In Case You Missed It: New and Noteworthy This Week

This weekly blog series is a roundup of recent news items and developments that I found interesting and would like to share.

An interesting summary of some innovations in healthcare. Innovations in Healthcare Annual Report: 2014-2015

Integrated care is an emerging theme for healthcare systems globally. Most medical and nursing  schools do not prepare their graduates for the realities of integrated care. Kaiser Permanente recognizes the problem and is creating a new medical school to prepare doctors to participate in integrated care programs. Kaiser Permanente Plans to Open a Medical School

This link from Molly Coye provides an important perspective on the interaction between philanthropy and the private sector. ACCESS Health has an opportunity to be a leader in public private partnerships in health and philanthropy. The Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative May Be More Important Than Facebook

Please see this TEDMED Talk by Rebecca Onie that describes Health Leads, a program to  encourage doctors to prescribe social support, including food, to promote healthy lives for those with limited resources. This presentation is a complement to the forthcoming interview with Dr. Paul Tang describing the role of time banks in promoting elder care and community care for the elderly. What If Our Healthcare System Kept Us Healthy?

See this interesting story asking the question about who will take care of China’s elderly. The story is heartbreaking, one likely to be repeated in India and elsewhere where demographic changes and urbanization combine to undermine support for the elderly. The issues of elder care combine with the pressure to provide adequate social and health services for rural and urban populations in these rapidly transforming societies. Who Will Take Care of China’s Elderly People?

Please read this interesting opinion piece from a senior fellow at Brookings on the need for long term care insurance and the importance of aging at home. Getting Old in America

Please this important article in the current Foreign Affairs magazine on the high cost of mental health in low and high income countries and some suggestions on how the issues of mental health might be addressed. Mental health is one of the central issues we at ACCESS Health must address as an integral part of our work on elder care. Darkness Invisible: The Hidden Global Costs of Mental Illness

Paramedics Pay Home Visits to Keep Patients Out of the ER

Please see this article directly relevant to our Modern Aging programs. Digital Doctors: On a Mission to Change Medicine

Please see this interesting National Academy of Medicine overview that presents several perspectives on the social determinants of health determined by the urban environment. Bringing Public Health into Urban Revitalization: Workshop in Brief

Incorporating patient reported outcomes into clinical care is central to person centered care. This article highlights the discrepancy between the goal and reality of incorporating patient reported outcomes into medical records. Patient Reported Outcomes: The Impact on Research and Engagement

Please see this editorial published in The Lancet on health systems transformation in Ethiopia. They are making real progress toward improving community health in the countryside. Model Villages: A Platform for Community Based Primary Healthcare

Please find a summary and the full report of the 2015 White House Conference on Aging. The report identifies many of the key issues that face the United States (and, as we know, other countries) that are confronted with the challenges associated with demographic change. The report also identifies organizations and people who are thought leaders in the US on these issues. I urge all of us interested in addressing these issue in the United States and elsewhere to read the report. 2015 White House Conference on Aging: Final Report