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HCCI's report shows facility prices outpaced general inflation for the privately insured under 65

Rising prices for care were the chief driver of health care costs for privately insured Americans in 2010, according to the first report from the newly formed Health Care Cost Institute.

21 May 2012

Primary care-based management can reduce burden of OSA

Patients with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can be successfully managed in a primary care setting by appropriately trained primary care physicians (PCPs) and community-based nurses, according to Australian researchers.

21 May 2012

Online instructional video improves patient compliance with colonoscopy

Patients who watch an online instructional video are more likely to keep their appointments and arrive prepared for a scheduled colonoscopy than those who do not, according to a study by gastroenterologists at the University of Chicago Medicine.

21 May 2012

LKCF, Spirit of Women’s HeartCaring to help reduce disparities in diagnosis and care

In an ongoing effort to save the lives of thousands of Americans at risk of cardiovascular ailments each year, Spirit of Women Health Network has joined forces with the Larry King Cardiac Foundation (LKCF) to help reduce the devastating disparity in the diagnostics, clinical care, and survival rate of heart attacks, strokes and other heart events for women and people of color.

19 May 2012

Foothills Medical Centre to receive ICU Design Citation Award from AACN

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) will present the ICU Design Citation to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, Canada, during the 2012 National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition, Orlando, Fla., May 19-24.

19 May 2012

Palliative care interventions may boost overall survival of cancer patients

Recent studies have shown that palliative care interventions aimed at addressing patients' emotional, spiritual and social needs have a significant impact on cancer patients' quality of life and may even improve cancer patients' overall survival. Despite this, most cancer patients being cared for in their communities do not have access to these services.

19 May 2012

Crownsville student receives Gordon E. Moore Award for pancreatic cancer test

Jack Andraka, 15, of Crownsville, Md. was awarded first place for his new method to detect pancreatic cancer at this year's Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public. Based on diabetic test paper, Jack created a simple dip-stick sensor to test blood or urine to determine whether or not a patient has early-stage pancreatic cancer.

19 May 2012

Afghanistan breaks ground on $30M hospital for treatment of TB, AIDS, malaria

"Afghanistan has begun work on a $30 million hospital for the treatment of tuberculosis [TB], a disease that health officials say kills more than 10,000 Afghans every year," VOA's "Breaking News" blog reports.

19 May 2012

Sprint launches My Wireless STS service for people with speech disabilities

Sprint today has made it easier for individuals with speech disabilities to initiate calls using a wireless phone.

19 May 2012

Modeling data shows vaccine can build on HIV/AIDS prevention tools

In this post in USAID's "IMPACTblog," International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) President and CEO Margaret McGlynn discusses new modeling data from IAVI and the Futures Institute, with support from USAID, which "illustrates how a safe, preventive HIV vaccine that is accessible and affordable can help us end the AIDS pandemic."

19 May 2012

Despite contraception controversy, Sebeilus to speak today at Georgetown University

Criticism about Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius' appearance at the Jesuit institution has mounted this week because of her role in the Obama administration's rule on contraception requirements in the health care law.

19 May 2012

VirtaMed launches new virtual reality training simulator for knee arthroscopy

The Swiss company VirtaMed AG is launching ArthroS, a new virtual reality training simulator for knee arthroscopy.

From VirtaMed 19 May 2012

Survey: Health IT spending a high priority at not-for-profit hospitals

In other news, Partners HealthCare hopes to replace its patchwork approach to electronic health records with a single commercial system.

19 May 2012

ACP recommends HHS to consider use of SNOMED-CT rather than ICD-10 for coding problems

The American College of Physicians (ACP) today urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to use the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) implementation delay to consider specifying the use of Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Term (SNOMED-CT), rather than ICD-10, for coding problems in all situations.

19 May 2012

International community must organize, commit financial resources to win war on polio

In this editorial in the International Herald Tribune's "Express Tribune," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon examines the global push to eradicate polio, highlighting progress in the "world's war on polio" since it was declared nearly a quarter century ago but warning that "we are in danger of falling victim to our own success," as "the world is now populated by a generation which has either never been exposed to polio or has been inadequately vaccinated."

19 May 2012

Urologic conditions contribute to major economic burden in the U.S.

Urologic conditions like urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and prostate cancer are a major economic burden on Americans, resulting in health care costs of close to $40 billion annually, according to a newly released national report that charts the demographic and economic impact of urologic diseases in the U.S.

19 May 2012

Geithner pushes back against GOP calls for long-term cuts to Medicare, social security

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner sharpened the Obama administration's criticism of Republican fiscal policy in a speech Thursday, pushing back against the GOP on calls for immediate spending cuts and long-term plans for Social Security and Medicare.

19 May 2012

AMA fears FTC decision on who can whiten teeth could change regulation of medical practice

The doctors' group says the federal rule could have a "devastating impact on public health" by impeding state regulation. Other legal cases in today's news include a dentist in trouble in Florida and a deal on mental health care in Arizona.

19 May 2012

Bullying becomes hot topic in the U.S.

Bullying has become a hot topic in the U.S., hitting a cultural nerve as evidenced by the buzz surrounding the recent release of a documentary called "Bully" as well as a book entitled The Bully Society: School Shootings and the Crisis of Bullying in America's Schools.

19 May 2012

Mo. legislators reportly reach compromise on abortion coverage bill

The St. Louis Beacon reports that the legislature might take up a bill Friday that strips controversial provisions passed by the House earlier in the week.

19 May 2012