Research Roundup: Firearm Injuries; Mortality Among Homeless; And Opioids
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Pediatrics:
Rural Versus Urban Hospitalizations For Firearm Injuries In Children And Adolescents
Hospitalizations for firearm assaults among urban 15- to 19-year-olds represent the highest injury rate. Notably, hospitalizations are lower for urban versus rural 5- to 9-year-olds and 10- to 14-year-olds, and unintentional firearm injuries are most common among these groups. Preventative public health approaches should address these differences in injury epidemiology. (Herrin et al, 8/1)
Commonwealth Fund:
Market Concentration Variation Of Health Care Providers And Health Insurers In The United States
Over the past several decades in the United States, more and more health care providers and health insurers have consolidated, increasing their market power. Highly concentrated markets have contributed to the growth in U.S. health care spending because they are associated with higher health care prices and insurance premiums, yet are not typically associated with higher quality of care. (Fulton, Arnold and Scheffler, 7/30)
JAMA Internal Medicine:
Mortality Among Unsheltered Homeless Adults In Boston, Massachusetts, 2000-2009
In this 10-year cohort study of 445 unsheltered homeless adults, the age-standardized all-cause mortality rate was almost 3-fold larger than that for a cohort of homeless adults primarily sleeping in shelters and nearly 10-fold larger than that for the adult population of Massachusetts; both represented significant differences. Common causes of death were cancer and heart disease. (Roncarati et al, 7/30)
Pediatrics:
Outpatient Opioid Prescriptions For Children And Opioid-Related Adverse Events
Children without severe conditions enrolled in Tennessee Medicaid frequently filled outpatient opioid prescriptions for acute, self-limited conditions. One of every 2611 study opioid prescriptions was followed by an opioid-related adverse event (71.2% of which were related to therapeutic use of the prescribed opioid). (Chung et al, 8/1)
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation:
The Role Of Community Health Centers In Addressing The Opioid Epidemic
Community health centers play an important role in efforts to address the opioid epidemic. In many communities, they are on the front lines of the epidemic and have become an important source of treatment for those with opioid use disorder (OUD). (Zur et al, 7/30)
