Research Roundup: State Health Scorecards; Caregivers And Veterans; And Artificial Light
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
Commonwealth Fund:
2019 Scorecard On State Health System Performance: Deaths From Suicide, Alcohol, Drugs On The Rise; Progress Expanding Health Care Coverage Stalls; Health Costs Are A Growing Burden
The Commonwealth Fund’s 2019 Scorecard on State Health System Performance reveals that most states are losing ground on key measures related to life expectancy as premature deaths from suicide, alcohol, and drug overdose continue to increase. Several states that most recently expanded eligibility for their Medicaid programs saw meaningful gains in access to health care; in other states prior gains eroded between 2016 and 2017. Finally, the Scorecard found that health care costs are placing an increasing financial burden on families across the nation. (Radley, Collins and Hayes, 6/12)
Health Affairs:
Including Family Caregivers In Seriously Ill Veterans’ Care: A Mixed-Methods Study
Family caregivers often serve as unpaid members of the home and community-based care workforce for people with serious illness; as key partners in the home-clinic continuum, they should be included in health care teams. The Campaign for Inclusive Care is an initiative within the Veterans Affairs health care system to improve provider practices for including caregivers of military members in treatment planning and decisions. We defined inclusive care using a literature review, provider interviews, and a caregiver survey. We found that inclusive care involves clear definition of the caregiver role, system policies for inclusion, assessment of caregivers’ capacity, explicit involvement of caregivers, and mutuality in caregiver-provider communication. (Sperber et al, 6/3)
JAMA Internal Medicine:
Association Of Exposure To Artificial Light At Night While Sleeping With Risk Of Obesity In Women
In this cohort study of 43 722 women, artificial light at night while sleeping was significantly associated with increased risk of weight gain and obesity, especially in women who had a light or a television on in the room while sleeping. Associations do not appear to be explained by sleep duration and quality or other factors influenced by poor sleep. (Park et al, 6/10)
Pediatrics:
Proposition 8 And Homophobic Bullying In California
Bias-based bullying is associated with negative outcomes for youth, but its contextual predictors are largely unknown. Voter referenda that target lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender groups may be 1 contextual factor contributing to homophobic bullying. (Hatzenbuehler et al, 6/3)
