Research & Policy

Every year the National Health Service loses a staggering £950m because of missed appointments, or DNAs (did not attends) – no-shows who fail to cancel their appointments. Twelve million GP appointments are missed at a cost of £162m and 7.1m hospital appointments at a cost of £788m. Not only do missed appointments incur financial losses in terms of underused specialists and equipment, and increased administration costs, but the patient population loses slots that are in high demand and the patients who DNA do not get the healthcare they need.

Caroline Peterson, a Board-Certified Art Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor, looks beyond the commodification of mindfulness and discusses the deep relationship between art therapy and mindfulness practice. Citing history, research, and evidence-based outcomes in areas like mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT), she identifies the combination of the two approaches as a "powerful compass" that can lead to personal growth and understanding.

The best cancer treatment options vary because individual cancers vary. This is especially true when it comes to advanced, hard-to-treat solid tumors in areas such as the colon, lungs and breasts. That’s why Quest is partnering with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), the largest and most renowned private cancer center in the world, to give hope to patients nationwide who have come to the end of standard treatment options for rare or recurring tumors.

Last year, our Research and Development team was called on by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a more effective screen for hepatitis C, a chronic blood-borne infection that was going undetected in large numbers of “baby boomers.” Swift action led to a one-time test now covered by Medicare and Medicaid that will help protect 3.2 million Americans against outcomes like liver damage, cirrhosis, liver cancer and even death.

So what would the Olympics look like in non-sports form? Let’s assume the whole world was willing to gather for some other purpose, sending official delegations, national leaders, support staff and even fans to one city for two weeks. What if that gathering captured the same spirit of hope and enthusiasm that permeates the Olympic Games? Perhaps the focus could even be something as ambitious as solving climate change.

A new report commissioned by Global NCAP has revealed that 34,000 Brazilian lives could be saved and 350,000 serious injuries prevented by 2030, if UN vehicle safety regulations were adopted and car manufacturers sought to achieve higher ratings in the Latin NCAP crash test programme.

In this issue of Art Therapy Today, Raquel Chapin Stephenson, Ph.D., ATR-BC, LCAT, describes how art therapy can help reduce social isolation and loneliness in people with dementia by providing a new pathway for communication. Additionally, the AATA releases new details about how to support new professional art therapists during its #GivingTuesday campaign. Sara Windrem, the AATA Featured Member, discusses who inspired her career in art therapy and the methods she uses in her work with Veterans.

Diagnostic insights, and the timing of them, can change our outcomes when we’re facing cancer. But there’s still so much we need to learn about cancer, and there are still too many people who remain unaware of their ability to detect their risks early. Over the years, we’ve supported research and patient advocacy in the fight against cancer, with millions of dollars of corporate and employee giving and fundraising.

Ecocentricity blog by Ray C. Anderson Foundation.

This issue features an important announcement from the AATA regarding recent world events, as well as an article by art therapists Abbien Crowley Ciucci and Hope Heffner, who describe the use of altered books with caregivers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Furthermore, the AATA has announced a new campaign through Network For Good that looks to raise funds to send up to 10 new professional art therapists to next year's annual conference. Featured AATA member Margaret Prescott, President of the Evergreen Art Therapy Association (EATA), discusses how membership has influenced her life and describes how her passion for art and helping others led her to art therapy.