As we continue to focus on the social determinants of health, we spend a significant amount of attention on the financial support needed for nutrition assistance. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest food and nutrition assistance program, tasked with improving food security among low-income households. This program works by providing fiscal supplements to low-income households.… Read More »
Unequivocally, on the subject of racism and brutality, silence is a form of consent. Let us not be silent. Let us stand with our communities, and categorically state that brutality of any sort, overt and covert racism, and racial discrimination hurts us as a community and is wrong on every level. From a health equity perspective, we have… Read More »
Undeniably, individual rights are foundational to our civil liberties. However, we are also socially minded, meaning thinking beyond individual needs, and therefore, we must bridge this polarity. From a care perspective, these dualities remain in two different verticals,1. medical care/treatment, and 2. public health. For example, when I discuss a condition and treatment options with a patient, the… Read More »
United States purchasers of healthcare pay higher prices for a unit of service relative to other countries. In fact, these prices are primarily opaque, and the consumer rarely knows what it will owe for payment before they make a purchase. Market-based economics argue that price transparency of products leads to greater competition, thus leading to lower costs over… Read More »
As our health systems continue to shift to value-based care, it has become paramount that providing quality care to not just some, but ALL we serve is essential. Therefore, focusing on the health disparities that exist is important since a lack of health equity continues to be a significant factor contributing to poor health in many communities. If… Read More »
If we plan to evolve our care models to focus on embracing those we serve remaining in their environments of their choice, care givers will need to contain different skill sets than those that provide hospital-based care. Knowing this, with the current landscape, our ability as providers and health systems is unfortunately, more complacent than we should be… Read More »
Last week my post, In Healthcare, Who Protects Us from Misinformation, I discussed the use of “sensationalism” to garner attention. I also mentioned as healthcare providers it is part of our role to join the conversation to ensure balanced and truthful information is shared. Recently an Op Ed appeared in the New York Times with a catchy title;… Read More »
In healthcare, we continue to increase our focus on preventing illness and disease. With prevention, we also must balance the polarity of whether the preventive treatment outweighs the risks involved. For instance, the association of vaccine usage with possible long-term impacts prevails in the minds of numerous people still, even though the research has staunchly supported their benefit… Read More »
One of my favorite images is a picture of three boys standing behind a fence trying to watch a baseball game. One is tall enough to gaze over the fence; the other two are of different heights, and unable to glimpse the action. There are three boxes stacked next to them. The question posed is “How would you… Read More »
A recent study by Rogers et al appeared in Health Affairs, “Interruptions in Private Health Insurance and Outcomes in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes: A Longitudinal Study.” The findings indicated that for those with chronic diseases (Type 1 Diabetes in this case), the loss of insurance exacerbates their condition markers and lowers one’s perceived health and satisfaction with… Read More »