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
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
Cesarean section births can have dangerous complications such as hemorrhaging. More
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
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 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
It’s unable to tell us why it came to a particular decision—and that’s crucial information More
New research shows that older adults facing social isolation are also put at greater risk of overmedication. More
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
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
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
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
This year, US News & World Report will be incorporating the Spinal Fusion Overuse metric from the Lown Index into their “Best Hospitals” ranking. More
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
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
Estimates vary wildly about how much Biogen’s new Alzheimer’s drug will cost Medicare — and the total will have real consequences. More
A new questionnaire funded by AbbVie conflates antidepressant side effects with bipolar disorder and isn't actually a "screening" tool. More
This Viewpoint explains the national Vital Signs initiative—developed by the National Academy of Medicine to track improvements in health, health care costs, engagement of the public in its health, and health care and quality. More
Doctors told STAT it will be critical — and exceedingly difficult — to determine whether Aduhelm's effects are waning with time. More
Last week we covered CBD and mental health, finding that data to back up health claims are scarce and that consumer CBD products are often sketchy. In this week’s episode on CBD and other health ailments, we find that many of the same caveats apply. More