Traditional blood tests still do a better job flagging common inherited diseases. Gene sequencing can be useful for detecting some conditions, but the results can be difficult to interpret.
Category: NPR
The Promises And Pitfalls Of Gene Sequencing For Newborns
Traditional blood tests still do a better job flagging common inherited diseases. Gene sequencing can be useful for detecting some conditions, but the results can be difficult to interpret.
Doctors Slow To Adopt Tech Tools That Might Save Patients Money On Drugs
A pricing tool embedded in many prescribing and medical records systems lets doctors see how much each patient is likely to pay out-of-pocket for medicine. But the tools could be better, doctors say.
Memphis Hospitals Suspend Debt Collection Suits, Including Suits Against Employees
After an investigation by journalists found the Methodist hospital system had filed 8,300 lawsuits in five years, the hospital announced it will be “reviewing” its policies in the next 30 days.
Newly Blue, Maine Expands Access To Abortion
Maine elected a wave of Democratic women to state office in 2018. They’ve pushed Maine to join a handful of other states shoring up the right to an abortion ahead of expected Supreme Court challenges.
California’s First Surgeon General Spotlights Health Risks Of Childhood Adversity
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris has spent much of her career alerting the medical community to health damage that adverse childhood experiences can wreak. Now she aims to protect and heal California’s kids.
Courts Order Delay Of Trump Administration’s Health Care ‘Conscience Rights’ Rule
The rule was intended to protect health care workers who refuse to assist in procedures like abortion because of religious or moral beliefs. Plaintiffs argue the rule could put patient safety at risk.
Politicians, Government Agencies Feud Over Payouts Tied To Opioid Epidemic
Drug companies are paying hundreds of millions of dollars to end lawsuits tied to the opioid epidemic. As payouts grow, government leaders are fighting over where the money should go.
Have Cancer, Must Travel: Patients Left In Lurch After Town’s Hospital Closes
As the rural town of Fort Scott, Kan., grapples with the closure of its hospital, cancer patients bear a heavy burden. They now have to go elsewhere for treatments they used to get locally.
Democrats Try To Distinguish Themselves On Health Care
NPR’s Sarah McCammon speaks with Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News about the Democratic presidential candidates’ health care policies.
