Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Abortion Vote Means Ohio Is Bluer Than The GOP Thinks; Mental Health Struggles Hurt Our Youth
Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Voters Pass Issue 1 Abortion Amendment. We Aren't As Red As Republicans Think
Statehouse Republicans put up a nasty fight, but at the end of the day, Ohio voters proved just how out of touch they are and have been. As polls predicted they would, Ohioans enshrined abortion and other reproductive rights into the state constitution and approved a measure that will allow those 21 and older to buy, possess and grow cannabis. (Ray Marcano, 11/7)
Cincinnati Enquirer: Mental Health One Of The Biggest Threats To Our Youth
Today, adolescents and youth face "internal risks" at much higher rates than the physical "external risks" of a few decades ago. A 2019 report by the American Academy for Pediatrics noted that for the first time, "Mental health disorders have surpassed physical conditions as the most common reasons children have impairments and limitations." A survey of local high school students in 2021 found that nearly 25% report experiencing depression and 39% report anxiety. (Kate Schroder, 11/6)
The Washington Post: Colorblindness Affects How Kids Learn. So Why Don’t We Screen For It?
Studies suggest that 80 percent of classroom learning is visual, especially in elementary school, where colors play a large role. Using colors to denote specific information — such as a vivid pie chart, a color-coded map of the United States, or a wrong answer marked in red — can cause colorblind students to misunderstand. Teachers and parents can support these pupils by making easy modifications. However, they need to know there’s a vision deficiency in the first place. (Jessica Wozinsky Fleming, 11/7)
Newsweek: Is There A Price And Time Limit On Human Justice, Freedom, And Dignity?
PEPFAR provided $100 billion over two decades to support HIV care globally, including antiretrovirals (ARVs) to 20.1 million people living with HIV (PLWH); 25 million lives were saved. As an infectious diseases physician and clinical trials investigator, I witnessed firsthand benefits of PEPFAR, which should have been reauthorized without provisions, expanding wide-reaching HIV care. (Jessica Tuan, 11/7)
Stat: The New Shift In Health Care Is Toward Less Care
The opioid crisis rocked America, bringing addiction and overdose into the spotlight. But it also highlighted the overtreatment of pain: Medical and dental providers alike overprescribed opioids after procedures and for chronic conditions. Out of that overtreatment came an epidemic. In American health care, overtreatment is common. Recently though, there has been a subtle shift in the opposite direction. It’s possible that “less is more” is catching on. (Elsa Pearson Sites, 11/8)
CNN: Supreme Court Has A Huge Decision To Make
On Tuesday, the US Supreme Court heard arguments on a pivotal gun case over a federal law that bars people subject to certain domestic violence restraining orders from possessing firearms. It seems like a pretty common-sense regulation: People who courts have deemed violent threats to their family members, significant others or exes shouldn’t be able to get their hands on deadly weapons. But the staunchly pro-gun-rights conservative justices of the Supreme Court, now in a majority, have the power to overturn this law and put women’s lives at even greater risk. Abuse is always dangerous, but when an abuser has access to a gun, his victim is five times more likely to be murdered by him. (Jill Filipovic, 11/7)
