Category: Public Health

Doctors need to learn more about nutrition

I was misinformed about medical school. Growing up, I wanted to help people become healthy. After four years at the Ohio State University Medical School and three years of a family medicine residency, I still did not know enough to accomplish my goal. …

Call obesity what it is: a disease

In 2013, the American Medical Association (AMA) announced its decision to classify obesity as a disease, moving against the recommendation at the time of a group studying obesity. Yet there are still those who believe that obesity is not a disease but …

Check Your Medical Records For Dangerous Errors

Medical records often contain incorrect information that can lead to inappropriate medical treatment. Patients need to review them on a regular basis and correct any errors that creep in.

Paradise Lost: Wildfire Chases Seniors From Retirement Havens To Field Hospitals

Having fled quickly — often without medications, wheelchairs or pets to comfort them — refugees from the Camp Fire manage as best they can in makeshift shelters miles from home. A virus is spreading, and medical attention is spotty.

In Throes Of Turkey Salmonella Outbreak, Don’t Invite Illness To Your Table

There’s no federal requirement that your holiday bird be free of salmonella, so consumers bear the burden of keeping food safe.

Gun Control Vs. Mental Health Care: Debate After Mass Shootings Obscures Murky Reality

More than half of mass shooters have serious mental health disorders, experts say, but the vast majority of mentally ill people are not violent. Some clinicians suggest strategic interventions, including closing loopholes in background checks to buy firearms and allowing family members to confiscate guns under temporary court orders for relatives at risk of doing harm.

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Doctors, Guns And Lame Ducks

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Alice Ollstein of Politico discuss how the Democrats’ takeover of the House and other results from the Nov. 6 elections might affect health care, and what Congress may have in store for the lame-duck session.

For Wildfire Safety, Only Particular Masks Guard Against Toxic Particulate Matter

As wildfires blaze in Northern and Southern California, millions of people outside of the burn zones are getting exposed to dangerous wildfire smoke. For those donning face masks for protection, only a specific mask will work.

An Underused Strategy For Surge In STDs: Treat Patients’ Partners Without A Doctor Visit

For over a decade, federal health officials have recommended the practice, known as expedited partner therapy. It is allowed in most states, but many doctors don’t do it — either because of legal or ethical concerns, or because they are unaware of it.