January is Cervical Health Awareness Month
Plan ahead to raise awareness and encourage women to protect themselves from human papillomavirus and cervical cancer. Minority women are disproportionately affected by cancer health disparities and may experience barriers to preventive and followup care based on socioeconomic status. Educational interventions can help address social determinants of health and ensure more screening and prevention. See Health.gov's ideas for promotion, education and interventions. (Source: BHIC)
Source: BHIC - December 14, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Patricia Devine Tags: Minority Health Concerns Source Type: blogs
Chronic Disease in Rural America
Rural areas face higher rates of chronic disease and higher related mortality rates. In some rural regions of the country and for some rural population groups, the disparity is even worse. The Rural Health Information Hub announces a new guide which discusses the impact of chronic disease on rural America, how providers and communities can help patients with chronic diseases, and where to look for funding to establish programs to address chronic conditions. The guide provides an overview of chronic disease generally as well as specific conditions, including heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory...
Source: BHIC - December 14, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Patricia Devine Tags: Chronic Disease Rural Source Type: blogs
American Indian/Alaska Native Community Crisis Response Guidelines.
The Indian Health Service announces the American Indian/Alaska Native Community Crisis Response Guidelines, to address suicide prevention cover prevention and early intervention. Developed to aid tribes who receive services through the Indian Health Service, the guidelines aid in obtaining assistance from across public and private resources. The guidelines recommend responsibilities and procedures for tribal communities, and stress the importance of federal and tribal partnerships. (Source: BHIC)
Source: BHIC - December 14, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Patricia Devine Tags: Mental Health Minority Health Concerns Source Type: blogs
New App Helps Parents Track Child ’s Developmental Milestones
Is your child’s development on track for his or her age? Now you can find out with CDC’s new free Milestone Tracker app. The app makes it easy for parents to track, support, and celebrate their young child’s development.
“Skills like taking a first step, saying those first words, and waving ‘bye-bye’ are developmental milestones all parents anticipate and celebrate,” said CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D. “This CDC Milestone Tracker app gives parents tips to help their child learn and grow, a way to track developmental milestones, recognize delays, and the ability to share this information with their hea...
Source: BHIC - December 12, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Carolyn Martin Tags: Children and Teens Source Type: blogs
Holiday Toy Tips
Toys are at the top of many shopping lists and is a often a favorite part of holiday shopping. Those youngsters may have a wish list a mile long but which of those many items are safe? When choosing a toy for a child, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the toy be appropriate for the child's age and stage of development. This makes it more likely the toy will engage the child – and reduces the risk it could cause injury. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a list of tips when selecting these gifts. (Source: BHIC)
Source: BHIC - December 12, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Carolyn Martin Tags: Children and Teens Source Type: blogs
Generic Drugs
In the United States, 9 out of 10 prescriptions filled are for generic drugs. Increasing the availability of generic drugs helps to create competition in the marketplace, which then helps to make treatment more affordable and increases access to healthcare for more patients.
The FDA's Office of Generic Drugs (OGD) within the Center for Drug Evaluation in Research ensures that people have access to safe, affordable generic drugs by following a rigorous review process that includes:
Managing the regulatory process to facilitate drug approvals,
Establishing science initiatives to research generic drugs,
Publishing data and ...
Source: BHIC - December 12, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Carolyn Martin Tags: Health Information Literacy Source Type: blogs
Genetics and Addiction
Genetics Home Reference is a resource from the National Library of Medicine that provides consumers with information about genetics and genetic conditions. This website recently added a page about opioid addiction. This page explains the interaction between genes and opioid addiction and links to additional reliable resources on this topic. This resource adds to the number of valuable resources the National Library of Medicine offers on opioid addition. Many others can be accessed through the page Opiate Addiction and Treatment. (Source: BHIC)
Source: BHIC - December 11, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Erin Seger Tags: General Source Type: blogs
The Nation ’s Health: Top 10 Stories
With 2017 drawing to a close, the American Public Health Association (APHA) has created a list of the top 10 stories published this year in their newspaper, The Nation’s Health. These articles cover a variety of relevant topics from the year, including: school lunch programs, community needs assessments, Healthy People 2030 and E- cigarette use.
APHA is an organization that speaks out for public health issues and science- based policies and brings together members from a range of public health related fields. The Nation’s Health is APHA’s official newspaper. Published 10 times per year, this newspaper provides reade...
Source: BHIC - December 11, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Erin Seger Tags: General Source Type: blogs
Science Messaging on Social Media
A recent National Institutes of Health article, Magnifying Your Messaging: Social Media as Part of a Communication Strategy explains that while there are benefits to discussing science information using social media, there are precautions to take when doing so. The authors explain that the requirement to limit the number of characters in a social media post can condense science related messages and ultimately mislead the reader. To avoid this, they make several suggestions such as considering the study characteristics, noting if the study was peer reviewed and providing a link to the full story if you choose to post. Revie...
Source: BHIC - December 11, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Erin Seger Tags: General Source Type: blogs
Soliciting Input for the Tribal Health Research Office Strategic Plan
The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to invite comments and suggestions on the first National Institutes of Health (NIH) Tribal Health Research Office (THRO) Strategic Plan (FY 2018-2022). The THRO is publishing this notice to solicit input from its stakeholders, including members of the scientific, tribal, advocacy, and patient communities, basic, clinical, and translational scientists, as well as other interested members of the public, on topics under consideration for the strategic plan.
See the RFI for more information on the background and on the five strategic priorities under consideration that are t...
Source: BHIC - December 8, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kay Deeney Tags: Minority Health Concerns Public Health Source Type: blogs
NIH News in Health, December 2017
Check out the December issue of NIH News in Health, the monthly newsletter bringing you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research.
Managing Diabetes
New Technologies Can Make It Easier
Scientists are finding ways to automate technologies to help control diabetes and keep you healthy.
Battling a Bulging Hernia
Don’t Ignore Your Groin Pain
Is standing, coughing, or jumping causing pain in your lower abs? It may be a hernia.
Health Capsules:
Your Family’s Health History
How Do Medical Scans Work?
Know the Science of Health
NIH News in Health is avail...
Source: BHIC - December 8, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kay Deeney Tags: Chronic Disease General Health Information Literacy Source Type: blogs
Protect Yourself from Wildfire Smoke
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dry conditions in parts of the United States increase the potential for wildfires in or near wilderness areas. Stay alert for wildfire warnings and take action to protect yourself and your family from wildfire smoke. When wildfires burn in your area, they produce smoke that may reach your community. Wildfire smoke is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other plant materials. This smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases. The CDC page includes Who is at greatest risk from wildfire...
Source: BHIC - December 8, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kay Deeney Tags: Emergency Preparedness Environmental Health Source Type: blogs
AHRQ Finds Limited Use of Health Literacy Techniques Among Clinicians
From the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Anew AHRQ study found that most adults did not report always receiving health literacy universal precautions. The study, Health Literacy Universal Precautions Are Still a Distant Dream: Analysis of U.S. Data on Health Literate Practices, published in Health Literacy Research and Practice, analyzed data from AHRQ’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to document the extent to which providers were providing clear instructions, using the teach back” method, and offering help with filling out forms. The proportion of adults in the United States who reported re...
Source: BHIC - November 30, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Michelle Burda Tags: General Health Information Literacy Public Health Source Type: blogs
Allergens Widespread in Largest Study of U.S. Homes
News Release from NIH
Allergens are widespread, but highly variable in U.S. homes, according to the nation’s largest indoor allergen study to date. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health report that over 90 percent of homes had three or more detectable allergens, and 73 percent of homes had at least one allergen at elevated levels. Read more about this study. Learn more about allergens and irritants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (Source: BHIC)
Source: BHIC - November 30, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Michelle Burda Tags: Chronic Disease Environmental Health Public Health Source Type: blogs
NNLM Partnership with the NIH All of Us Research Program
The National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) is pleased to announce a partnership with the NIH All of Us Research Program (All of Us), part of the Precision Medicine Initiative. Through this collaboration, NNLM’s Regional Medical Libraries and National Offices will focus on improving consumer access to high quality health information in communities throughout the U.S., specifically, by working with public libraries.
This partnership is a 3-year pilot program to support All of Us. Activities in the pilot are designed to:
Help public libraries in supporting the health information needs of their users
Support com...
Source: BHIC - November 30, 2017 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Michelle Burda Tags: General National Library of Medicine News Public Health Source Type: blogs
