Healthcare Triage

02/10/2025

Several years ago, West Virginia cut smoking among pregnant women from 25% to just 10%—and saved countless babies’ lives. How? By using federal PRAMS data.

But today, that same data is harder to access. PRAMS and other public health datasets—covering everything from HIV to vaccines to youth mental health—are being dismantled or quietly removed from federal websites.

When data disappears, so does our ability to save lives, fight inequities, and make informed policy.

This week on Healthcare Triage, we’re talking about what’s at stake—and why defending public health data is defending all of us.

In February 2025, the New York Times reported the removal of more than 8,000 pages from federal websites, including content on vaccines, veterans’ services, ...

22/09/2025

For anxious parents and others:
We're being told, again, that Tylenol (acetaminophen, paracetamol) in pregnancy is associated w/ autism. If you want to know more about the science behind this claim, why it shouldn't worry you, and what the best data say:

Here's a video we did ~4 years ago that talks about a specific study, but also explains more broadly what the issues are with the studies making this claim: https://t.co/jmMbgnEwz9

And here's a video we did about a year ago when an impressive new study came out looking at this claim. These data are some of the best we have (and the best we'll likely ever get). We explain what the study says and why we find it so trustworthy: https://t.co/ThdMjf1dBk

16/09/2025

Rural hospitals are struggling. Medicaid cuts are looming. And the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)—a lifeline for rural healthcare—is fighting for survival.

If Congress doesn’t act, we could see more hospital closures, fewer providers, and even greater barriers to care for millions of Americans.

This week on Healthcare Triage, we dig into the numbers, the policy battles, and what it all means for real people.

👉 Full episode here:

The reconciliation legislation formerly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes numerous provisions that will lead to tens of millions of Medicaid b...

05/09/2025

Did you know that the famous ‘6 feet of distance’ rule during COVID had little scientific backing? Other countries used 1 meter. Yet in the U.S., 6 feet was treated as a non-negotiable truth.

That rigidity — along with the phrase ‘follow the science’ — turned skepticism into defiance and eroded trust in public health.

In this week’s Healthcare Triage, we talk about how science should be communicated: with honesty about uncertainty, humility, and empathy. Watch here: https://youtu.be/zSVVfOkDOgs

The value of science is being challenged. Budgets for scientific research are being slashed and a lot of research has been deemed wasteful. Meanwhile, recent...

22/08/2025

The NIH made headlines by proposing a national autism registry—then quickly clarified that the real plan is a data platform to uncover root causes of autism and other chronic diseases.

But what does this mean for families, patients, and researchers?
On this week’s Healthcare Triage, we explore the promise of real-world data—and the risks that come with it: privacy, community trust, and the potential misuse of sensitive information.

🎥 Watch the full episode here:

In April 2025, the director of the National Institutes of Health described a proposal to "develop national disease registries, including a new one for autism...

15/08/2025

Alright friends, we've got some new content on the way soon, but before we head into the weekend, here's one more plug for our video on the history of RCTs! We go clear back to biblical times in this one!

The randomized controlled trial (RCT) is one of the most powerful tools of modern science. So how did we come up with this powerful tool for experimenting an...

12/08/2025

You see Aaron all the time on Healthcare Triage. But when the cameras stop rolling?
He’s running — and putting on Health Datapalooza 2025.

Think of it as the ultimate health data party: brilliant people, bold ideas, and real solutions.

📅 Sept 4-5, Washington, D.C.
🔗 Save your spot: https://academyhealth.org/page/2025-hdp-registration

Explore our policy priorities and learn how you can engage with lawmakers and decision-makers to improve health and health care for all.

02/07/2025

Ladies and Gentlemen: The history of Healthcare Triage's greatest love, The Randomized Controlled Trial

The randomized controlled trial (RCT) is one of the most powerful tools of modern science. So how did we come up with this powerful tool for experimenting an...

20/06/2025

Measles was declared eliminated from the United States for the first time about 25 years ago. I GUESS THAT GOT BORING??

In the midst of a new measles outbreak, some public officials are spreading misinformation about the disease, and federal funding to combat misinformation is...

06/06/2025

Does HCT have thoughts on the MAHA report?

OF COURSE WE DO

Make America Healthy Again, a commission established by President Trump, released a report in May 2025 claiming to have exposed the key drivers of increased ...

15/04/2025

Some indications that the GLP-1 drugs currently getting a lot of attention for weight loss might be useful for other stuff, too!

https://youtu.be/B35G7a2UcDw

21/03/2025

"If you want a health care system that works better for patients and providers, that’s AHRQ"

Our host Aaron Carroll spoke to STAT news about AHRQ, which is facing mass layoffs and is the only federal agency focused on health care quality, outcomes, access, and cost

AHRQ, a small government agency responsible for health care quality research, is feared to be the latest target for mass layoffs by the Trump administration.