Why are screening colonoscopy recommendations different across countries?
Lown Institute experts explore why routine colonoscopy is recommended in the US but not in other countries. More
New FDA guidelines on breast density notifications and implications for overuse
The FDA just updated guidelines to require mammography facilities to notify patients about their breast density. How will this impact overdiagnosis and overtreatment? More
The Growing Problem of Medication Overload
As a consequence, older Americans are particularly susceptible to polypharmacy. "Multiple medications can be beneficial for some patients," says Judith Garber, a senior policy analyst at the Lown Institute. Nevertheless, research shows that each additional medication raises a person's risk of suffering an adverse drug event by 7 to 10%. More
Penn Medicine is going all in on proton therapy, a costly treatment that is unproven for most common cancers
The explosive growth worries Vikas Saini, a cardiologist and president of the Lown Institute, a think tank that examines quality, cost, and equity across health care. He said doctors are prescribing proton therapy in a gray area — they think it may be better for a patient than the cheaper alternative, but there’s no hard proof.
“Everybody knows the game: You get an approval, and you go out on the market, then you expand the indications,” Saini said. “It’s called indication creep, or scope creep.”
More
Hospitals criticized for ‘low-value’ procedures
The Lown Institute of Needham has long argued that hospitals perform way too many procedures it has identified as being low-value, meaning they offer little to no clinical benefit to patients and, in many cases, are more likely to harm them than help them. More
Debunking pharma’s spin on racial equity
What could be a fruitful conversation on racial equity is being co-opted by pharmaceutical companies to sell unproven drugs. More
What we lose when we approve unproven drugs
From approval to withdrawal, the story of Makena shows some of the major pitfalls of the FDA's drug approval process. More
Imaging overuse: What care cascades may cost you
Two recent studies show the high cost patients face from unnecessary imaging and follow up events. More
The Overprescription of Benzodiazepines: America’s Next Drug Epidemic
In January 2020, Lown Institute released “Eliminating Medication Overload: A National Action Plan.” The National Action Plan provides recommendations for policymakers, foundations, healthcare institutions, clinicians and patients across five key categories. More
Real-world test of colonoscopy screening program shows cancer reduction but no mortality benefit
How can mortality be reduced by colonoscopies but not by a colonoscopy screening program? We break down the results from the groundbreaking NordICC trial. More
Medication overload: a growing problem for older Americans
'Medication Overload: America’s Other Drug Problem', a report released in 2019 by the Lown Institute, chronicles the epidemic of polypharmacy in the United States. More
Special Report: Questionable Care: Who Is Responsible?
Even in 2020, when many hospitals were refusing non-urgent surgeries, more than 100,000 unnecessary, and potentially harmful procedures were performed on older patients in the USA, according to anaylsis from health think-tank the Lown Institute.
"You couldn't go into your local coffee shop, but hospitals brought people in for all kinds of unnecessary procedures,"
Does Medicare Advantage have the advantage when it comes to low-value care?
Do alternative payment plans like Medicare Advantage actually lead to less low-value care? A recent study in JAMA Health Forum has some encouraging results. More
4 Medical Treatments That Are Sometimes Unnecessary
“It’s very easy for doctors and patients to go down the path of doing a medical procedure because it seems like, in theory, it would be safer and better, but that’s not always the case,” says Vikas Saini, MD, a cardiologist and president of the institute. “More medical care isn’t necessarily always better, especially for older adults.” More
More than 1 in 10 veterans receive low-value care in the VA health system
Overuse is prevalent in hospitals across the country -- but what about VA hospitals, where providers are paid a salary rather than fee-for-service? More
Should Medicare cover blood tests for cancer screening?
Congress is considering having Medicare fund blood screening tests, also known as liquid biopsies. Could this lead to cascade events and medical overuse? More
Fewer Than 2% of Hospitals Excelling at Health Equity, Value
Of the 3,600 hospitals included in this year’s assessment, 66 ranked among the most socially responsible, meaning they earned an “A” rating in at least three of the measurement categories, the Lown Institute said. That represents fewer than 2 percent of participating hospitals, indicating serious room for growth in terms of health equity. More
Are You Taking Too Many Meds?
According to a 2020 report by the Lown Institute, a health-systems think tank that tracks prescription trends, 42% of older Americans routinely take five or more prescription drugs a day and close to 20% take 10 or more. More
The drug problem that nobody talks about: Overmedication in seniors
What's needed to tackle the problem? The Lown Institute's action plan offers recommendations in five key areas. More
Surprise billing — another potential risk of overuse
After getting spinal fusion surgery, Lisa French was charged $300,000 after the hospital had quoted her $1,300 for the surgery. When she was unable to pay, the nonprofit hospital sued. As the spinal fusion industry booms, this case shows another risk of unnecessary surgeries -- getting overcharged and potentially sued by hospitals. More