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Demystifying Psychiatry: A resource for patients and families

Psychiatric disorders are underdiagnosed, poorly treated and highly stigmatized, according to psychiatrists Charles F. Zorumski, M.D., and Eugene H. Rubin, M.D., Ph.D. So these Washington University physicians have written a book to address those problems.

15 Dec 2009

Primary care shortage affecting communities as hospitals struggle to keep up

CNN reports that five years ago "roughly half the doctors leaving medical school entered the work force as primary-care physicians; just 20 percent of current medical students are planning to work in primary care."

15 Dec 2009

UT Southwestern Medical Center performs minimally invasive procedures for sinuses and chronic rhinosinusitis

Only about one in 2,000 people in the United States get a sinus tumor, but Johnnie Wilcox was one of the unfortunate few.

15 Dec 2009

Study shows elderly blacks more likely to skip medication compared to white counterparts

Older adults experience a number of medication-related problems, including under treatment, suboptimal drugs, suboptimal dosing, and non-adherence, which can have negative effects on their quality of life. Now new research, from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that blacks have more medication-related problems than whites, and non-adherence to medical regimens is a particular issue for this group.

15 Dec 2009

NAMS recommends women to discuss osteoporosis with their OB/GYNs

According to a new survey distributed by The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), while 98 percent of women who participated consider bone strength to be an important health concern, nearly half (45 percent) of these women reported that osteoporosis was not addressed during their last routine OB/GYN visit, and more than a quarter (26.4 percent) of women surveyed have never discussed osteoporosis with their OB/GYN.

14 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 14, 2009

Today's headlines reflect the mounting pressure in the Senate regarding the pending health overhaul bill -- especially as the clock ticks closer to the Christmas holiday.

14 Dec 2009

Michigan Legislature passes new legislation for smoke-free workplaces

The Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) today applauded the wisdom of the Michigan legislature to enact legislation to make workplaces in our state smoke-free.

14 Dec 2009

Maine-based EMHS recognized for creating system-wide culture of safety

A poor economy in a rural area might seem like overwhelming obstacles to creating a sophisticated culture of safety in a health care system that serves the largest aging population in the country, but leaders at Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS) beat those odds in 2009.

14 Dec 2009

Iowa researchers discover new inherited retinal disease

University of Iowa researchers have found the existence of a new, rare inherited retinal disease. Now the search is on to find the genetic cause, which investigators hope will increase understanding of more common retinal diseases.

14 Dec 2009

Some Democratic Senators raise red flag on Medicare expansion idea

The possibility of allowing some 55-64 year olds to buy-in to Medicare is in the news today.

14 Dec 2009

Some rural communities concerned reform provisions could hurt Medicare services

Newspapers in Alaska and Washington state explore how health reform provisions might affect Medicare services in rural areas, while a Colorado newspaper looks at one senator's efforts to increase the number of doctors in rural areas.

14 Dec 2009

Patients can reduce their health care costs, improve overall wellness by communicating with doctors

Patients can reduce their health care costs and improve their overall wellness by communicating more effectively with their doctors, according to a recent report and list of 10 tips released by InfoMedics, Inc., a patient feedback company that works to improve patient-physician communication.

11 Dec 2009

Proscape CLM6 software enables customers to reach full competitive potential

Proscape Technologies, the pioneer and global leading provider of Closed Loop Marketing (CLM) software for Life Sciences companies, today announced that one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world has elected to capitalize upon Proscape's market-leading software platform as the key component of their global sales and marketing strategy.

11 Dec 2009

NCKUH and NHRI sponsor virology lab in Vietnam Children’s Hospital

A Virology Lab in Children’s Hospital No. 1 (CH1), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, sponsored by National Cheng Kung University Hospital (NCKUH) and National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) in Taiwan was launched on November 11th, 2009.

11 Dec 2009

Pertinent questions about H1N1 Influenza answered by NERAC

Municipalities in Massachusetts should assume that the H1N1 Influenza is now present in their communities, schools, and work places, and should take appropriate precautions to prevent the spread of this virus as well as the seasonal flu.

11 Dec 2009

Drop in U.S. colorectal cancer deaths

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) lauds the recent news of the decline in U.S. colorectal cancer death and incidence rates. The report, released this week, shows that from 1975 to 2000, incidence rates dropped 22 percent and death rates dropped 26 percent.

10 Dec 2009

ARTs safe without routine lab tests, Lancet study finds

A Lancet study published online Tuesday validates the safety of administering first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) to patients with HIV without routine toxicity and efficacy lab tests, "[b]ut tests of immune-system function might still be a good idea to monitor the progression of the disease and guide the second year of treatment," HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report reports. Patients in Africa "often receive [HIV] drug treatment ... without routine laboratory monitoring," according to the article.

10 Dec 2009

Fewer Massachusetts taxpayers penalized for lacking health insurance

The Boston Globe: "Fewer Massachusetts taxpayers were penalized for lacking required health insurance last year than were fined in 2007, the state said yesterday in a report reflecting the second year that residents had to report on their tax returns whether they were covered under the state's near-universal-coverage mandate.

10 Dec 2009

Phytel’s Proactive Patient Outreach solution to be implemented at The Iowa Clinic

Phytel, the leader in empowering physicians to drive health improvement through technology, announced today that The Iowa Clinic, a large multispecialty group based in Des Moines, has agreed to implement Phytel’s Proactive Patient Outreach solution to make sure that all of its patients receive appropriate preventive and chronic disease care.

10 Dec 2009