Nearly all adults who die in La Crosse, Wisconsin, have filled out "advance directives" - explicit instructions on what treatments they do and don't want at the end of life. The medical ethicist who started the program says "We believe it's part of good patient care."
(Story) Nov 17, 2009
Newspapers continue to report on the Stupak amendment and how it will affect access to abortion.
(Daily Report) Nov 16, 2009
Medicare cuts approved by the House may raise health costs over the next decade and could affect seniors' care and access to providers, according to a new government report.
(Daily Report) Nov 16, 2009
Dr. Richard "Buz" Cooper doesn't mince words as he challenges highly-respected research asserting that hospitals and doctors waste up to $700 billion a year on unnecessary testing and treatment. He says the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care doesn’t adequately account for the health care needs of poor people.
(Daily Report) Nov 16, 2009
A selection of today's opinions and editorials from around the country.
(Daily Report) Nov 16, 2009
As the United States launches "an ambitious program, backed by $19 billion in government incentives, to accelerate the adoption of computerized patient records in doctors' offices and hospitals," a new study of 3,000 hospitals "has found little difference in the cost and quality of care," The New York Times reports.
(Daily Report) Nov 16, 2009
The people in Southeastern Kentucky have the poorest health in the country. Yet the area is rich with medical facilities. Health reform bills are unlikely to change much: One doctor says: "We have to transform the way we take care of people."
(Story) Nov 13, 2009
Kaiser Health News examines rural health care in Kentucky and finds community health care models there offer lessons for America's broader health care system, despite lingering problems.
(Daily Report) Nov 13, 2009
Doctors confront the fading image of primary care providers.
(Daily Report) Nov 13, 2009
The Research Roundup today includes the "secrets of Massachusetts' success" with health reform legislation, Medicare hospital readmission rates, an examination of Part D and a look at Americans' attitudes about funding global health.
(Daily Report) Nov 13, 2009