Health Care News and Research

RSS

New HHS Strategy on Multiple Chronic Conditions

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today issued its new Strategic Framework on Multiple Chronic Conditions - an innovative private-public sector collaboration to coordinate responses to a growing challenge.

15 Dec 2010

Reuters examines investors' interests in bonds that support GAVI Alliance

"It's not only biologists, philanthropists and donor governments who are needed to make vaccine projects in poor countries work. Financial engineers … also have a role," Reuters writes in an article that examines how "a new kind of bond issue" is helping to support the GAVI Alliance.

15 Dec 2010

Smiths Medical launches Medfusion 4000 wireless syringe infusion pump with PharmGuard systems in Canada

Smiths Medical, a leading global medical device manufacturer, announced today it received a license from Health Canada and launched its Medfusion® 4000 syringe infusion pump with the PharmGuard® software suite in Canada. The new customizable system allows health care providers to send and receive medication delivery information more efficiently, helping to prevent medication errors.

15 Dec 2010

Clinton calls for Haiti to resolve election dispute

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday "warned Haiti its foreign aid is being imperiled by political stalemate following disputed elections, spelling more trouble for a nation struggling to recover from a huge earthquake and cholera epidemic," Agence France-Presse reports.

15 Dec 2010

NY Times: Panel set to study safety of electronic patient data

Almost two years ago, President Obama pledged $19 billion in stimulus incentives to help convert the nation's doctors and hospitals to using a paperless system of electronic health records intended to improve the quality of care and reduce costs. But the conversion is still a slow work in progress (Freudenheim, 12/13).

15 Dec 2010

Report examines ways to improve care for Medicare's dual eligibles

News outlets explore different issues related to Medicare, including the impact the physician payment system has on patients' access and the particular challenges posed by people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid.

15 Dec 2010

Texas' problem with prescription drug abuse; Vermont's plans for single payer

University of California regents approved controversial rollbacks in pension and retiree health benefits Monday, including raising the earliest retirement age for future employees to 55, to help plug huge financial gaps in the university's plans (Gordon, 12/14).

15 Dec 2010

Nine months after passage, public remains divided on health overhaul

Nearly nine months after its passage, the health care law still remains controversial, according to two new polls released Monday that show the public is torn in their views of the measure. ... Support for the law is down to 43 percent of respondents in the ABC News/Washington Post poll, which is one percentage point lower than any previous result since the groups began polling on that issue in 2009.

15 Dec 2010

New study finds health law will aid those close to retirement age

News outlets track how the health law is impacting seniors and older working-age adults.

15 Dec 2010

Davita launches online tool for dialysis patients

DaVita Inc., a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and end stage renal disease, today announced the launch of MyDaVita, an online tool intended to help patients connect with one another for friendship, support and educational information.

15 Dec 2010

Medicaid budget challenges continue to plague states, threaten safety net

States across the country continue to face challenges related to their Medicaid budgets and their abilities to provide care to a growing population of poor and disabled people.

15 Dec 2010

Accidental ingestion of Tessalon could be dangerous for young children, FDA warns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning that accidental ingestion of Tessalon (benzonatate) by children younger than 10 years can result in serious side effects or death.

15 Dec 2010

Also in Global Health News: Drought in Middle East; HIV/AIDS, TB in Indonesia; MSF warnings over needs of HIV/AIDS patients; Non-profit at work in Uganda

Inter Press Service examines the effects a "devastating drought this fall" has had on farmers in the Middle East, particularly those living in Syria. Once "[a] large wheat exporter, the drought's impact has now forced the agriculturally self-reliant Syrian government to import the staple to meet local consumption," the news service writes.

15 Dec 2010

OpEds: Assessing Judge Hudson's decision on individual mandate

In March, New Hampshire preschool teacher Gail O'Brien, who was unable to obtain health insurance through her employer, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma. Her subsequent applications for health insurance were rejected because of her condition. With each round of chemotherapy costing $16,000, she delayed treatment because she knew her savings wouldn't last (Eric H. Holder and Kathleen Sebelius, 12/14).

14 Dec 2010

Provectus commences PH-10 Phase 2c trial for psoriasis

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, has initiated a Phase 2c clinical trial of PH-10 for psoriasis. This multicenter, randomized controlled Phase 2c study is expected to enroll up to 90 subjects at four different sites, beginning in late December.

14 Dec 2010

First Edition: December 14, 2010

Today's headlines detail yesterday's ruling by a federal court judge in Virginia that strikes at a key part of the health law.

14 Dec 2010

Study explores meaning of respect in medical student education

Along with integrity and compassion, respect for patients, colleagues and other team members is an essential attribute of medical professionalism. A new study examines how medical students learn respectful or disrespectful professional behavior.

14 Dec 2010

Implementation and strong management support crucial for successful worksite health programs

To meet their goal of lowering health care costs, worksite health promotion programs must be well implemented and have strong management support, reports the December Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

14 Dec 2010

Workplace interactions may educate people about organ donation process

Face-to-face workplace interactions may be the best way to educate and encourage people to consider becoming organ donors, according to new research from Purdue University.

14 Dec 2010

Strength training exercise program for seniors provides sustained cognitive, economic benefits

A one-year follow-up study on seniors who participated in a strength training exercise program shows sustained cognitive benefits as well as savings for the healthcare system. The research, conducted at the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia, is published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

14 Dec 2010