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Impact of a scientific presentation on community treatment patterns for primary breast cancer

The oral presentation of data from a single study at a national scientific conference can have an important impact on patient treatment, even before study publication or Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval

15 Mar 2006

Health disparities in heart attack hospital transfer patterns

Older, female and minority patients rushed to community hospitals with acute heart attacks are less likely to be transferred to a larger hospital that offers procedures to immediately open clogged arteries, Duke University Medical Center cardiologists have found.

13 Mar 2006

Reports of doctor shortages are wrong

Recent news reports that threaten a shortage of doctors to treat the burgeoning elderly population are wrong, according to researchers at Dartmouth Medical School's Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences (CECS).

9 Mar 2006

How close Americans live to hospitals that can perform angioplasty

University of Michigan and Yale analysis shows that within 60 minutes, 80 percent of Americans could reach a hospital that can do emergency angioplasty.

9 Mar 2006

Medicare must change the way that it values and reimburses physician services

...to prevent a collapse of primary care medicine in the U.S., the president of the American College of Physicians (ACP) told the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health.

9 Mar 2006

Exposure to fine particle air pollution significantly increases the risk for cardiovascular and respiratory disease

New data from a four-year study of 11.5 million Medicare enrollees show that short-term exposure to fine particle air pollution from such sources as motor vehicle exhaust and power plant emissions significantly increases the risk for cardiovascular and respiratory disease among people over 65 years of age.

9 Mar 2006

Short-term exposure to fine particulate matter increases hospital admissions for heart problems

Short-term exposure to fine particulate matter - the microscopic particles that pollute the air - increased hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory disease among Medicare participants, according to a study of 204 U.S. urban counties conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Yale University’s environment school.

8 Mar 2006

HAART is very cost-effective

New research shows that highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is very cost-effective, despite the high price tag. However, the study also shows that reimbursement to physicians treating patients with HIV is critically low, threatening patients' access to care.

1 Mar 2006

FDA shields drug companies from lawsuits

Last month, the FDA revealed its latest protective policy for drug companies in a statement that said people who believe they have been injured by drugs approved by the FDA should not be allowed to sue drug companies in state courts.

1 Mar 2006

Doctors fail to recommend colon cancer tests for low-income patients

Fewer than nine out of 10 low-income, medically underserved minority patients at risk for colorectal cancer receive a recommendation for colorectal cancer screening by physicians at government-supported community health centers

24 Feb 2006

Studies examine links between provider characteristics and mortality rates in ovarian cancer

Two studies in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute examine whether hospital volume, surgeon experience, or surgeon specialty affect the treatment received and the risk of death following treatment among women with ovarian cancer.

24 Feb 2006

Surgery for obesity now covered by Medicare

The U.S. government says obese elderly or disabled patients are now eligible for a range of surgical weight-loss procedures under the U.S. Medicare health insurance plan.

23 Feb 2006

External counterpulsation not effective as a treatment for heart failure

A new review of studies supports the government's opinion that too little evidence exists to support a device that uses balloon-like pants as a treatment for heart failure.

23 Feb 2006

Lung-volume reduction surgery is a good option for many patients with end-stage emphysema

Tens of thousands of Americans living with emphysema would benefit from a surgical procedure that removes part of the lung, according to national research presented by a Saint Louis University cardiothoracic surgeon.

21 Feb 2006

Demographic and economic consequences of anti-aging therapies

In the 21st century, state-of-the-art anti-aging technologies may extend human lifespans at an unprecedented rate, bringing with them a host of social and economic challenges, says biologist Shripad Tuljapurkar of Stanford University.

20 Feb 2006

Hospitalization of a spouse can harm the wellbeing of his or her partner

In the largest study ever to quantify caregiver burden and the widower effect, researchers found that for people aged 65 and older, hospitalization of a spouse can harm the wellbeing of his or her partner and significantly contribute to that partner's death.

17 Feb 2006

Most Americans don't know about Health Savings Accounts

A new nationally representative poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation examines what the public took away from President Bush’s State of the Union address, finding that the health messages in the speech have yet to register with most Americans.

16 Feb 2006

Simple diagnostic imaging procedure changes treatment for lower back pain

A simple diagnostic imaging procedure can help identify patients with lower back pain who would benefit from spinal injections and spare those who would not, according to a study appearing in the February issue of Radiology.

13 Feb 2006

PET imaging has the potential to improve cancer care management

A limitation of current cancer care is the difficulty of quickly assessing how well a therapy is working. However, expanding the use of existing positron emission tomography (PET) technology can provide early and accurate assessment of a tumor's response to a particular therapy allowing physicians to better tailor a patient's treatment

7 Feb 2006

Study shows one third of candidates are unlikely to benefit from ICD

Last year, about 170,000 people in North America had devices surgically implanted to stop potentially fatal arrhythmias. For many, these were life-saving, but for others they were unnecessary, uncomfortable, and sometimes dangerous.

7 Feb 2006