Healthcare News

Better care coordination may improve access to primary care for people who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Recent evaluations of the Financial Alignment Initiative (FAI)–an initiative incentivizing the financial alignment of Medicare and Medicaid–suggests care coordination could improve access to primary care services for some dually eligible beneficiaries. Care coordination alone, however, may… Read More » Author information Matthew Toth Matt Toth, MSW, PhD is a health services researcher at RTI International’s program on Health Coverage for Low-Income and Uninsured Populations. His area of research focus is delivery system reform for the dually-eligible population, and long-term services and supports and behavioral health care needs for older adults. He currently serves as the Associate Project Director of the RTI’s evaluation of CMS’s Financial Alignment Initiative, and has led other studies funded by the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) focusing on older adults. | The post Financial alignment of Medicare and Medicaid may improve access to primary care appeared first on The Medical Care Blog.

It is more important than ever to expand access to a broad range of safe and effective contraceptives that includes long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods. We are living in a new era in the US. As of early November, 2022, abortions are banned from the point of conception in 12 states and severely restricted in… Read More » Author information Lisa M. Lines Senior health services researcher at RTI International Lisa M. Lines, PhD, MPH is a senior health services researcher at RTI International, an independent, non-profit research institute. She is also an Assistant Professor in Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. Her research focuses on social drivers of health, quality of care, care experiences, and health outcomes, particularly among people with chronic or serious illnesses. She is co-editor of TheMedicalCareBlog.com and serves on the Medical Care Editorial Board. She also serves as chair of the APHA Medical Care Section's Health Equity Committee. Views expressed are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of RTI or UMass Medical School. | Twitter | LinkedIn | The post Long-acting reversible contraception in the era of abortion bans appeared first on The Medical Care Blog.

In this month’s podcast, Dr. Samy Anand gives an overview of The Medical Care Blog posts published in October and a preview of the journal articles in the November issue of Medical Care. Then, co-editor of the blog, Dr. Gregory Stevens, discusses the results of the midterm election and the results of ballot measures relevant to… 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 November 2022 Healthy Intersections Podcast appeared first on The Medical Care Blog.

It’s that time of year again–APHA’s Annual Meeting! This year we’ll be meeting in Boston Nov. 6-9 with a digital event Nov. 14-16. I’m looking forward to seeing colleagues this year and getting to catch up with so many interesting people. Of course, I’m also excited about the excellent Medical Care Section Program. Here’s a… 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 APHA Annual Meeting 2022 Preview appeared first on The Medical Care Blog.

The 2022 midterm elections are upon us. And public health is once again prominent on the ballot. Think back to the 2020 presidential election and just how stark a contrast Joe Biden and Donald Trump presented on COVID-19, climate change, and the Affordable Care Act. This year is no different. Voters across the country are choosing… 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 Public health is (once again) on the ballot appeared first on The Medical Care Blog.

Blog by Joe Babaian The illusion of choice is the greatest magic trick ever performed. ― Ziad K. Abdelnour Free will and the meaning of choice have been a philosophical discussion since the beginning of spoken language. I’d like to focus on something a bit less esoteric – choice or the illusion of choice in healthcare.

On the next #HCLDR tweetchat, we welcome guest host Angela J. Carter, MA – @ajwcarter. Angela is the Executive Director at Roots Community Services, Inc, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. She is leading a team of community leaders focused on dismantling anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination. Angela will be leading us in a discussion about how

November 14-20, 2022 is Digital Health Week in Canada. To help bring attention to the importance of digital health and health technology, HCLDR is collaborating with Canada Health Infoway, an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the Canadian federal government to connect all healthcare stakeholders (patients, hospitals, clinics, government agencies, etc). On Tuesday November 15th at

Blog by Joe Babaian With America’s mid-term election upon us, what else would be appropriate for the HCLDR discussion? Let’s be honest, with Twitter in turmoil, a Blood Moon lunar eclipse coming, and a very consequential election, this is the time for a more open discussion. Let’s take some time to discuss our thoughts not

Should patients be compensated for participating in research, studies, and advisory counsels? The simple answer is yes. Not only is it the ethical thing to do, it also will help improve health equity AND healthcare overall. Why? Because patient volunteerism (not paying patients) means that only people who can afford the time and expense will

Following a series of consultations with global experts, WHO will begin using a new preferred term “mpox” as a synonym for monkeypox. Both names will be used simultaneously for one year while “monkeypox” is phased out.

The Third Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance, hosted in Muscat, Oman, concluded today, where targets to address the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) challenge were discussed for the first time. The conference and its numerical targets for antimicrobial use in the human and animal sectors will pave the way for bold political commitments at the forthcoming UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR in 2024.The conference agreed the Muscat Ministerial Manifesto, which sets out the three global targets:Reduce the total amount of antimicrobials used in agrifood systems by at least 30-50% by 2030, galvanizing national and global efforts; Preserve critically important antimicrobials for human medicine, ending the use of medically important antimicrobials for growth promotion in animals; Ensure ‘Access’ group antibiotics (a category of antibiotics that are affordable, safe and have a low AMR risk) represent at least 60% of overall antibiotic consumption in humans by 2030.Globally agreed targets will be key to protecting the efficacy of antimicrobials and curbing the development of AMR worldwide, as well as reducing environmental pollution, in turn lowering the spread of AMR. Countries also made commitments to implement National Action Plans for AMR and strengthen surveillance through improved data reporting and management, private sector engagement and implementation of evidence-based practices.The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE), known as the Quadripartite, welcome the outcomes of the Conference for accelerating action on AMR. The COVID-19 pandemic may have constrained global efforts to address AMR, but it has also demonstrated the critical links between humans, animals and the environmental ecosystem. A range of stakeholders – including the health care, pharmaceutical, veterinary, food safety, agricultural, environmental sectors – have a shared responsibility to continue to collectively respond to AMR.“FAO recognizes the importance of reducing the need for antimicrobials on farms and will soon launch a global 10-year initiative to provide comprehensive support to Members focusing on transforming agrifood systems to contribute to this reduction,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. “Self-reporting by countries indicates that a third of National Action Plans on AMR do not include the environment. This signals the critical importance of supporting countries to boost actions to prevent and reduce environmental pollution. The burden of AMR can be reduced if we focus on all its dimensions and work together. UNEP is committed to working with Member States and key partners, including the Quadripartite organizations, to address AMR,” said Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director for UNEP Inger Andersen."Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most urgent and complex challenges of our time, and yet perhaps because it is not as dramatic as a pandemic, a war or a humanitarian emergency, it doesn’t attract the same attention," said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "It is my firm hope that this meeting will pave the way towards bold - and concrete - political commitments at the 2024 UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AMR."“The use of antimicrobials in animals has shown an overall decrease over the last years. By strengthening biosecurity and husbandry practices, such as animal vaccination, we can further build on this great achievement and sustainably reach the agreed goals,” said WOAH Director General Dr Monique Eloit. “Reducing the need for antimicrobials is the best way to prevent antimicrobial resistance.”The conference marks the conclusion of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, an annual week-long global campaign that brings together leaders across sectors to highlight the actions needed to preserve and protect antimicrobials.As highlighted by the Manifesto, the Quadripartite will continue to scale up support through a One Health approach, which balances and optimizes the health of people, animals, plants and ecosystems. The partnership will also continue to coordinate a global, multisectoral AMR response, promote strong governance and leadership, and support countries in developing and implementing National Action Plans on AMR. Notes to editors:Antimicrobials are agents used to prevent, control and treat infectious diseases in humans, animals and plants. They include antibiotics, fungicides, antiviral agents and parasiticides.Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial agents. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.About the Quadripartite organizations: About the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Its goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members - 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.For more information please contact:Peter Mayer, FAO News and Media, [email protected] the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.For more information, please contact:Keishamaza Rukikaire, Head of News & Media, UN Environment ProgrammeAbout the World Health Organization (WHO) Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, the World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance to live a healthy life.For more information, please contact: WHO media inquiries at [email protected] About the World Organisation for Animal Health: WOAH is the global authority on animal health: we work across borders to improve the health of animals and our future, recognising that animal health impacts everyone’s health.For more information, please contact:WOAH media requests at [email protected]

Doha, Qatar (21 November) – The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and WHO signed an agreement today to collaborate strategically to help their common Member States build better health systems, respond to emergencies and more.WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and IsDB Group President and Group Chairman H.E. Dr Muhammad Al Jasser signed the strategic framework agreement in Doha on the sidelines of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.“Even before COVID-19, the world was off-track for the Strategic Development Goals, and the overlapping crises of the pandemic, climate change, conflicts, divisive politics and inflation have put us even further behind,” said Dr Tedros said. “But rather than derailing the SDGs, the challenges we face demonstrate why we must pursue them with even more determination, innovation and cooperation. The agreement WHO is signing with the Islamic Development Bank will help us to do that in some of the poorest, most fragile and most vulnerable countries in the world.”So far this year, IsDB’s projected funding to WHO stands at more than US$ 2.1; the contributions are earmarked to prepare for health emergencies in Africa. In the 2020-21 biennium, IsDB made contributions to respond to acute health emergencies and to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The contributions for polio targeted Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus is still endemic.“It is a great pleasure and honor to participate in this historic milestone to sign the strategic framework agreement and discuss the strengthening of our areas of cooperation,” Dr Al Jasser said. “We count on WHO support to work with the newly established (G20) Pandemic Fund to unlock more grant resources for the neediest common member countries.”The IsDB and WHO share 57 Member States; a country must belong to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to become an IsDB member.H.E. Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser and Dr Tedros signing the Strategic Framework Agreement, 21 November 2022

Measles vaccination coverage has steadily declined since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Platform was launched today to ensure the growing threats and impacts of antimicrobial resistance are addressed globally.The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization ( WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), known as the Quadripartite  are joining forces on this initiative to underscore the threat AMR presents to humans, animals, plants, ecosystems and livelihoods.An estimated 1.3 million people around the world die each year directly due to bacterial antimicrobial resistance ( AMR). If no action is taken, that number could soar dramatically, bringing higher public health costs and pushing more people into poverty, especially in low-income countries, underscoring the need for the Platform to mobilise further coordinated efforts.Antibiotics and other antimicrobials play a key role in the success of modern medicine and have greatly improved the health of humans and animals. But overuse and misuse has reduced their efficacy, with more pathogens developing the ability to survive the antimicrobials designed to eliminate them.AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial agents. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. Moreover, 1.3 billion people rely on livestock for their livelihoods and 20 million people depend on aquaculture, especially in low and middle-income countries. The spread of resistant strains of pathogens inexorably affects their livelihoods, as it increases animal suffering and losses. Applications to crops, as well as unproper disposal of unused and expired drugs and waste from industries and communities can lead to pollution of soils and streams that spread the trigger for unwanted microorganisms to develop resistance to tools meant to contain and eliminate them.The new Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Platform is an inclusive and international forum bringing together voices from all areas, sectors and perspectives through a holistic and system-wide One Health approach, for a shared vision responding to the need to improve coordination of efforts by a large number of stakeholders.Quotes by the Quadripartite leaders“Antimicrobial resistance threatens animal health, food safety and food security, economic prosperity and ecosystems worldwide,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. “The world needs to join forces now to prevent drug-resistant diseases and reduce its implications.”“AMR challenges cannot be understood or addressed separately from the triple planetary crisis – the crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature and biodiversity loss, and the crisis of pollution and waste, all of which are driven by unsustainable consumption and production patterns,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen. “The climate crisis and AMR are two of the greatest and most complex threats the world currently faces. Both have been worsened by and can be improved with human action.   “This platform will be vital in raising the profile and urgency of addressing AMR while building and maintaining political momentum and public support,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “It will help to drive global coordination so that our collective response is more strategic, resource efficient and sustainable.”“We can get ahead of AMR with the right partnerships and collaborative models. The time to act is now,” said WOAH Director General Monique Eloit. “We are striving to protect everyone from the threat of AMR.” World Antimicrobial Awareness Week and the PlatformAs drug-resistant infections can affect anyone, anywhere, public health, agrifood systems and ecosystems everywhere are at risk. Tackling AMR is a shared responsibility for all of us, which is why the theme of this year’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, starting today, is “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together”.The Platform is a way to redouble collective efforts to save millions of lives and preserve the efficacy of antimicrobials for current and future generations by using them sustainably. The new Platform will engage and empower stakeholders across the One Health spectrum in an inclusive, transparent way to build consensus among public and private stakholders on the global AMR vision, gain knowledge to foster a collective understanding of AMR challenges and opportunities, and take multi-stakeholder actions to contain, combat and reverse AMR in line with the Global Action Plan and National Action Plans.