Wall Street Journal

Patients' complaints about doctors are finally being taken seriously, as poor communication is increasingly understood to be at the root of many of health care’s failures—and a leading culprit in rising costs. Research shows that when doctors don’t listen to patients, they miss important health cues and misdiagnose illness. Meanwhile, patients who don’t understand what their doctors say fail to follow their regimens, leading to preventable hospitalizations, complications and poor outcomes.

Many employers offer wellness programs to contain their health-care costs—and perhaps also improve morale and productivity.

For healthy people, is there a compelling reason to know if your genes make you susceptible to a specific disease or condition? Or are there some things you’re better off not knowing?

Changing recommendations for when women should get mammograms have created conflict and confusion. Not only do recommendations from different sources vary, but some have moved in opposite directions.