Dear Colleague,
Welcome to NCC News. This online newsletter was created to keep you up-to-date on all things chlamydia and related areas of interest. We hope you will find it useful and informative. Please feel free to share this with your colleagues who also may find it of use. |
 | CHIPRA Pediatric Quality Measures Announced |
On September 12, 2012, the Subcommittee on Child Health Quality Measures (SNAC) of the AHRQ National Advisory Council on Healthcare Research and Quality completed its final review of potential measures to be added to a core set of child health quality measures for voluntary use by Medicaid and CHIP programs . The SNAC recommended 7 of the 63 measures submitted by public nominators and the CHIPRA Pediatric Quality Measures Program Centers of Excellence. Recommended measures covered the topics of HPV vaccination, asthma, harm from imaging, duration and coverage in Medicaid and CHIP, content of prenatal care, and tobacco screening and help with quitting. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will make a public announcement by the legislative deadline of January 1, 2013. Chlamydia screening was in the initial set of recommended measures and may be nominated again for inclusion in the core set in 2014. For more information, click here.
|
|
Use of NAATs to Detect Chlamydia in Children Being Evaluated for Suspected Sexual Abuse
|
|
The 2010 CDC STD Treatment Guidelines recommend that NAATs can be used for detection of chlamydial infection in children being evaluated for suspected sexual abuse, with some limitations. In this edition of the NCC Research Translation Committee's Hot Topic Series, Dr. Margaret Hammerschlag discusses the scientific basis for these recommendations and the applicable limitations.
|
|
Specialized Family Planning Clinics a Critical Source of Care
|
|
A new Guttmacher Institute study found that 41% of women surveyed at family planning clinics nationwide report these clinics are their only source of care, while 59% had made a visit to another health care provider but still chose a family planning clinic for contraceptive care. The authors surveyed 2,094 women receiving services at 22 clinics that specialize in the provision of contraceptive services. All of the sites were in communities that also had comprehensive primary care providers. Reasons women chose a specialized family planning clinic over other providers were knowledgeable and respectful staff, confidential and affordable care, clinic accessibility, and the availability of the contraceptive methods of their choice. One-third of teens surveyed reported having insurance but not using it for their services because they were concerned that someone else, most likely a parent, would find out. "Specialized Family Planning Clinics in the U.S.: Why Women Choose Them and Their Roles in Meeting Women's Health Care Needs" appears in the Nov/Dec 2012 issue of the journal Women's Health Issues.
|
|
CDC Vital Signs: HIV among Youth in the U.S.
|
|
A report released this week by CDC finds that 60% of youth aged 13 to 24 living with HIV are unaware of their status. Despite recommendations from CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics that call for routine HIV testing of youth in medical settings, the analysis shows that 35% of 18-24 year olds have been tested for HIV, while only 13% of high school students (and 22% of sexually experienced students) have ever been tested. Young people between the ages of 13 and 24 represent 26% of new HIV infections each year. The full report looks at the latest data on HIV infections, testing, and risk behaviors among young people and was published in advance of World AIDS Day, December 1st.
|
