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Study finds food scarcity, poor oral health to be major risk factors for malnutrition among older adults

UNC School of Medicine researchers led a study to determine risk factors associated with malnutrition among older adults receiving care in the emergency department.

24 Mar 2017

Medicare's competitive bidding program reduces access to diabetes testing supplies, survey finds

A new survey from the American Association of Diabetes Educators found that Medicare's Competitive Bidding Program significantly reduced beneficiary choice and access to commonly used diabetes testing supplies.

23 Mar 2017

Genotype-guided warfarin dosing linked to reduced risk of adverse events

Using genetic testing to help personalize doses of warfarin therapy given to patients undergoing elective orthopedic surgery appears to lower the risk of combined adverse events compared with clinically guided dosing, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 66th Annual Scientific Session.

21 Mar 2017

Closing left atrial appendage linked to reduction in stroke risk for AFib patients

For patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common heart rhythm disorder, closing the area of the heart known as the left atrial appendage as an add-on procedure during cardiac surgery was associated with a 40 percent reduction in the risk of thromboembolism (a condition when a blood clot forms and blocks an artery, which can cause a stroke or other complications) according to an observational study presented at the American College of Cardiology's 66th Annual Scientific Session.

20 Mar 2017

Smoking cessation program prior to hip or knee replacement provides better surgical outcomes

Smokers who needed a hip or knee replacement experienced better surgical outcomes and fewer adverse events including hospital readmissions, surgical site infections and blood clots if they were enrolled in a smoking cessation program prior to surgery, according to preliminary new research that needs to be confirmed by larger studies.

16 Mar 2017

MOQI program reduces health care spending, potentially avoidable hospitalizations in nursing homes

Five years into the Missouri Quality Initiative for Nursing Homes, a program aimed at improving nursing home care, researchers at the Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri are seeing significant reductions in spending and potentially avoidable hospitalizations in participating nursing homes.

16 Mar 2017

Urban living can worsen asthma in poor kids, study shows

Results of a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers using national data add to evidence that living in inner cities can worsen asthma in poor children. They also document persistent racial/ethnic disparities in asthma.

15 Mar 2017

Shorter radiation treatment for breast cancer patients could reduce health care spending

More than half of older women with early stage breast cancer received more radiation therapy than what might be medically necessary, adding additional treatment and health care costs, according to a study led by Duke Cancer Institute researchers.

15 Mar 2017

$Men face higher risk of mortality after fragility fractures linked to osteoporosis$

Men face higher risk of mortality after fragility fractures linked to osteoporosis

Men face a greater risk of mortality following a fracture related to osteoporosis, a common disease where the bones become weak and brittle, according to new research presented today at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

14 Mar 2017

Patients can recover effectively, safely at home after total joint replacement surgery, study finds

Despite higher costs, many doctors recommend and some patients prefer, recovery at an in-patient rehabilitation facility following total hip (THR) or total knee replacement (TKR) surgery.

14 Mar 2017

Spending more on care does not translate into better outcomes, study shows

Hospitalized patients treated by physicians who order more or more expensive tests and procedures are just as likely to be readmitted or to die as patients treated by doctors who order fewer or less expensive tests, according to research led by Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

14 Mar 2017

Counseling and shared decision-making can enhance understanding of lung cancer screening

Lung cancer screening using a low-dose CT scan can be a lifesaving test for high-risk patients. While it offers clear benefits, incidental findings and radiation exposure mean there are some potential risks associated with yearly screening.

14 Mar 2017

Higher health care spending by physicians not linked to patients' 30-day mortality, readmission rates

Higher health care utilization spending by physicians was not associated with better outcomes for hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries in a new article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

13 Mar 2017

New report highlights increasing cost of caring for people with Alzheimer's and dementia

The national cost of caring for those with Alzheimer's and dementia is estimated to be $259 billion this year, according to a new report from the Alzheimer's Association.

13 Mar 2017

Studies question use of readmission rate as metric in surgeries for ovarian cancer patients

To reduce costs and improve quality of care, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services has made reducing readmission rates a priority, yet research studies presented today at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s 2017 Annual Meeting for Women’s Cancer question the use of the metric in surgeries performed in patients with ovarian cancer.

13 Mar 2017

Medicare's prescription drug benefit program reduced elderly mortality by 2.2%, study shows

A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois expert in health care economics provides the first evidence that the increase in drug utilization attributable to Medicare Part D saved lives.

9 Mar 2017

In-home occupational therapy reduces depression symptoms in patients with impaired vision

Johns Hopkins researchers report that in-home occupational therapy appears to reduce the rate and severity of depression in people at higher risk for the disorder because of seriously impaired vision.

8 Mar 2017

Study underscores need to increase awareness for HCV testing among baby boomers

A Brief Report appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine looks at testing rates for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) two years after the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommended it for all baby boomers, and finds rates are still very low.

8 Mar 2017

Study finds causes for early readmission among older adults discharged to post-acute care facilities

More than 25 percent of Medicare beneficiaries who are admitted to the hospital are sent to a post-acute care facility (a health facility like a rehabilitation or skilled nursing center used instead of a hospital) after being discharged.

7 Mar 2017

High-dose flu vaccine appears to be effective at preventing post-influenza deaths among older adults

The high-dose flu vaccine appeared to be more effective at preventing post-influenza deaths among older adults than the standard-dose vaccine, at least during a more severe flu season, according to a large new study of Medicare beneficiaries published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

2 Mar 2017

Medicare News and Research

Study finds food scarcity, poor oral health to be major risk factors for malnutrition among older adults

Medicare's competitive bidding program reduces access to diabetes testing supplies, survey finds

Genotype-guided warfarin dosing linked to reduced risk of adverse events

Closing left atrial appendage linked to reduction in stroke risk for AFib patients

Smoking cessation program prior to hip or knee replacement provides better surgical outcomes

MOQI program reduces health care spending, potentially avoidable hospitalizations in nursing homes

Urban living can worsen asthma in poor kids, study shows

Shorter radiation treatment for breast cancer patients could reduce health care spending

Men face higher risk of mortality after fragility fractures linked to osteoporosis

Patients can recover effectively, safely at home after total joint replacement surgery, study finds

Spending more on care does not translate into better outcomes, study shows

Counseling and shared decision-making can enhance understanding of lung cancer screening

Higher health care spending by physicians not linked to patients' 30-day mortality, readmission rates

New report highlights increasing cost of caring for people with Alzheimer's and dementia

Studies question use of readmission rate as metric in surgeries for ovarian cancer patients

Medicare's prescription drug benefit program reduced elderly mortality by 2.2%, study shows

In-home occupational therapy reduces depression symptoms in patients with impaired vision

Study underscores need to increase awareness for HCV testing among baby boomers

Study finds causes for early readmission among older adults discharged to post-acute care facilities

High-dose flu vaccine appears to be effective at preventing post-influenza deaths among older adults

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