Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Lack Of Access To ADHD Meds Is Dangerous; How To Protect Those Most At Risk From Disasters
Stat: My Four Kids And I All Have ADHD. We Need Telehealth Options.
On Thursday, the CDC released new data showing that almost 15.5 million U.S. adults are living with ADHD. More than half of those individuals received their diagnosis in adulthood. (Jeremy Didier, 10/10)
USA Today: Hurricanes Leave Disabled People At Risk. Will We Listen?
My 6-year-old disabled son is up to four times more likely to die or be critically injured during a natural disaster than his nondisabled peers, according to the National Council on Disability. Our family could have easily lived this nightmare amid Hurricane Helene. (Beth Connor, 10/11)
The Boston Globe: Psychedelic Drugs Have Great Therapeutic Promise. But Question 4 Goes Too Far.
The FDA recently rejected an application to use the psychedelic drug MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, citing study flaws and the potential for serious health risks after taking the drug — and it is that kind of rigorous review that ensures drugs given to patients are safe and effective and potential risks are known. (10/10)
Stat: Encampment Sweeps Threaten Homeless People's Health
I am now a primary care doctor, and during my training years, I took care of homeless people who arrived at the hospital’s doors for various reasons: a drug overdose, an infected wound, new unexplainable chest pain. These things also happened to people who were not homeless. (Max Jordan Nguemeni, 10/11)
Stat: I Swore I Wouldn't Become A Psychiatrist
I entered medical school absolutely certain of one thing: I didn’t want to be a psychiatrist like my father. (Jessi Gold, 10/11)
Los Angeles Times: Why Trump And RFK Jr. Won't 'Make America Healthy Again'
In the first four minutes of a recent video for his “Make America Healthy Again” campaign promoting Donald Trump for president, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presents a seemingly compelling case about how America’s toxin-laden food system harms us and, worse, our children, contributing to chronic and often fatal diseases. ... Then, much like other moments in RFK Jr.’s strange political trajectory — which has included peddling conspiracy theories on vaccines and other issues — his “MAHA” campaign plunges into outright falsehoods. (Christopher D. Cook, 10/11)
