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First Edition: October 12, 2010

Today's early morning highlights from major news organizations look at a probe of a California hospital chain, the effect that the governors' races around the country will have on the federal health law and a review of prescription purchases that shows more Americans are foregoing their medicines.

12 Oct 2010

VNSNY adopts advanced information technology to improve patient care

Unlike most home healthcare agencies, which have restricted the use of computer programs to such non-patient-care items as billing, the Visiting Nurse Service of New York has adopted advanced information technology in order to improve patient care. One of the results, documented in a new publication, is a significant 10% reduction in patient episodes ending in hospitalization, from 37% to 27% over the years 2001-2009.

12 Oct 2010

Parents rate research on safety of vaccines and medications given to children as most important

Each year, hundreds of millions of public and private dollars are spent on medical research to improve the health of children – yet parents have little input regarding how those dollars should be spent.

12 Oct 2010

Minnesota Foundation announces collaborative effort to improve health of underserved populations

In a report released this week, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation highlights the accomplishments of a collaborative effort to improve the health of underserved populations through the training and use of community health workers, titled Community health workers in Minnesota: Bridging barriers, expanding access, improving health.

12 Oct 2010

Integrated Research Network to analyze payor health policy for chronic pain medications

HealthCore's Integrated Research Network is enrolling family physicians, general practitioners, internists, neurologists, rheumatologists, endocrinologists, and pain management specialists in a first-of-its-kind study to analyze payor health policy for chronic pain medications.

12 Oct 2010

Core administrative expenses of Medicaid plans decline

Core administrative expenses of Medicaid plans fell by 5.2% per member per month (PMPM) in 2009 versus a decline of 1.4% in 2008. After eliminating the effects of changes in product mix, PMPM costs declined by 5.8% in 2009 versus 2.7% in 2008.

12 Oct 2010

Twenty-two physical symptoms prevalent in all types of cancers

Twenty-two physical symptoms associated with cancer - symptoms often unrecognized and undertreated - are prevalent in all types of cancers regardless of whether the patient is newly diagnosed, undergoing treatment or is a cancer survivor, according to researchers from the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University schools of medicine and nursing.

12 Oct 2010

Woman’s socioeconomic status impacts clinicians' decisions for contraception: Study

A woman's race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status impact whether health care providers recommend one of the most highly effective forms of contraception, a UCSF study confirms. The results also indicate that the interaction of both factors plays a role in clinicians' decisions.

12 Oct 2010

AACR announces recipients of Outstanding Investigator Award for Breast Cancer Research

The 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium will honor two leading breast cancer researchers during its meeting, which will be held Dec. 8-12 in the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas. Klaus Pantel, M.D., Ph.D., is the recipient of the 2010 AACR Outstanding Investigator Award for Breast Cancer Research, funded by Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

12 Oct 2010

STOA Panel schedules hearing on EU's health-related research infrastructures

On the 26 October 2010 the European Parliament's STOA (Science and Technology Options Assessment) Panel will hold a hearing entitled "Health-Related Research Infrastructures and their Contribution to the EU's Grand Challenges".

12 Oct 2010

$Photographic exhibition reveals devastating impact of spinal osteoporotic fractures$

Photographic exhibition reveals devastating impact of spinal osteoporotic fractures

At a press conference held in Brussels today, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), the Belgian Bone Club and the European Parliament Osteoporosis Interest Group called on health care professionals and health policy officials in Europe to take action to prevent spinal fractures. The call to action was made at the launch of a unique photographic essay, 'snap! the breaking spine', leading up to World Osteoporosis Day on October 20, 2010.

12 Oct 2010

Abbott agrees to voluntarily withdraw obesity drug Meridia from U.S. market

Abbott Laboratories has agreed to voluntarily withdraw its obesity drug Meridia (sibutramine) from the U.S. market because of clinical trial data indicating an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today.

12 Oct 2010

World Bank, IMF discuss development funds at annual meeting

The World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) fund requires new resources from Western governments to adequately fight global poverty, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Saturday during the annual meetings of the bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C., the Guardian reports.

12 Oct 2010

New data-driven strategy helps to reduce healthcare costs

As rising health care costs continue to outpace inflation, some companies are trying a new data-driven strategy, reports the October Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

12 Oct 2010

Challenges in provision of high-quality health care at end of life

Health care in the last six months of life has become progressively more expensive for patients with heart failure both among Medicare beneficiaries in the United States and older adults in Canada, with a high rate of hospitalizations in the final six months of life in both countries, according to two reports posted online today that will be published in the February 14 print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Oct 2010

WHO Western Pacific meeting to address maternal health, rise in dengue

Maternal health and dengue fever are among the issues that will be discussed at the 61st session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, Bernama reports.

12 Oct 2010

Most men with prostate cancer not referred to hospice care early enough

More than half of men dying of prostate cancer use hospice care - a significant increase over the last two decades - but most wait too long to enroll so they can't take full advantage of the palliative care that could make their deaths easier, a study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found.

12 Oct 2010

Soldier suicides still high depite Army's prevention program

The New York Times reports that "nearly 20 months after the Army began strengthening its suicide prevention program and working to remove the stigma attached to seeking psychological counseling, the suicide rate among active service members remains high and shows little sign of improvement.

12 Oct 2010

Committee on World Food Security meeting begins in Rome

A high-level meeting of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Committee on World Food Security aimed at addressing food insecurity, price rises and the purchase of large amounts of agricultural land in developing countries started in Rome on Monday, Agence France-Presse/Capital FM reports.

12 Oct 2010

Physical and psychological factors contribute to somatic symptoms: Report

Patients with cancer who experience pain or depression also have a high rate of physical symptoms, such as fatigue, dry mouth and nausea, according to a report in the October 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Oct 2010