Foodborne illnesses are a continuing problem in the U.S., but labs that are supposed to detect the presence of pathogens aren’t up to snuff, according to a new report.
Policy & Industry
Doctors’ Words Influence End-of-Life Decisions Made By Patients’ Families
Making the decision to approve heroic measures to save a loved one’s life can be fraught with emotion, so anxious family members tend to turn to the doctor for guidance, according to the first study to analyze the role that …
Diagnostic Errors Are the Most Common Type of Medical Mistake
Missed diagnoses out-ranked medication overdoses and surgical mistakes in causing the most patient harm.
Food Safety: CDC Report Shows Rates of Foodborne Illnesses Remain Largely Unchanged
About 1 in 6 people in the United States gets sick from eating contaminated food, a rate that has not declined in seven years.
Doctors Go Shopping: Price Comparisons Lead MDs to Lower Testing Costs
It’s a basic tenet of smart shopping — compare prices so you can find the best deal. Doctors, however, are often in the dark about what medical tests cost.
Worrisome Levels of Lead Found In Imported Rice
An analysis of imported brands found surprising levels of the metal.
Doctors Not Informed of Drug Side Effects During Sales Visits
Even though promotional drug meetings are one of the most common ways doctors find out about new medications, a new study shows they’re not getting all the information.
If Your Doctor is Healthy, You Probably Are Too
To get their patients up to date on their vaccines and screenings, doctors should make sure they get health checkups themselves.
Judge Orders Morning After Pill Be Available Without Prescription, Without Restrictions
In the latest volley over the contraceptive Plan B, a federal judge reversed the Department of Health and Human Services decision to restrict over-the-counter availability of the morning after pill to those 17 years or older .
Fewer Hours for Doctors in Training Leading to More Mistakes
Giving residents less time on duty and more time to sleep was supposed to lead to fewer medical errors. But the latest research shows that’s not the case. What’s going on?
Pot Is Legal in Washington: Q&A with the Man Who Is Making Weed Legit
Washington state gets ready to regulate legal marijuana with the help of one of America’s top drug policy analysts.
Mark Kleiman is professor of public policy at the University of California in Los Angeles, and co-author of …
Grocery Chains Won’t Sell Genetically Modified Fish
Call them “frankenfish,” but don’t look for genetically engineered salmon at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.
Letters to the Editor: Read Reactions to ‘Bitter Pill’
As a surgeon, I want to commend Steven Brill on an outstanding article. A detailed discussion about the pricing and profits in health care is long overdue. You succeeded in putting a personal face on this crisis, and yes, it is a …