Health Policy and Management Research
By sending tests in the mail, researchers boost colorectal cancer screening
July 19, 2018 Recent research found that mailing colorectal cancer screening tests to people insured by Medicaid increased the likelihood that they would undergo the cancer screening. Dr. Stephanie Wheeler is senior author of the study.
Study finds policy changes increase access to drug that reverses opioid overdoses
July 6, 2018 A new study found that laws to improve naloxone access increase access to naloxone among Medicaid beneficiaries, a group that experiences a risk of overdose death several times higher than the general population. Naloxone is a life-saving prescription medication used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Photo by Tom Wolf.
Living in a rural county is increasingly predictive of higher mortality rate, study finds
May 30, 2018 Health policy and management doctoral student Jennifer Spencer is lead author of an article that explores the increasing disparity in mortality rates between urban and rural counties in the United States.
Researchers find fewer young people are completing the HPV vaccine series, urge better compliance
May 18, 2018 UNC researchers led by doctoral student Jennifer Spencer have reported in a new study that follow-through on the HPV vaccine – the percentage of those who complete the series within a year of receiving their first dose – has fallen dramatically. The drop is problematic, given that timely completion of the vaccine series protects those who are sexually active from a number of reproductive system cancers, notably cervical and anal cancers. Photo by VCU CNS.
Study finds breast cancer places greater financial burden on black women
May 4, 2018 Having breast cancer places a significantly greater financial strain on black women than on white women, according to a study led by the Gillings School's Dr. Stephanie Wheeler.
Rozier, Weintraub co-author oral health paper commissioned by National Academies’ Roundtable on Health Literacy
February 22, 2018 Drs. Gary Rozier and Jane Weintraub are co-authors of a comprehensive paper on the integration of oral health, primary care and health literacy. The commissioned work is part of a series of papers aimed at informing, inspiring and activating the development, implementation and sharing of evidence-based health literacy practices and policies.
Chemotherapy before surgery found cost-effective in patients with advanced ovarian cancer
January 24, 2018 In the short term, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) was found to be more cost-efficient than primary surgery in women with advanced stage epithelial ovarian cancer. Additionally, NACT resulted in a greater boost to quality-adjusted life-years per patient.
Study predicts tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in Colombia would reduce consumption, boost government revenue
January 4, 2018 Three researchers in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health are co-authors of a new study that estimates what outcomes would likely result if Colombia were to institute a national tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.
Dubé researches ethics of HIV cure-related research, including perceptions of people living with HIV in the US
December 8, 2017 About 36.7 million people worldwide currently live with HIV. Two recently published papers co-authored by Dr. Karine Dubé help map the complex ethics of research into an HIV cure. Image of HIV drugs is courtesy of NIAID.
Smoke-free air laws found to have no greater financial impact on small businesses than large ones
November 25, 2017 The spread of clean indoor air laws in the U.S. has stagnated in recent years, in part due to concerns that such laws cause an undue economic burden to small businesses. Doctoral student Paul Shafer conducted a statistical analysis that disproved this anecdotal claim.
