Today's Globe: RI health plan, Harvard research online, back pain, prostate cancer waiting, medical device center, painkiller patch recall, driving dilemma

Drawing lessons from Massachusetts, Rhode Island's lieutenant governor unveiled a healthcare plan yesterday that puts as much emphasis on slowing soaring costs as it does on providing universal coverage.

Harvard University's arts and science faculty voted unanimously yesterday to post their scholarly articles and research online, where they would be available for free to the public, despite concerns that the move would affect the quality of research.

Americans are spending more money than ever to treat spine problems, but their backs are not getting any better.

Older men with early-stage prostate cancer are not taking a big risk if they keep an eye on the disease instead of treating it right away, suggests the largest study to examine the issue since PSA tests became popular.

The state will spend $4 million to help the University of Massachusetts at Lowell build an "innovation center" to assist entrepreneurs in developing, testing, and commercializing medical devices, a key segment of the state's burgeoning life-sciences sector.

Johnson & Johnson and Novartis AG's Sandoz unit recalled some patches containing the painkiller fentanyl, saying manufacturing defects may cause leaks that can lead to fatal overdoses.

Tufts-New England Medical Center has named Dr. Michael E. Mendelsohn chief scientific officer.

As a gerontologist I know that I will probably outlive my driving fitness by seven to 10 years, Elizabeth Dugan writes on the op-ed page. But, with the exception of a few successful programs scattered across the country, there is little being done to address the real and growing transportation needs of older adults.