I am happily sharing with editor’s pick latesthealthtricks the top 10 articles of 2023. I am sharing them because I believe these articles are the best among those used. Also, I think there is no need to review them again. Even sharing these 10 articles is difficult for me, and ranking them is impossible, so the top 10 articles are listed below in the order of publication.
I want to tell readers to read these articles. I am making them available to all readers for free for 48 hours. After that, readers should also check out the 10 most-read articles of 2023, which will be free until 8:00 AM tomorrow. And if you haven’t clicked yet, I encourage you to do so in order to get the results of published health policy so you can fully understand all the restrictions related to published health policy.
Tomorrow morning, Thursday, January 4, you can watch Health Affairs Forefront, where we will present the most-read Forefront articles of 2023. Details of our most popular podcasts will be posted on Friday, January 5. A few weeks later, we will highlight the best moments from our events (Tuesday, January 9) and the best moments from Health Affairs Scholar (Wednesday,
Click on our free good letter.
Read with happiness, and thank you for helping make 2023 a great year in health matters.
January
The impact of the increased child tax credit in 2021 on adult individuals: A brief review
By Akansha Batra, Caitlin Jackson, and Rita Hamad
During the COVID-19 period, Congress provided a child credit to families to support health matters. I liked that the authors took advantage of this natural experiment to review its effects on health. They were successful in showing that a public policy that can reduce financial difficulties may also help reduce mental stress and improve mental health.
February
Differences in COVID-19 testing rates and chances of vaccination among nursing home staff based on work shifts
By Elizabeth M. White,
Jasmine L. Travers, Natalia Guskova, Gahi Oh, Maggie Siem, Xiaofei Yang, Ana Montoya, Richard A. Pfeifer, David C. Grabowski, Vincent Mor, and Sarah D. Berry
Many people have already talked about COVID-19 vaccination and testing among nursing home staff, but I found this review especially interesting because it looks at a topic that is often overlooked: the differences among staff members working in nursing homes.
>The authors found that the staff working during the day had the highest testing rates and chances of getting vaccinated, while the night shift staff had the lowest.
>These differences reflect certain administrative or structural barriers, which, if not addressed, can prevent consistent and high levels of testing and vaccination across all nursing home staff.
Apri
When people were sent letters and emails at the right time, there was an increase in the number of households enrolling in free health insurance plans.
Covered California, which is the government’s ACA marketplace, has worked thoughtfully in the area of learning. That’s why I’m trying to highlight its key points, which clearly show that sending letters and emails to people at the right time helps them choose healthcare plans that match their needs and can improve their situations.
These results are based on a structured evaluation — a proper experiment — in which households were randomly assigned without any specific order.
Aside from being encouraging, the results also serve as a reminder that with careful thinking and financial planning, it is possible to carry out evaluations that give us a high level of confidence in their findings.
June
COVID-19 Restrictions in Prisons and Jails, and the Opinions of Jail System Leaders
Written by: Brendan Saloner, Camille Kramer, Minna Song, Brandon Doan, Gabriel B. Eber, Leonard S. Rubenstein, and Carolyn Sufrin
I am highlighting this research because both the topic and the research editor’s pick latesthealthtricks method are very important. During the COVID-19 pandemic, incarcerated individuals were at the mercy of the decisions made by jail and prison administrators.
Especially since the jail administration system is largely decentralised, we have very limited data on how officials actually responded during COVID-19.
July
Rapid Enrollment Growth In Look-Alike Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans: A Potential Threat To Integrated Care
(Authors: Yanlei Ma, Austin B. Frakt, Eric T. Roberts, Kenton J. Johnston, Jessica Phelan, and José F. Figueroa)
It’s not surprising that this paper, part of our Age-Friendly Health series, made it to my list of top ten favourites. The reason is that it touches my heart by focusing on improving care for individuals who are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid at the same time, commonly referred to as “dual eligibles.”
What stood out to me in this paper is how a public policy — originally designed to improve care coordination (specifically, the creation of Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans [D-SNPs])—has been undermined by health plans. These companies created look-alike plans that divert patients away from the actual D-SNPs and place them in alternative schemes that lack the benefits of coordinated care, which was the very purpose of D-SNPs.
This market behaviour is especially concerning because people with dual eligibility have very high care needs, and enrolment in such look-alike editor’s pick latesthealthtricks plans is significantly higher among socially disadvantaged populations.
August
“COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy Failed to Integrate Small Primary Care Practices”
By: Shiying Hao, David H. Rehkopf, Esther Velasquez, Ayin Vala, Andrew W. Bazemore, and Robert L. Phillips Jr.
Although this is a short, data-focused article, it is part of the “Practice of Medicine” series and highlights an important aspect of the United States’ response to COVID-19. In the efforts related to the COVID-19 vaccine, America failed to include small primary care centres—facilities that should serve as the backbone of an effective healthcare system.
As stated in the article:
“Unlike in other countries, primary care was not given a prominent role in the US vaccination strategy.”
Even though efforts were made both within and outside the government to strengthen general healthcare, this article highlights that the mission to create an effective and equitable healthcare system still remains incomplete.
September
“This Is My Identity: Inequality in Access to Gender-Affirming Care”
By: Meg Quint
Sexuality and gender are topics that are deeply personal and private. That’s why I, too, am thankful to Meg Quint, who shared their personal story in our Narrative Matters series, using their own experience to shed light on the importance of gender-affirming (gender-confirming) care.
As policymakers consider various approaches related to this type of care, I hope they are guided by this piece and the voices of others like Meg—people who are deeply and directly affected by these policies.
October
“The True Voices and Living Images of Community Health Workers: A Path Toward Justice-Based Policy and Real Change”
Penned by Chidinma Ibe, Anika Hines, Nico Dominguez Carrero, Shannon Fuller, Alison Trainor, Tiffany Scott, Debra Hickman, and Lisa A. Cooper
Although there has been much discussion about expanding the role of community health workers (CHWs), especially in identifying and addressing economic and social needs, we have not paid enough attention to actually listening to these workers themselves.
I personally respect how the authors used Photovoice to collect data directly from CHWs. This article also shows us that the people who work closest with underserved communities often face the same hardships and deprivations themselves. editor’s pick latesthealthtricks
If the health care system truly wants to benefit from the wisdom and lived experiences of these workers, it must also provide them with full support and backing.
November
No Progress in Mental Health Treatment or Patient-Reported Improvement for Depression and Anxiety Patients in Medicare ACOs
Writers: Hassan M., Haki Beri, Hfi Ven, Benjamin G. Driss, Tros Loux, and Kenton J. Johnston
Health Affairs is a platform that regularly publishes articles to inform the public, showing how financial incentives shape the health care system. However, this article reminds us that financial incentives alone are not enough to bring about meaningful action editor’s pick latesthealthtricks.
Accountable Care Organisations (ACOs) clearly receive financial benefits for improving the mental health of the people under their care. But this study shows that such improvements are not actually taking place in practice.
While some goals in the health care system can be achieved through financial incentives, in my opinion, the most important goals require more than that—they need deeper understanding and serious commitment.
Here is the English translation of your provided Urdu text, refined for clarity and grammar:
December
Incomplete Vaccination and Clear Gaps in Vaccine Distribution in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Writers: Ashley M. Fox, Yongjin Choi, and Leesa Lin
Among the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic, this article holds a prominent place for two important reasons:
First, this research is based on household survey data collected from seventeen Western Pacific and African countries’ editors’ picks of the latest health tricks.
Second, the authors have made an effort to understand the complexity of the pandemic and have highlighted the difference between two major reasons people remained unvaccinated:
- Hesitancy or reluctance toward the vaccine
- Barriers in accessing the vaccine
The understanding gained from this study can help shape future efforts toward achieving equitable global vaccine distribution.
