Aduhelm sparks action on accelerated approval process
The approval of Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm through the accelerated pathway has brought new attention to needed improvements to this process. More
Some cancer centers don’t follow evidence-based guidelines for prostate screening
In America's cancer centers, where many patients go for specialized cancer treatment, prostate screening policies do not always align with evidence-based recommendations. More
How mental health apps can accelerate the psychiatric prescribing cascade
Mental health apps designed to improve access to care may be driving overdiagnosis and overmedication, a recent investigation finds. More
PRESS RELEASE: America’s most segregated hospital markets are Detroit, St. Louis, Kansas City
Lown Institute Analysis Shows Hospitals Are More Equitable When Caring for COVID Patients. More
Are nonprofit hospitals serving their fair share of Medicaid patients?
Do nonprofit hospitals have higher unreimbursed Medicaid costs than for-profit hospitals? More
Racism impacts health – how do we account for it?
Why is it equitable to take race into account in healthcare in some cases but not others? The answer lies in the distinction between race and racism. More
Racial inclusivity in Covid
Join us March 17 at 1pm as we announce the most racially inclusive hospitals in America, and discuss the impact of Covid on hospital inclusivity. More
How to identify low-value prescribing practices
A newly-developed metric of low-value prescribing practices helps fill an important gap in the research of overuse metrics. More
As many as 25% of screening colonoscopies are unnecessary, study finds
As many as 25% of screening colonoscopies are not consistent with national guidelines, according to a recent systematic review. More
Low-value care for back pain is common, but may be declining
Low back pain is one of the most common health problems in the world and one of the most common causes of overuse -- but there is some good news. More
How some drug companies manipulate patient advocates
Patient advocates and researchers uncover concerning patterns in financial relationships between industry funding and patient advocacy organizations. More
How much should we pay nonprofit hospital CEOs?
What are we rewarding hospital CEOs for -- and what metrics could drive their salaries on instead? In an recent piece in Health Affairs Forefront, Vikas Saini, Judith Garber, and Shannon Brownlee from the Lown Institute share findings from the Lown Hospitals Index on pay equity at nonprofit hospitals. More
The medicalization of death: What does it mean and what can we do about it?
Deaths in high-income countries have largely become "medicalized," moving more and more into the purview of the health care system. What are the implications of this change for families and for health systems around the world? The Lancet Commission on the Value of Death recently released a report addressing the medicalization of death and why it matters. More
When meds taken “as prescribed” still cause harm
A group of advocates has been sounding the alarm about the risk of side effects from benzodiazepines, even when taken as directed. An upcoming documentary tells their stories. More
Despite new technology to detect afib, we still don’t know if screening helps
Will devices like the Apple Watch that continuously monitor heart rhythm reduce rates of stroke? The evidence still isn't there, the USPSTF finds. More
Guest Interview: How prescription checkups can work on the ground
To reduce harmful overmedication, we need to give doctors and patients opportunities to deprescribe. One pharmacy benefit manager has already started providing prescription checkups for their members -- here's how their program is working so far. More
Why access to Aduhelm won’t improve health equity
After CMS restricted access to Aduhelm, Biogen and the Alzheimer's Association called the decision discriminatory. Here's why we're skeptical... More
How electronic tools can help deprescribe in the hospital
The Medsafer study shows how clinical decision tools can help doctors deprescribe more in the hospital. More
Which health systems are doing the most to reduce overuse?
New research from Johns Hopkins evaluates overuse at more than 600 health systems. How do their results compare to those of the Lown Hospitals Index? More
Shkreli Awards: Dishonorable Mentions
Enjoy these Shkreli Award "dishonorable mentions" — nominees that didn't quite make the top ten, but are worth calling out nonetheless. More