Talking About Men's Health™

The following blog is by a Martin Klingvall, a Norwegian medical student. Martin was visiting the U.S. because, as I understand it, half his class was deferred from going into medical school. The students take the time to travel and study abroad. Martin tried to get the full American experience during his time here. He visited New York, Miami, and lived in Capital Hill. He attended American University and interned at Men’s Health Network. Martin was a pleasure to work with and gave unique perspective on social and policy issues in the U.S.  Economic incentives drive those seeking careers as physician.
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Yesterday, the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee’s (MEDCAC) vote on a number of questions amounted to a recommendation to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to cover Provenge, a therapeutic vaccine for men with advanced prostate cancer.  While the recommendation was not overwhelmingly enthusiastic, Provenge clears one hurdle on its way to Medicare coverage.  CMS is expected to make its final recommendation in the next few months.  This is a small victory for the estimated 100,000 men who have advanced prostate cancer and the process has not been without controversy. Continue Reading

That battle against prostate cancer is fought on many fronts:  Patients, their families and medical providers actively fight the disease, researchers toil to find the right combination of molecules or technology to find, treat and prevent the disease, and advocates raise awareness and labor to change public policy.  This multi-theater struggle is to end suffering from the most common form of cancer in men according to the CDC.

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A new men’s health website called Healthy Men was launched today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).  AHRQ falls under the U.S Department of Health & Human Services.  It primarily functions as a research agency and additionally provides research grants to academic institutions, private entities, and public organizations.

The new site gives basic, general health information.  The content is not particularly customized for men yet.  It lists preventive tests that men should seek and has links to videos of AHRQ’s public service announcements.

Under “Other Cancers” the website advises men to “ask your doctor if you should be tested for prostate, lung, oral, skin or other cancers.”  While Men’s Health Network (MHN) encourages these conversations, we more specifically advocate that African-American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer consider beginning prostate screening at age 40 or earlier.  To download MHN’s recommended screenings for both women and men please visit www.getitchecked.com.

The AHRQ website has some interactive elements:  A Get Dad to the Doc e-card and a quiz on some of the site’s content.  One would hope that AHRQ has a medium beyond its website of communicating the Get Dad to the Doc e-card.  It is doubtful many children will be visiting this site; however, the concept is well conceived.

The Australian Government’s Department of Health and Ageing has its own National Male Health Policy web page.  Although it is merely a page, it has health policy reports that demonstrate its commitment to understanding and continually improving its male population’s health.  This deep analysis of men’s health is a standard our government should strive for.

Overall, AHRQ’s site is relatively generic and basic at this time. Hopefully it will evolve and is not merely a placeholder.  It is doubtful that this is the case since AHRQ is using its resources to run public service announcements encouraging men to go to the doctor and get their screenings.  This may be a positive sign that the government is finally getting active in the men’s health crisis.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is a large piece of legislation that can be confusing.  Much of the legislation leaves the formation of regulations and implementation to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Men’s Health Network (MHN) is closely monitoring and analyzing regulatory developments for prostate cancer and other men’s health issues. Continue Reading

According to the 2009 National Healthcare Disparities Report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), “American men with prostate cancer were 25 percent less likely to die from the disease in 2006 than they were in 1999.”  “The rate at which American men died from prostate cancer declined from 31 deaths to 23.5 deaths per 100,000 males during the period.”[1]

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