4.23
Health Sciences
Patients discharged to home care have higher rates of hospital readmissions
A Penn study highlights important tradeoffs between home versus nursing facilities as the cost for post-acute care rises and payment models shift.
Can closing homeless encampments help Philadelphia’s opioid problem?
According to a new report, the city’s recent effort opened up treatment spots for people with opioid addiction and offered permanent and temporary housing options.
Demystifying genomic technology for veterinary researchers
The School of Veterinary Medicine’s Center for Host-Microbial Interactions helps researchers delving into ‘omics’ to promote animal and human health.
Shining a (UV) light on hospital infections
A rolling, six-foot-tall UV light device assigned to each floor of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania rids hospital rooms of harmful organisms after every discharge, preventing infection.
Green labs group strives to make science more sustainable
With a Green Labs working group, Elicia Preston of the Perelman School of Medicine and the University’s Sustainability Office in Facilities and Real Estate Services are striving to make the pursuit of scientific research a more eco-friendly endeavor.
How do consumers respond to surprise medical bills?
New research examines how consumers proceed with choosing medical care after receiving a “surprise bill” from an out-of-network expense.
Bringing healthy smiles to Philadelphia communities
In health care facilities embedded around Philadelphia, students and faculty from the School of Dental Medicine are ramping up the care they provide to underserved populations.
Longer shifts don’t create chronic sleep loss or reduce patient safety
Two large national studies show that patient safety was unaffected, and residents showed no signs of chronic sleep loss regardless of shift length for first-year doctors.
With a second patient free from HIV, what’s next?
Scientists have succeeded in sending an HIV patient into long-term remission, only the second time such a feat has been documented. Pablo Tebas and Bridgette Brawner discuss what this means for HIV research and for people living with the virus.
States with strict gun laws see increase in homicides when they border states with lax ones
Over a five-year period, most guns found in states with strict gun laws were obtained from less restrictive states.
In the News
U.S. News & World Report
What is syphilis, and why are rates rising?
Amy Forrestel of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the symptoms, spread, and long-term effects of syphilis. If left untreated, the sexually transmitted infection “can wreak a lot of havoc” on the body, said Forrestel.
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The Washington Post
A smarter way to think about willpower
Angela Duckworth of the School of Arts and Sciences and Katherine Milkman of the Wharton School are among co-authors of an op-ed about self-control. While many believe Americans’ willpower is on the decline, the authors write, “the scant scientific evidence on the question suggests that if anything, the capacity to delay gratification may be increasing.”
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NPR
First U.S. patients treated with CRISPR as human gene-editing trials get underway
A clinical trial led by Edward Stadtmauer of the Perelman School of Medicine will be using CRISPR to treat cancer patients.
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Associated Press
Senior’s weakness for scams may be warning sign of dementia
Jason Karlawish of the Perelman School of Medicine said a recent study on aging and scam awareness doesn’t prove a link between susceptibility and cognitive decline in seniors. However, Karlawish says, the results “should be a call to action to health care systems, the financial services industry and their regulators.”
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The Washington Post
New cancer therapies offer great hope, but there can be surprising complications
Ravi Parikh of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about rapid advances in cancer therapies. While excited about the possibilities, Parikh notes that new treatments come with new side effects, among other complications.
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