Information needs in public health and health policy: Results of recent studies

This chapter explores the powers of Congress to pass federal public health laws and to delegate authority to federal agencies. The chapter starts with an explanation of Congress’s limited, enumerated powers and how this limits Congress to certain arenas of authority. It next explores the evolution Congress’s use of the Commerce Clause to pass public health laws, before exploring Congress’s use of the Taxing and Spending Clause. The chapter provides examples of how Congress has used both the Commerce Clause and its taxing and spending power to effectuate public health policy. Next, the chapter explains the National Federation of Independent Businesses v. Sebelius case; it details challenges to the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate and Medicaid and explains the implications of the Supreme Court’s holdings. Lastly, the chapter explains Congress’s authority to delegate authority to federal administrative agencies to issue and enforce public health regulations.

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Persons with Disabilities and Public Health Ethics

The Oxford Handbook of Public Health Ethics ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190245191.013.20 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 218-231

Author(s):

Monika Mitra ◽

Linda Long-Bellil ◽

Robyn Powell

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Policy ◽

Public Health Policy ◽

Ethical Issues ◽

The United States ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Persons With Disabilities ◽

Public Health Decision ◽

Health Decision ◽

Health Policy And Practice

This chapter draws on medical, social, and legal perspectives to identify and highlight ethical issues pertaining to the treatment, representation, and inclusion of persons with disabilities in public health policy and practice. A brief history of disability in the United States is provided as a context for examining the key ethical issues related to public health policy and practice. Conceptual frameworks and approaches to disability are then described and applied. The chapter then discusses the imperativeness of expanding access to public health programs by persons with disabilities, the need to address implicit and structural biases, and the importance of including persons with disabilities in public health decision-making.

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Television News Coverage of Public Health Issues and Implications for Public Health Policy and Practice

Annual Review of Public Health ◽

10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040218-044017 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 167-185 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Sarah E. Gollust ◽

Erika Franklin Fowler ◽

Jeff Niederdeppe

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Policy ◽

Public Health Policy ◽

Television News ◽

News Coverage ◽

Health Issues ◽

Public Attention ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Tv News ◽

Health Policy And Practice

Television (TV) news, and especially local TV news, remains an important vehicle through which Americans obtain information about health-related topics. In this review, we synthesize theory and evidence on four main functions of TV news in shaping public health policy and practice: reporting events and information to the public (surveillance); providing the context for and meaning surrounding health issues (interpretation); cultivating community values, beliefs, and norms (socialization); and attracting and maintaining public attention for advertisers (attention merchant). We also identify challenges for TV news as a vehicle for improving public health, including declining audiences, industry changes such as station consolidation, increasingly politicized content, potential spread of misinformation, and lack of attention to inequity. We offer recommendations for public health practitioners and researchers to leverage TV news to improve public health and advance health equity.

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