How much is medical care “worth”? The tricky question of value
Should we be worried about projected increases in health care spending? Or is it just the price we pay for better health? More
Blog
The Top Ten pediatric overuse articles from 2017
The pediatric field has been slower to recognize the problem of overuse, in part because there is less evidence available on overused services. A new review seeks to highlight studies that are filling these gaps in the research. More
Outcome misreporting goes ignored by top medical journals
In the COMPare trial, researchers set out to find out how prevalent outcome reporting errors are in major journals, and how these journals respond to criticism. The results were not pretty... More
Esketamine nears FDA approval, prompting both excitement and concern
As the powerful depression drug esketamine nearly FDA approval, some researchers are concerned that the approval would be lowering the bar for clinical evidence. More
Conflicts of interest cloud stroke intervention guidelines
Do financial conflicts play a role in explaining the differences in recommendations for acute stroke interventions between specialty societies? More
Rising price has pushed insulin out of reach for some people
The cost of insulin has increased over 250 percent since 2007, according to the American Diabetes Association, and patients are looking to lawmakers for relief. Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute and co-chairman of the Right Care Alliance both based in Brookline, said a handful of drug companies create an “iron triangle” with insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers that has led to skyrocketing insulin prices. More
American families spent more on hospital care than federal taxes in 2018
They say that nothing is certain but death and taxes. Maybe we should add "high health care costs" to that list of certainties... More
The “confounding” effect of compliance bias
What is compliance bias and how does it affect research on health interventions? More
Hope, Hype, and Hospitals
What do advanced cancer patients expect from their clinicians and how does this affect their treatment? More
The moral price we pay for “innovation”
Our willingness to turn a blind eye to the profiteering of biotech is a moral failing, writes Dr. Vikas Saini in a Commonhealth op-ed. More
Shkreli awards for the worst actors in health care
Unbridled greed and disrespect for human suffering seems to be the driver of all award winners. More
Genomic sequencing in primary care: Promises unfulfilled
Will routine genomic sequencing be the innovation that revolutionizes medicine? Or is it more hype than substance? More
As Drug Prices Rise, Is Boston’s Prosperity Based On A Moral Crime?
The week before Thanksgiving, in the freezing rain, a group of patients, nurses, physicians and activists, organized by the Right Care Alliance, marched on the Sanofi drug company in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sanofi had been marking up its insulin products by as much as 4,500 percent over to the estimated cost of producing a single vial — and people with type 1 diabetes were starting to die. Led by grieving mothers, we carried the ashes of their children to the insulin manufacturer demanding it cut its prices. More
Benzos increasingly prescribed for dubious indications, study shows
A new study sheds finds that benzodiazepine are being increasingly prescribed chronic pain and long-term use, which may have harmful consequences. More
Are we over-regulating diagnostic tests?
Do FDA rules make it too difficult for new diagnostic tests to be approved? Or is it too easy? More
In pharmaceutical marketing, a little goes a long way
A new study shows that in pharmaceutical marketing, the number of doctors you target may matter more than the amount of money you give them. More
Incorporating cost into shared decision making conversations
The cost-benefit equation for lung cancer screening is missing a significant type of cost... More
Turning the tide on physician burnout
Physician burnout appears to be getting worse. These doctors are sending a call to action to address the problem. More
Can physician characteristics predict overuse?
A new study finds that observable physician characteristics don't help much in explaining overuse. Then what could be the explanation? More
Why can’t we get real hospital prices?
Why can't we get better price transparency for health care services in hospitals? Because the "real" price doesn't exist... More