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The Connection

A roundup of recent Fund publications, charts, multimedia, and other timely content.




April 7, 2023

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Improving the Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data
Advancing health equity requires a lot of data — including accurate, comprehensive data on patients’ race and ethnicity. But the quality and availability of such information vary across the health care system. On To the Point, researchers from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, Leavitt Partners, and the Commonwealth Fund identify common challenges facing health plans — how to obtain consent, ensure transparency, and reconcile multiple data sources.

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The Dose Is Back with ‘Medical Mythbuster’ Joel Bervell
The Dose is back! Our podcast has a new format and a new host, Joel Bervell. A Washington State University medical student, Joel is known as TikTok’s ‘medical mythbuster,’ garnering tens of millions of views for his videos tackling misinformation, disparities, and racial bias in health care. This season, The Dose will elevate the voices of people whose work is changing the way providers and patients interact with the health system. In our first episode, out today, Joel talks with Naomi Nkinsi, a medical student who challenged the science behind a common diagnostic for kidney function and the way it treated Black patients.

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FEATURED CHART




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What the World’s Primary Care Physicians Think of Telehealth

While research suggests telehealth has been popular with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, we know far less about the experiences of physicians in providing such services. According to a new Commonwealth Fund report exploring the uptake and impact of telehealth across 10 countries, many primary care physicians believe telehealth has improved the timeliness of care and enabled them to perform mental and behavioral health needs assessments. And in the U.S., most physicians say they are “very” or “somewhat” satisfied with practicing telehealth.

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How Older U.S. Adults Fared with COVID Compared to Europe

Older adults everywhere have been disproportionately affected by COVID. In the U.S., people age 50 and older have accounted for 91 percent of the 1 million-plus confirmed deaths related to the virus. According to a new Commonwealth Fund study, older U.S. adults fared much worse overall than their European counterparts during the pandemic’s first wave. Researchers say that half of older Americans reported at least one adverse COVID-19 experience, such as being infected or hospitalized, losing a loved one, or losing employment — a far larger share than in most of Europe.

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Argentina Leads the Way in Ensuring Health Care for Trans People

In 2012, Argentina’s Ley de Genero, also known as the Gender Identity Law, made gender-affirming care a legal right that must be covered by all health plans, public and private. The Commonwealth Fund’s Evan D. Gumas writes in International Insights that Argentina might provide a model for ensuring health care rights for trans people in the United States.

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Texas Court Ruling Attacks ACA’s Free Preventive Services

Nationwide, access to affordable preventive care services will be jeopardized if a Texas federal judge’s ruling invalidating a critical section of the Affordable Care Act is upheld. In examining the potential impact of the ruling, Georgetown University’s Justin Giovanelli and Rachel Schwab say the decision would reverse progress made since the ACA became law, “leaving consumers at the mercy of insurers’ predominantly profit-driven coverage decisions.”

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How Does Climate Change Affect Our Mental Health?

The physical health impacts of climate change are everywhere. But climate change also affects our mental health, causing everything from anxiety and feelings of helplessness to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal thoughts. A Commonwealth Fund explainer examines the direct and indirect effects of extreme weather events, worsening air pollution, and rising temperatures on mental health.

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Pediatric Mental Health Hospitalizations Have Skyrocketed

Pediatric hospitalizations for mental health diagnoses
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increased 163 percent from 2009 to 2019, according to a study published in JAMA. In 2019, the majority of these hospitalizations were for attempted suicide, suicidal ideation, or self-injury. Recently, Transforming Care looked at ways to
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make it easier for young people and their families to access counseling and other supports, before mental health problems become crises.

Investing in Primary Care Through Medicare Payment Reform

Primary care, the backbone of a high-performing health care system, is often undervalued in the U.S. Some experts say that changing how, and how much, we pay for primary care is critical to strengthening it. On To the Point, Corinne Lewis, Melinda Abrams, Christopher Koller, Hoangmai Pham, and Robert Berenson explain how Congress could bolster primary care through Medicare payment reform. With many health care payers pegging their fees to Medicare rates, these experts say changing Medicare payment policies would have a profound effect on payment rates for all physician services.

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Paramedicine Can Improve Health Outcomes in Rural America

Instead of waiting for people to call an ambulance during a health emergency, community paramedics work with people in their homes to stabilize their health and preempt the need for 911 calls down the line. A Commonwealth Fund feature story illustrates how community paramedicine is supporting people in rural areas, focusing on programs in the Upper Midwest and Maine that are helping people manage their chronic conditions through education and outreach.

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Modernizing Public Health Emergency Powers — Again

During the COVID-19 pandemic, trade-offs between public health protection and individual liberties became politicized in the U.S., triggering protests and noncompliance with health orders. Many states even passed laws reducing health officials’ powers during crises. Health law expert Michelle Mello believes that “efforts to curtail public health legal powers represent dangerous overreach.” Public health emergency powers laws — strengthened in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks — need to be modernized again, she says, to ensure the nation is better prepared for the next pandemic.

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