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New rating system to focus on patient data provided by electronic health records

HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is developing a rating system for the growing amount of health information directed at patients. The agency's Health Information Rating System, discussed in a Federal Register posting, will focus especially on patient data provided by electronic health records.

10 Oct 2012

Pew poll: Obama's lead over Romney on health care issues narrowed, post-debate

Overall, the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press poll found that GOP presidential pick Mitt Romney wiped out President Barack Obama's advantage and took the lead by four percentage points.

10 Oct 2012

Number, proportion of world's hungry drop but remain too high, U.N. report says

The U.N. "revised down the number of the world's hungry on Tuesday to just under 870 million but slammed the figure as 'unacceptable' and warned that the fight against hunger was slowing down," Agence France-Presse reports.

10 Oct 2012

Report: Health law will benefit many employers, but mid-size firms would see costs rise

According to an Urban Institute study, the health-coverage costs carried by small businesses will likely fall if the 2010 health law is completely implemented, but companies with 101 - 1,000 employees could experience a jump in their costs.

10 Oct 2012

UNICEF, Syrian government agree to expand humanitarian operations to conflict areas

UNICEF and the Syrian government have agreed to expand humanitarian efforts in the country, where tens of thousands of people have been killed and up to one million people displaced since the beginning of an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad 18 months ago, Reuters reports.

10 Oct 2012

EHRs enhance quality of patient care in community-based settings

A new study by Weill Cornell Medical College researchers, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, provides compelling evidence that electronic health records (EHRs) enhance the quality of patient care in a community-based setting with multiple payers, which is representative of how medicine is generally practiced across the United States.

10 Oct 2012

U.N. rapporteurs call for creation of global fund as social safety net for vulnerable populations

Two U.N. experts have called for the creation of a "global fund to promote the creation of social safety nets for the most vulnerable people in poor countries," the Guardian reports.

10 Oct 2012

Researchers discover mechanism by which magnesium reduces cytokine production

Magnesium sulfate is given to many pregnant women to treat preterm labor and preeclampsia and was recently shown to prevent cerebral palsy; however little is known about how it works. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine recently discovered the mechanism by which magnesium reduces the production of cytokines.

10 Oct 2012

Salivary-biomarker approach can identify individuals at future risk of PTSD, depression

Each year, more than a million Americans are at-risk of developing serious mental health problems after experiencing a terrifying event or serious physical injury. Once manifested, these psychiatric illnesses, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, can be extremely crippling and difficult to treat and are a leading cause of disability in civilian, military and minority populations.

10 Oct 2012

Somali militant group bans U.K. aid organization; Oxfam warns malnutrition in Somalia at 'alarming' level

"Militant Islamist rebels in Somalia on Monday announced a ban against another aid group working in a region of Somalia hit hard by hunger," the Associated Press reports.

10 Oct 2012

Mayo Medical Laboratories launches mobile test catalog and reference apps

Mayo Medical Laboratories is introducing two comprehensive mobile applications for iPhones and iPads, allowing physicians and pathologists unparalleled access to clinical laboratory expertise from Mayo Clinic.

10 Oct 2012

Viewpoints: David Brooks' praise for Ryan plan; Medicaid overlooked in presidential debate; Romney proposal effective for pre-existing conditions

In Thursday night's debate, Vice President Joe Biden will almost certainly go after Representative Paul Ryan's Medicare plan. And why shouldn't he? It's unpopular. But I'd like to make a case for that plan. It's the best thing the Romney-Ryan campaign has going for it.

10 Oct 2012

American Gastroenterological Association launches new electronic offerings

In order to best meet the needs of members, the American Gastroenterological Association has launched new electronic offerings to make it easier for busy health-care professionals to stay abreast of the latest research and news in gastroenterology while on the go.

10 Oct 2012

Roundup: Labor activist's work for Blue Shield raises conflict concerns; R.I. to mandate flu shots for health workers; Minn. safety net hospitals brace for cuts

At a time when public-sector unions across the country are fighting to hold on to generous retirement and health benefits, one of the loudest voices standing up for their rights is Dave Low. A longtime labor activist, Low carries considerable clout as executive director of the California School Employees Assn., a 215,000-member union that represents bus drivers, custodians and other school workers.

10 Oct 2012

First Edition: October 9, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about how a new poll indicates GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney gained a significant bounce from last week's debate performance.

9 Oct 2012

Bismarck-based St. Alexius joins Mayo Clinic Care Network

Mayo Clinic and St. Alexius Medical Center today announced that the Bismarck-based organization is the newest member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. St. Alexius is the first medical center in western North Dakota to have passed Mayo's rigorous review process and been selected as a member of the year-old network.

9 Oct 2012

Health Care News and Research

New rating system to focus on patient data provided by electronic health records

Pew poll: Obama's lead over Romney on health care issues narrowed, post-debate

Number, proportion of world's hungry drop but remain too high, U.N. report says

Report: Health law will benefit many employers, but mid-size firms would see costs rise

UNICEF, Syrian government agree to expand humanitarian operations to conflict areas

EHRs enhance quality of patient care in community-based settings

U.N. rapporteurs call for creation of global fund as social safety net for vulnerable populations

Researchers discover mechanism by which magnesium reduces cytokine production

Salivary-biomarker approach can identify individuals at future risk of PTSD, depression

Somali militant group bans U.K. aid organization; Oxfam warns malnutrition in Somalia at 'alarming' level

Mayo Medical Laboratories launches mobile test catalog and reference apps

Viewpoints: David Brooks' praise for Ryan plan; Medicaid overlooked in presidential debate; Romney proposal effective for pre-existing conditions

American Gastroenterological Association launches new electronic offerings

Roundup: Labor activist's work for Blue Shield raises conflict concerns; R.I. to mandate flu shots for health workers; Minn. safety net hospitals brace for cuts

First Edition: October 9, 2012

Bismarck-based St. Alexius joins Mayo Clinic Care Network

Male military veterans in poorer health even with access to health care

Progress, obstacles and lawsuits affecting health law implementation

Feisty campaign ads, debates in congressional races take on health policy themes

Roundup: Texas doctors turn to politics; Reviewing Calif. legislative action on health

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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