Tag Archives: data

Johns Hopkins analysis of CDC firearms suicide data reveals grim milestone

In 2022, the gun suicide rate among Black children and teens surpassed the rate among white children and teens for the first time on record

Source: Graphic by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Gun Violence Solutions, based on 2022 CDC data released July 2023

The firearms suicide rate among Black teenagers surpassed the rate for white teenagers for the first time on record in 2022, according to a July data analysis by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. 

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Tip sheet: What to look for in covering surveys and polls

opinion poll

Image by Andreas Breitling via Pixabay

As we head into campaign season, we’re going to start seeing more and more articles about candidates and issues. While health journalists may not typically report much on public polling of candidates, we do frequently report on the public’s attitudes and beliefs on health-related issues. 

That’s especially likely with the 2024 elections, given how many states have banned or are considering banning abortion and gender-affirming care.

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4 tips for reporting on press releases
about new study results for drugs

leqembi

Photo courtesy of Eisai Inc.

Many reporters on the health beat face tight deadlines to publish stories based on press releases from the pharmaceutical industry about new study results and regulatory approvals.

Companies understandably want to put the best spin on data in their releases. But it’s our job to put study results in context and inform our audiences about what key information has yet to be revealed.

For this reason, we offer four tips for helping your readers, listeners and viewers get a more complete understanding of cases where incomplete study data is released.

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Data breaches on the rise: What you need to know

Photo by Sai Kiran Anagani via Unsplash

Photo by Sai Kiran Anagani via Unsplash

If it seems as if you’ve been reading more about data breaches of hospitals and health care organizations lately, you’re not imagining it.

Between 2009 and 2020, 3,705 health care data breaches involving 500 or more records have been reported to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, according to an article in HIPAA Journal. Those breaches resulted in the loss, theft, exposure or impermissible disclosure of over 268 million health care records. The average number of breaches per day in 2020 was 1.76. Continue reading

How the pandemic turned a local reporter into an award-winning data journalist

Photo: Petra Wessman ia Flickr

Before the pandemic, National Public Radio reporter Alex Smith conducted most of his interviews in person.

But as the pandemic limited his access to people, he turned to other sources for story ideas and research – public health data and social media.

“I turned into this data journalist, which was an eye-opening experience,” said Smith, who was the second-place winner for beat reporting in the 2020 Excellence in Health Journalism Awards. “I enjoyed it more than I expected. I got a new appreciation for data journalism.” Continue reading