Understanding Overdose Spikes
Imagine you’re a public health official in Massachusetts. After weeks of routine overdose data reporting, a sudden spike in deaths hits your desk: an alarming five extra fatalities in just… Read More
Author: Jon Scaccia
Next Week in Public Health, January 10, 2025
Some super data was released this week. KFF Health News, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins and Shatterproof, has launched a comprehensive database tracking how billions from recent opioid settlements are… Read More
The Power of Policy: How Evidence-Based Public Health Interventions Shape Our Communities
When you buckle up in a car, breathe clean air, or send your child to a public preschool, you’re experiencing the invisible hand of public health policy at work. These… Read More
Can Telehealth Bridge the Gap in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment? For Medicaid Patients, the Answer is Complicated
Imagine this: A single mother in Illinois struggles to balance work, childcare, and her battle with opioid use disorder (OUD). The COVID-19 pandemic, which upended daily life for millions, seems… Read More
How Data Science Sheds Light on Public Health Policy Failures
Tmagine is trying to piece together the story of a historic crisis using only a box of unorganized photos. Each image offers a fragment of the story, but connecting the… Read More
The Politics of Belief: Vaccine Hesitancy, Conspiracy Narratives, and the RFK Jr. Factor
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services by Donald Trump is sparking a nationwide debate about the intersection of science, misinformation, and public… Read More
Innovative Approaches to Tinnitus Treatment
Imagine a ringing in your ears so relentless it drowns out your thoughts, steals your sleep, and intrudes on every quiet moment. For millions worldwide, this isn’t hypothetical—it’s tinnitus. Affecting… Read More
The High Stakes of Problem Gambling
A colleague and I were talking about an assessment process, and someone raised a good question. Are all types of gambling equal? That is, are problem gambling rates the same… Read More
Next Week in Public Health, January 3, 2025
Countdown to inauguration day, I guess. While I’m a big fan of the local determination of health policies, this needs to be balanced against the rights of people. It’s definitely… Read More
Drink More, Think Clearer: What Science Says About Water Intake and Your Health
You’ve probably heard it a thousand times: drink more water. But is it really the miracle health hack it’s often made out to be? A bunch of people on Reddit… Read More
The Global Toll of Alcohol: New Insights into a Persistent Public Health Crisis
To kick off Dry January, let’s look at the impact of alcohol. Three million deaths and 131 million years of lost healthy life every year. This is the staggering global… Read More
How Governance Shapes Healthcare: The Impact of Democracy and Corruption on the Global Physician Workforce
Imagine two countries. One boasts a robust democracy, characterized by transparency, public participation, and trust in government institutions. The other struggles with rampant corruption, where public funds meant for healthcare… Read More