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New study shows antidepressant use increases among people with no psychiatric diagnosis

Americans are no strangers to antidepressants. During the last 20 years the use of antidepressants has grown significantly making them one of the most costly and the third most commonly prescribed class of medications in the U. S.

6 Aug 2011

Longer looks: Penalties for doctors who keep patients waiting

When she makes a doctor's appointment, Cherie Kerr makes it clear that she better not be kept waiting long. She said she usually tries to schedule the first appointment of the day, or the first one after lunch. But if the doctor is going to be late, she insists the staff give her a call -- lest the office be billed for her time in the waiting room.

15 Jul 2011

First Edition: June 16, 2011

In today's headlines, reports about the prospect for Medicaid cutbacks in an emerging bipartisan budget deal, as well as how a report from a Medicare advisory panel may bolster Medicare options currently on the table.

16 Jun 2011

Spanish scale measures concern about cancer in healthy people

When a person has a family history of cancer, their worry about developing the disease may lead to them refusing to have preventive tests. Advice from genetic counselling units reduces their anxiety but, until now, nobody knew how much. Now, a scientific team has validated the 'Escala de Preocupaci-n por el C-ncer - EPC' (equivalent of the Cancer Worry Scale), the first of its kind in the Spanish language, in order to evaluate it.

10 Jun 2011

Frequently hospitalized patients may need a specialist focused on their care: Hospital care expert

Declining rates of hospitalization have discouraged primary care doctors from seeing their patients in the hospital and encouraged the growing use of "hospitalists," a new physician specialty focused on the care of hospitalized patients.

30 Apr 2011

Tai chi for heart failure patients: It works!

A latest study from Harvard Medical School has found that Tai chi, often called “meditation in motion,” appears to improve the quality of life in people with heart failure. The ancient Chinese exercise of tai chi features physical movements that are slow and gentle and require concentration. The study is published in the April 25, 2011 issues of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

26 Apr 2011

Doctors who use iResus application perform better simulated cardiac arrest emergency

Doctors who used a free iPhone application provided by the UK Resuscitation Council performed significantly better in a simulated medical emergency than those who did not, according to a study in the April issue of Anaesthesia.

29 Mar 2011

New study: CHG cloths more effective in reducing risk of hospital-acquired infections

A new study from Rhode Island Hospital has found a reduced risk of hospital-acquired infections when using two percent chlorhexidine gluconate cloths for daily bathing instead of soap and water.

16 Feb 2011

Study finds GI bleeding rare outside of ICU, regardless of whether or not patients receive medication

Over the last several decades, the prophylactic use of acid-suppressive medications to help prevent gastrointestinal bleeding in hospitalized patients has increased significantly, with some studies estimating that as many as 40 to 70 percent of all medical inpatients are given these drugs at some point during their hospitalization.

15 Feb 2011

Study highlights link between food insufficiency, health care use among homeless adults

Homeless people who do not get enough to eat use hospitals and emergency rooms at very high rates, according to a new study. One in four respondents to a nationwide survey reported not getting enough to eat, a proportion six times higher than in the general population, and more than two thirds of those had recently gone without eating for a whole day. The report will appear in the Journal of General Internal Medicine and has been released online.

4 Feb 2011

Tips to prevent a hangover

Dr. Andrew Yacht, director of the division of general medicine and vice chair of medicine for education at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City said, “Alcohol clearly causes hangovers, but why it causes hangovers isn’t very well understood…Part of the suspected cause is dehydration and an electrolyte and hormonal imbalance. Some of the symptoms may be caused by low blood sugar. Or, it may be that the direct toxic effects of alcohol are causing the symptoms.”

2 Jan 2011

JAMA: OTC medications' dosing instructions for children adhere poorly to FDA guidelines

A recent Journal of the American Medical Association study indicates dosing instructions and dose delivery devices of over-the-counter medications for children poorly adhere to FDA guidelines.

2 Dec 2010

Not enough doctors for primary care medical homes

Provisions of new federal health care reforms will move the country toward a primary care medical home for patients, but the nation may not have enough primary care doctors to handle the workload, according to a study by the University of Michigan Health System.

12 Nov 2010

Studies examine risk factors for hospital readmission

In two studies published today in the Journal of Hospital Medicine, the risk factors for readmission to the hospital are examined based upon general medicine inpatients and those with at least two admissions in a six-month period. Alongside clinical factors such as having cancer, chronic diseases such as heart failure or lung disease, or being on high-risk medications, the studies identified other factors which increase the likelihood of a patient being readmitted which could help hospitalists focus in on these groups.

13 Oct 2010

AACR to host Third Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities

The American Association for Cancer Research will host its Third Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities at the Loews Hotel in Miami from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, 2010.

29 Sep 2010

CHCA selects MedQuist to improve clinical documentation workflow

MedQuist Inc., a leading provider of medical transcription services, and a leader in technology-enabled clinical documentation workflow, continues to build partnerships with the nation's top healthcare organizations by developing and implementing solutions that form the backbone of clinical documentation workflow management.

25 Aug 2010

Simple, low-cost interventions reduce most common hospital-acquired infections

Urinary catheters are often left in place longer than needed, and new research shows that reminder systems that encourage hospital staff to remove catheters promptly can reduce the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections by 52 percent.

17 Aug 2010

Nanoliposomes engineered to deliver therapeutic drugs that kill malignant cells

A new way to deliver cancer-fighting drugs using tiny particles made from lipids and chemotherapy drugs may have the power to knock out malignancies with a one-two punch. The strategy holds promise for patients with many different kinds of cancers.

25 May 2010

Round-up: Mississippi struggles with mental health services funding cuts; A drug discount bill advances in Mass.

"Lawmakers earlier this year vigorously fought Gov. Haley Barbour's proposal to close four state mental health hospitals and six crisis centers as a budget-saving measure. Now, nonprofit-run centers that offer front-line services for the mentally ill in some of the poorest communities across Mississippi could face closure."