UC Davis family and community medicine doctor Joshua Fenton answers the top 10 questions people ask about low back pain. He led a Center for Healthcare Policy and Research study testing communication strategies to reduce low-value, lower back (lumbar) spinal imaging.
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Research spotlight
Can telehealth help patients stick with Buprenorphine for opioid addiction?
A clinical trial led by our researchers aims to improve the long-term use of buprenorphine, a critical medication for treating patients with opioid use disorder. The new study focuses on patients prescribed buprenorphine in emergency departments, where there is a need for effective follow-up care.
The $6.4 million study is funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). It will explore the efficacy of telehealth compared to in-person follow-up appointments. The project is designed to address barriers that many patients face, including low income, lack of transportation and social instability.
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October 15, 2025What's at stake with federal research funding cuts
Read the storyFrom Labs to Lives highlights the life-changing impact of federally funded research at UC Davis from medicine to food, agriculture to technology.
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October 06, 2025Heart failure patients benefit from “whole health” approach
Read the storyThe Koa Family Program supports “whole health” for heart failure patients like Barbara Tiney and has shown positive outcomes in improving overall well-being. The Koa Family Program was created by the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research.
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September 16, 2025Podcast: Aimee Moulin on expanding opioid treatment in emergency departments
Listen on Health AffairsHow can emergency departments become a gateway to treatment for opioid use disorder? In a Health Affairs interview, Aimee Moulin shares insights from her study on expanding low-barrier access to treatment and improving patient navigation in emergency settings. Moulin is a physician and investigator with the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research.
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August 11, 2025Prescribing blind: Clinical prevention in an evidence-free zone
Read the op-ed in MedPage TodayIn a MedPage Today op-ed, Joy Melnikow imagines a hypothetical future scenario facing a primary care physician. Drawing on her experience as a primary care physician and public health leader, including as a former director of the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, Melnikow considers the possible consequences of a changed preventive services task force and immunization advisory committee in the U.S.
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August 8, 2025Dean’s Excellence Awards recognize outstanding achievements
Read about the awardJoshua Fenton was recognized with the 2024 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring by the UC Davis School of Medicine. Fenton is a professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and an affiliate of the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research.
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June 23, 2025New report aims to revitalize declining primary care in the U.S.
Read the storyThe UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research hosted a national conference last October to discuss the crisis in primary care in the U.S. Now, an expert panel has released its recommendations.
