Your weekly roundup of STAT's First Opinion

Expert opinion and perspective, curated by Patrick Skerrett ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

Sponsored by   Whether you see today as a celebration (May Day) or a call for help (mayday), this week's First Opinion essays can get the day off to a good start. For podcast fans, the latest episode of the "First Opinion Podcast," on the new 988 mental health hotline, is now live. Beyond awareness: The medical system needs to deeply reform its care of people with autism By Amanda Joy Calhoun Adobe Many health care providers seem to be grasping at straws, unsure of how to treat people with autism, especially adults with severe autism. Read More Even when the pandemic fades, the depression it has wrought will linger By Roy Perlis and Katherine Ognyanova Spencer Platt/Getty Images Losses related to Covid-19 are sparking depression and other mental health issues that will persist long after the pandemic has passed. Read More Sponsor content by Johnson & Johnson MedTech Putting medtech to work to solve complex medical challenges How will science address the pervasive medical conditions that impact so many lives? By bringing the right voices to the table. Treating complex diseases like lung cancer — the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide — requires an integrated approach that blends the best of medical technology, software, and biopharmaceuticals. With the brightest minds of these disciplines working together, we can pave the way to a healthier future for everyone, everywhere. Learn how here. 'Boards for All?' Global health organizations and companies aren't even close By Fiona Hathorn Adobe Among global health organizations, women are poorly represented on boards; only 1% of seats are held by women from low-income countries. Read More HHS needs to step up so CDC's new guidelines won't be 'a bridge to nowhere' for most Americans living with chronic pain By Shravani Durbhakula and Joshua M. Sharfstein Adobe The CDC's pain treatment guidelines will likely recommend comprehensive options that will be available to only a minority of Americans. Read More Wearable device data need to represent all of us By Yashoda Sharma and Chris Lunt Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Fitbit Users of wearable devices tend to be young, white, and college educated. All of Us researchers are aiming to change that. Read More Listen: A new hotline could save lives during mental health crises — if someone answers the phone By Patrick Skerrett The new number has been in the works for several years, but only a handful of states have supported it structurally and financially. Read More CMS needs to include measures for social drivers of health By Michael Darrouzet and Jennifer Hanscom and Chip Baggett Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Food Bank For New York City CMS declared it a priority to "develop and implement measures that reflect social and economic determinants." It's time to add them. Read More Making Medicare, Medicaid innovation tests voluntary undermines evaluation opportunities By Jesse Gubb Adobe Randomized tests enable rigorous evaluation of tests of Medicare and Medicare innovations. Making them voluntary muddies the water. Read More How hospitals and health systems can help patients avoid medical debt By Michelle Proser Adobe As hospitals and health systems seek strategies to improve equity, addressing medical debt — and preventing it — should be a top priority. Read More Expedited partner therapy is an effective way to treat sexually transmitted infections. Why aren't doctors using it? By Rachel Solnick and Jason Zucker Adobe Systemic barriers make it difficult to use expedited partner therapy to treat individuals' partners for sexually transmitted infections. Read More Sunday, May 1, 2022       1 Exchange Pl, Suite 201, Boston, MA 02109 ©2022, All Rights Reserved. I no longer wish to receive STAT emails Update Email Preferences | Contact Us | View In Browser