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Grand Rapids Press examines Alzheimer's disease care among Hispanics

The Grand Rapids Press on Tuesday examined the "cultural tightrope" faced by some Hispanics who seek long-term care for a family member with Alzheimer's disease.

11 Sep 2008

The Quantum Group files four new provisional healthcare IT patents

The Quantum Group, Inc., a Wellington, Florida based healthcare organization, announced the filing of four new provisional patents to enhance the proprietary PWeR(TM) platform developed by the Company and to drive greater efficiencies within the healthcare industry.

10 Sep 2008

'Deep flaws' with pay-for-performance model need to be addressed to provide quality health care, according to commentary

The "general intent" of pay-for-performance programs "is to reward doctors for providing better care," but as they gain "momentum, the initiative[s] may be having untoward consequences," Sandeep Jauhar, a New York-based cardiologist and author, writes in a New York Times commentary. "To get an inkling of the potential problems," Jauhar discusses another quality-improvement program: surgical report cards.

10 Sep 2008

Risk assessment tool finds that blacks with breathing conditions have higher risk for developing lung cancer than whites

Blacks with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- including chronic bronchitis and some types of serious chronic asthma -- have a risk for developing lung cancer about twice as high as that of whites with the condition, according to a study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, Reuters reports.

10 Sep 2008

Doctor labelled the "Bega Butcher" arrested and charged

The New South Wales Health Department is in the news again with the arrest of a doctor who has been charged with 17 offences regarding 10 of his patients.

10 Sep 2008

Men's health campaign launched to address often overlooked physical, emotional and sexual issues affecting men with diabetes

In addition to dealing with the day-to-day aspects of diabetes management that involve blood glucose, nutrition and lifestyle management, men in the United States with diabetes are also grappling with other physical, emotional and sexual health issues according to survey findings released today by the American Diabetes Association.

9 Sep 2008

FDA posts names of prescription drugs being investigated for potential safety problems

FDA officials on Friday said the agency will begin publishing quarterly a list of drugs being investigated for potential safety risks, the Washington Post reports.

9 Sep 2008

Top ANZ medical body says trainee doctors need more clinical training places

The top organisation which represents university medical schools in Australia and New Zealand has issued a stark warning regarding healthcare in Australia.

9 Sep 2008

Antibiotics still being over-prescribed by GPs

Antibiotics are still being over-prescribed by GPs in contravention of guidelines, potentially contributing to antibiotic-resistant "superbugs", research launched at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester has shown.

8 Sep 2008

New CDC push to teach parents how to protect children from MRSA

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today launched a national campaign to teach parents how to keep their children safe from skin infections caused by the potentially dangerous bacteria Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

8 Sep 2008

Dental fillings without gaps

Tooth cavities are usually closed with plastic fillings. However, the initially soft plastic shrinks as it hardens. The tension can cause gaps to appear between the tooth and the filling, encouraging more caries to form. For the first time, researchers have simulated this process.

7 Sep 2008

FDA to post quarterly report of potential drug safety issues

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has posted on its Web site its first quarterly report that lists certain drugs that are being evaluated for potential safety issues. The drugs have been identified based on a review of reports in FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS).

7 Sep 2008

Free drug samples may end up costing uninsured more

Free drug samples provided to physicians by pharmaceutical companies could actually be costing uninsured patients more in the long run, according to a study done by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues.

7 Sep 2008

Computerized reminder system drove up colon cancer screening rates

A computerized reminder system used in community-based primary care doctors' offices increased colorectal cancer screening rates by an average of 9 percent, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Health System.

7 Sep 2008

Georgia approves HMO fee to help fund state Medicaid program

The Georgia Department of Community Health board on Thursday approved a plan to charge commercial HMOs the same fee as managed care companies that operate the state's Medicaid program in an effort to make up for a 5% reduction in program funding, the Savannah Morning News reports.

4 Sep 2008

A home early warning system for cardiac patients

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in Europe and early diagnosis is essential to save lives. Monitoring the heart's rhythm and electrical activity in real time using an electrocardiogram (ECG) provides vital information about abnormalities and gives clues to the nature of a problem. Some cardiac conditions need long-term monitoring - inconvenient for patients as it requires them to be away from their everyday environment for indeterminate periods of time.

3 Sep 2008

Washington Post examines HIV/AIDS outreach efforts aimed at African immigrants

The Washington Post on Tuesday examined HIV/AIDS outreach efforts aimed at African immigrants in the U.S. According to the Post, some health researchers say that the "message" that HIV/AIDS also affects Africans in the U.S. is "growing in importance as they become increasingly concerned that the AIDS epidemic ravaging sub-Saharan Africa is following migrants from that continent to America."

2 Sep 2008

New guidelines for dealing with earwax

Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists in the U.S. have come up with new guidelines for dealing with earwax.

2 Sep 2008

Millions face undiagnosed heart risk in the UK say researchers after mass screening

One in three people with a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) over the next 10 years have not been diagnosed, according to a major study in the September issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

2 Sep 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report highlights recent Medicaid news in six states

Three insurance companies that cover 60% of people enrolled in Florida "Medicaid Reform" plans have said they will leave the project and have asked to be assigned no new members, a move suspected to be a result of reductions in Medicaid payments to the plans, Florida Health News reports.

1 Sep 2008