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Study: Gay Men Are Twice as Likely to Have Cancer

It makes for a grabby headline, but are gay men really more likely to develop cancer? A new study published in the journal Cancer found that gay men were nearly twice as likely to report a diagnosis of cancer than straight men. But why?

Why Medical Records Should Include Patients’ Sexual Orientation

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Many factors that can affect a person’s medical needs and risks — like age, race and income — are included in studies of health, but others like sexual orientation and gender identity are not. Now a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggests they should be.

Some State Sheriffs Want to Know What Drugs You’re Taking

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Nobody wants strangers riffling through their medicine cabinet — least of all the police. But that’s what the North Carolina state sheriff’s association is seeking — access to state computer records that identify which residents have prescriptions for painkillers and other controlled substances — according to the News & Observer.

Electronic Health Records: Helpful, But We’ll Still Need to Wait For Them

For years now, people have expected electronic health records to be the next big thing in healthcare. Digitization is supposed save us time and money. It should speed up routine tasks, like booking appointments. It should help prevent duplication of work — stopping doctors from running tests that have already been run in another location, [...]