Stanford Health Policy is a joint effort of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Stanford School of Medicine
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Small share of physicians account for bulk of malpractice claims
News / January 27, 2016
A substantial share of all malpractice claims in the United States is attributable to a small number of physicians, according to a study led by researchers at Stanford University and the University of Melbourne.
Panel reaffirms biennial mammograms for older women
News / January 12, 2016
The prestigious panel of medical experts who provoked a nationwide debate when it suggested fewer mammograms is standing by its recommendation that women 50 and older only get the screening every other year.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends statins for those at risk
News / December 22, 2015
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends adults between the ages of 40 and 75 take a cholesterol-lowering statin drug to help prevent heart attacks and strokes if they are at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Opioid crisis not limited to a few bad apples
News / December 14, 2015
Most prescriptions for opioid painkillers are made by the broad swatch of U.S. general practitioners, not by a limited group of specialists.
Envisioning the Future, Building on Our Past
News / December 8, 2015
As we move toward the future, it’s important to reflect on the past, which created the culture of the Stanford Department of Medicine.
Excessive antibiotic use in flu season contributes to resistance
News / December 7, 2015
The cold and flu season is upon us — and with that comes the potential overuse of antibiotics. All too often, physicians prescribe antibiotics for viral infections, which typically is ineffectual and can even be dangerous for elderly Medicare patients.
An estimated 2 million Americans are infected with drug-resistant organisms each year, resulting in 23,000 deaths and more than $20 billion in excess costs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Is proposed ban on smoking in public housing fair and just?
Q&As / November 16, 2015
A new federal proposal would ban smoking in public housing homes — a move that could impact some 1.2 million households across the nation.
Cigarette smoking kills 480,000 Americans each year, making it the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
California's vaccination exemptions cluster in white, affluent communities
News / November 13, 2015
California’s measles epidemic was no fluke; between 2007 and 2013 the percentage of kindergarteners using a “personal belief” exemption to enroll in school without vaccinations doubled.
Health and law
News / November 11, 2015
When Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg took a stand on sugary drinks, banning large sizes to encourage moderation, his efforts were met with some applause—but also with jeers of derision, one New York Post headline dubbing him the “Soda Jerk.”
Could OrderRex become the Amazon of EMRs?
News / November 5, 2015
Jonathan H. Chen was recently awarded a five-year NIH grant as the principal investigator behind OrderRex, a digital platform that data-mines electronic medical records to learn clinical practice patterns and outcomes that will inform concrete medical decisions.
World Bank chief presents plan to end extreme poverty, prevent pandemic
News / November 3, 2015
Stanford students belong to the first generation that could witness the end of extreme global poverty – in what would be one of humankind's greatest achievements – the head of the World Bank said during an Oct. 29 talk on campus.
Trick or Treat: using mobile health to save one tooth at a time
News / October 30, 2015
PLAQUEMONSTER encourages children to brush and floss. However, the true purpose of the app is to provide feedback on the user’s engagement that can be used for future forays into mobile health.
Crossing disciplines and using technology could help populations in need
News / October 28, 2015
Medical researchers must work together across disciplines to provide better health care to those who need it most, according to panelists at Stanford Medicine’s Annual Population Health Sciences Colloquium.
Doctor to patient: An Ebola survivor's odyssey
News / October 23, 2015
Ian Crozier, MD, a physician volunteer in West Africa, recounted his story of surviving the Ebola virus and the complications that ensued.
Medical procedures more expensive where physicians cluster in large medical practices
News / October 14, 2015
As more physicians move from solo and small practices, a dozen common medical procedures are becoming more expensive in areas where physicians are clustered into large medical practices, according to a new study.
Laurence Baker named chair of Health Research and Policy
News / October 9, 2015
Health economics expert Laurence Baker has been appointed chair of the Department of Health Research and Policy (HRP) in the Stanford School of Medicine. He says he wants students and faculty within the department to take advantage of emerging data and analytic tools for health research.
McDonald answers 5 questions about diagnostic errors
Q&As / October 7, 2015
Kathryn McDonald, CHP/PCOR executive director, is a member of the Institute of Medicine committee that wrote the report, “Improving Diagnosis in Health Care.” She answers five questions about the report’s findings and also got her suggestions for limiting one of the most overlooked health-care dilemmas today.
Photo Essay: The Next Great Discovery
News / October 5, 2015
In this multimedia photo essay, Magnum Photographer Peter van Agtmael and FSI digital media associate Kylie Gordon, shine light on the medical and scientific research being conducted across campus that could lead to the #NextGreatDiscovery.
Karen Eggleston named FSI senior fellow
News / September 30, 2015
Stanford health policy expert Karen Eggleston has been appointed as a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), effective Sept. 1, 2015, on a continuing term.
Eggleston, who leads the Asia Health Policy Program at Stanford’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia Pacific Research Center (APARC), is a recognized authority on comparative health policy and the economics of the demographic transition in Asia, especially China.
Landmark report on diagnostic errors unveiled by Institute of Medicine
News / September 22, 2015
Most Americans will get at least one faulty diagnosis in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences and “urgent change is warranted to address this challenge,” a panel of medical experts said Tuesday.
Stanford unveils first PhD program in Health Policy
News / September 21, 2015
The three women who are the first doctoral candidates in the School of Medicine’s new PhD in Health Policy program have one guiding belief: economics, decision science and data are now key to global health care.
How one pesky parasite impacted economies across Africa
News / September 17, 2015
The tsetse fly has plagued Africa for centuries — having sent millions of people into the confusing stupor of sleeping sickness, while killing the cows and other livestock needed to plough their fields and feed their families.
An aspirin a day should not keep doctor away
News / September 15, 2015
An aspirin a day may keep heart attacks and cancer away, according to new recommendations by a medical panel. But that doesn’t mean everyone should run to the drugstore without talking to his or her doctor first.
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Members of the media should contact Stanford Health Policy Communications Manager Beth Duff-Brown
650-736-6064