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Acorda Therapeutics launches Ampyra Dialogues on World MS Day

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc., makers of Ampyra (dalfampridine), today announced the launch of Ampyra Dialogues, the first-ever online talk show where patients and medical experts talk about how walking problems affect people living with MS.

31 May 2012

Specialty doctor groups ask feds to delay managed care move for dual eligibles

Several organizations have asked the federal government to slow down implementation of a health law provision that would move people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid into managed care.

30 May 2012

Insurers make patients pay hundreds more for cancer, arthritis drugs

Thousands of patients taking costly drugs for ailments such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis are being asked to shoulder a greater share of the expense. In other news, consumers are demanding access to their medical device data. Others are harnessing the internet to jumpstart medical research and share important experiences, including serious illnesses, with family and friends.

30 May 2012

People afraid of dying badly rather than actually dying

"What people are afraid of is dying badly rather than actually dying". I-aki Olaizola has observed how Basque society feels about euthanasia and the process of dying, and how the perception has changed since the 1970s.

30 May 2012

Hard work of GPs pays off: high levels of patient satisfaction reported

Commenting on the publication of the 'Patient Experience Survey of GP and Local NHS Services 2011/12' results, Dr Dean Marshall, Chair of BMA Scotland’s General Practice Committee said:

30 May 2012

New imaging device can better diagnose chronic ear infections

Doctors can now get a peek behind the eardrum to better diagnose and treat chronic ear infections, thanks to a new medical imaging device invented by University of Illinois researchers. The device could usher in a new suite of non-invasive, 3-D diagnostic imaging tools for primary-care physicians.

30 May 2012

One third of homeless are obese

Amid some signs that America's obesity rates may be flattening out, media outlets report that one in three homeless people is obese and that bariatric surgery, which reduces stomach size, is becoming more common for patients as young as 12 or 13.

30 May 2012

State roundup: The effects of proposed Calif. budget cuts; Fewer free vaccinations in Texas

Low-income children in rural California communities are in jeopardy of losing their doctors and health care plans under Gov. Jerry Brown's budget proposal, state lawmakers, doctors and health advocates say. The governor is proposing to transfer nearly 900,000 children enrolled in Healthy Families, the state's Children's Health Insurance Program, to Medi-Cal – a program aimed at serving the state's poorest families, seniors and disabled residents.

30 May 2012

Million Hearts, ACP aim to prevent heart attacks and strokes in five years

The American College of Physicians (ACP), the second-largest physician group in the United States, has joined Million Hearts, a public-private sector initiative that aims to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes in five years. Million Hearts has two primary goals:

30 May 2012

USPTO issues patent to Corgenix’s AspirinWorks technology

Corgenix Medical Corporation, a worldwide developer and marketer of diagnostic test kits, has been issued an additional U.S. patent covering its AspirinWorks technology.

30 May 2012

Senate Appropriations Committee approves FY13 state and foreign operations appropriations bill

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved a $52.1 billion appropriations bill to fund U.S. state and foreign operations in FY 2013, Devex reports. "The committee voted 29-1 to send the ... bill to the full Senate floor for consideration," the news service writes, adding, "It is still unclear when the bill will be scheduled for a full Senate vote" (Mungcal, 5/25).

25 May 2012

Bone age necessary to correctly interpret growth status in pediatric Crohn's disease

Measuring bone age should be a standard practice of care for pediatric patients with Crohn's disease, in order to properly interpret growth status and improve treatment, according to a new study from the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.

25 May 2012

Viewpoints: Bill could make universal health care possible via states; The need to change how physicians are paid

Universal coverage, Medicare for all, single payer -- call it what you will. It's clear that conservative forces are determined to prevent such a system from ever being introduced at the national level. So it's up to the states.

25 May 2012

FDA reauthorization bill sails through Senate

Showing unusual bipartisan spirit, the Senate passed a massive FDA user-fee reauthorization bill Thursday designed to prevent drug shortages and speed federal approval of medicines, including lower-cost generic versions.

25 May 2012

School districts, hospitals cut nurses

Nurses, long a presence in many schools and the backbone of hospital care, are being cut back or stretched thin, according to several news organizations; Meanwhile, NPR reports on a poll that found three out of five patients feel their doctors rush through exams.

25 May 2012

Measuring bone age should be part of routine care for pediatric patients with Crohn's disease

25 May 2012

New diagnostic approach for Lyme disease

George Mason University researchers can find out if a tick bite means Lyme disease well before the bite victim begins to show symptoms.

25 May 2012

Doctors disagree on new prostate cancer screening guidelines

One doctor suggests the problem is the rush to treatment, not the screening; another suggests that a failure to screen men could be more costly in the long run.

25 May 2012

Nuclear radiation exposure more serious than previously believed

Recent news reports and scientific reviews warn that nuclear radiation exposure is more serious than we believed. Just recently, the UK Guardian published an article titled, "Fukushima reactor shows radiation levels much higher than thought."

25 May 2012

Viewpoints: Politics of the Medicare debate; Measuring the impact of Catholic bishops' legal challenge

So don't expect the Obama administration to agree to any cuts in Medicare between now and Election Day. And don't expect them to show any support for Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to privatize Medicare. Holding strong on Medicare is the silver bullet for Obama. It may offset some of seniors' concerns about low interest rates on their savings.

25 May 2012