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UTHealth receives $15M stimulus grant to conduct research on advanced information technology

An elderly woman suspected of having a stroke arrives confused at the emergency room. The physician uses the basic information she is able to provide to access the critical medical history that will help him treat her. In simplest terms, that's the promise of health information technology.

8 Apr 2010

Women need to be educated on osteoporosis risk factors and treatment: Study

Underscoring what researchers call a serious global public health concern, results from a new study led by Columbia University Medical Center reveal that many women at an elevated level of risk for osteoporosis-associated fractures fail to perceive the implications of the risk factors.

8 Apr 2010

Researchers discover two genetic regions that influence birth weight

New research uncovers two genetic regions that influence birth weight. One of the regions is also associated with type 2 diabetes, which helps to explain why small babies have higher rates of diabetes in later life.

8 Apr 2010

$Women unaware of risk of dangerous osteoporosis fractures$

Women unaware of risk of dangerous osteoporosis fractures

Only one in three Australian women diagnosed with osteoporosis are aware they are at higher risk of sustaining debilitating bone fractures, according to a landmark international study published with input from University of Sydney researchers.

7 Apr 2010

Sitting down during hospital room visits induces perception of having stayed longer

Sitting down on the job has its advantages. New data from The University of Kansas Hospital finds that patients perceive doctors who sit down during their hospital room visits stay longer than doctors who stand during the visit – even when doctors who sit don't stay as long as doctors who stand.

7 Apr 2010

CBOs implement proven HIV/STD risk-reduction intervention with adolescents

An approach designed to reduce HIV/STDs previously used exclusively by academic researchers has successfully been implemented by community-based organizations (CBOs), an important component in national strategies to curtail the spread of HIV, meaning far more "at risk" youths can be reached.

7 Apr 2010

Implementation of electronic health record systems may not be enough to improve health quality

The implementation of electronic health record systems may not be enough to significantly improve health quality and reduce costs. In the April 2010 issue of Health Affairs, researchers from the Mongan Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital report finding that currently implemented systems have little effect on measures such as patient mortality, surgical complications, length of stay and costs.

7 Apr 2010

Doctors prepare to take recertification tests; California case examines patient safety

The Associated Press: "For the first time since leaving medical school, many doctors are having to take tests to renew board certification in their fields — 147 specialties from dermatology to obstetrics. Any doctor can deliver a baby, treat cancer, or declare himself a cardiologist. Certification means the doctor had special training in that field and passed an exam to prove knowledge of it.

7 Apr 2010

Financial stake in surgery centers motivates doctors to operate more often

When doctors become invested in an outpatient surgery center, they perform on average twice as many surgeries as doctors with no such financial stake, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Health System.

7 Apr 2010

IGRAs effective for detecting confirmed active TB disease: CHEST

New data from a meta-analysis of existing literature published today in CHEST, the official journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, demonstrate that Interferon Gamma Release Assays are superior to the previous standard in diagnostics, the 100+-year-old tuberculin skin test, for detecting confirmed active Tuberculosis disease.

7 Apr 2010

First Edition: April 6, 2010

Among today's headlines is news about a lawsuit filed by Massachusetts insurers who are seeking to reverse the state insurance commissioner's decision and allow them to raise rates.

6 Apr 2010

Nanoparticle-core polymer holds promise as weight-bearing replacement for traditional graft materials

Orthopedic surgeons are often hamstrung by less-than-ideal grafting material when performing surgeries for complex bone injuries resulting from trauma, aging or cancer. Conventional synthetic bone grafts are typically made of stiff polymers or brittle ceramics, and cannot readily conform to the complex and irregular shapes that often result from injury; in addition, they often require metallic fixation devices that require open surgeries to insert and remove.

6 Apr 2010

ITI to lead multi-university consortium to improve patient outcomes

The U.S. health care community has increasingly been adopting the use of electronic medical records and other electronic health information systems, but serious concerns about the security and privacy of those systems have been raised.

6 Apr 2010

Comprehensive cardiac health study provides superior results

Kenneth "Buddy" Conant hit some clothing stores for a little shopping spree recently, but it wasn't because he'd suddenly become enthralled with the latest fashions. The truth was, he was starting to resemble a kid wearing a grown man's clothes.

6 Apr 2010

Socially deprived children appear to benefit from foster care

Socially deprived children removed from orphanages and placed in foster care appear to experience gains in growth and intelligence, catching up to their non-institutionalized peers on many measures, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the June print issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

6 Apr 2010

Health law may worsen primary care doctor shortage

NPR: "The new health bill signed by President Obama includes an incentive for doctors to serve the poorest patients by increasing their federal Medicaid payments. This could be quite a significant inducement, as an additional 16 million people are expected to join the Medicaid rolls in the next 10 years."

5 Apr 2010

Conference to combat health care fraud

With estimates of annual losses as much as $230 billion and legitimate costs also skyrocketing, the US health care industry is now looking to better control the impact of fraud. And with the ever-growing amount of data involving health care claims, new automated fraud-fighting capabilities are absolutely required.

5 Apr 2010

Individualized therapies for treating type 2 diabetes recommended

Chevy Chase, MD-Patients with type 2 diabetes are generally treated similarly despite the fact that they may have underlying differences that could affect their therapeutic response. Seeking to address this critical health issue, an international multidisciplinary group of experts just issued recommendations for individualized treatment in a consensus statement to be published in the April 2010 issue of the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

5 Apr 2010

Selecta Biosciences raises $15M in new Series C financing round

Selecta Biosciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing synthetic nanoparticle vaccines, today announced that it has raised $15 million in a Series C financing round. OrbiMed Advisors LLC led the round, with participation from existing investors Polaris Venture Partners, Flagship Ventures, NanoDimension and Leukon Investments. The Series C financing brings the total capital raised by Selecta over the past 15 months to more than $30 million.

5 Apr 2010

66 newly-minted pharmacists to get diplomas at ETSU

When 66 newly-minted pharmacists at East Tennessee State University -- the first graduating class of the Gatton College of Pharmacy -- get their diplomas in a few weeks, it will be not only a personal triumph but also a victory of community spirit.

5 Apr 2010