Kara Gavin
Research and Policy Media Relations Manager
Gavin draws on more than 25 years of experience in communicating about science, medicine and health policy. She focuses mainly on the health services research done by members of the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, who work to understand and improve the safety, quality, equity and affordability of health care. As part of the Michigan Medicine communication team, she has lead responsibility for primary care and mental health topics. Contact: [email protected]; Twitter: @Karag
News Release
Opioids and older adults: Poll finds support for prescribing limits, and need for better counseling and disposal options
Nearly a third of older adults have received a prescription for an opioid pain medicine in the past two years, but many of them didn’t get enough counseling about the risks that come with the potent painkillers, how to reduce their use, when to switch to a non-opioid option, or what to do with leftover pills, a new poll finds.
Health Lab
Poll: Providers Aren’t Doing Enough to Warn Older Patients About Opioids
Many Americans over 50 favor limits on painkiller prescribing, and those who receive prescriptions need more counseling about risks and safe disposal options, a new poll finds.
News Release
Desperately ill patients will get better access to experimental treatments through new effort
Patients fighting life-threatening illnesses who have run out of conventional options will get a chance to try some of the most cutting-edge treatments available, through a national effort that just received nearly $4.8 million in funding from the federal government.
Health Lab
Very Empty (and Very Full) Hospitals Have Lowest C. Diff Risk
Patients are three times likelier to contract the dangerous infection when a hospital is at midlevel occupancy, a new way of tracking the data finds.
Health Lab
More Than Half of Catheterized Hospital Patients Experience Complications
Infections are only one problem related to urinary catherization. A new study finds that other problems, including pain and affected sexual function, also can occur.
Health Lab
Insurance ‘Churn’ Hits Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Hard
A new study links a gap in coverage of 30 or more days to a fivefold increase in hospital stays and emergency visits, and higher blood sugar.
News Release
Massive diagnostic testing facility opens at U-M, engineered for advanced patient care
A new facility opened this week at the University of Michigan will touch the lives of nearly every person treated at U-M clinics and hospitals, and patients across the state and nation. Called the Michigan Medicine Clinical Pathology facility, it will improve how patients and doctors get vital information from samples of patients’ cells, tissues, blood, urine, saliva and DNA.
Health Lab
Cost, Coverage and More Drive Hearing Aid Inequality
A national study finds major variations in hearing aid use by race, income and education — but VA insurance coverage levels the playing field.
Health Lab
What Neuroscience Tells Us About Family Separation
A psychiatrist and scientists shares the effects of traumatic separation of children from their parents on brain development and behavior.
Health Lab
Primary Care Providers Cite Benefits of Medicaid Expansion
Low income adults see benefits of medicaid expansion in Michigan including earlier detection of serious illnesses and better care for existing health problems.
Health Lab
What Doctors Wear Really Does Matter to Patients
A new study reveals that how doctors dress affects patient satisfaction with their care. See the results, including how patients think doctors should dress in various healthcare settings.
Health Lab
Flu Shot Mandates for Health Workers Rising, Except at VAs
Nearly 70 percent of non-VA hospitals require influenza vaccination or mask use during flu season by all who care for patients, compared with 4 percent of VA hospitals.
Health Lab
Half of Older Adults Don’t Use Patient Portals for Health Care
Despite widespread availability, the online resource goes unused by many older Americans. And adaptation varies by age, income and education level.
News Release
Half of older adults don’t use their health provider’s secure patient communication site, poll finds
These days, Americans can manage many facets of their lives through the Internet. But a new poll suggests that many older adults still aren’t using online systems to communicate with the doctors and other health care providers they rely on – despite the widespread availability of such systems.
Health Lab
To Scan or Not to Scan: Personalizing Lung Cancer Screening
A new tool that takes into account personalized risks and benefits, and allows for a range of patient preferences, will help clinicians decide whom to screen for lung cancer.
