health care

Doctors Must Overcome New Red Tape In Struggle To Treat Veterans

4:41pm June 07, 2016

by Patricia Murphy

The Veterans Choice program hasn't cut wait times for vets seeking medical care because the program has added one more layer of bureaucracy. That complicates life for doctors trying to provide care to vets and for vets looking to see a doctor. This story is part of a collaboration among NPR and member stations looking at Veterans Choice.

Did revised federal standards make transplant centers more averse to risk and encourage them to drop sicker patients who might affect the hospitals' patient survival rates?

Federal Standard May Be Thwarting Some Liver Transplant Patients

11:38am June 07, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Researchers report that performance standards set by federal health officials may have led to many patients being dropped from transplant lists without an improvement in survival rates.

Psychologist Diane Adams devotes a portion of her private practice in Renton, Wash., to veterans. But she said the bureaucracy involved in the Veterans Choice program has proved frustrating and veterans have had a hard time getting approval to see her.

For Doctors And Patients, 'Veterans Choice' Often Means Long Waits

7:11pm June 06, 2016

The $10 billion Veterans Choice has not cut backlogs, critics say. This problem can be particularly urgent when it comes to mental health cases.

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Children who get more sleep while in the hospital need less sedation and anesthesia, researchers have found.

Bright Lights, Big Hassles For Children In The Hospital

12:41pm June 02, 2016

by Shefali Luthra

The pokes and prods inflicted on children in the hospital at all hours can make it hard for them to get a decent night's sleep. Children's hospitals are now rethinking how they work at night.

Giselle is pursuing a career in family medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. For her, hiding her problems with anxiety and depression was not an option.

A Med Student Decides To Be Upfront About Her Mental Issues

6:52pm June 01, 2016

by Amanda Aronczyk

When Giselle decided to apply to medical school, people told her to hide the fact that she has struggled with anxiety, depression and a suicide attempt. She thinks it will help her be a better doctor.

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Doctor Outlines Plan To Battle Antibiotic Resistance In 'The Washington Post'

3:00pm June 01, 2016

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Ezekiel Emanuel, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, about his opinion piece in the Washington Post that argues the cheap price of antibiotics has led to their overuse and has also discouraged drug companies from developing new antibiotics.

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A death certificate needs to say more than something vague like "opioid intoxication" to help law enforcement and public health officials curb the distribution of opioids, epidemiologists say. How many drugs did the person take, and which ones? Such detai

Details On Death Certificates Offer Layers Of Clues To Opioid Epidemic

11:50am June 01, 2016

by Jeff Cohen

Deaths from opioid overdoses are on the rise, and we know that because of data on death certificates. States determine who fills them out and what information they record. And that can vary widely.

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Economy

NC Insurers Propose 18%-Plus Premium Increases On Obamacare Exchange

3:19pm May 31, 2016

by Michael Tomsic, WFAE

In North Carolina, the two largest remaining insurance companies on the Obamacare exchange are requesting average premium increases of more than 18 percent.

You may share everything with your parents, but health care providers might not be so open.

Parents May Be Refused Details Of Adult Children's Medical Care

2:27pm May 31, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Federal and state laws are designed to protect the privacy of patients' health information. But sometimes leaving parents of adult children out of the loop can complicate the patient's recovery.

Tracy Solomon Clark didn't realize that the shortness of breath and dizziness she felt at age 44 was actually serious heart disease.

Hidden Heart Disease Is The Top Health Threat For U.S. Women

7:07am May 30, 2016

by Patti Neighmond

Many women and even doctors underestimate a woman's heart attack risk, research shows, as they focus on weight and breast health instead. Tiny damaged arteries in the heart may not show up in scans.