Use of term ‘low value’ may leave Black, Latinx patients with questions about access to care
This is the second of two articles on reframing the debate about low-benefit treatments. More
What journalists can do about low-value care
Low-value care isn't just wasteful -- it causes real harm to patients. But despite growing evidence that certain services aren't beneficial, low-value care is still common. What can journalists do to bridge the gap between evidence and practice? More
Are Robotic Surgeries Really Better?
Robot-assisted surgeries have only modest advantages over other approaches, a large analysis found. More
Tackling the growing problem of overmedication
According to a report by the Lown Institute, a nonprofit think tank, 42 percent of all older adults in the US take five or more prescription medications a day. Almost 20 percent take 10 drugs or more, and over the past 20 years, incidences of polypharmacy have tripled across the country. If trends continue, it’s estimated that polypharmacy will lead to nearly 150,000 premature deaths in the US over the next decade, according to the report by the Lown Institute. It will also be responsible for at least 4.6 million hospitalizations in the US between 2020 and 2030, costing around $62 billion, the report predicted. More
Evaluation of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Surgeons Caring for Patients at High Social Risk
This cohort study evaluates the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System scoring of surgeons caring for patients at high social risk to assess whether this implementation is associated with patient access to surgical care. More
Private Equity and Health Care Delivery: Value-Based Payment as a Guardrail?
This Viewpoint considers how payment models may dictate the nature of private equity investment in health care delivery and how these investments may affect health care access, quality, equity, and affordability. More
Why physician performance metrics don’t match up with hospital quality
Physicians spend at least 15 hours a week on administrative work for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). But more evidence is showing that MIPS performance doesn't line up with meaningful clinical outcomes. More
Effort to Limit Unnecessary C-Sections Making Strides
Cesarean section births can have dangerous complications such as hemorrhaging. More
Nearly 90% of preoperative urine tests are not indicated, study finds
A recent study of preoperative urine tests finds that the vast majority are overuse, and as many as 28% lead to unnecessary antibiotic treatment. More
Recent studies in antibiotic stewardship
A single-center study of terminal cancer patients found a high rate of antibiotic use within the last 30 days of life, with significantly lower use among those who asked for limited antimicrobial treatment, researchers reported yesterday in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. More
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Drug Prescribing in Ontario Nursing Homes
The pharmacoepidemiologic study by Campitelli et al examined changes in medication prescribing in nursing homes in Ontario, Canada, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. More
The Question Medical AI Can’t Answer
It’s unable to tell us why it came to a particular decision—and that’s crucial information More
Are we overmedicating loneliness?
New research shows that older adults facing social isolation are also put at greater risk of overmedication. More
Hospital overuse linked to thousands of adverse events each year
In a recent study in JAMA Health Forum, Lown Institute researchers investigate the relationship between low-value hospital services and hospital-acquired infections and patient safety events. More
Expert panel votes unanimously that Biogen Alzheimer’s drug doesn’t offer patient benefits
The 15-to-0 vote on the Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm amounted to a rebuke of both Biogen and the Food and Drug Administration. More
Cleveland Clinic and Mount Sinai Won’t Administer Aduhelm to Patients
The rejection of the new Alzheimer’s drug by the two major medical centers is one of the starkest signs of concern over its approval by the F.D.A. More
Nearly One in Four People Say Their Medications are Not Routinely Reviewed and Evaluated by Their Medical Team
Today, The Get the Medications Right™ (GTMRx) Institute is sharing the results of a new survey that assesses the medication management habits and needs of over 1,000 people. Among the findings, nearly one quarter of people surveyed cited that their medications are not routinely reviewed and evaluated by their medical team—a shocking fact, given that one-third are taking four or more medications and/or supplements per day. More
US News to add Lown Index overuse metric to Best Hospitals ranking
This year, US News & World Report will be incorporating the Spinal Fusion Overuse metric from the Lown Index into their “Best Hospitals” ranking. More
US News to add new metrics to Best Hospitals Ranking
Overtreatment and low-value care may cost more than $100 billion per year. In the new Back Surgery (Spinal Fusion) rating, we incorporate a measure of overuse that was calculated for U.S. News by data scientists at the Lown Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. This measure is also a component of the Overuse metric of the Lown Institute Hospitals Index. Because a pattern of overuse or low-value care is not compatible with being a high-quality provider, U.S. News will explore additional opportunities to incorporate measures of value in future editions of Best Hospitals. More
The Evidence Behind Robot-Assisted Abdominopelvic Surgery
Use of robot-assisted surgery has increased dramatically since its advent in the 1980s, and nearly all surgical subspecialties have adopted it. However, whether it has advantages compared with laparoscopy or open surgery is unknown. More