Department of Health Policy

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May 9, 2018

Study finds generic options offer limited savings for expensive drugs

Generic drug options did not reduce prices paid for the cancer therapy imatinib (Gleevec), according to a Health Affairs study released this week.

By Craig Boerner
white pills spilling out of a prescription bottle
February 12, 2018

Opioid use increases risk of serious infections

Opioid users have a significantly increased risk of infections severe enough to require treatment at the hospital, such as pneumonia and meningitis, as compared to people who don’t use opioids.

By Craig Boerner
November 16, 2017

Insurance commissioner outlines ACA challenges

Since 2014 the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, has assisted lower- and moderate-income people who buy insurance on their own on the individual market, providing premium subsidies and discounts on out-of-pocket expenses. Under the law, people who don’t carry compliant insurance face a penalty, the so-called individual mandate. Large employers who don’t offer insurance are also penalized.

By Paul Govern
November 9, 2017

Amoxicillin alone better choice for pediatric pneumonia: study

A combination of two antibiotics is often prescribed to treat community-acquired pneumonia in children, but a JAMA Pediatrics study is now showing that using just one of the two has the same benefit to patients in most cases.

By Craig Boerner
October 12, 2017

VIGH receives federal grants to fight kidney disease

Researchers in the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) have received two new grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aimed at reducing the risk of kidney disease in HIV-infected adults and improving the treatment of epilepsy in children in Nigeria.

By Bill Snyder
April 17, 2017

In emergencies, insurance matters

Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act provides patients with a greater choice of hospital facilities, Vanderbilt researchers have found.

By Paul Govern
February 2, 2017

Study finds smaller insurers earning profits in new market

The researchers examine whether the financial struggles of some major insurers under the Affordable Care Act reflect a policy failure or a mismatch of these firms’ capabilities and strategies to a newly created market.
By Craig Boerner
November 10, 2016

VUSM’s MPH Program celebrates 20th anniversary

The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Master of Public Health (MPH) Program marked its 20th anniversary during Reunion Weekend in October.
By Kathy Whitney
October 13, 2016

Antidepressants’ heart impact less than expected: study

A Vanderbilt University study published today in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry may help patients prescribed higher doses of certain antidepressants feel better about attributed cardiac risks.
By Paul Govern
August 4, 2016

VUSM student’s research poster lauded at international meeting

A Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) student recently received international recognition when his poster presentation at a major infectious diseases conference was voted the best from among 600 presenters and 1,500 attendees.
By Kathy Whitney
June 14, 2016

Study shows opioids increase risk of death when compared to other pain treatments

Long-acting opioids are associated with a significantly increased risk of death when compared with alternative medications for moderate-to-severe chronic pain, according to a Vanderbilt study released today in the Journal of the American Medical Assocation (JAMA).
By Craig Boerner
March 3, 2016

Study seeks to ease pediatric HIV infection rates in Africa

Mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, is still a major problem in resource-limited, rural areas of the world where health care providers are scarce.
By Bill Snyder
November 19, 2015

Study links opioids, infection risk for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Use of opioid analgesics is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for serious infections among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a Vanderbilt study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
By VUMC News and Communications
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