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Trauma: spending more money doesn’t translate to higher survival rates

A large-scale review of national patient records reveals that although survival rates are the same, the cost of treating trauma patients in the western United States is 33 percent higher than the bill for treating similarly injured patients in the Northeast. Overall, treatment costs were lower in the Northeast than anywhere in the United States.

10 Aug 2012

Patient cognition may affect EOL care intensity

Mild cognitive impairment in patients with advanced cancer may affect the intensity of end-of-life treatment and promote decision-making by caregivers, rather than patients, show US study results.

9 Aug 2012

Addressing food insecurity in the DRC

In this post in USAID's "Impact" blog, Jessica Hartl, information officer for the Office of Food for Peace, notes she "recently traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to visit food assistance programs implemented by" the office and asks, "[W]hy in countries so lush and ripe for agriculture were people so food insecure?"

9 Aug 2012

Should 'health exchanges' be renamed?

The Wall Street Journal reports that the phrase confuses consumers in focus groups. Meanwhile, Papa John's CEO and founder John Schnatter, who is a fundraiser for Mitt Romney, told shareholders last week that the health care law is going to raise the company's costs, which he vowed to pass onto consumers.

9 Aug 2012

Recurrences of ovarian cancer can be detected earlier and more accurately with PET/CT

Due to the lack of studies, there is currently no proof that patients with ovarian cancer can benefit from positron emission tomography (PET) alone or in combination with computed tomography (CT). As regards diagnostic accuracy, in certain cases, recurrences can be detected earlier and more accurately with PET or PET/CT than with conventional imaging techniques.

9 Aug 2012

Female voters are hot commodity for presidential candidates

On the campaign trail, President Barack Obama continues his efforts to shore up support among women voters, as GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney vies for working-class voters.

9 Aug 2012

Devex examines negotiations of global food aid within U.S. farm bill

The Devex "Development Newswire" examines how disagreements over how to administer global food aid programs is affecting negotiations over a FY 2013 version of the U.S. farm bill.

9 Aug 2012

Buzz about Romney's vice presidential pick turns to Rep. Paul Ryan

News outlets examine what the House Budget Committee chairman and architect of a plan to curb spending for Medicare and other entitlement programs would bring to the ticket.

9 Aug 2012

HHS says billing rule will cut red tape for doctors, save up to $9B

Officials say the interim rule, published Tuesday, will streamline electronic billing for doctors and save time and money.

9 Aug 2012

South Africa to become first PEPFAR country to 'nationalize' AIDS program

"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a visit to South Africa that Pretoria will begin taking more of the responsibilities for its HIV/AIDS program, part of a broader effort to overhaul the U.S. global plan for AIDS relief launched under former President George W. Bush," Reuters reports.

9 Aug 2012

Syrians in urgent need of life-saving medicines as fighting escalates, WHO warns

"Syrians are in urgent need of life-saving medicines following an escalation in fighting, which also threatens further food shortages, U.N. agencies warned on Tuesday," Agence France-Presse reports.

9 Aug 2012

Survey: In health care marketplace, consumers value friendliness, convenience

The PwC Health Research Institute surveyed 6,000 consumers to find out what they thought of the health care sector compared with other service industries. Meanwhile, Group Health has put in place a strategy to ensure that innovations are put to work.

9 Aug 2012

An Obama administration rule modification causes angst for home health workers

An uneasy sense of deja vu is building among advocates for nearly 2 million workers who help the elderly and disabled live independently in their homes.

9 Aug 2012

New HIV test helps researchers determine incidence, whether prevention strategies work

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a new HIV test, called the Limiting Antigen Avidity Enzyme Immunoassay, that can tell whether a person contracted the virus within the last 141 days, "hugely important information for researchers, who need to know whether fewer people are becoming newly infected with HIV to determine whether a prevention program is working," the Wall Street Journal's "Health Blog" reports.

9 Aug 2012

Private sector becoming more involved in efforts to reach global health development goals

In a post in the Guardian's "Sustainable Business" blog, Lisa Herman, managing director of the global health practice area at consulting firm FSG, and Mike Stamp, a senior consultant with FSG, discuss "a new guide for companies on how to participate in global action on women and children's health" recently launched at the London Family Planning Summit.

9 Aug 2012

Super PACs, AARP and Catholic church among groups trying to influence candidates, campaigns

In an inflammatory new television spot, the pro-Obama "super PAC" Priorities USA Action attempts to link the closing of a Bain Capital-owned steel mill to the death of a wife of one of the former steelworkers, who lost his health insurance when he was laid off. … Meanwhile, CNN reported Tuesday that after Joe Soptic lost his job at the steel mill, his wife continued to have her own health insurance for a few years through her job at a local thrift store.

9 Aug 2012

President's Malaria Initiative contributing to 'major progress' against disease, should be expanded

In this post in The Hill's "Congress Blog," Kent Campbell, director of the Malaria Control Program at PATH, and Jonathon Simon, chair of the Department of International Health and director of the Center for Global Health and Development at the Boston University School of Public Health, write that "major progress has been made in the fight against malaria, thanks in large part to the efforts of the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI)," and call the effort "a shining example of the profound impact the U.S. is making in global health."

9 Aug 2012

CardioDx establishes coverage for Corus CAD gene expression test

CardioDx, Inc., a pioneer in the field of cardiovascular genomic diagnostics, today announced that Palmetto GBA, a national contractor that administers Medicare benefits, has established coverage for the company's Corus CAD gene expression test for the evaluation of patients presenting with typical and atypical symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease.

9 Aug 2012

Provista, Physician Strategy Group at USPI partner to deliver supply chain services

United Surgical Partners International's (USPI) Physician Strategy Group (PSG) and Provista, LLC announced today that they are working together to deliver supply chain services to over 9,000 physician customers who perform procedures at surgical facilities centers operated by USPI. The program, called Purchasing Plus, is expected to help those physicians save 10-15% on supplies, services, and capital equipment.

9 Aug 2012

University of Nevada researcher to optimize new rapid test for melioidosis

A new rapid test to diagnose melioidosis, a difficult infection to treat - and classified as a biothreat by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - is being optimized and tested by University of Nevada School of Medicine researcher David AuCoin.

9 Aug 2012