Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Toyota's lean approach might be beneficial to medical procedures

Japanese vehicle manufacturer, Toyota, is well-known for developing the principles of so-called "lean manufacturing". Research published in the International Journal of Technology Management suggests that the lean approach might also be beneficial to medical procedures, making hospitals more efficient and cut waiting lists.

9 Dec 2011

First Edition: December 8, 2011

In today's headlines, reports about the HHS decision on the Plan B morning after pill, as well as the latest progress reports from Capitol Hill on the payroll tax break extension and the doc fix.

8 Dec 2011

Montefiore recognized among Leapfrog's 2011 Top Hospitals list

Montefiore Medical Center was recognized yesterday as one of the nation's 2011 Top Hospitals by The Leapfrog Group, a coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health coverage dedicated to improving healthcare safety, quality and affordability. Of the 65 hospitals chosen from nearly 1200 nationwide that participated in the annual survey, Montefiore was one of only two hospitals named from New York State.

8 Dec 2011

Lawmakers debate value of cameras in the courtroom

A Democratic senator dismissed those fears Tuesday, saying cameras would not cheapen the high court's proceedings. "I'm trying to picture Ruth Bader Ginsburg turning into Judge Judy. I just don't think it's going to happen," Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said during a hearing on the subject Tuesday.

8 Dec 2011

Consumer advocates, other watchdog groups urge congress to leave broker regs alone

The organizations want Congress to maintain the medical loss ratio rule's current classification of broker fees as administrative expenses. Also in the news, during a Tuesday hearing, House Republicans attacked the work of an economist Democrats have quoted in an argument related to the health law's tax credits.

8 Dec 2011

HHS: Plan B access will stay limited

The Department of Health and Human Services announced today that the morning-after pill, known as Plan B, will continue to be kept behind the pharmacy counter and girls younger than 17 will continue to need a prescription to obtain it.

8 Dec 2011

Microsoft, GE Healthcare plans to create joint venture

General Electric Company, through its healthcare IT business, and Microsoft Corp. today announced plans to create a joint venture aimed at helping healthcare organizations and professionals use real-time, system-wide intelligence to improve healthcare quality and the patient experience.

8 Dec 2011

Olympus releases Acecide-C High-Level Disinfectant and Sterilant

Olympus, a precision technology leader in designing and delivering innovative solutions in Medical and Surgical Products, among other core businesses, announces the release of Acecide-C, a new, peracetic acid-based high-level disinfectant and sterilant.

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 8 Dec 2011

Reid threatens session through Christmas to finish business, including payroll tax cut and doc fix

Many insiders expect a final package will emerge that wraps the payroll tax cut extension into a broader bill that also includes other measures, like the Medicare physician payment fix, with end-of-year expiration dates.

8 Dec 2011

Senators say burden on Express Scripts and Medco to show merger would benefit consumers, competition

Sen. Herb Kohl on Tuesday told Express Scripts and Medco executives that the burden was "squarely" on them to show that their proposed $29 billion merger would benefit consumers and competition, not just the corporate bottom line.

8 Dec 2011

Next generation personal genomic testing now widely available

The era of widely available next generation personal genomic testing has arrived and with it the ability to quickly and relatively affordably learn the sequence of your entire genome. This would include what is referred to as the "exome," your complete set of protein-coding sequences.

7 Dec 2011

FDA approves changes to REMS for Nplate and Promacta

The approval of changes to the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for both Nplate (romiplostim) and Promacta (eltrombopag) was announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

7 Dec 2011

True impact of injuries in the UK higher than previously thought

Injuries in the UK are having a much greater impact on peoples' lives than previously estimated, a study has found.

7 Dec 2011

New NHGRI funding plan sharpens focus of Genome Sequencing Program on medical apps

A new funding plan by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) sharpens the focus of its flagship Genome Sequencing Program on medical applications. In addition to continuing on-going studies, the four-year, $416 million plan launches new efforts to find causes of rare inherited diseases and accelerate the use of genome sequence information in the medical care of patients.

7 Dec 2011

Comparative-effectiveness research takes center stage

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute attracted a larger-then-expected volume of applications for its pilot projects grants program. Meanwhile, the institute, which was created by the health law, will release its draft agenda next month.

7 Dec 2011

UH Case Medical Center designated as 'Top Hospital' and leader in quality patient care

University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio is among 65 hospitals nationwide to be designated as a "Top Hospital" and leader in quality patient care by The Leapfrog Group.

7 Dec 2011

Study: Number of young people choosing nursing jumps

An increasing number of young men and women are opting for nursing as a career, says a study released Monday by the RAND Corporation. The study may serve to allay fears about a nursing shortage as the health care law is implemented and millions of people without insurance sign up for medical plans. It predicts that if the growth continues, there will be enough nurses to meet national health care needs by 2030.

7 Dec 2011

Multiple-employer health plans will be subject to quick enforcement procedures

Under a proposed rule stemming from the health law, the secretary of labor will have enforcement tools designed to protect employers, providers and workers from mismanaged or fraudulent multiple-employer welfare arrangements.

7 Dec 2011

Evaluation method supports soy as high-quality protein

The importance of protein in the human body is undeniable. However, the idea of what makes a protein a "quality protein" has not been as easy to determine. A new study from the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry takes a closer look at the criteria for determining the quality of a protein.

7 Dec 2011

Still on the Capitol Hill to-do list: Payroll tax holiday extension, Medicare doc fix

Reuters terms the tasks as "issues affecting Americans' pocketbook." The outstanding questions include how to pay for the payroll tax break extension - could Medicare offer some ideas? Also, could the doc fix fight spill over into January? One area where there appears to finally be a truce, though, is the fight over Tricare, the health insurance plan for the military. Meanwhile, Politico looks ahead to health policy issues in 2012.

7 Dec 2011