When ‘Do No Harm’ Doesn’t Include Costs: Hundreds Of Thousands Of Patients Getting Unnecessary Medical Care
“Little things add up,” said Susie Dade, the author of a new report looking at unnecessary medical care. “It’s easy for a single doctor and patient to say, ‘Why not do this test? What difference does it make?’”
ProPublica:
Unnecessary Medical Care Is More Common Than You Think
It’s one of the intractable financial boondoggles of the U.S. health care system: Lots and lots of patients get lots and lots of tests and procedures that they don’t need. Women still get annual cervical cancer testing even when it’s recommended every three to five years for most women. Healthy patients are subjected to slates of unnecessary lab work before elective procedures. Doctors routinely order annual electrocardiograms and other heart tests for people who don’t need them. (Allen, 2/1)
In other national health care news —
Stat:
Hospitals Are Revolting Against The Generic Drug Market. Here's Why
In recent years, Robert Ripley has watched spiking drug prices menace his budget like a fast-rising flood. The longtime chief of pharmacy for Trinity Health, a Catholic chain of 93 hospitals from New York to California, said he’s never seen anything like it in his 30-plus years in the business. The eye-popping prices of new branded drugs are one issue. But even worse are the wild price hikes and sudden shortages of generics that have been available for many decades. (Ross, 2/1)
NPR:
Anxiety Neurons Found In Brains
Scientists have found specialized brain cells in mice that appear to control anxiety levels. The finding, reported Wednesday in the journal Neuron, could eventually lead to better treatments for anxiety disorders, which affect nearly 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. "The therapies we have now have significant drawbacks," says Mazen Kheirbek, an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco and an author of the study. "This is another target that we can try to move the field forward for finding new therapies." (Hamilton, 1/31)
The Washington Post:
Breast Cancer Treatments Can Raise Risk Of Heart Disease, American Heart Association Warns
The American Heart Association issued a stark warning Thursday for women with breast cancer: Life-saving therapies like chemotherapy and radiation can cause heart failure and other serious cardiac problems, sometimes years after treatment. The organization said patients and doctors shouldn’t avoid the treatments but instead take steps to prevent or minimize the cardiac risks. And it stressed that breast cancer survivors can improve their chances of a long, healthy life by exercising regularly and sticking to a healthy diet. (McGinley, 2/1)
Stat:
Not Just Zika: Other Mosquito-Borne Viruses Are Tied To Birth Defects
When scientists discovered that the Zika virus was causing birth defects, it seemed to catch the world off guard. The mosquito-borne virus could slip from mother to fetus and damage the developing brain, leaving newborns with a range of serious complications. But what if other viruses spread by insects also pose a threat to fetuses? On Wednesday, scientists reported that two viruses, West Nile and Powassan, attacked mouse fetuses when pregnant mice were infected, killing about half of them. The viruses also successfully infected human placental tissue in lab experiments, an indication that the viruses may be able to breach the placental barrier that keeps many maternal infections from reaching the fetus. (Joseph, 1/31)
NPR:
Who Still Smokes? A Look At The Numbers
Advertising campaigns, tobacco taxes and public bans have lowered rates of smoking significantly in the U.S. since the 1960s. And for people who never smoke or manage to quit, there are major health benefits: lower risk of cancer, heart problems and stroke. But 15 percent of Americans — about 40 million people — continue to smoke. Who are they? And why are they still smoking? (Wilhelm, 1/31)