IQWiG in Dialogue: How trustworthy are observational data? Observational studies: from epidemiology to benefit assessment? Discussion on 24 June in Cologne; registration now open.

In a novel study evaluating the electricity costs of running common in-home durable medical equipment, a team of electricity, energy market, economics and health services researchers found that Americans who rely on equipment such as oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines, ventilators and peritoneal kidney dialysis machines face increased household monthly energy bills by up to 40 percent and even higher in states with elevated electricity rates. People whose health is very compromised tend also to face strained financial circumstances, and electricity costs to power this equipment is often a significant burden, notes study senior author Kosali Simon, PhD, M.A., of Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University. Use of this equipment is growing with a projected market increase from $43.3 billion in 2022 to $64.8 billion in 2027.

As part of the Weed Care study, researchers in Basel, Switzerland, are investigating how the legal supply of cannabis affects consumption and mental health among participants. In a first academic publication, the study team has now reported on the direct comparison of the substance’s legal versus illegal procurement.