40 million turn to ChatGPT for health guidance; first ever coronary bypass performed without open-heart surgery; HHS endorses at-home HPV testing for cervical cancer screening – Morning Medical Update

Millions seek medical guidance from ChatGPT

More than 40 million people worldwide now turn to ChatGPT daily for health-related information according to a report from OpenAI, reported by Axios. Analysis of anonymized interactions shows patients increasingly use the artificial intelligence (AI) tool as an “ally” to decode medical bills, compared insurance plans, appeal coverage denials and even triage symptoms when access to clinicians is limited.

OpenAI reports that more than 5% of all ChatGPT messages globally involve health care, with up to 1.9 million insurance-related questions per week and a disproportionate share coming outside normal clinic hours and from underserved rural communities. While the company says newer GPT-5 models are designed to hedge, ask follow-up questions and steer users toward professional care, the trend raises concerns about accuracy, liability and safety — particularly in mental health, where AI chatbots face growing legal and regulatory scrutiny.

First minimally invasive coronary bypass performed without opening the chest

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Emory School of Medicine have achieved the first coronary artery bypass performed without cutting through the chest wall, offering a potential alternative for open-heart surgery. The novel technique, called ventriculo-coronary transcatheter outward navigation and re-entry (VECTOR), was successfully used in a 67-year-old man at high risk for fatal coronary obstruction during repeat aortic valve replacement. By creating a new coronary blood flow route using catheters inserted through leg vessels, the team avoided sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass.

Six months after the procedure, the patient showed no evidence of coronary obstruction. Investigators at NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute say additional patients will be needed to validate safety and durability, but the approach could eventually expand minimally invasive options for complex coronary disease when conventional surgery or stenting is not feasible.

HHS adds home HPV testing to cervical cancer screening guidance

For the first time, federal cervical cancer screening recommendations now include an option for women to collect their own HPV samples at home or in a clinician’s office. New guidance from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), published in JAMA, endorses self-collected HPV testing for women at average risk, citing strong evidence that it is as effective as clinician-performed screening.

Officials hope the change will boost declining screening rates, particularly in rural and underserved populations where access to pelvic exams can be limited or avoided due to discomfort or trauma. Insurance plans will be required to fully cover self-collected HPV screening and follow-up testing by Jan. 1, 2027, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The update follows recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals of both in-office and at-home HPV tests.