasets to predict disease outcomes, uncover patterns, and provide insights for evidence-based clinical decision-making. ML empowers healthcare professionals to analyze vast amounts of health records quickly and efficiently. Healthcare systems leverage NLP to extract meaningful, actionable insights from vast unstructured data. This includes doctor’s clinical notes and patient stories.

Integrating AI into EBM enabled healthcare providers to deliver precision, data-driven healthcare. Precision medicine involves customizing medical interventions to match a patient's unique characteristics, such as genetics, lifestyle, and other patient-specific factors, such as the environment. In addition, genetic testing advances and predictive analytics facilitate a deeper understanding of disease progression and treatment responses.

Using AI modeling tools, predictive analytics help healthcare providers predict disease progression. On the other hand, ML algorithms can assist in identifying the most suitable treatment options according to individual patient needs. For instance, in the field of oncology, targeted therapies have seen significant advancements in targeted therapies that target specific genetic mutations in cancer cells, greatly improving patient treatment outcomes. Precision medicine has enriched evidence-based medicine by providing healthcare personnel with a deeper and more accurate understanding of variability in diverse healthcare interventions.

Systematic data reviews have an essential role in evidence-based medicine. The reviews help consolidate findings from multiple studies and research projects to inform clinical guidelines. However, traditional review processes tend to be labor-intensive and time-consuming. Emerging technologies like ML and NLP have transformed data reviewing by automating the review process. These technologies can quickly scan, extract, and synthesize data from vast studies and research, significantly saving the time it typically takes to generate comprehensive reviews using traditional and manual reviews.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the accepted gold standard in clinical research. Real-world evidence (RWE) also plays a role in clinical research. RWE provides healthcare systems valuable insights into treatment effectiveness, medical product safety, risks, and patient outcomes in routine clinical settings. RWD sources include EHRs, patient registries, mobile apps, and wearable devices that capture healthcare information outside the controlled or traditional environment of clinical trials. Longitudinal data from EHRs, for example, help researchers track treatment outcomes over time. On the other hand, patient registries provide evidence and details about disease progression and how specific populations respond to different therapies.

Despite the transformative potential, the evolution of EBM still faces several challenges. For example, ensuring the quality and integrity of data collected from multiple sources remains a significant hurdle. Professionals must prevent the skewing of AI algorithms and real-world datasets.

Another significant challenge involves seamlessly integrating emerging technologies into clinical workflows. This will require interdisciplinary collaboration between data scientists, clinicians, and healthcare policymakers to ensure technological innovations align with patient care needs. Healthcare professionals’ education and training programs will also play an important part in facilitating the seamless adoption of these emerging technologies and tools.

​Standardization in healthcare benefits patient care, resource allocation, and enhancing operational efficiency. Healthcare systems must cope with emerging delivery challenges and an influx of technological advancements.

Healthcare standardization involves adherence to consistent clinical guidelines, delivery protocols, and best practices across facilities such as hospitals, medical centers, and clinics. It ensures the interoperability of healthcare systems.

Interoperability allows systems to communicate, share, and exchange data. It facilitates seamless exchange of patient data information between facilities and collaboration among care providers. This interoperability improves care coordination by ensuring patients receive comprehensive and integrated care. For example, it can reduce duplicate testing whenever a patient visits a different facility, as medical professionals can seek records and test results from each other. This is only possible when all the facilities adhere to standardized healthcare guidelines and protocols.

Standardization facilitates uniform documentation of medical practices and ensures accurate recording of patient information. Streamlined data management improves communication among healthcare teams. Also, standardized healthcare processes enable facilities and care providers to be more efficient and save time and resources. They help eliminate redundant tasks and reduce workflow variability, saving valuable staff hours and reallocating them to other crucial activities.

Consistency in healthcare delivery improves the patient experience and reduces confusion, and communication between patients and healthcare providers is better. Also, as patients know the standard procedure or process to expect during a visit to a facility or provider, they are more comfortable, leading to better health outcomes and greater satisfaction. Healthcare standardization also enhances documentation as common denominators record and store medical data. By setting baseline metrics to use and benchmarks to attain, healthcare organizations can identify potential improvement areas and monitor progress to enhance patient outcomes.

Healthcare institutions leverage standardized protocols in different settings and scenarios to ensure patients receive high-quality and consistent care. Some areas where healthcare standardizing plays a critical role include medical administration, surgical infection prevention and sepsis management, fall prevention, hand hygiene, emergency response, and chronic disease management. For example, standard medication administration protocols ensure patients receive accurate dosing to reduce the risk of adverse drug reactions.

Surgical site infection prevention protocols include standard preoperative procedures to reduce microbial load and uniform postoperative monitoring that help detect infection signs promptly. Standardized sepsis management protocols outline early recognition to prevent the patient from progressing to septic shock. Fall prevention protocols and guidelines include comprehensive assessments and ensure that tailor interventions to patients. This also includes mitigating the risk of falls and injuries, particularly among seniors. Hand hygiene protocols promote compliance with handwashing and sanitation practices that prevent infectious pathogens transmission, particularly in healthcare settings. Emergency response protocols offer healthcare teams guidance in a timely during critical medical events like cardiac arrest.

Chronic disease management standard protocols offer providers vital guidelines for patient monitoring, treatment optimization, and patient education to prevent complications. When health facilities and caregivers adhere to standardized protocols, they prioritize patient safety and improve clinical outcomes due to consistency in care across clinical settings. In addition, by optimizing resource use, standardization enhances healthcare systems' sustainability. Standardized protocols eliminate unnecessary tests, surgical procedures, and medications, which reduces wastage.

​The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) is the leading professional organization of obstetricians and gynecologists. ACOG members are dedicated to furthering the field of women's help and improving patient outcomes. To this end, the organization performs extensive medical research and shares findings with members as well as the general public. Throughout 2024, ACOG kept members and patients informed about the oropouche virus, with a focus on how the virus can impact pregnancy.

Discovered in 1955, the oropouche virus is a member of the Orthobunyavirus genus. Humans typically acquire the virus following a bite from small fly and mosquito-like insects, called midges, as well as mosquitoes. Over the decades, occurrences of oropouche virus almost always occurred in and around the Amazon basin. However, in 2023, massive outbreaks began to take place in outlying regions before spreading to new parts of South America and the island of Haiti. These represented the first ever documented cases of the virus in Haiti. At the start of 2024, data showed that oropouche had moved to Cuba.

As medical experts wait to see if the virus will continue to expand and reach the US, they continue to perform extensive oropouche research. Experts know that the virus has an incubation period of between three and seven days. As the incubation period ends, individuals begin to experience symptoms that are comparable to those of the Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses. These symptoms include dizziness, nausea and vomiting, and a maculopapular rash that starts on the body and spreads to the arms and legs. Oropouche is further associated with photophobia, or light sensitivity, though the most prevalent symptoms are fever, headache, and chills. Patients living with oropouche can also develop myalgias, which causes pain throughout the ligaments and tendons, and arthralgias, or joint stiffness.

For most patients, symptoms of the oropouche virus persist for two days to up to one week. In some instances, symptoms may clear, only to manifest again multiple weeks later. Recurrence of symptoms happens in as many as seven out of 10 patients. Although the condition can be painful and highly discomforting, oropouche is usually not fatal. That said, several deaths were recorded in 2024.

Initially, medical experts did not distinguish the symptoms of pregnant women living oropouche virus and non-pregnant people carrying the virus. However, further research is required to determine whether or not symptoms may manifest at a greater intensity in pregnant patients.

The first discussions regarding pregnant women and oropouche virus began in Brazil, where the Pan American Health Organization warned the public about pregnancy challenges that may be linked to the virus. These issues included an increased risk of miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as various congenital anomalies. Microcephaly and cystic brain lesions rank among the most common neurological fetal effects attributed to oropouche. Researchers have found evidence of infection in the tissue, umbilical cords, and the placenta of unborn fetuses. Subsequent investigations found oropouche in newborns who had previously only been tested for similar conditions, such as Zika or West Nile virus.

According to ACOG, these initial studies involve limited sets of data, and further research is needed to determine the virus's impact on pregnancies and fetal health. Areas of focus must include the timing of the parent's infection and the moment of conception. Vertical transmission between parent and child is a critical subject, as there are no means of preventing vertical transmission from occurring.

​The novel is a piece of narrative fiction that is longer than a novella, novelette, or short story, usually at least 40,000 words and often exceeding 100,000 words. The concept of the novel as a creative work developed over an extended period; the classic 14th-century Italian short story cycle, Decameron, was highly influential on the form, as was the tale of Don Quixote at the start of the 17th century. As the novel gained prominence, writers in different regions of the world began exploring unique styles and structures. In the United States, authors worked to distinguish themselves from their English forbears, resulting in the notion of the "Great American Novel."

The Great American Novel, sometimes written as the Great American Novel or GAN, is a relatively self-explanatory concept: a book that is not just of high quality but one that explores the significant characteristics and complex essence that comprise the nation and its people. Regardless of plot or characters, a Great American Novel is also about America itself and elements of the American dream, such as the ability of a single person to take control of and better their life through hard work and determination.

The term "Great American Novel" was first used in 1868, less than 100 years after the nation's founding. American soldier and author of the Civil War novel Miss Ravenel's Conversion from Secession to Loyalty, John William De Forest, is credited with first using the term, stating that such a book had yet to be written. Forest's assertion would have been difficult to disprove at the time: literature originating in the Americas was still very new, and the idea that American authors could produce works on par with those of their British counterparts only took root during the mid to late 18th century.

Forest's words were as much about the novel itself as they were about American novelists. Before his statement about the lack of truly great and truly American literature, roughly five percent of books released in the US were marketed as novels. In a short time, novels would account for the vast majority of fiction books.

Forest's term quickly caught on to the point that modern literary critics often disparage the idea of a "Great American Novel," if only because the phrase has become so watered down and nebulous. Literary critic Grant Shreve attempted to provide a framework for determining whether a book qualifies as a Great American Novel or not. First, the story must speak to the entire nation rather than focus on a specific region. Second, the book must possess a "democratic...spirit and form." Next, the book should have a cultural value that is only fully realized over time. Finally, the book should be written by an American-born author or writer who has adopted the nation as their home country.

Although there is no clear definition of what makes up a Great American Novel, nor an official canon of works that carry the title, there are a few books often associated with the term. These novels include Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. More modern writers, such as Philip Roth, have written multiple novels that play with and subvert the concept of the Great American Novel.

​Despite progress in science, technology, and medicine, women still experience higher morbidity and mortality rates than men from heart disease, osteoporosis, poor mental health, and female-specific conditions and diseases. The disparity and challenges extend to the workplace that contribute to mental health problems.

Reports indicate that some women experience major depressive episodes during and the year after pregnancy. Despite limited research on prenatal mental health (PMH), women might experience anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adjustment disorder, and postpartum psychosis. Adjustment disorders refer to a group of symptoms like hopelessness, sadness, and stress, alongside physical symptoms that occur when someone goes through a stressful life event. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in eight American women who have recently given birth experience depression.

Cardiovascular diseases are the highest killer of women at a rate of one to three, according to Go Red for Women. Also, women have a 50 percent higher chance of dying following a heart attack than men.

For many women, frequent hormonal changes, especially after menopause, present several health challenges, including angina, which refers to heavy chest discomfort and pain in the jaw, throat, upper abdomen, and back. In other cases, medical professionals may lack the information needed to help women. For example, the medical community only allocates a third of heart disease clinical trials to them. Other chronic ailments that affect women more than men include high blood pressure.

Healthcare costs also adversely affect women's health. Women's health care costs more due to gender-specific needs, products, and fewer doctors who specialize in obstetrics and gynecology (approximately 35,000 in the United States as of 2023). The shortage may worsen since laws overseeing procedures that women seek change, such as abortion laws. Changes in statutes make the profession less attractive to graduating medical students.

Services such as pap smears, ovarian cancer tests, mammograms, and osteoporosis tests require extra costs beyond essential medical services. Such services tend to be expensive and, in underserved communities, require community nurse practitioners. Both genders in similar positions often have equal health coverage in the workplace, meaning women have more out-of-pocket expenses than men. According to Deloitte, employed women in the United States pay $15 billion more for health care than men. The disparity contributes to financial insecurity.

Moreover, research, measuring, and collection of women's health data remain underfunded, resulting in disaggregated data. This issue significantly contributes to insufficient public data on women. Data systems transformation promotes women's health inclusion, helping identify and fix data gaps. Women's inclusion refers to a scenario in a society where all women of whatever stature or background feel valued, respected, and empowered in all aspects of life. Thus, inclusivity refers to breaking down barriers and stereotypes and creating avenues for value and respect for women.

Financially unstable women often experience more health risks. In some cases, especially in third-world countries, women adopt the housewife role. Unemployment means these women may lack healthcare coverage. The lack of insurance means they routinely skip or avoid doctor and dentist visits and medication. Eventually, this leads to more complicated medical issues and higher medical costs.

​Healthcare providers are ethically obligated to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare. However, despite significant advancements in medical science and healthcare delivery, inequalities persist in women's healthcare, adversely affecting the well-being of millions worldwide. Addressing these inequalities requires acknowledging and actively working to eliminate the systemic barriers and biases contributing to differential health outcomes.

To address these inequalities in women’s health, it is essential to recognize women's unique healthcare needs and experiences across diverse backgrounds. Women often face discrimination and marginalization based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity, all of which influence their health outcomes. These disparities manifest in various aspects of women's health, including access to preventive care, reproductive health services, maternal care, mental health care, and treatment for chronic conditions.

One of the primary barriers to women's health equity is limited access to healthcare services, particularly among underserved and marginalized communities. Structural inequalities, such as lack of health insurance, transportation barriers, geographic location, and language barriers, can hinder women's ability to seek timely and appropriate care. Additionally, stigma surrounding certain health issues, such as reproductive health and mental illness, may prevent women from seeking help, worsening the inequalities.

To address these issues, healthcare providers must prioritize culturally competent care that respects women's diverse needs and backgrounds. This involves acknowledging and understanding the social determinants of health that impact women's lives, including poverty, discrimination, violence, and lack of education. By adopting a patient-centered approach, healthcare providers can create safe and inclusive environments where women feel empowered to advocate for their health needs.

Healthcare systems and policymakers also play a crucial role in addressing women's healthcare inequalities. Implementing policies that promote gender equity, expand access to healthcare coverage, and invest in women's health research and education are essential steps toward achieving health equity. Additionally, increasing representation of women and diverse voices in healthcare leadership and decision-making positions can help ensure that the needs of all women are adequately addressed.

In addition to systemic changes, healthcare providers can proactively address inequalities in women's healthcare within their practice settings. This includes implementing evidence-based guidelines for preventive screenings, such as mammograms, pap smears, and HPV vaccinations, to ensure equitable access to early detection and treatment of diseases. Providing comprehensive reproductive health services, including access to contraception and family planning counseling, is also crucial for empowering women to make informed choices about their reproductive health.

Addressing mental health disparities among women also requires integrating mental health screening and support services into routine primary care visits. Healthcare providers should be trained to recognize and address common mental health concerns, such as depression, anxiety, and trauma, in a culturally sensitive manner.

Additionally, healthcare providers can play a vital role in promoting health equity through community outreach and education initiatives. By partnering with local organizations and community leaders, healthcare providers can raise awareness about women's health issues, provide health education, and connect women to resources and support services.

Technology, especially digital solutions and consumer tech, also holds promise in combating gender inequalities. In maternal health, innovative digital tools can provide access to crucial information, telemedicine services, and prenatal care resources, bridging gaps in healthcare access. Such advancements empower women with knowledge and support, potentially reducing inequalities and improving women’s health outcomes globally.