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Sharona Hoffman

Professor of health law and bioethics, Case Western Reserve University

I joined the faculty of Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1999. I am the Edgar A. Hahn Professor of Law, Professor of Bioethics, and Co-Director of the Law-Medicine Center at the University. I hold a B.A. from Wellesley College, J.D. from Harvard Law School, LL.M. in Health Law from the University of Houston, and S.J.D. in Health Law (Doctorate of Juridical Science) from Case Western Reserve University.

I have published over sixty articles and book chapters on health law and civil rights issues. I have particular expertise in the areas of aging, disability, and health information technology, but I have written about many other topics as well. My work has appeared in the Georgetown Law Journal, William & Mary Law Review, and Boston College Law Review, among many other journals. I am also the author of two books: "Aging with a Plan: How a Little Thought Today Can Vastly Improve Your Tomorrow" (Praeger 2015) and "Electronic Health Records and Medical Big Data: Law and Policy" (Cambridge University Press 2016). I have lectured throughout the United States and internationally and have been widely quoted in the press. For further information see my website sharonahoffman.com.

Biased AI can be bad for your health – here's how to promote algorithmic fairness

Mar 10, 2021 00:13 am UTC| Technology Health

Artificial intelligence holds great promise for improving human health by helping doctors make accurate diagnoses and treatment decisions. It can also lead to discrimination that can harm minorities, women and economically...

Artificial intelligence in medicine raises legal and ethical concerns

Sep 06, 2019 07:46 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

The use of artificial intelligence in medicine is generating great excitement and hope for treatment advances. AI generally refers to computers ability to mimic human intelligence and to learn. For example, by using...

Physician burnout: Why legal and regulatory systems may need to step in

Jul 10, 2019 03:13 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

A career as a physician has traditionally been considered to be among the best vocations that talented students can pursue. That may no longer be the case. All too many doctors report that they are unhappy, frustrated and...

Health insurers want you to try cheaper drugs first, but that can hurt you

Jan 04, 2019 16:05 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Few people are familiar with the term step therapy, but most Americans have health insurance policies that adopt it. Step therapy programs, also known as fail first policies, require patients to try less expensive...

Our laws don't do enough to protect our health data

Oct 23, 2017 01:27 am UTC| Insights & Views Law Health

Have you ever wondered why your computer often shows you ads that seem tailor-made for your interests? The answer is big data. By combing through extremely large datasets, analysts can reveal patterns in your...

Economy

Bank of Japan Unveils New Inflation Gauge to Support Case for Future Rate Hikes

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) introduced a new core consumer price index (CPI) on Thursday, revealing that inflation rose 2.2% in February when adjusted to exclude special institutional factors. This new measure, released...

ECB Eyes Rate Hike Amid Iran Conflict-Driven Energy Price Surge

The European Central Bank (ECB) is weighing potential interest rate hikes as escalating conflict in Iran sends energy prices soaring, triggering fresh inflationary concerns across the eurozone. Market participants are now...

WTO Reform Talks Begin in Cameroon Amid Global Trade Tensions

Trade ministers from around the world convened Thursday in Yaoundé, Cameroon, for a critical four-day summit focused on reforming the World Trade Organization. The high-stakes gathering comes at a turbulent moment...

Japan Eyes Oil Futures Intervention to Stabilize Yen Amid Middle East Crisis

Japan is exploring an unconventional strategy to halt the yens ongoing decline directly intervening in global crude oil futures markets. The proposal, first reported by Reuters, signals Tokyos growing frustration as...

Asian Currencies Stay Muted as Dollar Holds Firm Amid Iran Uncertainty

Asian currencies remained largely subdued on Thursday as the U.S. dollar maintained its strength, with investors navigating mixed signals surrounding ongoing Middle East peace efforts. The U.S. Dollar Index held steady...

Politics

Maduro Faces Rare Narcoterrorism Charges in U.S. Court

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appeared in a U.S. federal court Thursday, facing serious criminal charges that include narcoterrorism a rarely prosecuted statute with a complicated legal history....

Russia-Iran Military Alliance Deepens With Drone Shipments Amid Middle East Tensions

Moscow is moving closer to completing a multi-phase transfer of lethal drones, medicine, and food supplies to Tehran, according to Western intelligence sources cited by the Financial Times. The deliveries are designed to...

Trump Seeks Quick End to U.S.-Iran Conflict Amid Ongoing Middle East Tensions

President Donald Trump has privately told close advisers that he wants to avoid a drawn-out war with Iran and is pushing for a swift resolution to the ongoing conflict, according to a Wall Street Journal report published...

Iran-U.S. Negotiations: Tehran Reviews American Peace Proposal Amid Ongoing Gulf Conflict

Irans foreign minister confirmed Wednesday that Tehran is examining a United States peace proposal aimed at ending the escalating Gulf war, though officials stressed this falls short of direct negotiations between the two...

FEMA Reinstates $1 Billion Disaster Prevention Grant Program After Court Order

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced the resumption of a key disaster prevention initiative after facing legal challenges that forced the reversal of its earlier cancellation. The agency is once again...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Google's TurboQuant Algorithm Sends Memory Chip Stocks Tumbling

Major memory chipmakers took a significant hit on Thursday after Google researchers introduced a groundbreaking compression algorithm that threatens to reduce artificial intelligence demand for memory chips. Samsung...

Reflection AI Eyes $25 Billion Valuation in Massive $2.5 Billion Funding Round

Nvidia-backed artificial intelligence startup Reflection AI is in advanced discussions to secure $2.5 billion in fresh funding, with negotiations pointing to a staggering pre-money valuation of $25 billion, according to a...

Nanya Technology Shares Surge 10% After $2.5 Billion Private Placement from Sandisk and Cisco

Shares of Taiwan-based memory chip manufacturer Nanya Technology soared to their daily limit of 10% on Thursday morning following the companys announcement of a major $2.5 billion private placement deal backed by prominent...

SK Hynix Eyes Up to $14 Billion U.S. IPO to Fund AI Chip Expansion

South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix has submitted a confidential filing for a U.S. stock market listing in 2026, with sources indicating the move could raise as much as $14 billion. The company intends to offer...

Meta Ties Executive Pay to Aggressive Stock Price Targets in Major Retention Push

Meta Platforms made a significant move this week by granting restricted stock units and stock options to several of its most senior leaders, including Chief Financial Officer Susan Li and Chief Technology Officer Andrew...