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Improved access to Primary Stroke Centers may lead to better outcomes in stroke patients

Physicians and families of stroke victims often have to make quick decisions about whether to treat patients locally or refer them to a more distant Primary Stroke Center.

25 Jul 2016

Experts call to make parenting a national priority

Ask any mom or dad and they will tell you: parenting is hard work. For those parents and caregivers who struggle with the nature or the demands of child rearing, sometimes help is hard to find.

21 Jul 2016

Pap tests may be beneficial for preventing cervical cancer in older women

A new study from the University of Illinois confirms a link between Pap smear screenings and a lower risk of developing cervical cancer in women over age 65. However, most American health guidelines discourage women in that age range from receiving screenings unless they have pre-existing risk factors.

21 Jul 2016

UCLA-led study finds wide acceptance of end-of-life care orders among California nursing home residents

UCLA-led research finds broad acceptance of written end-of-life care orders among California nursing home residents, with nearly half completing a Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, or POLST, form in 2011.

14 Jul 2016

Study finds low rates of baseline BMD testing among older women with breast cancer

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs)—drugs that stop the production of estrogen in women—are standard adjuvant therapy for post-menopausal women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer.

14 Jul 2016

Bariatric surgery becomes safer in accredited surgical centers, research shows

Patients who have weight-loss operations at nonaccredited bariatric surgical facilities in the United States are up to 1.4 times likelier to experience serious complications and more than twice as likely to die after the operation compared with patients who undergo these procedures at accredited bariatric surgical centers, researchers conclude.

12 Jul 2016

Aelan's researchers develop novel epigenetic biomarker for diagnosis of AD

Aelan Cell Technologies today announced the development of a novel epigenetic biomarker. An early human clinical feasibility study has indicated that serological tests using the biomarker alongside other proprietary components developed by Aelan's researchers could potentially help physicians diagnose Alzheimer's disease (AD).

12 Jul 2016

Medical marijuana reduces use of prescription drugs, research finds

Medical marijuana is having a positive impact on the bottom line of Medicare's prescription drug benefit program in states that have legalized its use for medicinal purposes, according to University of Georgia researchers in a study published today in the July issue of Health Affairs.

8 Jul 2016

Routine Pap smear screenings linked to lower cervical cancer risk in older women

A new study from the University of Illinois confirms a link between routine Pap smear screenings and a lower risk of developing cervical cancer in women over age 65.

8 Jul 2016

Study shows wealthier Americans receive more health care than lower-income groups

Inequality in the use of health care has increased dramatically in recent years, with wealthier Americans, who tend to be healthier, now consuming the most care, according to a study published today [Wednesday, July 6] in the July issue of Health Affairs.

7 Jul 2016

Health care resource use and costs of H.P. Acthar® gel for multiple sclerosis relapse

Mallinckrodt plc, a leading global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced new retrospective health economic data on H.P. Acthar® Gel (repository corticotropin injection; RCI), which may be an option for the management of multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses.

6 Jul 2016

Annual repeat CT scans can eliminate need for biopsy or surgery in NSNs

Annual low-dose computed-tomography (CT) screening can eliminate the need for biopsy or surgery in nonsolid lung nodules, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

5 Jul 2016

Advances in cancer detection and treatment create large numbers of older cancer survivors

Improved cancer detection and treatment efforts, combined with demographic trends, are creating larger numbers of older cancer survivors who are likely to have other health conditions that impact care and well-being.

4 Jul 2016

Depression reduces COPD maintenance medication adherence in older adults

A recent study in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society found that in a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries who were newly diagnosed with COPD, adherence to maintenance medications decreased with new episodes of depression.

24 Jun 2016

Study examines how frequently older adults with diagnosed and undiagnosed dementia perform unsafe activities

Dementia currently affects some 5 million people in the U.S., and that number is expected to triple by 2050. Having dementia affects the way you think, act, and make decisions.

23 Jun 2016

Study examines changes in coverage among hospitalized nonelderly adults after Medicaid expansion

In a study appearing in the June 21 issue of JAMA, Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and colleagues examined changes in insurance coverage among hospitalized nonelderly adults after Michigan expanded Medicaid coverage in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act.

22 Jun 2016

Study finds nearly half of older Americans spend heavily on end-of-life care

Last-ditch, high-tech heroic treatments. Days in the hospital intensive care unit. You might think this is what makes dying in America so expensive - and that it's where we should focus efforts to spend the nation's healthcare dollars more wisely.

17 Jun 2016

New study may provide more insights into effects of physician-hospital integration

The Affordable Care Act and changing economic conditions have encouraged the integration of physicians and hospitals, particularly through accountable care organizations and medical homes.

17 Jun 2016

Study shows for-profit hospices have persistently high rates of hospitalization

Patients who were asked where they wanted to die upon entering hospice had lower rates of hospitalization at the end of life, as did those in hospices that monitored symptoms more frequently, according to a new study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

16 Jun 2016

Insurance coverage of CT colonography and other USPSTF-recognized tests could help fight CRC

Final United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) colorectal cancer screening recommendations assigned an "A" grade to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in those ages 50-75 years and provided a list of recognized screening exams.

16 Jun 2016

Medicare News and Research

Improved access to Primary Stroke Centers may lead to better outcomes in stroke patients

Experts call to make parenting a national priority

Pap tests may be beneficial for preventing cervical cancer in older women

UCLA-led study finds wide acceptance of end-of-life care orders among California nursing home residents

Study finds low rates of baseline BMD testing among older women with breast cancer

Bariatric surgery becomes safer in accredited surgical centers, research shows

Aelan's researchers develop novel epigenetic biomarker for diagnosis of AD

Medical marijuana reduces use of prescription drugs, research finds

Routine Pap smear screenings linked to lower cervical cancer risk in older women

Study shows wealthier Americans receive more health care than lower-income groups

Health care resource use and costs of H.P. Acthar® gel for multiple sclerosis relapse

Annual repeat CT scans can eliminate need for biopsy or surgery in NSNs

Advances in cancer detection and treatment create large numbers of older cancer survivors

Depression reduces COPD maintenance medication adherence in older adults

Study examines how frequently older adults with diagnosed and undiagnosed dementia perform unsafe activities

Study examines changes in coverage among hospitalized nonelderly adults after Medicaid expansion

Study finds nearly half of older Americans spend heavily on end-of-life care

New study may provide more insights into effects of physician-hospital integration

Study shows for-profit hospices have persistently high rates of hospitalization

Insurance coverage of CT colonography and other USPSTF-recognized tests could help fight CRC

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