Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Field Of Psychology Self-Evaluates As Foundational Experiments Keep Getting Overturned
The New York Times: Psychology Itself Is Under Scrutiny
The urge to pull down statues extends well beyond the public squares of nations in turmoil. Lately it has been stirring the air in some corners of science, particularly psychology. In recent months, researchers and some journalists have strung cables around the necks of at least three monuments of the modern psychological canon. ... The assaults on these studies aren’t all new. Each is a story in its own right, involving debates over methodology and statistical bias that have surfaced before in some form. (Carey, 7/16)
The New York Times: Cognitive Test Trump Took May Have Been Undermined By Publicity, Doctors Warn
Six months after a White House physician told reporters that President Trump had aced a well-regarded test of cognitive impairment, a group of doctors is warning that the exam may have been compromised by the resulting news coverage, which revealed some of its questions. Until it’s clear what effect the exposure has had on the effectiveness of the test, known as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, or MoCA, doctors should consider using alternatives, said Dr. Hourmazd Haghbayan, an internist at the University of Toronto. (Chokshi, 7/16)
Stat: A CAR-T Bottleneck: Centers That Collect Patient Cells Feel Crunch
The arrival of CAR-T cancer treatments and the expected coming age of cell therapies are opening new frontiers for what medicines look like: Cells are taken from patients, then tweaked or supercharged in a lab, and finally given back to patients. But the emergence of those treatments has put a pinch on the places that collect those cells from patients. The crunch is only expected to grow as more CAR-T candidates and other cell therapies enter clinical trials and win approval. (Joseph, 7/17)
The New York Times: Now In Sight: Success Against An Infection That Blinds
Fifteen years ago, Shiva Lal Rana walked 20 miles to Geta Eye Hospital to ask doctors to pluck out all his eyelashes. Trachoma, a bacterial infection, had swollen and inverted his eyelids. With every blink, his lashes raked his corneas. “The scratching hurt my eyes so much I could barely go out in the sun to plow,” he said. “I was always rubbing them.” (McNeil, 7/16)
Stat: Scientist Searching To Cure Her Own Prion Disease Reveals Industry Alliance
For years, Sonia Vallabh has been working to save her life. Vallabh has a type of brain illness called a prion disease — specifically, one called fatal familial insomnia. Since the illness killed her mother and a genetic test showed she carried the same mutation, she and her husband, Eric Minikel — both prion researchers at the Broad Institute — have been working to find a possible treatment. But details about their work had been kept quiet until last week, when they revealed their years-long partnership with Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS). (Sheridan, 7/16)
WBUR: Over Half Of Patients And Families Hesitate To Raise ICU Safety Concerns, Study Finds
The researchers surveyed more than 100 family members in the ICU and more than 1,000 online about whether they'd feel comfortable speaking up about various concerns. ...About one-fifth of respondents cited, "I'm afraid of seeming like I don't understand medical concepts," and another fifth chose, "I don't want to harm my relationship with the members of the medical team." (Goldberg, 7/16)
Stat: Probiotics Studies Often Don't Disclose Safety Data Or Risks, Report Finds
As consumer interest grows in probiotics and other supplements that claim to regulate gut microbes, experts are posing a critical question: Are they safe? Probiotics are increasingly popular, from Greek yogurt and kombucha to pills chock-full of bacteria in the supplement section of the grocery store. But a new analysis published Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine finds that many studies of probiotics and similar products fail to adequately report on safety and adverse events. (Thielking, 7/16)
CNN: Liver Cancer Death Rate In US Rose 43% In 16 Years
Death rates from liver cancer increased 43% for American adults from 2000 to 2016, according to a report released Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. The increase comes even as mortality for all cancers combined has declined. Liver cancer death rates increased for both men and women 25 and older, as well as white, black and Hispanic people. Only Asians and Pacific Islanders saw a decrease in mortality from liver cancer. (Bender, 7/17)
