Health Policy and Management Research
TB still major public health threat in China due to knowledge-practice gap, study finds
October 17, 2017 Although the prevalence of tuberculosis has more than halved in China since 1990, early diagnosis remains a challenge. A new study led by Dr. Sean Y. Sylvia provides, for the first time, data on the quality of TB care found at three different levels of the Chinese rural health system.
Five new Gillings Innovation Labs awarded
October 5, 2017 Five teams of Gillings School researchers and their collaborators have been awarded new funding for Gillings Innovation Laboratory awards (GILs), beginning this fall. Researchers include Drs. Orlando Coronell, Stephanie Engel, Emily Gower, Stephen Marshall, and Kristen Hassmiller Lich, PhD, and Steven Meshnick. The awards are administered by Research, Innovation and Global Solutions, the Gillings School unit that manages programs funded by the $50 million Gillings gift.
Lancet report charts path toward health for sub-Saharan countries
September 26, 2017 Dr. Irene Agyepong, Gillings School alumna, is lead author of a new, comprehensive report that charts a roadmap for improved health among sub-Saharan Africans. Published in The Lancet, the report was co-authored by a number of public health researchers and policy makers around the world.
Savings less than expected for generic oral chemotherapy, study finds
September 11, 2017 A study by Dr. Stacie Dusetzina, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, determined that the cost savings for a generic version of an orally administered cancer treatment were less than expected -- a finding that questions the impact generic drugs can have on controlling health-care costs.
UNC researchers receive grant to examine enhanced services in NC community pharmacies
September 8, 2017 Kea Turner, a doctoral candidate in the health policy and management department, is co-principal investigator on a grant from the Community Pharmacy Foundation that will analyze barriers to organizational change in community pharmacies.
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.
