FEATURE STORIES

Extreme Heat and Mortality 

Studies led by Sameed Khatana explored the impact of extreme heat on adult mortality, and found that increases in cardiovascular disease and all-cause deaths were greater among men than women, and greater for Black people than white people. 

Variation in Firearm Deaths Among U.S. Counties

Elinore Kaufman, Kit Delgado, Therese Richmond, and colleagues mapped U.S. gun deaths, and found that the Southeast, especially Alabama, had more firearm homicide hotspots, while firearm suicide hotspots were in more rural regions in the West and Midwest.

Assessing the Value of Costly Prescription Drugs

Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach to drug pricing, Claudio Lucarelli and colleagues developed a series of price indices for colorectal cancer drugs that accounted for preferences among patients and prescribing physicians.

Hindering Access to Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

Research by Shoshana Aronowitz revealed that while patients and prescribers welcome using telehealth to prescribe buprenorphine, pharmacists often "red flag" prescriptions, resulting in pharmacies delaying or preventing prescription fillings.

Using Social Networks to Achieve Better Outcomes

Lawton Robert Burns and Ingrid Nembhard argued that vertical health care integration has failed to lower costs and improve quality, and called for integration that uses social network theory to achieve better outcomes.

EVENTS

Health Care and Abortion in a Post-Roe America

Friday, September 16
12:00–1:00 p.m. ET

Conversation with Aletha Akers, MD, MPH, Raegan McDonald-Mosley, MD, MPH, and Heather Shumaker, JD. Moderated by Courtney Schreiber, MD, MPH.

Virtual event open to the public.

Payment and Policy Solutions for America's Mental Health Care Crisis

Friday, September 23
12:00–1:00 p.m. ET

Conversation with Tristan Gorrindo, MD, Haiden Huskamp, PhD, Madhuri Jha, LCSW, MPH, and Hoangmai Pham, MD, MPH. Moderated by Rachel M. Werner, MD, PhD.

Virtual event open to the public. 

IN THE MEDIA

“‘Is an Abortion Medically Necessary?’ Is Not a Question for Ethicists to Answer.” Holly Fernandez Lynch, Steven Joffe, Emily Largent. STAT

“Inflation Reduction Act May Have Little Impact on Inflation.” Kent Smetters. ABC News

“How Will the Obesity Epidemic End? With Kids.” Brian Jenssen. USA Today

“Heart Disease Deaths Fall in Areas With Lower Violent Crime Rates.” Lauren Eberly. The Hill

“H.I.V. Infections Remain Persistently High, U.N. Reports.” Harsha Thirumurthy. New York Times

PUBLICATIONS

“Privacy, Health, and Race Equity in the Digital Age.” Anita Allen. American Journal of Bioethics

“Costs Associated With Assault Injuries and Future Opportunities for Violence Research, Prevention, and Intervention in the U.S.” Sara F. Jacoby. JAMA Network Open

“Family Educational Attainment and Racial Disparities in Low Birth Weight.” Emily Echevarria, Scott A. Lorch. Pediatrics

“Understanding Risk Factors for Cancer: What's New and How Can It Help Reduce the Cancer Burden?” Karen Glanz, Jinbo Chen, Steven Joffe. Cancer 

“A Systematic Review of Research on Empathy in Health Care.” Ingrid M. Nembhard, Guy David, Iman Ezzeddine, David Betts, Jennifer Radin. Health Services Research

One of the world’s leading university institutes, Penn LDI is guided by our mission to improve health and health care by catalyzing collaborative, multidisciplinary research that influences policy and practice.