Category: Policy

Most surgeons still encourage annual, earlier mammograms

The vast majority of surgeons continue to recommend that women 40 years old or older with an average risk for breast cancer get annual screenings for the disease. This conflicts with a newly released draft statement from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)  and its 2009 recommendations that most women be screened every two years beginning at 50 years old and continuing… Read More Most surgeons still encourage annual, earlier mammograms

Liz Seegert1 Comment

Emergency doctors and paramedics commonly misinterpret documents for end-of-life care choices

I wasn’t too surprised to learn that a pair of new studies finds that emergency care providers vary in their understanding of a type of medical order intended to communicate seriously ill patients’ choices for life-sustaining treatments. Coincidentally, part two of my extensive interview with Nancy Berlinger, Ph.D., a research scholar at The Hastings Center, appears today in Covering Health. Berlinger stressed… Read More Emergency doctors and paramedics commonly misinterpret documents for end-of-life care choices

Liz Seegert1 Comment

More Health Spending Doesn’t Equal Better Health

The United States spends more per capita on health care than other wealthy nations, but still lags behind in life expectancy and overall population health, according to a new study published in this week’s issue of JAMA. Noting a lack of universal health coverage,  study authors concluded: “High costs with mediocre population health outcomes at… Read More More Health Spending Doesn’t Equal Better Health

Liz Seegert1 Comment