Public Health | Penn Today

patient shouting through megaphone with concept of words not reaching a doctor, closing their eyes wearing headphones (cartoon)

The single word most associated with negative hospital reviews

A Penn Medicine research team found that the word “told” was tied to almost 20 percent of poor reviews, pointing to the value points patients and their loved ones’ place on communication in health care settings.

A girl in a blue fleece standing in front of a wall of black and white posters in Hebrew. Boxes of children's toys are in front of the wall.

Embracing a community’s practice to promote the measles vaccine

Mimicking a news-sharing custom common among ultraorthodox Jewish communities, two Penn Nursing students created and placed posters around a Jerusalem neighborhood, employing a mystical technique that assigns a numerical value to each Hebrew letter.

Gloved hand holding a positive Hep C test stick

Opioids and hepatitis C: How OxyContin fed a new epidemic

A new study from LDI senior fellow Abby Alpert, with David Powell and Rosalie Pacula, links OxyContin reformulation to a national epidemic of hepatitis C, which kills more than 20,000 Americans a year and infects tens of thousands more.

Andrew Strasser in tobacco lab conducting research

To get smokers to quit, tap into their biology

How quickly nicotine clears the bloodstream determines which treatment will work best, a tool scientists at Penn Medicine are using to advance the field of tobacco research.

Community outreach at Penn Medicine

Community outreach is an integral component of Penn Medicine’s three-part mission of research, patient care, and education, and countless members of the Health System family reach out on an individual basis.

Child in a gray shirt sitting waiting to get a shot by gloved hands.

The art of talking about science

Paul Offit of Penn Medicine and CHOP offers five tips for better communicating tough scientific topics to the public—and standing up for science in the process.

teenager watcing tv with popcorn on a couch looking surprised

Risk and healthy behavior in the American adaptation of a telenovela

Researchers at the Annenberg Public Policy Center compare the CW Network show “Jane the Virgin” and the original Spanish-language telenovela “Juana la Virgen” and find an increase in risky adolescent behavior in the adaptation.

How community health workers could create less-costly, higher-quality care

A study by Shreya Kangovi of the Perelman School of Medicine offered evidence that a comprehensive community health worker program, similar to those implemented in countries with shortages of doctors and nurses, could be effective in the U.S.

‘Enhanced Recovery’ protocol reduces opioid use in spinal surgery patients

A new study shows that a comprehensive “Enhanced Recovery After Surgery” protocol for spine and peripheral nerve surgery patients significantly reduces opioid use.

One-third of gun injuries in America are treated in non-trauma centers

New research suggests ways to expand efforts beyond trauma centers to prevent recurrent gun injuries.

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