Christina Mattina

A new study investigating the link between state medical marijuana laws and Medicaid prescription drug spending has found that states with such laws had lower prescribing rates in 5 of 9 clinical areas examined.

The National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) today published a letter outlining its thoughts on the FDA draft guidance regarding manufacturer communications about off-label uses of drugs. Today was the final day to comment on the draft before the agency begins to formulate the final version of the guidance.

Amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2009 have not eliminated instances of workplace discrimination against employees with cancer, according to a recently published study.

Hospitals in South Carolina that chose to participate in a statewide program implementing a form of the Surgical Safety Checklist developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) saw their death rates after inpatient surgery decrease significantly compared with other hospitals that did not take part, according to a new study.

A new study has found some concerning gaps in cervical cancer screening among a vulnerable population: women with severe mental illness enrolled in a state Medicaid program.

Researchers analyzing pharmacy and medical claims among nearly 94,000 individuals with ongoing statin prescriptions found that prescription filling behavior before and after the index fill had the highest predictive value for continued adherence.

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that the incidence of diabetes is trending upwards among youth, particularly for racial and ethnic minorities.

Healthcare spending has long been a substantial component of the national economy, and new projections foresee this growth will persist in coming years, though slowdowns are expected. Here are 5 things to know about health spending projections and their causes.

New York counties that instituted restrictions on the use of trans fats in foods observed a significant decline in cardiovascular events compared to similar counties that had not enacted such bans.

Two pieces of legislation, a federal bill in the US Senate and a state bill in Pennsylvania, would attempt to alleviate physician shortages in some underserved areas.

A new study has explored factors that impact patient adherence to oral chemotherapy regimens and found that improved satisfaction with their treatment and clinician was most strongly linked to better adherence.

A pair of studies published in JAMA Internal Medicine investigated the incidence of low-value care by practice ownership and location and in practices serving safety-net populations, highlighting important opportunities to reduce unnecessary spending.

A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine has found that the extent to which clinicians follow breast cancer screening guidelines for patients of different ages varies by their specialty and by which set of recommendations they trust most.

CMS has announced which community organizations will participate in the Accountable Health Communities model established by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. The model aims to address the complex social needs impacting beneficiaries’ health by strengthening a support network of clinical and community services.

A new study finds that women with ovarian cancer who were black or Hispanic tended to undergo more aggressive treatment and were less likely to receive hospice services at the end of life.

In a reversal of previous policy, the FDA has announced it will allow the genetic testing company 23andMe to market its DNA tests directly to consumers.

Research presented this week at the 99th annual meeting of the Endocrine Society suggested that people with type 2 diabetes who worked overnight shifts tend to have poorer control over their blood sugar levels than those who worked during the day or were unemployed.

Research presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons indicated that informed patients who engaged in shared decision making with their clinicians had better treatment outcomes and were more satisfied with their experience.

A new study has found that high-income communities are more likely to have access to specialty mental health treatment resources, including office-based practices, than low-income areas.

Over the last 4 decades, the incidence of thyroid cancer has risen by an average 3.6% per year, according to a recent analysis of cancer registry data. Researchers believe this reflects a true increase in the cancer’s occurrence that cannot be explained by overdiagnosis.

Several polls released this week show that Americans’ opinions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are steadily becoming more positive, as approval of the law has topped 50% for the first time amidst unsuccessful efforts to repeal and replace it.

Low spenders, defined as the bottom 50% of the population when ranked by healthcare expenditures, are responsible for just 2.8% of US healthcare spending.

Adjustments to drug reimbursement policies, including the lists of preferred medications used in Medicaid programs, could help states reduce their number of methadone-related deaths.

According to new research, a program that used standardized criteria to trigger palliative care consultations for patients with advanced cancer was associated with lower use of chemotherapy, fewer readmissions, and increased utilization of home-based support services after discharge.

A new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine has observed encouraging results from a program that implemented a virtual glucose management system for hospital inpatients.

Patients with Clostridium difficile infection who take medications to suppress their gastric acid levels are significantly more likely to experience a recurrence of the infection, according to researchers from the Mayo Clinic.

A provision in President Donald Trump’s budget proposal would incorporate the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which could represent a threat or an opportunity.

Many women with breast cancer turn to radiotherapy, a proven treatment that reduces the risks of recurrence and death. However, long-term smokers face a greater risk of lung cancer and cardiac mortality from radiotherapy.

According to a viewpoint published in JAMA Internal Medicine, making city streets safer and more inviting for pedestrians and cyclists can help break the pattern of sedentary behavior that has contributed to the obesity epidemic in America.

Women who were diagnosed with cancer at a young age are more likely to experience adverse birth outcomes like preterm birth, low birth weight, and cesarean delivery, particularly if the diagnosis occurred during pregnancy, according to a study in JAMA Oncology.