Genetic Test Availability And Spending
Genetic testing and spending on that testing have grown rapidly since the mapping of the human genome in 2003, but it is not widely known how many tests there are, how they are used, and how paid for. A manuscript in the May 2018 issue of the journal Health Affairs sheds light on genetic testing by providing an overview of the testing landscape. The authors found that there were approximately 75,000 genetic tests on the market, with about 10 new tests entering the market daily. Nearly 14,000 tests have arrived on the market since March 2014. Prenatal tests accounted for the highest percentage of spending on genetic tests and spending on hereditary cancer tests accounted for the second-highest. These results provide insights for parties interested in assessing genetic testing markets, test usage, and health policy implications, including current debates over the most appropriate regulatory and payer coverage mechanisms.
Trends And Circumstances Involving State Suicide Rates—United States
According to the CDC’s June 8, 2016 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, during 1999–2016, suicide rates increased significantly in 44 states, with 25 states experiencing increases greater than 30%. Rates increased significantly among males and females in 34 and 43 states, respectively. Fifty-four percent of decedents in 27 states in 2015 did not have a known mental health condition. Among decedents with available information, several circumstances were significantly more likely among those without known mental health conditions than among those with mental health conditions, including relationship problems/ loss (45.1% versus 39.6%), life stressors (50.5% versus 47.2%), and recent/impending crises (32.9% versus 26.0%), but these circumstances were common across groups. An implication is that states can use a comprehensive evidence-based public health approach to prevent suicide risk before it occurs, identify and support persons at risk, prevent reattempts, and help friends and family members after suicide occurs.
Other Articles from TRENDS June 2018
WORDS AND THEIR PLACEMENT REALLY MATTER
Apart from gestures and semiotic influences, such as wearing a white coat and having a stethoscope, communication between a health professional and a patient relies heavily on language in the form of words—whether spoken or written. Read More
FUNDING AND AGENCY RESTRUCTURING
The House Appropriations Committee in June 2018 released the text of its fiscal year (FY) 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education funding bill. The proposed legislation...Read More
DEVELOPMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Two issues in higher education attracted a considerable amount of attention in June 2018. The newest is an announcement by the Trump Administration to merge the Departments of Labor and Education into a single Department of Education and the Workforce...Read More
AVAILABLE RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONICALLY
- Academic Medical Centers And High-Need, High-Cost Patients: A Call To Action
- Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results And Trends Report
- New America’s Survey On Higher Education
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, ROBOTS, AND THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY
The aging of the U.S. population and the extent to which multiple morbidities characterize a large segment of that sub-group provides assurance that the health care industry will continue to be robust for decades...Read More
PRESIDENT’S CORNER — ASAHP MEMBER FOCUS
Name and Title: Kim L. Halula, PhD, Associate Dean, College of Health Sciences... Read More
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT DEVELOPMENTS
Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) become law in 2010, Congressional Republicans have vowed to repeal and replace it. With the advent...Read More
HEALTH TECHNOLOGY CORNER
The results of a study published on April 18, 2018 in the open access journal npj Digital Medicine is based on an evaluation of the effectiveness of using Twitter to search for individuals who become lost due to dementia...Read More
THE WALKING CORPSE SYNDROME
Page one of this issue of TRENDS is on the topic of communication as expressed by the use of words. An error made in speaking can be referred to as...Read More