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What's next for Texas' women's health plan, other states consider abortion and contraception legislation

News outlets are considering the next moves for Texas' Women's Health Program after the federal government said it won't renew its funding for the program over the state's plan to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood. In the meantime, state legislatures in Colorado, Mississippi, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania consider contraception and abortion legislation.

15 Mar 2012

CBO: Deficit estimate for 2012 increased to $1.2 trillion; Baby boomers' health costs continue as long-term concern

The Congressional Budget Office issued a new round of estimates that also included revisions of the health law's costs and coverage expansion.

15 Mar 2012

New UCLA Alzheimer's and Dementia Care program for patients, caregivers

Alzheimer's disease affects an estimated 5.4 million people in the U.S., some 480,000 of them in California. Nearly half of all people 85 and older will be stricken with the disease. The overall burden of dementia is still higher, with Alzheimer's accounting for only 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases.

15 Mar 2012

Mobile phones could play a valuable role in helping HIV patients to take medication every day

Mobile phones could play a valuable role in helping HIV patients to take their medication every day, according to a new Cochrane Systematic Review. The researchers found that patients were less likely to miss doses if they were sent weekly mobile phone text message reminders.

15 Mar 2012

New position paper outlines national approach to antimicrobial stewardship

As the supply of life-saving antibiotics becomes increasingly threatened, infectious diseases experts urge healthcare systems and policymakers to step up efforts to protect patients by preserving the effectiveness of available antibiotics through antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.

15 Mar 2012

NCH to expand outpatient methadone education program

Carl Backes, Jr., MD, a neonatologist and current cardiology fellow at Nationwide Children's Hospital, has been awarded $35,000 from the March of Dimes Ohio Chapter for his project to expand an outpatient methadone education program.

15 Mar 2012

Largest-ever study of community-wide TB drug prevention did not improve TB control in South African mines

"After seven years of research, the world's largest study of preventative tuberculosis (TB) therapy has found that untargeted, community-wide distribution of TB prevention drugs did not improve TB control in South African gold mines," PlusNews reports.

15 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: Health law savings questioned; Ryan-Wyden plan for all; Penalizing hospitals may not save money

As we approach the second anniversary of ObamaCare, it's worth re-examining some of the claims its proponents made about the impact of the law on health-care costs. Three of the law's most-touted cost-control measures have already been shown to be unlikely to succeed.

15 Mar 2012

Special conference to explore moral basis of National Health Service

Health professionals, patients and philosophers will come together at a special conference next month to explore the moral basis of the National Health Service.

15 Mar 2012

State roundup: Caregivers face 'burnout' threat as need grows, Kansas nursing home staff inadequate?

Long term care advocates say they're concerned about caregiver burnout. And they say Wisconsin may be overestimating projected savings from uncompensated care that relatives provide. State health officials need to find nearly $80 million in savings from a popular program that keeps the elderly and disabled out of nursing homes. The administration wants to know what assistance friends and family are giving so that care isn't replaced by Medicaid services.

15 Mar 2012

Joint U.N. statement on closure of drug detention camps is 'unequivocal'

Daniel Wolfe, director of the International Harm Reduction Development Program, part of the Open Society Public Health Program, writes in the Open Society Foundations' blog about "a recent joint U.N. statement calling for the immediate closure of the hundreds of centers in which drug users are detained in the name of treatment," saying the statement "came not a moment too soon."

14 Mar 2012

Heavy alcohol use associated with longer postoperative hospital stays

According to the results of a new study published in the March 2012 issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, patients who score highest on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) experience longer postoperative hospital stays and more days in the intensive care unit (ICU); they are also more likely to return to the operating room (OR) within 30 days of a surgical procedure than patients with low AUDIT-C scores.

14 Mar 2012

IPAB opponents eye curbs on medical malpractice lawsuits as means to pay for repeal

This idea has drawn support for some GOP lawmakers seeking to get rid of the Independent Payment Advisory Board, but trial lawyers are already lining up against it. Meanwhile, a new Congressional Budget Office estimate indicates that because Medicare spending is slowing, the board may never actually have to spring into action.

14 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: Sandra fluke on slurs; Shifting the cost of uncompensated care

(D)espite the misinformation being spread, the regulation under discussion has absolutely nothing to do with government funding: It is all about the insurance policies provided by private employers and universities that are financed by individual workers, students and their families -- not taxpayers.

14 Mar 2012

Various State Legislatures consider insurance exchanges, HMO audits, mental health care

A selection of health policy news from Iowa, Oregon, California, Oregon, Maryland, Connecticut, Kansas and Texas.

14 Mar 2012

Higher spending on effective procedures and services leads to better patient outcomes

Among hospitals in Ontario, Canada, those with higher levels of spending, which included higher intensity nursing and greater use of specialists and procedures, had an associated lower rate of deaths, hospital readmissions, and better quality of care for severely ill hospitalized patients, according to a study in the March 14 issue of JAMA.

14 Mar 2012

Democrats launch efforts to educate voters about health law's benefits

The Democratic National Committee will do targeted mailings to improve the law's image. In addition, the Obama campaign posted an interactive website to spell out the measure's benefits.

14 Mar 2012

USAID's Shah provides 'critical leadership' in global health

Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) Communications Officer Kim Lufkin discusses USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah's second annual letter in this GHTC "Breakthroughs" blog post, writing, "Shah rightly emphasizes the role of science, technology, and innovation in meeting USAID's international health goals."

14 Mar 2012

Obama administration releases rules for health exchanges, emphasizes flexibility for states

The regulations outline minimum standards that states must meet to set up and run these health insurance marketplaces by a Jan. 1, 2014, deadline.

14 Mar 2012

Hospital Charitable Service Awards names Jefferson ARCHES Project as Program of Excellence

The ARCHES Project, a program of Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, was one of 10 programs from across the country named a Program of Excellence by the Hospital Charitable Service Awards, a national program sponsored by Jackson Healthcare.

14 Mar 2012

Health Care News and Research

What's next for Texas' women's health plan, other states consider abortion and contraception legislation

CBO: Deficit estimate for 2012 increased to $1.2 trillion; Baby boomers' health costs continue as long-term concern

New UCLA Alzheimer's and Dementia Care program for patients, caregivers

Mobile phones could play a valuable role in helping HIV patients to take medication every day

New position paper outlines national approach to antimicrobial stewardship

NCH to expand outpatient methadone education program

Largest-ever study of community-wide TB drug prevention did not improve TB control in South African mines

Viewpoints: Health law savings questioned; Ryan-Wyden plan for all; Penalizing hospitals may not save money

Special conference to explore moral basis of National Health Service

State roundup: Caregivers face 'burnout' threat as need grows, Kansas nursing home staff inadequate?

Joint U.N. statement on closure of drug detention camps is 'unequivocal'

Heavy alcohol use associated with longer postoperative hospital stays

IPAB opponents eye curbs on medical malpractice lawsuits as means to pay for repeal

Viewpoints: Sandra fluke on slurs; Shifting the cost of uncompensated care

Various State Legislatures consider insurance exchanges, HMO audits, mental health care

Higher spending on effective procedures and services leads to better patient outcomes

Democrats launch efforts to educate voters about health law's benefits

USAID's Shah provides 'critical leadership' in global health

Obama administration releases rules for health exchanges, emphasizes flexibility for states

Hospital Charitable Service Awards names Jefferson ARCHES Project as Program of Excellence

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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