Doctors

Nancy Roach at a conference in 2016. She's long worked as a patient's advocate and recently teamed up with scientists to help improve the design of studies, as well as to improve clinical care.

Advice From Patients On A Study's Design Makes For Better Science

3:18pm February 24, 2017

by Richard Harris

Increasingly, advocates for patients are in the room when big medical studies are designed. They demand answers to big questions: "Will the results of this study actually help anybody?"

A handgun on display at the National Rifle Association's 2003 annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. A federal appeals court struck down part of a Florida law prohibiting physicians in that state from discussing guns in the home with their patients.

Court Strikes Down Florida Law Barring Doctors From Discussing Guns With Patients

12:03pm February 17, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

A federal appeals court ruled that part of the state's "Docs vs. Glocks" law limiting what doctors can ask patients about guns in the home violates the First Amendment right to free speech.

Dr. Farooq Habib (left) and Dr. Muhammad Tauseef share an office at Los Barrios Unidos Community Clinic in Dallas. They're both from Pakistan and have both worked as pediatricians in medically underserved areas in the U.S.

Trump Travel Ban Spotlights U.S. Dependence On Foreign-Born Doctors

5:50am February 11, 2017

by Lauren Silverman

A quarter of doctors practicing in the U.S. went to medical school elsewhere. Many of these physicians practice in parts of this country that the government says need more primary care providers.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was part of the GOP Doctors Caucus while he served in the House of Representatives.

GOP Docs Rise To Power As Congress Retools Health Care Law

11:53am February 10, 2017

by Phil Galewitz

The nation's doctors are more Democratic, female, and supportive of the Affordable Care Act than their physician counterparts in Congress.

In 2014, the government said health providers would have to register with Medicare in order to prescribe drugs to beneficiaries. Delays have pushed back the requirement until 2019.

Health & Safety

How A Simple Fix For Medicare Prescribing Problems Got Complicated

9:30am February 10, 2017

by Charles Ornstein

In 2014, the government said health providers would have to register with Medicare in order to prescribe drugs to beneficiaries. Delays have pushed back the requirement until 2019.

With financial incentives from the ACA, the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston signed agreements with physicians and insurers to create an accountable care organization, in hopes of reducing health care's cost in the long run. But achieving those sa

Hospitals Worry Repeal Of Obamacare Would Jeopardize Innovations In Care

7:31am January 27, 2017

by Kristin Gourlay

One part of the federal health law gave hospitals financial incentives to improve patient care. Some invested big to make those changes and are worried about what losing that support would mean.

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Several new studies document widespread conflicts of interest in medicine.

From Twitter To Treatment Guidelines, Industry Influence Permeates Medicine

5:23pm January 17, 2017

by Charles Ornstein

Several new studies document widespread conflicts of interest in medicine. The way we think about disease "is being subtly distorted" by financial ties, the authors of an accompanying editorial write.

Dr. Daniel Nadeau gives Allison Scott tips on getting kids to eat healthy at Ralph's Supermarket in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Food As Medicine: It's Not Just A Fringe Idea Anymore

2:26pm January 17, 2017

by David Gorn

Treating people through nutrition is not a new idea, but it's making inroads as more medical professionals make meals a formal part of care, rather than relying solely on medications.

Illustration of a young doctor trapped in a snowglobe by Katherine Streeter for NPR.

How Working On Christmas Became A Privilege For 2 Young Doctors

5:00am December 25, 2016

by John Henning Schumann

By the end of December, medical interns are nearing the midpoint of their first year of intense, hands-on work with patients. The holiday season marks a special challenge.

Elderly hospitalized patients taken care of by female doctors had better results than those seen by male doctors.

Patients Cared For By Female Doctors Fare Better Than Those Treated By Men

6:24pm December 19, 2016

If male doctors were as good as their female counterparts at caring for older people in the hospital, about 32,000 fewer patients a year would die. What do female doctors do better than men?

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