Topic: Health
COVID-19 Death Rates Vary Widely by County, But Why?
As the pandemic wears on, a search for the factors that cost lives
COVID Tested U.S. Health Systems — and its News Habits
Social media optimal for spreading conspiracy theories
College Completion and Your Genome (Don’t Get Too Excited)
It’s still early days in genetic research, though advances will aid study of educational attainment and, notably, disease
Carefully Crafted Messaging Boosts Uptake in Cancer Screening
Embedding psychological nudges in mail reminding people to get tested improves compliance
Cancer-Screening Procrastination Can Be Deadly: a Nudge Lifts Compliance
At-home test for colorectal cancer delivered with a deadline
Can Humanitarian Aid Turn Wastefulness to Sustainability?
Seeing global crises as ongoing, rather than episodic, and applying modern supply-chain management
Can Algorithms Help Reduce Hospital Readmissions?
Measuring the utility of increased care and testing, inputs that aren’t always immediately available
BRCA Mutation: New Model Quantifies How Surgeries Reduce Cancer Risk
Informed by personal experience, a researcher parses data to help those mulling mastectomy and gynecological surgeries
As Income Rises, Link Between Meaning and Happiness Weakens
Globally, lower-income people feel a stronger connection
Anticipating Overcrowding Risk in the ICU
A model vastly outperforms predictions based on prior hospital data
Academic Medical Centers Resilient After Cuts
Following Medicare reimbursement rate changes, research actually increased
A Tool to Make FDA Drug Approval Practices Transparent
Researchers aim to help the agency, drug companies and patients better understand the complex authorization process
A Supportive Letter to Doctors on Best Practices Reduces Opioid Prescriptions
In LA, doctors who lose a patient to opioid overdose get a letter from the coroner; tweaking that letter had a substantial impact
A Psychological Approach to Helping Doctors Do Better at Doing No Harm
Behavioral nudges reduced doctors’ overprescribing and overtesting of older patients
A Nudge to Reduce the Government Tab for Nursing Home Care
An upfront fee for taking Medicaid patients could shorten stays
A Method to Happiness: Tested in the Lab and in Life
Cassie Holmes’ book combines social science and personal history; jilted on the way to the altar