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
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
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
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
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
“Medical schools have it completely backwards”: Why we need health education transformation
The Reimagine Medicine program started with an artist with a long experience of illness and a doctor with a long fascination with storytelling. Together, Ray Barfield and Marina Tsaplina are ready to transform medical education. More
FDA’s proposed reform for medical devices lacks teeth
In a recent Washington Post op-ed, Shannon Brownlee and Jeanne Lenzer explain why the FDA's proposed changes are unlikely to make a real difference in medical device safety. More
Measuring harm from low-value care
How frequently are patients harmed by low-value care in hospitals? A new study sheds light on hospital-acquired complications of unnecessary care. More