Quality of Care

Diana L. Miglioretti, PhD, professor of biostatistics at the University of California–Davis School of Medicine, and her colleagues found high rates of CT use among children may contributed to increased cancer risk. Image: UC Regents©

Author Insights: Use of CT Scans on Children Remains High, May Increase Cancer Risk

By Bridget M. Kuehn on June 10, 2013

Children continue to undergo many more computed tomography (CT) scans than in the past, and the doses of radiation they are receiving may increase the risk of certain types of cancer, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics today…. Read More ›

As more adults take prescription medications, more children are being harmed by accidental or intentional exposure to such medications. Image: Julie Fairman/iStockphoto.com

As Prescription Drug Use Rises, so Do Child Poisonings

By Bridget M. Kuehn on June 3, 2013

Growing numbers of children and adolescents are ending up in the hospital for drug-related poisonings, as the use of prescription medications by adults to treat hypertension and other cardiac problems, diabetes, high cholesterol, and pain increases, according to an analysis… Read More ›

Floyd J. Fowler, PhD, and colleagues found that patients are often excluded from the medical decision-making process for many common conditions. Image: Informed Medical Decisions Foundation

Author Insights: Patients Often Excluded From Decision Making About Common Conditions

By Bridget M. Kuehn on May 28, 2013

Patients are often left out of decisions about whether they should take medications for hypertension and elevated cholesterol or whether cancer screening is appropriate for them, according to a survey published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine. Even when patients… Read More ›

Atul A. Gawande, MD, MPH, a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues found hospitals may benefit financially if a patient with private insurance or Medicare develops a postsurgical complication. (Image: Fred Field)

Author Insights: Reimbursement Systems May Hinder a Hospital’s Ability to Reduce Postsurgical Complications

By Mike Mitka on April 16, 2013

A complication after surgery is something patients and physicians want to avoid, but certain types of payments to hospitals appear to reward suboptimal care and penalize quality care, according to study findings appearing today in JAMA. The study found that… Read More ›

Men should know that they are more likely to be harmed than to benefit from prostate cancer screening and should only be screened if they have a strong preference for screening, a new guideline states. Image: scibak/iStockphoto.com

Before Prostate Cancer Screening, Men Should Know Harm Is More Likely Than Benefit

By Bridget M. Kuehn on April 8, 2013

Men should be fully informed that they’re unlikely to benefit from prostate cancer screening and may face a substantial risk of various harms, such as complications from biopsy or treatment that may include infection, incontinence, or impotency, according to a… Read More ›

Karen E. Joynt, MD, MPH, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and her colleagues found that mortality rates for certain conditions are increasing at some rural hospitals. Image: Harvard School of Public Health

Author Insights: Small Rural Hospitals Falling Behind on Mortality Rates Despite Federal Aid

By Bridget M. Kuehn on April 2, 2013

Over the last decade, most acute care hospitals have been able to reduce 30-day mortality rates for patients with myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia. But small rural hospitals participating in a federal program to increase rural access have… Read More ›

Risks associated with long-term use of a medication for a chronic disease may not be apparent at the time a drug is approved for sale because too little data have been collected, according to new research. Image: DNY59/iStockphoto.com

Too Little Data to Assess Risks of Long-term Use of New Drugs Available to Regulators

By Bridget M. Kuehn on March 19, 2013

When health authorities approve a new drug for use in Europe, they are unable to assess the potential safety risks of drugs that will be taken for extended periods because of a lack of long-term data, according to an analysis… Read More ›

A group of investigators have issued their 10 top strategies for improving inpatient safety. (Image: jsmith/iStockphoto.com)

Investigators Cite Top 10 Strategies to Improve Patient Safety

By Mike Mitka on March 4, 2013

Following certain strategies could save the lives of the many patients who die in US hospitals because of unsafe practices by health care workers, a team of investigators report today in a supplement of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Each… Read More ›

$There is no evidence that calcium and vitamin D supplementation by otherwise healthy postmenopausal women prevents fractures, according to a new recommendation from a US advisory group. Image: Denise Bush/iStockphoto.com$

Consensus Builds Against Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation for Postmenopausal Women

By Bridget M. Kuehn on February 25, 2013

It may be time for many postmenopausal women to put down the calcium and vitamin D supplement bottles for good, as the latest in a string of influential health care organizations has recommended against the use of such supplements to… Read More ›

Joan M. Teno, MD, of Brown University, and colleagues found that many patients continue to receive aggressive care at the end of life, with on average 3 health care transitions in the last 3 months of life. Image: Joan M. Teno

Author Insights: Patients Face Too Many Burdensome Care Transitions at the End of Life

By Bridget M. Kuehn on February 5, 2013

A growing number of older adults in the United States are dying at home, but many continue to face multiple health care transitions to different care sites and receive aggressive inpatient care in their final days, according to a study… Read More ›

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