By the numbers: Hospitals placed about 1 million stents in Medicare beneficiaries between 2019 and 2021, and more than 1 in 5 met the criteria for overuse, according to the Lown Institute, a health care think tank. More
One Texas hospital has over half of stents placed meeting criteria for overuseopens in a new tab or window, according to the nationwide ranking in a report from the Lown Institute. More
"The frequency at which stents are overused shows that many physicians are struggling to keep up with the evidence," Vikas Sani, MD, cardiologist and president of the Lown Institute, said in an Oct. 31 news release. "To be socially responsible, hospitals need to take a more active role in reducing these unnecessary procedures." More
The researchers said the unnecessary procedures aren’t only costly for Medicare but can also run a patient around $1,600, with Medicare paying the remaining roughly $9,000. Stent procedures also run the risk of tears in the artery, blood clots and kidney damage, according to the report. More
“When physicians continue a practice despite the evidence against it, it becomes more dangerous than useful.” cardiologist Vikas Saini, MD, president of the Lown Institute, said in statement. “The overuse of stents is incredibly wasteful and puts hundreds of thousands of patients in harm’s way.” More
A report out today from the Lown Institute says unnecessary use of coronary stents could cost Medicare an estimated $800 million a year. Looking at more than 1,700 hospitals and outpatient centers, the think tank determined more than 1 in 5 procedures from 2019 through 2021 met criteria for overuse. More
More than one in five coronary stents doctors placed in Medicare patients from 2019 through 2022 weren't needed; and they cost the federal health program and beneficiaries about $2.4 billion, according to the analysis by Lown Institute, a nonprofit think tank. More
A new report from the Lown Institute finds that U.S. hospitals performed more than 229,000 unnecessary stents on Medicare patients from 2019-2021. Here's what overuse experts had to say about the issue... More
How professional inertia harms patients and wastes billions of dollars. More
Your support is crucial in helping us achieve our mission and there are many impactful ways to give. Make a cash donation A direct donation of cash is one of the easiest ways to support our work. Donate stock Donating stock is a great way to support the Lown Institute while potentially enjoying significant tax […] More
The “pink tax” is the concept that women’s products and services tend to be priced higher than men’s. Is there a “pink tax” in healthcare as well? More
Last week, the American Medical Association (AMA) brought together experts to discuss issues of data and measurement in the latest edition of their National Health Equity Grand Rounds series. More
Two new reports — one from Bernie Sanders' Senate committee and one from the American Hospitals Association — provide very different views on hospital community benefit spending. Here’s what you need to know. More
What can policymakers do about this issue to protect patients from medical debt and ensure hospitals are giving back their fair share to communities? Here are some proposals that could move the needle... More
Fund the Next 50: Help advance bold ideas for a just and caring system for health. More
New research shows the challenges that hospital equity officers face, and opportunities for change. More
Nurses are among the most trusted profession in the US and have a lot to gain from reducing unnecessary care, yet this potential for nurses to lead the charge has gone largely untapped. Experts share their insights on value-informed nursing and their visions for the future. More
How often are these procedures happening, and where? How much are we wasting on these low-value services? And what can we do to prevent unnecessary care? More
A new cost-benefit analysis on the societal benefits of replacing lead service lines was published. What are the findings and what do we do about them? More
AI-supported cancer screenings have the potential to reduce false positives ...but they could also exacerbate overdiagnosis. More