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Negative messages not having an impact in people with addictive behaviors

What types of public messages will most likely deter drug and alcohol abuse or dissuade people from engaging in risky behavior? Negatively framed messages may not be an effective way to reach those most in need of persuasion, suggests a new study in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors by researchers from Indiana University and Wayne State University.

26 Nov 2012

Toshiba launches PROTECT program for both radiologists and patients

To ensure the lowest possible CT radiation dose without compromising image quality, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. launches PROTECT. PROTECT is a three-year, comprehensive CT radiation dose management program to help customers achieve ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) imaging with Toshiba's Aquilion CT product line.

26 Nov 2012

Fiscal cliff talks moving slowly; Boehner wants health law on the table

The Congressional leaders had said that aides would provide concrete ideas by Wednesday on deficit reduction targets through revenue increases and changes to social programs, especially Medicare. White House and Congressional staff members did meet early this week, but no such ideas were produced. Democrats want Republicans to first define what they mean by "structural changes" to Medicare and Medicaid.

26 Nov 2012

Guarded optimism about fiscal cliff deal, could include Medicare changes

As Congress prepares to return this week, the Sunday talk shows included talk of compromise, though there are fears of even more partisan fighting in the next Congress.

26 Nov 2012

New dental practice management software from Henry Schein

Henry Schein, Inc., the world's largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, medical and animal health practitioners, today announced the launch of "Viive," a new dental practice management software for the Apple Mac computer.

26 Nov 2012

New way of long-term care for elders with memory impairments

Within a stone's throw from the hustle and bustle of Route 128, a revolutionary new way to provide elder care is quietly making a difference in the town of Westwood. From the outside, the White Oak Cottages may look like ordinary, modern family homes with lots of windows and skylights but what's going on inside is anything but ordinary. Their mission is to de-institutionalize long-term care by providing a real home-like environment for those with Alzheimer's, Dementia and other cognitive impairments.

23 Nov 2012

Behavioural support programme to make TB patients quit smoking receives BUPA Foundation prize

The BUPA Foundation has awarded a high commendation prize for research led by the University of York into effective ways of helping tuberculosis patients in Pakistan to give up smoking.

23 Nov 2012

Applied relaxation can help women with menopausal troubles

Women who have undergone group therapy and learned to relax have reduced their menopausal troubles by half, according to results of a study at Linköping University and Linköping University Hospital in Sweden.

22 Nov 2012

Eating disorders common in adolescents attending emergency department

A significant percentage of adolescents attending hospital emergency response departments have eating disorders, suggest results from a US study.

22 Nov 2012

DiscoGnosis project aims to develop rapid malaria test

An estimated 500 million people become infected with malaria each year. The disease is often lethal - particularly in tropical developing countries with insufficient health care services. The infected suffer from a high fever. As this is also the case with other germs, however, it is important to conduct a rapid and precise analysis to determine the cause of the disease for a successful therapy.

22 Nov 2012

Fiscal cliff: Lame duck budget talks begin

News sources report on the beginnings of negotiations among White House and congressional staff.

22 Nov 2012

'Doc fix' cost: $25 billion for one year, CBO says

The Hill reports that delaying a scheduled pay cut for one year to doctors who treat Medicare patients would cost $25 billion.

22 Nov 2012

Health law provisions still unknown to lots of Americans

After surviving a Supreme Court decision and a presidential election, the Obama administration's health-care law faces another challenge: a public largely unaware of major changes that will roll out in the coming months.

22 Nov 2012

AMFm should continue, improvements should be explored

The "grand experiment" of the Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria (AMFm) -- a pilot program that aims to get artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) into rural areas of several African nations -- "seems likely to end, its successes underrated and potential improvements not yet explored," a Nature editorial says.

22 Nov 2012

WHO presents updated health promotion strategy for Africa

The WHO "has unveiled a new set of priority actions to better address preventable health conditions in Africa," presented on Tuesday at the 62nd WHO Regional Committee for Africa session in Luanda, Angola, Devex reports.

22 Nov 2012

Online access to Colorado docs linked to more office visits

The assumption had always been that offering patients email access to their doctors and records would reduce office visits, but a new study from Kaiser Permanente of Colorado showed the opposite.

22 Nov 2012

OB-GYN group calls for over-the-counter birth control pills

In an attempt to reduce unintended pregnancies that cost the nation an estimated $11.1 billion a year, the nation's largest group of obstetricians and gynecologists said Tuesday that oral contraceptives should be available without a prescription.

22 Nov 2012

Study predicts shortage of primary care doctors will worsen

The United States will need about 52,000 new primary-care doctors as the population grows and ages, according to a new study. Research published in the Annals of Family Medicine estimated that most of the doctor shortage will be caused by the rising U.S. population.

22 Nov 2012

Six-step approach can help clinicians identify and effectively manage dementia symptoms

Behavior changes are among the most visible, disruptive and distressing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. From confusion, repetitive questioning and combativeness to wandering, hallucinations and loss of inhibition, the symptoms carry their own risks of injury.

22 Nov 2012

Aetna CEO: Deficit fix rests on slowing health care wasteful spending

Washington lawmakers are still working to avoid the fiscal cliff. That's the expiring of tax cuts at the end of the year and deep spending cuts that could throw the economy into recession.

22 Nov 2012