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University of Alicante develops tool for people with autism spectrum disorders

The University of Alicante has developed, together with centres in the UK, Spain and Bulgaria, a tool designed to assist people with autism spectrum disorders by adapting written documents into a format that is easier for them to read and understand. This is the main result of the three-year project FIRST (A Flexible Interactive Reading Support Tool), funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme.

15 Oct 2014

Viewpoints: Health law opposition not propelling GOP; keep politics out of the fight against Ebola

As recently as April, Obamacare was going to be the silver bullet for Republicans in this year's midterm elections. The leader of conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity said his plan was to make Obamacare "the No. 1 issue in the country." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., declared that the law would be "a huge disaster in 2014" and the deciding factor in November. Well, that was then. Now, three weeks from Election Day, some GOP challengers trying to knock off Democratic incumbent senators have scaled back their anti-Obamacare ads in favor of new targets such as the economy and national security (10/13).

15 Oct 2014

State highlights: Supreme Court to hear N.C. scope-of-practice case; states weigh costs of new hepatitis C drugs

The Supreme Court on Tuesday will consider who can whiten teeth in North Carolina, a seemingly small decision that could have major implications for scope-of-practice throughout the country. In North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners v. Federal Trade Commission, the justices will weigh whether the state dental board's decisions - in this case, a decision to not allow anyone but a dentist to whiten teeth - are immune from antitrust protections typically granted to state agencies (Haberkorn, 10/13).

15 Oct 2014

Revamped HealthCare.gov will deal with a new round of complications

The Associated Press reports on how the updated website, which has been overhauled in anticipation of the upcoming second enrollment season, compares with last year's version. Meanwhile, investigations continue regarding Covered California's no-bid contracts.

15 Oct 2014

Medicaid expansion plans, debates continue to roil GOP officials, cause concern for hospital execs

News outlets offer updates regarding Medicaid expansion efforts in Indiana and Ohio.

15 Oct 2014

McConnell's mixed message on Kynect, the state's health exchange

During a debate last night with Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the state's online insurance marketplace could stay but the Affordable Care Act should be repealed. In addition, news outlets report on Senate races in Arkansas and South Dakota.

15 Oct 2014

In Md. gubernatorial debate, Democrat defends his role in botched health marketplace

Anthony Brown, the state's lieutenant governor who oversaw the development of the state's online insurance marketplace, acknowledges the technical problems but points to tens of thousands of Marylanders who now have health insurance.

15 Oct 2014

Health care costs and health law politics: How issues are shaking out in public opinion and policy strategies

A poll by The Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research explores American's thoughts about health insurance, peace of mind and whether the health law is keeping costs down. Meanwhile, Politico explores the GOP's chances for repeal.

15 Oct 2014

CDC re-evaluating safety procedures after nurse contracts Ebola

Thomas Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announces that the agency will look again at the protocols for hospitals to see if more training or equipment is necessary to protect health care workers and the public.

15 Oct 2014

SSEF protocol reduces incidence of NEC or death in infants with extremely low birth weight

A standardized slow enteral feeding (SSEF) protocol significantly reduces the incidence of necrotizing enterocoltis (NEC), or death of intestinal tissue, and death in infants with extremely low birth weight, according to a new study.

15 Oct 2014

UCLA's new collaborative research effort aims to support adolescents, young adults with autism

UCLA, renowned for its leadership in research and treatment for individuals with autism, is launching a first-of-its-kind collaborative research effort to address the health, family and social needs of adolescents and young adults with autism, a group typically overlooked by health care and social services systems.

14 Oct 2014

UMMS, UMMSM researchers identify key genetic pathway underlying bipolar disorder

A team of scientists led by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have identified what is likely a key genetic pathway underlying bipolar (manic depressive) disorder, a breakthrough that could lead to better drugs for treating bipolar affective disorder, as well as depression and other related mood disorders.

14 Oct 2014

PhRMA launches new website to educate consumers about ABCs of health coverage

Today, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) launched Access Better Coverage.org, a new website designed to educate consumers about the ABCs of health coverage and access to prescription medicines.

14 Oct 2014

A.S.P.E.N. to hold Clinical Nutrition Week 2015 in Long Beach, CA

On Saturday, February 14, 2015, the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) kicks-off Clinical Nutrition Week 2015 (CNW) in Long Beach, CA, at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.

14 Oct 2014

Western Dental signs research collaboration agreement with UCSF

Western Dental, one of the nation's leaders in accessible, affordable oral health care, announced a first-of-its-kind research collaboration agreement with the University of California, San Francisco, a leading center of health sciences research, patient care, and education.

14 Oct 2014

Sedasys announces launch of new sedation system in the U.S.

Sedasys, a Division of Ethicon US, LLC, announced today the U.S. launch of its SEDASYS System, a Computer-Assisted Personalized Sedation (CAPS) system that enables trained physician-led teams to administer minimal-to-moderate propofol sedation to healthy patients undergoing routine colonoscopy or esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) procedures.

14 Oct 2014

Group Health's HMO Medicare Advantage plan earns 5-Star rating from CMS

Group Health's HMO Medicare Advantage plan has earned the highest rating available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Group Health is one of only 16 plans in the country to receive this rating for 2015.

14 Oct 2014

Johnson & Johnson's sales increase 5.1% to $18.5 billion in Q3 2014

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $18.5 billion for the third quarter of 2014, an increase of 5.1% as compared to the third quarter of 2013. Operational results increased 5.8% and the negative impact of currency was 0.7%. Domestic sales increased 11.6%. International sales decreased 0.3%, reflecting operational growth of 1.0% and a negative currency impact of 1.3%.

14 Oct 2014

Viewpoints: Ebola myths; Sen. McCain's 'opportunistic alarmism'; Gov. Jindal on CDC's misspent resources

Hubris is the greatest danger in wealthy countries - a sort of smug assumption that advanced technologies and emergency-preparedness plans guarantee that Ebola and other germs will not spread. It was hubris that left Toronto's top hospitals battling SARS in 2003, long after the virus was conquered in poorer Vietnam. It was hubris that led the World Health Assembly in 2013 to cut the WHO's outbreak-response budget in favor of more programs to treat cancer and heart disease.

14 Oct 2014

State highlights: Md., Minn. see small business health insurance rate changes; Texas sues AstraZeneca over Seroquel marketing

Some small businesses in Maryland will see a small drop in health insurance premiums next year, while others will pay as much as 11 percent more to cover their workers, according to rates released by state regulators Friday. The rates, which go into effect in January, only apply to small firms with up to 50 employees, and not to large or self-insured firms or individuals buying coverage on the state's health insurance exchange. Evergreen Health Cooperative sought no rate increase, and Aetna Health Inc. will raise rates only slightly, according to the rate information released by the Maryland Insurance Administration. Some UnitedHealthcare premiums will drop by about 2.5 percent (Cohn, 10/10).

14 Oct 2014

Health Care News and Research

University of Alicante develops tool for people with autism spectrum disorders

Viewpoints: Health law opposition not propelling GOP; keep politics out of the fight against Ebola

State highlights: Supreme Court to hear N.C. scope-of-practice case; states weigh costs of new hepatitis C drugs

Revamped HealthCare.gov will deal with a new round of complications

Medicaid expansion plans, debates continue to roil GOP officials, cause concern for hospital execs

McConnell's mixed message on Kynect, the state's health exchange

In Md. gubernatorial debate, Democrat defends his role in botched health marketplace

Health care costs and health law politics: How issues are shaking out in public opinion and policy strategies

CDC re-evaluating safety procedures after nurse contracts Ebola

SSEF protocol reduces incidence of NEC or death in infants with extremely low birth weight

UCLA's new collaborative research effort aims to support adolescents, young adults with autism

UMMS, UMMSM researchers identify key genetic pathway underlying bipolar disorder

PhRMA launches new website to educate consumers about ABCs of health coverage

A.S.P.E.N. to hold Clinical Nutrition Week 2015 in Long Beach, CA

Western Dental signs research collaboration agreement with UCSF

Sedasys announces launch of new sedation system in the U.S.

Group Health's HMO Medicare Advantage plan earns 5-Star rating from CMS

Johnson & Johnson's sales increase 5.1% to $18.5 billion in Q3 2014

Viewpoints: Ebola myths; Sen. McCain's 'opportunistic alarmism'; Gov. Jindal on CDC's misspent resources

State highlights: Md., Minn. see small business health insurance rate changes; Texas sues AstraZeneca over Seroquel marketing

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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