• Design thinking results in innovative clinical pathway

    New research shows that applying design thinking as a framework for patients who are socially at risk has merit in helping nurses and other health care providers develop clinical pathways to improve care transitions.

    FULL STORY AT Penn Nursing News

  • Treating sleep apnea with CPAP therapy is associated with lower risk of heart problems

    Penn Nursing’s Amy Sawyer, associate professor of sleep & health behavior in the Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, conducted a study showing that patients with untreated sleep apnea had a higher risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event, but the risk of incident heart problems was decreased in those who used CPAP therapy. 

    FULL STORY AT Penn Nursing News

  • Prescription drug monitoring program mandates affect the use of opioids to treat acute pain

    Many states have enacted comprehensive mandates that all clinicians consult Prescription drug monitoring programs prior to prescribing an opioid for any given patient. These mandates seek to hold prescribers accountable and ensure sustained use of the databases. Now researchers are exploring whether comprehensive mandates deter clinicians from writing opioid prescriptions for appropriate indications.

    FULL STORY AT Penn Medicine News

  • How megaproviders keep health care costs high

    In “Big Med: Megaproviders and the High Cost of Health Care in America,” authors David Dranove and Wharton health care management professor Lawton R. Burns examine the rise of these megaproviders and their role in the deterioration of health care—as well as its rising costs. They reveal that these megaproviders are ever present: Your local hospital is likely part of one, as are your doctors.

    FULL STORY AT Knowledge at Wharton