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Large numbers of ER visits go unreported in calculating hospital readmission rates

A study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Boston University School of Medicine has found that nearly one quarter of patients may return to the emergency department within 30 days of being discharged from a hospitalization.

17 Apr 2013

Average annual incidence of sepsis varies depending on method used

Though the toll of sepsis is known to be enormous - it is estimated to cost the U.S. health care system $24.3 billion each year, and is the nation's third-leading killer, behind heart disease and cancer - the true magnitude of incidence of and death from the illness remains unknown.

16 Apr 2013

First Edition: April 16, 2013

Today's headlines include coverage of the Supreme Court oral arguments regarding whether patents should be granted for human genes.

16 Apr 2013

New online tutorials for sports, cardiology doctors now available to take care of athletes

Progress on curbing the leading killer of athletes-sudden cardiac death-by spotting heart problems early, has been slow. But the development of a series of online tutorials for sports and cardiology doctors looks set to reverse this trend.

16 Apr 2013

Reports of H7N9 cases, deaths continue from across China

"Two more people have died in China from a new strain of bird flu, raising the death toll from the virus to 13, state media reported Sunday," the Associated Press reports.

16 Apr 2013

Study reports 41% reduction in colorectal mortality rates for African Americans

A study analyzing the impact of the Delaware Cancer Consortium, the state's cancer control program, reports a 41 percent reduction in colorectal mortality rates for African Americans.

16 Apr 2013

Production of synthetic artemisinin an attack against farmers currently growing the plant

"On Thursday, the founder of Amyris Biotech triumphantly announced production of 70 million doses of the anti-malarial compound artemisinin," Jim Thomas, research program director for ETC group, a technology watchdog that works with farmers' organizations, writes in The Guardian's "Poverty Matters" blog.

16 Apr 2013

ACS releases limited-edition book on improving surgical health care

Today, the American College of Surgeons released a limited-edition book, Inspiring Quality Tour: Lessons Learned in the Pursuit of Quality Surgical Health Care, in conjunction with its annual Leadership and Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC.

16 Apr 2013

Pakistani Taliban deny responsibility for attacks on polio workers

"The Pakistani Taliban on Friday denied any involvement in attacks on polio workers, which have killed 21 people since December, but confirmed it opposed the vaccination as 'un-Islamic,'" Agence France-Presse reports.

16 Apr 2013

Review finds drugs, vitamin supplements may not help prevent cognitive decline in seniors

A review of published research has found no evidence that drugs, herbal products or vitamin supplements help prevent cognitive decline in healthy older adults.

16 Apr 2013

Malaria strategies need to target at-risk populations, researchers say

New strategies are needed to fight malaria in countries with low prevalence, because "pockets of infection remain, mainly among men living or working outdoors," according to a paper published in The Lancet, BBC News reports.

16 Apr 2013

Electroconvulsive therapy improves quality of life in patients with severe depression

Patients whose severe depression goes into remission for six months following electroconvulsive therapy report a quality of life similar to that of healthy individuals, researchers say.

16 Apr 2013

Lessons learned from India's polio response could help country combat other diseases

"More than 400 signatories to [a scientific declaration urging the world to eradicate polio], hailing from 80 countries, believe polio eradication is achievable in large part because of the great gains India has made against the disease," T. Jacob John, a retired professor of clinical virology at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, writes in the Wall Street Journal's "India Real Time" blog.

16 Apr 2013

CU-Boulder study reveals how sexual frequency corresponds with happiness

Sex apparently is like income: People are generally happy when they keep pace with the Joneses and they're even happier if they get a bit more.

16 Apr 2013

New study examines impact of sleep on learning process for musicians

A new study that examined how the brain learns and retains motor skills provides insight into musical skill.

16 Apr 2013

IRIN examines how mining industry in Mozambique increasing fears of HIV

IRIN examines how "[e]very mining boom brings the fear of a rising HIV infection rate, particularly in a country like Mozambique, where the estimated prevalence is already 11.3 percent."

16 Apr 2013

New study finds that adding photo of patients to x-ray images can reduce wrong-patient errors

"X-rays can look alike, and if one patient's images are confused with another before the radiologist sees them, it can be difficult for the radiologist to determine there is a mismatch," said Dr. Srini Tridandapani, of Emory University and an author of the study.

16 Apr 2013

Global Fund has achieved impressive results, but more work remains

"This week I had the pleasure to host a preparatory meeting between donors of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria," European Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs writes in the Huffington Post's "The Big Push" blog.

16 Apr 2013

Researchers team up with 40 resorts to communicate importance of sun safety to guests

A group of researchers led by San Diego State University communication professor Peter Andersen, have teamed up with 40 resorts nationwide to encourage vacationers to be smart about sun protection through Go Sun Smart.

16 Apr 2013

UK's first TEDMEDLive Bristol event to be held at MShed

Could the quantum computing revolution transform drug development, are there new approaches for improving sleep and do people benefit from being diagnosed with early-stage dementia? These are some of the questions that will be discussed at the UK's first TEDMEDLive Bristol event at the MShed on Thursday [18 April].

16 Apr 2013

Healthcare News

Large numbers of ER visits go unreported in calculating hospital readmission rates

Average annual incidence of sepsis varies depending on method used

First Edition: April 16, 2013

New online tutorials for sports, cardiology doctors now available to take care of athletes

Reports of H7N9 cases, deaths continue from across China

Study reports 41% reduction in colorectal mortality rates for African Americans

Production of synthetic artemisinin an attack against farmers currently growing the plant

ACS releases limited-edition book on improving surgical health care

Pakistani Taliban deny responsibility for attacks on polio workers

Review finds drugs, vitamin supplements may not help prevent cognitive decline in seniors

Malaria strategies need to target at-risk populations, researchers say

Electroconvulsive therapy improves quality of life in patients with severe depression

Lessons learned from India's polio response could help country combat other diseases

CU-Boulder study reveals how sexual frequency corresponds with happiness

New study examines impact of sleep on learning process for musicians

IRIN examines how mining industry in Mozambique increasing fears of HIV

New study finds that adding photo of patients to x-ray images can reduce wrong-patient errors

Global Fund has achieved impressive results, but more work remains

Researchers team up with 40 resorts to communicate importance of sun safety to guests

UK's first TEDMEDLive Bristol event to be held at MShed

Membrane proteins in focus: Turning high-risk targets into routine workflows

How metabolic phenotyping can detect viral infections in minutes

Directed enzyme evolution and the Nobel Prize: Making enzymes evolve in the lab

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