Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Epilepsy And Pregnancy; Illness In America; And Gun Violence
JAMA Neurology: Association Of Unintended Pregnancy With Spontaneous Fetal Loss In Women With Epilepsy: Findings Of The Epilepsy Birth Control Registry
In the Epilepsy Birth Control Registry survey study, results indicated that unplanned pregnancy may double the risk of spontaneous fetal loss in women with epilepsy. Interpregnacy interval less than 1 year and conception age younger than 18 years or older than 37 years were also factors. (Herzong, Mandle and MacEachern, 10/15)
The Commonwealth Fund: Health Care In America: The Experience Of People With Serious Illness
Most Americans expect the health care system will deliver effective treatment and support them through trying times when they get sick. But in reality, health care in America sometimes hurts even as it helps. Appointments can be difficult to get. Clinics and emergency rooms are often overcrowded. Doctors’ recommendations can be confusing and difficult to follow. And when the bills arrive, the costs can be unexpected and devastating. More than 40 million adults in the United States experienced serious illness in the past three years. More than 41 million provided unpaid care to elderly adults during the past year. (Schneider et al, 10/17)
Urban Institute: Six Things We Learned From Young Adults Experiencing Gun Violence In Chicago
In 2017, Chicago experienced more homicides than New York City and Los Angeles combined, and many of these deaths came at the hands of gun violence. Chicago had 3,475 shooting victims in 2017. While violence affects everyone in these communities, Chicago’s youth are often both the victims and the perpetrators of gun violence. New research by the Urban Institute sought to learn more about young adults in Chicago neighborhoods experiencing high rates of gun violence: whether they currently or have carried firearms and why and what they view as the best strategies to reduce gun violence and promote safe communities. (Robertson, 10/17)
Health Affairs: Prices For Cardiac Implant Devices May Be Up To Six Times Higher In The US Than In Some European Countries
Medical devices are estimated to account for 6 percent of health expenditures in the US and 7 percent in European Union (EU) countries. Cardiac implants are a large segment of the market, but little is known about their prices. Using 2006–14 data from a large hospital panel survey, this article provides a systematic comparison of prices of cardiac implants between the US and four EU countries. (Wenzl and Mossialos, 10/1)
JAMA Internal Medicine: Combustible And Electronic Tobacco And Marijuana Products In Hip-Hop Music Videos, 2013-2017
In this content analysis of 796 hip-hop music videos from 2013 to 2017, the appearance of combustible or electronic product use or exhaled smoke or vapor ranged from 40.2% to 50.7%. The appearance of branded combustible and electronic products increased over time. (Knutzen, Moran and Soneji, 10/15)
