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U.S. falling behind in global effort to guarantee health coverage

Even as Americans debate whether to scrap President Obama's healthcare law and its promise of guaranteed health coverage, many far less affluent nations are moving in the opposite direction - to provide medical insurance to all citizens.

15 May 2012

Third of world carrying TB; Disease could become incurable without action, WHO warns

"A third of the world's population is carrying tuberculosis [TB], and the disease could become incurable if governments fail to act, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned," noting that a "lack of funding for public health programs, the sale of inaccurate blood tests and the misuse of drugs, particularly in the private health sector, are hampering the fight against the disease and leading to drug resistance," the Independent reports.

15 May 2012

State roundup: Health jobs brightening local economies but workers paying more for care

About 1 in 5 private-sector employees works in health services, which has replaced manufacturing as the region's powerhouse. It's a transformation happening across the U.S., but many worry about long-term side effects.

15 May 2012

Water could change the way we eat: Study

Water could change the way we eat. That's the conclusion of new research by T. Bettina Cornwell of the University of Oregon and Anna R. McAlister of Michigan State University. Their findings appear online this week ahead of regular publication by the journal Appetite.

15 May 2012

Using storytelling to combat Alzheimer's; Health coverage changes prompt aging, disabled care concerns

NPR examines a new way to combat Alzheimer's -- with storytelling. In the meantime, health care changes to programs and budgets have some worried about how they will affect the aging and those with disabilities.

15 May 2012

U.N., international community should pledge to improve water, sanitation in Haiti to mitigate cholera epidemic

"The cholera epidemic in Haiti, which began in late 2010, is bad and getting worse, for reasons that are well understood and that the aid community has done far too little to resolve," a New York Times editorial states, adding that the "Pan American Health Organization has said the disease could strike 200,000 to 250,000 people this year" and "has already killed more than 7,000."

15 May 2012

Viewpoints: Approving drugs quickly; Berwick: In health care, cheaper can mean better; Health costs 'persistent' concern

For about 20 years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has charged pharmaceutical companies "user fees" for reviewing drug-approval applications. The revenue allows the FDA to hire more evaluators, which allows useful drugs to reach patients faster. Now the Prescription Drug User Fee Act needs reauthorization, as it does every five years. Legislators should not dillydally.

15 May 2012

Iowa proposal to block Planned Parenthood funding dies; Ariz. Gov. signs bill allowing employers to opt out of covering contraception

Iowa lawmakers are the latest to consider defunding Planned Parenthood over the organization's performance of abortions, though the proposal died on the last day of the legislative session. Elsewhere, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signs a bill allowing employers to opt out of covering contraception in their insurance plans.

15 May 2012

Women more likely to have different set of sports injuries than men

With the predominance of male athletes featured on television and covered in the media year-round, most Americans are familiar with some of the most common injuries sustained by men in various sports. As the 2012 Summer Games approaches, female athletes will have additional opportunities to be featured, but are their potential injury risks the same as their male counterparts?

15 May 2012

Five new capabilities added to Aetna Rx Check Program

Aetna today announced that it is adding five new capabilities to Aetna Rx Check, a collection of programs designed to promote safety and prevent the misuse of various prescription drugs such as pain medications and antibiotics.

15 May 2012

OIC introduces Pedicle Screw System

The Orthopaedic Implant Company (OIC) has announced the launch of its Pedicle Screw System. The new product line is used for stabilization and fixation during posterior spinal fusion procedures.

15 May 2012

As MDGs set to expire in 2015, U.N. panel to advise on approaches to development; African Progress Panel calls for 'big push' on continent

"The presidents of Indonesia and Liberia -- Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf -- and the prime minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, are to co-chair a U.N. panel to advise on approaches to development after the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expire in 2015," SciDev.Net reports.

14 May 2012

Online information offers insights into hospitals' track records

Using data from government agencies and private watchdogs, several websites provide consumer information on hospitals.

14 May 2012

HIV prevention treatment must include medical, behavorial approaches: APA

A drug that has been shown to prevent HIV infection in a significant number of cases must be combined with behavioral approaches if the U.S. health care establishment is to succeed in reducing the spread of the virus, according to the American Psychological Association.

14 May 2012

Congress wrestles with medical research funding, FDA approval processes

Medical research advocates warn Congress about the dire impact that automatic spending cuts scheduled to take effect in January would have on efforts to control disease and develop life-saving treatments. Also in the news, how the concept of "fast-track" Food and Drug Administration approvals is playing on Capitol Hill.

14 May 2012

National program in Botswana focuses on increasing male circumcision rate

Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe all have launched national campaigns urging men to undergo circumcision to help reduce their risk of contracting or transmitting HIV infection, but "all the countries are lagging far behind their targets," Agence France-Presse reports in an article focusing on efforts in Botswana.

14 May 2012

GOP's Medicare plan has some candidates playing defense

The budget plan advanced by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has become a hot topic in many congressional races. One example is the Illinois race between Rep. Joe Walsh, a Republican, and Democratic challenger and Iraqi war veteran Tammy Duckworth.

14 May 2012

USAID reports to congress on global health, child survival

"In the last 20 years, the world has saved more than 50 million children's lives and reduced maternal mortality by one-third," "accomplishments [that] have been the result of good science, good management, bipartisan political support, the engagement of USAID and many other U.S. Government agencies, and the participation of faith-based organizations, civil society, and the private sector," according to a summary of USAID's "Global Health and Child Survival: Progress Report to Congress 2010-2011."

14 May 2012

Examining health sector funding agreement between Liberia, USAID

"[A] new and complementary agreement between Liberia and USAID, called the Fixed Amount Reimbursement Agreement (FARA)," is "quite revolutionary," Amanda Glassman, director of global health policy and a research fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD), and Jacob Hughes, write in CGD's "Global Health Policy" blog.

14 May 2012

Doctors turn to blood pressure tests in kids, BMI tests in adults to fight obesity

Doctors and insurers are considering how best to combat obesity in America including screening kids early via blood pressure checks and using body mass index tests in adults to monitor weight and potential problems.

14 May 2012

Health Care News and Research

U.S. falling behind in global effort to guarantee health coverage

Third of world carrying TB; Disease could become incurable without action, WHO warns

State roundup: Health jobs brightening local economies but workers paying more for care

Water could change the way we eat: Study

Using storytelling to combat Alzheimer's; Health coverage changes prompt aging, disabled care concerns

U.N., international community should pledge to improve water, sanitation in Haiti to mitigate cholera epidemic

Viewpoints: Approving drugs quickly; Berwick: In health care, cheaper can mean better; Health costs 'persistent' concern

Iowa proposal to block Planned Parenthood funding dies; Ariz. Gov. signs bill allowing employers to opt out of covering contraception

Women more likely to have different set of sports injuries than men

Five new capabilities added to Aetna Rx Check Program

OIC introduces Pedicle Screw System

As MDGs set to expire in 2015, U.N. panel to advise on approaches to development; African Progress Panel calls for 'big push' on continent

Online information offers insights into hospitals' track records

HIV prevention treatment must include medical, behavorial approaches: APA

Congress wrestles with medical research funding, FDA approval processes

National program in Botswana focuses on increasing male circumcision rate

GOP's Medicare plan has some candidates playing defense

USAID reports to congress on global health, child survival

Examining health sector funding agreement between Liberia, USAID

Doctors turn to blood pressure tests in kids, BMI tests in adults to fight obesity

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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