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UrduLithium is a common medication prescribed to patients with psychiatric disorders, namely bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression. It is used as a mood stabilizer and lessens the intensity of manic episodes, with particular benefit in reducing suicidality. While highly effective, the drug requires routine blood monitoring, which can be uncomfortable, expensive, and inconvenient for patients who must travel to clinical labs for frequent blood testing.
Tag: Health Policy
Data collection, reporting gaps harm Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander health, UCI-led study says
Despite Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders being one of the fastest growing populations, according to the 2020 U.S. Census count, the collection and reporting of their health data at the federal and state levels is virtually non-existent, according to a study led by the University of California, Irvine.
Looking at the Legal Ins and Outs of Vaccine Mandates
Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Associate Professor Stacey Lee, an expert in business law, health law, and negotiation, addresses some of questions raised by President Biden’s recent plans for increasing COVID-19 vaccinations.
Study finds recent change in EMS transport policy could improve stroke outcomes
A new EMS transport policy implemented in Chicago showed that sending patients suspected of experiencing large vessel occlusion directly to comprehensive stroke centers led to an increase in the use of endovascular therapy, an important treatment for acute ischemic stroke.
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Seton Hall University Opioid Conference to Feature Addiction Experts Working to Combat National Crisis
The July 30 virtual conference is part of a three-year grant to train clinicians to prescribe medications to treat addiction.
Tracking COVID-19 across Europe
A COVID tracker developed by IIASA researcher Asjad Naqvi, aims to identify, collect, and collate various official regional datasets for European countries, while also combining and homogenizing the data to help researchers and policymakers explore how the virus spreads.
@MTSU Healthcare Operations Expert Richard Tarpey Breaks Down SCOTUS Decision to Dismiss Challenge to the #AffordableCareAct
Richard Tarpey, assistant professor of management, in Middle Tennessee State University’s Jones College of Business, examines the U.S. Supreme Court recent decision to dismiss a challenge to the Affordable Care Act. In turning away a challenge from Republican-led states and the former…
Though ‘unsurprising,’ U.S. Supreme Court decision on Affordable Care Act a relief for many
The United States Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, should not come as a total surprise despite the conservative efforts to invalidate the law, according to West Virginia University policy and legal experts.…
NCCN Policy Summit Explores How COVID-19 Pandemic Can Lead to Improvements in Cancer Care
NCCN Policy Summit examines the impact of the past year on oncology policy in the U.S., such as resuming recommended screening and clinical trials, applying health innovations from the COVID-19 pandemic to cancer treatment, and addressing systemic inequalities that lead to disparities in outcomes.
Scott Lee, MD, PhD, among group to earn Kenneth J. Arrow Award for health economics research
Scott Lee, MD, PhD, MPA, MPhil, assistant professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has received the Kenneth J. Arrow Award for health economics research given by the International Health Economics Association.
Community Health Centers Move to the COVID-19 Immunization Frontline
A new analysis from the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative provides current information on the number of community health center staff members and patients who have received COVID-19 vaccines, using data from the latest published Health Resources and Services Administration’s Health Center COVID-19 Survey. The Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative is based at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (GW Milken Institute SPH).
American Chiropractic Association Elects New Leadership
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) installed a new leadership team on Feb. 5 during its annual meeting. Michele Maiers, DC, MPH, PHD, of Minneapolis, Minn., is the first woman elected as ACA president in the association’s 58-year history.
Paid maternity leave has long-term health benefits
A study of women who were new mothers in the late 1970s found that those who were given longer, paid maternity leave lived healthier lives as they entered middle age.
Adults with Cerebral Palsy Need Better Access to Health Care
Once viewed as a pediatric condition, patients with cerebral palsy are aging, but the health care system is not prepared to offer them the care they need.
Bipartisan House and Senate Majorities and Health Care Providers Urge Action to Stop Medicare Provider Cuts
Medicare cuts to a million health care providers, many reeling from the economic impact of COVID-19, may cause practice closings, service reductions, job losses and decreased access to care. With the cuts to start Jan. 1, nearly 400 medical organizations and 329 members of Congress are calling to #StopTheCuts
Penn Medicine mRNA Vaccine Technology Pioneer and Health Policy Experts Join Together to Discuss COVID Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization Plans
**All experts also available for interviews prior to event and EUA Advisory Committee Meetings**
**B-roll and lab photos of Drs. Weissman and Wherry shot this month, headshots of the others, and photos from Penn’s Moderna vaccine trial participants getting vaccinated, are available for use**
UCLA Model Identifies Neighborhoods That Should Have Priority for Vaccine, Other COVID-19 Help
To help slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives, UCLA public health and urban planning experts have developed a predictive model that pinpoints which populations in which neighborhoods of Los Angeles County are most at risk of becoming infected.
Mount Sinai Researchers Find That Where People Live Can Impact Their Risk for Common Chronic Conditions Including High Blood Pressure and Depression
The researchers found that a persons’ place of residence substantially influences their risk of uncontrolled chronic disease including high blood pressure and depression
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health to host conference on addressing health care inequities
Health care leaders from across the United States will speak at an Oct. 14 event focusing on the critical intersection between social justice and health equity, including bridging gaps in the U.S. health care system and focusing on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic response.
NCCN Policy Summit Explores How to Lower Costs for Cancer Care
NCCN Virtual Policy Summit features congressional staffers and representatives from CMS, COA, BIO, and others, discussing legislative and regulatory approaches for reducing health care costs.
Study examines racial and ethnic disparities among COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts
In a new study published in Health Affairs, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health examines the association between community-level factors and COVID-19 case rates across 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts between January 1 and May 6, 2020.
Reporting on Local Health Systems
Susan Dentzer, health-care analyst, commentator, journalist, and senior policy fellow at the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, discusses local health systems, including how they are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and best practices for reporting on the subject. Carla Anne Robbins, CFR adjunct senior fellow and former deputy editorial page editor at the New York Times, hosts the webinar.
Medicaid expansion meant better health for the most vulnerable low-income adults, study finds
The most vulnerable residents of Michigan say their health improved significantly after they enrolled in the state’s expanded Medicaid program, a new study finds. Those with extremely low incomes or multiple chronic health problems, and those who are Black, got the biggest health boosts. But participants of all backgrounds reported improvements.
Americans face greater risks if U.S. pulls from World Health Organization, say WVU health and policy experts
The Trump administration’s plan to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization, effective July 6, 2021, could reshape global diplomacy and weaken public health efforts at home, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to West Virginia University experts in health and public policy.
Philadelphia Tax on Sweetened Drinks Led to Drop in Sales
Philadelphia’s tax on sweetened beverages led to a 38.9 percent drop in the volume of taxed beverages sold at small, independent retailers and a significant increase in the price of taxed beverages, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. This study builds on previous research that suggests beverage taxes can help reduce purchases of sugary drinks, led by Christina Roberto, PhD, an associate professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Penn, and senior author on this latest paper published in Health Affairs.
Global Summit on Interventional Pharmacoeconomics
The University of Chicago Medicine’s Center for Personalized Therapeutics is hosting a virtual summit from June 9 to July 1 to discuss interventional pharmacoeconomics.
Penn’s Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) Receives $8 Million Grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
The Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) at the University of Pennsylvania received an $8 million grant, to be distributed over the next five years, from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a renewal of its P30 Environmental Health Sciences Core Center (EHSCC) grant.
ISPOR Holds Its First Completely Virtual Conference
ISPOR concluded its Virtual ISPOR 2020 conference yesterday—its first completely virtual conference. The conference was redesigned as an online event when the COVID-19 pandemic required a necessary cancellation of the in-person conference.
Designing Health Policy for the Future
ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research opened its Virtual ISPOR 2020 conference this morning with its first plenary session, “Health Policy—Designing For the Future.”
Health Economics and Outcomes Research in the Era of COVID-19
ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) held a virtual plenary session today, “HEOR in the Era of COVID-19,” that featured a panel discussing the global COVID-19 crisis.
Sky-high surprise bills from air ambulance flights possible for many patients
When an emergency dispatcher calls for a helicopter to fly a critically ill patient to a hospital, they don’t have time to check whether they take the patient’s insurance. But after those patients land, 72% of them could face a potential “surprise bill” because their ambulance provider isn’t “in network” with their insurance, a new study of people with private insurance finds. So could 79% of those transported via ground ambulance.
Google-Apple contact tracing model gains ground, centralized approach ‘doomed to fail’
Faced with a devastating and unresolved pandemic, governments worldwide are grappling with how to begin re-opening their economies, while protecting the health of their citizens. And many are looking to the smartphones in our pockets as a contact tracing tool…
Virtual ISPOR 2020 Program and Speakers Announced
ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) announced today the program and speakers for Virtual ISPOR 2020.
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health experts available for media inquiries related to COVID-19
The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health has multiple experts available for media inquiries related to COVID-19. These include experts with English, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, and Spanish fluency. They include: Professor Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez is an associate professor of…
ISPOR Announces Virtual ISPOR 2020
ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research announced today that its annual, international conference has been reimagined due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will now take place as a virtual conference.
Both our political past and present shape America’s response to COVID-19, says policy expert
One researcher at West Virginia University suggests that we need to set aside political partisanship as the U.S. responds to the novel coronavirus. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency Friday (March 13). Earlier this week, the World Health Organization declared it…
The Affordable Care Act’s Most Pressing Concern? Gaps in Medicaid Coverage.
Two million of the nation’s poorest working-age adults remain unable to access affordable health insurance coverage because they live in a state that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. It’s imperative to close this gap in coverage,…
ORNL researchers develop ‘multitasking’ AI tool to extract cancer data in record time
To better leverage cancer data for research, scientists at ORNL are developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-based natural language processing tool to improve information extraction from textual pathology reports. In a first for cancer pathology reports, the team developed a multitask convolutional neural network (CNN)—a deep learning model that learns to perform tasks, such as identifying key words in a body of text, by processing language as a two-dimensional numerical dataset.
Middle-Aged Adults Worried About Health Insurance Costs Now, Uncertain for Future
Health insurance costs weigh heavily on the minds of many middle-aged adults, and many are worried for what they’ll face in retirement or if federal health policies change, according to a new study. More than a quarter of people in their 50s and early 60s lack confidence that they’ll be able to afford health insurance in the next year, and the number goes up to nearly half when they look ahead to retirement.
Study finds some state laws linked to lower incidence of vaping
State laws that regulate e-cigarette sales and usage may lower their use in states where those laws have been implemented, according to a new observational study from the University of Iowa published this week by the journal JAMA Network Open.
ICUs Receive Higher Satisfaction Scores for End-of-life Care than Other Hospital Departments
The findings may inform care in other parts of the hospital to improve end-of-life experiences.
Medicaid Expansion Associated with Fewer Total Opioid Overdose Deaths Across the U.S.
The expansion of Medicaid coverage for low-income adults permitted by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was associated with a six percent reduction in total opioid overdose deaths nationally, according to new research from NYU Grossman School of Medicine and University of California, Davis.
Direct-to-Consumer Fertility Tests Confuse and Mislead Consumers, Penn Study Shows
Direct-to-consumer hormone-based “fertility testing” for women is viewed by consumers as both an alternative, empowering tool for family planning, and a confusing and misleading one, according to the results of a new study from Penn Medicine. Findings from the small, first-of-its-kind ethnographic study reinforce the need for consumer education around the purpose and accuracy of the tests, which have seen increasing interest in recent years due to the low cost and widespread availability. The study was published in the journal of Social Science and Medicine.
Rural-Urban Flip: How Changing ACA Rules Affected Health Insurance Premium Costs
People in rural areas of the U.S. who receive subsidies to buy health insurance in the Health Insurance Marketplaces pay less in premiums than their counterparts in urban areas, a flip that occurred in 2018 and has been widening since, according to a new analysis.
Study sheds light on differences in hospitalization-related care and outcomes for urgent cardiovascular conditions among homeless individuals
In a new retrospective study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine, a team of researchers led by Rishi Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, an investigator in the Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), found that there are indeed striking disparities in in-hospital care and mortality between homeless and non-homeless adults.
The End of Antibiotics?
Less than a century after the discovery of antibiotics, the world is at risk of entering an era in which the life-saving drugs no longer work.
How Oncologists Can Ethically Navigate the “Right-to-Try” Drug Law
The 2018 federal Right to Try Act allows patients with a life-threatening illness to be treated with drugs that have not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Many in the oncology community say Right to Try strips away important regulatory protections and view the move as a risky step bound to create ethical dilemmas for physicians whose goal is to guide patients toward safe and appropriate treatment decisions. Oncology is one field at the forefront of requests for unapproved drugs. An interdisciplinary team of bioethicists, oncologists, and lawyers from Penn Medicine and other institutions penned a commentary published online this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology to offer recommendations to help oncologists navigate this new “Right to Try” world, while maintaining their ethical obligations to patients.
New Opioid Prescription Dosages Drop 22 Percent in Penn Medicine’s New Jersey Practices Following Changes to State Law and Health Record Alerts
The total amount of opioids dispensed per new opioid prescription decreased by 22 percent in Penn Medicine outpatient practices in New Jersey after the state passed a law limiting prescriptions to a five-day supply for new opioid prescriptions. Penn Medicine implemented an electronic health record (EMR) alert, or “nudge,” to notify clinicians if that limit had been reached. The study, published online today in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, is one of the first evaluations of a state law’s impact on prescribing outcomes, and is the first report of an EMR being used to make compliance with prescribing limits easier. Importantly, after the prescribing limit and alert went into effect there was no evidence to suggest pain control worsened.
A bold restructuring of ASU’s College of Health Solutions results in growth and innovation across all measures
One year following a large-scale restructuring, Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions announces growth in enrollment, new faculty and research advancement.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine and CUNY School of Public Health Collaborate to Offer Medical Students M.D./M.P.H. Program
Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) announced an agreement today to offer Einstein medical students an opportunity to complete a five-year program resulting in a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from Einstein and a Master’s Degree in Public Health (M.P.H.) degree from CUNY SPH.