Harvard School of Public Health news stories on Newser

Surgery Checklist Saves Lives ... and Maybe $25B

Peter Fearon — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:25:01 CST

It sounds like a no-brainer, but surgical teams who use a simple checklist similar to those employed by flight crews reduced deaths and complications by a stunning 33%, according to an international study. If every US hospital used the checklist, health care costs for treating avoidable complications could be cut...

DNA Test to Predict Cancer Risk

Peter Fearon — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:23:00 CST

A DNA test that can help predict a man's risk of developing prostate cancer is expected to be available later this year for as little as $300. It's the first glimpse of what's likely to be a revolution in medical testing to provide patients a window into their possible future....

Fight Disease, Not Just AIDS

Nick McMaster — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 13:05:00 CST

Global action to fight HIV/AIDS is imperative, but wealthy countries should reconsider committing most of their assistance to just one disease, Harvard expert Daniel Halperin writes in today's New York Times. Cheaply preventable illnesses like diarrhea claim many more lives in the poorest African countries than HIV yet receive scant...