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After-hours telemedicine can lead to fewer hospitalizations and more savings

When doctors could be reached via telemedicine to decide whether a patient in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) should be hospitalized, 29% of the patients evaluated avoided a hospital visit, saving $1.55 million over the course of a year, according to results reported in the current issue of The American Journal of Managed Care.

20 Aug 2018

AJMC addresses role of community pharmacies in boosting adult vaccination rates

A recent publication from The American Journal of Managed Care, the leading peer-reviewed journal dedicated to issues in managed care, addresses the role of community pharmacies in boosting adult vaccination rates in the United States.

17 Aug 2018

In weary post-storm Puerto Rico, Medicaid cutbacks bode new ills

Blue tarps still dot rooftops, homes lack electricity needed to refrigerate medicines, and clinics chip away at debts incurred from running generators. Yet despite the residual effects from last year's devastating hurricanes, Puerto Rico is moving ahead with major cuts to its health care safety net that will affect more than a million of its poorest residents.

6 Aug 2018

How rival opioid makers sought to cash in on alarm over oxycontin’s dangers

As Purdue Pharma faced mounting criticism over deaths linked to OxyContin, rival drugmakers saw a chance to boost sales by stepping up marketing of similarly dangerous painkillers, such as fentanyl, morphine and methadone, Purdue internal documents reveal.

2 Aug 2018

Infants experiencing homelessness found to be at greater risk of poor health

A new study led by researchers from Children's HealthWatch, a research and policy network headquartered at Boston Medical Center, shows infants under 12 months old who experience homelessness are at-risk of poor health and development compared to their peers in housed families.

31 Jul 2018

The Garage and MedLink Advantage join hands to improve health among rural populations

The Garage, a population health management technology company providing patient-centered solutions to stakeholders across the industry, today announces its strategic partnership with MedLink Advantage.

27 Jul 2018

California’s ACA rates to rise 8.7% next year

Premiums in California's health insurance exchange will rise by an average of 8.7 percent next year, marking a return to more modest increases despite ongoing threats to the Affordable Care Act.

19 Jul 2018

Children with disabilities endure long waits for life-changing medical equipment

Bev Baker-Ajene waited so long to get an adult-sized wheelchair for her teenage daughter, Savitri, that she eventually forgot she'd ordered it.

19 Jul 2018

Insurers fall short in catching and reporting Medicaid fraud, inspectors find

Despite receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer money, Medicaid insurers are lax in ferreting out fraud and neglect to tell states about unscrupulous medical providers, according to a federal report released Thursday.

12 Jul 2018

UNMC receives $2.6 million grant to enhance role of registered nurses in patient care

The way health care providers are paid is shifting, demanding major changes by providers. Instead of being paid for the number of patients they see and tests ordered, the system is moving toward paying providers based on patient satisfaction, good clinical outcomes and cost effectiveness.

12 Jul 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

Study finds drop in frequent use of ED after Affordable Care Act

The odds of being a frequent user of California's emergency departments dropped in the two years following the implementation of major provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in January 2014, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco.

13 Jun 2018

Outsiders swoop in vowing to rescue rural hospitals short on hope — and money

Beau Gertz faced a crowd of worried locals at this town's senior center, hoping to sell them on his vision for their long-beloved — but now bankrupt — hospital.

4 Jun 2018

Depression symptoms can get worse without proper treatment

While it is common for everyone to feel down or sad at times, a person whose symptoms last for more than two weeks may be having a major depressive episode, according to The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

31 May 2018

Opioid pharmaceutical marketing influences physicians' opioid prescribing rates

A new study shows the significant impact that even a meal or two paid for by a pharmaceutical company can have on prescribing rates, despite a national decline of opioid prescribing rates.

15 May 2018

Hoping to see your doctor via telemedicine? Here’s a quick guide.

Tucked into the federal budget law Congress passed in February was a provision that significantly expands the use of telemedicine — long a hyped health care reform, and now poised to go mainstream within five to 10 years.

9 May 2018

New imaging technology to effectively screen for colorectal cancer among young adults

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the country. While the rates of colorectal cancer among patients older than 50 years old has decreased in recent years due to screening, it has increased by 22 percent among those under the age of 50, which could place a burden on the health care system over the next decade.

20 Apr 2018

CReM researchers optimize process to engineer disease- or patient-specific lung stem cells

The Center for Regenerative Medicine at Boston University and Boston Medical Center has engineered two new categories of lung epithelial cells in vitro using pluripotent stem cells.

12 Apr 2018

Testosterone therapy not linked to rise in estrogen levels among transgender men

Testosterone therapy is not associated with a rise in estrogen levels among transgender men, according to a new study led by Boston Medical Center. In fact, the researchers observed an initial decline in estrogen levels, which later stabilized and remained within the normal range during the study's six-year period.

27 Mar 2018

Chemical peels can be safe treatment option for people with darker skin

Results from a new study led by Boston Medical Center (BMC) indicate that, when performed appropriately, chemical peels can be a safe treatment option for people with darker skin.

16 Mar 2018