Category Archives: Health Policy

The Experts Were Wrong About the Best Places for Better and Cheaper Health Care

A post in the New York Times’ Upshot column today focuses on a study that overturns the conventional wisdom that regions with low Medicare spending per capita have low overall healthcare spending. The study found that places that spend less on Medicare do not necessarily spend less on health care over all. Based on findings ofContinue reading “The Experts Were Wrong About the Best Places for Better and Cheaper Health Care”

Public health approach to reducing firearms-related suicide

A New York Times opinion piece today gives another perspective on gun violence prevention.  In an earlier post, I had focused on the public health approach to reducing gun violence through targeting mass shootings.  Although mass shootings occur more than once daily in this country, the rate of gun-related suicide is far higher: about 20,000Continue reading “Public health approach to reducing firearms-related suicide”

Limerick version of guideline on acute pharyngitis

This limerick is based on the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis.   Whom do you test for Group A Strep? To avoid treating strep carriers (a misstep!) In kids under 3 don’t bother Unless a sister or a brother Has symptoms and a test that sayContinue reading “Limerick version of guideline on acute pharyngitis”

Public health approach to the opioid epidemic

One of my colleagues here at University of Colorado, Dr. Robert Valuck, testified this week before the U.S. Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee on a public health approach to the opioid epidemic.  His testimony is here. In it, he refers to the Colorado Plan to Reduce Prescription Drug Abuse, which focuses on 8 key areas: improvingContinue reading “Public health approach to the opioid epidemic”

Rising prevalence of depressive symptoms among medical residents

This week’s meta-analysis in JAMA shows that medical residents have high rates of depression.  Earlier this year, JAMA Psychiatry published recommendations for screening for depression and suicide risk among physician trainees. Source: One in four new doctors may be depressed, and their patients may suffer because of it Please see my related post here.

Optimizing CPR

An article in today’s New York Times reminds us that the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation varies widely region-to-region in the US. As a result, survival rates after cardiac arrest also vary widely. Although advances in CPR research are ongoing, their adoption by citizens and providers vary by location. The best evidence is synthesized every 5 years by the American Heart Association (AHA),Continue reading “Optimizing CPR”

Football and head injury in youth

Today’s NY Times op ed from pathologist Bemmet Omalu “Don’t Let Kids Play Football”, compares the sport to public health menaces including tobacco smoke, asbestos and fetal alcohol exposure.  The stance he takes is far more extreme than even the American Academy of Pediatrics’ position on tackle football among youth, which reviewed the evidence andContinue reading “Football and head injury in youth”

The bitter truth about Coke-funded “research”

The Coca-Cola Company is retreating from the research program it has funded in an effort to distract consumers from the role of sugary soft drinks in obesity and associated morbidity and mortality.  Emails released by the Associated Press show some of the role Coca-Cola took in shaping the Global Energy Research Network’s research agenda. Last month my academic setting, theContinue reading “The bitter truth about Coke-funded “research””

Significance of the Senate vote to repeal large parts of ACA

Health Affairs’ blog post outlines the implications of yesterday’s Senate vote to repeal large parts of the Affordable Care Act, including the individual and employer mandate.  Based on Congressional Budget Office projections, the repeal would increase the number of uninsured by at least 24 million. The House has used taxpayer dollars to pass over 50 ACA repealContinue reading “Significance of the Senate vote to repeal large parts of ACA”