Department of Health Policy Archive — Page 15 of 15

sick child
December 9, 2013

Penicillin equally effective as ‘big gun’ antibiotics for treating less severe childhood pneumonia, Vanderbilt study shows

Children hospitalized for pneumonia have similar outcomes, including length of stay and costs, regardless of whether they are treated with “big gun” antibiotics such as ceftriaxone or cefotaxime or more narrowly focused antibiotics such as ampicillin or penicillin.

stethoscope and money
October 17, 2013

Pharmacogenomic testing costs studied

A research team led by Josh Peterson, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of Biomedical Informatics and Medicine, and John Graves, Ph.D., assistant professor of Preventive Medicine, will study the cost-effectiveness of testing patients’ risk of adverse gene-drug interactions.

August 22, 2013

Antipsychotic drug use in children for mood/behavior disorders increases type 2 diabetes risk

Prescribing “atypical” antipsychotic medications to children and young adults with behavioral problems or mood disorders may put them at unnecessary risk for type 2 diabetes, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study shows.

July 11, 2013

Infant vaccine for pneumonia helps protect elderly

Children who receive a vaccine to prevent blood and ear infections may be reducing the spread of pneumonia to the rest of the population, especially their grandparents and other older adults.

June 6, 2013

Buntin to chair new Department of Health Policy

Melinda Buntin, Ph.D., deputy assistant director for Health at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), will become chair of the new Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in late August.

stethoscope and money
June 3, 2013

Experts predict “unbanked” will face challenges getting health insurance

Vanderbilt health policy expert John Graves co-authored a report that shows as many as a quarter of people eligible for subsidized health insurance under the Affordable Care Act may be shut out because they don’t have a bank account.