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Standardization may improve Canada's ranking in international child health indexes

Canada's ranking in international child health indexes would dramatically improve if measurements were standardized, according to a new study by researchers from the University of British Columbia, Dalhousie University, McGill University, the University of Calgary, and the Public Health Agency of Canada, working with the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System and funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

17 Feb 2012

Some Senate Democrats split from White House on contraception rule

The White House on Thursday faced mounting pressure from Senate Democrats to amend its requirements that religious employers include contraceptives in their health insurance plans, as Republicans tried to force votes on the issue.

13 Feb 2012

Most disabled seniors rate their quality of life 'fair to very good'

Quality of life for disabled elderly people is most closely tied to two factors: a sense of dignity and a sense of control, according to a study by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) and the University of California, San Francisco.

10 Feb 2012

Longer looks: Former Komen VP's new 'bona fides'; Alzheimer's definition changing?; Palin on her special needs child

Even if you put politics and ideology completely aside, Karen Handel had to resign from Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It's hard to think of the last time an employee did so much damage to such a respected brand in so little time. ... But while Komen will sustain long-term damage, Handel probably will be just fine. Yes, she's lost her position as Komen's vice president for public policy. But Handel has long had political aspirations, and she's now a right-wing cause célèbre.

10 Feb 2012

Study examines dimensional structure linked with DSM antisocial personality disorder criteria

With no lab tests to guide the clinician, psychiatric diagnostics is challenging and controversial. Antisocial personality disorder is defined as "a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood," according to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association.

8 Feb 2012

Ovarian cancer patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations more likely to survive

Ovarian cancer patients who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations are significantly more likely to survive the disease than women without these faulty genes, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

25 Jan 2012

BioTime obtains license from Wistar Institute for technology related to SP100 gene

BioTime, Inc. today announced that it has obtained an exclusive license from The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, PA for technology related to a gene designated as SP100.

25 Jan 2012

Doctors can use tactile imaging sensor for early detection of cancerous tumors

A key part of a medical patient's physical examination is performed through touch, but the doctor can only glean so much information from what he feels. That's why Temple University researchers have created a prototype device that will not only emulate human tactile sensation, but quantify it as well.

21 Jan 2012

Chan faces financing challenges in second term as WHO director-general

The expected re-appointment of Margaret Chan as the WHO's director-general "comes at a perilous moment for WHO," a Lancet editorial states.

18 Jan 2012

TAMEST honors UT Southwestern scientist with Edith and Peter O'Donnell Award

Dr. Philipp Scherer, director of the Touchstone Center for Diabetes Research at UT Southwestern Medical Center, was recognized today as a rising star in Texas research by The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas.

13 Jan 2012

Perceived inappropriateness of care common among ICU nurses and physicians

A survey of nurses and physicians in intensive care units (ICUs) in Europe and Israel indicated that the perception of inappropriate care, such as excess intensity of care for a patient, was common, and that these perceptions were associated with inadequate decision sharing, communication and job autonomy, according to a study in the December 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Dec 2011

Gloomy on Twitter?

A team of mathematicians from the University of Vermont analyzed 4.6 billion Twitter messages worldwide over 33 months. They assigned happiness grades to more than 10,000 of the most common words, crunched all the numbers and plotted them on a graph that shows a gradual downward slope of happiness during the past year and a half or so, through mid-September.

27 Dec 2011

Cohera Medical secures over $25 million in Series C financing through private investors

Cohera Medical, a leading innovator and developer of absorbable surgical adhesives and sealants, announced today that it has secured over $25 million Series C financing through private investors. A total of $16.5 million was raised through existing investors and over $9 million was raised through new investors, which significantly bolstered the round.

19 Dec 2011

NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester named 'Planetree Designated Patient-Centered Hospital'

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's Westchester Division has been formally named by Planetree Inc. as a "Planetree Designated Patient-Centered Hospital" in recognition of the Hospital's achievement and innovation in the delivery of patient-centered care.

17 Dec 2011

Magellan launches Community Impact Report

Magellan Health Services released today its Community Impact Report, detailing the company's efforts to leverage its specialty health expertise in support of local communities and organizations across the country.

12 Dec 2011

Morning snacking harms diet and affects weight loss efforts: Study

According to a new study snacking between breakfast and lunch might damage the diet more than snacking at other times of the day. Women taking part in a weight loss study who ate a midmorning snack lost an average of 7 percent of their body weight over the course of a year, whereas women who did not snack before lunch lost 11 percent of their body weight the study revealed.

30 Nov 2011

Polarized filter may improve ability to detect precancerous changes, reduce unnecessary biopsies

The same filtered light that enables sunglasses to reduce glare may improve a physician's ability to detect early signs of cervical cancer, reducing unnecessary biopsies and surgery.

30 Nov 2011

Healthy snacks can aid weight-loss efforts

Women dieters who grab a snack between breakfast and lunch lose less weight compared to those who abstain from a mid-morning snack, according to a study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

28 Nov 2011

Press Ganey recognizes UT Southwestern with two major patient satisfaction awards

UT Southwestern Medical Center today became the nation's only academic medical center to win two major patient satisfaction awards - the Patient Voice Award and the Summit Award for inpatient services - from Press Ganey, a national consulting firm specializing in health care performance.

16 Nov 2011

New non-invasive measurement may predict people at risk of heart failure

A new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and collaborators at various institutions, presented at the 2011 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, shows that a novel, non-invasive measurement of arterial wave reflections may be able to predict who is most at risk for heart failure.

15 Nov 2011