Complex healthcare policies are often challenging to implement. That’s a reality states across the country will deal with as new Medicaid work requirements get rolled out next year.

Inside cells, DNA is coiled like a slinky. As the DNA slinky stretches and opens, genes are more easily accessible to be turned on. WashU Medicine researchers found that stress in early life stretches the genetic slinky, leaving a lasting effect on the brain that makes a person more vulnerable to stress later in life. 

About the Study: In this cross-sectional study, more than one-third of high-risk therapeutic medical devices were subject to serious recalls. Because device, premarket clinical evidence, and regulatory characteristics were not consistently associated with serious recalls, robust postmarket surveillance is needed to ensure patient safety.

About this Study: This Viewpoint examines the regulatory landscape of synthetic food dyes, highlights recent federal and state actions, and discusses implications for policy, industry, and clinical practice.

About the Study: The health coaching intervention combined with self-measured BP monitoring significantly increased health care engagement and BP control by 12 months post partum. These findings support health coaching as an effective strategy for reducing long-term uncontrolled hypertension among patients with HDP.

About the Study: In this qualitative study, Afghan women described multilayered health care barriers, including displacement-related trauma, sociocultural norms, and structural deficiencies. Study findings suggest that culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate public health interventions and structural changes are needed to improve health care access for Afghan women in the US.

About the Study: This diagnostic study compares the diagnostic accuracy of the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology Commission on Obesity definition of obesity with that of other definitions.

About this Study: In this cohort study, conditional-longitudinal models captured individual-level deviations from expected growth trajectories, providing information beyond static positions on a growth curve to assess differences in maturation. Robust associations were observed between individual trajectory deviations, birth weight, and longitudinally assessed mental health symptoms. Conditional-longitudinal models hold promise for applications across psychiatric neuroscience, from development to aging.

About the Study: In this cohort study, participation in mandatory value-based payment programs was associated with increased hospital administrative costs. These findings suggest that policymakers should consider administrative burden when designing and evaluating payment reforms to ensure that anticipated improvements in cost, quality, and access are not offset by increased complexity.