Although epidural anesthesia was first used in the early 1940s, this form of pain relief was popularly used for laboring women until the 1970s. Since then, both health care providers and women have asked all sorts of questions about whether epidurals are safe and effective for women and babies. [Read more…]
What we know about pain relief during child birth
October 23, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Should we teach doctors good “bed-side manner”?
October 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Having participated in health care visits for myself, my three children and my mother, I’ve interacted with doctors who have all sorts of personalities: caring and compassionate, business-like, and downright rude. Despite these experiences, I’ve never given much thought to the idea that a physician’s bedside manner can influence patient-care. [Read more…]
A new metric for health care decisions
October 16, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Do you remember the last time a doctor gave you a prescription? You most likely assumed the medicine would work effectively. It turns out, that’s not always the case. [Read more…]
What we know about homework
October 7, 2014 By 1 Comment
Now that the school year is back in full swing, I find that our family needs to make time for homework almost every night of the week. And it’s got me wondering how much homework impacts children’s achievement in school. [Read more…]
Does video surveillance deter crime?
October 3, 2014 By 10 Comments
Park your car. Walk into a store. Ride the subway. During all of these activities, it’s very likely that you are being recorded on video. In the western world, closed-circuit television or CCTV is used in the vast majority of public places to help prevent crime. [Read more…]
Updated evidence: Workplace smoking interventions
September 30, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Smoking is one of the biggest public health threats across the globe, according to the World Health Organization. It accounts for one in ten deaths among adults worldwide. The vast majority of these deaths are preventable. [Read more…]
Reforms needed in end-of-life care
September 25, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Over the next 15 years, the number of people in the U.S. aged 65 and older will nearly double to more than 72 million. As the baby boomer generation continues to age, our society and our health care system will need to address the increasing number of people requiring health care services and end-of-life care. [Read more…]
Review: Knee surgery for cartilage tears
September 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment
The most common knee injury today is a torn meniscus, which is a rip in the cartilage that cushions the knee joint. There are two groups of people who commonly suffer this injury: athletes who twist their knees and older people who are more likely to have degenerative tears as cartilage becomes weaker with age.
Evidence-based sports: Can a team have too many star players?
September 16, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Football season is in full swing in the U.S.!
Most people who follow professional sports have ideas about why some teams prosper while others don’t. Usually, those ideas are personal opinions. But is there any evidence about what components make a winning professional sports team?
[Read more…]
Evidence-based motivation
September 10, 2014 By 3 Comments
Do you ever find it hard to accomplish what you set out to do? I know it’s a problem I encounter sometimes, especially in this era of instant communication where there is so much distraction. So what’s the best way to get something done?
How important is breakfast, Part 2
September 5, 2014 By 4 Comments
Earlier this week, we wrote about the body of evidence that shows eating breakfast does not lead to weight loss. But does eating breakfast impact cognitive function and learning? As my kids head back to school this week, it’s certainly a question on my mind.
How important is breakfast?, Part 1
August 28, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Crowning breakfast as the most important meal of the day is a long-held conviction among many Americans and some nutritional experts. In reality, there are data on both sides of the debate showing that breakfast is essential to maintaining a healthy weight, and also that breakfast is no more important than any other meal for weight loss. Recently, new evidence sheds more light on the topic. [Read more…]
