Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

ACO rule revisions get nod from medical industry group

An influential medical group's change of heart is boosting President Barack Obama's plan to use Medicare to promote higher quality, less expensive care. The American Medical Group Association represents premier organizations like the Mayo Clinic, the models for the proposed "accountable care organizations" in Obama's health care overhaul law. The networks of doctors and hospitals will collaborate to keep patients healthier.

1 Nov 2011

European Congress on Osteoporosis & Osteoarthritis to be held March 21-24

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) have worked in partnership to develop a unique springtime meeting programme for healthcare professionals, researchers and young scientists. With over 5,500 participants, this has become the largest educational event and most vibrant clinical research forum for osteoporosis and osteoarthritis in Europe.

1 Nov 2011

Legislation introduced to offer some legal protection to providers who use electronic medical records

The legislation, which would focus its legal protection on providers who participate in Medicare and Medicaid, is designed to encourage the adoption of health information technology.

1 Nov 2011

Heart disease treatment tops list of most expensive conditions for men

The cost of treating men for heart disease topped $47 billion in 2008, leading a list of the 10 most expensive conditions for men age 18 and older, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

1 Nov 2011

Viewpoints: Judd Gregg on revamping entitlements and taxes; John Breaux on slashing Medicare fraud; Medicaid limits on hospital stays

Consider this. As of this year, every other household in America will have at least one person in it who is receiving an entitlement benefit, according to the Census Bureau. As of this year, fewer than half of the Americans who have earned income will pay income taxes on that income.

1 Nov 2011

Psyche Systems and Aperio partner to provide integrated LIS and Digital Pathology solution

Psyche Systems Corporation and Aperio announced today that the companies have formed a strategic relationship which will provide customers an end-to-end integrated LIS and Digital Pathology solution.

31 Oct 2011

Cigarette smokers at risk of compromised digestive function

Cigarette smoking appears to impair pancreatic duct cell function--even for those who quit--putting all smokers at risk of compromised digestive function regardless of age, gender and alcohol intake, according to the results of a study unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 76th Annual Scientific meeting in Washington, DC.

31 Oct 2011

Medicare costs rise as hospice use increases

The Orlando Sentinel reports that this increase tracks with other increases in costs from for-profit hospice organizations.

31 Oct 2011

Centracare chooses Merge's iConnect for image interoperability, informatics strategy

Merge Healthcare, a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, today announced that Centracare Health System's St. Cloud Hospital, the largest healthcare provider in the St. Cloud, MN region, has selected Merge's iConnect VNA (vendor neutral archive) and iConnect Share for their image interoperability and informatics strategy.

31 Oct 2011

WageWorks launches EZ Receipts to manage healthcare, dependent care spending accounts

WageWorks, Inc., a leading on-demand provider of tax-advantaged programs for consumer-directed health, commuter and other employee spending account benefits, is pleased to announce the launch of its new EZ Receipts mobile application for use by WageWorks' participants on their smartphones and other mobile devices.

31 Oct 2011

PPRT publishes study that evaluates pharmacist provision of clozapine

According to a study which evaluated alternative models for the delivery of clozapine services, published by the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust (PPRT), there is scope to review the team configurations needed to deliver community services in a cost-effective manner and to provide opportunities for improving the services provided to patients.

31 Oct 2011

EBD Group launches partnering360 for life science professionals

EBD Group, the leading partnering firm for the global life science industry, today announced the launch of partnering360, an online network of professionals in the life science industry. partnering360 provides members with a personalized network to the people, the events and the information necessary for partnering success.

31 Oct 2011

Smart City-Smart Village initiative to improve health and wellbeing of Rakyat

Sustainable, high-value and inclusive projects under the Smart City-Smart Village initiative of Malaysia's recently-formed Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council (GSIAC) were identified by leaders of international and local companies convened Oct. 27-28 in Kuala Lumpur.

29 Oct 2011

Book discusses how America can solve its weight problems without government intrusion

America's emerging "fat war" threatens to pit a shrinking population of trim Americans against an expanding population of heavy Americans in raging policy debates over "fat taxes" and "fat bans." These "fat policies" would be designed to constrain what people eat and drink - and theoretically crimp the growth in Americans' waistlines and in the country's healthcare costs.

29 Oct 2011

State highlights: Wash. Gov. announces more budget cuts

For the fourth year in a row, Gov. Chris Gregoire on Thursday outlined more than $1.5 billion in state cuts to health care, social services, prisons and education.The latest round would increase public-school class sizes, eliminate subsidized health care for the working poor and release hundreds of inmates early…. The state's Basic Health Plan would close, ending state-subsidized insurance for about 35,000 low-income people.

29 Oct 2011

State spending on Medicaid skyrockets, further straining state budgets

A 50-state survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that state spending on Medicaid will increase 29 percent this year.

29 Oct 2011

Parties still far apart as deficit panel eyes benefits, taxes

Media outlets report on Capitol Hill reactions to the super committee proposals and counter-proposals that surfaced this week. For instance, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, gave his "most pessimistic" take to date on whether the panel would be able to offer recommendations by Thanksgiving on how to reach the deficit-reduction target.

29 Oct 2011

House votes to fix Medicaid glitch

The House easily passed legislation that would fix a Medicaid "glitch" created by the health law that would have allowed up to 3 million middle-class couples earning as much as $64,000 onto the already struggling Medicaid rolls starting in 2014. The House also voted to adjust a definition that determines eligibility for certain health care programs.

29 Oct 2011

Cancer symposium at Georgetown focuses on 'Linking Policy to the Patient'

The Otto J. Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center announces a three-part symposium, titled "Fighting a Smarter War Against Cancer: Linking Policy to the Patient," to be held Thursday, December 1 through Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011 on the campuses of Georgetown University and Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.

29 Oct 2011

Allscripts CEO receives CHIME's Lifetime Achievement Award

The CHIME Foundation, which represents more than 1,400 of the healthcare industry's leading Chief Information Officers, named Glen Tullman, Chief Executive Officer of Allscripts, the 2011 winner of its Lifetime Achievement Award.

29 Oct 2011