AVAILABLE RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONICALLY

Dialogue About The Workforce For Population Health Improvement

The Roundtable on Population Health Improvement of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on March 21, 2019 convened a one-day workshop to explore the broad and multidisciplinary nature of the population health workforce. The event included speakers from professional and accrediting organizations, community health workers, supervisors, and policy experts and featured national and local examples of cross-sectoral collaboration to advance population health. The main objectives of the workshop were to explore the following topics that resulted from the Statement of Task for the workshop: (1) Facilitating a population health orientation/perspective among public health and health care leaders and professionals; (2) Framing the work of personnel such as community health workers (CHWs), health navigators, and peer-to-peer chronic disease management educators within the context of population health; and (3) Leveraging the competencies of public and private sector workforces, such as education, transportation, and planning, that are working to include a “health in all policies,” community livability, or well-being orientation in their activities. Workshop proceedings can be obtained here.

Economic Consequences Of Millennial Health

A new report by Moody’s Analytics revealed the serious impact millennials' health could have on the U.S. economy. Compared to when Generation X was the same age, millennials are projected to experience slower economic growth and pay more in health care costs over the next decade, which could have a crippling effect on the economy. Two different scenarios of millennial health and what the impact may be over the next decade are described in the study. If millennial health continues to decline and goes unaddressed over the next 10 years, the report predicts that in comparison to Gen Xers at the same age, millennials may experience some of the following outcomes: Health care treatment costs could rise as much as 33%; Mortality rates could rise as much as 40%; and Millennials’ annual income may, on average, be reduced by as much as $4,500 per person, as poor health will likely lead to job loss or reduced working hours. Moody’s Analytics analyzed the Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Index SM, which quantifies more than 300 health conditions to identify which may affect Americans’ longevity and quality of life. It is powered by annual data from more than 41 million commercially insured Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) members nationwide. The report can be obtained here.

Driving Toward Age-Friendly Care For The Future

The concept of age-friendly health systems resonates with most older patients and their caregivers, especially patients with multiple chronic conditions, according to a survey by WebMD released by the John A. Hartford Foundation. In general, caregivers perceived the older adults they cared for as having more chronic conditions. Age-friendly health systems focus on prioritizing the “4Ms” of care: what matters to patients; promoting mobility; ensuring medications do not interfere with quality of life; and treating dementias, depression and other mentation-associated conditions. Age-friendly health systems require attention to what matters to older individuals and their caregivers in order to ensure high-value care resulting in consumer satisfaction. The good news is that 87% of the more than 2,700 respondents to this survey of older adults and family caregivers report satisfaction with the care they have received in the past 12 months. This high satisfaction, however, has some caveats. For instance, it decreases as a patient’s health becomes more complicated and the number of health conditions increase. Survey results can be obtained here.

More Articles from November 2019 TRENDS

TECHNOLOGICAL IMPERATIVE CHALLENGES

Indicates why technological developments warrant closer scrutiny from the standpoint of attempting to prevent unwanted negative consequences and disruptive impacts. Read More

PRESIDENT’S CORNER

Phyllis King’s two-year term as ASAHP’s President became effective on October 18, 2019. She offers her thoughts on what she would like to see occur during that time period. Read More

MASS MEDIA FOCUS ON CAPITOL HILL

While the mass media devote considerable attention to efforts to impeach President Trump, reauthorizing both the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and funding for historically black colleges and other minority-serving institutions provide examples of other initiatives deserving of increased focus. Read More

HEALTH REFORM DEVELOPMENTS

Discusses proposed health reform legislation by candidates running for the presidency, hospital compare data on quality, and a new hospital price disclosure rule. Read More

DEVELOPMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Summarizes federal rules involving student assistance, recognition of accrediting agencies, and state agency procedures. Read More

QUICK STAT (SHORT, TIMELY, AND TOPICAL)

  • Adolescents’ Engagement With Unhealthy Food And Beverage Brands On Social Media

  • Emergency Department Visits For Sport And Recreational Activities

  • 3D Bioprinting Of A Vascularized And Perfusable Skin Graft Using Human Keratinocytes

  • Jointly Optimized Microscope Hardware For Accurate Image Classification Read More

AVAILABLE RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONICALLY

  • Dialogue About The Workforce For Population Health Improvement

  • Economic Consequences Of Millennial Health

  • Driving Toward Age-Friendly Care For The Future Read More

WHY AN INSECT APOCALYPSE MATTERS

Mentions the enormous influence that insects have on all other plant and animal species, and how the application of ants’ traffic management skills can benefit humans. Read More

HOUSING DISCRIMINATION AND RACIAL CANCER DISPARITIES

Refers to how mortgage discrimination is associated with larger black‐to‐white cancer mortality disparities resulting from a tendency to reduce black home ownership and increase the likelihood of renting, which has a negative effect on the accumulation of home equity that limits resources available to offset the financial burden of cancer. Read More