No easy path to reducing opioid overdoses
Efforts aimed at curbing access to opioids, including prescription drug monitoring programs and prescribing guidelines, will have only a modest effect on reducing the number of overdose deaths, according to new research. Researchers developed a mathematical model to…
How the U.S. opioid crisis is shifting family dynamics
As the opioid epidemic continues to ravage America, extended family members are increasingly stepping up to help raise children whose parents have overdosed, been incarcerated, or are in rehab. A January 28, 2019 U.S. News & World Report…
Opioid marketing linked to uptick in overdoses
Efforts to market opioids to physicians could have helped fuel an uptick in fatal overdoses from the prescription painkiller, according to new research. The study found that drug makers spent $39.7 million on marketing materials aimed at more…
A virtual visit with your doctor
New research shows that while telemedicine is on the rise in the U.S., it’s still relatively uncommon. In this week’s podcast we’ll explore ways to increase use of remotely delivered medical care among doctors and patients.

Medicare’s bundled payment experiment for joint replacements shows moderate savings
For immediate release: January 3, 2019 Boston, MA – Medicare’s randomized trial of a new bundled payment model for hip and knee replacement surgeries led to $812 in savings per procedure, or a 3.1% reduction in costs, when compared…

Frontlines - Winter 2019
Quick updates about the latest public health news from across the School and beyond.
Opioid, amphetamine use spikes in pregnant U.S. women
Opioid use quadrupled and amphetamine use doubled among pregnant U.S. women over the past decade, according to a new study. Researchers found that opioid use jumped from 1.5 per 1,000 deliveries in 2004 to 6.5 per 1,000 in…
Use of telehealth rising—slowly
Telehealth—the provision of health care via smart phone, tablet, or computer—is on the rise in the U.S., but is still relatively uncommon even though 32 states have enacted laws mandating insurance reimbursement for such services, according to a…
Chronic pain may be associated with higher suicide risk
Chronic pain may be a risk factor for suicide, according to a new study that found nearly one in 10 people who commit suicide had signs of chronic pain. The study examined data on 123,181 suicide deaths from…
Opioid prescribing rules may have unintended consequences
A set of new studies found that state and federal policies intended to keep doctors from overprescribing painkillers can sometimes have unintended consequences. One study showed that rules requiring doctors to check a database that would reveal patients…