Topic: Health
‘They Were Already Inside My Head To Begin With’
The ethics of asking brain surgery patients to allow unrelated research while on the operating table
$52.6 Billion: Extra Cost to Consumers of Add-On Drug Patents
The figure is a subset, not covering huge expense of extended patents on high-priced biologics like Humira
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
A Nudge to Reduce the Government Tab for Nursing Home Care
An upfront fee for taking Medicaid patients could shorten stays
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 Tool to Make FDA Drug Approval Practices Transparent
Researchers aim to help the agency, drug companies and patients better understand the complex authorization process
Academic Medical Centers Resilient After Cuts
Following Medicare reimbursement rate changes, research actually increased
Anticipating Overcrowding Risk in the ICU
A model vastly outperforms predictions based on prior hospital data
As Income Rises, Link Between Meaning and Happiness Weakens
Globally, lower-income people feel a stronger connection
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
Can Algorithms Help Reduce Hospital Readmissions?
Measuring the utility of increased care and testing, inputs that aren’t always immediately available
Can Humanitarian Aid Turn Wastefulness to Sustainability?
Seeing global crises as ongoing, rather than episodic, and applying modern supply-chain management
Cancer-Screening Procrastination Can Be Deadly: a Nudge Lifts Compliance
At-home test for colorectal cancer delivered with a deadline
Carefully Crafted Messaging Boosts Uptake in Cancer Screening
Embedding psychological nudges in mail reminding people to get tested improves compliance
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