Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Cost Isn't The Only Barrier To New Sickle Cell Treatments; What's Behind Health Worker Burnout?
Scientific American: Innovative Thinking Could Make New Sickle Cell Treatments More Accessible
Last fall, to great fanfare, US regulators approved two gene therapies for sickle cell disease, and the European Union and UK soon followed. Many people hope that these treatments will provide a “functional cure” for the genetic condition, which causes rigid, misshapen red blood cells that lead to anemia, episodes of extreme pain, blood vessel and organ damage, stroke risk and lower life expectancy. (Shobita Parthasarathy, 5/22)
Stat: Addressing Health Care Workers' Trauma Can Help Fight Burnout
Burnout is a growing crisis in health care: More than 50% of health care professionals report symptoms of it. Addressing the trauma they face at work can help. (Sadie Elisseou, 5/23)
Scientific American: We Don’t Need To Choose Between Brain Injury And ‘Mass Hysteria’ To Explain Havana Syndrome
They didn’t have brain injury. So concluded the recent National Institutes of Health clinical and brain imaging studies of about 80 individuals reporting “anomalous health incidents” (AHIs)—a variety of unexplained symptoms experienced by U.S. officials in the diplomatic and intelligence services that have created alarm and puzzlement since they were first reported in Havana in late 2016. (Jon Stone and Kenneth R. Foster, 5/22)
Los Angeles Times: Why Most Older Americans Who Need Hearing Aids Don't Use Them
Nearly two-thirds of Americans over age 70 have some degree of hearing loss, and over half of those 75 and older experience impairment serious enough to be considered disabling. But most don’t wear hearing aids. (Mary C. White, 5/23)
Newsweek: Drugs Are Making Our Nation's Mental Health Crisis Worse
The relationship between drug use and mental health issues moves in both directions. As the National Institute on Drug Abuse points out, "many individuals who develop substance use disorders (SUD) are also diagnosed with mental disorders, and vice versa." Those with mental health issues are more likely to use drugs, perhaps to cope or self-medicate. And those who use drugs are more likely to develop mental health issues, given the inherent risks of many illicit drugs. (Kevin Sabet, 5/22)
