News

Primary Care Physicians Are Aware of Prescription Monitoring Programs, but Many Find Accessing Data Difficult and Time-Consuming

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

A new study released on March 2, 2015, in Health Affairs reports that most primary care physicians are aware of prescription drug monitoring programs and have used the data in their practices, but do so only intermittently.

The study surveyed 420 physicians randomly identified through the American Medical Association’s Masterfile list. Of those physicians surveyed, 72 percent were aware of their state’s prescription drug monitoring program, and 53 percent reported that they had used the programs.

Webinar: Civil Commitment Laws and Population Health

Thursday, January 8, 2015

The role that civil commitment and involuntary hospitalization have played in providing mental health care has changed markedly since the middle of the 20th century. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have civil commitment laws that govern how and when an individual may be admitted to a psychiatric facility without their consent. This free webinar will explore civil commitment law through a public health lens, explaining why civil commitment is needed and where it comes from, the legal background and variations in civil commitment law and practice today, and the science and scientific challenges faced in practice. It will consider these issues as they relate to current national discussions of mental illness and violence, civil liberties, and an improved health care delivery system. Join us on Thursday, January 22 at 1 p.m. ET!

Local Enforcement of Federal Immigration Laws Impacted Hispanics/Latinos’ Prenatal Health

Thursday, December 18, 2014

A program that allowed states and localities to enforce federal immigration laws adversely impacted the use of pregnancy and childcare-related health services by Hispanics, according to a new study published on December 18, 2014 in the American Journal of Public Health.

The study, conducted in North Carolina, examined vital records data to understand the use of prenatal care by Hispanic/Latina women shortly before and after implementation of Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act in seven counties that signed on to participate in the program and seven counties that did not.

Public Health Law Research Program Funds Nine New Studies

Thursday, November 20, 2014

The public health effects of laws on issues such as e-cigarettes, fracking, concussions in youth sports and school vaccination requirements will be investigated through nine new research projects funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Public Health Law Research (PHLR) program.

The grants announced today total nearly $1.2 million and will support short-term and time-sensitive studies on specific laws or regulations and the development of legal datasets. See the summaries below for more details on the latest round of research projects funded by PHLR.

Public Health Law Research Program Director Wins APHA Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Health Law

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Scott Burris, JD has been named the first recipient of the American Public Health Association (APHA) Law Section’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Health Law. Burris and his accomplishments will be recognized at the annual Law Section reception on Monday, November 17, 2014 at the APHA Annual Meeting being held in New Orleans.

PHLR at APHA 2014

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Program office staff and grantees will join the attendees at the 2014 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in New Orleans, November 15-19. Look for us at these events and at our booth:

Study shows New York City stop and frisk experiences associated with symptoms of trauma and stress among young men

Thursday, October 16, 2014

A new study released on October 16 in the American Journal of Public Health finds that young men in New York City who report they’ve been stopped and questioned by police are also reporting higher levels of trauma and stress associated with those experiences, particularly when they report that the encounters were intrusive. The study finds that men who experienced the most intrusive encounters — those interactions that were aggressive, deemed unfair, or involved racially-charged language — also experienced the most significant symptoms, but the researchers also report stress, trauma and anxiety in men who had experienced even minimal interactions with the police. The study also finds disparities across race: black respondents experienced trauma symptoms at a higher frequency than other races.

New interactive map charts minimum wage rates from 1980 to present

Thursday, July 31, 2014

A new map by the Public Health Law Research Program charts the changes in the federal and state minimum wage laws dating back to 1980.

Since establishing a standard minimum wage rate for qualified employees in 1938, the federal minimum wage has been increased 22 times – from 25 cents per hour to the current rate of $7.25, which was established in July 2009. The current rate equates to roughly $15,000 per year for a 40-hour work week.

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