Health Care News and Research

RSS

South East Asian health ministers adopt declaration to improve disaster preparedness, address childhood diarrhea

Health ministers from 11 member states in the WHO's South East Asian region on Tuesday at the 62nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for South East Asia adopted the Kathmandu Declaration on Protecting Health Facilities from Disasters, which commits them to make health facilities better prepared for health emergencies, Republica reports.

10 Sep 2009

Health care reform must contain a strong public option: Amalgamated Transit Union

"With Congress set to return from a month-long August recess this week, negotiations will begin once again on comprehensive health care reform legislation. Sadly, after having been bombarded by crowds of extremists at town hall meetings, many of our elected representatives, including some whom we helped to elect, are beginning to back away from one of the most crucial elements of health care reform - the public option.

10 Sep 2009

Consumer Watchdog urges President Obama not to sacrifice malpractice victims

President Obama should not make innocent Americans injured by cost-cutting hospitals and negligent doctors a political sacrifice in his quest for health care reform, said Consumer Watchdog in advance of the President's health care speech tonight.

10 Sep 2009

Free, online self-assessment quiz helps assess health and lifestyle risks for PAD

As recent medical studies continue to highlight the seriousness of peripheral arterial disease (or PAD) and its association with heart attack, stroke and early mortality, the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation recommends that older Americans, smokers and diabetics take its free, online self-assessment quiz.

10 Sep 2009

Society of Interventional Radiology's resources emphasize on PAD

The Society of Interventional Radiology offers numerous resources just in time for September's national peripheral arterial disease (or PAD) awareness month. As recent medical studies continue to highlight the seriousness of PAD, these resources are welcome additions to libraries for interventional radiologists and primary care physicians who want to learn more about minimally invasive treatments for this disease that affects an estimated 10 million people in the United States.

10 Sep 2009

In congressional speech, Obama reaches for game-changer

"Reaching for a game-changer, President Barack Obama is beset by conflicting goals in a prime-time address Wednesday expected to detail just how he wants to expand health care coverage and lower medical costs while signaling to a deeply divided Congress that he's ready to deal. And show the public he's in control," The Associated Press reports.

10 Sep 2009

Health care reform should ensure coverage is more affordable: America's Health Insurance Plans

"We agree the status quo is not sustainable. That is why health plans last year did something industries rarely do: stepped up and offered solutions to address the health care concerns raised by the American people.

10 Sep 2009

Preventive-care TB therapy is cost-effective for patients

University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers have found that the cost of preventive antibiotic tuberculosis (TB) therapy for patients infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is generally less expensive than the reported cost of treating newly confirmed TB cases.

10 Sep 2009

Hospital executives weigh benefits, risks of health reform

Hospital executives are balancing their hopes that expanded coverage will provide a windfall for facilities now burdened by uncompensated care with their fears that government intervention, such as the possible creation of a public insurance option, could cut into their revenues, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

10 Sep 2009

Elsevier announces new publishing partnership with CCHSE

Elsevier, world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, is pleased to announce a new publishing partnership with the Canadian College of Health Service Executives (CCHSE). The College's official journal, Healthcare Management Forum (HMF), will be published by Elsevier beginning in 2010.

10 Sep 2009

Federal judge finds New York State discriminated against mentally ill

The New York Times reports: "New York State discriminated against thousands of mentally ill people in New York City by leaving them in privately run adult homes, which effectively replaced state-run psychiatric hospitals more than a generation ago but turned out to be little more than institutions themselves, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday."

10 Sep 2009

Newspapers examine drought, famine in East Africa

According to Canada's National Post, a humanitarian coalition "warns East Africa faces 'a perfect storm of crop failures, a multi-year lack of rain, conflicts and political turmoil,' which now threatens 20 million people with severe hunger." Fighting in Somalia has driven 1.55 million people to internal camps outside the capital of Mogadishu as well as refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya, where the unsanitary conditions of one camp led Oxfam to label it "barely fit for humans."

10 Sep 2009

Democratic leaders say reform bill is progressing

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are calling for Democratic unity on health care overhaul after a meeting with President Obama yesterday that they say "re-energized" them.

10 Sep 2009

Baucus: Committee will move ahead with bill regardless of Republican support

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., "said Wednesday that he will push ahead with a comprehensive health care reform bill with — or without — Republican support and start a committee markup the week of Sept. 21," Politico reports.

10 Sep 2009

Christian right largely opposes health care reform

Conservative Christian groups are rallying to oppose health care reform and raising their concerns about abortion in reform.

10 Sep 2009

Center for Health Studies is renamed as SEATTLE-Group Health Research Institute

SEATTLE-Group Health Research Institute is the new name of Group Health Center for Health Studies. Since 1983, it has been doing research to improve health and health care for all. The Institute is the research arm of Group Health Cooperative, and it is changing its name to reflect this relationship more clearly.

10 Sep 2009

All Americans should have access to affordable and high quality health care: President of BIO

“BIO shares President Obama's goal of ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable, sustainable, high quality health care. Biotechnology plays an essential role in achieving this goal. Biotechnology expands the boundaries of science by discovering, developing, and delivering innovative and needed medical products to patients.

10 Sep 2009

WHO country representative calls for Kenyan leaders to hasten implementation of health policies

In light of the upcoming 7th Global Conference on Health Promotion to be held next month in Nairobi, Kenya, WHO country representative David Okello on Wednesday called upon government leaders to work faster to implement the policies needed to reduce the country's health burden, the Daily Nation reports.

10 Sep 2009

Contradictions between personal and systemic health issues could thwart reform

Health care reform efforts must confront a paradox, the Los Angeles Times reports: "Millions of Americans say the system they depend on for everything from routine flu shots to life-saving heart surgery is broken and needs fixing.

9 Sep 2009

Mentally ill smokers also benefit from treatment, says research paper

People with mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety are the heaviest smokers in the country, but their doctors are afraid to ask them to quit. They assume that if their patients try to quit smoking, their mental disorders will get worse.

9 Sep 2009