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Research Roundup: Disabled Medicare Enrollees' challenges; Increasing ER visits; costs/benefits of Part D

Health Affairs: Medicare Doesn't Work As Well For Younger, Disabled Beneficiaries As It Does For Older Enrollees - This paper examines "how well Medicare works for [the 8 million] nonelderly disabled beneficiaries compared to the elderly, based on findings from a nationally representative survey of noninstitutionalized Medicare beneficiaries conducted in 2008 by the Kaiser Family Foundation."

16 Aug 2010

U.S. officials probing payments by drug and device makers to doctors overseas

The New York Times reports that federal officials are investigating whether a dozen drug and device makers "made illegal payments to doctors and health officials in foreign countries." Although pharmaceutical companies routinely contract with doctors in the United States to be consultants, experts say the situation is more complex overseas because "in much of the rest of the world, doctors are government employees. And even consulting arrangements that would be considered routine in the United States might violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, particularly if the payments are outsize or the arrangements are not disclosed to the governments.

16 Aug 2010

Childhood brain tumor survivors may be vulnerable to physical declines associated with aging: Study

A large study focused on documenting the strength and fitness of childhood brain tumor survivors has found that many face health challenges as they age. The study led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators showed that although most participants were young adults in their 20s, many functioned like people in their 60s, making them less likely to live independently or attend college.

16 Aug 2010

Significant differences develop in obesity trends over time by race and ethnicity: Study

Obesity rates have started to decline and level off for many adolescents, but continue to increase for certain racial and ethnic minorities, according to a new UCSF-led study. The evidence of increasing racial disparities for obesity underscores the need for more tailored intervention programs and policies that target high-risk groups, the authors conclude.

16 Aug 2010

Scientists discover new signaling pathway to reduce tumour growth in glioblastoma multiforme

Malignant gliomas are the most common subtype of primary brain tumor - and one of the deadliest. Even as doctors make steady progress treating other types of solid tumor cancers, from breast to prostate, the most aggressive form of malignant glioma, called a glioblastoma multiforme or GBM, has steadfastly defied advances in neurosurgery, radiation therapy and various conventional or novel drugs. But an international team of scientists, headed by researchers at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, reports in the August 15 issue of Genes & Development that they have discovered a new signaling pathway between GBM cells - one that, if ultimately blocked or disrupted, could significantly slow or reduce tumor growth and malignancy.

16 Aug 2010

CD31 positive cells have potential for treating peripheral artery disease: Research

Isolating cells from a patient's blood or bone marrow that nourish blood vessels may be a safer and less arduous route to treatment of cardiovascular disease than obtaining rare stem cells, according to research from Emory University School of Medicine. In recent clinical trials, doctors in several countries have tested the ability of a patient's bone marrow cells to repair damage, such as heart attacks and peripheral artery disease, created by problems of blood flow.

16 Aug 2010

Bicycle helmet laws need review: Health expert

Australia became the first country to make riding without a bicycle helmet illegal in 1991. Now health experts however have called for a change in existing helmet laws to encourage more people to ride bikes.

16 Aug 2010

Obesity linked to sleep disorders: Study

Specialists at a sleep clinic in Newcastle, Australia have analyzed 20 years of patient’s records and found that their patients are becoming increasingly obese. This means that the rise in obesity rates is directly related to rise in sleep problems they say.

16 Aug 2010

Four Mass. hospitals investigate trashing of patient health records, Calif. employers worry about workers using marijuana on job

"Four Massachusetts community hospitals are investigating how thousands of patient health records, some containing Social Security numbers and sensitive medical diagnoses, ended up in a pile at a public dump. The unshredded records included pathology reports with patients' names, addresses, and results of breast, bone, and skin cancer tests, as well as the results of lab work following miscarriages. By law, medical records and documents containing personal identifying information must be disposed of in a way that protects privacy, and leaving them at a dump is probably illegal, privacy lawyers and hospital officials said" (Kowalczyk, 8/13).

13 Aug 2010

UT System Board of Regents approve plans for new University Hospital at UT Southwestern Medical Center

The UT System Board of Regents today gave its approval to plans for a new state-of-the-art University Hospital at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. The project now will go to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for its review and final approval.

13 Aug 2010

Hospitals' 'bad debts' grow as even insured patients have trouble paying medical bills

A "local hospital group says the fastest-growing part of what hospitals call 'bad debt' -- basically, uncollectible bills -- is money owed by patients who have insurance. As employers dump costs onto workers, so now are workers dumping costs onto hospitals. Because of rising deductibles and cost-sharing rules, patients are increasingly faced with bills that would have been unusual for someone with insurance a few years ago. Growing numbers of them can't pay, or won't. Total bad debt grew 12 percent, from $490 million in fiscal 2007 to nearly $550 million in fiscal 2008, at 36 area hospitals that responded to a 2009 survey by the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council of HAP, a hospital association that released the data this week. But bad debt from insured patients grew twice as fast: 28 percent, from $76 million to $97 million."

13 Aug 2010

Five tips for seniors researching MA or Medigap plan options

Health Plan One, a general agent in the online health insurance market, seeks to guide seniors to choose carefully when selecting their Medicare Advantage or Medicare supplement plan. Seniors will have only one opportunity to make changes to their Medicare plans during the Annual Enrollment Period this November 15 through December 31.

13 Aug 2010

SANUWAVE second-quarter revenues decrease to $117,000

SANUWAVE Health, Inc., an emerging medical technology company focused on regenerative medicine, today reported financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010 and provided a business update.

13 Aug 2010

Validare achieves national certification from ACCME for medical education program

Validare has been awarded national certification for their continuing medical education program. The training that Validare provides to physicians and their staff on how to become accredited for Office Based Surgery has now been recognized by the ACCME. Physicians who participate in Validare's accreditation preparation program will receive CME credits for the time they spend working on becoming accredited for office based surgery.

13 Aug 2010

Medical Facilities second-quarter revenue decreases 1.9% to $51.2 million

Medical Facilities Corporation today reported its financial results for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2010.

13 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 13, 2010

Today's headlines explore a variety of health policy issues, ranging from consumer protections regarding benefit rights to the cost of electronic medical records.

13 Aug 2010

Magnet hospitals don't provide better working conditions for nurses than non-magnet hospitals: Study

Magnet hospitals, while widely recognized for better patient safety and outcomes, don't provide better working conditions for nurses than non-magnet hospitals, according to a new study by the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

13 Aug 2010

Sinai Hospital announces driver evaluation and rehabilitation training program for elderly drivers

Remember that feeling of finally getting your drivers' license? That feeling of freedom and independence is also connected to reaching many of our day-to-day activities. Yet a disability, illness or aging can affect our ability to be a safe driver by impairing our decision-making skills and our ability to control a vehicle. Being a child of an elderly parent also may mean it's time to talk about driving.

13 Aug 2010

UMass Memorial selects McKesson's CytoCare robot to automate compounding of hazardous IV drugs

UMass Memorial Medical Center in Massachusetts has selected the CytoCare™ robot from McKesson to automate the compounding of intravenous (IV) drugs. The robotic technology will enable the 830-bed facility to more safely prepare hazardous IVs, protecting both their patients and their staff from exposure risks.

13 Aug 2010

Research reveals self-care improves healing experience

New research conducted by Experience In Motion LLC (EIM), Minneapolis, reveals that when healthcare organizations, their staff and practitioners engage in self-care as an organizational strategy, it not only improves the healing experience for themselves and patients, but it also improves business measures.

13 Aug 2010

Hospital News and Research

Research Roundup: Disabled Medicare Enrollees' challenges; Increasing ER visits; costs/benefits of Part D

U.S. officials probing payments by drug and device makers to doctors overseas

Childhood brain tumor survivors may be vulnerable to physical declines associated with aging: Study

Significant differences develop in obesity trends over time by race and ethnicity: Study

Scientists discover new signaling pathway to reduce tumour growth in glioblastoma multiforme

CD31 positive cells have potential for treating peripheral artery disease: Research

Bicycle helmet laws need review: Health expert

Obesity linked to sleep disorders: Study

Four Mass. hospitals investigate trashing of patient health records, Calif. employers worry about workers using marijuana on job

UT System Board of Regents approve plans for new University Hospital at UT Southwestern Medical Center

Hospitals' 'bad debts' grow as even insured patients have trouble paying medical bills

Five tips for seniors researching MA or Medigap plan options

SANUWAVE second-quarter revenues decrease to $117,000

Validare achieves national certification from ACCME for medical education program

Medical Facilities second-quarter revenue decreases 1.9% to $51.2 million

First Edition: August 13, 2010

Magnet hospitals don't provide better working conditions for nurses than non-magnet hospitals: Study

Sinai Hospital announces driver evaluation and rehabilitation training program for elderly drivers

UMass Memorial selects McKesson's CytoCare robot to automate compounding of hazardous IV drugs

Research reveals self-care improves healing experience

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

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