Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Calling PTSD A Disorder Is Affecting Its Treatment; How Long Should One Stay In Hospice Care?
Chicago Tribune: Renaming PTSD Could Help Reduce Stigma, Encourage Treatment
Although Veterans Day is firmly in the rear view, the difficult and critical work of offering veterans relief from their trauma remains a daily challenge. Reducing post-traumatic stress among military veterans can lead to a reduction of a host of social ills, but first, we must end its stigma as a “disorder.” (Eugene Lipov, 11/29)
USA Today: Rosalynn And Jimmy Carter Bring Needed Attention To Hospice Care - And Questions
Generally, people associate hospice with imminent death, especially if they have no close experience with it. And in many cases they are right: Out of the more than 1.5 million choosing hospice services in America, half die within 18 days of admission to hospice, and 1 in 10 die in the first two days. (Cara L. Wallace, 11/29)
The Washington Post: Poland’s Near-Total Abortion Ban Has Been A Disaster
A right-wing government in Poland, in league with the Catholic Church and legitimately worried about plummeting birthrates, pushed for the toughest abortion law of any major European country three years ago. The results are now in, providing a telling lesson in unintended consequences. (Lee Hockstader, 11/29)
Also —
East Bay Times: Hospitals Are Shortchanging Black Cancer Patients
A new analysis from researchers at the American Cancer Society suggests that the distressing disparity in outcomes for Black and White colon cancer patients could narrow if hospitals simply treated all patients with the same level of high-quality care. (Lisa Jarvis, 11/28)
Stat: Neuroscience’s Long Legacy Of Racism
Many parts of neuroscience research have a race problem. Black people are often excluded from studies due to the texture of their hair, receive erroneous and inaccurate readings due to the melanin content of their skin, and are severely underrepresented in neuroimaging datasets. Now neurotechnology is undergoing a moment of tremendous change, as Elon Musk’s Neuralink has obtained independent review board approval to conduct its first human trials for the R1 robot and N1 brain implant. That makes it an especially good time to have a frank conversation about who gets to lead innovation in neuroscience, especially within neuroengineering. Getting this wrong has vast consequences. (De-Shaine Murray, 11/29)
