Veterans Affairs News and Research

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Report shows interventions that can effectively treat PTSD are not being used

Post-traumatic stress disorder affects nearly 8 million adults in any given year, federal statistics show. Fortunately, clinical research has identified certain psychological interventions that effectively ameliorate the symptoms of PTSD. But most people struggling with PTSD don't receive those treatments, according to a new report published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest.

12 Apr 2013

Study shows copper objects in ICUs reduce healthcare-acquired infections by 50%

Placement of copper objects in intensive care unit (ICU) hospital rooms reduced the number of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) in patients by more than half, according to a new study published in the May issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, in a special topic issue focused on the role of the environment in infection prevention.

10 Apr 2013

New book explores how faculty at academic health centers pursue, achieve success in research

The future of basic and translational research in health care depends on the ability of large, complex health science centers to educate, discover new answers to extremely complicated problems and operate for the public good.

10 Apr 2013

Disinfection intervention highlights effective method in removing antibiotic-resistant bug

With rates and deaths associated with Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) at historically high levels, many hospitals have taken extra steps to reduce these infections. New research finds that a dedicated daily cleaning crew who adequately clean and disinfect rooms contaminated by C. difficile using a standardized process can be more effective than other disinfection interventions.

10 Apr 2013

Military health care: Shallow candidate pool could hamper mental health efforts

The Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing to hire 1,600 mental health professionals, but some say a shallow pool of candidates could hamper efforts, while Congress continues to resist making military health care beneficiaries pay more for their care.

9 Apr 2013

Male smokers with low levels of serum bilirubin are at higher risk for lung cancer

Elevated levels of bilirubin in the blood get attention in the clinic because they often indicate that something has gone wrong with the liver. Now researchers have found that male smokers with low levels of the yellow-tinged chemical are at higher risk for lung cancer and dying from the disease.

8 Apr 2013

First Edition: April 8, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the politics surrounding the Wednesday unveiling of President Barack Obama's budget as well as other news about the health law's implementation.

8 Apr 2013

Dermatology researcher secures federal grant to explore psoriasis

A dermatology researcher at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has secured a five-year, $1.9 million federal grant to explore whether a specific molecule may play a pivotal role in the development and progression of psoriasis.

5 Apr 2013

Promising step toward safer, more comfortable implants

Researchers led by scientists at Case Western Reserve University have turned to an unlikely model to make medical devices safer and more comfortable-a squid's beak.

4 Apr 2013

UAB School of Nursing raising bar on service for veterans

Partnering with Birmingham's VA Medical Center and with colleagues across a wide range of health care professions, the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing is raising the bar on service for veterans and their families.

3 Apr 2013

Emergency room providers need to ask suicidal patients about access to firearms: Study

Although guns are used in over half of all American suicides, a new study shows that many emergency room doctors and nurses do not routinely ask suicidal patients about their access to firearms.

2 Apr 2013

Research findings could improve treatments for pneumonia, other inflammatory conditions

Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have discovered a new biological pathway of innate immunity that ramps up inflammation and then identified agents that can block it, leading to increased survival and improved lung function in animal models of pneumonia.

1 Apr 2013

Patient-centered end-of-life care results in happier patients who live longer, researchers find

New doctors take an oath to first do no harm, but physicians often go too far in their quest to keep that oath - exposing patients to aggressive treatments that don't improve outcomes and drive up healthcare costs.

21 Mar 2013

New communication technologies can have negative consequences for both soldiers and their families

As recently as the Vietnam and Korean wars, soldiers' families commonly had to wait months to receive word from family members on the front lines. Now, cell phones and the internet allow deployed soldiers and their families to communicate instantly.

20 Mar 2013

UCLA team uses brain aneurysm treatment technique to treat irregular heart rhythms

For the first time, a UCLA team has used a technique normally employed in treating brain aneurysms to treat severe, life-threatening irregular heart rhythms in two patients.

15 Mar 2013

Case Western Reserve University receives grant to research on glucose-responsive insulin

Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine has received a nearly $1 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust's Type 1 diabetes program.

15 Mar 2013

Viewpoints: 'Grim' backlog at VA; Feds should stay away from reforming medical malpractice

A new report based on previously unreleased data from the Department of Veterans Affairs paints a distressing portrait of an agency buried helplessly in paperwork -- with a claims backlog that has gotten far worse in the past four years.

13 Mar 2013

Researchers work on stem cell treatments to halt vision loss caused by diabetic retinopathy

Researchers at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute and the Indiana Center for Vascular Biology at Indiana University School of Medicine are on the cusp of perfecting stem cell treatments that would halt - and potentially reverse - vision loss caused by diabetic retinopathy.

13 Mar 2013

Roundup: N.Y. psychiatrists sue insurer over parity; Calif. lawmakers hear from families of prescription drug victims

News outlets cover health care developments in California, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Missouri and New York.

13 Mar 2013

First Edition: March 12, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about this week's roll out of budgets on Capitol Hill and how Democratic and Republican fiscal blueprints will underscore key partisan differences.

12 Mar 2013

Veterans Affairs News and Research

Report shows interventions that can effectively treat PTSD are not being used

Study shows copper objects in ICUs reduce healthcare-acquired infections by 50%

New book explores how faculty at academic health centers pursue, achieve success in research

Disinfection intervention highlights effective method in removing antibiotic-resistant bug

Military health care: Shallow candidate pool could hamper mental health efforts

Male smokers with low levels of serum bilirubin are at higher risk for lung cancer

First Edition: April 8, 2013

Dermatology researcher secures federal grant to explore psoriasis

Promising step toward safer, more comfortable implants

UAB School of Nursing raising bar on service for veterans

Emergency room providers need to ask suicidal patients about access to firearms: Study

Research findings could improve treatments for pneumonia, other inflammatory conditions

Patient-centered end-of-life care results in happier patients who live longer, researchers find

New communication technologies can have negative consequences for both soldiers and their families

UCLA team uses brain aneurysm treatment technique to treat irregular heart rhythms

Case Western Reserve University receives grant to research on glucose-responsive insulin

Viewpoints: 'Grim' backlog at VA; Feds should stay away from reforming medical malpractice

Researchers work on stem cell treatments to halt vision loss caused by diabetic retinopathy

Roundup: N.Y. psychiatrists sue insurer over parity; Calif. lawmakers hear from families of prescription drug victims

First Edition: March 12, 2013

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

How microplastics and bacteria interact to drive antibiotic resistance

Single-cell proteomics: Revealing proteome diversity from cellular heterogeneity to non-canonical biology

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