What we're reading, November 5, 2015: defensive medicine actually does reduce malpractice risk; patients would like more options for using digital technology with their healthcare; and Americans are eating healthier.
Pricey Defensive Medicine Does Reduce Malpractice Suits
Practicing defensive medicine by ordering extra tests and procedures actually does help to ward off malpractice suits, according to a new study. A study of more than 18 million hospital admissions and more than 24,000 physicians found that the more a hospital billed, the less likely a doctor was to be sued, according to The New York Times.
Digital Technology Lacking in Healthcare Despite Interest From Patients
Although Americans use digital technology often in their everyday lives, only one-fifth use it when it comes to healthcare because e-mail, texting, and other tools aren’t being offered by providers, according to a Nielsen survey. The Washington Post reported that there are 2 main barriers: inertia by physicians and a lack of financial incentives.
Americans Are Actually Eating Healthier, Extending Lives
A new study has found evidence that Americans are eating healthier. Since 1999, having better diets has saved more than 1 million people from dying prematurely and even cut diabetes and heart disease, according to Harvard researchers. However, overall, the American diet is still poor, reported HealthDay.
Laundromats as a New Frontier in Community Health, Medicaid Outreach
May 29th 2025Lindsey Leininger, PhD, and Allister Chang, MPA, highlight the potential of laundromats as accessible, community-based settings to support Medicaid outreach, foster trust, and connect families with essential health and social services.
Listen
Managed Care Reflections: A Q&A With Melinda B. Buntin, PhD
June 2nd 2025To mark the 30th anniversary of The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), each issue in 2025 includes a special feature: reflections from a thought leader on what has changed—and what has not—over the past 3 decades and what’s next for managed care. The June issue features a conversation with Melinda B. Buntin, PhD, a health economist and a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Carey Business School.
Read More
Inside the Center's MDD Value Model and Its Use of Dynamic Pricing
May 13th 2025Larragem Raines, MS, of the Center for Innovation & Value Research, discusses the organization's major depressive disorder (MDD) open-source value model, dynamic pricing, and the future role of artificial intelligence in care.
Listen