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Language skills are essential to a child’s ability to communicate and develop. These skills enable children to engage with other people and learn from their surroundings and in the classroom.

AMIA calls out specific challenges to proposed modifications to HIPAA Privacy and Enforcement Rules

In comments sent to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, AMIA (American Medical Informatics Association) called out 10 specific challenges to proposed modifications to HIPAA Privacy and Enforcement Rules. AMIA's comments, sent on behalf of its membership of 4,000 informatics professionals, detail key issues of concern related to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on HIPAA modifications, along with suggestions for models of change.

29 Sep 2010

Brain cells outside damaged area in stroke patients take on new roles

The world's largest study using neuroimaging of stroke patients struggling to regain ability to communicate finds that brain cells outside the damaged area can take on new roles.

29 Sep 2010

News outlets examine what you should know about new health law provisions

USA Today, on how the new health law has started helping consumers: "Provisions of the health care reform law that took effect Sept. 23 prohibit some of the industry's most controversial practices." Insurers must now cover children with pre-existing conditions and cover preventive care for everyone.

29 Sep 2010

Study establishes link between swearing and pain tolerance

While swearing is often a common response to pain, Richard Stephens and his colleagues, John Atkins and Andrew Kingston, were surprised to discover that no links had been established between swearing and the actual experience of physical pain.

28 Sep 2010

Study finds acupuncture is not effective in stroke recovery

Acupuncture does not appear to aid in stroke recovery, according to a new study published in CMAJ. This study, perhaps the most comprehensive to date as it includes trials published in English language and Asian journals, was a systematic review conducted by researchers in South Korea and the United Kingdom.

28 Sep 2010

JAMA issue unveils genetic signature of brain cancer

A pair of studies in the July 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) spell out how much closer science has come to unraveling the genetic signature of brain cancer, according to a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

27 Sep 2010

Democrats tout health reform achievements, GOP lashes back

The Hill reports that as Republicans call for repeal of the law, the Obama administration is quick to push back. Writing Thursday on the White House blog, Stephanie Cutter, the president's communications guru, noted that repealing the reforms would eliminate all the patient protections that just took effect.

27 Sep 2010

Sixth sense a reality: Research

A five year study monitoring brain activity during therapy sessions uncovered the mystery of “sixth sense” and how two people interact on a physiological level. The study from Sydney revealed how parts of their nervous systems can be aligned despite having no physical contact with each other.

27 Sep 2010

Research Roundup: Medical homes; Drug samples and prescribing; The health law and disparities; Women's health; CBO projections

Institute of Medicine: Women's Health Research: Progress, Pitfalls, and Promise -"Substantial progress has been made since the expansion of investment in women's health research. Research findings have changed the practice of medicine and public-health recommendations in several prominent contexts, including changes in standards of care for women. There have also been decreases in mortality in women from breast cancer, heart disease, and cervical cancer. In other contexts, however, there has been less progress..."

24 Sep 2010

Pregnancy clinics in schools

According to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), pregnant women under 20 often felt excluded from antenatal care in hospitals. Teachers have thus welcomed the proposal to set up antenatal clinics in schools to care for pregnant teenagers. The services would provide advice on nutrition, staying healthy while pregnant, carry out routine tests and monitor the pregnancy while in the latter stages classes may be provided to prepare the woman for the birth.

23 Sep 2010

Career choice may influence where dementia takes root in the brain: Study

In an international study of patients with a devastating type of dementia that often strikes in middle age, researchers have found intriguing evidence that career choice may influence where the disease takes root in the brain.

23 Sep 2010

New Canadian book helps demystify the health care system

If your usual cure for what ails you is to "take two pills and call in the morning" you might be in need of some better medical advice. Take as Directed is a new book from Dalhousie University pharmacy professor Neil MacKinnon and Dal Medical School alumni Rhonda Church. Aimed at helping Canadians from all walks of life navigate the health care system, Take as Directed is essential reading for anybody who is concerned about their health and well being.

23 Sep 2010

Gait disruption increases risk of falls in Parkinson's patients: Study

We've all heard the saying about people who can't walk and chew gum at the same time, but it turns out that walking and talking is difficult enough, especially for people with Parkinson's disease who are at increased risk for falls with injury.

23 Sep 2010

Research offers new strategy to increase learning with less effort

Scientists long have recognized that many perceptual skills important for language comprehension and reading can be enhanced through practice. Now research from Northwestern University suggests a new way of training that could reduce by at least half the effort previously thought necessary to make learning gains.

23 Sep 2010

Data shows preoperative Web-based interactive programs reduce hospital stays

Patients who participate in Web-based interactive programs prior to surgery have a significantly shorter length of stay than those who do not, according to new data. Preoperative education reinforces messages about care instructions and safety, and reduces the level of stress patients experience after their procedure - leading to improved efficiency and care.

23 Sep 2010

MHPA statement highlights common ground between Medicaid health plans, PCMH model

Today, Medicaid Health Plans of America released a policy statement and white paper highlighting the common ground between Medicaid health plans and the patient-centered medical home model. According to MHPA, the capabilities of Medicaid plans are closely aligned with the principles of PCMHs and therefore plans should be included in states' PCMH implementation strategies. MHPA's Policy Statement notes that collaboration between states, medical home providers and health plans is essential for coordinating complex inpatient and outpatient needs of Medicaid beneficiaries.

22 Sep 2010

ACP releases updated resource guide on health care reform

An updated practical resource guide for internists on the health care reform law adopted last March 23, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), was released today by the American College of Physicians (ACP).

22 Sep 2010

Researchers explain how nerve cells transmit electrical signals

Billions of brain cells are communicating at any given moment. Like an organic supercomputer they keep everything going, from breathing to solving riddles, and "programming errors" can lead to serious conditions such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

22 Sep 2010

Secretary-General opens U.N. summit on MDGS with appeal for world leaders to maintain target commitments

On the first of the three-day U.N. Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday appealed "to the assembled presidents, prime ministers and kings to use their power to meet U.N. goals to help the world's poorest by 2015," the Associated Press reports.

22 Sep 2010

Over 10% of children falsely identified as having noise induced hearing loss

New research from University of Minnesota hearing scientists shows that fewer than 20 percent of teenagers in the United States have a hearing loss as a result of exposure to loud sounds, thus offering a different analysis of data reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in August.

21 Sep 2010