Medical Treatments

Hospitals can call people who stay overnight outpatients, a classification that can have surprising financial consequences.

Health & Safety

Progress For Bill To Bolster Medicare Patients' Hospital Rights

10:58am July 29, 2015

by Susan Jaffe

Even when some Medicare patients stay overnight in the hospital, they are are being classified as outpatients under something called observation status. It sounds innocuous but can trigger big bills.

Christy O'Donnell, who has advanced lung cancer, is one of several California patients suing for the right to get a doctor's help with prescription medicine to end their own lives if and when they feel that's necessary.

California Judge Throws Out Lawsuit On Medically Assisted Suicide

5:35pm July 27, 2015

by April Dembosky

The superior court judge says questions raised in the case should be decided by legislatures or voters, not the court. The terminally ill plaintiffs say they'll appeal his decision.

Coordinating care for high-risk patients was expected to save money and improve quality of care. A Medicare experiment didn't pan out.

Health & Safety

Experiment In Coordinated Care For Medicare Failed To Show Savings

12:05pm July 27, 2015

by Jay Hancock

The test aimed to help high-risk Medicare patients navigate the health care maze. But after three years, expected improvements in quality and savings failed to materialize.

Health & Safety

Doctors Plan Database On Cancer Drugs, Showing Effectiveness And Cost

9:08pm July 24, 2015

by David Kestenbaum

A group of cancer doctors is trying to create a database on cancer drugs. It would give a score for each drug, reflecting how well the drug works. It would also list how much the drug costs.

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Skyrocketing costs for cancer drugs have triggered a backlash.

Health & Safety

Doctors Press For Action To Lower 'Unsustainable' Prices For Cancer Drugs

3:15pm July 24, 2015

by Nadia Whitehead

More than a hundred influential doctors banded together to propose seven ways to bring down the high prices of cancer drugs. They say changes are needed to preserve access to care.

Health & Safety

Doctors Speak Out Against 'Unsustainable' Rise In Cancer Drug Prices

2:59pm July 24, 2015

More than 100 U.S. oncologists are publicly objecting to the ever-growing cost of cancer drugs. NPR's Robert Siegel speaks to Dr. Ayalew Tefferi of the Mayo Clinic about efforts to bring prices down.

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For best quality of life, many cancer patients who can't be cured might do best to forgo chemo and focus instead on pain relief and easing sleep and mood problems, a survey of caregivers suggests.

What If Chemo Doesn't Help You Live Longer Or Better?

11:10am July 24, 2015

by Richard Harris

Terminal cancer patients sometimes get chemotherapy in the belief that it will ease their symptoms. But a study finds that many who get the treatment near death actually have a poorer quality of life.

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Amanda Angelotti (left) and Connie Chen, both graduates of University of California, San Francisco's medical school, opted for careers in digital health.

Siren Song Of Tech Lures New Doctors Away From Medicine

4:53pm July 23, 2015

by Christina Farr

Medical school graduates around San Francisco Bay are far less likely to pursue medical residencies than those in other parts of the country. Instead, many are heading to health technology ventures.

Chart: Most Residents Carry Lots Of Medical School Debt

Health & Safety

Medical Residents Are Indebted But Reasonably Happy

4:43pm July 23, 2015

by Scott Hensley

Talking to medical residents is one way to get a bead on where medicine is headed. A recent survey of more than 1,700 residents asked a slew of questions about their hopes, daily work and finances.

Giedre (left) and Tal Cohen in March 2013, while Giedre was still healthy. Since then, she's begun having symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. In Giedre's case, the illness is tied to a rare genetic mutation she inherited.

Younger Adults With Alzheimer's Are Key To Drug Search

4:42pm July 23, 2015

by Jon Hamilton

A very rare genetic mutation causes some people to develop Alzheimer's in their 30s. It also makes these people the ideal candidates for tests of potential Alzheimer's drugs.

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