The benefits and harms of lung cancer screening
The latest commentary in the Lown Institute and American Family Physician's "Right Care" series features Dr. Andy Lazris and Dr. Alan Roth on the pros and cons of lung cancer screening. More
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When one unnecessary procedure leads to many…
What happens when one low-value test leads to a "cascade" of expensive and harmful procedures? More
The monopolization of health care goes beyond hospitals
We know that consolidation among hospitals and insurance companies leads to higher prices. But what about consolidation in other areas of health care? More
Deprescribing Champions: Maisha Draves
Why measuring the outcomes of deprescribing is key for culture change, from family physician Maisha Draves at Kaiser Permanente. More
Accelerated drug approval has not come with accelerated evidence
Is the FDA's accelerated approval program resulting in better cancer drugs? Two new studies provide insight... More
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Is this $2 million gene therapy drug priced “fairly”?
The approval of a new gene therapy to treat spinal muscular atrophy has created a hot debate in the health policy world about whether or not the drug's $2.1 million price tag is too expensive or a fair price. More
The public health epidemic no one is talking about…
While we rush to fix the opioid crisis, are we ignoring another widespread drug problem? More
How pharmacists can be “deprescribing champions”
A group of pharmacists from Lifespan/Rhode Island Hospital answer our questions about how pharmacists can promote deprescribing. More
Is our health care system prepared for a pediatric mental health crisis?
Is our health care system prepared to treat more behavioral health problems in younger people? So far, the answer is no. More
Medication overload: The drug epidemic that no one is talking about
Are Fat Hospital Salaries for Doctors Really Kickbacks?
For a hospital that had once labored to break even, Wheeling Hospital displayed abnormally deep pockets when recruiting doctors. To lure Dr. Adam Tune, an anesthesiologist from nearby Pittsburgh who specialized in pain management, the Catholic hospital built a clinic for him to run on its campus in Wheeling, West Virginia. It paid Tune as much as $1.2 million a year—well above the salaries of 90 percent of pain management physicians across the nation, the federal government charged in a lawsuit filed this spring. “If we’re going to solve the health care pricing problem, these kinds of practices are going to have to go away,” said Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, a Massachusetts nonprofit that advocates for affordable care. More
Newsroom
Media Requests The Lown Institute is a health care think tank with expertise on low-value, or unnecessary care; accountability; health equity; and the human connection in healing. Our president Dr. Vikas Saini is a well-known speaker, writer, and thought leader who is frequently quoted in media. Media inquiries should be directed to Aaron Toleos, VP of […] More
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Why AI? Questioning the role of artificial intelligence in health care
Health care experts explain the potential downsides to the artificial intelligence "revolution." More
Prescribing and the 4Ms: How to prevent harm to older Americans
In Health Affairs Grantwatch blog, Shannon Brownlee and Terry Fulmer describe how the Lown Institute and John A. Hartford Foundation are working together to reduce medication overload. More
Solving Medication Overload: America’s Other Drug Problem
The twentieth century witnessed miracles in terms of improved health and greater longevity, and certainly one of the factors in that sea change has been advances in pharmaceuticals and pharmacotherapeutics. With the advent of antibiotics, steroids, antihypertensives, statins, and lifesaving medications for diabetes, people are living longer with fewer symptoms and, in general, better quality of life. Why then, is the Lown Institute concerned about the growing epidemic of medication overload? And why would The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF) be interested in this work? More
Can health journalism be saved?
Popular health news often fails to reflect the incrementalism and nuance of medical discoveries, instead hyping unproven treatments. Can we save health journalism? More
How much does health care affect longevity?
Much of the political discourse around health focuses on expanding access to health insurance. But how much does health care really matter for health? More