Category: Kaiser Health News

Can Melatonin Gummies Solve Family Bedtime Struggles? Experts Advise Caution

Throughout history, parents have searched for the secret to getting fretful children to sleep through the night. The latest strategy involves giving children melatonin-infused gummies and tablets, a trend that concerns some doctors.

In Nurse’s Trial, Investigator Says Hospital Bears ‘Heavy’ Responsibility for Patient Death

Nashville nurse RaDonda Vaught is charged with reckless homicide for giving the wrong medication to a patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Health Officials See Bright Future in Poop Surveillance

Sewage surveillance is proving so useful in mapping covid trends that many public health officials say it should become standard practice in tracking infectious diseases. Whether that happens will depend on the nation’s ability to make it viable in communities rich and poor.

Training Options Narrow for Medical Students Who Want to Learn Abortion Procedures

The number of medical schools and residency programs where aspiring physicians can learn to perform abortion procedures continues to shrink, a byproduct of the anti-abortion legislation being enacted in multiple states.

Black Therapists Fight to Be Seen on TikTok. When They Are, They Find Solidarity.

Black mental health therapists talk openly on TikTok about working in a predominantly white field, while at the same time making mental health care more accessible for people of color who might be shut out of the health care system.

As a Nurse Faces Prison for a Deadly Error, Her Colleagues Worry: Could I Be Next?

Former nurse RaDonda Vaught is on trial for reckless homicide, and her case raises consequential questions about how nurses use computerized medication-dispensing cabinets.

Immunocompromised Patients Worry Vaccine Exemptions Put Them in Peril

Montana’s governor pushed the state’s health workers to seek religious exemptions to a federal mandate to be vaccinated against covid, but the number who have done so is unknown.

To Families’ Dismay, Biden Nursing Home Reform Doesn’t View Them as Essential Caregivers

Relatives who often provide vital caregiving for nursing home residents say the lockdowns during the covid pandemic showed the need for family members to visit in person with their loved ones. About a dozen states have passed laws guaranteeing that right, and California is considering one.

Money Flows Into Addiction Tech, But Will It Curb Soaring Opioid Overdose Deaths?

Experts are concerned that flashy Silicon Valley technology won’t reach those most in need of treatment for substance use disorders.

Pfizer CEO Pushes Yearly Shots for Covid. Not So Fast, Experts Say.

A corporate CEO’s call for a fourth mRNA shot struck those closely watching the pandemic as self-serving. It creates public pressure for a fourth dose of vaccine before government experts have time to assess the evidence and settle on the best course forward.