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More than three-quarters of parents are willing to have their children participate in research

To improve healthcare for children, medical research that involves kids is a must. Yet, only five percent of parents say their children have ever participated in any type of medical research, according to a new University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

27 Nov 2013

University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics recognized with 2013 Partnership in Prevention Award

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) today recognized the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (UWHC) with the 2013 Partnership in Prevention Award for achieving sustainable improvements towards eliminating healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

27 Nov 2013

Resources available to injured surgeons are inadequate, finds Vanderbilt study

Nearly half of orthopaedic surgeons sustain at least one injury during their career and, in many cases, the resources available to them are inadequate, according to a Vanderbilt study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

27 Nov 2013

Nonabsorbable antibiotics effective in eradicating CRE colonization

Orally administered, nonabsorbable antibiotics were effective in eradicating carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) colonization, according to a new study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, a publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

27 Nov 2013

After son's death, Virginia official vows to help change state's mental health system

Former gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds, who was stabbed repeatedly by his son before the young man took his own life, says, "I am alive for a reason and I will work for change."

27 Nov 2013

Mass urbanisation brings great health risks in China’s major cities

At the third plenum held earlier this month, the Chinese government announced reforms to further drive urbanisation in China. After already experiencing the largest human migration in history, what are the public health consequences of this mass movement from rural towns to cities?

27 Nov 2013

Anthem Blue Cross exposes 24,500 doctors' social security, tax numbers

In a departure from most medical privacy cases, Anthem Blue Cross said it accidentally posted online Social Security or tax identification numbers for about 24,500 California doctors. .

27 Nov 2013

AARP releases list of tips & questions on caring for aging parents

The turkey is defrosting and family is starting to gather at the house for Thanksgiving. For many families across New York, this is the once-a-year time that they travel from across the nation and, often times, globe to be with loved ones. In addition to enjoying time with family and friends, AARP says it's also prime time to check on older family members and relatives.

27 Nov 2013

State exchange news: Oregon's 'epic failure'; Kansas' next steps on canceled policies; rural challenge in Minnesota

Oregon once led the country in implementing Obamacare. Now it's just about dead last. Not one person has yet enrolled in the Cover Oregon insurance exchange - a major embarrassment to state policymakers who early on had wholeheartedly embraced the Affordable Care Act even as other states tried their best to hinder it. ... The uncertainty is leading to fears that Oregonians whose plans have been canceled as of Dec. 31 will find themselves without affordable coverage when the new year begins (Winfield Cunningham, 11/26).

27 Nov 2013

Troubled effort to devise new cholesterol guidelines

The New York Times explores what went wrong as a group of doctors struggled to find common ground on how heart issues should be treated. Other stories also look at consumer frustration about a landmark settlement on hip implants and concerns being reviewed by the FDA about emergency contraceptive pills.

27 Nov 2013

Drug interactions impact use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs

A new study has found that many people who stopped taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs were also taking an average of three other drugs that interfered with the normal metabolism of the statins.

27 Nov 2013

Health policy researcher calls for orthopaedic surgeons to implement principles of value-based healthcare

Healthcare expenditures currently account for 18% of the United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Some experts have suggested that an emphasis on value may be an effective strategy to evaluate healthcare costs.

27 Nov 2013

Health insurance coverage does not increase risky behavior

People with health insurance are more likely to use preventive services such as flu shots and health screenings to reduce their risk of serious illness, but they are no more likely than people without health insurance to engage in risky health behaviors such as smoking or gaining weight, researchers at UC Davis and University of Rochester have found.

27 Nov 2013

Study shows most corneal transplants have remarkable longevity regardless of donor age

Ten years after a transplant, a cornea from a 71-year-old donor is likely to remain as healthy as a cornea from a donor half that age, and corneas from donors over 71 perform slightly less well but still remain healthy for most transplant recipients, according to a study funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) and led by the UC Davis Health System Eye Center and the University of Cincinnati Eye Institut

27 Nov 2013

Tactics to sell the health law: Moms and local news

he administration, as well as insurers and advocacy groups, will rely on several tactics to sell the public on the health law, appealing to mothers to recruit their adult children and seeking positive news coverage from local, rather than national, media.

27 Nov 2013

Supreme Court mulls taking health law contraception case

The justices could announce as early as Tuesday whether they will review provisions in the Affordable Care Act requiring employers of a certain size to offer insurance coverage for birth control and other reproductive health services without a co-pay. The owners of more than three dozen for-profit companies have argued that complying with that provision would violate their religious beliefs.

27 Nov 2013

UMass Medical School licenses "anti-gal" technology to Agalimmune

The University of Massachusetts Medical School has licensed "anti-gal" technology developed by Professor of Surgery and Medicine Uri Galili, PhD, to newly formed biopharmaceutical company Agalimmune Ltd. for the purpose of developing innovative immunotherapies for the treatment of solid tumor cancers. Agalimmune is supported by an investment group comprising Loxbridge Research LLP and Animatrix Capital LLP and is based in London and California.

27 Nov 2013

Viewpoints: Local political fallout from Obama insurance pledge; 'debunking' sob story; is single payer still a possibility?

Democratic state leaders have been some of ObamaCare's strongest advocates. To show his gratitude, President Obama is sticking them with political responsibility for the millions of insurance policies that are being cancelled because they don't comply with the law's minimum-benefits mandates. ... Renewing lapsed policies could weaken the state exchanges as healthy young people will want to keep their discontinued, lower-cost plans ... there are other political considerations. Namely, the criticism they'll face from both the right and left if they don't back the president's directive to allow policy renewals (Allysia Finley, 11/25).

27 Nov 2013

Alcohol use disorders contribute more significantly to disease burden

Disorders related to the abuse of alcohol contribute significantly to the burden of disease in the U.S., finds a new study in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Researchers estimated that in 2005, about 53,000 men and 12,000 women died from issues related to alcohol use disorders.

27 Nov 2013

Miami-area seniors get 'white-glove' treatment from private plans

The Miami Herald reports that seniors in southern Florida have benefited from the highly lucrative and super competitive world of privately managed Medicare Advantage plans

27 Nov 2013