Doctors' ratings get an incomplete grade

For most people, picking a doctor is hardly a scientific process. They ask friends or family members to pass along names of doctors they...

Doctor discounts for the asking

Looking to save money on healthcare? Consider asking your doctor for a discount.

The M.D.: Silence on bad doctors

Few doctors make it through their training without being involved in at least one case that goes awry. I was no exception.

In the Works: Immunotherapy for food allergies

Caroline Cooper will pack her bags and head off for college this fall secure in the knowledge that she'll be able to safely eat anything the...

In Practice: A patient's tragic secret

"There's something I've never told you."

Religion shouldn't influence medical care in hospitals that get Medicare funds, the ACLU says

Physician burnout affects patients too

My husband, Dave, works harder than anyone else I know. He often gets up so early — 3:30 or 4 a.m. — that I don't even have a...

The doctor's in-box

The doctor-patient relationship is moving online. With 68% of American adults now using the Internet to search for healthcare information,...

Agencies warn of coming doctor shortage

Stories of emergency rooms pushed to capacity and wait times at physicians' offices have become legendary. Now the passage of healthcare...

Validity of hospital rankings

Even if you're the kind who never reads a review before heading to the car lot or the movie theater, you probably want to know how your...

Test your patient safety know-how

Americans do so like a good quiz, assuming it carries no penalty for wrong answers. Witness the popularity of the Cosmo questionnaires: "Are...

Medical breakthroughs sprang from one woman’s cells

Sixty years after Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer, her cells live on in laboratories around the globe. Collected by Johns Hopkins...

Less salt, fewer health issues, studies say

What will it take to get Americans — and the food industrial complex — to get serious about taking some of the salt out of our...

Medical alert jewelry gets more stylish

You can have a brilliant idea — roller skates for cats, for example — but if the public doesn't buy into it, the idea is...

ABCs of medical bracelets

Lengthy medical conditions can eat up space on a medical ID. That's why a list of abbreviations has evolved.

Cardiac rehab is underused path to recovery

The first week after her heart transplant, Eileen Ryan was a wreck. Overcome by weakness, she couldn't stand or walk. Going home from the...

Advice through texting aims to reduce preterm births

Aiming to cut down on the high number of premature births across the nation, a new program will offer words of advice for pregnant women...

More women should have choice of vaginal birth after C-section, panel says

Cesarean deliveries have risen steeply nationwide over the last 15 years. In some parts of the country, women are denied the option to try...