Insights

When the doctors who are charged with managing pain come out with a public policy position against use of opioids (like oxycodone, methodone and hydrocodine) for chronic pain, we should pay attention....

Every time someone famous dies after a medical error, hopes rise that we will see a meaningful response that will improve patient safety conditions. Joan Rivers' death has, in an incredibly quick time frame, led to some significant consequences for those involved.

In California, the range of physician performance is surprisingly wide, according to a recent survey that ranked groups on a 100-point scale. More than 40 physician groups scored below 60. Where might we find insights into how to help these low-performers improve?

"Narrowing of networks" was an abstract concept to me until Blue Shield narrowed my own network of healthcare providers, most of whom I have been seeing for 18 years.

Embarking on a data-driven story? Don’t just compile gigabytes of data and hope that a story will emerge. Decide what the question is that’s most crucial to your audience right now.

A key goal of health reform has been to get insured individuals to seek out primary care rather than the ER. In the Bay Area, safety net systems are trying new approaches to funnel more patients into primary care, including putting nurses in firehouses.

Don't forget to submit your application for the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism from Association of Health Care Journalists by January 15. Plus, check out these openings in online and print publications.

Is America’s ongoing obesity epidemic merely a tale of changing social and cultural norms, or do our genes play a starring role as well? Or is the key contained in the nexus between the two? New research sheds light on the historically shifting role of a gene that raises one's risk of obesity.

Does your work from 2014 deserve to be honored? Here's a round up of journalism awards you should be submitting to.

A recent California survey found that even the highest-rated provider group received only a C+ rating from its patients. Does this reveal deep flaws in the way care is delivered or have patients come to expect too much from health care providers?