{"title":"Why do few Medicare beneficiaries switch their Part D prescription drug plans? Insights from behavioral sciences.","authors":"Nathan Hodson, Wändi Bruine de Bruin","doi":"10.1057/s41271-025-00618-1","DOIUrl":"10.1057/s41271-025-00618-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Medicare Part D innovatively included a market in public health insurance in the United States. Proponents argued that increased competition would drive better value for beneficiaries, but others feared that beneficiaries would struggle to navigate the complex program. Understanding how Part D beneficiaries choose between plans allows us to evaluate the extent to which Medicare Part D succeeds at increasing value to beneficiaries and where there is scope to support beneficiaries. Many Part D beneficiaries are sensitive to price cues in relation to pharmacy choice and medication adherence, yet frequently overpay for their plans. Empirical literature suggests that behavioral aspects including information overload, low salience, low trust, and practical 'sludge' all partly contribute to failure to switch. We propose solutions to address these barriers based on behavioral insights.</p>","PeriodicalId":50070,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Policy","volume":" ","pages":"124-132"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13008778/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145821877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"From measurement to meaning: rethinking food security through resilience-based and systems-oriented approaches.","authors":"Elena N Naumova","doi":"10.1057/s41271-025-00609-2","DOIUrl":"10.1057/s41271-025-00609-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50070,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Policy","volume":" ","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145551576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"'Zero-alcohol' products and the guise of responsibility.","authors":"Fraser Edwardes, Danica Keric, Julia Stafford","doi":"10.1057/s41271-025-00607-4","DOIUrl":"10.1057/s41271-025-00607-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alcohol companies have expanded their presence in the 'zero-alcohol' market with intensive product development and marketing activities. This has been framed by industry as an effort to reduce or solve alcohol-related harm. Such framing fails to acknowledge the financial benefits 'zero-alcohol' products offer alcohol companies and the ongoing concerns regarding alcohol brand marketing. To help inform an understanding of industry priorities, we looked at comments about 'zero-alcohol' products by major beer companies in online publications. In public-facing channels, 'zero-alcohol' products were discussed as tools for moderation, and their market a reflection of the 'good' that companies are doing. However, this contrasts with how they were discussed in industry-facing channels, as tools to expand markets, target new drinking occasions and compete with non-alcoholic beverages. Alcohol companies citing 'zero-alcohol' products as evidence of their commitment to social responsibility reflects a broader pattern of leveraging corporate social responsibility initiatives for commercial gain over genuine public health improvements.</p>","PeriodicalId":50070,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Policy","volume":" ","pages":"142-151"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13008749/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145423348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Re-evaluating the access imperative in healthcare in the United States.","authors":"Allen Chen","doi":"10.1057/s41271-025-00612-7","DOIUrl":"10.1057/s41271-025-00612-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Access to healthcare, defined by the Institute of Medicine as \"the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best health outcome\" represents one of the most critical issues facing modern societies. However, barriers to access are increasingly being recognized across all populations especially as the boundaries between technology, medicine, business, public health, and policy become blurred. Given that resource and infrastructural constraints have been well established to influence access, organizations have the responsibility to continually evaluate this concept in the context of inclusivity and social determinants of health. Ultimately, improving access requires thoughtful engagement from a myriad of stakeholders with the goal of prioritizing timely, equitable, personalized, and high-quality care, while empowering patients to take charge of their own health. While a profound challenge, the journey toward bridging the many gaps is just beginning, and how society re-defines the access imperative in healthcare in an ever-evolving landscape represents one of the foremost issues of the future. Indeed, the implications for society are tremendous given that access is central to quality of care, profoundly impacts the patient experience, and influences health outcomes. The purpose of this review is to outline the core issues that contribute to access focusing on barriers, social determinants, quality of care, and potential interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":50070,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Policy","volume":" ","pages":"7-22"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13008766/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145897133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Developing a quality index and an evaluation indicator system for the National Food Safety Standard Framework in China.","authors":"Hao Ding, Di Wu, Hanyang Lyu, Xin Zhang, Yongxiang Fan, Jing Tian","doi":"10.1057/s41271-026-00620-1","DOIUrl":"10.1057/s41271-026-00620-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>International Organization for Standardization and Codex Alimentarius Commission emphasized the importance of evaluating and monitoring food safety. National food safety standard framework (NFSSF)-a generic term for all national food safety standards of China-is an important part of the country's food control system implemented over ten years. To evaluate NFSSF, the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment developed a quality index with an indicator scale. This study assessed this index with a three-layer evaluation indicator system (NFSSF<sub>eis</sub>) based on three dimensions, namely, scientific nature, relevance, and coordination, using 10 s-layer indicators weighed with the Delphi method. We conducted a pilot survey to test the scale built based on NFSSF<sub>eis</sub>. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that items in the scale have acceptable reliability and validity. With the development of the NFSSF<sub>eis</sub>, future research is needed to refine this instrument.</p>","PeriodicalId":50070,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Policy","volume":" ","pages":"99-112"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13008756/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146020529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hannah Rochford, Corinne Peek-Asa, Whitney Zahnd, Keith Mueller, Brian Kaskie
{"title":"The impact of Title IX iterations on campus sexual misconduct reports per synthetic control in the United States.","authors":"Hannah Rochford, Corinne Peek-Asa, Whitney Zahnd, Keith Mueller, Brian Kaskie","doi":"10.1057/s41271-025-00611-8","DOIUrl":"10.1057/s41271-025-00611-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Title IX regulation changes' impact on sexual misconduct (SM) reporting to the institutions of higher education (IHE) in the United States (US) remain poorly understood. To examine trends in the rates of SM reports submitted to each American institution's Title IX Office, we applied a synthetic control. US IHE members of the American Association of Universities comprised the 'treated' group, and Canadian IHE members of the Major Regional Associations were used to create a counterfactual proxy. Marginally significant increases (P = 0.08) in reports followed the 2017 Title IX guidance change (+ 1.18, + 4.51 and + 2.24 reports per 1000 enrolled students in 2017-2018, 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, respectively), and a marginally significant decrease (- 5.23 reports per 1000 enrolled students in 2020-2021) in SM reports to Title IX offices followed the 2020 Title IX iterations. Reporting and response structures, like those specified in Title IX iterations, may influence rates of SM reporting.</p>","PeriodicalId":50070,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Policy","volume":" ","pages":"40-59"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13008768/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145656342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bhagyashree Radhakrishnan, Vasundhra Chatta, Anita Kar
{"title":"Birth defects services in low resource settings: implications from a community-based study in India.","authors":"Bhagyashree Radhakrishnan, Vasundhra Chatta, Anita Kar","doi":"10.1057/s41271-025-00617-2","DOIUrl":"10.1057/s41271-025-00617-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Birth defects, or congenital anomalies, are important causes of child mortality, morbidity and disability. Guidelines for public health activities to address birth defects is currently unavailable for low- and low-middle- income countries leading to a critical policy and service gap. We used the results of a study conducted in eight villages under a Primary Health Centre in Pune district of India to determine the needed public health interventions to address these disorders. The study identified 90 children with congenital anomalies per 10,000 children under five years [95% CI 62.2-126.8]. Congenital anomalies contributed to 13% of childhood disability. Out-of-pocket expenditure, lack of diagnosis and standard care, disability, and congenital anomaly associated maternal risk factors identified missed opportunities for public health interventions. The implications of the study are synthesized to offer a framework for essential public health interventions for a birth defects services in low- and low-middle- income countries.</p>","PeriodicalId":50070,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Policy","volume":" ","pages":"74-86"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145758123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Urban planning and environmental health in India: a comprehensive literature mapping.","authors":"Pallavi Tiwari, Mayank Mathur","doi":"10.1057/s41271-025-00615-4","DOIUrl":"10.1057/s41271-025-00615-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Urbanization in India has intensified environmental health challenges, creating a critical need to integrate health considerations into city planning. We conducted a comprehensive literature mapping on the intersection of urban planning and environmental health in India. By employing bibliometric analysis on 511 articles from both global and Indian sources, we identified key thematic areas, gaps, and opportunities. We highlighted the importance of land-use distribution, air quality, and green spaces as significant factors influencing public health in Indian cities. Additionally, the study reveals a lack of comprehensive research addressing the multifaceted health risks posed by rapid urbanization and environmental degradation in India. Through thematic mapping, we identified underexplored areas in the literature, particularly the need for more integrative frameworks to address environmental health risks within urban planning in India. The findings are to provide insights for policymakers and urban planners to design and maintain resilient and health-promoting cities.</p>","PeriodicalId":50070,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Policy","volume":" ","pages":"87-98"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147345739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ashitha Vijayan, Adisri Swain, Allen Prabhaker Ugargol
{"title":"Augmenting primary care through family medicine-orientation of community health officers in India.","authors":"Ashitha Vijayan, Adisri Swain, Allen Prabhaker Ugargol","doi":"10.1057/s41271-025-00616-3","DOIUrl":"10.1057/s41271-025-00616-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Well-trained health workers are vital to achieve global goals of universal access to healthcare services and provide primary care to remote communities. The primary care workforce includes non-physician health workers (NPHWs) who function to increase availability, trust, reach, and assurance to local communities. NPHWs such as mid-level health providers or community health officers have been inducted across high- and low-income countries to overcome the geographic disparity in physician availability and ensure quality of primary care. Training mid-level health providers and community health officers in principles of family medicine have the potential to empower workforce in effectively providing family based care. This integrative review collates recent evidence on the role of non-physician health workers in improving access to primary healthcare services and highlights the need, appropriateness, and relevance of family medicine-orientation to manage family oriented care and holistic management of healthcare needs of the community.</p>","PeriodicalId":50070,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Policy","volume":" ","pages":"113-123"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145758148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}