Erika Martin

Discusses chronic viral hepatitis being a leading infectious cause of death. Evaluates the extent to which state health departments have current hepatitis C virus testing recommendations listed on their Web sites, consistent with national guidelines.

Discusses how curative treatments for hepatitis C virus (HCV) can alter the course of a devastating epidemic and how high drug prices have contributed to restrictions on HCV treatment. Aims to learn how state health agencies have responded to the challenges of treatment access for HCV.

Identifies that shortages in transplantable solid organs remain a critical public health challenge in the United States. Mentions during the past 2 decades, all states have implemented policies to increase organ supply, although their effectiveness is unknown.

Estimates the programmatic costs of partner services for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydial infection. Illustrates a cost analysis estimated, from the state perspective, total program costs and cost per case assignment, patient interview, partner notification, and disease-specific key performance indicator.

Discusses the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic prompting widespread closures of kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) schools. Stresses without a vaccine, school closures were part of a comprehensive public health strategy to curb viral transmission, although their effectiveness is debatable.

Discusses the new availability of generic antiretroviral therapy for HIV in the US has the potential to save money for government programs serving the majority of people living with HIV, whose budgets are stretched thin. Unfortunately, optimism about affordable drug therapies needs to be tempered because there are important legal, clinical, and market factors that will delay widespread adoption of generic antiretrovirals, in addition to uncertainty about the actual cost savings to government programs.

Discusses the development of a simulation model of New York's HIV epidemic to project the likely impact of the state's ending the Epidemic policy initiative. Mentions findings regarding that New York is on track, but unlikely to meet the benchmark of 750 infections.

Covers following President Obama's memorandum on government transparency, government agencies and how they  have rapidly developed web portals to publish "open" data for use by researchers, civic tech, journalists, and citizens. Shows that early leaders in the US open health data movement reported that while the open data movement has a bright future, its success requires sustained leadership, funding, technical skills, changing organizational culture, promoting data use, and establishing clear policies.

Elaborates on the context of rising rates of opioid deaths, evidence is needed about systems-level interventions to curb the opioid epidemic. Conducts a rigorous review of the evidence, finding that robust prescription drug monitoring programs and laws to legalize recreational or medicinal marijuana are promising but do not address all aspects of opioid use disorder, and there is a notable evidence gap on other strategies such as naloxone distribution and changes in clinical guidelines.

Shows that despite strong efforts to promote disaster preparedness, many US households continue to have low preparedness for natural and man-made disasters. Mentions that although most households have some level of preparedness, they were more likely to fulfill resource-based items such as food and water stockpiles than action-based items such as having alternative communication plan or meeting location; and the types of preparedness varied across household types.

Discusses the government transparency movement and how it has led to increased availability of government datasets on open data platforms that are free of charge and with unlimited use and distribution rights, but their quality and usefulness are unknown.