Gehr Faculty Perspective Pieces

Gehr Center faculty have emerged as thought leaders on a variety of Health Systems Science topics.

The High Cost of “Free” Covid Testing – Cameron Kaplan, PhD. Wall Street Journal (2022).

Anesthesiologists and Perioperative Brain Health: Practical Ways to Protect Cognitive Function in Older Patients Undergoing Surgery – Justyne Decker, MD and Carol Peden, MB ChB, MD, MPH. Anesthesiology News (2020).

Interpersonal and Structural Violence in the Wake of COVID-19 – Shamsher Samra MD, MPhil, Todd Schneberk MD, MS, MA, Dennis Hsieh MD, JD, and Philippe Bourgois PhD. American Journal of Public Health (2020) 10.2105/AJPH.2020.305930

Federal intransigence in response to COVID-19 in detention centers threatens the population health of local communities – Todd Schneberk, MD, MS, MA, Anamara Ritt-Olson, PhD, Jeniffer Kim, PhD, MPH, and Ricky Bluthenthal, PhD. Medium (2020).

COVID-19 Exposes What’s Wrong With U.S. Healthcare – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2020).

Rising uninsurance is taking this pandemic from bad to worse – Andrea Banuelos Mota, Shangnon Fei, Katharine Stiers, and Sonali Saluja, MD, MPH. USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism (2020).

Do We Know How to Treat Alcohol Misuse in Women? – Kristie L. Gore, PhD, MA, Sydne Newberry, PhD, and Susanne Hempel, PhD. The RAND Blog (2020).

Disruptive Innovation in Healthcare in the time of COVID-19 – Desiree Chappell, Monty Mythen, and Carol Peden, BSc, MB ChB, MD, FRCA, FFICM, FFMLM, MPH. TopMed Talk (2020).

Why COVID-19 Testing Probably Won’t Improve Your Health – Kevin Tyan, Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2020).

Cancer Screening: No Longer the Default – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Journal of General Internal Medicine (2020) 10.1007/s11606-020-05781-7

Coronavirus is driving a big shift in health care toward telemedicine – Carol Peden, BSc, MB ChB, MD, FRCA, FFICM, FFMLM, MPH, Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Barbara Turner, MD, MSEd, MACP. USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism (2020).

Missing the Forest for the Trees With Coronary Heart Disease? – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2020).

The Healthcare Safety-Net: Time for Greater Transparency and Accountability? – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Journal of General Internal Medicine (2020) 10.1007/s11606-020-05667-8

Safeguarding Perioperative Brain Health: Attainable Goal Needs Multidisciplinary Team – Carol Peden, MB ChB, MD, MPH. Anesthesiology News (2020).

What the ‘Hotspotting’ Disappointment Teaches Us about Health Care – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2020).

A Deadly Prescription: the U.S. “Remain in Mexico” Policy – Madeline Ross, MD, and Todd Schneberk, MD, MS, MA. Physicians for Human Rights Blog (2020).

The Use of Technology to Augment Clinical Care in Depression and Anxiety Disorders: An Evidence Map – Alicia Ruelaz Maher, MD, Eric Apaydin, PhD, Laura Raaen, MPH, Aneesa Motala, BA, Roberta M. Shanman, MS, Susanne Hempel, PhD. The RAND Corporation (2019) 10.7249/RR2177

Primary Care: the New Frontier for Reducing Readmissions – Sonali Saluja, MD, MPH, Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, Angel Bourgoin, PhD, and James Maxwell, PhD. Journal of General Internal Medicine (2019) 10.1007/s11606-019-05428-2

Conducting Your Literature Review – Susanne Hempel, PhD. Concise Guides to Conducting Behavioral, Health, And Social Science Research Series (2019).

Reflections: A Social Emergency Medicine Call to Arms: Promoting the Adoption of Social Emergency Medicine Practices – Todd Schneberk, MD, MS, MA, and Richelle J. Cooper, MD, MSHS. Annals of Emergency Medicine (2019) 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.08.435

Harrowing Portrait of Generic Drug Industry Shows Us Why Regulators Need to Show Up – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2019).

New Research Bolsters Idea that Workplace Wellness Programs are a Bust – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2019).

Vaping a Smokescreen? – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2019).

Why Are We Lukewarm About PPIs in the ICU? – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2019).

Last In Line for Health Care: Bridging the Gap in Care for Undocumented People Across California – Lisa Shue, BS, and Sonali Saluja, MD, MPH. The Los Angeles County Medical Association (2019).

Does an Aspirin a Day Keep the Doctor Away? – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2019).

ASA Perioperative Brain Health Initiative: Engaging Others and Closing the Gap – Carol Peden, MB ChB, MD, MPH. American Society of Anesthesiologists Monitor (2019).

Caution Needed on Pot for Pain – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2019).

The Promise of Virtual Complex Care Management – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Steven M. Asch, MD, MPH. Journal of General Internal Medicine (2019) 10.1007/s11606-019-05341-8

Medicaid Providers Operating Under the Radar – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Michelle Levander, MS. The USC Health Data Accountability Project (2018) 10.1377/forefront.20181217.506070

Unequal Pay for Equal Work: Where Are We Now? – Milda R. Saunders, MD, MPH, Barbara J. Turner, MD, MSEd MACP.  Annals of Internal Medicine (2018) 10.7326/M18-1879

The Apple Watch and Overdiagnosis – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2018).

Implications of Medicare’s Value-Based Payment Initiative for Specialty Health Systems – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, Jehni Robinson, MD, and Kiran Dhanireddy, MD. The American Journal of Medicine (2018) 10.1016/j.amjmed.2017.10.015

Overuse of Genetic Testing, Dialysis – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2018).

State officials show little interest in providing quality of care information for poor – Michelle Levander, MS, and Rusha Modi, MD, MPH. The USC Health Data Accountability Project (Part 4) (2018).

On The Way To The Governor’s Desk: A Bill To Improve Medi-Cal Quality Of Care – Kerry Klein, BS. The USC Health Data Accountability Project (2018).

Massachusetts pioneers making quality a public priority for safety net patients – Martha Bebinger, MA. The USC Health Data Accountability Project (Part 5) (2018).

Discontinuing PPIs – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2018).

The Use of Technology in the Clinical Care of Depression: An Evidence Map – Eric A Apaydin, PhD, Alicia Ruelaz Maher, MD, Laura Raaen, MPH, Aneesa Motala, BA, Sangita Baxi, MAS, Roberta M Shanman, MS, Susanne Hempel, PhD. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (2018) 10.4088/JCP.18r12118

Taking health care transparency to the next level – Alexandra Obremskey, MD. The USC Health Data Accountability Project (Part 3) (2018).

California would benefit from a common yardstick to measure Medicaid performance – Jeff Rideout, MD, MA, FACP. The USC Health Data Accountability Project (Part 2) (2018).

Free the Data: Public accountability sorely needed for Medicaid providers – Michelle Levander, MS, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. The USC Health Data Accountability Project (Part 1) (2018).

Less Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2018).

Holding Firm on Our Approach to Colon Cancer Screening – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2018).

How the Medicaid expansion has helped the homeless – Michael Cousineau, DPH. USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism (2018).

Doctors are burning out and trite ‘wellness’ measures aren’t helping – Rusha Modi, MD, MPH. Center for Health Journalism (2018).

Preventing Falls, Managing Menopausal Symptoms – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2018).

Dialysis in Undocumented Patients: Death on the Doorstep of the Emergency Department – Todd Schneberk, MD, MS, MA, and Richelle J. Cooper, MD, MSHS. Annals of Emergency Medicine Journal Club (2018) 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2018.03.019

A New Way to Engage Physicians – Carol Peden, MB ChB, MD, MPH. Institute for Healthcare Improvement Blog (2018).

More on Prostate Cancer Screening; Simple Treatments for Nausea – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2018).

ASA Perioperative Brain Health initiative: A Call to Action – Carol Peden, MB ChB, MD, MPH. American Society of Anesthesiologists Monitor (2018).

Role Narrows for Opioids in Chronic Pain – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2018).

Author’s Indictment of our Health Care System is also a Call for ‘Slow’ Approach to Care – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2018).

Omega-3s, Zoster Vaccination, and Bariatric Surgery – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2018).

Electronic Health Records: a “Quadruple Win,” a “Quadruple Failure,” or Simply Time for a Reboot? – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Journal of General Internal Medicine (2018) 10.1007/s11606-018-4337-6

Med schools are failing to teach doctors the basics of health policy – Rusha Modi, MD, MPH. Center for Health Journalism (2018).

Good Reads (Part 6) – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2018).

Health Systems Science – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Healthcare: Journal of Delivery Science and Innovation (2017) 10.1016/j.hjdsi.2017.08.003

Good Reads (Part 5) – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

One More Thing About Alternative Medicine – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

Insights Roundtable Report: Measuring What Matters Most and Capturing the Patient Voice -Namita Seth Mohta, MD, Edward Prewitt, MPP, Kevin G. Volpp, MD, PhD, Michele Heisler, MD, MPA, Kate Niehaus, MBA, Carol J. Peden, MD, MPH, and Neil W. Wagle, MD, MBA. New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst (2017).

Digital Technology to Engage Patients: Ensuring Access for All – Carol J. Peden, MD, MPH, and Leslie A. Saxon, MD. New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst (2017).

Clashing with Andrew Weil – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

Rethinking Folic Acid Guidelines – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

No Atypical Antipsychotics for Depression – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

Good Reads (Part 4) – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

With Electronic Medical Records, it’s Little Wheat and a lot of Chaff – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2017).

Distinguishing Cushing’s From Obesity – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

Value-Based Payment Models for Community Health Centers: Time to (Cautiously) Take the Plunge? – Jay Bhatia, BA, Rachel Tobey, MPA, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Journal of the American Medical Association (2017) 10.1001/jama.2017.5174

Good Reads (Part 3) – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

Overmedicating Thyroid ‘Disease’ – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

Staggering Levels of Health Spending in U.S. Could be Curbed by More Thoughtful Care – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2017).

Learning from the Best in Value-Based Payment – Jessica Farmer and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Disruptions or Distractions Series (Part 6) (2017).

Good Reads (Part 2) – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

Opioids and High Prescribers in the ED – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

Will eConsult Ideal Be Borne Out in Data? – Michael Opene, Sonali Saluja, MD, MPH, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Disruptions or Distractions Series (Part 5) (2017).

Discussing Firearm Safety, Not Gun Control – Pieter Cohen, MD, Rachael Bedard, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

Eyeing the Evidence for Laser Surgery – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

Disposing of Unused Medications: Have We Been Doing It All Wrong? – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. American Journal of Medicine (2017) 10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.08.031

Disruptive Models in Primary Care: Caring for High-Needs, High-Cost Populations – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH and Steven M. Asch, MD, MPH. Journal of General Internal Medicine (2017) 10.1007/s11606-016-3945-2

Health Information Exchange: Brave New Frontier or More Unfulfilled Promises? – Kirsten Clodfelter and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Disruptions or Distractions Series (Part 4) (2017).

Why Healthcare Delivery Reform is Unlikely to Bend the Cost Curve – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

What We’re Missing in Today’s Politicized Debate Over Vaccines – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2017).

Good Reads (Part 1) – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2017).

Be Selective in AAA Screening & Repair – Michael Hochman, MD, MPH, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2016).

When the Home is Better Than Any Hospital – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2016).

Pressing Pause on Statins For Primary Prevention – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2016).

Forward-Thinking Programs Change our Understanding of How to Keep People Healthy – Michael Hochman, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2016).

The Unintended Consequences of Medicine’s Digital Age – Jordan Rosenfeld and Michael Hochman, MD, MPH. Disruptions or Distractions Series (Part 3) (2016).

Will Diagnosing Millions More Americans as Prediabetic Really Make Things Better? – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2016).

Top Reads in Slow Medicine (Part 2) – Pieter Cohen, MD, Michael Hochman, MD, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2016).

Sayonara to Sulfonylureas? – Pieter Cohen, MD, Michael Hochman, MD, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2016).

Patient Feedback is a Useful Way to Gauge Quality of Care, But it’s Not Perfect – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2016).

Top Reads in Slow Medicine (Part 1) – Pieter Cohen, MD, Michael Hochman, MD, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2016).

Is ‘Hypertensive Urgency’ Outdated? – Pieter Cohen, MD, Michael Hochman, MD, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2016).

Calibrating the ‘Hot-Spotting’ Hype – Joel Greenberg. Disruptions or Distractions Series (Part 2) (2016).

Assessing the ACA in the Political Fog – Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH, Adam Gaffney, MD, David U. Himmelstein, MD. Disruptions or Distractions Series (Part 1) (2016).

How We Made a Weight-Loss Supplement – Pieter Cohen, MD, Michael Hochman, MD, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2016).

If We Measure Inadequate Care, Why Don’t We Also Track Wasteful Care? – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2016).

Should Guidelines Include Dissenting Opinions? – Pieter Cohen, MD, Michael Hochman, MD, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2016).

Program to Transform Primary Care Didn’t Deliver, But We’re on The Right Track – Michael Hochman, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2016).

Despite Benefits, Can Patient Satisfaction Scores Lead Us Astray? – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2016).

Medicare Finally Embraces a Proven Diabetes Prevention Program – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2016).

Is it Safer to Have a Baby at Home or in a Hospital? Depends on Your Country. – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2016).

Empagliflozin Heart Benefits? Not So Fast – Pieter Cohen, MD, Michael Hochman, MD, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2016).

For Doctors Seeking Feedback, Sometimes Words Offer More than Metrics – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2015).

Is the CDC Right on Pneumococcal Vax Recs? – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2015).

Medicine Gives You a Big Hammer, but Wisdom Comes in Knowing its Limits – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2015).

Time to Let Go of 140/90? – Pieter Cohen, MD, Michael Hochman, MD, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2015).

New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Should Change How Docs Practice – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2015).

Landmark Study on Dietary Supplements Throws Current Regulations into Doubt – Pieter Cohen, MD, and Michael Hochman, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2015).

Is the Time Right for Watchful Waiting for DCIS? – Pieter Cohen, MD, Michael Hochman, MD, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2015).

Januvia Won’t Kill You – Pieter Cohen, MD, Michael Hochman, MD, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2015).

Is Much-Ballyhooed New Health Care Model Showing Results Yet? – Michael Hochman, MD, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2015).

Should We Make Better Use of Community Health Workers? – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2015).

Don’t Sound PSA Alarm Yet – Pieter Cohen, MD, Michael Hochman, MD, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2015).

Will Whopping Admin Costs Undermine Obamacare’s Planned Cost-Savings? – Michael Hochman, MD, and Rachael Bedard, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2015).

Overkill: Gawande on America’s Epidemic of Unnecessary Care – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2015).

When it Comes to Follow-Up Doctor Visits, the Variation is Wide and Evidence Slim – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2015).

NEW BLOG: ‘Slow Medicine’ Helps Us Pause and Return to Basics – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (USC Center for Health Journalism) (2015).

USPSTF Should Walk Back BP Guidance – Michael Hochman, MD, and Pieter Cohen, MD. Slow Medicine Series (MedPage Today) (2015).

National Emergency Laparotomy Audit: Can the Data be Used to Improve Outcomes – Carol Peden, MB ChB, MD, MPH. Journal of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (2014).

Payer Agnosticism – Michael Hochman, MD, Alex Y. Chen, MD, and Martin Serota, MD. New England Journal of Medicine (2013) 10.1056/NEJMp1303174

A View From the Safety Net – Michael Hochman, MD, Alex Y. Chen, MD, MS, and Martin Serota, MD. Journal of the American Medical Association (2013) 10.1001/jama.2013.3443