Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: ACAAA Will Improve Access For Disabled Flyers; Examining The Organ Transplant Evaluation Process
USA Today: Airline Travel: People With Disabilities Face Huge Risks While Flying
In our highly mobile society, air travel is unquestionably the fastest way to get to our destination, but it is ill-equipped for millions of people with disabilities, particularly wheelchair users. Air travel is a broken system in need of attention, as the recent death of disability rights activist Engracia Figueroa illustrates. Figueroa’s careless mistreatment at the hands of an airline is not an isolated event – though it is among the most egregious. Figueroa died after an airline broke her custom-fit wheelchair. She spent weeks in a loaner chair, which caused a pressure sore that led to her death. (Charles Brown, 11/24)
The New York Times: Who Makes A ‘Good’ Transplant Candidate?
My patient stared straight ahead as the liver specialist delivered the news. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, her mind murky from the toxins of liver disease and low blood pressure. She was not a candidate for a liver transplant, the specialist explained, at least not now. He paused to give my patient and her husband time to absorb the decision. She pulled the hospital blanket up to her chin. Her husband simply nodded. Their daughter would later tell me that her father got “the gist” of the conversation, even if he could not understand the details. When we asked if he had questions, he shook his head. No. (Daniela J. Lamas, 11/24)
The Tennessean: How To Address Type 2 Diabetes Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
With the persistent spread of COVID-19 in the state of Tennessee and across the country, many people are once again wearing masks and avoiding large crowds. This is likely true for the 56% of Americans who have an increased chance of COVID-19 complications, such as type 2 diabetes. For the 30 million Americans with this disease, along with the 88 million people with prediabetes, it is important to note that type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of medical complications, including heart disease and kidney damage. (Dr. Donna O'Shea, 11/23)
Bloomberg: Patients Now See Their Records, But Can They Understand Them?
I am a primary care pediatrician who often hears from friends or relatives when they get bad or confusing medical news. Recently, a call came late on a Friday from someone who had just checked a test result in her MyChart account, a widely used electronic patient portal, and learned she had cancer. The weekend was starting, she wouldn’t be able to discuss the news with her doctor until Monday, and she spent the weekend reading and rereading her report and anxiously searching the internet for information. (Eliana Perrin, 11/23)
