Health Policy and Management Research
Study finds widening disparities in infant mortality and life expectancy between Appalachia, rest of US
August 8, 2017 A new study co-authored by Dr. Rebecca Slifkin confirms a widening gap in health equity between Appalachia and the rest of the United States. Slifkin and colleagues call for policy changes and financial support to help people who live in economically depressed regions. Photo courtesy of Virginia State Parks.
US aid to combat malaria in Africa associated with reduced risk of childhood mortality
June 16, 2017 Funding from the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) in 19 sub-Saharan African countries was associated with a 16 percent reduction in the annual risk of children dying before age five, according to a new study by health policy and management researchers Aleksandra Jakubowksi and Dr. Harsha Thirumurthy.
Advanced cancer patients survive longer when given chance to report symptoms during treatment
June 8, 2017 Patients who receive treatment for advanced cancers commonly experience symptoms that go unreported to and undetected by clinicians. In an effort to improve patient survival and quality of life, a new study led by Dr. Ethan Basch examines the impact of patients having the opportunity to report symptoms electronically as they occur.
Drug rebates: Who pays, who profits, how can we make drug prices more equitable?
June 5, 2017 A new study led by Dr. Stacie Dusetzina examines how drug rebates result in disparities in medication costs. She and colleagues show that rebates may increase costs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries and the federal Medicare program, while decreasing costs for drug manufacturers and Part D (drug) insurance plans.
New study investigates perceptions, ethics of treatment interruptions in HIV cure research
June 2, 2017 Two faculty members from the Gillings School investigated how stakeholders respond to the concept of using analytical treatment interruptions to test the efficacy of potential HIV cure research strategies in the absence of antiretroviral therapy.
Drug company payments associated with physicians’ prescribing choices for cancer drugs
June 2, 2017 Gillings School investigators found an association between physicians receiving payments from pharmaceutical companies for meals, talks and travel and those physicians prescribing the companies' drugs for two types of cancer. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Study evaluates the CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers campaign, finds it an effective smoking cessation program
May 12, 2017 A new study assesses the impact of Tips From Former Smokers (Tips), the first federally funded tobacco education campaign in the U.S., which has been aired annually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since 2012. Doctoral student Paul Shafer, also a research economist at RTI International, is co-author of the study, published May 12 in Health Education and Behavior.
Doctoral student co-authors two studies on the difficulties of quitting smoking
April 26, 2017 Paul Shafer, health policy and management doctoral student, co-authored two articles that examine aspects of the behaviors of smokers who are trying to quit or who are exposed to antismoking advertising. The articles appear in Preventing Chronic Disease and the Journal of Health Communication.
Oberlander’s ‘Perspective’ considers reasons for failure of Obamacare repeal
April 6, 2017 Dr. Jonathan Oberlander, in a New England Journal of Medicine 'Perspective' article, discusses why the initial effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act was such a monumental failure.
Veterans’ care for PTSD not hindered by co-occurring substance use disorders
March 20, 2017 A study led by Dr. Alyssa Mansfield (Damon) found that veterans with more than one substance use disorder were not hindered from receiving outpatient specialty post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment or sufficient psychotherapy. Findings were published online March 1 in the journal Psychiatric Services.
