Healthcare News

RSS

Major difference in twin birth weights linked to increased risk of health complications

The first results of a major all-Ireland study of twin pregnancies, led by Perinatal Ireland and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and funded by the Health Research Board, has shown that a major difference in the birth weights among a pair of twin babies results in an increased risk of health complications for both twins.

6 Sep 2011

Three cases of novel influenza A virus now linked to agricultural fair in southwestern Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania departments of Health and Agriculture today announced three cases of a novel influenza A virus have been identified, and are now linked to an agricultural fair in southwestern Pennsylvania.

6 Sep 2011

Romney faces Tea Party critics, especially on health care

Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, tried to bridge the gap between himself and the Tea Party on Monday morning, telling a gathering of supporters that the differences between the Tea Party and traditional Republicans were not as wide as many people seem to believe. Mr. Romney's critics in the Tea Party say that his record as governor of Massachusetts – notably his passage of a universal health care law that has been likened to the federal legislation passed by President Obama – does not jibe with Tea Party principles. Mr. Romney did not address that criticism directly on Sunday.

6 Sep 2011

'Shan Song' finds new way of processing non-genetically modified soybeans

How much did you know about soybeans? How did you find the difference between GM soybeans and non-GM soybeans? How can people find the 'New Market' for traditional non-GM soybeans? You may get the answer if you knew 'Shan Song'.

5 Sep 2011

Teenagers use medicines frequently without receiving targeted information about risks and benefits

A large proportion of teenagers regularly and frequently take some form of medication without receiving targeted information about the risks and benefits, according to a review of current research, to be presented at the annual congress of the International Pharmaceutical Federation.

5 Sep 2011

For 3 key GOP candidates, health care efforts show wide spectrum

The three most prominent current or former governors running for president - Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Jon M. Huntsman Jr. - are firmly united in their commitment to repealing President Obama's health care law. But that unanimity masks a broad divergence in their approaches to the issue while in office, spanning the spectrum of Republican positioning.

5 Sep 2011

Radiologists should become knowledgeable with regard to meaningful use

Authors of a study in the September issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology say, with an estimated $1.5 billion in potential bonus payments for radiology professionals at stake, radiologists should study and respond to recent federal regulations related to meaningful use of complete certified ambulatory electronic health records and their equivalents.

3 Sep 2011

Child's homework motivation would improve if parents have more positive attitude

Parents who want to improve their child's motivation to complete homework this school year need to change their own attitude and behavior, according to a new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers.

3 Sep 2011

Simulation training helps students to score more on final examinations

Medical students who practiced on a patient simulator before assisting in real-life vaginal deliveries scored significantly higher on their final examinations than did students receiving a lecture only at the start of an obstetric clerkship.

3 Sep 2011

Family planning should be 'cornerstone' of U.S. policy in Afghanistan

"Without attention to population, countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan stand a good chance of staying mired in poverty, conflict, and corrupt, repressive government. That is why sustained investment in family planning by the United States and other countries would do more to stabilize the political climate there than any other foreign-policy initiative," Jennifer Dabbs Sciubba, former Defense Department consultant and the Mellon Environmental Fellow in the department of international studies at Rhodes College, writes in a Philadelphia Inquirer opinion piece.

3 Sep 2011

New rules require insurers to justify rate increases over 10%

Federal rules mandate that companies explain the hikes and submit them to regulators. Also, HHS announced that association health plans must meet the same rate scrutiny as other types of insurance.

3 Sep 2011

Immigrant dialysis patients in Atlanta again face treatment crisis

After the collapse of negotiations between Atlanta's public hospital and the world's largest dialysis provider, a dozen immigrants suffering from renal failure were refused treatment at an Atlanta clinic on Thursday and advised to wait until their conditions deteriorated enough to justify life-saving care in an emergency room. Unless the deadlock is broken, 22 patients, most of them illegal immigrants, face a debilitating cycle.

3 Sep 2011

Pathology Visions Conference to be held at Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego

Mahul B. Amin, MD, chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, will offer his perspectives and expertise on personalized medicine and digital pathology at the 2011 Pathology Visions Conference.

3 Sep 2011

SmokingPaST Framework tool calculates impact of investments in tobacco treatment programs

The newly released Smoking Prevalence, Savings, and Treatment (SmokingPaST) Framework is a tool designed to calculate the impact of investments in tobacco treatment programs on health and medical cost savings.

3 Sep 2011

Feds hold off on decision about yanking Medicare funding to Parkland

The CMS has extended the possible date of Parkland Health and Hospital System's termination from the Medicare program to Sept. 30 from Sept. 2 in order to give state surveyors more time to complete their reports. The 672-bed Parkland received word Aug. 9 that it was under threat of losing its status as a Medicare provider, and after submitting its plan of action (PDF) on how it would correct the problems by an Aug. 20 deadline.

3 Sep 2011

VA chief outlines computer system to cut disability backlog

The Department of Veterans Affairs is installing a computer system that should help reduce a huge backlog of disability claims from wounded soldiers, but it's impossible to say when the problem will be cleared up, the agency's chief said Thursday in Des Moines.

3 Sep 2011

The pressing need to save the lives of women and newborns in India

In this post on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog, the second in a multi-week series, Joy Lawn, director of Evidence and Policy for the Saving Newborn Lives program of Save the Children, and Kate Kerber, the Africa regional specialist with Saving Newborn Lives at Save the Children U.S., "explore the pressing need -- and what our partners are doing to address the need -- to save the lives of women and newborns in India,".

3 Sep 2011

Combination of resistance training, AT does not benefit cardiac patients

For patients undergoing rehabilitation following cardiac events, aerobic exercise training (AT) is widely recommended. Resistance training (RT) has also been shown to be beneficial because it enhances muscular strength and endurance, functional capacity and independence, and quality of life, while reducing disability.

3 Sep 2011

Hospital executives should consider value-added services of radiology groups

Hospital executives should consider the value-added services of hospital-based radiology groups before allowing radiology departments to be taken over by teleradiologists or other specialists, according to an article in the September 2011 issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

3 Sep 2011

Options for 'super committee' could include IPAB, Tricare, nothing at all

Rep. Phil Roe said Thursday that the deficit-cutting super committee should repeal one of the healthcare reform law's chief cost-control measures. Roe is a leading opponent of the Independent Payments Advisory Board (IPAB), a 15-member board with the power to cut Medicare payments almost unilaterally. .

3 Sep 2011