Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Australia steps closer to plain cigarette packaging

This week, the parliament's lower house passed two bills aimed at banning tobacco company product branding. The legislation, which dictates that cigarette packets must be a uniform olive green with the name of the brand in small, standard type, is expected to pass the upper house in the coming weeks.

26 Aug 2011

‘Designer vaginas’: More women going under the knife

Latest research from University College London’s (UCL) Women’s Health Institute shows that more and more women and even girls as young as 11 are looking for cosmetic procedures to obtain “designer vaginas”.

26 Aug 2011

Nurofen mix up with Seroquel schizophrenia drug warns MHRA

British drug regulators have issued a safety alert on Thursday after discovering packs of the over-the-counter painkiller Nurofen Plus containing the anti-psychotic drug Seroquel XL.

26 Aug 2011

Foods that can reduce cholesterol

At present those with cholesterol are prescribed cholesterol lowering drugs like statins and a diet that cuts out foods high in saturated fat. New research shows that some foods may help to lower cholesterol.

26 Aug 2011

States putting more kids into CHIP programs, but some Medicaid programs squeezed

Thirty states increased the number of children under the program, Stateline reports. Also, Medicaid advocates are urging federal officials to deny California's request to cut the program, and in Georgia, officials are looking for more funding.

26 Aug 2011

Victhom second quarter revenues up 30.4%

Victhom Human Bionics Inc. today reported its second quarter 2011 financial results.

26 Aug 2011

FDA tips for tackling hurricanes

The FDA reminds consumers to take precautions for storing water and ensuring the safety of their food and medical supplies for themselves and their pets during and after this week's expected hurricane-related rain, possible flooding and power outages.

26 Aug 2011

Global obesity rates doubled over last 30 years, researchers say

"Obesity rates worldwide have doubled in the last three decades, even as blood pressure and cholesterol levels have dropped," according to a series of papers published Friday in the Lancet, the Associated Press/New York Times reports (8/25).

26 Aug 2011

Hospitals, health care facilities feeling effects of economic downturn

The July jobless rate dipped one-tenth of a point from June to 10.4 percent. That was unchanged from a year earlier. So too, were the number of jobs at hospitals, nursing homes, residential care facilities and clinics across Georgia.

26 Aug 2011

HHS awards $137M to fund key state and local public health programs

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today awarded up to $137 million, partly supported by the Affordable Care Act, to states to strengthen the public health infrastructure and provide jobs in core areas of public health.

26 Aug 2011

First Edition: August 26, 2011

In today's headlines, reports about presidential politics and health reform -- most notably, Rick Perry's assault on Mitt Romney's Massachusetts record.

26 Aug 2011

Trauma patients with no insurance more likely to seek follow-up care in ED

Providing access to an outpatient clinic isn't enough to keep some trauma patients who have been discharged from the hospital from returning to the emergency department (ED) for follow-up care, even for such minor needs as pain medication refills and dressing changes, according to new Johns Hopkins research.

26 Aug 2011

CBO's latest budget projections assume end of 'doc fixes'

The Congressional Budget Office projects that rebounding revenue, combined with the force of the debt-reduction deal that became law earlier this month, will reduce the deficit by an estimated $3.3 trillion.

26 Aug 2011

Forum for Collaborative HIV Research discusses PrEP

Following an August 19 meeting convened by the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research to explore recent findings showing the success of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), "conference participants urged healthcare providers and the public to await further guidance from the CDC and FDA before considering using PrEP. However, if providers believe that initiating PrEP is urgent for a specific patient, CDC recommends following the cautions and procedures previously published for PrEP use in MSM", a Forum press release states.

26 Aug 2011

AHRQ finds significant drop in hospital deaths from heart failure between 2000-2007

The death rate of hospital patients who were admitted primarily for heart failure fell roughly by half between 2000 and 2007 - from 55 deaths to 28 deaths per 1,000 admissions, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

26 Aug 2011

As Rick Perry moves to front of GOP presidential pack, his health policies trigger speculation

Talk is picking up regarding what exactly 'Perrycare' might look like and how much the nation's health care system will factor into his campaign messages.

26 Aug 2011

High job stress causes workers to increasingly seek help from health professionals

Job-related stress is catching up with the Canadians. A new study by Concordia University economists, published in BMC Public Health, has found that increased job stress causes workers to increasingly seek help from health professionals for physical, mental and emotional ailments linked to job stress.

26 Aug 2011

Study: Temporary ER staff more likely to be involved in medication errors

Temporary staff members working in a hospital's fast-paced emergency department are twice as likely as permanent employees to be involved in medication errors that harm patients, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

26 Aug 2011

Consumer advocates join state insurance regulators in urging 'level playing field' for existing health plans and new multistate policies

In other health law implementation news, The Hill reports that the Obama administration will likely fall behind in implementing the CLASS Act. Meanwhile, the sweeping overhaul gets a vote of confidence from former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

26 Aug 2011

Longer looks: Who is influencing health care?; Planned Parenthood's battle in the states; Oregon's new experiment

Right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh once vowed to flee to Costa Rica if President Barack Obama's health care reforms took effect. Limbaugh might have overlooked a couple of critical details: Costa Rica's respected universal healthcare system is highly socialized. It's also on the verge of going broke. ... Costa Rica's broad coverage ranked better than most of the Americas, including the United States, in a 2000 World Health Organization index.

26 Aug 2011