Americans are worried about the novel coronavirus, so they are turning to the internet for solutions to stem their fears. Buyer, beware. It could be dangerous. More
A key promise of the work is that using lung images could provide an alternative to the current coronavirus tests that have been in short supply. More
Dr. Didier Raoult of Marseilles and his co-workers have published another preprint on clinical results with the chloroquine/azithromycin combination that their earlier work has made famous More
A federal judge has dismissed a proposed class action challenging UnitedHealthcare's refusal to cover a certain type of cancer treatment known as proton beam therapy. More
Families worry that overwhelmed hospitals won’t be able to provide palliative care for loved ones stricken with COVID-19. More
Is hydroxychloroquine a "miracle cure" for COVID-19? Or just unwarranted hype? More
I’m an ER doctor, and we need to know what matters most to your family member. More
The Lown Institute, a Brookline nonprofit, called over-prescribing of seniors an epidemic in a report last April. Over the last decade, those 65 and older have been hospitalized for serious drug side effects about 2 million times, the group said. “The bottom line is, they know how to prescribe … They don’t know how to de-prescribe,” said Shannon Brownlee, the Lown Institute’s senior vice president, addressing the issue of having a patient wean off a drug. More
“Western health care systems have been built around the concept of patient-centered care,” but that doctors must now move to “community-centered care.” More
With delays in testing hampering the country’s ability to accurately track the new coronavirus and shelter-in-place orders keeping many Americans at home, startups are swooping in with a seemingly ideal solution: at-home tests. More
Even with an unfolding pandemic, there’s no shortage of overreaching public relations news releases to mislead the public. More
Let’s be honest. Most American hospitals are unprepared to treat a sudden surge in very sick and contagious COVID-19 patients. More
Eliminating Medication Overload: A National Action Plan, a report issued by the Lown Institute, is based on input from national experts, and highlights the risks of overprescribing and overuse of medications, particularly in older adults. The report is both a wakeup call and a roadmap that offers policy recommendations and guidance for health care institutions, clinicians, and older adults to reduce harm from multiple medication use. More
The prevalent framing of "risks vs benefits" may give physicians and patients the wrong message... More
Some doctors are calling for the boycott of inferior vena cava, or IVC filters — and patients are suing manufacturers. More
My very vibrant and blessed life was obliterated by a perverse cascade of errors via a broken medical system. This affected my loved ones’ lives as profoundly as it did mine. More
Doctors often prescribe an antibiotic for children with pneumonia, but a new study suggests the drugs are not always needed. More
A collaboration between AFP and the Lown Institute promotes a vision of delivering health care that is based on the evidence, balanced in its approach, and focused on the patient. More
Medications can cause this fog or even worsen dementia, so it’s important to be proactive about understanding your prescribed drugs — especially since more than 4 in 10 older adults take 5 or more prescription medications a day, according to a report from the nonprofit Lown Institute in Brookline, Massachusetts. More
Two analyses found no overall harms or benefits from taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements. More