Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Medical Skepticism Is Becoming A Real Problem; What's Behind The Mommy Wine Culture?
The New York Times: Patients Are Losing Trust in Doctors. Medicine Suffers.
We are at a crossroads in medicine when it comes to public trust. After a pandemic that twisted science for political gain, it is not surprising that confidence in medicine is eroding. In fact, trust in medical scientists has fallen to its lowest levels since January 2019. (Daniela J. Lamas, 2/24)
CNN: Why Memes About Mommy And Wine Are No Joke
The number of women ages 40 to 64 who ended up at the hospital after abusing alcohol almost doubled during the pandemic, according to a study of insurance claims published this month in the journal JAMA Health Forum. This research comes on the heels of a study published last year that found alcohol-related deaths are rising fastest among women. In 2022, researchers found that the rate of having five or more drinks at a time grew twice as fast among women ages 35 to 50 as among men over the previous decade. (Kara Alaimo, 4/24)
Stat: The Promise And Peril Of A Blood Test For Colorectal Cancer
As a gastroenterologist and cancer researcher, my mission is to help my patients live longer, healthier, and cancer-free lives. A rise in the number of younger Americans diagnosed with colorectal cancer worries me — early-age onset colorectal cancer is expected to surge by more than 140% by 2030. But because colorectal cancer is preventable with early screening and detection, it’s possible to reduce the number of Americans diagnosed with this disease in the prime of their lives. (Folasade P. May, 4/24)
Military.com: Why Are We Silent About Military Spouse Substance Abuse?
When we think about substance abuse and the military, we typically think about service members and veterans with stories that end with a dishonorable discharge or homelessness. But that's only one side of the story. "Alcohol is so normalized in the military community. It is part of every tradition. It is part of every single social event," said Evie King, military spouse and president of InDependent, an organization focused on wellness within the military community. "If you are a military spouse, who either is sober curious or in recovery … our military culture in a way is almost built to exclude that, because you are 'other.' You are the odd one." (Barnhill, 4/22)
Boston Globe: Mass General Brigham Physicians React To Latest Merger Step
Discontent among Mass General Brigham doctors had been at a slow burn for years. But when an unexpected announcement from the chief executive titled “A message about our future” popped into inboxes one morning last month, that frustration seemed to fully ignite. (Liz Kowalczyk, 4/22)
