Department of Health Policy

February 18, 2021

VUMC investigator expands HIV research into South Africa

A Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigator is hoping to improve access to HIV testing in South Africa, where more than 7 million people are known to have the virus, by training traditional healers to perform the tests.

By Jake Lowary
January 21, 2021

Poll finds Tennessee parents concerned about education, children’s mental health as COVID-19 presses on

The latest Vanderbilt Child Health Poll release found that many Tennessee parents are worried about the mental health of their children during the COVID-19 pandemic, and over 80% of parents had concerns about their children attending school remotely. The Poll also revealed that schooling practices and mental health concerns have varied widely among Tennessee families of different racial and economic groups.

By Jake Lowary
January 12, 2021

Study shows drastic increases in opioid-affected births

The rate of mothers who had an opioid-related diagnosis when delivering their baby increased by 131% from 2010-2017, as the incidence of babies diagnosed with drug withdrawal, known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), increased by 82% nationally during that same time period.

By Craig Boerner
December 8, 2020

Poll shows fewer than 6 in 10 Tennessee parents report wearing masks all the time, nearly half won’t vaccinate their children for COVID-19

Many Tennessee parents are not wearing masks consistently to control community spread of COVID-19, despite recommendations from public health officials, according to new a poll conducted by the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy.

By Jake Lowary
December 3, 2020

Panel discusses current health policy landscape

The difficulty of policymaking with a divided government and electorate was the underlying theme of the Research into Policy and Practice webinar sponsored by the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as panelists and attendees gathered virtually to take measure of the post-election American landscape, over which hangs the pall of a surging pandemic.

By Jill Clendening
December 3, 2020

JAMA Health Forum to become full-fledged journal in 2021

Just a year after its founding as an online channel of information, the Journal of the American Medical Association’s (JAMA’s) Health Forum will become a full-fledged journal in January 2021.

By Jake Lowary
November 16, 2020

Younger parents less likely to vaccinate their children and themselves against COVID-19

Younger parents were much less likely than older parents to say they planned to vaccinate their children and themselves against COVID-19.
By Craig Boerner
November 12, 2020

Model helps predict which infants may go on to develop NAS

A new Vanderbilt-designed prediction model may make it easier to determine which infants will go on to develop neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a drug withdrawal syndrome in newborns that occurs after exposure to opioids during pregnancy.
By Nancy Humphrey
November 10, 2020

Tennessee areas without mask requirements have higher death toll per capita

Tennessee areas where mask requirements were instituted over the summer have substantially lower death rates due to COVID-19 as compared to areas without mask requirements, according to a new analysis by Vanderbilt Department of Health Policy researchers.
By Jake Lowary
November 5, 2020

Screening younger women for hereditary cancers may be cost effective

Population-wide screening for genetic variants linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer may be cost effective in women between the ages of 20 and 35, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.
By Tom Wilemon
October 30, 2020

VUMC study finds faster, wider spread of COVID-19 in U.S. households

COVID-19 spreads faster and more widely throughout U.S. households than previously reported, according to new preliminary research from a multicenter study led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers and published in, a weekly report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
By Jake Lowary
October 27, 2020

Study finds areas without mask requirements have larger increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations

All areas of Tennessee have seen a resurgence in hospitalized COVID-19 patients since early October, but hospitals that draw patients from counties without masking requirements are experiencing much sharper increases, according to a new analysis from researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
By Jake Lowary
September 17, 2020

HIV prevention medication not being prescribed routinely: study

Only about 54% of medical practitioners surveyed say they have prescribed pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, to HIV-vulnerable patients, according to a new study by a Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigator.
By Jake Lowary
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