all John Ayanian stories

Not having health insurance is expensive

404132862 — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:00:00 -0400

New findings from researchers at Harvard Medical School (HMS) demonstrate that individuals who were either continuously or intermittently uninsured between the ages of 51 and 64 cost Medicare more than those who had continuous insurance coverage in the years prior to Medicare eligibility.

Hospice care under-used by many terminally ill patients, study finds

50443248 — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:58:42 -0400

A new study led by researchers at Harvard Medical School (HMS) found that only about half the patients diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer discuss hospice care with their physician within four to seven months of their diagnosis.

Universal coverage may narrow gaps in health outcomes

50443248 — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:58:32 -0400

Health care disparities in the United States have long been noted, with particular attention paid to the gaps separating racial and economic groups. And while some research has looked at how insurance — and lack of insurance — contributes to this imbalance, few, if any, studies have quantified the impact of universal coverage on differences in health outcomes between these groups.

Patients are untapped resource for improving care, study finds

50443248 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:20:00 -0500

A 15-month study of 21,860 patients and 110 primary care physicians at 11 Harvard Vanguard health centers found that patients who received mailed reminders that they were due for colorectal cancer screenings were more likely to schedule screenings than those who didn’t.

Forty-four percent of patients who received a reminder in the mail got screened, versus 38 percent who did not — a 16 percent relative increase in screening rate.

Outpatient cardiology care improves survival odds after heart attack

70652986 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:27:54 -0400

Previous research suggests that patients may live longer if they are under a cardiologist's care while hospitalized for myocardial infarction. In a new study, John Ayanian, Harvard Medical School associate professor of medicine in the Department of Health Care Policy, and colleagues examined the records of patients covered under Medicare to see whether this held true for outpatient care. They found that elderly heart attack patients who visit a cardiologist's office in the months after leaving the hospital are less likely to die within two years than patients who visit only their primary care doctor, and patients who visit both a cardiologist and a primary care doctor have even better outcomes.