Healthcare News

RSS

Reviews show little evidence of widespread efficacy of mobile health interventions

"Mobile phone technology is frequently heralded as a solution to many health challenges facing the developing world, but two systematic reviews have found that evidence to back such claims is still largely non-existent," SciDev.Net reports.

17 Jan 2013

Role of mental health professionals becomes flashpoint in efforts to curb gun violence

Just a day after New York passed a landmark gun control law which would require mental health workers to report to authorities patients deemed to be a danger to themselves or others, President Barack Obama is also expected to unveil his gun control agenda. The New York measure, however, is already drawing criticism from experts who worry that its reporting requirement could hinder treatment.

17 Jan 2013

People most often visit doctors because of skin issues, joint disorders and back pain

A new Mayo Clinic Proceedings study shows that people most often visit their health care providers because of skin issues, joint disorders and back pain. Findings may help researchers focus efforts to determine better ways to prevent and treat these conditions in large groups of people.

17 Jan 2013

U-M researchers to develop disorders of sex development decision-making tools for parents

When a child is born with a disorder of sex development, decisions regarding gender assignment and genital surgery are often made quickly and under pressure.

17 Jan 2013

FDA approves St. Jude Medical’s Merlin.net Patient Care Network

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the next-generation Merlin.net Patient Care Network (PCN), a secure, Internet-based remote care system for patients with implanted medical devices.

17 Jan 2013

WHO reports unprecedented progress against 17 neglected tropical diseases

WHO reports unprecedented progress against 17 neglected tropical diseases, thanks to a new global strategy, a regular supply of quality assured, cost-effective medicines and support from global partners.

17 Jan 2013

Viewpoints: N.Y. gun law could pose problems for health professionals; 'Jarring discrepancy' between medical costs and premium increases; State officials wage battle against health law

The broad gun control bill approved Tuesday by the New York Legislature substantially strengthens the state's gun control laws. ... Some sections of the law, however, were not fully vetted in the rush. One provision asks health care professionals - physicians, psychologists, registered nurses or licensed clinical social workers - to report to local health care officials when they have reason to believe that patients could harm themselves or others. ... The provision would seem to raise significant legal questions.

16 Jan 2013

Political cartoon: 'Paved Paradise?'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Paved Paradise?" by Chip Bok.

16 Jan 2013

First Edition: January 16, 2013

Today's headlines include reports examining how mental health issues play a role in efforts to curb gun violence and expand gun control efforts.

16 Jan 2013

Mental health advocates await final rule

Mental health advocates say a landmark 2008 law meant to expand access to millions of Americans has gotten back-burner treatment by the Obama administration because of its relentless focus on the Affordable Care Act.

16 Jan 2013

CDC releases update on polio eradication efforts

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released an update on its polio eradication efforts.

16 Jan 2013

Racial and ethnic minorities less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer in the U.S.

A new study conducted in the Center for Health Policy at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health has determined that racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer in the United States.

16 Jan 2013

State roundup: Texas, Ga. companies forming ACOs

College student Emily Howell depended on her local Planned Parenthood clinic. Now, she and nearly 50,000 other Texas women will have to find a new place to get free breast cancer screenings, pap smears and birth control.

16 Jan 2013

NARAL names Ilyse Hogue to be new president

This former staffer for Media Matters for America and MoveOn.org most recently co-founded Friends of Democracy, a super PAC that raised more than $2.4 million last cycle to support candidates who back campaign finance reform.

16 Jan 2013

Doctor/nurse shortages come with a twist

A new study said the projected shortage of primary care physicians may be overstated, and new nurses are having trouble finding work.

16 Jan 2013

India marks two years since last diagnosed polio case

On January 13, India "completed two years since the last case of the crippling disease was reported ... a huge achievement for a country that as recently as 2009 reported 741 cases of polio -- more than any other country in the world, and almost half of cases reported globally that year," the Wall Street Journal's "India Real Time" blog reports.

16 Jan 2013

Study demonstrates ways in which quality measurement from EHRs can be improved

Health care providers and hospitals are being offered up to $27 billion in federal financial incentives to use electronic health records (EHRs) in ways that demonstrably improve the quality of care. The incentives are based, in part, on the ability to electronically report clinical quality measures.

16 Jan 2013

Analyzing how well the individual mandate may work

Politico looks at the practical task ahead for the health law's individual mandate.

16 Jan 2013

Ariz. governor backs Medicaid expansion under health law

Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican critic of the law, surprised many when she announced in her State of the State speech that she would support expansion of the federal-state program for low-income residents.

16 Jan 2013

Addressing cholera with an 'integrated approach' in 2013

"There has been so much news related to cholera and cholera research since the start of 2013 I can only hope it means this year will be a banner year for prevention efforts," Helen Matzger, a program officer in new vaccine delivery at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes in the foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog.

16 Jan 2013