JAMA Health Forum Conversations

The Future of Primary Care in the US

Historically, there has been less focus on primary care than on specialist care in US health care. What are the challenges and opportunities in primary care today? What might it look like in the coming decades? Robert Phillips, MD, MSPH, of The American Board of Family Medicine joins JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, to discuss the future of primary care in the US. Related Content: * Back to the Future of Primary Care [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamahealthforum/fullarticle/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2025.5120?utm_source=podcast_platforms&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=related_article_links]

Changes in Policy and the Health of LGBTQ+ Populations

There is abundant evidence that sexual minority groups have worse health indicators than sexual majority groups. Gilbert Gonzales, PhD, MHA, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center joins JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, to discuss the current policy landscape and its potential impact on the health of LGBTQ+ populations. Related Content: * Health Implications of Recent Policy Changes Affecting LGBTQ+ Populations [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamahealthforum/fullarticle/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2025.4240?utm_source=podcast_platforms&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=related_article_links]

The Centrality of Women's Health to a Population Health Research Agenda

Both sex- and gender-based factors influence the health of women. A fully realized population health agenda needs to center women's health as an area of conceptual and pragmatic focus. Rosa M Gonzalez-Guarda, PhD, MPH, RN, joins JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, to discuss women's health, inequities, and how women's many and different identities shape their health. Related Content: * The Consequences of Selective Defunding of Health-Relevant Research Areas [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamahealthforum/fullarticle/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2025.3983?utm_source=podcast_platforms&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=related_article_links]

National Policy to Support Better Mental Health in the US

About 1 in 5 adults in the US live with a mental health condition. In 2023, approximately 32% of US adults reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. Ruth Shim, MD, MPH, of the University of California, Davis, joins JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, to discuss how national policy can better support mental health in the US. Related Content: * Toward a Strategy to Improve National Mental Health [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamahealthforum/fullarticle/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2025.2102?utm_source=podcast_platforms&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=related_article_links]

The Impact of Nonhealth Policies in a Time of Policy Disruption

The second Trump administration launched several actions in 2025 that directly affect the health of populations. Sara Bleich, PhD, of Harvard Chan School of Public Health joins JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, to discuss the nonhealth policies that may matter most to health and warrant ever-more attention, particularly in a moment of policy turbulence. Related Content: * The Health Consequences of Nonhealth Policies in a Time of Policy Disruption [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamahealthforum/fullarticle/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2025.2101?utm_source=podcast_platforms&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=related_article_links]