Tuesday, July 07, 2009
IOM Launches Website for Ending the Tobacco Problem
http://www.iom.edu/tobacco
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently launched a website aimed at providing additional information for community coalitions looking to take action. The website further explains the recommendations from the 2007 IOM report Ending the Tobacco Problem: A Blueprint for the Nation and provides examples of organizations that have applied those recommendations to their unique circumstances.
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently launched a website aimed at providing additional information for community coalitions looking to take action. The website further explains the recommendations from the 2007 IOM report Ending the Tobacco Problem: A Blueprint for the Nation and provides examples of organizations that have applied those recommendations to their unique circumstances.
Labels: Tobacco
Thursday, July 02, 2009
How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America, 2009
http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2009/
Trust for America's Health
Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state in the past year, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009, a report released by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). In addition, the percentage of obese or overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states.
Trust for America's Health
Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state in the past year, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009, a report released by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). In addition, the percentage of obese or overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states.
Labels: Childhood Obesity, Obesity
Who Marries and When? Age at First Marriage in the United States
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db19.htm
National Center for Health Statistics, CDC
Key findings: Data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth
+ Over 70% of men and women aged 25-44 have ever been married: 71% of men and 79% of women.
+ Non-Hispanic black men and women aged 25-44 have lower percentages who have ever been married than non-Hispanic white and Hispanic persons of the same age.
+ The probability that men will marry by age 40 is 81%; for women, it is 86%.
+A larger percentage of women than men aged 35-44 have married by age 35.
+ Smaller percentages of non-Hispanic black women aged 35-44 have married by age 35 than non-Hispanic white or Hispanic women of the same age range.
+ Smaller percentages of non-Hispanic black men aged 35-44 who are below the poverty line have been married by age 35 than non-Hispanic black men of the same age who are at least 200% above poverty.
National Center for Health Statistics, CDC
Key findings: Data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth
+ Over 70% of men and women aged 25-44 have ever been married: 71% of men and 79% of women.
+ Non-Hispanic black men and women aged 25-44 have lower percentages who have ever been married than non-Hispanic white and Hispanic persons of the same age.
+ The probability that men will marry by age 40 is 81%; for women, it is 86%.
+A larger percentage of women than men aged 35-44 have married by age 35.
+ Smaller percentages of non-Hispanic black women aged 35-44 have married by age 35 than non-Hispanic white or Hispanic women of the same age range.
+ Smaller percentages of non-Hispanic black men aged 35-44 who are below the poverty line have been married by age 35 than non-Hispanic black men of the same age who are at least 200% above poverty.
Labels: marriage
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Health Disparities: A Case for Closing the Gap
http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/healthdisparities/index.html
HHS
“Minorities and low income Americans are more likely to be sick and less likely to get the care they need,” Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said. “These disparities have plagued our health system and our country for too long. Now, it’s time for Democrats and Republicans to come together to pass reforms this year that help reduce disparities and give all Americans the care they need and deserve.”
A Case for Closing the Gap highlights some of the glaring disparities that exist in the current health system. Under the status quo:
--Forty-eight percent of all African Americans adults suffer from a chronic disease compared to 39 percent of the general population.
--Eight percent of white Americans develop diabetes while 15 percent of African Americans, 14 percent of Hispanics, and 18 percent of American Indians develop diabetes.
--Hispanics were one-third less likely to be counseled on obesity than were whites -- only 44 percent of Hispanics received counseling.
--African Americans are 15 percent more likely to be obese than whites.
The report also notes that 40 percent of low-income Americans do not have health insurance. About one-third of the uninsured have a chronic disease, and they are six times less likely to receive care for a health problem than the insured. In contrast, only 6 percent of high-income Americans lack insurance.
HHS
“Minorities and low income Americans are more likely to be sick and less likely to get the care they need,” Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said. “These disparities have plagued our health system and our country for too long. Now, it’s time for Democrats and Republicans to come together to pass reforms this year that help reduce disparities and give all Americans the care they need and deserve.”
A Case for Closing the Gap highlights some of the glaring disparities that exist in the current health system. Under the status quo:
--Forty-eight percent of all African Americans adults suffer from a chronic disease compared to 39 percent of the general population.
--Eight percent of white Americans develop diabetes while 15 percent of African Americans, 14 percent of Hispanics, and 18 percent of American Indians develop diabetes.
--Hispanics were one-third less likely to be counseled on obesity than were whites -- only 44 percent of Hispanics received counseling.
--African Americans are 15 percent more likely to be obese than whites.
The report also notes that 40 percent of low-income Americans do not have health insurance. About one-third of the uninsured have a chronic disease, and they are six times less likely to receive care for a health problem than the insured. In contrast, only 6 percent of high-income Americans lack insurance.
Labels: health disparities
Holes In the Net: Surveying the Impact of the Current Economic recession on the Health Care Safety Net
http://www.apha.org/about/news/pressreleases/2009/safety_net_brief.htm
American Public Health Association
This brief is written in response to the impact of the growing economic recession on the public health infrastructure and examines how our nation’s health care safety net is unraveling at a time when millions of Americans have nowhere else to turn for health services. It also examines the marginalization of the public health infrastructure in its ability to strategically plan for and protect the public’s health.
American Public Health Association
This brief is written in response to the impact of the growing economic recession on the public health infrastructure and examines how our nation’s health care safety net is unraveling at a time when millions of Americans have nowhere else to turn for health services. It also examines the marginalization of the public health infrastructure in its ability to strategically plan for and protect the public’s health.
Labels: health care safety net, public health, recession
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Health Disparities: A Case for Closing the Gap
http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/healthdisparities/disparities_final.pdf
HHS
"The United States spends more than any other nation in the world on health care - in 2007 we spent $2.2 trillion. Despite consistent increases in spending, disparities among demographic groups persist. Low-income Americans and racial and ethnic minorities experience disproportionately higher rates of disease, fewer treatment options, and reduced access to care. With unemployment on the rise, the disparities already apparent among these groups will continue to increase. It is vital that health reform reduces costs to make health care affordable; protects a patient's choice of doctors, hospitals, and insurance plans; invests in prevention and wellness; and assures quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
Higher Rates of Disease
Racial and ethnic minorities have high rates of debilitating disease such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and AIDS. One of the most glaring disparities is apparent in the African American community, where 48% of adults suffer from a chronic disease compared to 39% of the general population."
HHS
"The United States spends more than any other nation in the world on health care - in 2007 we spent $2.2 trillion. Despite consistent increases in spending, disparities among demographic groups persist. Low-income Americans and racial and ethnic minorities experience disproportionately higher rates of disease, fewer treatment options, and reduced access to care. With unemployment on the rise, the disparities already apparent among these groups will continue to increase. It is vital that health reform reduces costs to make health care affordable; protects a patient's choice of doctors, hospitals, and insurance plans; invests in prevention and wellness; and assures quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
Higher Rates of Disease
Racial and ethnic minorities have high rates of debilitating disease such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and AIDS. One of the most glaring disparities is apparent in the African American community, where 48% of adults suffer from a chronic disease compared to 39% of the general population."
Labels: health disparities, Minorities
Monday, June 08, 2009
Health Care Reform: An Introduction
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40517_20090414.pdf
Congressional Research Service
"Health care reform has emerged as an issue in the 111th Congress, driven by growing concern about widely discussed problems. Three predominant concerns involve coverage, cost and spending, and quality. Commonly cited figures indicate that more than 45 million people have no insurance, which can limit their access to care and their ability to pay for the care they receive. Costs are rising for nearly everyone, and the country now spends over $2.2 trillion, more than 16% of gross domestic product (GDP), on health care services and products, far more than other industrialized countries. For all this spending, the country scores but average or somewhat worse on many indicators of health care quality.
These concerns raise significant challenges. Each of the concerns is more complex than might first appear, which increases the difficulty of finding solutions. For example, by one statistical measure, far more than 45 million people face the risk of being uninsured for short time periods, yet by another, substantially fewer have no insurance for long periods. Insurance coverage and access to health care are not the same, and it is possible to have one without the other. Having coverage does not ensure that one can pay for care, nor does it always shield one from significant financial loss in the case of serious illness. Similarly, high levels of spending may be partly attributable to the country’s wealth, while rising costs, though difficult for many, may primarily mean that less money is available for other things.
Solutions to these concerns may conflict with one another. For example, expanding coverage to most of the uninsured would likely drive up costs (as more people seek care) and expand public budgets (since additional public subsidies would be required). Cutting costs may threaten initiatives to improve quality. Other challenges include addressing the interests of stakeholders that have substantial investments in present arrangements and the unease some people have about moving from an imperfect but known system to something that is potentially better but untried. Health care reform proposals will likely rekindle debate over perennial issues in American health care policy. These include whether insurance should be public or private; whether employment- based insurance should be strengthened, weakened, or left alone; what role states might play; and whether Medicaid should be folded into new insurance arrangements. Whether changes to Medicare should occur at the same time may also be considered.
Concerns about coverage, cost and spending, and quality are likely to be addressed within the context of these issues. The 111th Congress has already begun work on health care reform. Hearings have been held, and staffs of the committees of principal jurisdiction are working to draft coordinated bills. Some comprehensive reform bills have already been introduced, such as H.R. 15 (Representative Dingell), H.R. 193 (Representative Stark), H.R. 676 (Representative Conyers), H.R. 956 (Representative Kaptur), H.R. 1200 (Representative McDermott), H.R. 1321 (Representative Eshoo), S. 391 (Senator Wyden), and S. 703 (Senator Sanders). This report does not discuss or even try to identify all of the concerns about health care in the United States that are prompting calls for reform. Other concerns may also be important, at least to some, and will likely contribute to the complexity of the reform debate. The report may be updated to include other health care reform issues as the debate in Congress unfolds. "
Congressional Research Service
"Health care reform has emerged as an issue in the 111th Congress, driven by growing concern about widely discussed problems. Three predominant concerns involve coverage, cost and spending, and quality. Commonly cited figures indicate that more than 45 million people have no insurance, which can limit their access to care and their ability to pay for the care they receive. Costs are rising for nearly everyone, and the country now spends over $2.2 trillion, more than 16% of gross domestic product (GDP), on health care services and products, far more than other industrialized countries. For all this spending, the country scores but average or somewhat worse on many indicators of health care quality.
These concerns raise significant challenges. Each of the concerns is more complex than might first appear, which increases the difficulty of finding solutions. For example, by one statistical measure, far more than 45 million people face the risk of being uninsured for short time periods, yet by another, substantially fewer have no insurance for long periods. Insurance coverage and access to health care are not the same, and it is possible to have one without the other. Having coverage does not ensure that one can pay for care, nor does it always shield one from significant financial loss in the case of serious illness. Similarly, high levels of spending may be partly attributable to the country’s wealth, while rising costs, though difficult for many, may primarily mean that less money is available for other things.
Solutions to these concerns may conflict with one another. For example, expanding coverage to most of the uninsured would likely drive up costs (as more people seek care) and expand public budgets (since additional public subsidies would be required). Cutting costs may threaten initiatives to improve quality. Other challenges include addressing the interests of stakeholders that have substantial investments in present arrangements and the unease some people have about moving from an imperfect but known system to something that is potentially better but untried. Health care reform proposals will likely rekindle debate over perennial issues in American health care policy. These include whether insurance should be public or private; whether employment- based insurance should be strengthened, weakened, or left alone; what role states might play; and whether Medicaid should be folded into new insurance arrangements. Whether changes to Medicare should occur at the same time may also be considered.
Concerns about coverage, cost and spending, and quality are likely to be addressed within the context of these issues. The 111th Congress has already begun work on health care reform. Hearings have been held, and staffs of the committees of principal jurisdiction are working to draft coordinated bills. Some comprehensive reform bills have already been introduced, such as H.R. 15 (Representative Dingell), H.R. 193 (Representative Stark), H.R. 676 (Representative Conyers), H.R. 956 (Representative Kaptur), H.R. 1200 (Representative McDermott), H.R. 1321 (Representative Eshoo), S. 391 (Senator Wyden), and S. 703 (Senator Sanders). This report does not discuss or even try to identify all of the concerns about health care in the United States that are prompting calls for reform. Other concerns may also be important, at least to some, and will likely contribute to the complexity of the reform debate. The report may be updated to include other health care reform issues as the debate in Congress unfolds. "
Labels: health care reform
Enforcing the Americans With Disabilities Act
http://www.ada.gov/juldec08.htm
U.S. Department of Justice
"This Status Report covers the ADA activities of the Department of Justice during the third and fourth quarters (July - December) of 2008. This report, previous status reports, and a wide range of other ADA information, including the consent decrees and formal settlement agreements mentioned in this report, are available through the Department’s ADA Home Page at www.ada.gov. "
U.S. Department of Justice
"This Status Report covers the ADA activities of the Department of Justice during the third and fourth quarters (July - December) of 2008. This report, previous status reports, and a wide range of other ADA information, including the consent decrees and formal settlement agreements mentioned in this report, are available through the Department’s ADA Home Page at www.ada.gov. "
Labels: Americans With Disabilities Act;
The GINA Law: Consumer Protection in a New Era of Genetic Testing
http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/health/fs156_gina.pdf
AARP Policy & Research
"The mapping of the human genome in 2003 has resulted in both challenges and promises. A new federal law addresses the problem of potential health insurer discrimination based on genetic information, and the promise of personalized medicine gives clinicians refined options for diagnosis and treatment. Meanwhile, consumers must sort through the implications of more easily available genetic information, and also the allure of direct-marketed at-home testing."
AARP Policy & Research
"The mapping of the human genome in 2003 has resulted in both challenges and promises. A new federal law addresses the problem of potential health insurer discrimination based on genetic information, and the promise of personalized medicine gives clinicians refined options for diagnosis and treatment. Meanwhile, consumers must sort through the implications of more easily available genetic information, and also the allure of direct-marketed at-home testing."
Labels: genetic testing, personalized medicine
Friday, June 05, 2009
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/123/6/e953
Vogel, Ineke et al. Adolescents and MP3 players: Too many risks, too few precautions. Pediatrics. 2009 123; e953-e958.
"When using MP3 players, adolescents are very likely to engage in risky listening behaviors and are unlikely to seek protection. Frequent MP3 player use is an indicator of other risky listening behaviors, such as listening at high volumes and failing to use noise-limiters. "
Vogel, Ineke et al. Adolescents and MP3 players: Too many risks, too few precautions. Pediatrics. 2009 123; e953-e958.
"When using MP3 players, adolescents are very likely to engage in risky listening behaviors and are unlikely to seek protection. Frequent MP3 player use is an indicator of other risky listening behaviors, such as listening at high volumes and failing to use noise-limiters. "
Labels: Adolescents, MP3 players
To Err is Human - To Delay is Deadly
http://www.safepatientproject.org/safepatientproject.org/pdf/safepatientproject.org-ToDelayIsDeadly.pdf
Consumers Union
"Ten years ago, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) sounded the alarm about the widespread toll of medical errors in a groundbreaking report call “To Err is Human.” The report prompted a rush of congressional hearings and promises of reform. But in the decade since the report was published, little progress has been made implementing key reforms recommended by the IOM to improve patient safety, according to Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.
In a new report, “To Err is Human – To Delay is Deadly,” Consumers Union detailed the lack of progress since the IOM estimated in 1999 that as many as 98,000 Americans die every year from preventable medical errors. Consumers Union’s report was released as lawmakers in Congress are working on legislation to address the rising cost of health care and expand access to coverage. Consumers Union maintains that reducing medical harm — including hospital-acquired infections and medication errors — would not only improve patient care but also provide significant costs savings to help make expanded access to health coverage possible. "
Consumers Union
"Ten years ago, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) sounded the alarm about the widespread toll of medical errors in a groundbreaking report call “To Err is Human.” The report prompted a rush of congressional hearings and promises of reform. But in the decade since the report was published, little progress has been made implementing key reforms recommended by the IOM to improve patient safety, according to Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.
In a new report, “To Err is Human – To Delay is Deadly,” Consumers Union detailed the lack of progress since the IOM estimated in 1999 that as many as 98,000 Americans die every year from preventable medical errors. Consumers Union’s report was released as lawmakers in Congress are working on legislation to address the rising cost of health care and expand access to coverage. Consumers Union maintains that reducing medical harm — including hospital-acquired infections and medication errors — would not only improve patient care but also provide significant costs savings to help make expanded access to health coverage possible. "
Labels: Medication Errors
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Perceptions of Long-Term Care and the Economic Recession
http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/bulletin_ltc_09.pdf
AARP
"This AARP Bulletin poll examined where people ages 45 and older think they will receive long-term care (LTC) services (if needed), how the economic recession has affected their expectations, and how financially prepared they feel for LTC if they suddenly needed such care for an indefinite period of time.
Key findings include the following:
-- In 2008, most respondents (42%) said that if they required LTC, they expected to live at home and have an aide for a few hours each day. This proportion increased slightly (49%) in 2009 as a result of the economic downturn.
-- In 2008, 29% said they never thought about or did not know where they would receive LTC services; in 2009, this figure dropped to 22%.
--About half of respondents (51%) said they feel very or fairly prepared to financially deal with a situation in which they would suddenly require LTC for an indefinite period of time, while more than four in ten said they are not very (18%) or not at all prepared (25%).
--Older respondents (age 65+) and those with higher incomes (over $25,000 annually) were more likely to say they feel financially prepared for LTC than their counterparts.
--Men were more likely than women to say they never thought about or did not know where they would receive LTC services (in 2008, 36% versus 23%; in 2009, 27% versus 18%). "
AARP
"This AARP Bulletin poll examined where people ages 45 and older think they will receive long-term care (LTC) services (if needed), how the economic recession has affected their expectations, and how financially prepared they feel for LTC if they suddenly needed such care for an indefinite period of time.
Key findings include the following:
-- In 2008, most respondents (42%) said that if they required LTC, they expected to live at home and have an aide for a few hours each day. This proportion increased slightly (49%) in 2009 as a result of the economic downturn.
-- In 2008, 29% said they never thought about or did not know where they would receive LTC services; in 2009, this figure dropped to 22%.
--About half of respondents (51%) said they feel very or fairly prepared to financially deal with a situation in which they would suddenly require LTC for an indefinite period of time, while more than four in ten said they are not very (18%) or not at all prepared (25%).
--Older respondents (age 65+) and those with higher incomes (over $25,000 annually) were more likely to say they feel financially prepared for LTC than their counterparts.
--Men were more likely than women to say they never thought about or did not know where they would receive LTC services (in 2008, 36% versus 23%; in 2009, 27% versus 18%). "
Labels: Long Term Care, recession
Measuring Poverty in the United States
http://www.nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_876.pdf
National Center for Children in Poverty
"This fact sheet discusses how the U.S. government measures poverty, why the current measure is inadequate, and what alternative ways exist to measure economic hardship."
National Center for Children in Poverty
"This fact sheet discusses how the U.S. government measures poverty, why the current measure is inadequate, and what alternative ways exist to measure economic hardship."
Labels: poverty
