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MABIDA encourages parents and caregivers to understand warning signs for dyslexia

October is National Dyslexia Awareness Month, and the Massachusetts Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (MABIDA) is encouraging parents and caregivers to understand the warning signs for dyslexia as well as the facts and the myths about this learning disability. Most importantly, MABIDA is helping to ensure that every child affected by dyslexia receives the support necessary to overcome their learning disability and develop strong reading skills.

3 Oct 2009

Recent releases in health policy research

"Emergency Department Visits in Massachusetts" - This policy brief examines why the number of people in Massachusetts who seek care in emergency rooms has remained high even though "health reform in Massachusetts has succeeded in increasing health insurance coverage and access to care."

3 Oct 2009

Teens with chronic disease often have expensive, uncertain coverage

ABC News profiles teens living with chronic diseases, and examines their insurance coverage and the cost of such care. The article notes: "Chronic diseases affect 1 in 10 Americans and are the leading cause of disability, accounting for 70 percent of all deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They are also expensive."

3 Oct 2009

Increase in omega-3 fatty acid levels can prevent strokes, according to research

Research led by Hernan A. Bazan, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Section of Vascular Surgery, at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine, has found that unstable carotid artery plaques - those in danger of rupturing and leading to a stroke - contain more inflammation and significantly less omega-3 fatty acids than asymptomatic plaques.

3 Oct 2009

First Edition: October 1, 2009

The progress continues, and so does the drama, as the Senate Finance Committee complete another day of its health bill mark up. Meanwhile, in the House, leaders are counting votes among their members.

1 Oct 2009

Stellartech and Orthomems to design and develop external reader device

Stellartech, a world leader in the design, development and contract manufacture of sophisticated medical systems, and OrthoMEMS, a medical device company focused on biomedical applications of patented MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) and wireless technology from Cleveland Clinic, today announced a strategic alliance that is set to deliver a groundbreaking, commercial reader for wireless communication with a miniature implanted sensor in the spine.

1 Oct 2009

Researchers develop integrated treatment program for PTSD affected veterans

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in a growing number of soldiers evacuated to the United States for comprehensive care for physical and psychological trauma. Given the number of physical injuries often experienced by soldiers, it is not surprising that chronic pain is a frequent problem among returning soldiers from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF). Common sources of pain are in the head (traumatic-brain injury or post-concussion syndrome), legs (fractures, amputations, burns) and shoulders.

1 Oct 2009

POWER study results support the need to re-evaluate depression treatment in Ontario

Less than half of men and women in Ontario who may be suffering from depression see a doctor to treat their potentially debilitating condition, according to a new women's health study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). What's more, many hospitalized for severe depression fail to see a doctor for follow-up care within 30 days of being discharged, and many head to hospital emergency departments for care.

1 Oct 2009

NCD recommends health care reform for disabled people

The National Council on Disability (NCD) today released a report entitled The Current State of Health Care for People with Disabilities, calling for immediate health care reform for people with disabilities.

1 Oct 2009

Less than half of men and women in Ontario with depression visit doctor for treatment

1 Oct 2009

Study reveals that Americans have limited knowledge about long-term care

Overall, Americans did not do well on a survey of their long-term care knowledge. Most know what long-term care is and how much it costs, but their scores fall short regarding how many people will need it and how they will pay for it. The MetLife Long-Term Care IQ Survey, taken by 1,021 individuals aged 40 to 70 in 2009, compared results with a similar 2004 study.

30 Sep 2009

Promised e-health improvements also come with shortcomings, risks

Efforts to achieve greater efficiency and higher quality in health care through new health information technologies are not without new risks as well.

30 Sep 2009

Total Wellness ready to meet increased demand for the seasonal flu vaccine

Omaha-based Total Wellness, a leading provider of corporate health and wellness services, encourages employers – both large and small – to follow recommendations made by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which encourages employees to receive flu shots this fall.

30 Sep 2009

NINDS: $50 billion spent each year for low back pain

A study by researchers at The George Institute for International Health in Australia found that it is rare for patients presenting to PCPs with acute lower back pain to have previously undiagnosed serious diseases. The most common serious disease cause documented was vertebral fracture, with half of the cases identified at the time of initial consultation.

29 Sep 2009

CIGNA encourages people to prioritize their health care plans

How much time does the average person spend reviewing their health care insurance when it’s time to enroll or reenroll in a plan? A recent survey conducted for CIGNA shows that although 78 percent said they give it a lot or some consideration, almost half (46%) of those who say they’re responsible for the review spend less than 30 minutes on the task.

29 Sep 2009

$10 million grant to Weill Cornell Institute from NIMH to study geriatric depression

The Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division announced today it has received the largest grant in its 20-year history. One of a handful awarded nationally, the new $10 million, five-year "Center Grant" from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) will enable NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell investigators to advance their pioneering work in understanding the biological, medical, cognitive and psychosocial problems of depressed seniors.

25 Sep 2009

H1N1 influenza pandemic could present a host of medical ethics issues: JCB

The anticipated onset of a second wave of the H1N1 influenza pandemic could present a host of thorny medical ethics issues best considered well in advance, according to the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics, which today released nine papers for public discussion.

25 Sep 2009

Online portal for parents of children with disabilities

United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), today announced the launch of My Child Without Limits (MyChildWithoutLimits.org), UCP's pioneering initiative that provides parents of children with disabilities an online resource with critical information that also connects parents to a vital social network of parents of newly diagnosed children ages 0 to 5.

24 Sep 2009

ADAGIO clinical trial results demonstrating AZILECT's efficacy published

Results from the ADAGIO trial, published online today in The New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrated that Parkinson’s disease patients receiving AZILECT (rasagiline) 1mg/day at the start of the study (early-start group) experienced superior benefit over 18 months compared with those who started the exact same treatment nine months later (delayed-start group).

24 Sep 2009

Two Yale faculty members awarded a MacArthur "genius" grant for extraordinary commitment to research

Two Yale faculty members have been named MacArthur Foundation Fellows for 2009, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced. Mary Tinetti, M.D., the Gladys Phillips Crofoot Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology and Public Health and Richard O. Prum, the William Robertson Coe Professor of Ornithology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology will each receive a five-year, $500,000 "genius" grant to spend as they see fit.

24 Sep 2009