Science and common sense tell us that the teenage brain is more vulnerable to peer pressure and susceptible to nicotine addiction than at any other …
Author: Beth Duff-Brown
We are woefully unprepared for pandemic threat, says economist Larry Summers
While the world takes dramatic and costly steps to prevent the calamitous impact of climate change, preparations for a worldwide pandemic on the scale of …
It’s a no-brainer: Neuroscience should influence policy on psychoactive substances
Non-smoking campaigns that tell teenage boys that they'll get lung cancer in 30 years if they don’t stop smoking just don’t work. “But prevention programs that …
Small number of physicians account for many malpractice claims
A small number of physicians account for a disproportionately large number of malpractice claims in the United States, Stanford medical and law researchers found after …
Breast screening recommendations — finalized?
The simmering national debate over how often and at what age women should get mammograms has come to a full boil once again. This week, …
Overprescribing of opioids is not just limited to a few bad apples
More Americans are now dying of drug overdose each year than car accidents. And the biggest killer among those accidental deaths is prescribed opioids, according …
Excessive antibiotic use in flu season contributes to resistance
The cold and flu season is upon us — and with that comes the potential overuse of antibiotics. All too often, physicians prescribe antibiotics for …
Is a proposed ban on smoking in public housing fair?
Cigarette smoking kills nearly half a million Americans each year, making it the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. So the …
Stanford study: Medical procedures more expensive where physicians cluster in large medical practices
As more physicians move from solo and small practices, a dozen common medical procedures are becoming more expensive in areas where physicians are clustered into …
Diagnostic errors: “A complex problem that requires a many-pronged, multi-level attack”
A landmark Institute of Medicine report released last last month showed that despite dramatic improvements in patient safety over the last 15 years, diagnostic errors have been …
Stanford journalist returns to old post in India – and finds health care still lagging
Three Stanford seniors and a second-year School of Medicine student spent their summer investigating India’s complicated health-care system — and I got to go along …
Stanford physician provides insight on use of aspirin to help keep heart attacks and cancer away
Douglas Owens, MD, is on the panel of medical experts that just recommended a daily dose of aspiring to ward off heart attacks and cancer. But he …
Stanford India Health Policy Initiative fellows are in Mumbai – come follow along
Today, I'm on my way to India to join the 2015 Stanford India Health Policy Initiative fellows. These fellows are part of a program that designs and conducts …
Health aid may be allocated efficiently, but not always optimally
Foreign aid to the public-health sectors of developing countries often appears to be allocated backwards: The global burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes or …
Finding the sweet spot in public health law to regulate sugary drinks
Two Stanford public health law experts say one of the biggest culprits of the obesity epidemic - on top of fast foods and sedentary lifestyles …
Rosenkranz Prize winners devoted to innovative health care in developing countries
Marcella Alsan, MD, PhD, knows that the division of labor among men and women starts at a young age in the developing world. “Anecdotally, girls …