Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Study demonstrates efficacy of genotyping technology in identifying source of clinic infection outbreak

Researchers from East Carolina University used a new technique of genotyping to identify the source of a hematology clinic outbreak of Mycobacterium mucogenicum, a gram-positive, acid-fast bacteria found in tap water. This is the first outbreak of M. mucogenicum in an ambulatory care setting; five other outbreaks have been reported in hospital settings since 1995.

6 Oct 2012

States, federal officials confront health law public education challenges, exchange implementation

States are dealing with the ramifications of the health law's federally or state-run health insurance exchanges and the essential health benefits. Also, officials confront the challenge of educating the public on the health law's provisions.

6 Oct 2012

Study: Free birth control lowered abortion, teen birth rates

A new study that gave free birth control to low-income teens and women in St. Louis has found that the free contraception dramatically lowered rates for teen births and abortions.

6 Oct 2012

Medicare, health law emerge as advertising issues in congressional races across the U.S.

While Connecticut GOP candidates appear to be distancing themselves from the Medicare plans being advanced by their presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has expanded its advertising targeting Democrats who voted in favor of the health law.

6 Oct 2012

Debate coverage, cont.: Questions emerge about many health care facts

News outlets offer more analysis of Wednesday night's debate, including examinations of plans and proposals about Medicare and pre-existing conditions.

6 Oct 2012

91 charged with $430 million Medicare billing fraud

The nationwide sweep involved arrests of doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals.

6 Oct 2012

Decline in diabetic foot ulcers in clinical practice

The incidence of foot ulcers developing in diabetes patients is decreasing, particularly in Type 2 diabetes, say researchers.

5 Oct 2012

Major depression goes unnoticed in pregnant women

Healthcare professionals looking after pregnant women should maintain a high level of awareness for the possibility of major depressive disorder, say US researchers who found the condition frequently goes undetected.

5 Oct 2012

HealthPartners receives 2012 AMGA Acclaim Award

The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) today presented the 2012 AMGA Acclaim Award to HealthPartners for "Triple Aim 2.0: Designing Culture to Support Better Health, Better Experience at a Lower Cost," an inventive and patient-centered approach to align the Institute of Medicine's Aims to identify and drive performance improvement, innovation, and culture throughout the organization.

5 Oct 2012

First Edition: October 5, 2012

Now on the blog, Phil Galewitz reports on what one expert describes as the "challenges" related to explaining the health law: "More than two and a half years after he signed the most far reaching health care legislation into law, President Barack Obama showed in his Wednesday debate with Mitt Romney that explaining the law is still no easy job."

5 Oct 2012

AMGA’s IQL conference examines successful accountable care models

The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) is convening more than 600 participants, representing the leaders of the nation's preeminent healthcare provider organizations, at the IQL 2012 Annual Conference, October 3 - 5 at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort & Conference Center in National Harbor, MD.

5 Oct 2012

Survey finds seniors satisfied with Medicare Part D

The national survey of 2,363 seniors, which was conducted by Medicare Today, found 90 percent are satisfied with their Medicare prescription drug coverage.

5 Oct 2012

Candidates clash over health law, Medicare and Medicaid proposals

Although only a portion of Wednesday night's debate was supposed to focus on health issues, the presidential candidates sparred on Medicare, Medicaid and specific provisions of the health law throughout the entire 90-minute event.

5 Oct 2012

A flood of post-debate fact checking follows points and counterpoints

News outlets examined a range of issues brought up during last night's presidential face-off, ranging from discussions of the $716 billion Medicare cut to talk of death panels and whether the health law promise of lower health insurance costs came true.

5 Oct 2012

Romney embraces his Massachusetts health plan as bipartisan success

After months of distancing himself from the state health reforms he oversaw while governor of Massachusetts, GOP presidential pick Mitt Romney said that overhaul illustrates his ability to work with Democrats. President Barack Obama, however, countered that the Massachusetts' plan was one of the models for the 2010 health law that has been a target of conservatives.

5 Oct 2012

What's new on pre-existing condition health plans, the Medicaid expansion

CQ HealthBeat offers a progress check on the health law's pre-existing condition insurance plan while the St. Louis Beacon explores the Medicaid expansion debate.

5 Oct 2012

Report finds increase in occurrence of MRSA bacteria in Denmark

In 2011, more Danes became infected with MRSA bacteria, and the number was the highest in over 25 years. The increase was primarily seen in otherwise healthy people without any hospital relation. Although the number of MRSA positive pig herds is on a par with the level seen in 2010, significantly more pigs at slaughter were found to be infected with the so-called pig MRSA, and the number of people infected with pig MRSA is increasing. This appears from the Danish surveillance report, DANMAP, for 2011.

5 Oct 2012

New ToxIC study identifies current drug poisoning trends

Nonprescription medications are just as likely a cause of poisoning as prescription drugs, according to a new study by Timothy Wiegand, M.D. from the University of Rochester Medical Center in the US and colleagues.

5 Oct 2012

New gene test can detect pre-cancerous cells in patients with mouth lesions

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have developed a new gene test that can detect pre-cancerous cells in patients with benign-looking mouth lesions. The test could potentially allow at-risk patients to receive earlier treatment, significantly improving their chance of survival.

5 Oct 2012

Aditazz, Develop partner to market Patient Mobility Platform

Aditazz announced a strategic partnership with inventor Roger Leib to jointly develop and market the Patient Mobility Platform, a suite of mobility products conceived and designed by Leib, founder of Develop, LLC.

5 Oct 2012