Health care intervention: Treating high-need, high-cost patients

Patients with complex needs — serious mental and physical health problems and substance use disorders — flock to emergency rooms costing the health care system billions every year. A new study suggests a nontraditional approach to these patients can significantly improve their daily functioning and health outcomes.

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Society is rejecting facts; medical researchers can help

Anecdotes, fake news and social media have created a skeptical and misinformed public who is rejecting the facts. A commentary says that medical researchers must help the public understand the rigorous process of science and help them to discern an anecdote from peer-reviewed scientific results. The best way to do this? By continuing to ensure integrity, rigor, reproducibility and replication of their science and to earn the public's trust by being morally responsible and completely free of any influences.

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Frailty: The rising global health burden for an aging society

Despite the evidence on risk factors for frailty, and the substantial progress that has been made in frailty awareness, the biological mechanisms underlying its development are still far from understood and translation from research to clinical practice remains a challenge. A new article provides an up-to-date clinical overview on preventing, identifying and managing frailty as well as its global impact and burden.

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PTSD nearly doubles infection risk

A new study is the first to examine the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dozens of infection types in a nationwide cohort. Researchers found that PTSD affects infection risks for men and women differently, having, for example, more of an effect on a woman's risk of urinary tract infection and a man's risk of skin infection.

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