Many of us adopt resolutions for the New Year—could hospitals do the same? Here are five ways that hospitals could become more socially responsible in the coming year, inspired by those hospitals that are already leading the way. More
A crucial part of hospitals’ social mission is providing care to all who need it, regardless of their ability to pay. But is that actually happening? More
Bringing together Dr. Vikas Saini (the Lown Institute), Dr. Katherine Peeler (Boston Children’s Hospital), Dr. Omar Lateef (RUSH University Medical Center), and Dr. Thea James (Boston Medical Center), the discussion focused on the role of hospitals in addressing problems like moral stress and burnout and how a commitment to equity fits into their resolution. Watch the video of the event and read some of the highlights from the discussion. More
The nation is facing a physician shortage, particularly in rural areas. What can we do about it? More
This new measure of radiation quality sheds light on an important potential harm of imaging overuse. Here’s what it means for the future of provider accountability and patient safety. More
Are Black patients at higher or lower risk of overuse? A new study reveals how patterns of low-value differ by race in the Medicare population. More
Meet our new Health Communications Specialist, Imari Daniels! More
Texas is home to three of the ten U.S. hospitals that overuse stents the most, according to new research from The Lown Institute. The costly procedure is unnecessarily performed every seven minutes, and UT Southwestern’s Clements University Hospital is among the facilities that overuse stents the most. More
On the The Commonwealth Fund's podcast, "The Dose," Dr. Vikas Saini talked with host Joel Bervell about all things healthcare, from price transparency at hospitals to the epidemic of unnecessary coronary stents. More
Since 2021, CMS has required hospitals to publish pricing information online. What are the latest updates on these rules, and what drives hospitals to comply? More
A new report from the Lown Institute finds that hospitals' unnecessary coronary stent use costs Medicare $800 million a year. More
Stents are small mesh tubes inserted into weak or narrow arteries and other passageways to keep them open in patients with coronary artery disease, widen arteries clogged with plaque, and keep blood flowing. The new report estimated that one in five stents implanted between 2019 and 2021 were unnecessary because the patient was not at high risk for a heart attack, the Lown Institute, an independent research firm, found.
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