Pharmacoequity: a new goal for ending disparities in U.S. health care
All Americans should have access to the most effective medications indicated for their conditions. That's pharmacoequity. More
Blog
To solve health care inequity, Mass. should address the social determinants of health
A piecemeal approach will not remedy centuries of racial injustice. To ensure the state leads the nation in the health and well-being of its residents, equity must guide every decision. More
US hospitals struggle to reduce health disparities: Minority patients underrepresented in 4 of 5 hospitals
Only 29% of hospitals treated a proportion of Black patients that was comparable to the proportion of Black residents living in the community. More
Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care
In this issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, there is a timely and important study about the association between eligibility for Medicare at age 65 years and racial and ethnic disparities in access to care and health in the US. More
State needs to throw a lifeline to Lawrence General Hospital
The safety net hospital needs financial relief and a change in the reimbursement system. More
Hospital overuse linked to thousands of adverse events each year
In a recent study in JAMA Health Forum, Lown Institute researchers investigate the relationship between low-value hospital services and hospital-acquired infections and patient safety events. More
Facing Headwinds on New Alzheimer’s Drug, Biogen Launches Controversial Campaign
Do you sometimes lose your train of thought or feel a bit more anxious than is typical for you? Those are two of the six questions in a quiz on a website co-sponsored by the makers of Aduhelm, a controversial new Alzheimer’s drug. But even when all responses to the frequency of those experiences are “never,” the quiz issues a “talk to your doctor” recommendation about the potential need for additional cognitive testing. More
Patient advocacy organizations and FDA drug approval: lessons from Aduhelm
Patient advocacy organizations need to shift their paradigm from "any drug at any cost" to "the best drug at the right cost." More
US Health Care Relies on Filipinxs While Ignoring Their Health Needs
This Viewpoint explains how data aggregation under a single Asian category has hidden the real health and death toll of COVID-19 among Filipinx in the US, especially the large portion of which are frontline health care workers. More
Medicine needs to see what disability means, looks like, and feels like — in its ranks and in its patients
Even 25 years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, people with disabilities make up fewer than 3% of U.S. med students. More
The parenting penalties faced by scientist mothers
Starting a family at a key career stage comes at a cost to birthing parents — and many end up leaving the profession as a result. More
Americans’ Medical Debts Are Bigger Than Was Known, Totaling $140 Billion
A new study finds that health care has become the country’s largest source of debt in collections. Those debts are largest where Medicaid wasn’t expanded. More
Expert panel votes unanimously that Biogen Alzheimer’s drug doesn’t offer patient benefits
The 15-to-0 vote on the Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm amounted to a rebuke of both Biogen and the Food and Drug Administration. More
Physician Use of Stigmatizing Language in Patient Medical Records
This qualitative study examines both negative and positive attitudes expressed by physicians about patients in electronic medical records. More
My pregnancy made me fear for my career as a physician. It doesn’t have to be that way
As I stared at my positive pregnancy test before starting sub-specialist training, I worried how my new colleagues would react to my news. More
Speaking Out Against Aggressive Medical Debt Collection Practices
Medical debt and collection actions further perpetuate racial inequities by limiting economic opportunities and further contributing to the wealth divide. More
More Black patients are participating in clinical trials for cancer treatment at Penn thanks to this effort
In research published in 2020, one of the themes was that minority patients were viewed as more challenging by physicians, their leaders, and the research staff. There’s a lot to unpack here. More
Cleveland Clinic and Mount Sinai Won’t Administer Aduhelm to Patients
The rejection of the new Alzheimer’s drug by the two major medical centers is one of the starkest signs of concern over its approval by the F.D.A. More
Nearly One in Four People Say Their Medications are Not Routinely Reviewed and Evaluated by Their Medical Team
Today, The Get the Medications Right™ (GTMRx) Institute is sharing the results of a new survey that assesses the medication management habits and needs of over 1,000 people. Among the findings, nearly one quarter of people surveyed cited that their medications are not routinely reviewed and evaluated by their medical team—a shocking fact, given that one-third are taking four or more medications and/or supplements per day. More
The moment I realized health care was rigged — and when I decided to help fix it
Lown intern Neil Trivedi shares his journey through the health care system, from admiration to disillusionment to inspiration. More