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Infoway adds diagnostic imaging, drug information systems to Certification Services

Canada Health Infoway has added diagnostic imaging and drug information systems to its pre-implementation Certification Services. Health information technology vendors can now receive certification for seven classes of technology.

6 Jul 2010

Erectile dysfunction drug user over 40 more likely to have sexually transmitted diseases

Physicians who prescribe erectile dysfunction drugs for their male patients should be sure to discuss the importance of safer sex practices, even with older patients: that is an important implication of a report in the July 6 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The analysis of insurance records of more than 1.4 million U.S. men over 40 found that those who used ED drugs were more likely to have sexually transmitted diseases than were non-users.

6 Jul 2010

AMPS, TC3 announce affiliate partnership to expand healthcare cost containment offerings

Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions and TC3 Health, Inc. recently announced an affiliate partnership to expand the healthcare cost containment offerings of both companies. TC3 is the premier provider of fraud, waste and abuse detection services for healthcare payers throughout the United States. Since 2000, TC3 has provided integrated loss control solutions to health care payers on a pre-payment and post-payment basis through its TruClaim Payment Integrity Platform.

5 Jul 2010

American College of Surgeons CoC launches national pilot study for ProvenCare Lung Cancer Collaborative

A national pilot study that will promote evidence-based evaluation and treatment standards for patients with resectable non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was launched yesterday by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons.

3 Jul 2010

Dogs help soldiers recover from PTSD

The Army is using dogs "much more" to help soldiers recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) according to the Army Surgeon General's special assistant for mental health, Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, M.D., who spoke today at the annual convention of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

3 Jul 2010

ONA credits cancellation of RN cuts at LHSC's cancer care program to community, London RNs

The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) credits the cancellation of cuts to registered nurses at London Health Sciences Centre's cancer care program, in large part, to the determination of the community.

3 Jul 2010

COBRA, Medicaid subsidies still loom over Congressional agenda

Kaiser Health News staff writer Andrew Villegas provides a status update regarding key health-related legislation:

3 Jul 2010

Research Roundup: 'Pay-for-performance' unintended effects; Lessons from Mass.; End of life treatment

Archives of Internal Medicine: The Quality Of Care Provided To Hospitalized Patients At The End of Life - In this study, researchers used a set of quality indicators to assess the end-of-life care and pain management received by 496 patients who died three or more days after admission at the University of California-Los Angeles Medical Center. The authors found "pain assessments (94%) and treatments for pain (95%) and dyspnea [breathing problems] (87%) were performed with fidelity."

3 Jul 2010

Republicans keep up health overhaul repeal pressure, critic questions commitment

Republicans continue their push to win support to repeal the health overhaul, even as parts of the legislation take effect, The Washington Times reports. "Rep. Steve King, [an] Iowa Republican, is circulating a petition that would force an up-or-down vote in the House of Representatives on repealing the vast bulk of the estimated $940 billion, 10-year legislation the Democratic-controlled Congress passed this spring." It has 80 signatures.

3 Jul 2010

IRIN examines efforts to attract health workers to underserved, rural communities

IRIN examines WHO efforts to better understand factors influencing health workers' decisions about where to work in order to help fight health care worker shortages in developing countries. According to the news service, a group of 40 experts assembled by the agency "is finalizing recommendations to help governments attract more health workers to sparsely staffed areas," IRIN writes.

3 Jul 2010

More than 2B worldwide lack access to adequate surgical services, study finds

"More than 2 billion people worldwide do not have adequate access to surgical services, and low-income countries in particular have low levels of surgical care," according to a study published online Thursday in the Lancet, HealthDay News/Modern Medicine reports (7/1).

3 Jul 2010

Medical information on Internet may not be accurate or complete

The quality of online information about the most common sports medicine diagnoses varies widely, according to a study published in the July 2010 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS). Therefore, patients who use the Internet to help make medical decisions need to know that the web may not be giving the whole picture.

3 Jul 2010

Senate Democrats tax prosthetic limbs, other vital medical devices, refuse to exempt veterans

As the nation prepares to celebrate Independence Day with parades and barbecues, America's veterans face a new tax on prosthetic limbs and other vital medical devices.

3 Jul 2010

Two-day international Osteoarthritis Summit to be held in June 2011

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) plans to host a two-day international Osteoarthritis Summit in June 2011. The Hospital, internationally recognized for its leadership in the fields of orthopedics and rheumatology, will bring together, for the first time, a truly comprehensive multidisciplinary group of world renowned scientists, thought-leaders and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Europe, to discuss all aspects of OA and develop a consensus document on future directions for OA research, prevention and treatment.

3 Jul 2010

Gov. Patrick signs new law to stiffen penalties for assault on nurses and other health care workers

Surrounded by registered nurses and legislators, Governor Deval Patrick today signed a law that will stiffen the penalties for those who assault nurses and other health care workers, one of a series of measures the state's nurses are proposing to address the growing problem of workplace violence in health care settings. The vote follows unanimous votes to approve the measure in both houses of the legislature.

3 Jul 2010

Home-health companies' stock takes hit as SEC investigates their Medicare reimbursement

Amedisys and Almost Family, two home health care companies, said Thursday that they are the focus of a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into their Medicare reimbursement practices, one month after the U.S. Senate began its own inquiry. "The investigation is related to the SEC probe, which revolves around whether the companies pushed patients into extra, sometimes unnecessary, home-health care visits in order to hit a threshold level that secured them thousands more in reimbursements from the government's health-care program."

3 Jul 2010

Insurers continue seeking wary regulator's approval for rate hikes

For most Massachusetts insurers, a standoff with regulators over premium rate increase was left unresolved Thursday evening. Rate caps were maintained — freezing premiums at 2009 rates — for 137 health insurance plans.

3 Jul 2010

RNAO's Pride Parade march to be held in Toronto

A group of nurses joined by friends and family will march in this Sunday's Pride Parade in Toronto. The nurses are members of the RNAO and its Rainbow Nursing Interest Group.

3 Jul 2010

State Roundup: Florida to investigate WellCare; Calif. budget cuts; Computer system helps states find Medicaid savings

Nextgov: "A 17-year-old computer data matching system designed to prevent welfare recipients from drawing benefits in more than one state at a time is now helping cash-strapped states save millions of dollars -- but not as originally intended.

3 Jul 2010

Coventry's Fitch ratings unaffected by Louisiana Court of Appeals' adverse ruling

Fitch Ratings commented today that its ratings on Coventry Health Care, Inc. (Coventry) are unaffected by the company's announcement this morning that it will take a $278 million charge against second-quarter earnings related to an adverse ruling by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in the state of Louisiana.

3 Jul 2010

Health Care News and Research

Infoway adds diagnostic imaging, drug information systems to Certification Services

Erectile dysfunction drug user over 40 more likely to have sexually transmitted diseases

AMPS, TC3 announce affiliate partnership to expand healthcare cost containment offerings

American College of Surgeons CoC launches national pilot study for ProvenCare Lung Cancer Collaborative

Dogs help soldiers recover from PTSD

ONA credits cancellation of RN cuts at LHSC's cancer care program to community, London RNs

COBRA, Medicaid subsidies still loom over Congressional agenda

Research Roundup: 'Pay-for-performance' unintended effects; Lessons from Mass.; End of life treatment

Republicans keep up health overhaul repeal pressure, critic questions commitment

IRIN examines efforts to attract health workers to underserved, rural communities

More than 2B worldwide lack access to adequate surgical services, study finds

Medical information on Internet may not be accurate or complete

Senate Democrats tax prosthetic limbs, other vital medical devices, refuse to exempt veterans

Two-day international Osteoarthritis Summit to be held in June 2011

Gov. Patrick signs new law to stiffen penalties for assault on nurses and other health care workers

Home-health companies' stock takes hit as SEC investigates their Medicare reimbursement

Insurers continue seeking wary regulator's approval for rate hikes

RNAO's Pride Parade march to be held in Toronto

State Roundup: Florida to investigate WellCare; Calif. budget cuts; Computer system helps states find Medicaid savings

Coventry's Fitch ratings unaffected by Louisiana Court of Appeals' adverse ruling

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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