Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Novartis starts shipment of 2013-2014 seasonal influenza vaccines to US customers

Novartis announced today that it has begun shipment of its seasonal influenza vaccines to customers in the US market for the 2013-2014 season. Novartis plans to ship a minimum of 30 million doses of its influenza vaccines to the US market, including Fluvirin (Influenza Virus Vaccine), approved for use in people 4 years of age and older, and Flucelvax (Influenza Virus Vaccine), approved for use in adults 18 years of age and older.

22 Aug 2013

Territory of Nunavut to be represented at Canadian Medical Association

For the first time, the territory of Nunavut will be represented at the Canadian Medical Association, the national body representing Canadian physicians.

22 Aug 2013

Midwife-led care leads to better outcomes for women

Maternity care that involves a midwife as the main care provider leads to better outcomes for most women, according to a systematic review published in The Cochrane Library.

22 Aug 2013

Clinical study to investigate effects of prenatal chromosomal abnormalities through microarray analysis

Reproductive genetics researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) are leading a multicenter prospective clinical study investigating the effects of chromosomal abnormalities (duplicative or missing material) found prenatally through microarray analysis.

22 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: Did Sen. Cruz get early benefits from Canadian health care?; Medicaid expansion won't work if doctors don't accept patients

Quite without realizing it, apparently, the location of Cruz's birth automatically made him a citizen of our socialist (in healthcare, at least) neighbor to the north. Did his mother receive excellent free medical care under Canada's single-payer healthcare system when her baby was born in Calgary, Alberta, in 1970? Did little Ted, who moved back to the United States with his Cuban-born father and American-born mother when he was 4, get free vaccinations and pediatric care from his Canadian doctors? We'll probably never know (Robin Abcarian, 8/20).

22 Aug 2013

LBDA creates two LBD symptom checklists for physicians and patients

The Lewy Body Dementia Association announced today the launch of new resources for physicians and their patients. LBDA created two new LBD symptom checklists; an abbreviated checklist to assist in the reporting of LBD diagnostic symptoms and a more comprehensive checklist to help people already diagnosed with LBD or their caregivers to report new or concerning LBD symptoms as the disease progresses.

22 Aug 2013

Heritage Action kicks off its 'defunding' tour

Heritage Action's push, which is being called the "last, best chance" to block the health law, features a bleak assessment of Republican Party's willingness to fight the measure.

22 Aug 2013

People exposed to hot environments may develop Malignant hyperthermia

There is mounting evidence that some people who are susceptible to Malignant hyperthermia (MH) will develop MH when exposed to hot environments or with exercise.

22 Aug 2013

Survey: Premium costs increase slightly but wages don't keep pace

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey concluded that, for the second year in a row, employer-provided insurance costs went up only moderately in 2012. But employee wages still didn't keep pace.

22 Aug 2013

Psychotic symptoms in people with schizophrenia caused by faulty 'switch' within brain

Scientists at The University of Nottingham have shown that psychotic symptoms experienced by people with schizophrenia could be caused by a faulty 'switch' within the brain.

22 Aug 2013

Radiation Oncologist receives Young Investigator Award from PCF

Jefferson Radiation Oncologist, Nicole Simone, M.D., was recently awarded one of 21 Young Investigator Awards from the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF).

21 Aug 2013

Virginia's Medicaid panel meets, but covers little new ground

During a Monday planning meeting, a Virginia Medicaid policymaking panel examined what other states are doing in terms of expanding the program. Hundreds of conservative activists who oppose this health law provision rallied at the state capitol.

21 Aug 2013

Telemedicine boosts ER care for kids in rural areas

New research shows that rural emergency room physicians are increasingly using videoconferences to gain access to specialty care.

21 Aug 2013

Selling the idea of health insurance to 'young invincibles'

The Obama administration is launching a national video contest designed to convince young people to sign up for coverage, spending $30,000 on prizes to draw the YouTube generation.

21 Aug 2013

Implementation of large-scale hypertension program linked with doubling of hypertension control rates

Implementation of a large-scale hypertension program that included evidence-based guidelines and development and sharing of performance metrics was associated with a near-doubling of hypertension control between 2001 and 2009, compared to only modest improvements in state and national control rates, according to a study in the August 21 issue of JAMA.

21 Aug 2013

Kronick named to AHRQ top spot

Health reform researcher Richard Kronick, PhD, will become the new director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) after longtime director Carolyn Clancy, MD, leaves the post later this month. The announcement was made public in the agency's daily afternoon electronic newsletter.

21 Aug 2013

GAO: Postal health plan could add to retired workers' costs, impact Medicare

The proposal to opt out of the federal health plan would save billions of dollars but could bring uncertainties for employees.

21 Aug 2013

Researchers find genetic correlation between eating disorders and alcohol dependence

Part of the risk for alcohol dependence is genetic, and the same is true for eating disorders. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found it's likely some of the same genes are involved in both.

21 Aug 2013

Combined liposuction and tummy tuck reduce surgical trauma, provide excellent patient outcomes

A combined technique of liposuction and tummy tuck-designed to reduce surgical trauma-provides excellent patient outcomes with a low complication rate, reports a study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery-Global Open-, the official open-access medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

21 Aug 2013

Researchers develop simple scoring system to predict risk of dementia in older diabetes patients

Researchers have developed a simple scoring system, based on a patient’s age, health issues, and education, which accurately predicts the risk of dementia in people aged over 60 with type 2 diabetes.

20 Aug 2013