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Health law influences small business owners' decisions

The Wall Street Journal reports that even though the mandate was delayed requiring businesses with more than 50 employees to provide coverage for their workers, the overhaul is affecting how companies are run.

25 Apr 2014

Enhanced recovery approach used for colorectal surgery cut hospital stays

Changes in managing patients before, during and after colorectal surgery cut hospital stays by two days and reduced readmission rates, according to researchers who led a study of the approach at Duke University Hospital.

25 Apr 2014

Survey: Most Americans favor health law's birth control coverage mandate

Though this health law provision continues to be controversial and is the subject of various legal challenges, a recent survey conducted by University of Michigan researchers found that 69 percent of Americans support the requirement.

25 Apr 2014

Aetna raises earnings outlook

In other market news, coverage continues of the cost and effectiveness of Sovaldi, a new drug to treat hepatitis C, and the related earnings gained by Gilead Sciences, its manufacturer.

25 Apr 2014

Better educated people appear to recover from traumatic brain injury

Better-educated people appear to be significantly more likely to recover from a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), suggesting that a brain's "cognitive reserve" may play a role in helping people get back to their previous lives, new Johns Hopkins research shows.

25 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 24, 2014

Today's headlines include a number of reports about how the health law is playing in midterm election campaigns.

25 Apr 2014

Youth who work with horses experience substantial reduction in stress

New research from Washington State University reveals how youth who work with horses experience a substantial reduction in stress - and the evidence lies in kids' saliva.

25 Apr 2014

Study explores how food portrayed in children's TV programmes

Fruits and vegetables are often displayed in the popular Swedish children's TV show Bolibompa, but there are also plenty of high-sugar foods. A new study from the University of Gothenburg explores how food is portrayed in children's TV programmes as well as the link between young children's TV viewing, dietary habits and weight status.

25 Apr 2014

Community-based structured weight loss program improves diabetes symptoms

Weight loss and control of blood sugar can reduce the risk of complications in patients with diabetes but this is difficult for many to achieve. A University of California, San Diego School of Medicine randomized controlled trial of obese adults with type 2 diabetes suggests that participants enrolled in a community-based structured weight loss program are able to shed more pounds, improve blood sugar control and reduce or eliminate insulin use and other medications compared to a control group.

25 Apr 2014

Sales of hepatitis drug shatter records

Record sales of the pricey new drug, Sovaldi, pushed first-quarter earnings of Gilead Sciences beyond expectations. Meanwhile, Novartis' recently announced deals with GlaxoSmithKline and Eli Lilly show manufacturers' swing towards specialization, reports The Wall Street Journal.

25 Apr 2014

Regulators vote against approving new painkiller

A key government panel Tuesday voted unanimously against approval of a powerful opioid prescription painkiller intended to provide faster relief with fewer side effects. At the conclusion of a hearing, the Food and Drug Administration advisory committee voted 14-0 against recommending that the agency approve Moxduo, the first drug to combine morphine and oxycodone into one capsule (Stein, 4/22).

25 Apr 2014

Lawsuit challenging health law subsidies gains backing of 38 GOP lawmakers

The challenge, brought by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., targets the rule allowing the federal government to pay part of the health insurance premiums for lawmakers and some staffers.

25 Apr 2014

LA BioMed researcher wins Ray E. Helfer Award for contributions to detection, prevention of child abuse

Carol D. Berkowitz, MD, a Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute lead researcher, was recently honored for her distinguished contributions to the detection and prevention of child abuse and neglect by the Ray E. Helfer Society, a national organization of physicians devoted to the problem of maltreated children.

25 Apr 2014

Four insurers enroll nearly 95% of California sign-ups

Nonetheless, experts say California's online marketplace increased competition in the state's individual market. Meanwhile, lower-than-expected enrollment in Oregon creates budget issues, and a Democratic congresswoman from Arizona calls on the administration to extend the enrollment deadline past April 15.

25 Apr 2014

Democrats in tough La., Pa., and Fla. races embrace health law

Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Rep. Allyson Schwartz, who is running for governor of Pennsylvania, and Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist tout the improvements from the law.

25 Apr 2014

Cook Medical's Instinct Endoscopic Hemoclip now available to gastroenterologists

The Instinct Endoscopic Hemoclip is now available to gastroenterologists in major global markets. The clip is used to stop gastrointestinal (GI) tract bleeding, which is a condition that can be challenging to treat because of the variations among bleeds.

From COOK MEDICAL INC. 23 Apr 2014

Political cartoon: 'Bill Of Health?'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Bill Of Health?" by Mike Luckovich.

23 Apr 2014

Liaison Healthcare's EMR-Link solution recognized as a certified Health IT Quality Solution

As a certified Health IT Quality Solution, Liaison Healthcare's EMR-Link solution has been recognized by Quest Diagnostics as meeting or exceeding advanced industry standards for health IT quality and for providing a streamlined, interoperable solution that enables secure clinical laboratory ordering and results reporting through Quest Diagnostics connectivity solutions.

From Quest Diagnostics 23 Apr 2014

Nearly 179 million cases of acute diarrhea occur each year in the U.S.

In the United States, approximately 179 million cases of acute diarrhea occur each year, and most of those cases are entirely preventable, a researcher from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston concluded in a New England Journal of Medicine review article.

23 Apr 2014

WLSA's Convergence Summit to focus on global adoption of technology-enabled health care

The Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance said today that its ninth annual Convergence Summit here next month will focus on achieving broader global adoption of technology-enabled health care at a time when the pace of innovation in connected health and personal health solutions is accelerating.

23 Apr 2014