Healthcare Systems & Policy

Annie Brewster started Health Story Collaborative to give patients a voice, and to bring the human side of illness back into the practice of medical care and recovery. Research suggests that the way we narrate stories of illness can have a profound impact on our mental health.

Mental Health

In April, the governor of Oklahoma signed a bill that requires doctors to check a state-run database of patients and prescriptions before writing a new prescription for addictive medications. That makes the state a national leader in efforts to track such prescriptions and curtail abuse.

Patient Safety and Ethics

Reporter Tom Corwin of The Augusta Chronicle was shocked to learn of 82 unexpected deaths in 2013 among disabled patients receiving care in community placements in Georgia. The discovery launched him on an extended data-driven investigation. Here he shares lessons from the series.

Mental Health, Patient Safety and Ethics

Organ transplants are increasing at a faster rate than the population in the U.S., but not all transplant programs are created equal. Knowing where to find the relevant data can help you dig deeper and explore regional variations in wait times and success rates.

Patient Safety and Ethics

Atul Gawande's latest New Yorker piece on unnecessary care has generated much conversation in health care circles. Two leading practitioners of 'Slow Medicine' outline some key takeaways from Gawande's latest must-read take on American medicine.

Health Insurance and Costs, Healthcare Regulation and Reform

Will the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on King v. Burwell effectively dismantle the Affordable Care Act and its broad expansion of health coverage in this country? Or will the law’s latest legal challenge ultimately be defeated?

Reporter Lisa Bernard-Kuhn tackled an ambitious project looking at how doctor offices and hospitals in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana are working through the growing pains and gains ushered in by the ACA. Along the way, she learned a number of useful reporting lessons, shared here.

Health Insurance and Costs, Healthcare Regulation and Reform

The Affordable Care Act has expanded health care access to millions of Americans, but also placed new demands on the health care delivery system. Here are five key trends that are helping bring more effective care to more patients in a post-reform world.

Healthcare Regulation and Reform