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Happy Thanksgiving from Himmelfarb Library!
The Rotation: A Himmelfarb Library Blog
Resources, tools & health news from GW Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library
While evidence has suggested that this is true, the first study identifying specific genetic factors that exist in women with preterm deliveries was just published in the New England Journal of Medicine. This study used data from nearly 50,000 women and identified specific genetic variations which can predict length of gestation and risk of preterm birth.
Image citation: Ricciardi, R. (2013). Human genome [online image]. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ricricciardi/11622986115
Can a blood test be used to screen for cancer?
This question was addressed in a recent NEJM article which investigated if checking for the Epstein-Barr virus (EBM) in plasma samples would be a useful screening test for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in patients with no symptoms of the disease.
To understand how this prospective study was conducted and learn about the results, read the article or watch the NEJM's quick take video:
If you're interested in health policy changes, you can take advantage of Himmelfarb Library's online resources to help you keep up to date on what's going on. These online resources provide access both to the academic literature and legislative news and tracking resources:
CQ HealthBeat: Continuously updated information on health policy legislation and regulations. Includes real-time news, information on rules and regulations, legislative tracking, and schedules of forums and events.
Health Policy Reference Center: journals, books, magazines, and trade publications on health policy issues including access and delivery, administration, financing and economics, planning, quality, reform, health services research, and public health.
CQ's Trump Tracker: tracks the action on Donald Trump's campaign commitments with background, options available, what to watch, links to bills, information about key players and more.
New research published in Nature traced when HIV arrived in the United States and its path from Africa via Haiti. This research also provides a timeline for the virus' movement and exonerates Gaétan Dugas who had been identified as 'Patient 0'.
Read this research and how the virus was traced and tracked via Himmelfarb Library's online collection:
Image citation: M Worobey et al. Nature 1–4 (2016) doi:10.1038/nature19827
The Commonwealth Fund just published an Issue Brief written by GW Milken Institute School of Public Health faculty examining this issue. Sara Rosenbaum, Sara Schmucker, Sara Rothenberg, and Rachel Gunsalus describe Medicaid demonstrations currently running in six states. These demonstrations all increase beneficiaries’ financial responsibility via enrollment fees and/or cost-sharing beyond traditional Medicare limits. In this issue brief, the authors describe:
Read the full-text online:
Rosenbaum S, Schmucker S, Rothenberg S, Gunsalus R. (2016). How Will Section 1115 Medicaid Expansion Demonstrations Inform Federal Policy? Issue Brief (Commonw Fund). 13:1-10. PubMed PMID: 27214927.
Photo credit: Depolo, Steve. (2009) Please pay here. [image]. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/3354726208
How often are residents observed?
A new study by GW researchers looks at this question in a recently published article. In Observing and Giving Feedback to Novice PGY-1s, Katherine Tully, Jennifer Keller, Jim Blatt, and Larrie Greenberg studied OB-GYN residents during the second month of residency to assess: