Insured patients, immune to the cost consequences of care, are driving the price of medical attention skyward. That's according to George Lundberg, MD, who edited …
Author: Julia James
Bacterial balance in gut tied to colon cancer risk
It’s a fact that has opened many a press release: The human body is made of more bacterial cells than human ones. (The ratio by …
Dan Brown casualties, neurosurgery edition
Last summer, on a cross-country road trip, I listened to 17 grueling hours of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. The experience had two notable …
A spoonful of lead helps the sugary drink go down?
Surprise! There may be more to your child's juice box than its estimated 5 teaspoons of sugar. And I'm not talking about a submerged Dora …
Of life spans and political misspeak
"Pro-ana" websites reflect users' conflicted inner worlds
In the world of disturbing web content, it doesn’t get much worse than so-called “pro-ana” and “pro-mia” sites. The virtual community boards, where anorexic and …
Industrial pollutants find their way into the eggs of free-range hens
My household recently acquired three new chickens, bringing our roster to a total of six. We're keeping track of a draft pecking order and the …
In commencement address, Atul Gawande calls for innovation around "entire packages of care"
The explosion of health care costs in America is not a problem rooted in economics; it's a problem rooted in scientific complexity. That was the …
Health-care consumer apps: helping or hurting?
A host of products are in development that aim to inform and empower health-care consumers. But the gadgets’ capabilities should raise at least a few …
Measuring the quality of quality measurement
How good is good enough when it comes to quality of medical care? An interesting commentary tackles that question in today's online edition of the …
Two weeks left to submit entries for medical prose awards
Listening to Abraham Verghese, MD, speak recently about his dual identities as doctor and author put me in the mood for some medical prose. Fortunately, …
Debating patient incentive programs
The New York Times’ Room for Debate hosts a fascinating discussion this week on the concept of incentivizing healthy behavior. The motion: Paying people to …
Your hands: Not as stubby as you think they are
You'd probably like to think you're blessed with an accurate "position sense" - that if you were to close your eyes, you'd nonetheless know where …
Start-up to introduce health care comparison shopping
The New York Times reports today on a startup, Castlight Health, that will soon offer a price comparison tool for medical procedures. Alan M. Garber, …
EPA bans endosulfan in light of the pesticide's human health effects
The human health effects of pesticides have been much in the news since late May, when a study published in the journal Pediatrics pointed to …
Cancer biologist breaks it down
Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Jonathan Garlick, DDS, PhD, director of the Division of Cancer Biology at Tufts. Garlick's video might not have the sensory snap …