Low-value Care
We must ensure that patients get all the care they need, and none that they do not. More
One in twenty patients exposed to preventable harm, new analysis finds
Health care providers still have a long way to go when it comes to reducing preventable harm, especially harm from medications. More
Some people should stop being screened for cancer. Convincing them isn’t always easy
The catch-cancer-early-save-a-life trope is a bit misleading: the benefit of some tests is smaller than I had initially thought. Say 1,000 women have biennial mammograms between the ages of 50 and 74. Those 12,000 mammograms would prevent seven deaths from breast cancer. Yearly PSA testing among 1,000 men between the ages of 55 and 69 would lead to one to two fewer deaths from prostate cancer. Yet many of these patients are wary when I broach the idea of stopping screening. More
Report Sounds Alarm on Medication Overload Among Older Americans
Experts on aging are sounding the alarm about another U.S. drug crisis: Too many older adults taking too many medications. This trend is leading to a surge in adverse drug events (ADE) over the past two decades. The rate of emergency department visits by older adults for adverse drug events doubled between 2006 and 2014. That’s a problem as serious as the opioid crisis, but whose scope appears to remain virtually invisible to families, patients, policymakers and many clinicians, according to a recent report by the Lown Institute, a nonprofit think tank in Brookline, Mass. More
Robotic Surgical Tool, Not Medical Evidence, Drives Free Hernia Screenings
Hospitals say such screenings provide valuable education about treatment options for the common medical condition, in which part of the intestine protrudes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall. But no research has been done on hernia screenings, and some experts worry that these outreach efforts — some of which showcase da Vinci robotic surgery devices made by Intuitive Surgical based in Sunnyvale, Calif. — could lead people to get potentially harmful operations they don’t need. More
PRESS RELEASE: Report shows California trades spending on vital community conditions that keep people healthy for propping up a sick-care system
Report finds health care spending grew 146 percent in the past decade—wasting billions in the process on overpriced services and unnecessary care—while spending on community conditions grew by just 39 percent. More
Is high-tech always worth the high cost? Experts question Kansas City’s new proton beam machine
As the University of Kansas Hospital prepares to proudly unveil their new proton beam machine, they should also be preparing to answer some tough questions about the cost and effectiveness of this therapy. More
Breakthrough or boondoggle? KU Hospital inks $40M deal for controversial proton beam
When University of Kansas Hospital leaders announced the purchase of a $40 million proton beam therapy machine this month, they also entered one of the biggest controversies in cancer care. More
Doctors as patients aren’t much better at avoiding overuse, study finds
When it comes to avoiding low-value care, doctors are just like the rest of us... More
Take Control Of Your Care When You’re Seriously Sick
Finding out you have a serious medical condition can leave you reeling. These strategies from medical and lay experts will help you be in control as you navigate our complex health care system and get the best possible care. More
Fear of dementia could lead to overtreatment
What are the potential consequences of widespread testing for preclinical Alzheimer's Disease? More
Managing your health care in the face of a serious illness
When you're facing a serious illness, navigating the health care system can be just as difficult as managing your physical health. In the latest edition of NPR's Life Kit series, Shannon Brownlee and other experts provide tips on how patients can maintain control over their health care in stressful situations. More
The psychiatric “prescribing cascade”: A patient story
Although medication overload is particularly prevalent in older adults, younger people are not immune to harm from overprescribing, particularly when it comes to drugs for psychiatric conditions. Here is one person's story of harm from the psychiatric drug prescribing cascade. More
Why aren’t decision aids for prostate cancer screening working?
Why decision aids aren't affecting patients' decisions about prostate cancer screening... More
The benefits and harms of lung cancer screening
The latest commentary in the Lown Institute and American Family Physician's "Right Care" series features Dr. Andy Lazris and Dr. Alan Roth on the pros and cons of lung cancer screening. More
When one unnecessary procedure leads to many…
What happens when one low-value test leads to a "cascade" of expensive and harmful procedures? More
Deprescribing Champions: Maisha Draves
Why measuring the outcomes of deprescribing is key for culture change, from family physician Maisha Draves at Kaiser Permanente. More
Is this $2 million gene therapy drug priced “fairly”?
The approval of a new gene therapy to treat spinal muscular atrophy has created a hot debate in the health policy world about whether or not the drug's $2.1 million price tag is too expensive or a fair price. More
The public health epidemic no one is talking about…
While we rush to fix the opioid crisis, are we ignoring another widespread drug problem? More
How pharmacists can be “deprescribing champions”
A group of pharmacists from Lifespan/Rhode Island Hospital answer our questions about how pharmacists can promote deprescribing. More