BACKGROUND: Clinical guidelines and scientific data increasingly support the appropriate use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. The extent of CMR adoption across the United States (U.S.) remains unclear. This observational analysis aims to capture CMR practice patterns in the U.S.
METHODS: Commissioned reports from the Society of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR), pre-existing survey data from CMR centers, and socioeconomic and coronary heart disease data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were used. The location of imaging centers performing CMR was based on 2018 Medicare claims. Secondary analysis was performed on center-specific survey data from 2017-2019, which were collected by members of the SCMR U.S. Advocacy Subcommittee for quality improvement purposes. Correlation between the number of imaging centers billing for CMR services per million persons, socioeconomic determinants, and coronary heart disease epidemiology was determined.
RESULTS: A total of 591 imaging centers billed the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services for CMR services in 2018 and 112 (of 155) unique CMR centers responded to the survey. In 2018, CMR services were available in almost all 50 states. Minnesota was the state with the highest number of CMR centers per million Medicare beneficiaries (52.6 centers per million), and Maine had the lowest (4.4 per million). The total density of CMR centers was 16 per million for U.S. Medicare beneficiaries. Sixty-eight percent (83 of 112) of survey responders were cardiologists, and 28% were radiologists. In 72% of centers, academic healthcare systems performed 81-100% of CMR exams. The number of high-volume centers (>500 scans per year) increased by seven between 2017-2019. In 2019, 53% of centers were considered high-volume centers and had an average of 19 years of experience. Centers performing <50 scans had an of average 3.5 years\' experience. Approximate patient wait time for a CMR exam was 2 weeks to 1 month.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite increasing volume and availability in almost all 50 states, CMR access remains geographically variable. Advocacy efforts to improve access and innovations that reduce imaging time and exam complexity have potential to increase adoption of CMR technology.

For clinicians involved in improving healthcare for patients with allergic and immunologic conditions, advocacy on a broader level through public outreach is key to advancing value-based care. In this article, we provide a toolkit of strategies and resources that can be used to raise public awareness of important issues through various mediums, including podcasts and social media, newspapers, testimonies, presentations, and interviews. A simple approach to effective media interactions is described using the acronym \"RATIO\", which stands for Research, Audience, Targeted topic, Interview rephrasing, and Optimism. The acronym also reminds the person who is presenting information that only a fraction of what is discussed will be recalled, and an even smaller proportion will be implemented. Key points should be made early. Examples of key talking points are provided for selected topics, including food allergy, anaphylaxis, asthma, rhinitis, and broader healthcare advocacy.

The National Public Health Law Conference: People. Policy. Progress., held October 2023, brought together more than 400 stakeholders in public health to explore how law and policy can be leveraged to advance health equity, improve data sharing for community health, protect access to reproductive health and facilitate system change.

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UNASSIGNED: For the growing number of people with spinal cord injuries worldwide, advocacy organizations are an invaluable resource of information and education during recovery and rehabilitation.
UNASSIGNED: To examine the structure, information, and accessibility of websites from international organizations that serve and advocate for individuals with SCI.
UNASSIGNED: We performed a content analysis of information available from SCI organizations returned from a Google search. We used search terms relevant to SCI and advocacy and applied them to top-level domains for the G20 countries. Organizations that provide services or advocate for people with SCI with English-language websites were included; organizations focused on research, fundraising, clinical care, interprofessional knowledge exchange, or other neurological conditions were excluded. Accessibility, in terms of ease of use to information about participation, was assessed using a 3-point scale.
UNASSIGNED: We identified SCI organizations from 27 different countries across six regions: Africa (N = 4), Asia (N = 5), Europe (N = 27), Middle East (N = 1), North America (N = 12), and Oceania (N = 11). Across these, six categories of resources and services are covered: (1) education, (2) physical health, (3) external, (4) peer support, (5) mental health, and (6) financial and legal. Eleven organizations indicate specific engagement with research or clinical trials. Four websites provided highly accessible information (rank = 3) about participation in research.
UNASSIGNED: The SCI organizations identified in this study offer resources that largely pertain to education and physical health services and strategies. Information about clinical trials and SCI research studies are easily accessible on the websites of the limited number of organizations offering avenues for participation.

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) has long emphasized the value of strategic engagement, recognizing that it is critical to the success of pharmacy education, contributing to the expansion of pharmacy and public health practice, the fulfillment of institutional missions, and the meeting of programmatic needs. The 2023-2024 Strategic Engagement Committee (SEC or the Committee) was charged with operationalizing Advocacy Champions, creating an Advocacy Resource Guide to support Advocacy Champions in their engagement with diverse public and private stakeholders, offering formal training to Advocacy Champions in the form of a new Connect Community and Webinar Series, and conducting focus groups at the 2024 Annual Meeting to determine strengths of the Advocacy Guide and opportunities to support Advocacy Champions further.

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