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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

Affordable Care Act improves access to primary care for Medicaid patients, Penn study finds

Since the introduction of the Affordable Care Act, which provided access to health insurance to millions of previously uninsured adults in the United States, the availability of appointments with primary care physicians has improved for patients with Medicaid and remains unchanged for patients with private coverage, according to new research led by the Perelman School of Medicine and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.

28 Feb 2017

ED patients with ultrasounds interpreted by nonradiologists underwent follow-up imaging, research finds

According to new research by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute, the use of follow-up imaging is significantly less when initial emergency department ultrasound examinations are interpreted by a radiologist than a nonradiologist.

23 Feb 2017

New study shows ways to improve patient care and reduce costs linked to coronary angioplasty

Hospitals can improve patient care and reduce costs associated with coronary angioplasty if cardiologists perform more of these procedures through an artery in the wrist and if they take steps to discharge such patients on the same day, according to a new study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

22 Feb 2017

Transradial, same-day PCIs could save $300 million each year, research shows

If hospitals can perform more transradial, same-day percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCIs, not only will patients benefit because it is associated with have less complications, but collectively, hospitals across the U.S. could save $300 million each year, according to research published today in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

21 Feb 2017

Non-elderly cancer survivors more likely to change prescription drug use for financial reasons, study finds

A new analysis indicates that many cancer survivors change their prescription drug use (including skipping doses or requesting cheaper medications) for financial reasons.

21 Feb 2017

Researchers explore how patients with COPD, heart failure and heart attack fared in ICU

Does a stay in the intensive care unit give patients a better chance of surviving a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart failure flare-up or even a heart attack, compared with care in another type of hospital unit? Unless a patient is clearly critically ill, the answer may be no, according to University of Michigan researchers who analyzed more than 1.5 million Medicare records.

17 Feb 2017

RTI study: Cardiovascular disease costs expected to reach $1.1 trillion in next two decades

A new study projects that by 2035, cardiovascular disease, the most costly and prevalent killer, if left unchecked, will place a crushing economic and health burden on the nation's financial and health care systems. The study was conducted by RTI International for the American Heart Association.

15 Feb 2017

Many older adults may not be receiving AED treatment after potential epilepsy diagnosis

Many older adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy in the United States are being prescribed older anti-epileptic drugs, and only half begin treatment with AEDs within the first 30 days of a potential epilepsy diagnosis.

8 Feb 2017

Study links higher BMI to lower chances of getting hospice care

The heavier someone is, the less likely they are to have what many people might call a "good death", with hospice care and a chance to die at home, a new study finds. And that difference comes with a financial, as well as a personal, cost, the research shows.

8 Feb 2017

Routine blood test that measures kidney function can predict short-term outcomes for stroke patients

A routine blood test that measures kidney function can be a valuable predictor of short-term outcomes for stroke patients, according to a study led by a neurologist at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

31 Jan 2017

Hemodialysis patients do not wish to receive treatment for depression, study shows

Many patients with kidney failure who are receiving chronic hemodialysis have depressive symptoms but do not wish to receive aggressive treatment to alleviate them, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

28 Jan 2017

Study focuses on benefit of continuous glucose monitoring for diabetes patients on MDI insulin therapy

Dexcom announces the first and only randomised, controlled study focusing solely on the benefit of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for diabetes patients on multiple daily injections (MDI) insulin therapy.

27 Jan 2017

SCS therapy can be key to reducing use of opioids in patients battling chronic pain, study finds

New research has found spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy can be key to reducing or stabilizing the use of opioids in patients battling chronic pain.

20 Jan 2017