Author: Rodrigo H

The UK was once called the “sick man of Europe”, because its economy lagged behind continental rivals. But as a major report from the IPPR thinktank pointed out this week, these days the phrase applies literally.A record 2.8 million people are out of work because of long-term sickness, with huge knock-on costs for the nation in benefits claimed and lost productivity – not to mention all the personal pain and misery.This epidemic underlines the web of challenges Labour has inherited, weaving together poverty and welfare, the state of the NHS and the government’s back-to-work support.For today’s newsletter, I spoke to…

A young musician has big dreams of a future after his luck struck when a talent show producer discovered an online video of him playing piano in a shopping centre.Brad Kella, winner of the second series of The Piano, was encouraged to audition for the Channel 4 show after wowing shoppers at Liverpool One.The 23-year-old, who grew up in Bootle, Merseyside, dedicated his debut single, “Eve and Frank”, to his adoptive parents.Despite dropping out of GCSE as a teenager and not being able to read music, his talent was recognised and he won a scholarship to the Liverpool Institute for…

(Bloomberg) — Months of record-high gold prices are discouraging Chinese consumers from buying, marring what should be one of the busiest times of the year for jewelry retailers in the world’s biggest gold buyer.Most read articles on BloombergSpot gold prices rose above $2,600 an ounce for the first time this week after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell cut interest rates by a half percentage point, signaling the start of a cycle of monetary easing. Gold has risen more than 25% this year.Big investors aren’t ready to pull out of gold just yet, and many see room for further purchases. But…

A survey of millions of patient visits to primary care physicians found that mental health concerns were second only to musculoskeletal symptoms in routine care, with one in nine patients seeking care primarily for a mental health concern. “These primary care physicians are the gatekeepers. Primary care physician data allows us to really see people as they come into contact with the health care system for the first time.” Avshalom Caspi, study leader and professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University The researchers looked at more than 350 million primary care visits involving 4.8 million people recorded…

Amanda Barry, Chief Commercial Officer at Infermedica The healthcare landscape continues to rapidly evolve due to advancements in technology and an ongoing shift to alternative payment models. As payers navigate this increasingly complex environment, member engagement has emerged as a critical component of successful healthcare initiatives. Now, with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare and value-based care, understanding and prioritizing member engagement is more important than ever. Patient engagement has been a hot topic in healthcare for years now, but what exactly is member engagement? At its core, member engagement refers to individuals taking an active role in…

Antonio Pérez Garibay, father of famous F1 driver Sergio Pérez, recently suffered a serious health scare. After his son collided with Carlos Sainz at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Antonio was found unconscious in the bathroom of his home, suffering from a myocardial infarction, a serious precursor to a heart attack.The tragedy occurred late in the race, shortly after Pérez collided with Carlos Sainz at high speed. Fortunately, as reported by the Mirror, Pérez’s family have confirmed that Antonio Pérez Garibay has been released from hospital and is in good health. The statement read:”After spending several days in the hospital, Mr.…

If you’ve ever gotten lost in a shopping centre, you shouldn’t blame yourself as the place is designed to confuse you, experts say.David Janotten from the Metropolitan Buildings Department told the Sydney Morning Herald that the escalators were installed in stores “simply to disorient people”, saying it was just one of many ploys retailers use to get customers to spend more money.”Sniff medicine”Having studied retail practices, Janotten noticed that “there are always extra escalator queues” to distract shoppers and get them to “spend more money,” the paper reported. This is to disorient customers and “slow them down enough” so that…

Klarna has added a chat-based shopping experience to its artificial intelligence (AI) assistant designed to help consumers shop. The company has also added more features to its AI assistant, powered by OpenAI, Klarna announced in a press release on Thursday (September 19). “For decades, the tech industry has assumed that the online shopping experience was powered by a few large tech companies, which led to a lack of investment,” David Foch, Klarna’s chief product and design officer, said in the release. “That creates an opportunity for companies like Klarna, where we are leveraging AI to challenge incumbents.” According to the…

Gone are the days of physically clipping coupons every week: now, websites and browser extensions like RetailMeNot, Honey and Simplycodes make it easy for shoppers to find discounts. But data shows that many retailers rely on email to share their best deals. “We’ve seen a 30% increase in coupon codes issued by retailers this year compared to last year,” said Allison Mack, vice president of marketing at SimplyCodes. Deals vary by day: Friday is the best day for consumers to save money when shopping online, according to SimplyCodes, which analyzed 30,000 marketing emails sent by retailers between March and July.…

Gone are the days of physically clipping coupons every week: now, websites and browser extensions like RetailMeNot, Honey and Simplycodes make it easy for shoppers to find discounts. But data shows that many retailers rely on email to share their best deals. “We’ve seen a 30% increase in coupon codes issued by retailers this year compared to last year,” said Allison Mack, vice president of marketing at SimplyCodes. Deals vary by day: Friday is the best day for consumers to save money when shopping online, according to SimplyCodes, which analyzed 30,000 marketing emails sent by retailers between March and July.…