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Latest news and updates

Latest news and updates

Increasing vaccination rates in underserved King County communities

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A new project from the University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center (UW HPRC) aims to increase vaccination rates for underserved communities within King County. The project is made possible by $500,000 in funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data yielded through this project will contribute to the Connecting Behavioral Science to COVID-19 Vaccine Demand (CBS-CVD) Network, a national network of which the UW HPRC is one of 26 member centers included. Researchers from…

Researchers have established a link between drug rebates and higher costs to patients

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Healthcare spending in America has remained a prominent topic of debate, with much concern over the rising list prices and out-of-pocket costs for patients seeking prescription drugs. Associated with these increasing costs is the industry practice of using rebates to lower drug costs for insurers. A University of Washington-led study examined cost and price data on more than 400 branded drugs. The researchers uncovered a positive association between rebates and increases in out-of-pocket costs for patients. Prices increased by an…

Co-designing a technology intervention to support the health and development of children

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The King County’s 2018-2019 Community Needs Assessment revealed that infants from racially and economically marginalized groups encounter the highest rates of infant mortality and lowest birth weights compared to any other population. King County has offered developmental screening services and virtual information to help child caregivers address this issue. However, there is growing consensus among healthcare providers and child caregivers that these tools do not adequately respond to diverse cultural, social and economic experiences. Recognizing that these factors do not…

Research finds health professionals can offer context in process to restrict firearm access

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Washington State law allows citizens to file an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO), a civil order to temporarily restrict an individual’s access to firearms due to concern that the individual poses an extreme risk of harming themselves, others, or both. By law, health professionals cannot independently file on behalf of a petitioner. Still, their professional insight and knowledge of appropriate legal resources and strategies for harm reduction may prove critical for ensuring patient safety. Recognizing the impact health professionals may…

Spotlight: David Townes’ dedication to international humanitarian work

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Dr. David A. Townes, University of Washington professor of Emergency Medicine and adjunct professor of Global Health, has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to international humanitarian work and educating the next generation of humanitarian professionals. In addition to his academic roles, Townes is a board-certified physician in Emergency Medicine. He earned his M.D. from the University of Massachusetts, where he realized an interest in emergency medicine. “At the time, emergency medicine was just starting to explode in popularity,” Townes said. “Emergency…

UW researchers offer a roadmap for more robust modeling of pedestrian mobility

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Researchers from the University of Washington Allen School’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology have developed a framework for modeling how pedestrians with varying needs and preferences navigate the urban environment. This framework holds the potential to improve pedestrian experiences, redress mobility concerns and expand the accessibility of urban landscapes. The team created a personalized pedestrian network analysis (PPNA), which offers a roadmap for city-scale mobility that captures diverse pedestrian experiences. The PPNA also opens up new opportunities for collaboration at…

Learning from past emergencies to improve the pandemic response

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By investigating government policy responses to large-scale crises, a team including a faculty member from the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance found that a centralized approach can achieve goals more effectively and efficiently. In times of crisis, government approaches to procuring goods and services may be interrupted or dramatically altered. The researchers point to coordination issues around acquiring PPE and inconsistencies in COVID-19 vaccine rollout across states to support this point. Despite the unprecedented nature…

New research finds heat limits worker productivity in tropical deforested areas

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According to new research from the University of Washington Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Atmospheric Sciences, workers in deforested areas are less productive than their counterparts in forested regions. The study examined agricultural workers in rural Indonesia, examining the health of workers and their productivity levels in areas experiencing tropical deforestation. Through deforestation, the local environment lacks the cooling power and shade that trees can offer. This leaves workers in deforested areas vulnerable to increased body temperatures,…

Collaboration with the Undergraduate Research Program promotes population health

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An ongoing partnership between the University of Washington Population Health Initiative and the Undergraduate Research Program (URP) has introduced and supported undergraduate students in their endeavors to tackle pressing population health challenges. The Undergraduate Research Program (URP) supports undergraduate students as they navigate their way to research opportunities. The URP offers students a wealth of resources to discover and apply their skills and talents to research opportunities. “The Undergraduate Research Program strives to support undergraduates at the University of Washington…

UW project uses smartphone or computer cameras to measure pulse, respiration rate

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Women holds smartphone while streaming video

Throughout the pandemic, telehealth appointments have proved a critical tool for providing healthcare while minimizing in-person contact. However, remote appointments have prevented healthcare providers from collecting patients’ vital signs in real-time. To address this issue, a team led by University of Washington researchers has developed a new method that utilizes the camera on a person’s smartphone or computer to measure physiological signals from a real-time video of their face. This revolutionary system was introduced at the Neural Information Processing Systems…