Austin Littrell

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Austin Littrell is assistant editor of Medical Economics.

Articles

An AI breakthrough promises greater data privacy for physicians

Austin Littrell

March 17th 2025

Research finds open-source AI rivals GPT-4, paving the way for secure, in-house AI diagnostic tools.

Ep. 56: Leading a successful practice with Zed Williamson of Physician Growth Accelerator

Austin Littrell

March 17th 2025

Zed Williamson, founder and CEO of Physician Growth Accelerator, joins the show to discuss keys to success in private practice.

Social inequities could accelerate aging; replacing butter with plant-based oils may lower risk of premature death; weight loss increases risk of death for obese adults – Morning Medical Update

Austin Littrell

March 17th 2025

The top news stories in medicine today.

CMS nominee Dr. Oz faces tough questions on taxes and Medicare in confirmation hearing

Austin Littrell

March 14th 2025

President Trump’s pick to lead CMS defends his record amid tax, policy questions.

A new noninvasive hearing aid for conductive hearing loss; western diet linked to increased risk for lung cancer; using AI to detect cognitive impairment – Morning Medical Update

Austin Littrell

March 14th 2025

The top news stories in medicine today.

© LuxeShutter24/peopleimages.com - stock.adobe.com

Evidence-based work design could transform patient care, reduce burnout

Austin Littrell

March 13th 2025

A new NEJM perspective argues that rethinking health care work design can improve patient safety and physician well-being.

CMS to end key primary care payment models prematurely, citing cost and effectiveness

Austin Littrell

March 13th 2025

The agency says early termination could save taxpayers $750 million, but it raises concerns for primary care providers.

Watching less TV may limit heart diseases linked to T2D; $145M health care fraud scheme; food insecurity could lead to heart disease over time – Morning Medical Update

Austin Littrell

March 13th 2025

The top news stories in medicine today.

Even on vacation, physicians can’t escape their EHRs

Austin Littrell

March 12th 2025

Study finds primary care physicians frequently log into electronic health records during PTO, though longer vacations may help them disconnect.

Fraudulent clinical drug trials; HHS, RFK Jr. direct FDA to end industry self-affirmation of food ingredient safety; blood test for early dementia detection in sleep disorder patients – Morning Medical Update

Austin Littrell

March 12th 2025

The top news stories in medicine today.

Patients prefer AI-generated portal messages — until they learn the source

Austin Littrell

March 11th 2025

A new study explores patient satisfaction with AI-generated responses, prompting ethical debate over disclosure in health care communications.

Patients with disabilities report worse health care experiences

Austin Littrell

March 11th 2025

New Rutgers Health research highlights disparities in care and patient-provider interactions.

Chronic stress, obesity linked to pancreatic cancer; HHS requests CDC study vaccines and autism; same-site vaccine doses boost immune response – Morning Medical Update

Austin Littrell

March 11th 2025

The top news stories in medicine today.

Lack of cancer-gene screening in primary care is ‘an opportunity lost’

Austin Littrell

March 10th 2025

Researchers compare patient engagement strategies to improve genetic testing uptake in primary care practices.

HHS offers $25,000 buyout offers to majority of its 80,000 employees

Austin Littrell

March 10th 2025

The Department of Health and Human Services initiates voluntary separation incentives as part of federal cost-cutting measures.

Bill would improve mental health in underserved communities; USPSTF draft research plan for screening cognitive impairment; anxiety, depression in adults with chronic pain – Morning Medical Update

Austin Littrell

March 10th 2025

The top news stories in medicine today.

Physician turnover surges in private equity-acquired practices, study finds

Austin Littrell

March 7th 2025

New research highlights a sharp increase in physician departures following private equity acquisitions, raising concerns about workforce stability and patient care.

81% of physicians: 'Technical proficiency is as important as clinical expertise'

Austin Littrell

March 7th 2025

Physicians spend an average of 22 personal hours per month learning about new health care technology, says Sermo survey.

Doctors, lab marketers to pay $1.9M in kickback settlement; teens who sleep less have higher blood pressure; world’s oldest llama supports chronically ill children – Morning Medical Update

Austin Littrell

March 7th 2025

The top news stories in medicine today.

Americans borrowed $74 billion to cover health care costs last year

Austin Littrell

March 6th 2025

West Health and Gallup survey highlights growing concerns over medical debt across income and demographic groups.

FDA nominee Makary faces scrutiny over vaccine, drug controversies

Austin Littrell

March 6th 2025

HELP Committee Senators press Trump’s FDA pick on the cancelled vaccine advisory meeting, mifepristone access, transparency and agency layoffs.

wegovy injection semaglutide obesity © Tobias Arhelger - stock.adobe.com

GLP-1 monthly price reductions; promising non-opioid pain medication; combination of exercise and healthy eating ‘best protection’ against heart diseases in women – Morning Medical Update

Austin Littrell

March 6th 2025

The top news stories in medicine today.

Andrea Greco, SVP of healthcare safety at CENTEGIX © CENTEGIX

Workplace violence, practice safety and patient care with Andrea Greco, SVP of healthcare safety, CENTEGIX

Austin Littrell

March 5th 2025

Andrea Greco, SVP of healthcare safety at CENTEGIX, sat down with Medical Economics for an exclusive Q&A.

Young person helping older adult with smartwatch © ryanking999 - stock.adobe.com

Teenage mentors and smartwatches help rural seniors bridge digital health divide

Austin Littrell

March 5th 2025

A Florida Atlantic University study paired high school students with older adults to improve tech literacy and health tracking.

What you need to know about practice safety

Austin Littrell

March 5th 2025

Andrea Greco, SVP of healthcare safety at CENTEGIX, talks about keeping your practice safe — and how failing to do so can impact patient care.

‘Man with the Golden Arm’, who saved 2 million babies, dies at 88; poor sleep, poor mobility in women with chronic conditions; mediterranean diet linked to lower risk of obesity-related cancer – Morning Medical Update

Austin Littrell

March 5th 2025

The top news stories in medicine today.

Wellvana acquires CVS Health’s MSSP business, expands value-based care reach

Austin Littrell

March 4th 2025

The transaction positions Wellvana as a leading value-based care enabler, extending services to approximately one million Medicare patients across 40 states.