Payment for research participation can raise ethical concerns and legal issues. But it can also raise scientific problems if it causes participants to lie about their eligibility or other things, like adverse events. In our new study in JAMA Network Open, my colleagues and I wanted to see whether payment causes deception about study eligibility, and if so, whether more payment results in more deception. We found the answer to the first question was yes – but contrary to what one might expect, payment amount didn’t matter. It’s hard to study if people are lying, for obvious reasons. To get…

States are considered “laboratories of democracy,” allowing experimentation with innovative reforms that could potentially be adopted at the national level. To test new approaches in their Medicaid programs, states have embraced Section 1115 waivers, which permit innovations that do not meet federal program rules, but still promote the program’s objectives. Recent proposals have included controversial, previously untested policies, foremost among them community engagement requirements, which mandate that nondisabled, nonpregnant adults participate in one or more of a wide range of activities – such as work, job search, volunteer activities, or school – to maintain Medicaid coverage. In a New England…

Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, interviews Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, Professor in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Population Health at Dell Medical School, and former Acting Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Part 2 of a 2-part interview. Missed part 1? Catch up here. Kevin Volpp:  One other area I want to ask you about is related to tools, specifically technology and digital health. You’ve done a lot of work in that space, and I’m curious what you see as particularly promising ways to leverage technology and digital health, and traditional public health programs and…

Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, interviews Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, Professor in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Population Health at Dell Medical School, and former Acting Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Part 1 of a 2-part interview. Part 2 continues here. Kevin Volpp:  Hi, this is Kevin Volpp. I am a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and I’m joined today by Karen DeSalvo. Karen is a professor at the Dell Medical School at UT Austin and has had a very distinguished public health career. I’m pleased to have Karen join me today,…