Hot Topics: Health Care

News (1942)

May 16, 2013 2:58 pm

Pot Luck: Could Marijuana Be Used to Treat Diabetes?

In research dubbed “remarkable” by an accompanying editorialist, US doctors describe how current users of marijuana appear to have better blood glucose control than never or former users.

May 14, 2013 5:15 pm

Task Force Recommends Screening All Adults for Alcohol Misuse

About 21% of American adults admit that they engage in risky drinking behaviors, from overindulging, which can lead to physical and mental harm, to alcohol dependence. And it remains the third leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.

May 13, 2013 4:30 pm

Want to Improve Health Care? Spend Less on It

According to a new study of Medicaid recipients in Oregon, increased health-care spending has only a limited impact on improving people’s health.

May 10, 2013 1:25 pm

American Health Care as a Source of Humor

The health system in the United States is in many ways so risible that it comes across as droll even when a dour German-born economist describes it.

April 29, 2013 2:25 pm

Hospitals see surge of superbug-fighting products

The rise of superbugs, along with increased pressure from the government and insurers, is driving hospitals to try all sorts of new approaches to stop their spread:

April 19, 2013 2:45 pm

Health Care Report Could Save Nation $560 Billion Over Next Decade

The Bipartisan Policy Center released a list of 50 recommendations Thursday that would cut the federal deficit by almost $560 billion over the next decade, $300 billion of which would come from Medicare.

April 9, 2013 4:20 pm

Finding the Prescription for Improving U.S. and Global Health Care

Almost every system has its strengths and weaknesses. And right now, almost every one of them is in pursuit of the elusive Triple Aim.

April 8, 2013 3:13 pm

Joint Commission warns hospitals that alarm fatigue is putting patients at risk

The national organization that accredits hospitals warned on Monday that the constant beeping of alarms on patient monitors desensitizes caregivers, causing them to ignore or even disable the sounds that signal patients may be in danger.

April 4, 2013 3:29 pm

Dementia care costs top $100 billion

A new study puts the cost of treating Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia at $109 billion, making it more expensive to society than either cancer or heart disease.

March 29, 2013 1:09 pm

U.S. to reexamine health effects of cellphone radio waves

U.S. regulators are looking into how radio frequencies emitted by cellphones and other wireless devices affect people amid lingering concerns about the risks of cellphone radiation.