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Proton therapy results in fewer side effects for many cancer patients

Proton therapy results in fewer side effects than traditional X-ray radiation therapy for many cancer patients, according to a new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania.

22 May 2019

Johns Hopkins experts release digital health roadmap

In the dizzying swirl of health-related websites, social media and smartphone apps, finding a reliable source of health information can be a challenge.

From Johns Hopkins Medicine 22 May 2019

New study evaluates complexity of patients undergoing head-CT examinations

Computed tomography of the head uses special X-ray equipment to help assess head injuries, dizziness, and other symptoms of the brain.

20 May 2019

BMC develops EHR-based screener to address patients' unmet social needs

Boston Medical Center has implemented a social determinants of health screener for primary care patients in order to better identify and address patients' unmet social needs.

18 May 2019

‘Sham’ sharing ministries test faith of patients and insurance regulators

Sheri Lewis, 59, of Seattle, needed a hip transplant. Bradley Fuller, 63, of nearby Kirkland, needed chemotherapy and radiation when the pain in his jaw turned out to be throat cancer. And Kim Bruzas, 55, of Waitsburg, hundreds of miles away, needed emergency care to stop sudden —and severe — rectal bleeding.

17 May 2019

As ER wait times grow, more patients leave against medical advice

Emergency room patients increasingly leave California hospitals against medical advice, and experts say crowded ERs are likely to blame.

17 May 2019

How to find and use new federal ratings for rehab services at nursing homes

For the first time, the federal government is shining a spotlight on the quality of rehabilitation care at nursing homes — services used by nearly 2 million older adults each year.

16 May 2019

Exploring the contributions of health care to longevity

A widely cited statistic suggests that health care services account for only a small percentage of the variation in American life expectancy. However, the methodology supporting the finding has been challenged.

15 May 2019

Study finds persistently high rate of long-term opioid prescribing for older cancer survivors

Using Medicare data, new findings from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston show for the first time that the rates of long term opiate therapy - a 90-day or more supply of opioids per year - for older cancer survivors remain high for at least five years in cancer survivors.

14 May 2019

Dealing with hospital closure, pioneer Kansas town asks: What comes next?

A slight drizzle had begun in the gray December sky outside Community Christian Church as Reta Baker, president of the local hospital, stepped through the doors to join a weekly morning coffee organized by Fort Scott's chamber of commerce.

14 May 2019

Same-day scheduling of upper and lower GI endoscopies yields higher-value care

If your car needs work on its front and rear axles, it's obviously more convenient, efficient and cost effective to have both repairs done at the same time.

14 May 2019

How Obamacare, Medicare and ‘Medicare for All’ muddy the campaign trail

The health care debate has Democrats on Capitol Hill and the presidential campaign trail facing renewed pressure to make clear where they stand: Are they for "Medicare for All"? Or will they take up the push to protect the Affordable Care Act?

13 May 2019

Surprise! Fixing out-of-network bills means someone must pay

President Donald Trump called on Republicans and Democrats to pass legislation this year to end surprise medical bills, in remarks made in the White House's Roosevelt Room on Thursday. "We're determined to end surprise medical billing for American patients," Trump said.

10 May 2019

Nurse care coordinators are key to the success of PCMH programs

Patient-Centered Medical Home programs include a team of primary care providers that manage patient care and oversee individual care plans.

10 May 2019

Market muscle: Study uncovers differences between Medicare and private insurers

Private health insurance plans in 2017 paid more than twice what Medicare would have for those same health care services, says a sweeping new study from Rand Corp., a respected research organization.

10 May 2019

Addiction medicine mostly prescribed to whites, even as opioid deaths rose among blacks

White drug users addicted to heroin, fentanyl and other opioids have had near-exclusive access to buprenorphine, a drug that curbs the craving for opioids and reduces the chance of a fatal overdose.

8 May 2019

The money and politics of prescription drugs: What you need to know

If there's one area of health care where Republicans and Democrats might strike a deal, it's prescription drugs.

8 May 2019

Patients of Medicare providers excluded for fraud and abuse more likely to be minorities, disabled

A new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health analyzed providers excluded from Medicare for fraud and abuse, and found that the patients they treated prior to being banned were more likely to be minorities, disabled and dually-enrolled in Medicaid to supplement financial assistance for health care.

From Johns Hopkins Medicine 7 May 2019

Feds want to show health care costs on your phone, but that could take years

Federal officials are proposing new regulations that for the first time could allow patients to compare prices charged by various hospitals and other health care providers using data sent to their smartphones.

7 May 2019

Study: Few patients at high risk of opioid overdose receive naloxone prescriptions

A study based on a national database of private insurance claims suggests few patients at high risk of opioid overdose receive prescriptions for naloxone, which can reverse an overdose, during encounters with the health care system from hospitalizations and emergency department visits to physician visits.

3 May 2019