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Medical economics news

Health

Ultra-processed foods: Why public health warnings could backfire

Premature warnings to consumers to avoid eating all ultra-processed food products have likely social costs and may harm the health of people facing food poverty—at least in the short term.

Dentistry

Are dental practices out of control in the United States?

A series of recently published opinions and letters in JAMA Internal Medicine present varying perspectives on the current state of US dental care all emphasize the need for evidence-based practices and changes in economic ...

Medical economics

Even political rivals agree that medical debt is an urgent issue

While hot-button health care issues such as abortion and the Affordable Care Act roil the presidential race, Democrats and Republicans in statehouses around the country have been quietly working together to tackle the nation's ...

Obstetrics & gynaecology

Study highlights need for streamlined miscarriage care in Canada

Miscarriage, or early pregnancy loss, can have devastating emotional effects, but it is poorly managed in Canada. A review published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal provides guidance to physicians on how to diagnose ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Understaffed hospitals have higher rates of infection, study says

Inadequate infection prevention and control staffing levels are associated with higher rates of health care-associated infections, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.

Medications

Is it time to nationalize the drug industry?

Critics of the pharmaceutical industry say it is misaligned with public interest. So is it time to nationalise the sector? Experts debate the issue in The BMJ today.

Surgery

Better planning could save millions in health care costs

Nearly 30% of the $3.6 trillion spent on health care costs in the United States is wasted. New research from Michigan State University and Rutgers University reveals the amount of money washed away in hospital operating rooms, ...

Health

Study finds 'far-reaching' impact from Affordable Care Act

By 2008, when President Obama was first elected, the rate of uninsurance in the U.S. had been steadily deteriorating: nearly 56 million Americans reported they had no health insurance for at least part of the prior year. ...

Oncology & Cancer

The Golden State's mixed record on lung cancer

It was a bewildering moment for Zach Jump, the American Lung Association's national director of epidemiology and statistics. The numbers leaped off the computer screen and prompted an immediate question:

Medical research

Paying all blood donors might not be worth it

Gretchen Chapman is a decision scientist who explores what makes it more likely that people will get vaccinated or engage in other behaviors that are good for public health. We asked her about her research about blood donation ...