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
Blog
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
A Curious Union: Clorox, Cleveland Clinic, and the CDC Foundation
Disinfecting surfaces does little to curb Covid's spread. So why are two big health nonprofits working with Clorox? More
Fulfilling the Mandate of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Accelerated Approval Pathway
This Viewpoint discusses the US Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated approval pathway and proposes the need for reforms as well as the timely completion of postapproval trials. More
Legacy of racial segregation endures at many U.S. hospitals
In the early 1940s, Bernard Lown, MD, was temporarily expelled from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine after it was discovered that, in an act of protest, he had purposely altered blood-bottle labels that indicated the race of the blood donor from whom it was drawn. After a threatened protest, Dr. Lown—the inventor of the defibrillator—was reinstated but removed from his job at the blood bank, which continued to segregate its supply according to the race of the donor. Some 80 years after Dr. Lown’s encounter with that baseless form of medical racism, the organization that bears his name—the Lown Institute—has released data showing that many of the nation’s urban hospital markets are highly segregated. More
Local hospitals’ community-benefits spending falls millions short of their tax benefits, report finds
"There's been an assumption that these hospitals that don't pay taxes are spared the taxes because they provide a community benefit," said Dr. Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute.
The institute's analysis shows that is not necessarily the case, Saini said. Nearly three-quarters of private nonprofit hospitals nationwide spent less on community benefits than they received in tax breaks. That translated into a total deficit of $17 billion.
The rate was even higher in New York City, where 33 of 40 private hospitals spent less than they got in tax breaks, the institute's analysis found.
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Toward Gender Equity in Academic Promotions
This Viewpoint outlines policy changes to make academic promotions more equitable for women physicians. More
Most unvaccinated people have low incomes
Most low-income workers still want the shot, though. More
VIDEO: Community Benefit launch
The value of the nonprofit tax exemption is worth tens of billions to hospitals. But what are we getting back in exchange for this hefty tax break? Watch the launch video for a discussion of community benefit standards, hospital billing practices, and fair share spending with health policy experts. More
Big-name hospitals have biggest community spending shortfalls, report shows
PRESS RELEASE: Most U.S. nonprofit hospitals neglect community investment obligation, analysis reveals
Though all nonprofit hospitals enjoy big tax breaks, many fail to make commensurate investments in community health, according to a new analysis from the Lown Institute. The Institute today released Community Benefit findings from its 2021 Hospitals Index, that show nonprofit hospitals collectively failed to invest nearly $17 billion in their communities. More
US News to add Lown Index overuse metric to Best Hospitals ranking
This year, US News & World Report will be incorporating the Spinal Fusion Overuse metric from the Lown Index into their “Best Hospitals” ranking. More
Some of the nation’s biggest hospitals overcharge and sue their patients
Which US hospitals are conducting predatory billing practices like suing or overcharging patients? A new analysis using Lown Institute data grades hospitals on their billing practices. More
Characterization of US Hospital Advertising and Association With Hospital Performance, 2008-2016
This cross-sectional study uses data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to assess whether higher-performing hospitals are more likely to advertise their services directly to consumers. More