Preventing Chronic Disease released a collection of oral health articles. These articles include topics such as inequities in access to dental care, disparities in prevalence of oral disease, the relationship between oral health and chronic diseases, and the impact of COVID-19 on access to oral health services and disease monitoring. The articles provide a snapshot of why oral health needs to be elevated as a policy priority by being integrated into discussions and policy decisions about health. Addressing the social, behavioral, and environmental determinants of health as part of oral health care offers a new approach to prevention and treatment.
Screening for Hearing Loss in Older Adults: Final Recommendation
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a final recommendation statement on screening for hearing loss in older adults. The Task Force concluded that more research is needed to determine whether to screen older adults for hearing loss before they have symptoms. To view the recommendation, the evidence on which it is based, and a summary for clinicians, please go here. The final recommendation statement can also be found in the March 23, 2021 online issue of JAMA.
Happy News During a Pandemic
In a conclusion that even surprised its editors, the 2021 World Happiness Report found that, amid global hardship, self-reported life satisfaction across 95 countries on average remained steady in 2020 from the previous year. The United States saw the same trend — despite societal tumult that yielded a national drop in positive emotions and a rise in negative ones. The country fell one spot, to 19th, in the annual rankings of the report, which was released Saturday. The report is good news regarding global resilience according to experts. Read more.
HHS: Health Disparities by Race/Ethnicity During the Pandemic
HHS released a report with existing data on rates for infection, hospitalization, death, and vaccination by race and ethnicity. The brief discusses the drivers of these disparities and offers policy recommendations for achieving health equity.
NIHB Legislative and Policy Agenda for Indian Health
The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is a non-profit organization focusing on health care priorities for American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes. This annual report lists issue areas ranging from COVID-19 response to telehealth capacity to water and sanitation infrastructure.
CDC: Urban-Rural Differences in Drug Overdose Death Rates, 1999-2019
A new brief from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports on a higher rate of overdose deaths due to heroin and cocaine in urban areas. In rural areas, however, overdose rates were higher for natural and semisynthetic opioids, synthetic opioids (excluding methadone), and psychostimulants with abuse potential.
HHS: Health Disparities by Race/Ethnicity During the Pandemic
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released a report with existing data on rates for infection, hospitalization, death, and vaccination by race and ethnicity. The brief discusses the drivers of these disparities, and offers policy recommendations for achieving health equity.
ACG Updates Colorectal Cancer Guidelines
A recent MedPage article states that the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) has updated their colorectal cancer (CRC) guidelines that they last issued in 2009. The decision was made due to data on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening gathered over the past decade. The new recommendations, published online in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, state that screening should start at age 45 for persons of average risk.
CHWs and Peer Specialists Helping to Address Diabetes Control
A new issue brief showcases the important role of front-line community health workers (CHWs) and peer specialists in leveraging connections with their communities for diabetes control in response to demand and challenges of the COVID-19 health pandemic. MHP Salud and the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), both HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs), developed the brief.
Women’s Experiences with Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from the KFF Women’s Health Survey
The Kaiser Family Foundation has released it report “Women’s Experiences with Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from the KFF Women’s Health Survey.”
The report examines experiences accessing health care during the COVID-19 pandemic have differed by gender, age, race/ethnicity, insurance coverage, and income and what this could mean moving forward.
Review the report at https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/womens-experiences-with-health-care-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-findings-from-the-kff-womens-health-survey/