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First Edition: December 10, 2006

Today's headlines reflect Democrats' optimism surrounding the tentative agreement reached in the Senate just as questions about its specifics emerge.

10 Dec 2009

Tips to help patients become more active and involved in their health care

A visit to the doctor is a time to talk and learn, and patients play a critical role in their health care, just like doctors, nurses and other caregivers, according to The Joint Commission's "Tips for Your Doctor's Visit" Speak Up™ educational campaign.

10 Dec 2009

Ubiquitous health monitoring system can cut hospital visits and save lives

A ubiquitous health monitoring system that automatically alerted the patient's family or physician to problematic changes in the person's vital signs could cut hospital visits and save lives, according to Japanese researchers writing in the International Journal of Web and Grid Services.

10 Dec 2009

Experts offer tips to combat health care crisis

As 2009 winds down, the nation continues to struggle with a brutal economy, leading to a rise in the number of patients who are unemployed and overwhelmed by medical bills. Experts at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center offer these tips for coping.

10 Dec 2009

USC Fetal Therapy Program achieves improved survival rate in TTTS fetal surgery

A Southern California fetal surgery institute, one of only a handful in the United States, has posted enormously successful rates in treating a dangerous disorder that affects 10 percent of unborn identical twins.

10 Dec 2009

UnitedHealthcare improves access to health care with DocGPS App of Apple’s iPhone

UnitedHealthcare is helping improve access to health care by putting its vast network of doctors, clinics, hospitals and other health care services on a new app just introduced on Apple’s iPhone.

9 Dec 2009

BIOLASE Technology's Waterlase MD laser system receives FDA marketing clearance

BIOLASE Technology, Inc., the world's leading dental laser company, today announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its Waterlase MD™ laser system for removal of subgingival calculi to prevent and treat periodontitis, the greatest cause of tooth loss for adults over 35 and a condition impacting more than half of Americans over the age of 55, as reported by the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP).

9 Dec 2009

Canadians have mixed emotions about their priorities for national healthcare system, finds survey

Agfa HealthCare, a leading provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions, announces today that Canadians have mixed emotions about their priorities for the national healthcare system.

9 Dec 2009

Utah project seeks to reduce 'overuse of health care'

News outlets report on a pilot project in Utah to reduce overuse of services and Medicaid cuts in Kansas.

8 Dec 2009

Medicare seeks to cut hospital readmissions with 'Care Transitions' project

The Associated Press reports that a "major push is underway around the country to cut rehospitalizations, in part by arming patients with simple steps to keep their recovery on track," such as getting quicker follow-up doctor visits and lessening medication confusion.

8 Dec 2009

New iPhone application to help find the top doctor

Have no fear during holiday travel this year — if you’re in a strange city, feel flu-like symptoms coming on and want to find a doctor, there’s a new iPhone App that will find one for you. The i Need a Doctor™ (www.ineedadoc.net) app is a joint venture between The Paladin Group LLC, the app developer, and two of the most respected doctor-rating services in the United States — the health care research organization Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. (www.castleconnolly.com) and the physician rating site DrScore (www.drscore.com).

8 Dec 2009

Consumer Watchdog: Opponents of health reform are fear-mongering relentlessly during Senate debate

Opponents of health reform are fear-mongering relentlessly during prolonged Senate debate, said Consumer Watchdog, spinning endlessly the lobbying messages of the insurance industry.

8 Dec 2009

ISST researchers develop software for physicians to have weekly 'Wound Conference'

Wounds suffered by patients with diabetes tend to heal poorly. For treatment to work, the patient's physician must discuss the situation with specialists and nursing staff to decide on the best approach. However, e-mailing the files containing the diagnosis and discussing them on the telephone is a time-consuming process.

8 Dec 2009

Beryl launches H1N1 Risk Assessment service to provide useful information about H1N1 virus

The Beryl Companies, the nation’s leading provider of outsourced call center services for the healthcare industry, has launched a new service that will enhance hospitals’ abilities to provide useful information to consumers who have questions and concerns about the H1N1 virus.

8 Dec 2009

Excess radiation exposure during CT perfusion imaging: FDA issues interim recommendations

As part of an ongoing investigation into cases of excess radiation during CT perfusion imaging of the brain, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today provided imaging facilities and practitioners with interim recommendations to help prevent additional problems.

8 Dec 2009

Patients with recurrent shoulder dislocations may benefit from new surgical technique

The shoulder is the most commonly dislocated joint in the human body, occurring most often in young, athletic people. New research from the University of Michigan Health System shows patients who have recurrent shoulder dislocations may benefit from surgical reconstruction using cadaver bone and cartilage to essentially 'sculpt' a new shoulder.

8 Dec 2009

Deaths from opioid use in Ontario have doubled, according to new study

Deaths from opioid use in Ontario have doubled-from 13.7 deaths per million residents in 1991 to 27.2 deaths per million residents in 2004-according to a new study led by physicians at St. Michael's Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) in Toronto.

8 Dec 2009

U.S. cancer rates continue to decline in racial and ethnic populations

Good news in the fight against cancer! A new report from leading health and cancer organizations shows national cancer rates continue to decline.

8 Dec 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

[I]t's virtually impossible to design a reform scheme that doesn't, in the early stages, involve at least some transfer of money away from the healthy and wealthy. The point of insurance is to pool risk, bringing in contributions from relatively healthy people, so that medical bills don't fall too heavily on the sick (Jonathan Cohn, 12/7).

7 Dec 2009

CDC announces the start of National Influenza Vaccination Week

Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the start of National Influenza Vaccination Week. While the week was designed to highlight the importance of flu vaccinations, it also brings to light the importance of taking additional steps to keep you and your family healthy during the peak cold and flu season of December, January and beyond.

7 Dec 2009