Topic: Wellness

An illustration featuring text that reads "happiness" and other items such as scissors and a ruler Research Brief / Happiness

How-To Guide for Happiness Surveys, Which Increasingly Drive Public Policy

Advice for researchers aims to help improve both data collection and its interpretation

A close-up of a single opioid pill resting on top of a prescription pill bottle. Research Brief / Health Care

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

Tattooed bearded worker in overalls sitting in the storage area of import and export firm interior after having hard day at work. Research Question / Operations

Business Efficiency Needn’t Be the Enemy of Personal and Public Well-Being

Operations managers can take into consideration happiness, equity and sustainability

Senior woman talks with a female doctor in the doctor's office. Research Brief / Health Care

When Medicare Pays, Drug Companies Employ Older Subjects in Clinical Trials

The shift lends credibility to medicines vs. trials that exclude people 65 and older

A gray map of France. Research Brief / Cultural History

Historical Case for Immigrants Sending Home More Than Money

France’s lower fertility rates spread to regions that sent the most emigrants to live there

MRI Brain Axial views .to evaluate brain tumor. Research Brief / Ethics

‘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

Top view of colorful pills, tablets and capsules on light blue colored background. Research Brief / COVID-19

Who Wants to Repurpose Cheap Drugs?

Hint: Not the pharmaceutical companies that developed them

Book Review / Behavioral Decision Making

Overcoming Obstacles to Taking Better Care of Your Future Self

Hal Hershfield’s book offers research-backed methods to build a healthier, happier, more financially secure life

A laptop open on a table. A doctor is seen on the screen and the patient is seen in a box on the screen during a telehealth appointment. Research Brief / Health Care

Dividing Patients Between Telehealth, In-Office Primary Care and Referral to Specialists

Getting the mix right is the goal of a Medicare pilot, which itself could use substantial improvement

A color image of a genome. Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

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

An exterior night shot of a Dollar General store. Research Brief / Retail

How Dollar Stores Contribute to Food Deserts

Expanding chains drive out independent grocers, reduce access to fresh produce

A man sitting with his dog on the couch talking to his grandma on a cellphone Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

People Prioritize Shared Experiences, Even When Apart

People will endure inconvenience to synchronize events, regardless of proximity

A side view of feet on a scale Research Brief / Health

Modest Financial Incentives Help with Weight Loss

Tying payments to weight, rather than behaviors, marginally more effective

A blue and white sign in front of a building that reads: FDA U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration Research Brief / Health Care

FDA’s Breakthrough Program: Faster Drug OKs Without Sacrificing Safety

Dedicated FDA staff guide companies during design of clinical trials

AN illustration of matches in various stages of burning until it reaches then end and what looks like a man made out of matches is entirely burned Research Brief / Health Care

Doctors, Subjected to Peer Comparison, Felt Increased Burnout

Nudge to improve preventive medicine performance didn’t work – and yielded discontent

An illustration featuring text that reads "happiness" and other items such as scissors and a ruler Feature / Happiness

The Unhappy Quest for a Happiness Index

Pushing aside GDP for a measure of human well-being turns out to be very, very difficult. Ask Dan Benjamin