Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: New Research To Predict Parkinson's; Ideas For Decreasing Drug Addiction And Overdoses
USA Today: Michael J. Fox: Help Predict Who's Getting Parkinson’s And Cure It
If I told you a simple action you take today could change everything about how Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed, managed and treated – not decades from now, but in the near future – would you do it? I don’t mean giving money. (Though that helps, too. Research is unbelievably expensive.) And I’m not talking just to the people who, like me, are living with Parkinson’s disease. (Michael J. Fox, 12/2)
The New York Times: Overdoses Surged During The Pandemic. How Do We Stop Them?
On Tuesday, New York became the first city in the United States to open officially authorized injection sites: medically supervised locations where drug users can find clean needles, naloxone — a medication that reverses overdoses — and options for addiction treatment. During the first day in operation, officials said, trained staff reversed two overdoses. (Spencer Bokat-Lindell, 12/2)
Stat: In Defense Of Not Treating Everyone The Same
As a third-generation Black physician who has experienced firsthand discrimination from health care providers, I wish I could say medicine has changed since my grandparents’ days. But it really hasn’t. When my grandparents and parents practiced medicine, Black doctors represented only 3% of providers. Today, I am one of the 5% of providers across the U.S. who identify as Black or African American. I’ve spent a large portion of my career being an advocate, educating myself and others, and illuminating the unconscious bias that pervades our health care system. More often than not, I’ve received push back from fellow providers and health care administrators, with many feeling it wasn’t their problem. Instead, it is “my problem.” (Ian Tong, 12/3)
Stat: Reforms Needed For FDA's Regulation Of Medical Devices
Medical devices are mainstays of modern medicine, from basic products like gloves and bandages to complex technologies like pacemakers and infusion pumps. Given the wide range of risks and benefits, Congress tasked the Food and Drug Administration in 1976 with determining whether new medical devices should be authorized for use based on their potential to help or harm patients. Public health experts have long voiced concerns about this balancing act. In 2011, for example, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a landmark report calling for reforms to improve the regulation of medical devices. While some of the recommendations have made their way into policy, others, like reform of the 510(k) pathway, have not. (Kushal Kadakia and Harlan M. Krumholz, 12/3)
