Insights

Two high-profile studies came out this week with similar conclusions: Exposing kids to microbes and allergens may well lead to fewer allergies and better-adjusted immune systems. Tolerance of potential triggers, the studies suggest, is looking more and more like an acquired skill.

A series of reports has found that physicians who "self-refer" are following their financial interests and not always the best interests of their patients. The trend is driving up health care costs and potentially putting patients at risk from unnecessary services.

Geographic boundaries can have a big impact on health insurance options, particularly for people living in rural regions. Rural residents tend to fare better on premiums and choices when their area is grouped with an urban neighbor.

WomensForum.com is looking for a Health Editor in Chicago, while The Post-Bulletin in Rochester, MN is searching for a Health Reporter. Also, check out our new webinar on March 19 looking at innovations in how we pay for health care.

After a rain, mushrooms pop up.  Even if you are an experienced mushroom hunter, it's hard to tell the difference between an edible variety and one that can be deadly. ...

My project will look at current research into cancers that disproportionately affect ethnic minorities, specifically Jewish and African-American communities. I will examine medical discoveries and ongoing clinical trials that hope to shed light on breast and ovarian cancer, male breast and prostat

As California's statewide figures drop, Del Norte County has seen its domestic violence rate skyrocket. That raises a question: How are domestic violence survivors in this rural community on the Northern California coast faring after reporting abuse?

My project will compare the health status of Valley Latinos living in a handful of urban communities to those living in rural towns.

Technology to care for very sick and premature infants has improved dramatically over the past two decades. But these incredible measures also mean parents and neonatologists in the NICU face complex ethical questions when deciding how much care to provide and when to stop.

In 1965, the deinstitutionalization of mental health treatment charted a path toward overcrowded prisons and a shortage of mental health treatment facilities. Today, Imperial County in California is dealing with both of those consequences.