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The Howard government's decision to support the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was the most significant decision made that year. Cabinet papers released by the National Archives of Australia confirm that there was no submission to full cabinet weighing the pros and cons of the Australian intervention. Prime Minister John Howard relied on a memorandum of advice to justify Australia's participation in the war, despite criticism from legal experts. The release of the cabinet papers also includes other submissions and decisions, such as the negotiation of a free trade agreement with the United States and health policy changes. Missed opportunities in 2003 include the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund, an emissions trading scheme, and progress on constitutional recognition of Indigenous people. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents an addendum to the position paper on the use of meningococcal conjugate vaccines (MMCV) in the African meningitis belt issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization at its meeting in September 2023. Topics include the WHO off-label recommendations for meningococcal vaccines and vaccination that apply to countries in the African meningitis belt and research priorities on the impact of Men5CV vaccine.

Byline: MIL OSI - ForeignAffairs.co.nz Source: Government of India Headline: White Paper on Non-Communicable diseases The Government has formulated and brought out National Health Policy (NHP), 2017, which aims at [...]

In recent years, health care has been a subject of much debate and discussion across the globe - more specifically in developed economies, where health care costs are burgeoning. If [...]

The researchers find that if all Americans eligible for obesity treatments gained access, the prevalence of obesity in the Medicare population would fall by 53% after the first decade. Keywords: Bariatrics; Diet and Nutrition; Health Policy; Health and Medicine; Legal Issues; Legislation; Medicare; Medicare and Medicaid; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases and Conditions; Obesity; Obesity and Diabetes; Overnutrition; Risk and Prevention; University of Southern California EN Bariatrics Diet and Nutrition Health Policy Health and Medicine Legal Issues Legislation Medicare Medicare and Medicaid Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases and Conditions Obesity Obesity and Diabetes Overnutrition Risk and Prevention University of Southern California 359 359 1 05/02/23 20230501 NES 230501 2023 MAY 1 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Heart Disease Weekly -- A new USC Schaeffer Center white paper finds the value to society of Medicare coverage for new classes of weight loss drugs would equal nearly $1 trillion over ten years. [Extracted from the article]

Intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization or day treatment programs can provide more intensive levels of care with multiple types of therapy, more frequent sessions with mental health professionals, and clinically informed care coordination and case management. This observation on residential treatment is included in a new white paper released this month by the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the updated position paper of the World Health Organization (WHO) about vaccines and vaccination against diseases caused by human papillomaviruses (HPV) as of December 2022. The focus is the prevention of cervical cancer using the prophylactic HPV vaccination. Also cited is the association of HPV infection with cancers of the head, neck, oropharynx, and anogenital areas.

Observing that the transition to the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline offers an opportunity to grow crisis response services along a continuum, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) last month released a series of 10 technical assistance collaborative papers providing important resources for stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A joint position paper from Harvard Medical School and several medical organizations highlights concerns with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) plan to incorporate the Severe Sepsis/Septic Shock Management Bundle (SEP-1) into the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program. The paper recommends retiring SEP-1 and shifting to new sepsis metrics that focus on patient outcomes. The researchers also support the development of a community-onset sepsis 30-day mortality electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) by CMS, but recommend removing certain criteria to streamline implementation and avoid promoting antibiotic use in uninfected patients. The paper concludes by providing recommendations to improve CMS's planned electronic sepsis mortality measure. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents a position paper from the World Health Organization (WHO) on behavioural and social drivers (BeSD) of COVID-19 vaccine uptake. It describes the WHO BeSD vaccination framework and outlines aspects of development, testing and validation of BeSD tools including surveys and interviews. It summarizes findings of reviews on interventions to improve vaccine uptake and outlines recommendations for using BeSD tools to guide program planning, implementation and evaluation.

The health consequences could be significant and long lasting.

Health care payments continue to evolve and shift away from fee‐for‐service payment systems that typically reward volume and move to value‐based payment (VBP) models that incentivize high‐quality, cost‐effective care. While this is happening more for physical health services, there's more uncertainty about the role of behavioral health. A new white paper aims to tackle that question with information about existing models that have been implemented along with recommendations for federal and state policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Finance and Investment; Health Policy; Health and Medicine; Institute for Patient Access; Medicare; Medicare and Medicaid EN Finance and Investment Health Policy Health and Medicine Institute for Patient Access Medicare Medicare and Medicaid 1419 1419 1 06/12/23 20230618 NES 230618 2023 JUN 16 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Insurance Week -- A new report from the Institute for Patient Access finds that the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), the United States' predominant health technology assessment organization, frequently deviates from its own criteria by omitting societal perspective when assessing the value of new medications. Stakeholders, as well as ICER itself, have suggested that the government may use ICER's assessments as part of its new program to determine drug prices in the Medicare program. Finance and Investment, Health Policy, Health and Medicine, Institute for Patient Access, Medicare, Medicare and Medicaid. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses minister Justin Tomlinson's confirmation that OH practitioners can expect a Green Paper on workplace health reform just before the summer. Topics include Tomlinson, the minister for disabled people, health and work, was speaking at a conference run by the Westminster Business Forum on disability in the workplace; disability confident and access to work; and focus on statutory sick pay.

A policy paper released this month by the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) focuses on some of the challenges facing opioid treatment programs (OTPs) today. For example, it cites an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine (July 5, 2018) by Michael Botticelli that promotes the idea of methadone being available in primary practice settings for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) (see ADAW, July 16, 2018). "AATOD recommends that this proposal should only be considered after careful, conservative, and thoughtful evaluation," according to the policy paper. "As history and our policies have shown, we do not reject the public health model for increasing access to care for OUD, nor are we ignoring what has been learned about clinical standards of care to treat this illness. It is important to understand, however, the complexity of inducting a new patient into methadone maintenance treatment when developing policies for increasing access to medication assisted treatment." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An over‐reliance on federal block grants and "one‐off" funding initiatives has left the addiction treatment system under‐resourced to respond to an addiction crisis that stands to be at least as deadly as COVID‐19 during the span of the Biden administration, a trio of prominent researchers argue in a newly released policy paper. The authors suggest that the new administration and Congress should prioritize efforts to build on what they consider the most impactful developments in improving access and quality in addiction treatment, such as Medicaid expansion and parity mandates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the position paper of the World Health Organization (WHO) which addresses a cross-cutting issue that is relevant for all injectable vaccines. The position papers are intended for use by national public health officials and managers of immunization programmes. The position paper is the first policy paper about pain mitigation at the time of vaccination and integrates information pertaining to the reduction of pain, distress and fear across all age groups.

The article offers a statement from the Great Britain Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) comenting that the British government's workplace health Green Paper is expected to be published "later this year."

A recent research paper from the University of Technology Sydney highlights the need for integrated strategies to address the challenges of climate change and public health in urban settings. The paper emphasizes the lack of health considerations in urban climate policies, as seen in the analysis of urban content in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The paper calls for a redefined approach to urban climate policy that prioritizes health outcomes and leverages opportunities for climate resilience and public health. The upcoming revision cycle of NDCs is identified as a critical opportunity to embed health imperatives into urban climate strategies. [Extracted from the article]

A recent report from researchers at the Vishwakarma Institute of Information Technology explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in public health and its potential impact on healthcare delivery. The paper provides an analysis of the historical development and current trends in AI application in healthcare, highlighting successful implementations and ongoing challenges. The research emphasizes the benefits of AI in improving precision in diagnosis, treatment effectiveness, and resource utilization. The report aims to provide policymakers, healthcare practitioners, and researchers with practical suggestions for incorporating AI into public health to improve healthcare delivery. [Extracted from the article]

The article reports on the paper "Transforming Children and Young People's Mental Health Provision" by the British government which set out plans on how to improve and support child and mental health including the reduction of waiting time in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

The article reports on the policy document "Race for the Soul of the Profession" from the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) to address inequalities that prevent people from marginalised and racialised communities in accessing mental health support.

There have been many calls for federal changes to address the opioid epidemic, but one from Beau Kilmer, senior policy researcher and director of the Drug Policy Research Center at the RAND Corporation, released last week is a particularly interesting distillation that doesn't omit pros and cons for each strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Brisbane; Australia; Australia and New Zealand; Managed Care; Health Policy; Health and Medicine; Legislation; Quality of Life EN Brisbane Australia Australia and New Zealand Managed Care Health Policy Health and Medicine Legislation Quality of Life 2417 2417 1 09/11/23 20230915 NES 230915 2023 SEP 15 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Week -- Current study results on Managed Care have been published. Brisbane, Australia, Australia and New Zealand, Managed Care, Health Policy, Health and Medicine, Legislation, Quality of Life The EQ-5D is a validated instrument widely used for health economic evaluation and is useful for informing health policy.". [Extracted from the article]

A research paper from the University of Iowa explores the market for vaccines, focusing on the negative network effects caused by individuals who choose not to vaccinate. The study finds that these network effects can lead to significant welfare losses. The paper proposes a subsidy scheme that targets both consumers and producers of vaccines in order to achieve the optimal outcome without network effects. However, the study notes that in some cases, negative prices for vaccines may be necessary to incentivize vaccination. The research has been peer-reviewed and is available in the Journal of Public Economic Theory. [Extracted from the article]

MES S AGE FROM THE PAS T-PRES IDENT CONTINUED Copyright of Filter Paper is the property of North Carolina Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. 1 The Filter Paper MES S AGE FR OM THE PRES IDENT What a year this has been so far! Those in the laboratory are working very hard....(cont. page 3) MES S AGE FROM THE PAS T-PRES IDENT Fellow members, About this time last year, I was installed as President of NCS CLS. [Extracted from the article]

Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC has been issued a patent for a method of training a natural language understanding (NLU) engine using user corrections to engine annotations. The patent focuses on the importance of medical documentation in the healthcare industry and the shift from paper records to electronic medical record systems. It also discusses the use of standardized code systems for medical coding and billing. The method outlined in the patent involves generating engine annotations based on clinical patient encounter text, receiving user annotations from the same text, and merging them to identify errors and corrections. The patent was filed in July 2020 and is owned by Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC. [Extracted from the article]

The May 2024 issue of the American Journal of Health Economics focuses on health equity, with a particular emphasis on race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. The issue includes five papers that explore various aspects of health disparities. One paper finds a positive correlation between gender-affirmation coverage and the mental health of low-income transgender individuals. Another paper identifies discrimination by mental health providers against patients with Black or Latino-sounding names. Additionally, the issue examines the impact of same-sex marriage on domestic partner benefits, the effects of administrative burdens on Medicaid and CHIP enrollments, and the impact of the Affordable Care Act on emergency department visits among older adults of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The special edition aims to address gaps in health equity scholarship and promote fair opportunities for all individuals to achieve their health potential. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the healthcare system in England for people with intellectual disabilities. Despite publicly funded healthcare, individuals with intellectual disabilities still face health disparities in the United Kingdom. The article examines key legislation that impacts the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, such as the UK Equality Act 2010 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005. It also explores the role of deinstitutionalization and the shift to community living for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The research reviews programs that have been implemented to address the health disparities experienced by this population. Additionally, the article discusses recent changes to healthcare organization in the UK, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the implementation of the Valuing People white paper. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the history and politics of mental health policy and care in South Africa. It highlights the influence of colonial rule on the racialized and socio-economic environment, as well as the mental health impacts on the people of South Africa. The paper also reviews policy and service developments in the post-apartheid era, exploring both successes and failures. The research concludes by discussing emerging trends in policy and practice that need attention in order to improve the mental wellbeing of South Africans, including those living with mental disorders. The article suggests that the South African experience can provide insights for other contexts facing similar mental health challenges due to colonialism and other forms of oppression. [Extracted from the article]

A special supplemental issue of Medical Care, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, highlights the impact of economic factors on health outcomes, patient decision-making, and equity in healthcare. The issue focuses on the expansion of patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) to include economic outcomes. One paper in the issue discusses the trade-offs that families with asthma make between healthcare costs and overall financial well-being. The authors emphasize the need to measure nonmedical economic outcomes and track economic well-being over longer periods. The issue also calls for a paradigm shift in health economics research to include the perspectives of patients and families. [Extracted from the article]

A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has found that young scientists who engage in interdisciplinary research face career obstacles that their peers who focus on a single discipline do not. The study analyzed data on over 150,000 researchers and more than 2.6 million research papers in the field of biomedicine. The results show that researchers who initially embraced interdisciplinary research tended to stop publishing new research earlier in their careers compared to those who focused on a single discipline. The study suggests that academic structures built around individual disciplines may hinder early-career researchers with broader interests. However, the study also found that researchers become more interdisciplinary as their careers progress, indicating that there is potential for encouraging interdisciplinary research in the future. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study conducted by researchers at Alberta Innovates explores the challenges of measuring and optimizing a health system that is divided among multiple independent organizations. The study highlights the existence of silos in the delivery of health services, which hinder information exchange, collaborative evidence generation, and health system improvement. The researchers argue for a shift towards prioritizing patient outcomes and keeping the patient at the center of care. The study concludes by offering a system perspective for addressing these challenges in the Canadian healthcare system. [Extracted from the article]

Recognizing that telehealth is a critical tool for improving care access and continuity, two New York state provider and advocacy organizations — citing a decrease in no‐show rates and overall telehealth service satisfaction— are urging state leaders to continue providing flexibility in telehealth treatment modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new report from researchers at Bogazici University highlights the importance of trauma-informed care in the healthcare system in Turkey. The study emphasizes the need to integrate trauma-specific interventions and prevention methods into healthcare practices. The research examines the role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their impact on mental health and overall healthcare outcomes. The paper aims to contribute to discussions on transforming the healthcare system in Turkey while considering sociopolitical factors that shape the population characteristics. [Extracted from the article]

As Scott E. Hadland, M.D., senior author of a dramatic paper published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine puts it, drug use among adolescents is not getting more common — it's at its lowest in almost 50 years. But it's getting more deadly, due to fentanyl. In "The Overdose Crisis among U.S. Adolescents," by Hadland and lead author Joseph Friedman, Ph.D., the problem is laid out clearly: After guns and car crashes, overdose (OD) deaths are now the third leading cause of death among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newly published research has uncovered a strong association between patients' out‐of‐pocket costs for buprenorphine and the likelihood that they will keep using the medication for opioid use disorder (OUD). The study, involving privately insured individuals who initiated buprenorphine treatment between 2013 and 2020, also showed a disappointingly low rate of one‐year continuation of the treatment overall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Addiction Research; Drug Abuse; Drugs and Therapies; Epidemiology; Health Policy; Health and Medicine; Medicare; Medicare and Medicaid; Mental Health; Mental Health Diseases and Conditions; Opioids; Psychiatry; University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences EN Addiction Research Drug Abuse Drugs and Therapies Epidemiology Health Policy Health and Medicine Medicare Medicare and Medicaid Mental Health Mental Health Diseases and Conditions Opioids Psychiatry University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences 449 449 1 04/10/23 20230416 NES 230416 2023 APR 14 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Insurance Week -- Overdose mortality among people age 65 and older quadrupled over 20 years, suggesting the need for greater mental health and substance use disorder policies addressed at curbing the trend, a new research paper finds. Addiction Research, Drugs and Therapies, Epidemiology, Health Policy, Health and Medicine, Medicare, Medicare and Medicaid, Mental Health, Mental Health Diseases and Conditions, Opioids, Psychiatry, University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences, Drug Abuse. [Extracted from the article]

Worldwide, children in the care of the state constitute one of the most vulnerable groups in society. They are often not heard, or their views not respected in matters concerning them. This is incongruent with the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) as well as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN, 1989). Guided by a conceptual framework of child participation theory, this article analyses South African legislation and policies to determine how and when child participation is being promoted. Findings indicate that providing information to children on how to participate meaningfully is the key for effective child participation and that practical guidelines should be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HEARTS in the Americas is the Pan American Health Organization flagship program to accelerate the reduction of the cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden by improving hypertension control and CVD secondary prevention in primary health care. A monitoring and evaluation (M&E) platform is needed for program implementation, benchmarking, and informing policy-makers. This paper describes the conceptual bases of the HEARTS M&E platform including software design principles, contextualization of data collection modules, data structure, reporting, and visualization. The District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) web-based platform was chosen to implement aggregate data entry of CVD outcome, process, and structural risk factor indicators. In addition, PowerBI was chosen for data visualization and dashboarding for the analysis of performance and trends above the health care facility level. The development of this new information platform was focused on primary health care facility data entry, timely data reporting, visualizations, and ultimately active use of data to drive decision-making for equitable program implementation and improved quality of care. Additionally, lessons learnt and programmatic considerations were assessed through the experience of the M&E software development. Building political will and support is essential to developing and deploying a flexible platform in multiple countries which is contextually specific to the needs of various stakeholders and levels of the health care system. The HEARTS M&E platform supports program implementation and reveals structural and managerial limitations and care gaps. The HEARTS M&E platform will be central to monitoring and driving further population-level improvements in CVD and other noncommunicable disease-related health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the paper "Occupational Health Nurse Education, Funding and Regulation", has been published by nurses leading the development of a Faculty of Occupational Health Nursing (FOHN) on the future of occupational health nurse education. Topics discussed include gradual erosion of the professional standing of OH nursing and the Faculty Development Group (FDG) and current system of nurse education, funding and regulation on the professional development of practitioners.

A report from Riga Stradins University highlights the global population surpassing eight billion in November 2022. The research emphasizes the challenges that come with uncontrolled population growth, such as socioeconomic and health-related problems. The paper suggests addressing these issues by promoting government and international organization involvement in providing infrastructure, funding, and healthcare distribution, shifting towards a preventive approach in health programs, and reducing inequalities for marginalized populations. The study concludes that implementing these principles is crucial for reducing healthcare costs, improving productivity, and preserving environmental quality. [Extracted from the article]

A recent collaboration between the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine and Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences has found that semaglutide, a drug used for diabetes and weight loss, may also reduce symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). The study, published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, outlines the outcomes of six patients who received semaglutide during weight loss treatment and experienced a significant decrease in their AUD symptoms. While further research is needed, this study suggests a potential role for semaglutide in the management of AUD and highlights the importance of collaboration between clinicians and scientists in addressing complex health challenges. [Extracted from the article]

A multidisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Southern California, MIT, and Sabanci University conducted a study to determine if smartphone mobility data could be used to measure individuals' dynamic food environments and predict their risk of diet-related diseases. The researchers found that visits to fast-food outlets, as captured by mobility data, were a better predictor of obesity and diabetes than self-reported fast-food intake. This study highlights the potential of using large-scale mobility data to track dietary patterns and inform public health programs and policies aimed at reducing the risk of diet-related diseases. The research paper has been published in Nature Partner Journals (npj) Digital Medicine. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study conducted at University Hospital Cologne in Germany has highlighted discrepancies between clinical guidelines and policy guidelines in cancer treatment and diagnosis across European health services. The study found that the underutilization of advanced diagnostic techniques recommended by medical societies contributes to missed opportunities for improving patient outcomes. The analysis revealed significant differences between the recommendations of medical societies and their adoption in health policy decisions, indicating a need for better alignment and integration of clinical guidelines with policy decisions. The study advocates for policy reforms that prioritize the adoption of clinical guidelines to enhance diagnostic accuracy, treatment efficacy, and overall patient outcomes in cancer care. [Extracted from the article]