Employer-Sponsored Insurance after Health Reform
Much of health reform’s efforts has been focused on expanding coverage to those without employer-sponsored insurance (ESI). For instance, the ACA mandated expanded Medicaid eligibility and the creation of a…
Report: Branded Drug Use Sharply Down, Generics Way Up
A healthcare informatics company issues a report today that I really do not find surprising. The trends of Pharma of late are much fewer fast-tracked medications in the pipeline, decreased…
Medicaid Expansion a Real Budget-Buster
Cato scholar Jagadeesh Gokhale has a new study on the effect the Affordable Care Act will have on the Medicaid budgets in populous states. He explains: Unless it is repealed,…
FDA Panel Weighs-in on Menthol Cigarettes
A federal panel advised the FDA last week that menthol cigarettes are more harmful to the public health than regular cigarettes. However, it did not recommend or endorse any actions the…
Are Decision Support Tools Turning Doctors into Idiots?
A HealthLeaders article by Gienna Shaw notes that some physicians are reluctant to use computerized decision support (CDS) tools because they fear losing the respect of patients and colleagues. There’s…
Mitral Valve Repair Without Open Surgery – Exciting Development in Medical Devices
The mitral valve separates the heart’s left atrium from the left ventricle. When the ventricle contracts to send blood to the aorta and out to the body, the mitral valve…
Ablation in Ischemic Stroke
Ischemic stroke is a common condition: recent epidemiologic studies estimate that there are 750,000 strokes in the US each year, with an overall mortality rate of 27%. The annual cost…
New Software From iCAD Helps Doctors Diagnose Prostate Cancer
It’s the second most common form of cancer in men, yet diagnosing it still presents a challenge to physicians. It’s the second most common form of cancer in men, yet…
How Does Your Hospital Compare on Hospital Acquired Conditions?
Medicare now lists how hospitals compare on eight Hospital Acquired Conditions (HACs) at its website. But don’t expect to find easy-to-read summary results at this time. The CMS Web site…
How Safe Is Your Hospital?
Hospitals are dangerous places to be. At least if you are a patient. In a Health Affairs study, my colleagues Pam Villarreal and Biff Jones and I estimate that as…
