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Massachusetts lawmakers pass legislation to attract more primary care physicians to state as wait times for appointments increase

The average wait time for an appointment with a primary care physician in Massachusetts this year increased to 36 days from 34 days in 2007, according to an annual study by the Massachusetts Medical Society, the AP/Boston Herald reports (AP/Boston Herald, 9/22).

24 Sep 2008

New York Times examines new surveillance measures in WHO's world malaria report 2008

The New York Times on Tuesday examined the data collection methods used in the World Malaria Report 2008, which was released last week by the World Health Organization (McNeil, New York Times, 9/23).

24 Sep 2008

Family history of brain tumours increases the risk

New research has found that people with a family history of cancerous brain tumours appear to have higher risk of developing the same kind of tumours.

23 Sep 2008

Medicare Part B premiums in 2009 will not increase for most beneficiaries

CMS on Friday announced that monthly outpatient care premiums for about 95% of Medicare recipients will remain at $96.40 in 2009, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 9/20).

22 Sep 2008

CMS to suspend competitive acquisition program for medications covered under Medicare Part B

A CMS official last week said that the agency on Jan. 1 will suspend the Competitive Acquisition Program, launched in 2006 to supply certain medications to physician offices, because of "contractual issues" related to proprietary data, CQ HealthBeat reports.

16 Sep 2008

Parents of dying newborns need clearer explanation of options

Parent-doctor discussions about whether to maintain or withdraw life support from terminally ill or severely premature newborns are so plagued by miscommunication and misunderstanding that they might as well be in different languages, according to a small but potentially instructive new study from Johns Hopkins Children's Center reported in the September issue of Pediatrics.

15 Sep 2008

2% of U.S. medical students plan to become primary care physicians, study says

Two percent of medical students in a survey said they planned to go into general internal medicine, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, USA Today reports.

11 Sep 2008

Rep. Stark prepared to introduce legislation this week to spur nationwide adoption of electronic health records

House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chair Pete Stark (D-Calif.) this week plans to introduce a bill intended to encourage nationwide adoption of electronic health record technology that will include a provision to impose penalties on health care providers who fail to do so, CQ Today reports.

11 Sep 2008

Grand Rapids Press examines Alzheimer's disease care among Hispanics

The Grand Rapids Press on Tuesday examined the "cultural tightrope" faced by some Hispanics who seek long-term care for a family member with Alzheimer's disease.

11 Sep 2008

The Quantum Group files four new provisional healthcare IT patents

The Quantum Group, Inc., a Wellington, Florida based healthcare organization, announced the filing of four new provisional patents to enhance the proprietary PWeR(TM) platform developed by the Company and to drive greater efficiencies within the healthcare industry.

10 Sep 2008

'Deep flaws' with pay-for-performance model need to be addressed to provide quality health care, according to commentary

The "general intent" of pay-for-performance programs "is to reward doctors for providing better care," but as they gain "momentum, the initiative[s] may be having untoward consequences," Sandeep Jauhar, a New York-based cardiologist and author, writes in a New York Times commentary. "To get an inkling of the potential problems," Jauhar discusses another quality-improvement program: surgical report cards.

10 Sep 2008

Risk assessment tool finds that blacks with breathing conditions have higher risk for developing lung cancer than whites

Blacks with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- including chronic bronchitis and some types of serious chronic asthma -- have a risk for developing lung cancer about twice as high as that of whites with the condition, according to a study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, Reuters reports.

10 Sep 2008

Doctor labelled the "Bega Butcher" arrested and charged

The New South Wales Health Department is in the news again with the arrest of a doctor who has been charged with 17 offences regarding 10 of his patients.

10 Sep 2008

Men's health campaign launched to address often overlooked physical, emotional and sexual issues affecting men with diabetes

In addition to dealing with the day-to-day aspects of diabetes management that involve blood glucose, nutrition and lifestyle management, men in the United States with diabetes are also grappling with other physical, emotional and sexual health issues according to survey findings released today by the American Diabetes Association.

9 Sep 2008

FDA posts names of prescription drugs being investigated for potential safety problems

FDA officials on Friday said the agency will begin publishing quarterly a list of drugs being investigated for potential safety risks, the Washington Post reports.

9 Sep 2008

Top ANZ medical body says trainee doctors need more clinical training places

The top organisation which represents university medical schools in Australia and New Zealand has issued a stark warning regarding healthcare in Australia.

9 Sep 2008

Antibiotics still being over-prescribed by GPs

Antibiotics are still being over-prescribed by GPs in contravention of guidelines, potentially contributing to antibiotic-resistant "superbugs", research launched at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester has shown.

8 Sep 2008

New CDC push to teach parents how to protect children from MRSA

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today launched a national campaign to teach parents how to keep their children safe from skin infections caused by the potentially dangerous bacteria Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

8 Sep 2008

Dental fillings without gaps

Tooth cavities are usually closed with plastic fillings. However, the initially soft plastic shrinks as it hardens. The tension can cause gaps to appear between the tooth and the filling, encouraging more caries to form. For the first time, researchers have simulated this process.

7 Sep 2008

FDA to post quarterly report of potential drug safety issues

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has posted on its Web site its first quarterly report that lists certain drugs that are being evaluated for potential safety issues. The drugs have been identified based on a review of reports in FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS).

7 Sep 2008

Doctor News and Research

Massachusetts lawmakers pass legislation to attract more primary care physicians to state as wait times for appointments increase

New York Times examines new surveillance measures in WHO's world malaria report 2008

Family history of brain tumours increases the risk

Medicare Part B premiums in 2009 will not increase for most beneficiaries

CMS to suspend competitive acquisition program for medications covered under Medicare Part B

Parents of dying newborns need clearer explanation of options

2% of U.S. medical students plan to become primary care physicians, study says

Rep. Stark prepared to introduce legislation this week to spur nationwide adoption of electronic health records

Grand Rapids Press examines Alzheimer's disease care among Hispanics

The Quantum Group files four new provisional healthcare IT patents

'Deep flaws' with pay-for-performance model need to be addressed to provide quality health care, according to commentary

Risk assessment tool finds that blacks with breathing conditions have higher risk for developing lung cancer than whites

Doctor labelled the "Bega Butcher" arrested and charged

Men's health campaign launched to address often overlooked physical, emotional and sexual issues affecting men with diabetes

FDA posts names of prescription drugs being investigated for potential safety problems

Top ANZ medical body says trainee doctors need more clinical training places

Antibiotics still being over-prescribed by GPs

New CDC push to teach parents how to protect children from MRSA

Dental fillings without gaps

FDA to post quarterly report of potential drug safety issues

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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