A comprehensive approach to patients — focused not only on what happens in the doctor’s office but also on how patients recover at home and how much their care costs — is changing how doctors care for them. Michael Chernew (HMS) is quoted.
David Reich (HMS) co-authored research finding that populations in Oceania had populations had the highest percentage of ancient DNA – 2 percent Neanderthal and 5 percent Denisovan. Many people around the world have more Denisovan DNA than previously thought, which has contributed to their sense of smell and ability to thrive at high altitudes.
Hospitals are treating children with complex medical conditions, who number close to 3 million and may require a lifetime of coordinated care, at new dedicated clinics. Jay Berry (Boston Children’s) is quoted.
Roughly a third of cancers are considered preventable and the lifestyle recommended to help avoid them is the focus of ongoing research to help cancer survivors live healthier, and perhaps longer, lives. Jennifer Ligibel (Brigham and Women’s) is quoted.
The National Labor Relations Board is revisiting a Bush-era decision that found that private universities are not required to recognize graduate student unions. A reversal of the decision would open the door for doctoral students at private universities to unionize. Several Harvard Medical School students are mentioned.
Medical researchers at Harvard University have created an app that lets former NFL players share how on-the-field injuries may still be affecting their brains and bodies. Alvaro Pascual-Leone (Beth Israel Deaconess) is quoted. Download the app here.
Medical researchers at Harvard University have created an app that lets former players share how on-the-field injuries may still be affecting their brains and bodies. Alvaro Pascual-Leone (Beth Israel Deaconess), the principal investigator of TeamStudy, is quoted. Download the app here.
More than 12,000 medical students, residents, and physicians from around the country have signed a petition originating at Harvard Medical School that calls for an end to the Step 2 CS exam. Ronald Arky (HMS), Carolyn Treasure (HMS student) and Samia Osman (HMS student) are quoted.
Jeffrey Linder (Brigham and Women’s) co-authored this piece about several new approaches to reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, drawing on insights from behavioral economics and social psychology.
U.S. doctors and hospitals throw out almost $3 billion in unused cancer drugs each year because they come in supersized single-use packages and any unused drugs must be discarded for safety reasons, a recent paper suggests. Nancy Keating (HMS) is quoted.
Experimental paper sensors that detect chemical or biological molecules have proved easy to use without the need for pricey equipment or trained specialists. Costing only pennies, they hold promise to be more sensitive than the rapid diagnostic kits on the market today. Ali Yetisen (Mass General) is quoted.
