Health Affairs Blog– In this blog post, Elizabeth Tiesburg, professor of community and family medicine and of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice, and Scott Wallace, visiting professor of community and family medicine, discuss the need for meaningful health care outcomes measurement.
In the News
Why Tracking Health Too Closely Could Actually Work Against You
The Huffington Post – Highlights a quote by H. Gilbert Welch from a recent NPR article. Gilbert argues that if nothing else, excessive health monitoring may foster an unhealthy preoccupation with one’s physical and mental state
Patients Can Address Doctor’s Office Wait Times
U-T San Diego – Scott Wallace, visiting professor of family and community medicine, comments on factors that affect patient waiting times at hospitals, and describes efforts by Dartmouth researchers who are working with physicians to restructure the way physicians see patients.
Palliative Care Expert Is a Vocal Opponent of Death with Dignity Law
Los Angeles Times – Discusses Emeritus Professor of Medicine Ira Byock’s stance against assisted suicide and the death with dignity movement.
Tracking Your Own Health Data Too Closely Can Make You Sick
NPR – An interview with H. Gilbert Welch, professor of medicine, on the issue of overmedicalization, in light of a recent controversial comment by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who suggested that people should have their blood tested on a quarterly basis.
Trader Joe’s Says Don’t Freak Out Over Arsenic in Wine
LA Weekly – Cites a 2012 Dartmouth study that calls for regulatory limits for arsenic in food, including rice and fruit juices.
Organ Recipient Intent on Urging Donations
Valley News – Features Tracy Pope, administrative coordinator at Geisel, and organ recipient, who organized flag-raising ceremonies to mark Annual Donate Life Month, which will take place at Valley Regional Hospital on Wednesday.
New Hampshire’s Rx Monitoring Program, and the Region’s Opioid Problem
NHPR – As a guest on “The Exchange,” Gil Fanciullo, professor of anesthesiology, discusses the problem of opioid overdoses and the state’s responses to it, including a new prescription drug monitoring program.
Do You Really Need that Colonoscopy?
The Washington Post – Discusses a recent book by H. Gilbert Welch, professor of medicine, titled Less Medicine, More Health: 7 Assumptions That Drive Too Much Medical Care, which argues against overmedicalization.
An Apple a Day May Not Keep the Doctor Away After All, a New Study Finds
ABC News – Points to Dartmouth research, which found that regular apple-eaters filled out marginally fewer prescriptions for medications than those who did not eat apples regularly, and found an insignificant difference in doctor visits between the two groups.