Department of Health Policy

February 23, 2023

Poll finds rates of uninsured children back to pre-pandemic level

The latest analysis of the annual Vanderbilt Child Health Poll of Tennessee parents shows the rate of uninsured children in the state has returned to prepandemic levels.

By Jake Lowary
February 8, 2023

Vanderbilt poll finds Tennessee parents trust their children’s health care providers the most for information about vaccines

A recent Vanderbilt poll found parents across the state reporting their children’s health care providers as the most trusted source for information about vaccines.

By Jake Lowary
Computer illustration of a plasma cell (B-cell, left) secreting antibodies (white) against influenza viruses (right). Antibodies bind to specific antigens, for instance viral proteins, marking them for destruction by phagocyte immune cells.
February 2, 2023

Risk of household flu spread skyrocketed during pandemic

A Vanderbilt study found that the household spread of flu during the 2021-2022 season was more than twice as high as it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Jake Lowary
January 19, 2023

Emerging Infections Program lands national award for COVID response

Vanderbilt’s Emerging Infections Program (EIP) recently received the Toby Merlin Award for Excellence in Emergency Response, presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

By Jake Lowary
December 27, 2022

Search committee for Department of Health Policy chair appointed

A 14-member committee has been formed to conduct a national search for the new chair of Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Department of Health Policy.

By Kathy Whitney
Stacie Dusetzina, PhD, right, on the South Lawn of the White House with colleagues Rachel Sachs, JD, MPH, of Washington University St. Louis, left, and Michell Mello, PhD, of Stanford.
November 3, 2022

Researcher’s decade of analyzing the price of drugs leads to big reforms

Vanderbilt’s Stacie Dusetzina, PhD, and several colleagues were able to reflect recently on the South Lawn of the White House about how their contributions through research and data informed the provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that will save older Americans on Medicare tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs each year.

By Jake Lowary
July 14, 2022

Hospital readmissions tied to supply of nearby care options: study

Vanderbilt research finds that hospitals' 30-day readmission rates were lower if they had a larger supply of primary care physicians, nursing homes or palliative care services nearby.
By Jake Lowary
June 28, 2022

Insurance claims for gender-affirming therapies have increased, but filling prescriptions without insurance may be more affordable, new study finds

Vanderbilt researchers found that both gender dysphoria diagnoses and use of gender therapies have increased substantially between 2013 and 2019.
By Jake Lowary
June 21, 2022

Aliyu named director of Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health

Renowned physician-epidemiologist Muktar Aliyu, MBBS, MPH, DrPH, who is the associate director for Research with the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH), has been named the new director of the institute, beginning July 1.
By Holly Fletcher
June 9, 2022

Filling multiple opioid prescriptions after childbirth associated with maternal death risk

In a new study led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers, women who filled two or more prescriptions for opioids after childbirth faced a 46% greater risk of death than women who did not.
By Jake Lowary
May 10, 2022

New study illustrates how much it would cost for cancer drugs covered under Medicare Part D

A new study by Vanderbilt researchers highlights how some older Americans diagnosed with cancer can face unlimited out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs under the current structure of the Medicare Part D benefit.
By Jake Lowary
April 4, 2022

Medicare beneficiaries without low-income subsidies were less likely to fill important prescriptions, new study finds

Vanderbilt research shows that Medicare Part D beneficiaries who did not receive federal subsidies to lower their out-of-pocket costs were nearly twice as likely as others to not fill prescriptions for serious health conditions like cancer or hepatitis C treatment.
By Jake Lowary
February 24, 2022

Study finds LGBQ people report higher rates of adverse childhood experiences than straight people, worse mental health as adults

A new study led by researchers at Vanderbilt found that 83% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer (LGBQ) individuals reported going through adverse childhood experiences such as sexual and emotional abuse, and worse mental health as adults when compared to their heterosexual peers.
By Jake Lowary
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