Some Health Workers See Double the Risk for Fatal Drug Overdoses
Certain healthcare workers including registered nurses (RNs) were at increased risk for fatal drug overdoses, a longitudinal study from 2008 to 2019 found. After adjustment for various factors, the risk for overdose death was more than twofold higher for RNs (HR 2.22, 95% CI 1.57-3.13) and social or behavioral health workers (HR 2.55, 95% CI […]
‘Conscience’ Bills Let Medical Providers Opt Out of Providing a Wide Range of Care
A new Montana law will provide sweeping legal protections to healthcare practitioners who refuse to prescribe marijuana or participate in procedures and treatments such as abortion, medically assisted death, gender-affirming care, or others that run afoul of their ethical, moral, or religious beliefs or principles. The law, which goes into effect in October, will gut […]
More Transparency Needed in Healthcare, House Members Told
The U.S. healthcare system would be greatly improved by more transparency from all players, including hospitals, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and insurers, members of Congress and witnesses agreed Wednesday at a House hearing. “For too long medical prices have been shrouded in mystery and patients have lived in fear of how much their medical bills […]
AMA to Amp Up Hospital Consolidation Scrutiny
CHICAGO — Physicians pressing for the American Medical Association (AMA) to do more on healthcare consolidation pushed through a resolution to produce in-depth annual reports on the topic that could be used to advocate for legislative change. At the association’s annual House of Delegates meeting this week, its Private Practice Physicians Section made the case […]
Healthcare Violence Breaks Record; U.K. Limits Puberty Blockers; HPV Discoverer Dies
Note that some links may require subscriptions. Attacks against medical workers and healthcare in conflict zones was the worst on record in 2022, with at least 232 workers killed and 298 kidnapped, a new report from the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition found. At least 728,000 Medicaid recipients have been unenrolled following the end of […]
Healthcare Mergers Need More Regulation and Oversight, Senators Told
Congress must act to rein in consolidation in the healthcare system while still encouraging competition, Shawn Martin of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) said Thursday during a Senate hearing. “A competitive healthcare marketplace benefits patients,” Martin, executive vice president and CEO of the AAFP, in Leawood, Kansas, said at a Senate Finance Committee […]
Opinion | Want to Solve the Nurse Shortage?
John Heymach, RN, and Caleb Skyles, RN, are registered nurses and leaders at a healthcare staffing agency. We are registered nurses, and we work to place nurses in hospitals where they’re needed every single day. These tough, selfless healthcare professionals deal with exceptional challenges to provide the best care possible for patients. They love the […]
Opinion | Why Are Female Doctors Sued Nearly Half as Often as Male Doctors?
In this video, healthcare marketing consultant Ron Harman King, MS, discusses a new analysis from the American Medical Association (AMA) that looks at the nearly one-third (31.2%) of U.S. physicians that in 2022 reported they had previously been sued. Following is a transcript of his remarks: A new analysis of lawsuits against doctors yields both […]
No Access to Routine Healthcare Biggest Barrier to HPV Vaccination
BALTIMORE — People with access to routine healthcare were more likely to have received human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination compared with those who did not have this access, a retrospective analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data suggested. Among participants ages 12 to 26, those with health insurance and a routine healthcare provider had […]
More Price Transparency Needed in Healthcare, House Members Say
WASHINGTON — How much difference would more price transparency make in healthcare? House members heard — and gave — a variety of opinions on the topic at a Ways & Means Committee hearing Tuesday. “Price transparency works,” said Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.). “In the past 20 years, the prices of medical services increased by […]