health policy Archives - Page 4 of 5 - Baylor College of Medicine Blog Network

Alternative science: The importance of informed policymaking

You’ve probably heard the phrase “alternative facts” by now. Suddenly, “alternative” is part of our vocabulary as a popular characterization for falsehoods that are portrayed

Policywise

Addressing the problem of physician shortages

July 14, 2017 Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Economics, health policy, Healthcare, Physician shortages

In the past month, my immediate family has had three situations requiring urgent but not emergent medical care. In all three situations, the first-available appointment

Policywise

Engineering Eden: The quest for eternal life

June 2, 2017 bio-enhancement, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, health policy, Kristin Kostick, Religion, Transhumanism

Editor’s note: This post is related to The Enhancing Life Project, funded by the John Templeton Foundation. The project is comprised of an interdisciplinary group of scholars who

Policywise

Changing genetic privacy rules may adversely affect research participation

May 26, 2017 BabySeq, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, data sharing, Genetic Privacy, Hayley Peoples, health policy, Health Privacy, Research Policy

Do you know your genetic information? Maybe you’ve taken a “23andMe” test because you were curious about your ancestry or health. Maybe it was part

Policywise

Visiting Ecuador: A lesson in translation

May 5, 2017 Barriers to Care, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Cultural Competency, Cultural Norms, Erika Versalovic, health policy, international travel, Language Barriers, Traditional Medicine, Travel

Editor’s note: This blog post is the first part of a two-part series. During one of my summers in college I volunteered as a translator in

Policywise

Four ways to improve upon the Affordable Care Act

April 21, 2017 ACA, Affordable Care Act, AHCA, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Congress, Dr. Cedric Dark, health policy, Insurance, Medicaid, policy, Politics

In a grand effort to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, U.S. Congressional Republicans have failed in their attempt to repeal the Affordable Care

Policywise

What genetically modified mosquitoes and soda bans can teach us about framing health issues

March 31, 2017 Arguments, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, College Student, Framing, health policy, Policy Research, Rice University, soda ban, soda tax, zika

Genetically modified mosquitoes recently provided a case study in the importance of understanding how opposition groups frame arguments. The tactics of a small but vocal

Policywise

H.R. 1313 and the future of genetic privacy

March 17, 2017 ACA, ADA, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Congress, Genes, Genetic Privacy, GINA, health policy, Jessica Roberts, law, Privacy

In the 1997 film Gattaca, the protagonist is unable to pursue his dream job because of his “sub-optimal” genetic makeup. In 2008, the U.S. Congress

Policywise

Compromise: If you are Congress, it’s what you do

February 24, 2017 ACA, Affordable Care Act, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Dr. Cedric Dark, health policy, Healthcare, Insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Uninsured

Some believe the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is destined for failure and that rising prices in the individual market indicate it has entered a death

Policywise

Freestanding emergency departments: Potential lessons for policy makers

January 6, 2017 acute care, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Emergency Medicine, health policy, Matthew Stampfl, medical students

Matthew Stampfl, a second-year medical student at Baylor College of Medicine, recently addressed the following question: “Can freestanding emergency departments expand access to acute care