This Viewpoint proposes that varying combinations of evidence, physician influence, and economics guide the continuation or de-adoption of low-value health services and can help organize and prioritize policy initiatives to drive down the prevalence of wasteful care. More
Many cardiologists recognize that placing coronary stents for stable heart disease has limited clinical benefit for patients. But low-value stents are still common -- how can we change this practice? New research in JAMA Internal Medicine provides some suggestions. More
How can we measure what really matters in primary care? In an essay in KevinMD, Dr. Michelle-Linh Nguyen offers a vision for better metrics in primary care. More
Bronchiolitis is one of the most common reasons for pediatric hospitalization in the United States, incurring costs of $734 million each year. More
This Viewpoint highlights 2 ways, based on insights from industries outside health care, to increase participation in and benefits of surgical bundles. More
The American health care system is dominated by misaligned financial incentives, rewarding providers for more – but not necessarily BETTER – treatment. In this episode, Ceci and guests discuss ways to shift our health care approach away from volume – and the waste and unnecessary care it involves – and to a model focused on value. Research repeatedly shows that a value-based, outcome-focused system reduces costs and produces better health outcomes. Hear what the experts have to say in Ep. 4 of Healthy Dialogue. More
In this latest edition of “Lown Hospitals Q&A,” Shannon Brownlee and Vikas Saini talk about the prevalence and harm of hysterectomy overuse, and what the Lown Index shows about hysterectomies in US hospitals. More
An insurer-led experiment adds community pharmacists to care teams in the hope of controlling chronic conditions and reducing hospital readmissions. More
This week, former Harvard Medical School professor William Haseltine wrote, “Beware of COVID-19 vaccine trials designed to succeed from the start.” More
With several Covid-19 vaccines in hand, we will need to a trial to know which are most effective at preventing the disease, or safest. More
The new study found five unapproved pharmaceutical drugs in 10 different over-the-counter brain supplements. More
A lack of direction from federal administrators is causing confusion for many hospital administrators. Rural hospitals are among the ones hit hardest. More
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has laid bare many of the flaws in our country's health care system, including a weak public health infrastructure, the terrible and persistent health and health care disparities experienced by people of color and other marginalized populations, our inability to nimbly redistribute vital equipment and human resources, the consequences of chronic underfunding of long-term care, and the utter absence of a functional collaboration between policy makers and the health care delivery system. More
In this week's Hospitals Q&A video, Shannon Brownlee and Vikas Saini discuss the American health care paradox and where hospitals fit into the equation. More
The new coronavirus seems so strange because it has our full attention in a way most viruses don’t. More
We spoke with Dr. Tom Perry, clinical associate professor at UBC to ask him about practical ways to avoid medication overload and the assumptions about medications we need to rethink in our society. More
The pandemic has prompted many physician groups to consider taking on risk, including capitated payments. Experts say there are regulatory, logistical hurdles to consider. More
Overprescribing of opioids can lead to dependence and serious harm, but abrupt tapers or discontinuation can also be disruptive for patients already taking opioids. How can primary care clinicians prescribe pain medications responsibly? More
The publication of several studies using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging raised public fears over increased risk to the heart in patients following infection with COVID-19. More
The risk of getting the virus at a check-up is low. But telemedicine is an even better bet. More