CHP/PCOR's faculty and affiliates frequently make news. They produce timely, policy-relevant research that is often covered by the news media; they provide comment for news articles and publish editorials on a variety of healthcare issues; and they receive awards and honors for their work.
September 22nd, 2008
The Russian Mortality Crisis: A Case of Economic Transition or an Anti-Alcohol Campaign Gone Wrong?
FSI Stanford, CHP/PCOR NewsIn the mid-1980s, life expectancy in Russia suddenly improved and then took a drop downward for the worse in the 1990s, leading many to believe that economic transition "kills people." But researchers at the Center for Health Policy/Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research (CHP/PCOR) are studying a little-examined phenomenon in that decade when Mikhail Gorbachev -- then the general secretary of the Communist Party in Russia -- launched a large public health campaign against alcohol abuse, which reduced alcohol production and imposed strict measures to limit its distribution. Read more »
September 16th, 2008
Lecture on health care policy at Stanford
Peter Orszag, Director of the Congressional Budget Office, presented a federal perspective on health care policy and costs at the 10th Anniversary Conference and Celebration for the Center for Health Policy and Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research on September 16, 2008. In his presentation and recent post, Orszag discusses how research on behavioral economics can inform efforts to improve efficiency in health care delivery.
June 2nd, 2008
Bhattacharya awarded patent on flexible spending accounts
In the NewsCHP/PCOR core faculty member Jay Bhattacharya was awarded a patent on an algorithm he worked on as part of a RAND research team in 2000. Read more »
June 1st, 2008
Humphreys discusses the rebuilding of Iraq's mental health care system
In the NewsCHP/PCOR associate Keith Humphreys has been helping rebuild Iraqs mental health care system since 2004. In this article, he discusses the situation in Iraq.
May 23rd, 2008
Probiotics may help adult weight loss, study finds
In the NewsCHP/PCOR associate John Morton was quoted in various articles discussing probiotics, the "good" bacteria found in yogurts and supplements. According to Stanford researchers, probiotics can help adult gastric-bypass patients lose even more weight. Morton was also quoted in a separate article in the Los Angeles Times that discusses bariatric surgery. Weight reduction surgery is performed on about 200,000 Americans a year and is recommended only for people considered morbidly obese. Morton provides comments on the procedures in the article.
- » MSN.com: "Probiotics help adult weight loss after bariatric surgery"
- » LA Times: "Bariatric surgery by itself isn't enough"
May 12th, 2008
Shortfalls still exist in blood pressure screening, treatment, control
In the NewsDespite the well-known dangers of high blood pressure, major shortfalls still exist in the screening, treatment and control of the disease, according to a new Stanford study. CHP/PCOR faculty fellow Randall Stafford, associate professor of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, is mentioned in this news brief.
April 3rd, 2008
Eggleston and colleagues receive award for research on China's dramatic pre-1980 health improvements
Shorenstein APARC, CHP/PCOR, FSI Stanford, AHPP NewsOfficial growth in Chinese life expectancy between 1950 and 1980 ranks among the most rapid in documented global history, yet virtually no study has quantitatively assessed the determinants of those longevity gains. Recently Karen Eggleston received notice of an award from Stanford's Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging--supported by the National Institutes of Health / National Institute of Aging--for a study entitled "Health Improvement under Mao and Its Implications for Contemporary Aging in China." Eggleston will undertake this study jointly with colleagues Grant Miller (Stanford) and Hongbin Li (Tsinghua, PRC). Read more »
March 4th, 2008
Flat colon lesions relatively common and associated with colorectal cancer
Press ReleaseFlat, non-polypoid colorectal neoplasms (NP-CRNs), which may be difficult to detect, appear to be relatively common and may have a greater association with cancer compared with the more routinely diagnosed type of colorectal polyps, according to a study in the March 5 issue of JAMA. 
Read more »
March 3rd, 2008
Inadequate health coverage for children burdens emergency room
In the News: Newsweek on March 3, 2008This Newsweek article explains the effect of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) on more than 700,000 children with asthma. CHP/PCOR core faculty member Paul Wise is quoted in the piece, explaining that without adequate coverage, children with asthma may forgo care, presenting a higher number of emergency room cases when things become more serious. 
Read more »
February 12th, 2008
Large variations found among Calif. hospitals
The report led by CHP/PCOR faculty fellow Laurence Baker and colleagues found large variations among California hospitals the intensity with which the facilities treat seriously ill patients. Variations were found among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, as well as among nonelderly patients with private insurance and Medicare HMO beneficiaries.
Read more »
February 3rd, 2008
Pedometer use may improve blood pressure
In the NewsCHP/PCOR senior scholar Dena Bravata's study on the use of pedometers is mentioned in a USA Weekend Magazine article. The study found that use of the pedometer was associated with a significant increase in physical activity and weight loss, as well as improvements in blood pressure.
January 22nd, 2008
Gaba wins teaching award
AnnouncementCHP/PCOR associate David Gaba, professor of anesthesia and associate dean for immersive and simulation-based learning is the recipient of the 2007 Teaching Recognition Award for Achievement in Education from the International Anesthesia Research Society. The award is designed to recognize outstanding career contributions by senior faculty.
January 20th, 2008
New CHP/PCOR associates join centers
A number of new affiliates have joined CHP/PCOR recently, based on their collaborative work with the centers' faculty and researchers. They include:
- » Lisa Chamberlain
- » Lynne C. Huffman
- » Suephy Chen
- » Dean Wilkening
- » Gudmund Hernes
- » Christopher D. Gardner
- » A. David Paltiel
January 18th, 2008
Humphreys guides consumers in navigating the latest health studies
Op-ed: San Francisco ChronicleCHP/PCOR associate Keith Humphreys discusses in this San Francisco Chronicle Op/Ed piece how to sift through all the media-provided health advice and guidelines. Read more »
December 27th, 2007
Robinson comments on public school, corporation partnerships marketing to children
In the NewsIn a Chicago Tribune article, CHP/PCOR associate Thomas Robinson is quoted on the effect of branding on children. Based on his research, children as young as 3 can be swayed by brand preferences. The piece describes ongoing business partnerships that Florida's Seminole County Public Schools that have created controversial "report card incentives," or food prizes that are awarded to students based on their academic achievement.
December 2nd, 2007
Humphreys opines on medical marijuana use
In the NewsCHP/PCOR associate Keith Humphreys writes in this San Francisco Chronicle about the likelihood that physicians would embrace the use of marijuana as medicine. He notes a Brown University study that surveyed nearly one thousand physicians and found that doctors were significantly less supportive of medical marijuana than compared to the general public.
December 1st, 2007
The HIV/AIDS Pandemic and Africa's Orphaned Elderly
HIV/AIDS has had a profound impact on all aspects of life for people in sub-Saharan Africa. Even though the region's population accounts for only 11 percent of the world's population, nearly 70 percent of people globally living with HIV/AIDS reside there. The epidemic has posed serious threats to economic and social stability, as family structures are being uprooted in cultures where elders traditionally rely on working-age adults as caregivers. Read more »
November 26th, 2007
Miller discusses contraceptives, family planning in Colombia
In the NewsAs a part of the World Contraception Day coverage, the BBC World Service featured a segment in which CHP/PCOR core faculty member Grant Miller discussed the impact of contraceptives and family planning in Colombia, an area that he has conducted research.
November 21st, 2007
Pedometer use may lead to better health, study finds
In the NewsCHP/PCOR senior research scholar Dena Bravata was lead author of a recent study on pedometers. Bravata was quoted in numerous media outlets discussing the study, which found that people who used pedometers that encouraged walking could lead to weigh loss and lower blood pressure. The researchers found that participants who wore pedometers increased their physical activity by 27%, or more than 2,000 steps a day.
- » Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Pedometers add up to better health
- » Sacramento Bee: Pedometers motivate healthier choices
- » San Francisco Chronicle: Pedometer users walk farther, get healthier, researchers say
- » USA Today: Pedometer users go that extra mile
- » ABC News: Walking off the weight
- » NY Times Blog: Making every step count
- » CBS 5: Stanford Study: Pedometers may aid weight loss (video)
October 28th, 2007
Humphreys writes of lack of evidence in use of "brain enrichment" videos for infants
Op-ed: San Francisco Chronicle on October 28, 2007CHP/PCOR associate Keith Humphreys writes in this San Francisco Chronicle Op/Ed about infant enrichment through DVDs and videos. He cites a recent study published by the Journal of Pediatrics that found a lack of evidence that brain enrichment DVDs and videos for infants did much in the way of helping them learn about shapes, words, patterns, and more. Read more »
September 24th, 2007
New research questions value of yearly physical exam
In the NewsAccording to a new study published in the Sept. 24 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, the annual physical exam may not always be necessary. CHP/PCOR core faculty member Douglas Owens, who chairs the subcommittee of the American College of Physicians, provides his personal opinions.
- » CBS News: Annual physical exam: Unneeded expense?
- » WebMD: New research adds to debate about the value of a yearly physical
- » Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Doctors examine the value of annual physicals
- » USA Today: Routine physical exams may need checkup
September 21st, 2007
Most women unaware of hormone replacement study
In the NewsDespite the huge publicity generated by a 2002 study on the potential dangers of hormone therapy for postmenopausal women, new research has found that only 29 percent of women surveyed knew about the study two years later. The research was led by CHP/PCOR associate Randall Stafford, who is quoted in a Washington Post article. Read more »
September 19th, 2007
Observational studies have limitations, says NY Times Magazine critique
In the NewsA recent New York Times Magazine piece focused on the limitations of observational studies and the fact that these studies provide fodder for much of the health news that appears in the media. This Columbia Journalism Review article discusses these issues and quotes CHP/PCOR associate Julie Parsonnet.
- » New York Times: "Do we really know what makes us healthy?"
- » Columbia Journalism Review: "What's healthy? Don't ask scientists, or the press either"
September 12th, 2007
Age of working population age on the rise
In the NewsNew data was recently released showing that Americans are postponing retirement and working longer. CHP/PCOR core faculty member Jay Bhattacharya notes that one major factor that has allowed this to happen is that people are healthier in old age. Read more »
September 5th, 2007
Many uninsured can afford health care
In the NewsIn this USA Today article, CHP/PCOR faculty fellow M. Kate Bundorf and adjunct associate Mark Pauly are referenced on the costs of health care. The piece analyzes the recent Census Bureau estimate of how many people in the United States lack health insurance -- 47 million -- and gives an overview of reasons for the uninsurance rate.
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