Report Calls for More Funding for Women’s Health
The Society for Women’s Health Research reviewed the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) support of research on biological health differences between women and men. The report reviewed grants awarded between 2000 and 2003 on the Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects (CRISP). Based on the CRISP review, they determined that funding for women’s health research has remained low, despite growing evidence of the importance of sex differences. While a few institutes had as high as 8 percent to investigate gender-based differences, women’s health across the agency received 3 percent of total funding at NIH. The report cites advances in the three institutes with higher funding than average in addressing sex-based differences in the biological basis of addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. (http://www.womenshealthresearch.org/press/CRISPreport.pdf)
Women Might Not Benefit From Aspirin Like Men
Researchers have known for some time that healthy men who regularly take low-dose aspirin have a lower risk of having a first heart attack than men who do not take aspirin. A new study shows that this may not always be true for women.
The Women’s Health Study, a large randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, is investigating the risks and benefits of taking low-dose aspirin and vitamin E to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer in women. Nearly 40,000 healthy, middle-aged (≥45 years) women were followed for a period of 10 years. Women in the aspirin group took 100 mg every other day, similar to an earlier study in men. Across all age groups, women’s risk for heart attack was unaffected by the aspirin regimen; the relative risk for stroke was significantly reduced, just the opposite of what was found in men. The study showed an overall reduction in the risk of stroke of 17 percent. Older women (>65) benefited most from the aspirin regimen, for stroke and cardiovascular events, compared to younger women.
SOURCE: Ridker PM, Cook NR, Lee IM, Gordon D, Gaziano JM, Manson JE, Hennekens CH, Buring JE. A randomized trial of low-dose aspirin in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in women. NEJM [serial on the Internet] 2005 Mar 7 [cited 2005 Mar 16]; 10.1056/NEJMoa050613. Available from www.nejm.org.
Resource for Perimenopause Management Book
Perimenopause is experienced for many women at least five to 10 years prior to menopause. The average age of menopause is 52. More than 38 million women are entering into perimenopause and are looking for safe, sensible solutions to the symptoms that plague them. Hormone therapy (HT), formerly known as hormone replacement therapy, for women has dropped from 18.5 million in 2002 to 7.6 million in 2004, according to the AMA. Dr. Nisha Jackson has a book, The Hormone Survival Guide for Perimenopause: Balance Your Hormones Naturally (ISBN 0-9742067-0-9), which may be helpful in managing perimenopause.
New Oral Health Communication and Service Effort Focuses on Children
Focusing on the link between systemic and oral health, Oral Health America (OHA) and its corporate sponsor Cadbury Adams USA, LLC, are launching a new program, Trident Smiles Across America. The program will offer ongoing educational programs and school-based services, providing underserved and uninsured children with oral exams and oral health prevention services, such as dental sealants. (www.oralhealthamerica.org)
New Surface Disinfection Chart Available
Infection control is an important issue for dental offices, with needlestick and sharp injuries the greatest hazard for dental personnel. For patients, sterility of equipment is the most important. According to Spaulding’s classification system, items used to cut tissue or bone are labeled as critical. Semi-critical items are those that touch mucous membrane, and noncritical items are those items that make contact with intact skin. While surfaces are classified according to this system as noncritical, good hygiene for dental surfaces is important.
The Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures (OSAP) has released a new 2005 Surface Disinfectant Reference Chart. The chart contains detailed descriptions of different products, including the highest criteria for the labeling of these, sporicidal and tuberculocidal. If a product kills spores with recommended contact time, then it will kill all other microorganisms. If the product can kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis at recommended contact times, then the product will kill all other microorganisms except spores. The chart, criteria for selecting disinfectants, compliance corner, and checklist are available in the May issue of Infection Control in Practice (ICIP), or at www.OSAP.org.
This chart is consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance released in its 2003 “Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003.” [MMWR, Dec. 19, 2003; 52(RR-17).] This also has an appendix for the regulatory framework for disinfectants and sterilants. The guidelines and a slide set outlining the basics for this are available at the Web site http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/infection control/guidelines/index.htm.
Survey of Federal Women Dentists Catalogues Sexual Discrimination
The Dental Professional Advisory Women’s Issues Subcommittee (WIS) recently released its report, “Attitudes and Perceptions About Recruitment and Retention Issues Among U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Dentists,” which provides the approach and results from a 26-question survey conducted in 1999. With a total of 6,000 dental officers, the U.S. Public Health Service provides dental care to shortage areas and to Native Americans, as well as other services. With a response rate of 68 percent and appropriate statistical testing, the survey found gender differences among respondents for two questions:
➊ “Have you ever experienced racial discrimination or sexual harassment?” More than 40 percent of all respondents indicated they had experienced racial discrimination or sexual harassment. Women were more than twice as likely than men to answer “yes” to the question.
➋ “Did you complete any dental specialty or public health training before you entered PHS Commissioned Corps?” Women were two times more likely than men to report completing dental specialty training before entering the Corps (OR = 2.61). This disparity was significant for all ranks.
Nearly half of all respondents reported they experienced racial discrimination or sexual harassment during their active duty PHS career; however, the study did not evaluate these experiences separately or ask when these experiences occurred.
Business Focus From the California Dental Association
With a focus on business aspects of dentistry, the California Dental Association has four new articles that may be of particular relevance to women dentists. These articles will continue to be available on the CDA Web site (http://www.cda-adc.ca/jcda/vol-71/issue-5/index.html), along with news content:
Positioning Strategies for the Dental Practice - This describes the importance of understanding and developing strategy, or positioning. This is necessary for any dentist to compete successfully in the marketplace and perform well in the long run. Various positioning strategies are discussed, including niche, customer-focused, service-focused, hegemony, and mixed strategies. (May/June 2000)
Understanding the Basics of Dental Practice Through Service-Customer Matrices - This describes how to integrate the positioning strategy with a competitor service-customer matrix (SCM). An SCM is useful to develop your profit strategy. (July/August 2000)
Location and Strategy - The Drivers of Competitiveness - Competition determines the profitability of your dental practice. Competitiveness depends on the physical proximity and strategic similarity (e.g., cosmetic dentistry or specialty) of other dental offices to your practice. Competition is highest when both geographically close and similar strategies exist. (November/December 2000)
Dental Competitive Strategy: Cost Leadership or Differentiation? - Dental practices compete on the basis of cost leadership or differentiation, or some combination of both. This article deals with the various factors that affect a dentist’s ability to increase profitability through cost-leadership or differentiation strategies. (March/April 2001)
