News Archive
Protecting Students From Borrowing Excessive Amounts Of Money [July 28, 2010]
Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Tests: Misleading Test Results Further Complicated By Deceptive Marketing And Other Questionable Practices [July 27, 2010]
On The Road To Meaningful Use Of EHRs And Health IT [July 26, 2010]
The College Completion Agenda 2010 Progress Report [July 23, 2010]
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute: The Intersection of Science and Health Care [July 22, 2010]
National Progress Report On eHealth 2010 [July 21, 2010]
Status And Trends In The Education Of Racial And Ethnic Groups [July 20, 2010]
Effects Of Economic Recession On Hospitals [July 19, 2010]
National Network For Transforming Traditional And Translational Research Expands [July 16, 2010]
Lifelong Habits Of Millennials [July 15, 2010]
Reparable Harm: Assessing And Addressing Male Disparities [July 14, 2010]
Economic Contributions Of Hospitals [July 13, 2010]
The Value Of Accreditation [July 12, 2010]
National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy [July 9, 2010]
National Prevention, Health Promotion, And Public Health Council Status Report [July 8, 2010]
Decision-Maker’s Guide To Adopting Innovations [July 7, 2010]
Long-Term Budget Outlook Including Health Care Expenditures [July 6, 2010]
Politics And Policy Of Comparative Effectiveness [July 2, 2010]
Trends In World Inequality In Life Span Since 1970 [July 1, 2010]
State Of Society: Measuring Economic Success And Economic Human Well-Being [June 30, 2010]
F As In Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future [June 29, 2010]
New HEA Disclosure Requirements Take Effect July 1 [June 28, 2010]
Medical Homes: Will They Improve Primary Care? [June 25, 2010]
Medical Cost Trends For 2011 [June 24, 2010]
Experimental Estimates Of The Effects Of Online Instruction On Student Learning [June 23, 2010]
Men’s Health Report [June 22, 2010]
Changes Urged In Training Of Physicians [June 21, 2010]
HHS Makes Funds Available To Strengthen Primary Care Workforce [June 18, 2010]
Leadership Commitments To Improve Value In Healthcare [June 17, 2010]
Department Of Education Proposed New Student Aid Regulations [June 16, 2010]
Projections Of Jobs And Education Requirements Through 2018 [June 15, 2010]
Social Determinants Of Health [June 14, 2010]
Consumers Are Skeptical About Evidence-Based Health Care [June 11, 2010]
State Budget Cuts For Higher Education In 2010 [June 10, 2010]
The Failure Of Organizational Innovation In Health Care [June 9, 2010]
Comments Sought On Draft Report On Genetics Education And Training Of Health Care Professionals, Public Health Providers, And Consumers [June 8, 2010]
Report On The Forum On The Future Of Nursing [June 7, 2010]
Community Health Data Initiative Launched [June 4, 2010]
Measuring The Impact Of Federally Funded Research [June 3, 2010]
Impact Of Health Reform On Health System Spending [June 2, 2010]
Health Reform GPS: Online Tool [June 1, 2010]
Protecting Students From Borrowing Excessive Amounts Of Money
The Department of Education (ED) has released final rules in its package of draft regulations designed to strengthen oversight of federal student aid programs and protect students. The new rules are known as "gainful employment." In June, the ED published all its proposals in the Federal Register except the gainful employment rules, which could have a substantial impact on for-profit schools. They are designed to protect students from borrowing excessive amounts of money in light of what they can reasonably expect to earn after they complete their education. ED will be accepting public comments on the rules until September 9, 2010.
The proposed rules can be accessed by clicking http://www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/proprule/2010-3/072610a.html.
Direct-To-Consumer Genetic Tests: Misleading Test Results Further Complicated By Deceptive Marketing And Other Questionable Practices
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigated companies selling direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests and testified that these companies made medically unproven disease predictions. Although new companies have since been touted as being more reputable, experts remain concerned that the test results mislead consumers. GAO was asked to investigate DTC genetic tests currently on the market and the advertising methods used to sell these tests. Although the experts GAO spoke with believe that these tests show promise for the future, they agreed that consumers should not rely on any of the results at this time. GAO has referred all the companies it investigated to the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission for appropriate action.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10847t.pdf
On The Road To Meaningful Use Of EHRs And Health IT
According to a report from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the government has decided that electronic health records (EHRs) form the asphalt of tomorrow's information health highway. It has defined meaningful use (MU) as the master plan to ensure that the highway is effective and systematic. The stimulus funding for health IT, which starts next year in 2011, is a small carrot compared to the amount of resources it will take to deploy this technology, but late adopters will feel the big stick of Medicare penalties if they fail to implement EHRs that meet the criteria for MU beginning in 2015.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://pwchealth.com/cgi-local/hregister.cgi?link=reg/Ready-or-not-On-the-road-to-meaningful-use-of-EHRs-and-health-IT.pdf.
The College Completion Agenda 2010 Progress Report
College completion has become a national problem and a federal priority, but solutions and answers are likely to lie largely with the states. Two new reports lay out the scope of the challenge in individual states and offer guidance for state leaders on how best to bolster postsecondary attainment. The first of the two reports from the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center delineates state statistics related to a variety of factors in K-12 and higher education,and offers recommendations to improve education. The second item makes specific suggestions for state policy makers on how to focus on each goal to attain a 55 percent college completion rate by 2025. Currently, only 40 percent of Americans 25 to 64 years old hold an associate degree or higher, but older members of the work force are ready to retire. They are not the ones keeping down the average: a further breakdown shows that among 25- to 34-year-olds, as well, only 40 percent have reached that level.
The first report can be accessed by clicking http://completionagenda.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/reports_pdf/Progress_Report_2010.pdf.
The Policy guide can be accessed by clicking http://completionagenda.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/reports_pdf/Policy_Executive_Summary.pdf.
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute: The Intersection of Science and Health Care
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act created the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), a nonprofit corporation that is neither an agency nor an establishment of the U.S. government. PCORI's mission is to support the production of well-validated scientific evidence to assist the nation in making informed decisions about a broad range of health care-related issues. In a Commentary, the directors of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Institutes of Health discuss PCORI's opportunities to contribute to a robust portfolio of scientific inquiry that builds on their agencies' investment in comparative effectiveness research.
The Commentary can be accessed by clicking http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/2/37/37cm18.full?ijkey=7BM/5iv6VRVzg&keytype=ref&siteid=scitransmed.
National Progress Report On eHealth 2010
The National Progress Report includes a review of developments relative to strategies and actions to use health information technology (HIT) and health information exchange (HIE) to improve healthcare quality, safety, and efficiency. The review was undertaken by over 100 experts representing the spectrum of health and health IT interested parties. The National Progress Report does the following: (1) identifies activities and assesses progress against goals set in 2007; (2) highlights key trends, actions and strategies that still need to be addressed; (3) reevaluates plans and priorities in light of developments of the past two years; and (4) creates a framework for a national dialogue among relevant stakeholders.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.ehealthinitiative.org/sites/default/files/file/National%20Progess%20Report%20on%20eHealth%202010.pdf.
Status And Trends In The Education Of Racial And Ethnic Groups
A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) profiles current conditions and recent trends in the education of students by racial and ethnic group. It presents a selection of indicators that illustrate the educational achievement and attainment of White, Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander students. This report presents 29 indicators that provide information and examine (1) demographics, (2) patterns of preprimary, elementary, and secondary school enrollment; (3) student achievement, (4) persistence; (5) student behaviors that can affect their education; (6) participation in postsecondary education; and (7) outcomes of education.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/2010015.pdf.
Effects Of Economic Recession On Hospitals
Although the U.S. economy is beginning to show signs of recovery, hospitals continue to be adversely impacted by the lingering effects of the economic recession, according to a March/April 2010 survey of hospitals. The survey data reveal that patients continue to delay or forgo care as family budgets remain tight with 70 percent of hospitals reporting fewer patient visits and elective procedures. Exacerbating this trend, nearly nine in 10 hospitals reported an increase in care for which the hospital received no payment at all. Hospitals faced with such financial realities are making significant changes in an effort to weather the economic storm. Common options for hospitals have included cutting administrative costs, reducing staff, and curtailing services. Also, 89 percent of hospitals indicated that they have not added back staff or increased staff hours and 98 percent have not restored services or programs previously cut due to the downturn in the economy.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.aha.org/aha/content/2010/pdf/10june-econimpact.pdf.
National Network For Transforming Traditional And Translational Research Expands
Nine health research centers have received funds to develop ways to reduce the time it takes for clinical research to become treatments for patients. The funds were awarded as part of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program which is led by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), part of the National Institutes of Health. Now in its fourth year, the CTSA consortium has generated resources that transform the research and training environment to enhance the efficiency and quality of clinical and translational research. Examples include a Web-based national recruitment registry that connects researchers with volunteers interested in participating in clinical studies, establishing public-private partnerships, and a portal that connects researchers with potential investigational drugs that may be useful in new ways.
For a list of research centers receiving funds, click http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jul2010/ncrr-14.htm.
Lifelong Habits Of Millennials
Many individuals who are part of the segment of the U.S. population known as Millennials, members of the generation born after 1980, already either are practicing health professionals or are in school preparing to become part of the health workforce. They differ in many ways from earlier generations such as Generation X (born in the period 1965-1980), Baby Boomers who were born in the period 1946-1964, the Silent Generation (born in the period 1928-1945) and the Greatest Generation (born prior to 1928). These generation groups have distinct characteristics that may have an effect on how health care is delivered in coming years. In a survey about the future impact of the internet by the Pew Research Center, a solid majority of technology experts and stakeholders said the Millennial generation will lead society into a new world of personal disclosure and information-sharing using new media. Communications patterns "digital natives" already have embraced through their use of social networking technology and other social technology tools will carry forward even as Millennials age, form families, and move up the economic ladder.
A report entitled, Millennials Will Make Online Sharing in Networks a Lifelong Habit can be accessed by clicking http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Future-of-Millennials.aspx?r=1 .
Reparable Harm: Assessing And Addressing Male Disparities
A study from RAND identifies some of the greatest disparities for boys and men of color relative to their white counterparts across specific socioeconomic, health, safety, and school readiness indicators in California and provides information about different strategies for reducing these disparities — including effective programs, practices, and policies — that can begin making an important difference in changing the life course of boys and men of color.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2009/RAND_MG745.pdf.
Economic Contributions Of Hospitals
In 2008, America's hospitals treated 123 million patients in their emergency departments, provided care for 624 million outpatients, performed 27 million surgeries, and delivered 4 million babies. Every year, hospitals provide vital health care services to millions of individuals in thousands of communities. However, the importance of hospitals to their communities extends far beyond health care. The health care sector is an economic mainstay and hospitals provide stability and even growth during times of recession. Hospitals employ more than 5 million personnel and create over two trillion dollars of economic activity.
Additional information can be accessed by clicking http://www.aha.org/aha/content/2010/pdf/2010econcontrib.pdf.
The Value Of Accreditation
Regional, national and programmatic accrediting organizations and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) have developed a document titled The Value of Accreditation. This booklet provides a resource that briefly addresses accreditation, how it works and how it benefits students and the public. Included in the booklet are answers to “Frequently Asked Questions” on accreditation-related topics.
The document can be accessed by clicking http://www.chea.org/pdf/Value%20of%20US%20Accreditation%2006.29.2010_buttons.pdf.
National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy
Too often, there exists a chasm of knowledge between what health professionals know and what consumers and patients understand. Basic health literacy is fundamental to the success of each interaction between health care professionals and patients—every prescription, every treatment, and every recovery. The National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) envisions a restructuring of the ways to create and disseminate all types of health information in the U.S.
The action plan can be accessed by clicking http://www.health.gov/communication/HLActionPlan/pdf/Health_Literacy_Action_Plan.pdf.
National Prevention, Health Promotion, And Public Health Council Status Report
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (known together as the Affordable Care Act) mandate the creation of the National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council and the development of the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy. The Council released its 2010 Annual Status Report on June 30 and transmitted it to Congress. The group has Surgeon General Regina Benjamin as chairperson and it includes representatives from several federal agencies. The report presents guiding principles, data on the leading and underlying causes of death, examples of current federal programs, and brief descriptions of types of interventions that will form the basis of the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy. The Council will provide coordination and leadership for federal prevention and wellness efforts on an ongoing basis.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.hhs.gov/news/reports/nationalprevention2010report.pdf.
Decision-Maker’s Guide To Adopting Innovations
Developed by RTI International for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a Decision Maker’s Guide To Adopting Innovations was prepared to promote evidence-based decision-making and help decision-makers determine whether an innovation would be a good fit—or an appropriate stretch—for their health care organization. Guided by a framework that regards adoption as a process, rather than an event, the tool is based on a modified version of the core concepts in Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations (Rogers, 2003).
The guide can be accessed by clicking http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/resources/InnovationAdoptionGuide.pdf.
Long-Term Budget Outlook Including Health Care Expenditures
At the end of 2008, federal debt equaled 40 percent of the nation’s annual economic output (as measured by gross domestic product, or GDP), a little above the 40-year average of 36 percent. Since then, large budget deficits have caused debt held by the public to shoot upward. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that federal debt will reach 62 percent of GDP by the end of this year—the highest percentage since shortly after World War II. CBO projects that if current laws do not change, federal
spending on major mandatory health care programs will grow from roughly 5 percent of GDP today to about 10 percent in 2035 and will continue to increase there after. Those projections include all effects of the recently enacted health care legislation, which is expected to increase federal spending in the next 10 years and for most of the following decade. By 2030, however, that legislation will slightly reduce federal spending for health care if all its provisions are fully implemented.
The CBO Report can be accessed by clicking http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/115xx/doc11579/06-30-LTBO.pdf.
Politics And Policy Of Comparative Effectiveness
Interest in evaluating which health care interventions work best under what circumstances has surged in recent years as policy makers seek tools to moderate the cost of public entitlement programs and to facilitate affordable coverage expansions. An Issue Brief from Mathematica examines the comparative effectiveness research initiative passed as part of health care reform and the policy challenges relevant to the successful implementation of comparative effectiveness research.
http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/PDFs/Health/chce_IB1.pdf
Trends In World Inequality In Life Span Since 1970
Previous research has revealed much global convergence over the past several decades in life expectancy at birth and in infant mortality, which are closely linked. But trends in the variance of length of life, and in the variance of length of adult life in particular, are less well understood. A paper from the National Bureau of Research (NBER Working Paper No. 16088) examines life-span inequality in a broad, balanced panel of 180 rich and poor countries observed in 1970 and 2000. Convergence in infant mortality has unambiguously reduced world inequality in total length of life starting from birth, but world inequality in length of adult life has remained stagnant. Underlying both of these trends is a growing share of total inequality that is attributable to between-country variation. Especially among developed countries, the absolute level of between-country inequality has risen over time.
A copy of the Working Paper can be accessed by clicking http://www.nber.org/papers/w16088.
State Of Society: Measuring Economic Success And Economic Human Well-Being
A study from the Urban Institute goes beyond gross domestic product (GDP) to offer a more complete and accurate picture of how a society and its economy are faring. Based on a review of the literature and an analysis of major arguments and rationales for moving beyond GDP as a measure of national well-being, this report identifies 14 categories of national well-being. It synthesizes hundreds of indicators found in 28 reports that present alternative indices and systems of well-being into 79 indicators organized under these categories. Health and education are among the 14 categories.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412101-state-of-society.pdf.
F As In Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future
Despite increasing awareness, obesity rates continue to climb, especially among racial and ethnic minorities, Southerners, and the poor. Key findings are in F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens American's Future 2010, the seventh annual obesity report released jointly by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Adult obesity rates for black Americans exceeded 40% in nine states and topped 30% in 43 states. Obesity rates for adult Latinos were at 30% or above in 19 states. Conversely, West Virginia was the only state to have an adult obesity rate for whites that is above 30%. Of the 11 states with the highest rates of obesity, 10 are in the South.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/Obesity2010Report.pdf.
New HEA Disclosure Requirements Take Effect July 1
Many new disclosure requirements contained in the 2008 Higher Education Act reauthorization will become effective on July 1. The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics has a prepared a report for colleges and universities with advice on how to comply with the new requirements.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/2010831rev.pdf.
Medical Homes: Will They Improve Primary Care?
A June issue brief from Mathematica Policy Research Inc. is on the topic of medical homes, which are part of this nation’s overall efforts to reform the health care system. Effective primary care, the cornerstone of the medical home concept, may enhance quality of care and reduce costs by improving prevention and continuity of care and reducing unnecessary treatment, avoidable hospitalizations, duplicative testing, and other inefficient care.This brief looks at federal and state efforts to establish medical homes and notes considerations for policymakers seeking to improve access to services and the quality of care.
The issue brief can be accessed by clicking http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/PDFs/Health/reformhealthcare_IB6.pdf.
This annual report from PricewaterhouseCoopers on medical cost trends was published in June 2010 and factored the impact of many variables including the US economy, which continues to emerge from a deep recession, as well as healthcare reform, which has phased-in milestones that begin in 2011. Increases in medical costs are expected to be slightly less than last year, but still are projected to outpace the rate of inflation significantly, raising questions about sustainability and if health reform can create greater efficiencies and cut costs. Last year's report correctly forecast many trends for 2010 and this new report explains how trends from this year will carry over to have an impact on 2011. Key trends that both helped increase and mitigate medical costs are identified and explained in greater detail.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://pwchealth.com/cgi-local/hregister.cgi?link=reg/Behind_the_numbers_Medical_cost_trends_for_2011.pdf.
Experimental Estimates Of The Effects Of Online Instruction On Student Learning
A new paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) presents the first experimental evidence on the effects of live versus internet media of instruction. Students in a large introductory microeconomics course at a major research university were randomly assigned to live lectures versus watching these same lectures in an internet setting, where all other factors (e.g., instruction, supplemental materials) were the same. Counter to the conclusions drawn by a recent U.S. Department of Education meta-analysis of non-experimental analyses of internet instruction in higher education, the paper finds modest evidence that live-only instruction dominates internet instruction. These results are particularly strong for Hispanic students, male students, and lower-achieving students. Suggestions are provided for future experimentation in other settings.
The paper can be accessed by clicking http://www.nber.org/tmp/5905-w16089.pdf.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, males make up 49.3% of the United States population. CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) recently released 2009 data on U.S. adult health risks and behaviors. Self-reported health behaviors and chronic conditions for U.S. men fluctuated from 1999 to 2009. Among U.S. males, health behaviors for tobacco use and binge drinking decreased and chronic conditions including obesity, diabetes, and hypertension prevalence increased from 1999 to 2009. Improved self-reported health behaviors included exercise. During the same time frame, worsened self-reported health behaviors include high cholesterol.
Additional information can be accessed by clicking http://www.cdc.gov/Features/dsMenBRFSS/.
Changes Urged In Training Of Physicians
In its June report, members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) question whether current methods of training are able to produce a mix of medical professionals that will lead change in health care delivery from a focus on fee-for-service medicine to focusing on quality of care, better coordinated care, and restraining costs. Medicare's "graduate medical education" payments play a large role in financing the training of American doctors. MedPAC indicates the program can help to transform the health care system.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.medpac.gov/documents/Jun10_EntireReport.pdf.
HHS Makes Funds Available To Strengthen Primary Care Workforce
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, along with Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Mary Wakefield on June 16 announced the availability of $250 million to develop and strengthen the primary care workforce. The funds will be used to boost the supply of primary care providers over the next five years. Funding includes:
- $168 million for a "Primary Care Residency Expansion" (PCRE) initiative;
- $32 million for supporting physician assistant training in primary care;
- $30 million for encouraging students to pursue full-time nursing careers;
- $15 million for establishing new nurse practitioner-led health clinics; and
- $5 million for encouraging states to plan for and address health professional workforce needs.
A Fact Sheet containing more information can be accessed by clicking http://www.healthreform.gov/newsroom/primarycareworkforce.html.
Leadership Commitments To Improve Value In Healthcare
The U.S. health care system is large, dynamic, complex, and multifaceted. It consists of many participants. Although each group seeks to improve patient health and well-being, they often work in unassociated or fragmented ways that compromise the quality and value of care. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) hosted a workshop that brought together representatives of various key groups to discuss opportunities and cooperative strategies to improve efficiency and effectiveness of care throughout the nation.
The report was released on June 14 and can be accessed by clicking http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11982.
Department Of Education Proposed New Student Aid Regulations
The Department of Education (ED) announced that on Friday it will release a package of proposed new student aid regulations to protect students from misleading recruiting practices, provide consumers with better information about career college and training programs, and ensure that only eligible students or programs receive federal aid. The regulations are based on the negotiated rulemaking sessions that were conducted last November, December, and January, in which the American Council on Education took part. The public will have until August 2 to comment on the proposed rules, which will be published in the June 18 Federal Register.
Projections Of Jobs And Education Requirements Through 2018
A new, highly detailed forecast shows that as the economy struggles to recover and jobs slowly return, there will be a growing disconnect between the types of jobs employers need to fill and numbers of Americans who have the education and training to fill those jobs. The report, Help Wanted: Projecting Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2018 by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce forecasts that by 2018, 63 percent of all jobs will require at least some postsecondary education. Employers will need 22 million new workers with postsecondary degrees. The report shows that we will fall short by three million workers without a dramatic change in course. This translates into a deficit of 300,000 college graduates every year between now and 2018
The report can be accessed by clicking http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/FullReport.pdf.
A report released from Canada offers Canadians the opportunity to learn how their living conditions will determine whether they stay healthy or become ill. Primary factors that shape the health of Canadians are not medical treatments or lifestyle choices, but rather the living conditions they experience. Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts considers 14 social determinants of health.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.thecanadianfacts.org/The_Canadian_Facts.pdf.
Consumers Are Skeptical About Evidence-Based Health Care
As health care reform unfolds following the passage of the Affordable Care Act, a study published in the June 2010 issue of the journal Health Affairs shows a deep chasm between proponents of evidence-based medicine and health consumers. The study, "Evidence That Consumers Are Skeptical about Evidence-Based Health Care” examines the misconceptions, values, beliefs, and behaviors that challenge efforts to engage consumers in evidence-based decision-making. A key finding from the research: Most consumers believe that more care means better care. Consumers believe that new types of care and treatment are always better and it's difficult for them to accept evidence to the contrary. Moving forward, it will be difficult to motivate consumers to accept evidence-based health care given that traditional models of care are still dominant; health care decisions are becoming increasingly complex; and the general public has relatively low levels of health and scientific literacy.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.2009.0296?ijkey=JtUHLpFXh2Rtg&keytype=ref&siteid=healthaff.
State Budget Cuts For Higher Education In 2010
Thirty-six states have cut funding for higher education by a total of over $2.3 billion in FY 2010, according to estimates in a survey released this month by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO). In addition, 31 states have proposed budget cuts to higher education in FY 2011. The reductions have come at a time when states face "the most difficult challenge to their financial management since the Great Depression," according to the report. These budget strains will likely continue through 2011 and 2012. As a result, states have had to fill budget gaps totaling $96.2 billion in FY 2010, with $11.6 billion remaining unfilled. Ten states have used "higher education related fees" to fill those gaps. The Fiscal Survey of States is issued twice a year by NGA and NASBO. This edition covers data collected between March and May 2010.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/FSS1006.PDF.
The Failure Of Organizational Innovation In Health Care
Medical care is characterized by enormous inefficiency. Costs are higher and outcomes worse than almost all analyses of the industry suggest should occur. In other industries characterized by inefficiency, efficient firms expand to take over the market or new firms enter to eliminate inefficiencies, however, these events have not happened in medical care. A paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER Working Paper No. 16030) explores the reasons for this failure of innovation. Two factors are viewed as being particularly important in organizational stagnation: public insurance programs that are oriented to volume of care and not value and inadequate information about quality of care. Recent reforms have aspects that bear on these problems.
The paper can be accessed by clicking http://www.nber.org/papers/w16030.
Comments Sought On Draft Report On Genetics Education And Training Of Health Care Professionals, Public Health Providers, And Consumers
The Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society (SACGHS) seeks review and comments on the Committee’s draft report Genetics Education and Training of Health Care Professionals, Public Health Providers, and Consumers. The report discusses the current state of genetics education and training of health care professionals, public health providers, and consumers. It is based on a literature review and surveys of health professional organizations, consumer advocacy groups, and selected Federal agencies. The report identifies gaps in genetics education and training efforts for these groups and proposes seven recommendations to address them. The proposed recommendations call for innovative education and training strategies that use a wide array of media, are culturally appropriate, and acknowledge varied learning needs. In particular, SACGHS recommends actions to address the challenges of health care professionals and public health providers who provide care for underserved groups and populations. In particular, the Committee would welcome responses to the following questions:
- Are the discussions of topics and issues accurate and complete?
- Do the conclusions of the draft report follow from the literature review and SACGHS survey and interview results?
- Do the draft recommendations target the issues and concerns identified in this report?
- Are the recommendations specific enough? Do they rely to the appropriate degree on the public sector? On the private sector? On public-private partnerships?
- Which draft recommendations should be of highest priority for the Federal government to address?
Comments received by June 30, 2010, will be considered by SACGHS in preparing the final report. They should be addressed to Steven Teutsch, MD, MPH, SACGHS Chair, and transmitted via e-mail, fax, or mail to:
Kathryn Camp
Office of Biotechnology Activities
National Institutes of Health
6705 Rockledge Drive, Suite 750
Bethesda, MD, 20892
campkm@od.nih.gov
Fax: 301-496-9839
The report can be accessed by clicking http://oba.od.nih.gov/oba/SACGHS/SACGHS%20Draft%20Genetics%20Education%20and%20Training%20Report.pdf.
Report On The Forum On The Future Of Nursing
On December 3, 2009, the Initiative on the Future of Nursing, a collaborative effort between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
and the Institute of Medicine (IOM), held a forum at the Community College of Philadelphia to examine the challenges facing the nursing profession with regard to care in the community, including aspects of community health, public health, primary care, and long-term care. The
forum was the second of three held to gather information and discuss ideas related to the future of nursing.
The report can be accessed by clicking http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12893.
Community Health Data Initiative Launched
HHS and the Institute of Medicine have launched a national initiative to help consumers and communities obtain more value from the nation’s wealth of health data. Under the Initiative: HHS will release greater amounts of health data in more usable formats, software developers will use data to create new applications that will make health information increasingly useful for individuals and communities, and with improved data and creative new applications, communities and consumers will initiate effective new efforts in disease prevention, health promotion, and measurement of health care quality and performance.
Additional information can be accessed by clicking http://www.hhs.gov/open/datasets/about.html.
Measuring The Impact Of Federally Funded Research
A new initiative promises to monitor the impact of federal science investments on employment, knowledge generation, and health outcomes. The initiative—Science and Technology for America’s Reinvestment: Measuring the Effect of Research on Innovation, Competitiveness and Science, or STAR METRICS—is a multi-agency venture led by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Data for the program will come from research institutions that volunteer to participate and the federal agencies that fund them. Information will be gathered from universities in a highly automated way, with minimal or no burden for scientists and university administrators.
For more information, click http://nrc59.nas.edu/star_info2.cfm.
Impact Of Health Reform On Health System Spending
In an Issue Brief from The Commonwealth Fund, it is noted that the health reform legislation passed in March 2010 will introduce a range of payment and delivery system changes designed to achieve a significant slowing of health care cost growth. Most assessments of the new reform law have focused only on the federal budgetary impact. An updated analysis projects the effect of national reform on total national health expenditures and the insurance premiums that American families would likely pay. On net, it is estimated that the combination of provisions in the new law will reduce health care spending by $590 billion over 2010–2019 and lower premiums by nearly $2,000 per family. Moreover, the annual growth rate in national health expenditures could be slowed from 6.3 percent to 5.7 percent.
The Issue Brief can be accessed by clicking http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Issue%20Brief/2010/May/1405_Cutler_impact_hlt_reform_on_hlt_sys_spending_ib_v4.pdf.
Health Reform GPS: Online Tool
The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services’ Hirsh Health Law and Policy Program has partnered with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to produce “Health Reform GPS,” an online tool to help navigate the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and its implementation. The site contains legal analysis of the law as well as expert commentary on its various provisions. The site eventually will cover all aspects of PPACA.
The site can be accessed by clicking http://www.healthreformgps.org/.