Health Care News and Research

RSS

Relaxation of China's 'one-child policy' possible despite family planning minister's comments, Reuters reports

"China could be considering relaxing its ... one-child policy," which "is increasingly being seen as an impediment to growth and the harbinger of social problems," such as a declining workforce, Reuters reports.

23 Jan 2013

Roundup: Ariz. Gov. proposing hospital tax for Medicaid expansion as Nev. ponders options; Vt. hospitals form ACO

Ariz. Gov. Jan Brewer, who has become something of a conservative icon for her aggressive opposition to Mr. Obama's policies, surprised many Legislature watchers at her State of the State address last week by saying she wanted to expand the state's Medicaid program to include anyone who makes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or $14,856 for an individual.

23 Jan 2013

140 nations adopt treaty to reduce mercury emissions; Convention will allow use of mercury preservative in vaccines

"More than 140 nations adopted the first legally binding international treaty on Saturday aimed at reducing mercury emissions, after four years of negotiations on ways to set limits on the use of a highly toxic metal," the Associated Press/New York Times reports.

22 Jan 2013

Less is more for emergency department treatment of whiplash

Researchers recommend that patients presenting to emergency departments with acute whiplash should receive usual consultations and a single physiotherapy advice session for persistent symptoms.

22 Jan 2013

Low-income groups slow to seek treatment for stroke

People with lower incomes are less likely to present at a hospital within 3 hours of stroke symptoms and thus have lower rates of thrombolysis therapy or post-stroke care than their more affluent counterparts, according to a retrospective analysis.

22 Jan 2013

Routine gastric volume monitoring thrown out

Monitoring gastric residual volumes in critically ill patients receiving enteral nutrition does not prevent them from developing ventilator-associated pneumonia, shows a randomized trial.

22 Jan 2013

Rainbow Coral visits genome-mapping facility in Houston

Since the new year began, Rainbow Coral Corp. has wasted no time in searching for new targets to add to its portfolio of projects for commercialization. Last week, the Company's executive leadership accepted an invitation to tour a genome-mapping facility in Houston with which RBCC could soon partner.

22 Jan 2013

INPC provides early warning of influenza outbreaks and other communicable diseases

The Centers for Disease Control has reported that influenza activity is high across most of the United States. The Indiana Network for Patient Care's ability to track data from physician offices and medical facilities across Indiana provides public health officials in the Hoosier state with early warning of outbreaks of influenza and other communicable diseases in Indiana.

22 Jan 2013

Having two attending surgeons is better and safer during complex spinal surgeries

Two heads are better than one, as the saying goes - and a new study by a duo at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) demonstrates how having two attending surgeons in the operating room during spinal surgeries can benefit patients in multiple ways.

22 Jan 2013

Kaiser Permanente study examines increasing prevalence of undervaccination

In a new study published today in JAMA Pediatrics (formerly Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine), Kaiser Permanente researchers found that 49 percent of children ages 2-24 months did not receive all recommended vaccinations or did not get vaccinated according to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices schedule.

22 Jan 2013

Schizophrenics more likely to die from cardiovascular disease and cancer

A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the average life expectancy of men and women with schizophrenia is 15 years and 12 years shorter respectively than for those who do not suffer from the disease.

22 Jan 2013

Mobile access can greatly improve healthcare services

In contrast to healthcare access, mobile access is becoming almost ubiquitous worldwide. The increasing penetration of smartphones as well as 3G and 4G networks will provide a significant boost to the use of mobile platforms for providing healthcare services. Mobile health (mHealth) stands at a significant inflection point.

22 Jan 2013

Study finds high ADHD diagnosis rates among non-Hispanic children between 2001 and 2010

The rate of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder rose dramatically between 2001 and 2010 with non-Hispanic white children having the highest diagnosis rates, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics (formerly Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine).

22 Jan 2013

UCLA to participate as a Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the UCLA Health System has been selected to participate in the federal government's Medicare Shared Savings Program as an accountable care organization.

21 Jan 2013

NTD treatments are cost-effective, report shows

"Recently, Hudson Institute's Center for Science in Public Policy, in partnership with the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, published a new report to highlight the links between NTDs and socio-economic prosperity," according to the network's "End the Neglect" blog.

21 Jan 2013

Examining family planning in Malawi under President Banda

Author and strategist Courtney Martin writes in a post in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog about her experience during a trip to Malawi with the Aspen Institute's Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health, led by former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, to visit "President Joyce Banda and her cabinet for an official consultation on their work around family planning and safe motherhood."

21 Jan 2013

As Obama takes oath again, health law's fate rest with others

Obamacare is going into effect next year for real - but what happens with President Barack Obama's signature achievement in his second term is largely out of his hands. The biggest piece of the law - the expansion of coverage to as many as 30 million uninsured Americans - will begin in 2014. Obama may not say a word about that in his inaugural address.

21 Jan 2013

GOP House members back plan to raise debt ceiling but still expect entitlement cuts

House Republican leaders abruptly announced they would vote next week to temporarily extend the nation's debt limit, sharply reducing the threat that the government might default on its obligations, but leaving the party still divided as it casts about for the best way to pressure President Obama for more budget cuts.

21 Jan 2013

Paying medical expenses, raising hopes, triggering fears ...

USA Today and Marketplace report on ways in which the cost of health care, especially regarding a serious illness, causes patient anxieties, challenges for the health system and new approaches within the marketplace.

21 Jan 2013

Federal gov't. awards health exchange grants to some states

The federal health department announced $1.5 billion in new grants Thursday for states to continue building their insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act. California, Delaware, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon and Vermont received funding - either one-or multi-year awards based on their progress in creating the marketplaces.

20 Jan 2013