Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Santorum's message: Romney would face trouble against Obama on health issues

GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum continues to attack rival Mitt Romney's Massachusetts' health reform record, arguing that it weakens his ability to run against President Barack Obama, and candidate Newt Gingrich also is not escaping the criticism.

13 Mar 2012

Amilpar fourth quarter operating revenues increase 22.5% to R$ 2,521.1M

Amil Participacoes S.A., the largest healthcare operator in Brazil, announces today its consolidated results for December 31, 2011, in accordance with Brazilian corporate law and the ANS account chart.

13 Mar 2012

HHS releases exchange rules, highlights 'state flexibility'

The Department of Health and Human Services today released the final rule for health insurance exchanges, which reportedly includes specifics about state functions and responsibilities.

13 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: America's mixed views on health; Contraception and political 'excesses'; Colorado Medicaid debate

Most people tell pollsters they like the parts of the law that have gone into effect: health insurance for people with preexisting conditions, a clause that allows children to stay on their parents' health plans until the age of 26 and discounts for prescription drugs on Medicare. And, as time goes by, Americans seem less worried that the law will have a negative effect on their own medical care ... But the law itself isn't any more popular than the day it passed.

12 Mar 2012

Study reveals significant variation in use of head computed tomography

Imaging has been identified as one of the key drivers of increased healthcare costs. A new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School has found significant variation in the use of head computed tomography (CT), even within a single emergency department. Strategies to reduce such variation in head CT use may reduce cost and improve quality of care.

12 Mar 2012

UnitedHealth report: Spending on genetic tests to rise sharply in a decade

Genetic tests could become a $25 billion market by 2021. Currently, spending on these tests is estimated at $5 billion annually.

12 Mar 2012

Overcoming challenges to health law implementation at federal, state levels

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is central to implementing the health law, which leads to questions about its capabilities and resources. Meanwhile, states await a final rule on health exchanges.

12 Mar 2012

Simple device for disinfecting stethoscopes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1,900,000 people contract infections in hospitals, (Hospital Acquired Infections - HAIs) every year and well over 99,000 die as a result; more deaths than from AIDS, breast cancer and auto accidents combined.

12 Mar 2012

State abortion bills keep coming

Some call such legislation an "overreach," but at least some of the proposals are getting political traction, including a push in Washington State this week to require insurance plans to cover abortion.

12 Mar 2012

InflammaGen Therapeutics initiates Shok-Pak Phase 2 pilot study

InflammaGen Therapeutics, a development-stage, critical care company initially focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of multi-organ failure (MOF), announced today that the Company has initiated a 200-patient Phase 2 pilot study to examine the efficacy and safety of InflammaGen Shok-Pak as a potential treatment for critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

12 Mar 2012

Former 'legal high' even more popular after UK ban

The former 'legal high' mephedrone is even more popular than it was shortly after it was banned by the UK government, according to a survey of London club-goers published in the Journal of Substance Use today.

12 Mar 2012

Zynex announces acquisition of NeuroDyne Medical

Zynex, Inc., a provider and developer of non-invasive medical devices for electrotherapy and stroke rehabilitation, neurological diagnosis and cardiac monitoring, announced the acquisition of substantially all the assets of NeuroDyne Medical, Corp., through its subsidiary Zynex NeuroDiagnostics, Inc., with an effective date of March 9, 2012.

12 Mar 2012

Korean FDA grants pre-market clearance for ETView's VivaSight‐SL airway management solutions

ETView today announced that the Korean Food and Drug Administration ("KFDA") has granted pre-market clearance for VivaSight‐SL. With KFDA clearance, ETView plans to immediately initiate market launch of VivaSight‐SL. ETView also announced a distribution agreement with ChinooMTech Company.

12 Mar 2012

Antares Pharma fourth quarter revenues increase 65% to $5.4 million

Antares Pharma, Inc. today reported financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2011 and outlined key objectives and milestones for 2012.

12 Mar 2012

First Edition: March 12, 2012

Today's health policy headlines focus significant attention on key issues, dynamics and even personalities that will be in play when the Supreme Court takes up the health law later this month.

12 Mar 2012

InflammaGen to initiate Phase 2 study of new drug/delivery platform for shock

A 200-patient Phase 2 clinical pilot study will be initiated this month to test the efficacy and safety of a new use, and method of administering, an enzyme inhibitor for critically ill patients developed by University of California, San Diego Bioengineering Professor Geert Schmid-Sch-nbein. Conditions expected to qualify for the study include new-onset sepsis and septic shock, post-operative complications, and new-onset gastrointestinal bleeding.

12 Mar 2012

Sweco, ÅF sign joint contract with Skanska Healthcare for NKS in Solna

The engineering consultancies Sweco and ÅF have signed a joint contract with Skanska Healthcare AB for planning and design of the New Karolinska Hospital in Solna, NKS.

12 Mar 2012

UHC retires negative coverage policy effective April 1, 2012

Aerocrine AB announces that United Healthcare has retired its negative coverage policy effective April 1, 2012.

12 Mar 2012

AMGA presents Medical Group Preeminence Award to VMMC

The American Medical Group Association today presented the Medical Group Preeminence Award to Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC), a health system based in Seattle, WA. The presentation took place at the AMGA 2012 Annual Conference, being held March 8-10 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt.

12 Mar 2012

Hospitals with infection control certification may have lower MRSA BSI rates

Hospitals whose infection prevention and control programs are led by a director who is board certified in infection prevention and control have significantly lower rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections (BSI) than those that are not led by a certified professional, according to a new study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of APIC - the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

12 Mar 2012