Insights

In California, nursing home stakeholders are wrestling over what kind of guidelines to put in place for the prescription of antipsychotic drugs. A key question: What level of consent is appropriate and who should give it?

A recent policy brief found that public health programs must expand their reach if they're to increase the number of people who receive preventive care. But reaching those who don't routinely seek care means meeting people where they are — culturally, linguistically and geographically.

Ever consider sharing your health care knowledge? The California State University is looking for a professional to lecture in their Department of Public Health.

Complex pediatric heart surgeries can be scary and hard to understand for families. But a former print journalist is spearheading new interactive visualizations inspired by video games to educate patients and take some of the mystery and fear out of the surgical ordeal.

During Suicide Prevention Week advocates are conducting suicide awareness campaigns. But there is not evidence that awareness reduces suicide. More effective suicide prevention approaches are being ignored.

Industry groups have argued for a drug form that does not require a patient or family member signature. That possibility has raised deep concerns among some patient advocates, who point out the drugs' potential dangers.

ER visits are growing and the number of emergency departments is shrinking. Does that mean more people will be denied urgent care and suffer or die as a result? The effects might be smaller than you think, and a good reminder to question our assumptions as reporters.

Talk of the hygiene hypothesis, beneficial bacteria, and the microbiome is becoming increasingly common. But the science of how these concepts relate to allergies and other conditions is still very much in progress. And that makes reporting on these topics tricky.

The Affordable Care Act has spurred new conversations about how to best deliver mental health benefits. Ideas range from incorporating more mental health services into primary care visits to the use of avatar systems to help schizophrenics control hallucinations.