Heart Association Puts Halt To Bayer’s Giant Displays Of Baby Aspirin
The American Heart Association says that although aspirin can help people with previous heart attacks or strokes, its risks generally outweigh the benefits for others. More
No evidence for common bladder pain treatments, patient advocates find
Doctors are increasingly recognizing that bladder pain and urgency is often a symptom of a larger problem with many potential causes. But has this recognition translated into change of practice? More
Media coverage of screening guideline changes: A case study
Just in time for colorectal cancer screening month, a new analysis shows how the media portrayed a controversial screening guideline change. More
The endurance of medication overload: Rethinking the medication review process
Medications can be very useful tools for clinicians to help treat, prevent, and even cure illness, but they can also cause harm, especially when used inappropriately. In a recent report, “Medication Overload: America's Other Drug Problem,” the Lown Institute found that polypharmacy among Americans aged 65 years and older has increased substantially over the past few decades, and with it the rate of adverse drug events More
Improper use of antibiotics in kids; Antibiotic de-escalation in pneumonia patients
A point-prevalence study of 32 US children's hospitals found that prophylactic (preventive) antibiotics were inappropriately given in 33.0% of pediatric surgical patients. More
Medication Fog Can Mimic or Worsen Dementia in the Elderly
About 91% of people over 65 take at least one prescription medicine and 41% use five or more -- what doctors call polypharmacy. More
How to help your child avoid unnecessary medical care
Many children receive "low-value services" — defined as "health-care interventions that are more expensive and equally or less effective than an alternative, including doing nothing," according to the authors of a recent study in Pediatrics. More
Helping Seniors Manage Meds After Hospital Reduces Readmission: Study
Helping older people manage their prescribed medicines after they leave the hospital reduces their risk of readmission, researchers say. More
How to help your child avoid unnecessary medical care
If your child has ever put up a fight when you try to give them medicine, you may have wondered if that antibiotic was really, absolutely necessary. You'd be right to wonder: Many children receive "low-value services" — defined as "health-care interventions that are more expensive and equally or less effective than an alternative, including doing nothing," according to the authors of a recent study in Pediatrics. More
What does it take to put prescription checkups into practice?
In the Health Affairs blog, Lown VP Shannon Brownlee, and Maisha Draves and Lynn Deguzman from Kaiser Permanente describe what it takes to implement prescription checkups for patients who need it. More
Before Prostate Surgery, Consider ‘Active Surveillance’
Not to be confused with “watchful waiting,” active surveillance is not a do-nothing approach. More
Communication tips from a “rogue deprescriber”
Dr. Cara Tannenbaum gives tips for when and how to have deprescribing conversations, at a Grand Rounds talk at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. More
New guidelines validate push back on thyroid surgery: Patient story update
Eleven years ago, Julie Martinez decided not to have her thyroid removed after a small nodule was discovered. In an update to her story, Julie shares what has happened since then. More
U.S. Medical Panel Thinks Twice About Pushing Cognitive Screening For Dementia
Because seniors are at higher risk of cognitive impairment, proponents say screening asymptomatic older adults is an important strategy to identify people who may be developing dementia and to improve their care. But the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force cited insufficient evidence the tests are helpful. More
How to reduce medication overload in long-term care
Over the past decade, the use of multiple medications (clinically known as “polypharmacy”) has skyrocketed among older adults. Aging brings ailments and chronic illnesses, and more illnesses generally lead to more prescriptions. But every additional medication taken by an older person increases the risk of a serious side effect. As medication use has dramatically increased, too many older adults are simply overloaded with medications that are more likely to harm rather than help them. More
Deprescribing Proton Pump Inhibitors Overcoming Resistance
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a successful class of medications accounting for $79 billion spent in the United States between 2007 and 2011.1 While many PPI indications involve limited or short-term use, it is not uncommon for patients to use them for extended periods or for clinicians to prescribe them for indications not supported by robust evidence of efficacy. More
Mammograms not helpful in women 75 and older, study finds
Women 75 and older do not benefit from regular screening mammograms, researchers reported on Monday, offering some of the first evidence on whether screening makes sense in these women. More
Debating the Value of PSA Prostate Screening
In many men identified as having prostate cancer following PSA screening, the disease is neither aggressive nor likely to kill them before something else does. More
Medical Reversals in Family Practice: A Review
Primary care physicians are challenged by the need to stay abreast of current research on a wide variety of topics in an environment of time constraints, evolving literature, and misinformation on health topics that are sometimes promulgated to the public. More
How to Address the Harm of Medication Overload
According to a new report, if prescribing patterns do not change in the US, older adults will experience at least 74 million adverse drug events requiring medical care and will be hospitalized nearly 5 million times in the next decade. 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