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Study explores relation between hospital occupancy levels and infection risk

Hospitals today spend a lot of time and effort to protect their patients from developing new infections while they're hospitalized - especially the most dangerous types that can threaten their health even more than the problem that sent them to the hospital in the first place.

2 Jul 2018

CMS policy had insignificant impact on reducing healthcare-associated infections

Hospitals may have avoided financial penalties by billing hospital-associated conditions as present at the time of the patient's admission, supporting prior work that showed that a Medicare policy designed to monetarily penalize hospitals for preventable complications had an insignificant impact on reducing healthcare-associated infections.

2 Jul 2018

Newer anticoagulant may be safer for dialysis patients with Afib

People with irregular heartbeat due to a condition called atrial fibrillation, are often prescribed blood thinners to reduce the risk of blood clots that can cause a stroke.

30 Jun 2018

Top policy expert’s ties to giant drugmaker often go unstated

When Dr. Mark McClellan sat for an in-depth 30-minute question-and-answer session at an April health policy forum, the audience was filled with top researchers, advocates and Capitol Hill staffers eager to hear what insight the former head of the Food and Drug Administration would dispense.

29 Jun 2018

Father’s and son’s injuries lead to the mother of all therapy bills

Angel Dean Lopez is a Hollywood television writer and father who enjoys doing projects with his three kids. Every fall, he helps them transform 7-inch-long blocks of wood into whimsical race cars for the neighborhood’s annual Pinewood Derby in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.

29 Jun 2018

Fitness in midlife associated with lower risk of depression, cardiovascular death

A high level of fitness in midlife was associated with a lower risk of depression after age 65 and a lower risk of cardiovascular death, including after a diagnosis of depression.

28 Jun 2018

Fitness may be vital to depression patient’s good health

Exercise may be just as crucial to a depression patient's good health as finding an effective antidepressant.

27 Jun 2018

Pain rehabilitation programs are effective alternative to opioids for managing chronic pain

New research, published this month by the American Pain Society (APS), adds to burgeoning scientific evidence showing that interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programs are an effective alternative to opioids for chronic pain management.

27 Jun 2018

Zucchini, brown rice, turkey soup - Medicaid plan offers food as medicine

Feliciano Pagan stood at his front door when the MANNA food truck pulled up to his two-story brick row home.

25 Jun 2018

Overdose risk increases five-fold with concurrent opioid and benzodiazepine use

In the first 90 days of concurrent opioid and benzodiazepine use, the risk of opioid-related overdose increases five-fold compared to opioid-only use among Medicare recipients, according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, published today in JAMA Network Open

22 Jun 2018

Study highlights inadequate effort of health care insurers to combat opioid epidemic

Health care insurers including Medicare, Medicaid and major private insurers have not done enough to combat the opioid epidemic, suggests a study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

22 Jun 2018

Researchers highlight new nurse training model to address shortage of primary care

Nurse practitioners are providing an increasing proportion of primary care, which is in short supply in many areas of the country. NPs deliver quality care in retail clinics, community health centers, rural clinics, and in primary care and specialty medical practices.

21 Jun 2018

‘Holy cow’ moment changes how Montana’s state health plan does business

Marilyn Bartlett, the director administrator of Montana's Health Care and Benefits Division, recalls thinking "holy cow" when she got an urgent directive from state legislators in late 2014: "You have to get these costs under control, or else."

20 Jun 2018

Humana and Walgreens to provide easier access to primary care and other services for seniors

Leading health and well-being company Humana Inc. and Walgreens, a provider of trusted pharmacy services and care in communities since 1901, are teaming up to provide easier access to primary care and other services for seniors, as part of the companies' ongoing and shared commitment to the health and well-being of the Kansas City community.

19 Jun 2018

Researchers examine risk factors for opioid dependence in patients undergoing surgery for DS

Researchers investigated risk factors for the development of opioid dependence in patients undergoing surgery for degenerative spondylolisthesis

19 Jun 2018

Radiation therapy alone may be enough to treat older, sicker patients with anal cancers

The incidence of anal cancer continues to rise. Despite making the headlines with Farrah Fawcett, people are still reluctant to discuss this important cancer.

18 Jun 2018

Recent-onset type 2 diabetes may be early expression of pancreatic cancer

A new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that recent-onset type 2 diabetes may be early expression of pancreatic cancer.

18 Jun 2018

Study shows link between financial literacy and hospitalization risk in older adults

Could being more knowledgeable about finances help to keep you out of the hospital? Older adults with higher financial literacy are at lower risk of being hospitalized, reports a study in the July issue of Medical Care. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

14 Jun 2018

Medicare takes aim at boomerang hospitalizations of nursing home patients

"Oh my God, we dropped her!" Sandra Snipes said she heard the nursing home aides yell as she fell to the floor. She landed on her right side where her hip had recently been replaced.

13 Jun 2018

Critical access hospitals face problems in infection prevention and control practices, shows research

Critical access hospitals face significant challenges in their infection prevention and control practices, according to new research presented at the 45th Annual Conference of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.