Some California Hospitals Refused Covid-19 Transfers for Financial Reasons, State Emails Show
Denials expose ways hospitals put finances ahead of pandemic response as coronavirus hospitalizations continue to surge More
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Trial finds no significant COVID effect of pre-exposure hydroxychloroquine
A randomized, controlled clinical trial involving high-risk healthcare workers found that pre-exposure prophylaxis with hydroxychloroquine once or twice weekly did not significantly reduce COVID-19 compared with placebo, researchers reported late last week in Clinical Infectious Diseases. More
As the second surge looms, systems issues — not ‘weary staff’ — should be the focus for hospital safety
Nine months into Covid-19, many hospitals tell staff members to keep working after an exposure. Testing is recommended but not mandated. More
Trump raises alarm about suicides during the pandemic — but an increase isn’t ‘inevitable,’ one report says
Increased suicide rate during COVID-19 isn’t a ‘foregone conclusion,’ a journal article says. More
Lenox Hill Hospital expansion faces opposition due to healthcare inequalities
Northwell Health's $2.5 billion expansion plan for the hospital in Manhattan's Upper East Side, one of New York City's whitest enclaves, faces vehement opposition from healthcare advocates who say the project neglects communities of color. More
CDC: Blacks, Hispanics dying of COVID-19 at disproportionately high rates
Black and Hispanic Americans were disproportionately more likely to die of COVID-19 during the spring and summer months, a new indicator that the coronavirus’s toll is falling most heavily on underserved and minority communities. More
Why public health experts need to get political
Public health experts are striving to stop the spread of Covid-19 by spreading the word about masks, social distancing, and other preventive measures. But there is much more they can and should be doing to save lives from Covid-19, argues Harvard public health professor Dr. Mary T. Bassett, in a recent article in Nature. More
Fighting the Institutionalization of Racism in Medicaid
We discuss how block grants and other recent pushes in Medicaid policy in combination with established structural discriminatory practices negatively affect Black Americans and other people of color. More
Doctors’ Unconscious Bias Affects Quality Of Health Care Services, Research Shows
Research shows that doctors' unconscious bias can hurt patients of color. Some hospitals are trying to train doctors and stop disparate treatment. More
WHO study finds no benefit from remdesivir on COVID-19 deaths, hospital stays
The antiviral drug remdesivir had no substantial impact on the survival of COVID-19 patients or the length of their hospital stays, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) clinical trial. More
Sensible Medicine—Balancing Intervention and Inaction During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This Viewpoint proposes that sensible medicine for COVID-19 may better serve patients than unreasoned treatment using unproven interventions in the moment. More
Mental Illness and Stigma in Surgical Residencies—An Unspoken Truth
This Viewpoint discusses the stigma associated with mental illness and examines the practical and cultural changes needed to build supportive working and learning environments for surgical residents. More
CMS incorrectly penalizes hospitals in readmissions program, study finds
The incorrect penalties stem from margins of error associated with the 30-day risk-adjusted readmission measure the program relies on. More
Shaky U.S. Hospitals Risk Bankruptcy in Latest Covid Wave
A grim reality is setting in across the U.S. hospital sector: a surge in coronavirus infections is encroaching while most facilities are still recovering from the onset of the pandemic. More
Surprise Billing for Colonoscopy: The Scope of the Problem
Federal law eliminates consumer cost sharing for multiple methods of colorectal cancer screening, including colonoscopy when done by an in-network provider. However, some patients having screening incur considerable out-of-pocket costs because out-of-network bills are not included in federal mandates. More
From a small town in North Carolina to big-city hospitals, how software infuses racism into U.S. health care
The use of analytics software to target medical services to patients who need them most is infusing racial bias into health care decisions. More
A doctor is accused of years of unnecessary hysterectomies. The women who trusted him want answers.
Javaid Perwaiz, a former OB/GYN, faces trial this week in Norfolk, Va. He is charged with health-care fraud. More
Prioritizing equity in value-based care
As we move toward value-based care models, how do we prioritize patients that have historically been neglected in our health care system? More
Why a new payment model for rural hospitals could hurt them
Rural hospitals are struggling in the pandemic. But will a new payment model help or hurt? More
Where do we go next in deprescribing research?
In a keynote address for the US Deprescribing Research Network Conference, Dr. Cara Tannenbaum urged participants to reimagine the future of deprescribing research. More