Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Quality Of Care In NICU Linked To Race Of Babies, California Study Finds
Marketplace: Study Shows Racial Disparities In Infant Intensive Care
New research out of Stanford finds African-American and Hispanic infants in California were more likely than white infants to receive low-quality care. The findings show white infants tend to get higher-quality care in the NICU than others, but the pattern is not uniform. (Gorenstein, 8/28)
San Francisco Chronicle: Babies’ Race Affects Quality Of Care In California Neonatal Intensive Care, Study Says
An infant’s race and ethnicity affect the quality of care they receive in California neonatal intensive care units, according to a study by the Stanford University School of Medicine. ... Researchers analyzed the quality of care for nearly 19,000 infants in 134 neonatal intensive care units across California — 90 percent of all units in the state — who were born between 2010 and 2014. (Ho, 8/27)
Stat: Why Are More And More Women Opting For Double Mastectomy?
Over the past two decades, even as cancer treatments have become increasingly targeted and refined, a growing number of women with cancer in one breast are opting to go for the more traditional approach of mastectomy. According to a recent analysis, from 2002 to 2012 the number of U.S. women with invasive cancer in one breast who chose double mastectomy tripled. ... And that change is not driven solely, or even primarily, by the so-called “Angelina Jolie effect.” The actress’s preventative removal of both breasts wasn’t made public until 2013. So scientists and surgeons alike are keenly interested in understanding why women are charting a different course for cancer treatment. And their early answers point to a complex interplay of financial, emotional, and practical considerations that are driving a dramatic change in the way breast cancer is treated. (Caruso, 8/29)
USA Today: Your Coffee Habit Could Lower Your Risk Of Death
Feel free to pour that second, third, or even fourth cup of coffee this morning. Higher consumption of coffee is connected to a lower risk of death, says a study presented by Spanish researchers during the European Society of Cardiology Congress held in Barcelona. (Molina, 8/28)
Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State Researchers Examining If Nicotine Can Treat A Chronic Lung Disease
The ongoing Ohio State clinical trial tests whether nicotine — the highly addictive chemical found in tobacco products — can help sarcoidosis patients. There’s new evidence that nicotine is an anti-inflammatory, Crouser said, and from other studies OSU researchers discovered smokers were less likely to get sarcoidosis. (Renault, 8/28)
The Associated Press: NFL Making $40 Million Available For Medical Research
A year after the NFL pledged $100 million in support of independent medical research and engineering advancements, a huge chunk of that soon will be awarded to such research, primarily dedicated to neuroscience. A Scientific Advisory Board assembled by the NFL is set to launch its program to solicit and evaluate research proposals for funding. The board, comprised of independent experts, doctors, scientists and clinicians, and chaired by retired U.S. Army General Peter Chiarelli, will provide direction for the $40 million allocated under the league's initiative. (Wilner, 8/29)
Sacramento Bee: Struggling With A Life-Threatening Illness? You Can Help Research For Cures
For anyone diagnosed with cancer, Alzheimer’s or AIDS, perhaps the best hope for finding cures lies in their own bodies – more specifically, in the cells traveling through their blood. Scientists at major universities and pharmaceutical companies need more of those cells to do their cutting-edge medical research, and Folsom’s StemExpress is leading the way nationwide. (Anderson, 8/28)
Stat: Google Glass Is Back As A Tool To Coach Autistic Children — And Much More
Google Glass, not long ago a laughing stock of the tech world, has been reinvented as a hot new accessory for doctors and patients. ... Doctors love to complain that cumbersome electronic health record systems keep them fixated on their screens when they should be talking with a patient. With Glass, doctors can view charts in real time through the eyeglass viewer, while interacting face-to-face with their patients. They can also update the records with verbal commands, which can cut their data entry time. In theory, then, this system — developed by the startup Augmedix — lets doctors spend more time actually delivering care. (Piller, 8/29)
The Hill: Peter Thiel Funding Herpes Vaccine Test Outside Of US Safety Rules
Prominent tech investor Peter Thiel is putting money into offshore testing of an experimental herpes vaccine that circumvents U.S. safety rules on human trials. Thiel, who has advised President Trump, is part of a group investing $7 million into the research, according to Kaiser Health News. (Breland, 8/28)
