Discussions, summarized

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• Hacker News1Death rates rose in hospital ERs after private equity firms took overA study found that after private equity firms acquired hospitals, emergency department death rates increased 13% compared to similar hospitals. The research attributes this to reduced staffing, with full-time employees falling 11.6% and salary expenditures declining 16-18% in critical units after acquisitions.High healthcare costs and private equity impact:Discussion reveals "high-markup hospitals" charge up to 17x actual costs, with PE-owned facilities showing 11% higher mortality rates. Participants debate whether solutions involve deregulation vs universal healthcare, citing administrative overhead as major cost driver.Healthcare staffing and training concerns:Physician notes trend of replacing doctors with nurse practitioners/physician assistants who have significantly less training (500-1500 vs 15,000 clinical hours). Discussants share experiences of overworked nurses and difficulty accessing actual doctors.Private equity business model criticism:Users question whether PE ever improves customer experience, describing typical strategy as extracting profits while cutting costs until business collapses. Many call for banning for-profit hospitals and prisons due to perverse incentives.
• Reddit science1Using scented products indoors changes the chemistry of the air, producing as much air pollution as car exhaust does outside, according to a new study. Researchers say that breathing in these nanosized particles could have serious health implications.Using scented products indoors, such as flame-free candles and wax melts, can create significant indoor air pollution comparable to car exhaust. Research by Purdue University found these products release nanosized particles that can penetrate deep into lungs and potentially enter the bloodstream, posing serious respiratory health risks.Misleading title scope:Discussion about how study only focused on wax melts but title suggests all scented products, with debate about whether findings could logically extend to other scented itemsHealth concerns from chemist:A chemist's perspective against using scented products leads to sharing of personal health impact stories, from COPD to cancer cases, and debate about necessity of artificial scentsAir purification solutions:Discussion of HEPA filters and other air purification methods as solutions, with debate about effectiveness against different types of pollutants like VOCs and nanoparticles
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