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Study: Decision Aids Show Promise In Reducing Medical Procedures
While policymakers debate whether doctors should be paid by the number of services they provide or the outcomes of their treatment, shared decision could have an impact on the ground by reducing demand for medical procedures. A new Health Affairs report about decision aids, materials given to patients to help educate them about treatment options, shows that they can help hold down costs.
“The decision aids discuss all the available treatment options equally,” said Dr. David Arterburn, an author of the study released Tuesday and investigator at Group Health Cooperative, a non-profit health system in Seattle. For example, in the aids for joint disorders, he said, “Losing weight and increasing physical activity are discussed in detail, as are anti-inflammatory medications, other over the counter medications, and prescription medications for treating osteoarthritis.”
Read the full story: http://bit.ly/NMEFr3
Source: Kaiser Health News
A meta-analysis showed that control group outcomes in psilocybin trials for depression were significantly weaker than those in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and esketamine trials, suggesting that psilocybin’s large observed treatment effects may be inflated by methodological factors such as functional unblinding and expectancy bias.
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Trump Directs Pharma Companies on Cutting Drug Prices Under Most-Favored-Nation Order
July 31st 2025President Donald Trump has sent letters to pharmaceutical companies, aiming to compel them to lower drug prices in the US to match the lowest prices offered in other developed nations, a move that could significantly reduce costs and disrupt the current system of pharmacy benefit managers.
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