Healthcare News

Peer review often elicits strong feelings among editors, authors, and reviewers. Many people have experienced the author and reviewer parts of the equation with both good and bad experiences. Flashback to when I was a newly minted Ph.D., I was thrilled with every request I received and diligently tried to provide useful reviews. However, I… Read More » Author information Jess Williams Associate Professor at The Pennsylvania State University Jessica A. Williams, PhD, MA is an Associate Professor of Health Policy and Administration at The Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Williams has been a member of the editorial board since 2013. Her research examines how workplace psychosocial factors affect the health and well-being of employees. Specifically, she investigates the role of pain in work disability and well-being. In addition, she researches the utilization of preventive medical services. She holds a Doctorate in Health Policy and Management from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, a Master's in Economics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a BA in economics from Stanford University. | Twitter | LinkedIn | The post Interested in Peer Review? appeared first on The Medical Care Blog.

In this episode of our podcast series, Jess Williams discusses COVID-19 case and hospitalizations with Tami Gurley, an Associate Professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Jess also recaps the blog posts published in April and previews some articles published in the May issue of Medical Care. Listen here or wherever you get your fine audio content.… Read More » The post May 2022 Podcast appeared first on The Medical Care Blog.

In a previous post, we shared highlights from an event about fixing health care featuring Dr. Michael Fine, a family medicine physician, former public health official, and the author of Health Care Revolt. The faculty of the Department of Public Health at California State University Los Angeles led the event as part of a department-wide book read.… Read More » Author information Sheila Seno Sheila Seno, MPH, is a Strategic Alignment Specialist for the Chronic Disease Surveillance Research Branch at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Her time at CDPH is split among the California Cancer Registry, Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, and neurodegenerative diseases. Sheila graduated with an MPH concentration in Urban Community Health from California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). Before joining the state, she worked for Kaiser Permanente for 19 years as a Health Information Analyst and assisted with hospital accreditation and licensing for data quality and completion. In her free time, she enjoys relaxing with her partner and their two rescue dogs, reading her book club’s pick of the month, and visiting new places. Her favorite places to visit are the Philippines and Cuba. | The post Fixing Health Care: A Health Care Revolt Begs Five Big Questions appeared first on The Medical Care Blog.

Readers of this blog know the problems of U.S. health care well. Principally, it is absurdly expensive, deeply inequitable, and contributes relatively little to overall public health. Yet, most people aware of these problems have been sidelined, feeling incapable of changing things and left hoping for reform to come from within. But health care providers… Read More » Author information Gregory Stevens Professor at California State University, Los Angeles Gregory D. Stevens, PhD, MHS is a health policy researcher, writer, teacher and advocate. He is a professor of public health at California State University, Los Angeles. He received both his masters and PhD from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, with a focus on health care policy. He has focused his research on primary health care, children’s health, health disparities and vulnerable populations. He is a co-author of the book Vulnerable Populations in the United States. | Twitter | The post A Health Care Revolt Begins with Us appeared first on The Medical Care Blog.

Understanding internet access through a human rights framework has been a goal of human rights advocates for years. But COVID-19 has brought the idea of “broadband as a human right” to the forefront as a necessary and urgent human need. A recent study exploring the Social Determinants of Health and COVID-19 mortality, found that individuals without… Read More » Author information Ranit Mishori Professor of Family Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine Ranit Mishori, MD, MHS, is professor of family medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine, where she leads the Department of Family Medicine's global health initiatives and directs the Health & Media as well as the Health Policy fellowship programs. Dr Mishori's areas of interest include prevention, evidence-based medicine, health and human rights, refugee health, health disparities, public health, and women's health. She is also senior medical advisor at Physicians for Human Rights. | Twitter | LinkedIn | The post Broadband is a human right: the right to information and COVID-19 disparities appeared first on The Medical Care Blog.

The following is a guest post from Dr. Lonn Myronuk – the Clinical Documentation Physician Informatics Lead at Island Health. He is also a Consulting Psychiatrist at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (since 1998), a Peer Mentor for the Practice Support Program since 2013 and a Clinical Instructor at the University of British Columbia Faculty of

Blog by Joe Babaian In healthcare, the last mile is the link between you and the healthcare network touch point – where care is delivered – the entire healthcare system of people, services, goods, and organizations. This last mile can be as simple and critical as a ride to the clinic or as complex as the smooth exchange

Blog Post By Joe Babaian Leadership isn’t just about being popular and it’s certainly not about being draconian, Steve Jobs’ legacy notwithstanding. Leadership is all about identifying the range of skills and passions in your organization and leveraging for the mutual good.  Balance is another sign of great leadership since we know we need more

With the news of Twitter’s acquisition by Elon Musk and the potential changes happening to the platform, it seemed appropriate to take this opportunity to talk about the current state of healthcare social media and what the future might hold. Twitter Community Legacy For the past 9 years Twitter has been the main channel through

Blog post by Joe Babaian A barrier. A path. Who among us doesn’t immediately recognize access denied, forbidden, or discouraged? Who doesn’t feel relief when a path forward appears or is built? This is but one metaphor for an external barrier to healthcare that many face. Some definitions for this chat. External barriers can be

Formula milk companies are paying social media platforms and influencers to gain direct access to pregnant women and mothers at some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives. The global formula milk industry, valued at some US$ 55 billion, is targeting new mothers with personalized social media content that is often not recognizable as advertising.

 An increase in measles cases in January and February 2022 is a worrying sign of a heightened risk for the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases and could trigger larger outbreaks, particularly of measles affecting millions of children in 2022, warn WHO and UNICEF. Pandemic-related disruptions, increasing inequalities in access to vaccines, and the diversion of resources from routine immunization are leaving too many children without protection against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases. The risk for large outbreaks has increased as communities relax social distancing practices and other preventive measures for COVID-19 implemented during the height of the pandemic. In addition, with millions of people being displaced due to conflicts and crises including in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Somalia and Afghanistan, disruptions in routine immunization and COVID-19 vaccination services, lack of clean water and sanitation, and overcrowding increase the risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks.Almost 17 338 measles cases were reported worldwide in January and February 2022, compared to 9665 during the first two months of 2021. As measles is very contagious, cases tend to show up quickly when vaccination levels decline. The agencies are concerned that outbreaks of measles could also forewarn outbreaks of other diseases that do not spread as rapidly.Apart from its direct effect on the body, which can be lethal, the measles virus also weakens the immune system and makes a child more vulnerable to other infectious diseases like pneumonia and diarrhoea, including for months after the measles infection itself among those who survive.  Most cases occur in settings that have faced social and economic hardships due to COVID-19, conflict or other crises, and have chronically weak health system infrastructure and insecurity.“Measles is more than a dangerous and potentially deadly disease. It is also an early indication that there are gaps in our global immunization coverage, gaps vulnerable children cannot afford,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director. “It is encouraging that people in many communities are beginning to feel protected enough from COVID-19 to return to more social activities. But doing so in places where children are not receiving routine vaccination creates the perfect storm for the spread of a disease like measles.”  In 2020, 23 million children missed out on basic childhood vaccines through routine health services, the highest number since 2009 and 3.7 million more than in 2019. Top 5 countries with reported measles cases in the last 12 months, until April 2022 1Country Reported Measles cases Rate per million cases First dose measles coverage (%), 20192First dose measles coverage (%), 20203 Somalia 9068 554 46 46 Yemen 3629 119 67 68 Afghanistan 3628 91 64 66 Nigeria 12 341 58 54 54 Ethiopia 3039 26 60 58 As of April 2022, the agencies report 21 large and disruptive measles outbreaks around the world in the last 12 months. Most of the measles cases were reported in Africa and the East Mediterranean region. The figures are likely higher as the pandemic has disrupted surveillance systems globally, with potential underreporting. Countries with the largest measles outbreaks since the past year include Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Ethiopia. Insufficient measles vaccine coverage is the major reason for outbreaks, wherever they occur. “The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted immunization services, health systems have been overwhelmed, and we are now seeing a resurgence of deadly diseases including measles. For many other diseases, the impact of these disruptions to immunization services will be felt for decades to come,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “Now is the moment to get essential immunization back on track and launch catch-up campaigns so that everybody can have access to these life-saving vaccines.”As of 1 April 2022, 57 vaccine-preventable disease campaigns in 43 countries that were scheduled to take place since the start of the pandemic are still postponed, impacting 203 million people, most of whom are children. Of these, 19 are measles campaigns, which put 73 million children at risk of measles due to missed vaccinations. In Ukraine, the measles catch-up campaign of 2019 was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and thereafter due to the war. Routine and catch-up campaigns are needed wherever access is possible to help make sure there are not repeated outbreaks as in 2017–2019, when there were over 115 000 cases of measles and 41 deaths in the country – this was the highest incidence in Europe.Coverage at or above 95% with 2 doses of the safe and effective measles vaccine can protect children against measles. However, COVID-19 pandemic related disruptions have delayed the introduction of the second dose of the measles vaccine in many countries. As countries work to respond to outbreaks of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases, and recover lost ground, UNICEF and WHO, along with partners such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the partners of the Measles & Rubella Initiative (M&RI), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others are supporting efforts to strengthen immunization systems by:restoring services and vaccination campaigns so countries can safely deliver routine immunization programmes to fill the gaps left by the backsliding;helping health workers and community leaders communicate actively with caregivers to explain the importance of vaccinations;rectifying gaps in immunization coverage, including identifying communities and people who have been missed during the pandemic;ensuring that COVID-19 vaccine delivery is independently financed and well-integrated into overall planning for immunization services so that it is not carried out at the cost of childhood and other vaccination services; andimplementing country plans to prevent and respond to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases and strengthening immunization systems as part of COVID-19 recovery efforts.__________________________________________________1 Source: Provisional data based on monthly data reported to WHO as of April 20222 Source: WHO/UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage, 2020 revision.3 Source: WHO/UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage, 2020 revision. ######Download UNICEF photos and broll here. Download WHO photos For more information on the 24–30 April WHO World Immunization Week campaign and all resources. About UNICEFUNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org. Follow UNICEF on Twitter and FacebookAbout WHOThe World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States across six regions, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019–2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and well-being. Visit www.who.int and follow WHO on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube and Twitch.   

Today, WHO made a strong recommendation for nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, sold under the name Paxlovid, for mild and moderate COVID-19 patients at highest risk of hospital admission, calling it the best therapeutic choice for high-risk patients to date. However, availability, lack of price transparency in bilateral deals made by the producer, and the need for prompt and accurate testing before administering it, are turning this life-saving medicine into a major challenge for low- and middle-income countries. Pfizer’s oral antiviral drug (a combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir tablets) is strongly recommended for patients with non-severe COVID-19 who are at highest risk of developing severe disease and hospitalization, such as unvaccinated, older, or immunosuppressed patients. This recommendation is based on new data from two randomized controlled trials involving 3078 patients. The data show that the risk of hospitalization is reduced by 85% following this treatment. In a high-risk group (over 10% risk of hospitalization), that means 84 fewer hospitalizations per 1000 patients. WHO suggests against its use in patients at lower risk, as the benefits were found to be negligible. One obstacle for low- and middle-income countries is that the medicine can only be administered while the disease is at its early stages; prompt and accurate testing is therefore essential for a successful outcome with this therapy. Data collected by FIND show that the average daily testing rate in low-income countries is as low as one-eightieth the rate in high-income countries. Improving access to early testing and diagnosis in primary health care settings will be key for the global rollout of this treatment. WHO is extremely concerned that -- as occurred with COVID-19 vaccines -- low- and middle-income countries will again be pushed to the end of the queue when it comes to accessing this treatment. Lack of transparency on the part of the originator company is making it difficult for public health organizations to obtain an accurate picture of the availability of the medicine, which countries are involved in bilateral deals and what they are paying. In addition, a licensing agreement made by Pfizer with the Medicines Patent Pool limits the number of countries that can benefit from generic production of the medicine. The originator product, sold under the name Paxlovid, will be included in the WHO prequalification list  today, but generic products are not yet available from quality-assured sources. Several generic companies (many of which are covered by the licensing agreement between the Medicines Pool and Pfizer) are in discussion with WHO Prequalification but may take some time to comply with international standards so that they can supply the medicine internationally. WHO therefore strongly recommends that Pfizer make its pricing and deals more transparent and that it enlarge the geographical scope of its licence with the Medicines Patent Pool so that more generic manufacturers may start to produce the medicine and make it available faster at affordable prices. Along with the strong recommendation for the use of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, WHO has also updated its recommendation on remdesivir, another antiviral medicine. Previously, WHO had suggested against its use in all COVID-19 patients regardless of disease severity, due to the totality of the evidence at that time showing little or no effect on mortality. Following publication of new data from a clinical trial looking at the outcome of admission to hospital, WHO has updated its recommendation. WHO now suggests the use of remdesivir in mild or moderate COVID-19 patients who are at high risk of hospitalization. The recommendation for use of remdesivir in patients with severe or critical COVID-19 is currently under review.

The Walk the Talk event returns on Sunday, 22 May 2022 to Geneva, Switzerland on the morning of the 75th World Health Assembly. WHO is joining with the UN family and the Geneva community to celebrate the importance of healthy lifestyles and demonstrate measures to safely conduct public events. The third edition of the Walk the Talk: The Health for All Challenge, and the first since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event is an opportunity to gather safely and to promote solidarity and a health lifestyle. There is no “zero risk” when it comes to any kind of gathering – especially events that bring groups of people together. Regardless of the size of the event, we are at risk from COVID-19 whenever we get together with people. Safety precautions will be taken for this event including the following measures: Proper crowd management including safe distancing - employing physical barriers (cones, ropes, poles, etc.) to maintain distance between people, separating accesses and way outs, adopting one-way pathways and corridors to enforce unidirectional flow, establishing spacious waiting areas to complement crowd control measures. Adequate ventilation of spaces, either by natural means or mechanical means (i.e. by supplying air to or removing air from an indoor space by powered air movement components)Ensuring availability of handwashing facilities with water and soap and/or hand sanitizer dispensersAvailability of close bins to ensure safe disposal of water bottles and other itemsMake available public health and safely measure messages on the website and onsite for prospective participantsTrain volunteers and inform them on what is expected from them, especially if they will be required of actively disseminate health messages or enforce any PHSMParticipants are also advised to observe the following health protocols:If you don’t feel well, show any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, or test positive for COVID-19, stay home. Get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it’s your turn. If you choose to attend a public event, always follow precautionary measures, regardless of your COVID-19 vaccination status or history of prior infection.Keep at least a 1-metre distance from others at all times.Wear a well-fitting mask that covers the nose and mouth when physical distancing of at least 1-metre is not possible and in poorly ventilated indoor settings. Do not remove the mask to speak.Avoid crowded or poorly ventilated areasWhen coughing and sneezing - cover with bent elbow or tissues. Clean your hands frequently with alcohol-based hand rub or wash with soap & waterTo learn more and register, go to www.who.int/global-walk-the-talk

As World Malaria Day approaches, more than 1 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have received one or more doses of the world’s first malaria vaccine, thanks to a pilot programme coordinated by WHO. The malaria vaccine pilots, first launched by the Government of Malawi in April 2019, have shown that the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) vaccine is safe and feasible to deliver, and that it substantially reduces deadly severe malaria. These findings paved the way for the historic October 2021 WHO recommendation for the expanded use of RTS,S among children living in settings with moderate to high malaria transmission. If widely deployed, WHO estimates that the vaccine could save the lives of an additional 40 000 to 80 000 African children each year. More than US$ 155 million has been secured from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to support the introduction, procurement and delivery of the malaria vaccine for Gavi-eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa. WHO guidance is available to countries as they consider whether and how to adopt RTS,S as an additional tool to reduce child illness and deaths from malaria.“As a malaria researcher in my early career, I dreamed of the day we would have an effective vaccine against this devastating disease,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This vaccine is not just a scientific breakthrough, it’s life-changing for families across Africa. It demonstrates the power of science and innovation for health. Even so, there is an urgent need to develop more and better tools to save lives and drive progress towards a malaria-free world.”Prospects for new interventionsRTS,S is a first-generation vaccine that could be complemented in the future by other vaccines with similar or higher efficacy. WHO welcomes progress in the development of R21/Matrix-M and other malaria vaccine candidates in early clinical development. The successful completion of clinical trials for these vaccines will be important to assess their safety and efficacy profiles. WHO also welcomes the news from BioNTech, manufacturer of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, that it aims to develop a malaria vaccine using mRNA technology. In the field of vector control, a number of new tools and technologies have been submitted to WHO for evaluation. Should they demonstrate efficacy in controlling the disease, WHO will formulate new recommendations or amend existing ones to support their deployment. These include, for example, new types of insecticide-treated nets, spatial mosquito repellents, gene-drive approaches and sugar baits designed to attract and kill Anopheles mosquitoes. There are also new medicines in the pipeline. WHO welcomes the recent approval by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration of dispersible tablets of single-dose tafenoquine for the prevention of P. vivax malaria among children. Tafenoquine has also been approved for use in adults by the US Federal Drug Administration and by drug regulatory bodies in other countries, including Brazil, Peru and Thailand. As a single dose, tafenoquine is expected to support patient adherence to treatment. The current standard of care requires a 7- or 14-day course of medication. A number other antimalarial medicines with new modes of action are being developed for the treatment of uncomplicated and severe malaria. Ganaplacide-Lumefantrine, currently in a Phase II clinical trial, is the first non-artemisinin combination therapy and could be an asset in fight against emerging drug-resistant malaria in Africa.In addition to drug resistance, WHO has reported other pressing threats in the fight against malaria, such as mosquito resistance to insecticides, an invasive malaria vector that thrives in urban and rural areas, and the emergence and spread of mutated P. falciparum parasites that are undermining the effectiveness of rapid diagnostic tests. Innovation in tools and strategies will be critical to contain these threats, together with a more strategic use of the tools that are available today.More investment neededAccording to the 2021 World malaria report, global progress in reducing malaria cases and deaths has slowed or stalled in recent years, particularly in countries hardest hit by the disease. The report notes the need for continued innovation in the research and development of new tools if the world is to achieve the 2030 targets of the WHO malaria strategy.Funding for malaria-related research and development reached just over US$ 619 million in 2020. An average annual R&D investment of US$ 851 million will be needed in the period 2021–2030.Making better use of the tools we have nowReaching global malaria targets will also require innovations in the way that currently available tools are deployed. Through the “ High burden to high impact” approach, launched by WHO and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria in 2018, countries hardest hit by malaria have been collecting and analysing malaria data to better understand the geographical spread of the disease. Instead of applying the same approach to malaria control everywhere, they are considering the potential impact of tailored packages of interventions informed by local data and the local disease setting. These analyses will enable countries to use available funds in a more effective, efficient and equitable way.Note to the editor:For more information on the WHO World Malaria Day campaign, visit:  https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-malaria-day/2022More on the RTS,S malaria vaccine and the pilot programmeWHO guidance is now available to countries as they consider whether and how to adopt the RTS,S vaccine into their national malaria control strategies. The WHO recommendation for the vaccine was recently added to WHO’s consolidated malaria guidelines, and WHO has also published an updated position paper on the vaccine.To date, in routine use, the vaccine has been well accepted by African communities. Demand for the vaccine is expected to outstrip supply in the near to medium term; current vaccine production capacity stands at a maximum of 15 million doses per year, while demand is estimated to exceed 80 million doses annually. WHO is working with partners to increase supply through increased manufacturing capacity of RTS,S and by facilitating the development of other first-generation and next-generation malaria vaccines. To guide where initial doses of the vaccine will be deployed, WHO is coordinating the development of a framework for the allocation of limited malaria vaccine supply; the aim is to prioritize areas of greatest need and highest malaria burden until supply meets demand. The RTS,S pilot programme is made possible by an unprecedented collaboration between in-country and international partners, including Ministries of Health of Ghana, Kenya and Malawi; in-country evaluation partners; PATH, GSK, UNICEF and others; and the funding bodies of Gavi, the Global Fund and Unitaid. The RTS,S malaria vaccine is the result of 30 years of research and development by GSK and through a partnership with PATH, with support from a network of African research centres.