News & Events

A new study published this month in the journal Health Affairs found new evidence that sexual minority (including gay/lesbian and bisexual) adults face more  financial barriers to health care than their heterosexual counterparts, regardless of insurance type, and even greater barriers when enrolled in high-deductible health plans.

A new study authored by Department of Health Policy PhD student Emma Achola and faculty in the Department is among the first to use self-reported outcomes to help determine the benefit of post-acute care for Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. To date, most previous research has relied almost entirely on claims data, which does not fully capture the patient experience. In the study, published recently in JAMA Health Forum, the research team used survey data to determine the usage and outcomes of these individuals after certain acute health events. 

Most individuals diagnosed with opioid use disorder are not on recommended medications and even fewer remain in care, according to a research letter published today in JAMA Internal Medicine by lead author Ashley Leech, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). In 2021, there were more than 100,000 overdose deaths in the United States, with the highest rates among those ages 25-54.

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center has found that the recommended two-medication regimen, mifepristone plus misoprostol (similar to that used for induced medication abortion) remains significantly underused despite recommendations to do so from medical professionals

Two new research papers published in the journal Medical Care led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center faculty highlight two different areas related to opioid use treatment in women of reproductive age across several U.S. states. Both studies used similar data and study designs from a randomized field experiment where nearly 4,000 trained callers, either on public health insurance (Medicaid) or private insurance, attempted to seek appointments for treating opioid use disorder across 10 states in the U.S.

In a new study led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers, infants born to individuals who had opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy or who developed neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) faced a 54-64% greater risk of postneonatal death than infants without these exposures.

Of the 15 process measures endorsed by national health care associations, just five of them contributed to the most improvements in care, a new study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers has found.

An increasing number of Tennessee parents are reporting their families are food insecure. Up more than 30% in just one year, 41.2% of Tennessee parents reported low or very low food security compared to 31.3% last year.

If newer brand-name antiobesity medications were covered by Medicare, they could cost the program between $13.6 to $26.8 billion even with only 10% of people with obesity using them, according to a new analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers in the Department of Health Policy.