Capacity Building
For the Book Club — The Truth Matters: A Citizen’s Guide to Separating Facts from Lies and Stopping Fake News in its Tracks
As we get more and more information from new, untested sources, untrustworthy sources and fake news grow, undermining trust in media and politics. This short book offers real-world tips and resources to counter the trend. Chapters include how to read critically, using fact-checking sites, finding trustworthy sources and experts (and how to spot the fakers),…
Read MoreComment open on leading healthcare value pricing methodology
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is seeking public input on their methodology to their development of benchmark prices for tests, treatments, drugs and innovations based on their value. ICER, an independent non-profit research institute, is the key source for value-based assessments. Their reports are used by the VA, Medicare, Medicaid, commercial plans…
Read MoreCTNJ op-ed – Advice From an Advocate to the Next Social Services Commissioner
Welcome, you have a big job ahead of you. Connecticut’s Department of Social Services (DSS) is a huge agency, spending $8.4 billion this year for programs that impact many lives. As a healthcare advocate who has spent decades trying to move your agency and your predecessors, with mixed results, you have a difficult job. Luckily…
Read MorePractical Wisdom – The Right Way to Do the Right Thing
New to the Book Club Why do our institutions and systems, including healthcare, seem to be getting more complex and more costly but not better? This fascinating book argues that we have lost practical wisdom – the ability to balance the need for reasonable rules and standards with doing the right thing. The law of…
Read MoreWhat We’re Reading this week
Welcome to What We’re Reading — our new feature at CT Health Notes. We’ll include links to background, updates and just entertaining pieces we found helpful this week. What We’re Reading is part of Advocate to Advocate, the CT Health Policy Project’s mission to expand policy capacity in our state’s advocacy community. More on that…
Read MoreCTNJ policy series starts Jan. 16 with state budget
CT News Junkie is launching Let’s Talk, a new policy forum series, to explore complex challenges facing Connecticut. The series starts Wednesday, January 16th at 10am with The Squeeze is On: The Next State Budget. Revenue isn’t keeping up with past promises and tough challenges across issues will be hard to fix without resources. Panelists…
Read MoreICER seeking new members of comparative effectiveness panel
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has opened nominations for their New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council. The council, one of three in the US, is composed of leading clinicians, patient and public representatives, methodologists, and health economists. The group meets three times each year to consider ICER effectiveness reports on the…
Read MoreHealth Policy undergrad class resources online
The most recent slides, assignments, and syllabus, including reading list, for an undergraduate course in health policy are online. There is no required text for the class, but lots of readings. The course focuses on Connecticut health policy and is required of Public Health majors at Southern CT State University as a designated writing class.…
Read MoreSurvey of state legislators’ values for health reform finds strong differences by party but some encouraging overlap
Both Democratic and Republican state legislators from across the US agree on the need to control health care costs, according to a new survey published in the American Journal of Public Health. However, other top priorities between the parties differ strongly. Republicans prioritized smaller government along with reducing costs while Democrats prioritize improving health equity…
Read MoreCTNJ: CT health policy has trust issues
An OP-ED today in CT News Junkie describes the sorry level of mistrust in CT health policymaking. “Mistrust is pervasive in Connecticut policymaking and it’s blocking progress.” Luckily we know how to fix it – if only we have the sense.Read the piece
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