Viewpoints: Female Doctors Face Unequal Treatment; Insurance Should Cover Mental Health Rehab
Editorial writers examine these various public health topics.
The Washington Post:
Rude Comments And Bottom Slaps: The Things Female Doctors Put Up With
I recently asked my female colleagues to share some of the gender-based criticism they’ve received over the years. Patients have commented on their makeup and appearance. Co-workers have offered unsolicited advice about the impact of career choices on family. Patients have assumed they weren’t doctors because they are female. One doctor told me she was criticized for the pitch of her voice; another for talking too much to her patients. (Shirlene Obuobi, MD, 5/23)
The Washington Post:
America Should Fund Rehab For Schizophrenia - Not Jail Or ER
Roughly a quarter of the unsheltered homeless in the United States are people with untreated mental illness. Estimates in California suggest that, in the past decade, there has been a nearly 50 percent rise in homelessness, including as many as 40,000 people suffering from untreated severe mental illness. Many with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder languish in urban single-room occupancy hotels or board and care homes. (Thomas Insel, Arvind Sooknanan and Ken Zimmerman, 5/23)
Stat:
Opportunistic Imaging Could Revolutionize Patient Care
More than 80 million CT scans are performed each year in the U.S. alone. In fact, most Americans have had a CT scan by the time they reach age 60, and many will have had several scans. While CT scans often provide key information for diagnosing a certain problem, our current approach leaves an immense amount of information unmined. Given the cost and radiation involved in CT scanning, we have an obligation not to leave any useful data on the metaphorical cutting room floor. (Miriam A. Bredella and Robert M. Wachter, 5/25)
Stat:
Could AI Diagnose Politicians' Mental Health Problems?
For psychiatrists, Donald Trump’s third run for the presidency means that we’ll once again face the challenge of diagnosis: Should we, or shouldn’t we? For 50 years, the American Psychiatric Association’s code of ethics has forbidden any member from diagnosing public figures unless the doctor has interviewed them and obtained their permission, a constraint known as the Goldwater Rule. During the 2016 presidential race, some psychiatrists skirted the rule and, through indirection, labeled Trump paranoid, sociopathic, or pathologically narcissistic. In justification, they referred to a competing obligation to warn the public about impending disaster. (Peter D. Kramer, 5/24)
Stat:
The Newly Proposed Label 'Preaddiction' Will Not Help People
The National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recently proposed a new addition to the addiction vernacular: “preaddiction.” The idea is that the word will help identify and intervene on harmful substance use earlier and more effectively. While it’s an admirable goal, the term fails to align with the evidence. Worse, adopting it could have potentially disastrous consequences for people with substance use disorders — an already marginalized group. (Cassandra L. Boness, 5/25)
New York Times:
Texas Is Torturing Women Whose Pregnancies Fail
It’s increasingly clear that it’s not safe to be pregnant in states with total abortion bans. Since the end of Roe v. Wade, there have been a barrage of gutting stories about women in prohibition states denied care for miscarriages or forced to continue nonviable pregnancies. (Michelle Goldberg, 5/23)
The CT Mirror:
CT Insurers Should Cover Fertility Preservation For Cancer Patients
More and more people are being diagnosed with cancer in their 20s and 30s. At the same time, more people are delaying having children until their 30s and 40s. So what happens to a young person’s plans for children after receiving a cancer diagnosis? (Norin Ansari MD, 5/24)
The Washington Post:
Caring For Seniors Is Mandatory. Investing In Kids Is Discretionary
In Washington, Republicans have floated budget cuts that could kick 380,000 children out of care programs and take food aid from 1.7 million women and their young children. (Alyssa Rosenberg, 5/23)
The Washington Post:
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy Warns Of Social Media For Kids
When I travel around the country talking with parents, the No. 1 question they ask me has to do with social media: “Is it safe for my kids?” Nearly 70 percent of parents say their job is harder now than it was for parents 20 years ago, mainly because of technology and social media. (Vivek H. Murthy, 5/23)
