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Health reform poll: Immediate effects not building public support, many getting information from cable news

"The White House has, for weeks now, rolled out popular health reform benefits well ahead of schedule, items like coverage for young adult children and tax credits for small business, hoping these early deliverables would shore up public support. But a new poll, released this morning by the Kaiser Family Foundation, suggests the accelerated implementation schedule has failed to sway a skeptical public—or even kept health reform's most ardent supporters on board."

21 May 2010

Democrats push three-year Medicare 'doc fix' as part of larger tax bill

A proposal to stop planned payment cuts to Medicare doctors for three years is in a bill extending tax cuts and lengthening unemployment benefits.

21 May 2010

Consumers roundup: More patients choose high-deductible plans; Many neglect doctors medication directions

"The number of Americans enrolled in high-deductible health plans has risen to more than 10 million but still represents a small portion of the insurance market, according to a report from insurance group America's Health Insurance Plans. Enrollments in these high-deductible health plans, which typically are paired with tax-free health savings accounts or health-reimbursement arrangements, are up about 25 percent from last year, the report said" (5/20).

21 May 2010

Oberthur Technologies, SMART Association to offer smart card-centric ID solution to hospitals in North America

Oberthur Technologies, a global leader in the delivery of high security solutions and the #1 provider of smart credentials to the U.S. Federal government, has teamed up with one of healthcare's leading smart card software providers, SMART Association Inc., to offer a powerful, proven and secure, physical and logical access smart card-based admissions solution to hospitals and clinics throughout North America.

21 May 2010

Psychiatrists should be included in disaster first-response teams

Psychiatrists should be included in disaster first-response teams because survivors have immediate need for help in alleviating early trauma symptoms ranging from sleeplessness to constant anxiety, says a new study of 9/11 survivors and victims' family members published today in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice.

21 May 2010

Vitamin D plays much wider role in people's life

Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin - we make it when our skin is exposed to UV rays. In a perfect world everyone would eat fresh, organic foods, get outside, and enjoy a little sunshine all year round. But with today's busy lifestyles and concerns about skin cancer many people are vitamin D deficient and don't know it.

21 May 2010

Majority of patients satisfied with care, but doctors lack multicultural awareness

Most patients in the southeastern United States are satisfied with the care they get from their primary care doctor — though many doctors lack training for dealing with patients of different ethnic backgrounds and often fail to ask important questions that indicate multicultural awareness, according to results of two surveys presented at the American Heart Association's 11th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.

21 May 2010

Online health and wellness resource for libraries, educational institutions

A.D.A.M., Inc., a leading provider of consumer health information, benefits technology solutions and online education resources, today announced the availability of Well-Connected, its online health and wellness subscription-based product for the public library and information dissemination markets, featuring enhanced functionalities and user-friendly interfaces for library patrons.

21 May 2010

Americans divided over nation’s drug approval process

Nearly three-quarters of Americans are confident in our system for reviewing the effectiveness and safety of new medicines and medical devices, yet 41% say it takes too long to approve a drug and allow it to be sold to consumers.

21 May 2010

Caregivers can give complete clinical picture of brain cancer patients' condition

Despite grim prognoses and aggressive treatments, cancer patients suffering from malignant gliomas -- primary brain tumors -- often rate their quality of life more optimistically than their caregivers do, according to a new Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine study.

21 May 2010

Medicare 'doc fix' remains sticking point on tax legislation

CongressDaily: The Medicare reimbursement rate for doctors remains a point of contention on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers cautioned Wednesday that a five-year "fix," currently being bandied about in the House, is unlikely to survive Senate scrutiny, and Republicans, including Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, are demanding that any adjustment in doctor payments must be paid for.

21 May 2010

Treatment costs higher for CVD patients readmitted after leaving hospitals against medical advice

A University of Maryland School of Pharmacy study shows that among patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) who discharged themselves from the hospital early the treatment cost if they are readmitted runs 9 percent higher compared to CVD patients who had been formally discharged.

20 May 2010

Expert 'top tips' for management of childhood eczema

Several leading European dermatologists have launched guidance to help parents reduce the burden of eczema on children living with this disease. Experts from Denmark, France, Germany, Poland and Spain have come together to agree a consensus of 'top tips', which focus on avoiding situations that trigger painful flares and different ways to increase eczema 'flare-free' periods. The 'top tips', sponsored by Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd., are launched at the 10th European Society for Pediatric Dermatology Congress (ESPD), Switzerland.

20 May 2010

New study shows preoperative statin therapy protects patients undergoing elective AAA repair

Preoperative statin therapy has a protective effect on patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair that reduces risk and subsequent total hospital costs according to a new study from researchers at the East Carolina Heart Institute in Greenville, North Carolina.

20 May 2010

New online diagnosis tool offers prescriptions in a hurry

News outlets report on the expanding online relationship between doctors and patients.

20 May 2010

Parents interested in electronic methods for interacting with their children's physicians

Health care reform legislation includes promoting electronic health records to improve the efficiency and quality of medical care. Yet, little attention has been paid to understanding whether patients and parents have an interest in, or have access to, electronic methods for interacting with their children's physicians.

19 May 2010

Vaccinations recommended for adults

Yearly vaccinations aren't just for kids any more. You probably heard a lot about a seasonal or H1N1 flu shot last fall, but you should know that a battery of other adult vaccinations might also become part of your health care routine. Pneumonia and shingles vaccines are preventive-care essentials for older adults, and meningitis and tetanus shots are now college rites of passage. Even the vaccines of childhood—measles, mumps and rubella, and whooping cough—are recommended for adults who missed out in their younger years.

19 May 2010

People with asthma or COPD at risk from oil-dispersing chemicals

Oil washing ashore and the chemicals used in the clean up may pose a health risk for those who have respiratory diseases according to an environmental allergy-asthma expert.

19 May 2010

Hospitals experiment with new marketing, but critics say money should be spent on health care

Hospital marketing can be an effective way to attract doctors and new patients, but some critics say hospitals should spend the money on health care instead.

19 May 2010

Physicians opting out of some insurance create two-tiered medical system

The Fiscal Times: "A small but growing number of physicians are ... abandoning traditional insurance-based practice to offer VIP treatment, including more time with patients, in return for upfront fees. In one common setup, often called concierge or retainer-based medicine, a primary care doctor charges an annual fee ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 just to get in the door.

19 May 2010

Doctor News and Research

Health reform poll: Immediate effects not building public support, many getting information from cable news

Democrats push three-year Medicare 'doc fix' as part of larger tax bill

Consumers roundup: More patients choose high-deductible plans; Many neglect doctors medication directions

Oberthur Technologies, SMART Association to offer smart card-centric ID solution to hospitals in North America

Psychiatrists should be included in disaster first-response teams

Vitamin D plays much wider role in people's life

Majority of patients satisfied with care, but doctors lack multicultural awareness

Online health and wellness resource for libraries, educational institutions

Americans divided over nation’s drug approval process

Caregivers can give complete clinical picture of brain cancer patients' condition

Medicare 'doc fix' remains sticking point on tax legislation

Treatment costs higher for CVD patients readmitted after leaving hospitals against medical advice

Expert 'top tips' for management of childhood eczema

New study shows preoperative statin therapy protects patients undergoing elective AAA repair

New online diagnosis tool offers prescriptions in a hurry

Parents interested in electronic methods for interacting with their children's physicians

Vaccinations recommended for adults

People with asthma or COPD at risk from oil-dispersing chemicals

Hospitals experiment with new marketing, but critics say money should be spent on health care

Physicians opting out of some insurance create two-tiered medical system

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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