og:description Medical journals are relied on as trusted sources of medical information. For years, authors’ conflicts of interest—both disclosed and undisclosed— have repeatedly undermined the credibility of the medical profession and the medical literature. More
Health care groups don't want transparency that reveals true prices. More
What do hospitals that advertise their services have in common? Lown Intern Neil Trivedi explains in a guest blog post. More
Congress tapped a national academies committee to examine a drug cost issue. It got a report that includes “egregious” failures to disclose conflicts of interest. More
Although we examined only one common shoppable service in this post, the importance of identifying high-price hospitals is generalizable to a broad range of hospital services. More
Medicare Advantage is fundamentally altering Medicare's structure. More
Aggressive sales tactics have allegedly led surgeons to use defective or wrong-size implants, screws or other products on patients, including former Olympian Mary Lou Retton. More
Inspectors repeatedly found manufacturing and device quality problems with the HeartWare heart pump. But the FDA did not penalize the company, and patients had the device implanted on their hearts without knowing the facts. More
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Centers Program, developed as part of the National Cancer Act of 1971, recognizes 71 cancer centers across the US that meet rigorous standards for transdisciplinary and innovative research to develop new and better approaches to preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer. Although this program was developed to advance cancer research, these cancer centers have an important role in translating scientific knowledge into effective treatments for patients with cancer. Moreover, these cancer centers, nearly all part of academic medical centers, attract top clinician researchers and clinician educators who seek to advance both cancer research and clinical care. More
Produced by the Lown Institute, the Lown Institute Hospitals Index ranks hospitals using 42 metrics across three major categories: civic leadership, health outcomes, and care value. By using a comprehensive measure that centers racial and ethnic equity, the Index aims to guide hospitals in providing inclusive care for all populations and help hospitals improve the overall health of their communities. Information is disseminated in the form of an interactive ranking that allows the user to sort and view metrics. Supplemental reports are also available. Data are collected from federal sources including the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and Medicare inpatient data. More
DSOs are overwhelmingly owned by private equity firms. 27 of the top 30 DSOs are private-equity-owned. This amounts to approximately 84% of practice locations that contract with the top 30 DSOs. More
Criticisms of the US Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated approval process have resurfaced after the recent approval of aducanumab (Aduhelm) for dementia. Elisabeth Mahase finds that the process is plagued by missing efficacy data and questionable evidence. More
Do you sometimes lose your train of thought or feel a bit more anxious than is typical for you? Those are two of the six questions in a quiz on a website co-sponsored by the makers of Aduhelm, a controversial new Alzheimer’s drug. But even when all responses to the frequency of those experiences are “never,” the quiz issues a “talk to your doctor” recommendation about the potential need for additional cognitive testing. More
Patient advocacy organizations need to shift their paradigm from "any drug at any cost" to "the best drug at the right cost." More
Medical debt and collection actions further perpetuate racial inequities by limiting economic opportunities and further contributing to the wealth divide. More
Disinfecting surfaces does little to curb Covid's spread. So why are two big health nonprofits working with Clorox? More
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
"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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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