Latest California Healthline Stories
Hospitals Slashed Use Of Two Heart Drugs After Huge Price Hikes
Hospital use of two popular heart medicines, nitroprusside and isoproterenol, dramatically dropped after the prices for both soared.
Medi-Cal Patients Flocking To ERs More Than Before ACA
Visits have surged 75 percent over five years. Obamacare proponents had argued that expanded health care coverage would reduce the use of emergency rooms.
Influx Of Elderly Patients Forces ER To Practice Comfort Care
Despite a culture clash and lack of time and training, ER doctors see how palliative care averts suffering for elderly patients with serious illnesses.
What Doesn’t Kill You Can Maim: Unexpected Injuries From Opioids
Doctors are beginning to pay attention to injuries, such as brain damage or kidney failure, that can afflict people who survive an overdose.
In Idaho, Tiny Facility Lights Way For Stressed Rural Hospitals
In a region where bears outnumber people, a small medical facility sets a modern example for hospitals on life support.
How Long You Stay On Opioids May Depend On The Doctor You See In the E.R.
A study shows some emergency physicians wrote far more opioid prescriptions and Medicare patients who saw those doctors were more likely to still be taking the addictive painkillers months later.
ER Visits Linked To Falls Spike Among California Seniors
State data show a rise of nearly 40 percent in fall-related visits from 2010 to 2015, a period in which the elderly population grew about 21 percent.
After-Hours ER Care May Come With A Doctor’s Surcharge
Patients sometimes find an additional charge, generally between $30 and $200, tacked onto their bill for visiting a hospital emergency room between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Avoiding The ER: Paramedics Link Patients To Local Mental Health Treatment
In California and other states, these first responders are learning to identify people with mental illness and get them help — or sometimes just chat and check in over snacks.
Study Finds Nearby Retail Clinics Don’t Drive Down ER Visits
The results suggest that retail clinics may not provide a solution for reducing unnecessary emergency department visits, researchers say.