Below you can read our findings based on our various sources of data. If you would like to dig deeper into a specific subject, select a category from the menu to the left below Community Dashboard.
Balancing the Cost of Healthcare and Other Necessities in Southeastern Pennsylvania
January 2014
Healthcare expenses make up a significant proportion of the average individual's budget, with the 2012 average at $3,556 per consumer[1], as well as a notable chunk of the US Gross Domestic Product, 18% of which can be attributed to healthcare spending.[2] Healthcare spending rose by 7.3% between 2011 and 2012.[3]
Using data from the 2012 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, a survey of 10,000 households in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties conducted by PHMC's Center for Data Innovation, this article looks the competing financial needs that many adults in our region face, including paying for healthcare visits, prescriptions, meals and housing.
HIV Testing Among Adults in Southeastern Pennsylvania
December 2013
HIV infection continues to impact a large number of Americans. The CDC estimates that over 1.1 million people in this country are now living with HIV and about 50,000 become infected every year[1]. Despite increased availability of HIV testing, it is estimated that 18% of persons who have HIV do not know they are infected[2]. Increased access to HIV testing is important for several reasons: the risk of AIDS-related complications is greatly reduced when HIV infection is detected and treated early; treating pregnant women greatly reduces the chance that their babies will be infected; and persons who are receiving treatment are much less likely to pass the infection to someone else. Using data from Public Health Management Corporation’s Center for Data Innovation and the Community Health Data Base’s 2012 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, this article examines HIV testing behaviors among adults age 18 and older in Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA), specifically looking at characteristics among those who have recently been tested for HIV and those who have never been tested.
HIV Testing in Southeastern Pennsylvania
December 2011
Between 35,000 to 40,000 people become infected with HIV every year in the United States (1). While there are about 1.2 million people living with HIV in this country, about 240,000 (20%) do not know that they are HIV positive (2).
In observation of World AIDS Day (December 1st), this article presents data from PHMC's 2010 Household Health Survey on HIV testing among adults 18 years of age and older in the Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) region. This survey is a random digit dial telephone survey of over 10,000 households in the five-county SEPA region of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties.
Cigarette Smoking and Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in Southeastern Pennsylvania
November 2013
The Great American Smokeout, which will be taking place on Thursday, November 21st, encourages smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), by quitting—even for one day—smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life and reducing their cancer risk. [1] In the United States, tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death. Yet, some 43.8 million Americans, nearly one in every five adults,still smoke cigarettes. [2]
Key Findings from the CHDB 2011 Member and Affiliate Survey
In the Summer of 2011, CHDB conducted a survey of Members and Affiliates to check in on how we're doing and to try to better understand the needs of our users. The following is a brief overview of key findings from the survey. Thank you for all of your help!