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Hospital mergers and acquisitions rarely improve health care value or reduce prices

Mergers and acquisitions of U.S. hospitals and health systems rarely improve the quality of care delivered or result in lower health care costs and prices, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).

30 Dec 2024

Study highlights geographical and hospital type trends in hospital-at-home participation

Hospitals that have adopted the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) "hospital-at-home" program, which serves as an alternative to admission to brick-and-mortar facilities, are concentrated in large, urban, not-for-profit, and academic hospitals, new research suggests.

23 Dec 2024

ED physicians’ admission rates do not translate to better patient health outcomes

Patients in emergency departments who are treated by physicians with a high propensity to admit those they see into the hospital are more likely to be discharged after only a short stay, suggesting a possible unnecessary admission, while they are no less likely to die, new research suggests.

23 Dec 2024

New Alzheimer's guidelines provide comprehensive framework for diagnosis

We have entered a new era of improved and emerging biologically-based diagnostic biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related neurodegenerative disorders (ADRD) that are rapidly impacting evaluation and care paradigms in every clinical setting: primary care, specialty care and dementia subspecialty care.

23 Dec 2024

Advancing quality integrated health services through relational community engagement

A new report, entitled "Relationality in community engagement: its role in humanizing healthcare and achieving quality integrated health Services" has been developed in collaboration with the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) and launched at the Seventh edition of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) taking place in Doha on 13–14 November 2024.

21 Dec 2024

Rwanda successfully controls Marburg virus outbreak

An outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) in Rwanda has officially been declared over by the Government of Rwanda, with no new cases recorded since the last patient tested negative on 7 November 2024, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

20 Dec 2024

Global study reports significant decline in diarrheal disease mortality

New global study reports a 60% drop in global mortality from diarrheal diseases, but children and the elderly still have the highest death rates, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

19 Dec 2024

Survey reveals strong public desire for notification about AI use in healthcare

Over 60% of adults value being notified about AI in healthcare, underscoring the importance of transparency and ethical considerations in health systems.

13 Dec 2024

Strategies to overcome social challenges in cancer prevention

Researchers at University of California San Diego and collaborating institutions have shed light on the ways that social risks, such as housing or food insecurity, pose barriers to routine cancer screenings.

13 Dec 2024

Nutrition progress stalls: Most nations lag behind 2030 goals

Global progress toward nutrition targets is slow, with few countries on track to meet goals for anemia, stunting, and child overweight by 2030, highlighting the urgent need for long-term, multisectoral strategies.

12 Dec 2024

WHO report highlights decline in global health spending in 2022

The 2024 Global Heath Expenditure Report by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that the average per capita government spending on health in all country income groups fell in 2022 from 2021 after a surge in the early pandemic years.

12 Dec 2024

WHO urges equitable action to end malaria burden

New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that an estimated 2.2 billion cases of malaria and 12.7 million deaths have been averted since 2000, but the disease remains a serious global health threat, particularly in the WHO African Region.

11 Dec 2024

Herpes infections affect 846 million people worldwide

Around 846 million people aged between 15 and 49 are living with genital herpes infections – more than 1 in 5 of this age-group globally – according to new estimates released today.

11 Dec 2024

New biomarker testing protocol could shorten antibiotic treatment for sepsis

A major UK patient trial of a new biomarker testing protocol for sepsis, led by University of Manchester researchers, has shown it is possible to safely stop antibiotic treatment earlier than current care.

10 Dec 2024

Two studies show potential for newborn genetic screening

Two studies published today in the American Journal of Human Genetics show the potential for genomic screening in newborns to address high rates of infant hospitalization and mortality in the United States.

9 Dec 2024

Chikungunya's health and economic impact likely underestimated

This study assesses chikungunya's health and economic impacts, revealing significant burdens on health systems and a global cost of approximately $49.9 billion.

5 Dec 2024

Dark chocolate consumption associated with lower type 2 diabetes risk

Consuming dark, but not milk, chocolate may be associated with lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

4 Dec 2024

Higher plant-based protein intake linked to lower heart disease risk

Eating a diet with a higher ratio of plant-based protein to animal-based protein may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD), according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

2 Dec 2024

Study highlights the health risk of PM2.5 exposure for pregnant women

For pregnant women, exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) was associated with altered immune responses that can lead to adverse birth outcomes, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

29 Nov 2024

COP29 outcomes fall short on climate health action

Agreements made at COP29 fell short of the ambition and focus needed to fully address the impacts of climate change on health and maximize the benefits of action, according to experts from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

29 Nov 2024