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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.

Anti-abortion groups use health law in efforts to restrict insurance coverage

Abortion opponents fought passage of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul to the bitter end, and now that it's the law, they're using it to limit coverage by private insurers. An obscure part of the law allows states to restrict abortion coverage by private plans operating in new insurance markets.

17 May 2010

Democrats weary of health changes, mull new health bills, 'doc fix'

Democrats are feeling health care "fatigue" and are doubting that Congress will consider any more health-related legislation this year. "Measures in jeopardy include bills that would require more information on healthcare prices, empower federal regulators to sign off on premium increases and strip insurers of their exemption from anti-trust laws."

15 May 2010

Over 75 countries represented at 2010 Alcoholics Anonymous convention

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) celebrates 75 years of "one alcoholic talking to another" as over 40,000 AA members from around the world gather in San Antonio for the 2010 International Convention, July 1-4.

14 May 2010

Justice Dept. defends health law implementation from court injunction

The Justice Department released a statement yesterday defending the federal health overhaul law from legal critics. "A conservative public interest group, the Thomas More Law Center, had filed a lawsuit in Michigan on March 23, the day Obama signed the law, and asked the court for an injunction to block it from taking effect.

14 May 2010

Prescription costs more likely to keep Hispanics away from pharmacy counter: Study

Drug costs could prevent some people from filling their prescriptions, which can interfere with optimal health care. A new study of Medicare beneficiaries finds that cost concerns are more likely keep Hispanics away from the pharmacy counter than non-Hispanics.

13 May 2010

DATATRAK International's first-quarter 2010 revenue decreased to $1,678,000

DATATRAK International, Inc., a technology and services company focused on global eClinical solutions for the clinical trials industry, today announced its operating results for the first quarter of 2010: $1.7 million revenue, $10.7 million backlog and 82% gross profit margin; all resulting in profitability.

12 May 2010

Computerized bilingual decision aid can prompt Hispanic smokers to quit: Study

A computerized bilingual decision aid - placed in safety-net clinics and health fairs - can prompt Hispanic and other smokers to set a quit date and choose effective treatments.

12 May 2010

Opinions: Abortion in Canada's G8 initiative; Security of Afghan women; U.S. global development strategy; Mother's Day; U.S. food security initiative; Polio eradication

National Post columnist Jonathan Kay examines the ongoing debate over whether Canada's G8 child and maternal health initiative should include abortions, which according to a 2006 Oxford University Press-World Bank report, are "one small chunk of a bigger puzzle. A much larger problem, in terms of the number of female lives affected, is the decidedly less headline-grabbing subject of hemorrhages - which include antepartun hemorrhages … and primary postpartum hemorrhages.

12 May 2010

USP panel recommends to establish universal standards for prescription medication labels

To promote the establishment of universal standards for prescription medication labels-and to address the widespread problem of patient misinterpretation of medication instructions-an advisory panel formed by the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) recently issued a set of recommendations to bring consistency to labeling on dispensed prescription packaging.

11 May 2010

Language problems can have disastrous consequences

Insufficient attention is paid to the language factor in measures to prevent serious accidents in the workplace, says researcher Paul Lindhout, who will receive his PhD from TU Delft in the Netherlands on 10 May.

11 May 2010

Can familiar voices heal traumatic brain injuries?

In January 2009, Ryan, a 21-year-old college student from Huntley, Ill., was in a coma after he had been flung from his snowmobile into a tree during an ice storm. He had a traumatic brain injury; the fibers of his brain had been twisted and stretched from the impact.

11 May 2010

Dyslexic children may have structural differences in brain region, says study

Children with dyslexia often struggle with reading, writing, and spelling, despite getting an appropriate education and demonstrating intellectual ability in other areas.

11 May 2010

$Free online fracture-risk calculator$

Free online fracture-risk calculator

FRAX- is a free online fracture-risk calculator (http://www.shef.ac.uk/FRAX/) that has been developed by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Metabolic Bone Diseases at the University of Sheffield, UK. More and more physicians around the world are using the tool as an aid in making informed treatment decisions in the course of a clinical assessment of their patients.

10 May 2010

Spousal caregivers frequently show memory deficits: Study

Husbands or wives who care for spouses with dementia are six times more likely to develop the memory-impairing condition than those whose spouses don't have it, according to results of a 12-year study led by Johns Hopkins, Utah State University, and Duke University.

7 May 2010

54% of liver cirrhosis patients experience neurocognitive impairments

More than half of patients who have cirrhosis of the liver also display neurocognitive impairments such as short term memory loss, a study led by a Loyola University Health System researcher has found.

7 May 2010

GW researchers partner with Grassroot Project to educate D.C. youth about HIV/AIDS

The George Washington School of Public Health and Health Services has partnered with the Grassroot Project, an organization of NCAA Division I varsity athletes using the universal language of sports to engage youth in educational outreach about HIV/AIDS. GW researchers are working with the Grassroot Project to develop and implement a sustainable monitoring and evaluation plan.

6 May 2010

Study on risk factors, potential harm associated with medication errors at hospital admission

A recent study conducted at Northwestern Memorial Hospital found that almost 50 percent of medication discrepancies were related to a failure to understand all of the prescription medications patients were taking at the time of hospital admission. While it's common for patients not to recall all of their medications, especially when they are not feeling well or being unexpectedly admitted to the hospital, the results can be serious.

6 May 2010

New HR Compliance solution simplifies healthcare database

HighRoads, an industry leader in employer health care database and benefits management, today announced the launch of HR Compliance™, a new solution designed to simplify and automate the creation and update of Medical Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs) so that they comply with new health care reform language.

6 May 2010

GOP's 'repeal health law' strategy may backfire in general election

Politico reports that several goals of Republicans -- including the repeal of the health care law -- "put them at odds with the majority of voters, according to a new survey by Resurgent Republic," a nonprofit polling and research group established by "GOP operative" Ed Gillespie to assist conservatives and Republicans.

6 May 2010

Data shows rates of colorectal cancer screening vary by race, ethnicity and method

Rates of colorectal cancer screening vary by race and ethnicity as well as method, according to data being presented at Digestive Disease Week- 2010. Scientists examine data on minority and older populations as well as utilization rates of virtual and optical colonoscopies to better understand adherence to recommended screening guidelines.

5 May 2010