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Breakthrough on chronic disease management by GPs

Australian Medical Association (AMA) President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, said today that the Australian Government’s introduction of chronic disease items to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) would deliver a double benefit to GPs and their patients.

9 Jun 2005

African-American and Hispanic patients with diabete are less likely to get eye exams

African-American and Hispanic patients with diabete are less likely than white patients to get eye exams, flu shots or cholesterol tests as part of their diabetes prevention care, according to a new review of recent studies in the latest issue of American Journal of Managed Care.

8 Jun 2005

New generation of lenses makes evolutionary leap in eliminating need for glasses

The need for reading glasses or bifocals as we age may begin fading from sight with the latest generation of intraocular lenses.

3 Jun 2005

Nearly one out of two visits to a doctor's office for help with a sleep disorder result in the prescription of potentially addictive medications

The drugs, called benzodiazepines, are often a cheaper alternative to some newer types of medicines that don't have the same potentially addictive side effects, said Rajesh Balkrishnan, the study's lead author and the Merrell Dow professor of pharmacy at Ohio State University.

1 Jun 2005

Competition from specialty hospitals promotes high-quality patient care

Specialty hospitals provide quality care to patients by offering new choices, and this hospital competition should not be stifled, the American Medical Association (AMA) testified to a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs this week.

26 May 2005

Study supports the view that public concerns about genetic discrimination are substantial

A new study - the largest to date of public attitudes about genetic discrimination - finds that 40 percent of people already undergoing genetic testing are worried that participation might affect their future insurance coverage.

25 May 2005

Leading patient safety advocates assess progress in reducing medical error five years after landmark IOM report

It has been five years since the release of the Institute of Medicine’s landmark report on medical errors, “To Err is Human.” What progress has been made to improve patient safety since the report found that nearly 100,000 deaths occur annually as a result of medical error?

18 May 2005

Prescription drug affordability woes grow for Americans

More Americans—especially those with chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma and depression-are going without prescription drugs because of cost concerns, according to a new national study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC).

18 May 2005

Distributing medications in specially designed blister packages rather than in bottles may increase the likelihood that medications will be taken properly

The study found that patients taking lisinopril – a medication used to treat chronic high blood pressure – were more likely to have their prescriptions refilled on time if the medication came in a blister package rather than as loose tablets in a bottle. In this case, the blister package clearly started the day on which to take each pill.

16 May 2005

Data from its 43 million Medicare patients to be used to track side effects of drugs

The Medicare program in the U.S. plans to use data from its 43 million patients in order to accelerate the detection of dangerous side effects from drugs already on the market.

11 May 2005

U.S. Government will pay hospitals for treatment provided to illegal aliens

Health care providers in the U.S. will, as from this week, be able to charge the government for emergency care they provide to illegal aliens.

9 May 2005

Older adults with diabetes in managed care networks have higher rates of untreated eye disease

Medicare beneficiaries at high risk for eye disease due to diabetes are more likely to have unrecognized and untreated eye disease if they are enrolled in managed care than if they have fee-for-service (FFS) health insurance, according to an article in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

9 May 2005

Misunderstandings real cost barrier to mammography

Women often cite cost as one reason they don't get regular mammography check-ups, but a new study finds they often misunderstand or simply aren't aware of benefits in their insurance plans that might help offset any financial burden.

9 May 2005

Study calls for earlier use of ICDs in patients diagnosed with cardiomyopathy

A study presented today at the Late Breaking Clinical Trials presentations at the Heart Rhythm Society's Annual Scientific Sessions in New Orleans found that implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD) benefit patients with recently diagnosed cardiomyopathy, a disease that affects the heart muscle's ability to pump and can lead to heart failure.

8 May 2005

Internet may help prevent blindness in Medicaid patients with diabetes

A Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center team is launching a high-tech study to determine if early screening using a special camera and images transmitted over the Internet can prevent blindness in Medicaid patients with diabetes.

4 May 2005

Peter Costello is using discredited Health Department figures to push for IVF cuts

Australian Medical Association (AMA) President, Dr Bill Glasson, has said that Treasurer Peter Costello was using discredited Health Department figures to support the Government's callous Budget plans to restrict Medicare access to IVF treatments.

4 May 2005

20 million working Americans are without health insurance

A survey in the U.S. has found that more than 20 million working Americans have no health insurance and as many as one in four employed people are without health care in some states. The report also found that 41 percent of these uninsured report having trouble seeing a doctor when they need to compared to 9 percent of insured adults.

27 Apr 2005

Callous IVF cuts will crush the dreams of hopeful women and families - Australian Medical Association

Australian Medical Association President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today that the Government's speculated Budget cut to IVF treatment is a callous attack on the dreams of hopeful women and families, which further diminishes the Government's health credentials.

27 Apr 2005

“Virtual Colonoscopy” effective in finding most polyps but may miss small ones

A type of noninvasive “virtual colonoscopy” can diagnose medium to large polyps as well as traditional colorectal probes can, but it may miss some smaller yet potentially cancerous growths, according to a new review of studies.

21 Apr 2005

Survey finds four in ten seniors do not take medications as prescribed

Four in 10 seniors told researchers in a recent national survey that they haven’t taken all the drugs their doctors prescribed for them in the past year – either because the costs were too high, because they didn’t think the drugs were helping them, or because they didn’t think they needed them.

19 Apr 2005

Medicare News and Research

Breakthrough on chronic disease management by GPs

African-American and Hispanic patients with diabete are less likely to get eye exams

New generation of lenses makes evolutionary leap in eliminating need for glasses

Nearly one out of two visits to a doctor's office for help with a sleep disorder result in the prescription of potentially addictive medications

Competition from specialty hospitals promotes high-quality patient care

Study supports the view that public concerns about genetic discrimination are substantial

Leading patient safety advocates assess progress in reducing medical error five years after landmark IOM report

Prescription drug affordability woes grow for Americans

Distributing medications in specially designed blister packages rather than in bottles may increase the likelihood that medications will be taken properly

Data from its 43 million Medicare patients to be used to track side effects of drugs

U.S. Government will pay hospitals for treatment provided to illegal aliens

Older adults with diabetes in managed care networks have higher rates of untreated eye disease

Misunderstandings real cost barrier to mammography

Study calls for earlier use of ICDs in patients diagnosed with cardiomyopathy

Internet may help prevent blindness in Medicaid patients with diabetes

Peter Costello is using discredited Health Department figures to push for IVF cuts

20 million working Americans are without health insurance

Callous IVF cuts will crush the dreams of hopeful women and families - Australian Medical Association

“Virtual Colonoscopy” effective in finding most polyps but may miss small ones

Survey finds four in ten seniors do not take medications as prescribed

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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