Doctor News and Research

RSS

Family members who undergo gastric bypass surgery together experience better clinical outcomes

If you and a family member have gastric bypass together, chances are you'll both do much better than if you have surgery alone, according to a new study presented today at the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.

29 Jun 2010

Combination therapy for severe depression

Severe depression is life threatening. So it is worth every effort to get depression under control and make life more manageable. For most people, that means some combination of antidepressant drugs and talk therapy.

29 Jun 2010

Literature review discusses herniated disks and treatment options for low back pain

A literature review, led by Dr. Joseph Lee, published in the June 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) suggests that a herniated disk is one of the most frequent causes of low back and leg pain in adults, but surgery is not for everyone. Between 60 and 80 percent of people will experience low back pain at some point in their lives

29 Jun 2010

Hospice care falls as more Americans spend final days in hospitals; Milwaukee hospital reports success with treatment guidelines

The Associated Press: "Americans increasingly are treated to death, spending more time in hospitals in their final days, trying last-ditch treatments that often buy only weeks of time, and racking up bills that have made medical care a leading cause of bankruptcies. More than 80 percent of people who die in the United States have a long, progressive illness such as cancer, heart failure or Alzheimer's disease."

29 Jun 2010

A neuro-optometric rehabilitation case report

The College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) has posted its current issue of Optometry & Vision Development online and invites all to read the full-text articles free of charge.

29 Jun 2010

States struggle with physician shortages, health care workforce issues

Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette, reports on a national shortage of pediatric subspecialists. "While Massachusetts has more pediatric sub-specialists per capita than many other states, the doctors are in short supply, even at big institutions like UMass. … Pediatric sub-specialists go through several years of training: four years of medical school, three years of training in pediatrics, then another three years of training in a specialty," yet their salaries are not much higher than regular pediatricians.

28 Jun 2010

Instant processing of insurance claims possible during doctor visit

The New York Times has a consumer health column on programs that would process a patient's insurance claim: "Here's how it could work: A claim is generated and submitted electronically before you finish tying your shoes. By the time you reach the checkout desk, your doctor has received a payment commitment from your insurance company, just as Visa and MasterCard provide to a merchant after a customer swipes a card. It's not fantasy.

28 Jun 2010

Increased follow-up care proves key to helping depressed patients feel better

New data released by two non-profit health care organizations, MN Community Measurement and the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement, indicate that Minnesota providers only slightly improved their quality of care for patients with depression from a year ago, but that new programs that increase clinic contact with the patient demonstrate the potential for much better results moving forward.

28 Jun 2010

Florida Hospital Zephyrhills achieves Heart Failure Institute accreditation

The Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium announced today that the Heart Institute at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills has achieved status as the state's first accredited Heart Failure Institute.

28 Jun 2010

Kansas doctor and wife found guilty of prescribing painkillers, causing deaths

"A federal jury Thursday found a Kansas doctor and his wife guilty of conspiring to profit from illegally prescribing painkillers to dozens of patients who later died, in a case highlighting medical treatment of chronic pain sufferers and prescription drug abuse."

28 Jun 2010

Chronic disease expert: U.S. health care system needs to treat 'whole person'

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jessica Marcy interviews Kate Lorig, director of the Patient Education Research Center at Stanford University, about the toll of chronic diseases.

28 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 25, 2010

Today's headlines reflect the latest news about the House passing a temporary ban on cuts in Medicare reimbursements to doctors, while Senate Democrats failed to gain approval for their jobs bill, which included enhanced Medicaid aid to states.

25 Jun 2010

Corgenix Medical issued additional U.S. patent covering 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 and product line.

25 Jun 2010

Medical weight loss programs before bariatric surgery show no clinical benefit

Patients required by their health insurance providers to complete a six-month medical weight loss program before bariatric surgery do no better than patients who have no such requirement, according to a new study presented here at the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

25 Jun 2010

Increasing the amount of preservatives may reduce food poisoning

In response to consumer demand for more natural food, the food industry has reduced the amount of preservatives in food over recent years. A common preservative is acetic acid, which is used to stop bacterial growth in dressings, sauces, cheese and pickles.

25 Jun 2010

Latino population less likely to receive basic preventive tests, says study

"Prevention" is the new buzzword for health professionals and the new emphasis for containing future health care costs. Yet Latinos, who currently represent about 15 percent of the U.S. population, have the lowest level of preventive care of all racial and ethnic groups in the nation.

25 Jun 2010

Six-month Medicare patch slows Medicare meltdown for now

“The six-month Medicare patch Congress passed today is a very temporary reprieve for seniors and baby boomers who rely on the promise of Medicare. Delaying the problem is not a solution. It doesn’t solve the Medicare mess Congress has created with a long series of short-term Medicare patches over the last decade – including four to avert the 2010 cut alone.

24 Jun 2010

New scam targets diabetic Medicare beneficiaries across Indiana

A new scam is targeting diabetic Medicare beneficiaries across Indiana, reports the Indiana Association of Area Agencies on Aging (IAAAA).

24 Jun 2010

Merck proposes to initiate Phase II proof-of-concept clinical study of posaconazole for chronic Chagas disease

Merck today announced plans to initiate a Phase II investigational proof-of-concept clinical study to evaluate its oral antifungal agent posaconazole for the treatment of chronic Chagas disease. Chagas disease results from infection with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi that is spread by biting insects. The disease is estimated to affect approximately eight million people in Latin America, of whom approximately 30-40 percent will develop serious cardiac disease, digestive disease, or both as a result of this infection.

24 Jun 2010

MHQP survey assesses patients' experiences with primary care since health reform law implementation

A report released today by Massachusetts Health Quality Partners provides the first comprehensive assessment of how patients rate their experiences with primary care since the state's groundbreaking health reform law was implemented.

24 Jun 2010