Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Poll explores women's presidential election concerns

A new Reuters/Ipsos Poll found that 52 percent of women surveyed viewed President Barack Obama as stronger on health care, which was the second most pressing election concern. Meanwhile, Michelle Obama makes a pitch to women at a fundraiser.

19 Apr 2012

Supreme Court rules generic drug makers can challenge branded drug companies' wording in patent applications

The U.S. Supreme Court handed a victory to generic-drug companies Tuesday, ruling they can file certain legal counterclaims against brand-drug companies in an effort to get their cheaper copycat medicines on the market. The court, in an opinion written by Justice Elena Kagan, ruled unanimously that generic-drug makers should be allowed to challenge the way brand-name manufacturers describe their patents to the Food and Drug Administration.

19 Apr 2012

State roundup: Mass. seeks to improve medical malpractice system; Health exchange legislation progresses in Ala.

Seven Massachusetts hospitals plan to offer patients harmed by medical errors a prompt apology and financial settlements before they resort to lawsuits, part of a major new initiative to improve the state's cumbersome medical malpractice system. A coalition of physician, hospital, and patient groups planned to release details Wednesday of the initiative, called "Road Map to Reform,"' which they predict will increase reporting of medical mistakes and cut down on lengthy litigation that drives up health care costs and fuels distrust between caregivers and patients.

19 Apr 2012

SBU to advance research and clinical care at National Pediatric MS Center

Stony Brook University has received a $2.5 million gift from Robert and Lisa Lourie to advance research and clinical care at the National Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Center at Stony Brook Long Island Children's Hospital and to establish a new state-of-the-art imaging center at Stony Brook Medicine.

19 Apr 2012

Bayer receives FDA clearance for new blood glucose monitoring system

Bayer HealthCare today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its CONTOUR Next EZ, a new blood glucose monitoring (BGM) system for use in the United States.

19 Apr 2012

Viewpoints: Insurance regulation a 'special interest'?; Washington's wrong health care battle; Will the health law turn us into part-time employees?

It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to name a group that opposes government oversight of health insurance premiums "Californians Against Higher Healthcare Costs." Especially when the group includes the trade associations for doctors and hospitals, two sets of Californians who've contributed mightily to the high cost of health care.

19 Apr 2012

First Edition: April 18, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about the latest Capitol Hill developments related to the budget.

18 Apr 2012

Rep. Frank says Obama's push for health law was 'mistake'

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said in a magazine interview that President Obama made a "mistake" pushing for health reform and that he urged Obama to take up financial system reform instead. In the meantime, Rep. Dennis Kucinich said a single-payer health care system is the only "obviously constitutional" health care plan.

18 Apr 2012

USP convenes pharmaceutical supply chain integrity workshop

The increasing globalization of the drug supply presents a host of public health challenges: theft and diversion of medicines, growth of illegal Internet pharmacies and insertion of adulterated medicines or ingredients into the supply chain.

18 Apr 2012

Roundup: Texas spends $1.25M fighting federal government; Minn. doctor training money slashed; Kan. seeks to cut nursing home population

News outlets report on a variety of health policy issues in Texas, Minnesota, Georgia, Kansas, Massachusetts, Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania.

18 Apr 2012

State insurance exchange implementation faces challenges

In some places, state-level progress in building the law's insurance exchanges appears to be stalling because of political divisions.

18 Apr 2012

Federal officials use health law to cite two insurers for excessive premium increases

The insurance companies will be able to charge the higher amount, but they will be required to disclose on websites that reviewers found the rates to be unreasonable and explain why they are still imposing them.

18 Apr 2012

U.S. Chamber of Commerce finds small business owners wary of health law regs

The survey finds that the regulations rank at the top of small business owners' concerns. In other news, the National Journal examines the future of accountable care organizations.

18 Apr 2012

Innovative model of breast cancer rehabilitation

The Prospective Surveillance Model, an innovative new model of breast cancer rehabilitation, is featured in a special supplement to the American Cancer Society's journal, Cancer released on April 6, 2012. The model addresses the numerous physical issues faced by women with breast cancer and offers hope for an improved quality of life for all women with breast cancer through rehabilitation and exercise.

18 Apr 2012

Patients, health care professionals invited to improve comparative clinical effectiveness research

More involvement by patients, clinicians and others in the health care community in developing comparative clinical effectiveness research studies will make such studies far more useful in clinical decision-making, according to the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, in an article published in the April 18 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on comparative effectiveness research.

18 Apr 2012

Viewpoints: White House makes its case on cutting Medicare but one critic isn't buying the 'shared sacrifice'

These officials say the administration has also made modest but important progress in controlling Medicare spending, the biggest debt driver. The budget raises some Medicare premiums on high-income retirees and increases some deductibles.

18 Apr 2012

Tumor size helps predict survival in node-negative breast cancer patients

Research from investigators at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ), UMDNJ-School of Public Health (SPH) and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, indicates that tumor size stratified by age, race and hormone receptor status helps predict survival in node-negative breast cancer patients.

18 Apr 2012

Medtronic plans IN.PACT Global drug-eluting balloon SFA clinical study

In conjunction with the Charing Cross International Symposium (CX34), which concludes today in London, Minneapolis-based Medtronic, Inc. announced its plans for the imminent start of the IN.PACT Global SFA clinical study, an international research program to evaluate the treatment of peripheral artery disease using the company's IN.PACT Admiral drug-eluting balloon.

From Medtronic 18 Apr 2012

Allied Healthcare announces Coridon license to vector technology

Allied Healthcare Group (ASX: AHZ) has announced an update on the progress of Coridon, its investment company founded by Professor Ian Frazer and working on developing the next generation of vaccines. Included in these activities, Cordon has entered into a license agreement with Nature Technology Corporation (NTC) and has contracted VGXI Inc. in the US for production of clinical material for the Phase I study scheduled to begin later this year.

17 Apr 2012

Innovation in healthcare without borders: An invaluable contribution of diagnostics

For the third year in a row, the European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association (EDMA) has been one of the strategic partners of the European Commission in organising the Innovation in Healthcare without Borders conference.

17 Apr 2012