Veterans Affairs News and Research

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Pupil measurements can predict patients' response to cognitive therapy

The scientific foundation of psychiatry is growing rapidly, yet it is a branch of medicine distinctive for the relative absence of biological tests in routine clinical practice.

19 Apr 2011

Roche introduces new EMR interface for the U.S. Department of VA

Roche announced today that it has introduced a new Electronic Medical Record interface for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that helps VA healthcare facilities improve their efficiency and accuracy by transmitting patient diabetes management data directly into the VistA computerized patient record system.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 19 Apr 2011

LCA-NE calls on entire delegation to show support for lung cancer community

Today, Lung Cancer Alliance-New England thanked Senator John Kerry (D-MA) for being an original sponsor of the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act (S. 752), authorizing legislation that establishes a multi-agency, comprehensive research program addressing all aspects of lung cancer, and called on the entire delegation of Massachusetts to show their support for the lung cancer community.

16 Apr 2011

Study identifies why salt-sensitive hypertension develops

New research from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Kent State University shows that salt intake raises blood pressure because it makes it harder for the cardiovascular system to simultaneously juggle the regulation of blood pressure and body temperature.

15 Apr 2011

Deadly infections at Veterans Affairs hospitals drop

The New York Times: Study Finds Drop In Deadly VA Hospital Infections.

15 Apr 2011

Study to discover mysterious biological cause of Gulf War Illness

For nearly two decades following the 1991 Gulf War, doctors noticed a trend in many of veterans of that conflict: an unexplainable cluster of symptoms including but not limited to chronic fatigue, memory loss, and depression. It wasn't until 2008 that a scientific panel from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs concluded that a third of American troops who served in the Gulf War were suffering from combinations of these symptoms, now recognized collectively as Gulf War Illness (GWI).

12 Apr 2011

New point-of-care trial can reduce cost and length of studies

Doctors at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System are testing a new kind of clinical trial that's not only less costly but guides doctors to switch to the best treatment even before the trial is completed.

11 Apr 2011

Two new studies on Veterans Affairs health care system

As recently as the 1990s, the Veterans Affairs health care system had a subpar reputation for quality, but two new studies of standard quality metrics, both led by Amal Trivedi, assistant professor of community health at Brown University and a physician at the Providence VA Medical Center, show that the system that cares for more than 5 million patients has improved markedly in the last decade.

8 Apr 2011

Frailty in older patients not linked to high risk of adverse drug reactions

Contrary to popular belief among physicians, frailty in elderly patients is not associated with an increased risk of adverse reactions to medications, according to a study led by Michael Steinman, MD, a geriatrician at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

8 Apr 2011

Study highlights transitional care importance in health reform

A new study, conducted by Ellen Kurtzman, R.N., M.P.H., FAAN, assistant research professor in the GW School of Nursing, and colleagues, published in the April 2011 issue of Health Affairs, highlights the importance of transitional care in reaching the goals of health reform, and provides evidence-based strategies to guide its implementation.

7 Apr 2011

Higher prescribed doses associated with increased risk of opioid overdose death

In an analysis of opioid prescription patterns and deaths, receiving higher prescribed doses is associated with an increased risk of opioid overdose death, but receiving both as-needed and regularly scheduled doses is not associated with overdose risk, according to a study in the April 6 issue of JAMA.

6 Apr 2011

VA plans to move its ground-breaking VistA EHR system to open source platform

The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced plans to move its ground-breaking VistA electronic health record system to an open source platform.

6 Apr 2011

Patients prescribed high doses of pain medications at higher risk of overdose: Study

According to a study published in the April 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association JAMA, receiving higher prescribed doses of opioid prescriptions is associated with an increased risk of opioid overdose death, but receiving both as-needed and regularly scheduled doses is not associated with overdose risk.

5 Apr 2011

VA's electronic health record system to be updated

The Veterans Affairs Department, which operates one of the largest medical systems in the world, is moving ahead with plans to modernize its electronic health- records using open-source software. ... U.S. hospitals and medical practices are preparing to digitize their health records, often using commercial products. ...

4 Apr 2011

Viewpoints: 'Saving' Medicare; Dole on innovative vets' care; Texas 'death panel' on HIV?

(Rep. Paul) Ryan's plan reportedly will include steep Medicaid cuts, disguised as a proposal to turn the program into a "block grant" to the states. The net effect would be to leave even more Americans to the mercies of the private insurance market.

4 Apr 2011

VA to deploy Open Source version of VistA

The Department of Veterans Affairs today released a draft Request for Proposal aimed at forming an Open Source community around its ground-breaking VistA (Veterans Integrated System Technology Architecture) electronic health record system.

1 Apr 2011

NCI awards Case Western Reserve with $1.6 million grant for cancer research

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has received a $1.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study how tumor cells avoid detection by the body's immune system, allowing cancer to develop and spread.

1 Apr 2011

Master regulators of cholesterol and fat play key role in liver fibrosis development

UCLA researchers have demonstrated that a key regulator of cholesterol and fat metabolism in the liver also plays an important role in the development of liver fibrosis - the build-up of collagen scar tissue that can develop into cirrhosis. Cirrhosis, in turn, is a major cause of premature death and is incurable without a liver transplant.

31 Mar 2011