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Researchers identify potential cause of PPROM which accounts for 40% of pre-term births

Scientists from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and UCL (University College London) have identified what they believe could be a cause of pre-term premature rupture of the fetal membrane (PPROM), which accounts for 40 per cent of pre-term births, and is the main reason for infant death world-wide.

13 Oct 2014

Sightsavers launches biggest ever appeal to raise funds for sight-restoring surgeries

A blind man's sight-restoring operation was broadcast live around the world at 1.30pm (BST) today from a hospital in Malawi.

8 Oct 2014

CMEDT welcomes participation of TWCF in Smart Villages initiative

The Cambridge Malaysian Education and Development Trust today welcomed the start of three years of complementary funding from the Templeton World Charity Foundation for their Smart Villages initiative. This collaboratively-funded project will look at technical, entrepreneurial and policy solutions for providing sustainable energy for development in off-grid rural communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

8 Oct 2014

Medicare open enrollment brings lots of choices

For millions of older Americans, it is time to sift through the mind-boggling array of Medicare plans. There is an average of 29 drug plans to digest, and about 18 options for Medicare Advantage, the plans delivered through private insurers. Then there are the 10 supplemental plans that cover what traditional Medicare does not. The choices can be paralyzing for anyone, and they can be even more challenging as you age. ... Here are some ideas on how to approach the decision-making process (Bernard, 10/3).

7 Oct 2014

Viewpoints: Another troubled website rollout; insurers fight consumer measures in Calif.

If the federal government's new Open Payments website were a consumer product, it would be returned to the manufacturer for a full refund. Open Payments is the government's site for publishing payments made to doctors and teaching hospitals by drug and medical device manufacturers. It includes 4.4 million payments, worth $3.5 billion, to more than half a million doctors and almost 1,360 teaching hospitals (Charles Ornstein, 10/1).

3 Oct 2014

Open payments database debuts, detailing financial connections between physicians and drug makers

Consumer advocates have pushed for years for this kind of government database in an effort to protect against physicians' conflicts of interest, to safeguard patient care and to prevent unnecessary costs to public health programs.

1 Oct 2014

Combination treatment prevents disease progression in patients with advanced melanoma

New data announced today has demonstrated that combinational treatment of cobimetinib with Zelboraf (vemurafenib), the first personalised medicine to extend life in the first-line setting for over 30 years, in patients with advanced melanoma (BRAFV600 mutation-positive) can prevent disease progression (progression-free survival; PFS) by 9.9 months compared to 6.2 months following treatment of vemurafenib alone.

30 Sep 2014

Yorkshire Cancer Research to invest £5 million to find root causes of cancer problems

YORKSHIRE Cancer Research will invest £5 million in research that will have a direct impact on cancer patients in Yorkshire, it has been announced today.

30 Sep 2014

Bigger challenges forecast for health law's second enrollment drive

Enrolling new customers will be more complicated this time around because potential enrollees may be harder to reach, reports The Wall Street Journal.

29 Sep 2014

Mild autumn could bring more misery for hayfever sufferers

Researchers at the University of Leicester have recorded a rare type of pollen that is a potent trigger of hayfever and asthma symptoms at record levels for the first time in four decades.

29 Sep 2014

Administration: Health law brings down hospitals' uncompensated care costs

As part of a report released Wednesday, Obama administration officials cited evidence that hospitals are projected to save $5.7 billion in uncompensated care costs as previously uninsured patients gain coverage through the health law. The savings are most significant in states that expanded their Medicaid programs.

25 Sep 2014

Genetic testing for breast cancer doubled due to 'Angelina Jolie effect'

In May 2013 Angelina Jolie, who was then Hollywood's highest-paid actress, underwent a double mastectomy after testing positive for a BRCA1 gene mutation that significantly increases the risk of developing breast cancer. A recent study, published by Breast Cancer Research has found that, public knowledge of her decision doubled NHS referrals for genetic testing for breast cancer risk.

19 Sep 2014

Health law's ripple effects on hospitals, schools, uninsured

The Kansas City Star reports that some uninsured patients fall through the cracks as hospitals cut back on charity care to persuade people to sign up for coverage. Some schools, meanwhile, are turning to private substitutes to avoid having to pay for their health coverage next year. In Colorado, Denver Health is back in the black, partly due to a dramatic decrease in uninsured patients.

19 Sep 2014

Obamacare boosts bottom lines of Washington hospitals

Hospitals attribute the 30 percent reduction in uncompensated care to the expansion of Medicaid and private coverage under the federal health law.

15 Sep 2014

Cancer Research UK, CRT partner with Asterias to trail novel immunotherapy treatment for lung cancer

CANCER RESEARCH UK and Cancer Research Technology , the charity's development and commercialisation arm, have reached an agreement with Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company in the emerging field of regenerative medicine, to take forward Asterias' novel immunotherapy treatment AST-VAC2 into clinical trials in subjects with non-small cell lung cancer.

11 Sep 2014

Research: 7 key issues need to be addressed to ensure future success of doctor revalidation

New research launched today, 1st September 2014, has concluded that there are seven key issues that need to be addressed to ensure the future success of doctor revalidation, the most profound revision in medical regulation since the Medical Act of 1858.

1 Sep 2014

State highlights: States seek health care autonomy; L.A. nursing home audit; promoting overdose-reversal drug

Kansas, Missouri and seven other states have signed on to a movement that would wrest regulation of most of the nation's health care insurance systems from the federal government.

30 Aug 2014

Mary Baxter outlines five key ways pharmacy leaders can help hospitals fulfill quality care mission

In part four of a blog series that addresses how to leverage a hospital pharmacy as a strategic asset, Mary Baxter, MBA, RPh., vice president and national practice leader for Cardinal Health's Innovation Delivery Solutions business, discusses how expanding patient access to quality pharmacy care can benefit both hospitals and patients.

29 Aug 2014

State highlights: Calif. hospital chain sues union; Texas sues Xerox again; La. employees face higher health care costs

In a surprising move, an anti-union Southern California hospital chain hoping to buy the struggling Daughters of Charity Health Care System is suing employee unions under the federal RICO Act, saying the unions are trying to thwart that deal and others by using extortionist tactics aimed at forcing it to cave into union demands.

28 Aug 2014

Plymouth University selects Brain Tumour Research as official charity partner

Brain Tumour Research has been chosen by Plymouth University to be an official charity partner. Brain Tumour Research was launched in April 2009 to raise awareness of, and funding for, scientific research into brain tumours and improve outcomes for brain tumour patients.

21 Aug 2014