Worker News and Research

RSS

Meeting addresses mother-to-child HIV transmission in Africa

Health officials recently held a regional consultation in Kenya to examine mother-to-child HIV transmission services and pediatric HIV/AIDS care in nine Eastern and Southern African countries, IRIN/PlusNews reports.

26 May 2009

African-American women breast cancer sufferers often refuse chemotherapy and radiation therapy

A new study finds that nearly one in four African American women with late stage breast cancer refused chemotherapy and radiation therapy, potentially life saving therapies.

22 May 2009

Sex workers in Pakistan give recommendations on HIV prevention to health officials

Although the recorded HIV prevalence in Pakistan is relatively low, health officials are concerned that a concentrated epidemic of the virus among injection drug users could carry over to commercial sex workers and other high risk groups in the country, IRIN/PlusNews reports.

18 May 2009

Senate Finance Committee to discuss public plan options; House Energy and Commerce Committee discusses state, regional plans

The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday will meet to discuss the inclusion of a public insurance plan in its health care reform legislation, the Des Moines Register reports (Beaumont, Des Moines Register, 5/14). Supporters of the public plan say it would allow middle-income workers a choice between their employer coverage and coverage offered by the government. The insurance industry and Republican lawmakers oppose such a plan.

14 May 2009

Will the NHS continue to function in an influenza pandemic?

A survey of health care workers has revealed that as many as 85% may stay off work if an influenza pandemic did take hold of the country.

13 May 2009

South Carolina health coverage, cigarette tax bill stalls in state Senate

Legislation that would use an increase in the South Carolina cigarette tax to create a new health coverage program for low-income state residents has stalled in the state Senate Finance Committee, the AP/Myrtle Beach Sun News reports.

7 May 2009

Some HIV-positive people in Wales denied treatment for common conditions, physician says

Some HIV-positive people in Wales are being denied medical treatment for common illnesses, Olwen Williams, a physician specializing in sexually transmitted infections, said recently, BBC News reports. Williams noted that primary care physicians often refer HIV-positive people to hospitals or HIV specialists for common conditions, such as colds.

5 May 2009

Australians warned to remain on guard against 'swine flu'

Even though 91 people have been tested for swine flu in Australia, to date there have been no confirmed cases but health officials are warning Australians not to become complacent and to remain on guard against a possible influenza A(H1N1) - swine-flu - epidemic.

3 May 2009

New computer-controlled system to improve the accuracy of blood tests

Blood tests are common procedures in medicine and sometimes several are required over a prolonged period.

30 Apr 2009

Two non-pharmacological interventions reduce depression after heart surgery

Two non-pharmacological interventions-cognitive behavior therapy and supportive stress management-appear more effective than usual care for treating depression after coronary artery bypass surgery, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

6 Apr 2009

Compassion fatigue: Impact on healthcare providers of caring for the terminally ill

Compassion fatigue in nurses, doctors and other front line cancer-care providers significantly impacts how they interact with patients, with patient families, with other healthcare workers, and with their own family, according to analysis by Indiana University School of Medicine and Regenstrief Institute researchers published in the March issue of the Journal of Health Psychology.

1 Apr 2009

Cleaning fluids used in hospitals may pose a health risks

A pilot study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health has found that potentially hazardous chemicals are contained in a selection of agents used in several different hospitals.

29 Mar 2009

One in five U.S. workers uninsured

One in five U.S. workers is uninsured, a statistically significant increase from fewer than one in seven during the mid-1990s, according to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study released on Tuesday, the AP/Detroit News reports.

24 Mar 2009

Lexington Herald-Leader examines funding issues in Kentucky HIV/AIDS clinic

The Lexington Herald-Leader on Thursday examined funding issues faced by the Bluegrass Care Clinic, a Kentucky-based HIV/AIDS clinic that has seen a twofold increase in the number of patients over the last eight years, despite receiving no federal funding increases.

16 Mar 2009

Therapy through art

Drawing helps children whose fathers are drug addicts to express their feelings, concludes a new study carried out at the School of Creative Arts Therapies at the University of Haifa.

11 Mar 2009

Extra workplace decibels increase risks of work-related accidents and road collisions

The majority of the 650,000 employees from Quebec's manufacturing sector - specifically those working in metallurgy and sawmilling - are exposed to noise levels that exceed governmental norms.

11 Mar 2009

Itching after burns - study offers best options

Jim Mashburn felt his legs cook. Mr. Mashburn, a worker at a paper-recycling plant, fell through a loose grate and into a sump pit in September 2008 as he was preparing to inspect a steam valve. Super hot condensate, at a temperature of at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit, enveloped his legs instantly, searing skin up to his thighs.

26 Feb 2009