A new report from The Leapfrog Group suggests that most hospitals and surgeons in 2019 continued to perform high-risk elective surgeries without sufficient volumes to ensure patient safety. More
A conference on conflicts of interest would be a great event...if it weren't funded by industry. More
Four decades after the HIV epidemic began, there’s finally hope it might end. Indeed, “Getting to Zero” — meaning zero new HIV infections — is a slogan used by the World Health Organization and others in fighting the epidemic. More
For much of the 20th century, medical progress seemed limitless. Antibiotics revolutionized the care of infections. Vaccines turned deadly childhood diseases into distant memories. Americans lived longer, healthier lives than their parents. Yet today, some of the greatest success stories in public health are unraveling. More
Eleven years ago, Julie Martinez decided not to have her thyroid removed after a small nodule was discovered. In an update to her story, Julie shares what has happened since then. More
A care management program in Tennessee for high-need, high-cost Medicaid patients reduces healthcare service spending and healthcare utilization, research published this month indicates. More
Because seniors are at higher risk of cognitive impairment, proponents say screening asymptomatic older adults is an important strategy to identify people who may be developing dementia and to improve their care. But the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force cited insufficient evidence the tests are helpful. More
Over the past decade, the use of multiple medications (clinically known as “polypharmacy”) has skyrocketed among older adults. Aging brings ailments and chronic illnesses, and more illnesses generally lead to more prescriptions. But every additional medication taken by an older person increases the risk of a serious side effect. As medication use has dramatically increased, too many older adults are simply overloaded with medications that are more likely to harm rather than help them. More
More than one-third of medical students reported experiencing at least 1 episode of mistreatment by faculty, peers, or clinical staff. More
While a few drug giants get rich on absurd markups, 1 in 4 people with the disease are forced to ration the life-saving medicine. More
Intense financial pressure combined with the volume-based reimbursement that drive the constant push for more pills are compromising patient care and pharmacist well-being. More
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a successful class of medications accounting for $79 billion spent in the United States between 2007 and 2011.1 While many PPI indications involve limited or short-term use, it is not uncommon for patients to use them for extended periods or for clinicians to prescribe them for indications not supported by robust evidence of efficacy. More
Women 75 and older do not benefit from regular screening mammograms, researchers reported on Monday, offering some of the first evidence on whether screening makes sense in these women. More
In many men identified as having prostate cancer following PSA screening, the disease is neither aggressive nor likely to kill them before something else does. More
Primary care physicians are challenged by the need to stay abreast of current research on a wide variety of topics in an environment of time constraints, evolving literature, and misinformation on health topics that are sometimes promulgated to the public. More
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a comprehensive strategy to reduce the regulatory and administrative burden related to the use of health IT, including EHRs. More
When Miami-Dade County’s public health system unveils its new rehabilitation hospital next month, one of the first facilities built with the 2013 “miracle bond” issue, the four-story building will feature a state-of-the-art aquatic therapy pool, a physical therapy room with high-tech body-weight-supporting harnesses built into a track on the ceiling — and a $400,000 cat sculpture. More
New research suggests the policing tactic can have damaging effects on physical and mental health. More
Are rich hospitals spending as much as they should on charity care? A new analysis suggests they could be doing much more. More
A new research letter in JAMA finds that private equity ownership of specialty practices more than doubled from 2013-2016. More