Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Mass. bill would mandate docs to check database before prescribing pain meds

The legislation is expected to come up for a vote in the Massachusetts Senate Thursday. In Florida, the legislature killed a bill to take away prescription rights from doctors awaiting trial on pill-trafficking charges.

2 Feb 2012

Treatment with clot-busting drugs safe for patients with wake-up stroke

Clot-busting drugs may be safe for patients who wake up experiencing stroke symptoms, according to preliminary research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.

2 Feb 2012

Religious protests continue in response to Obama administration birth control rule

The White House continues to defend its new insurance coverage rule, which requires religiously affiliated nonprofit groups to provide free birth control coverage to women. Also in the news, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who is considered to be on the GOP short list for vice president, introduced legislation Tuesday that would vastly expand the opt-out ability of religious or faith-based employers.

2 Feb 2012

CBO: Federal health spending to double over the next decade

In its budget and economic outlook, the Congressional Budget Office projects an 8 percent annual increase in health spending between 2012 and 2022, mainly because of an aging U.S. population and rising treatment costs. The analysis includes a bigger pricetag for a permanent fix to the Medicare physician payment formula.

2 Feb 2012

State roundup: Mass. lawmakers fight Medicare charges

A Monterey County hospital district, which came under fire last year for giving its chief executive one of the largest public pensions in California history, announced this week that several other top officials are receiving generous retirement packages.

2 Feb 2012

Study: Safety net ERs not at disadvantage in 'pay-for-performance' programs

Safety net hospital emergency departments are not at a disadvantage in terms of meeting the terms of proposed length-of-stay measures for patients both admitted and discharged, according to a new study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

2 Feb 2012

NYU School of Medicine creates new department that focuses on population health

NYU School of Medicine announced the creation of a new Department of Population Health focused on research to improve human health at the population level. Marc Gourevitch, MD, MPH, professor of population health and medicine at NYU School of Medicine was appointed inaugural chair.

2 Feb 2012

Study finds wide variation in rates of diabetes across developing countries

Rates of diabetes vary widely across developing countries worldwide, according to a new analysis led by Dr. Longjian Liu of Drexel University's School of Public Health.

2 Feb 2012

Genentech receives FDA approval for Vismodegib to treat skin cancer

A new skin cancer drug tested for the first time in the world five years ago at the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare just received expedited approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a remarkable accomplishment in new drug development.

2 Feb 2012

First large study to establish link between infection and stroke in children

Common infections in children pose a high risk of ischemic stroke, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.

1 Feb 2012

Health costs, failure to enact reforms could lead to ratings downgrades

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's warned it may downgrade "a number of highly rated" Group of 20 countries from 2015 if their governments fail to enact reforms to curb rising healthcare spending and other costs related to ageing populations.

1 Feb 2012

GOP presidential hopefuls make final pitches to Florida primary voters

Among the campaign issues are the parallels between the federal health overhaul and the Massachusetts law former Gov. Mitt Romney signed and Newt Gingrich's support of the individual mandate.

1 Feb 2012

GSA's new resources address pain management, labeling changes for acetaminophen

The pain suffered by older adults is the shared focus of the two newest entries in The Gerontological Society of America's (GSA) From Publication to Practice series.

1 Feb 2012

Canadian Government announces investment in personalized medicine

The Harper Government today announced an important investment that will help Canadians in getting more effective treatments and make the healthcare system more sustainable through personalized medicine.

1 Feb 2012

UCSD's upcoming Patient Safety Conference to be held on Feb. 16

UC San Diego's upcoming Patient Safety Conference, "New Technologies to Patient Care: The Promise and the Peril" will be held Thursday, February 16, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Medical Education and Telemedicine Building located at 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093.

1 Feb 2012

Peptides linked with internal flu viral structures can help develop universal vaccine

Researchers at the University of Southampton, University of Oxford and Retroscreeen Virology Ltd have discovered a series of peptides, found on the internal structures of influenza viruses that could lead to the development of a universal vaccine for influenza, one that gives people immunity against all strains of the disease, including seasonal, avian, and swine flu.

1 Feb 2012

Nursing homes hope to 'fend off' deep Medicare cuts with new approach

The nursing home industry is attempting to fend off deep Medicare cuts by proposing its own ideas on ways to reduce out-of-control Medicare spending. The proposal comes as lawmakers are considering billions of dollars in cuts to the healthcare industry to pay for a temporary postponement of physician payment cuts scheduled for March 1.

1 Feb 2012