All Articles on Health Care

• ‘Choosing Wisely’ initiative may be a tipping point for costs and ethics

  Health professionals and their leaders have a moral duty to ensure their patients’ safety, personally and through system improvement.
• Problems in cancer care are not uncommon

  Cancer care is increasingly complex, and as many as one in five cancer patients may experience “breakdowns” in their care, according to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Such breakdowns include communication problems between patients and their care providers, as well as more traditional medical errors; both types of problems can create significant harms. In the study, communication problems outnumbered problems with medical care.
• GHRI hosts HMO Research Network’s 2012 conference

  Whether or not the Affordable Care Act is upheld, the United States must figure out how to get more bang for the health care buck. To the rescue: the HMO Research Network (HMORN).
• Beyond gridlock and gloom

  Research on innovations has a compelling future
• 10 reasons why we can't ignore health care costs

  To improve health—and the quality of American life—we must stem the rising cost of care. Health care’s percentage of the U.S. gross domestic product has doubled since 1980. At this rate, by 2040, health care will consume one of every three dollars.
• Biopsy referral after PSA screening stays consistent

  The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently concluded that evidence does not support recommending PSA screening for men under 75 years old at all, because the risks outweigh the benefits.
• Physicians and the ethical dilemma of federal cuts to health care

  In less than three weeks, we’ll know whether Congress’ 12-member bipartisan “Super Committee” has succeeded. If it can’t find $1.2 trillion in federal deficit reductions over the next decade, we face reductions of the same magnitude as across-the-board cuts.