Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Battle lines drawn in the CT dose reduction arena

Over the past ten years, Computed Tomography (CT) vendors have been in a fierce race to capitalise on the trend for multi-slice CT equipment. However, in the last three years, increasing concerns over radiation exposure from CT examinations have driven a focus on dose-reduction, and CT product development has followed suit. As battle lines are drawn in the dose-reduction arena, InMedica (www.in-medica.com) analyses the competition for CT slices in its new report “The World Market for CT and PET-CT Equipment.” Importantly, what will this mean for dose-reduction?

12 Jul 2011

FDA approves protocol for Medtronic's SYMPLICITY HTN-3 for treatment of hypertension

Medtronic, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has conditionally approved the protocol for SYMPLICITY HTN-3, the company's U.S. clinical trial of renal denervation with the Symplicity Catheter System for the treatment of resistant hypertension, an especially dangerous disease affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

From Medtronic 12 Jul 2011

Study: 82% of Georgia hospitals do not offer palliative care services

Hospitals across the nation are increasingly implementing palliative care programs to help patients manage the physical and emotional burdens of serious illnesses, but a new University of Georgia study finds that 82 percent of the state's hospitals do not offer palliative care services.

12 Jul 2011

Toumaz announces JV for newly approved ‘digital plaster’

Toumaz Limited (AIM: TMZ,) has established a new joint venture with Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong’s company California Capital Equity LLC (‘CCE’), to expand the commercialisation and distribution of the Sensium™ Digital Plaster. The joint venture, which is named “Toumaz US LLC”, will be headquartered in San Diego, California, and will sell and distribute the Sensium™ Digital Plaster in North America and Worldwide.

11 Jul 2011

Opponents ask Colo. Attorney General to intervene on hospital sale

Opponents mount a challenge to the planned sale of Denver's largest hospital group to a for-profit chain while hospitals in Massachusetts report difficult economic conditions and a California facility is expanding.

11 Jul 2011

Parallels, Microsoft partner to deliver complete cloud automation solution for health community

At the Microsoft World Wide Partner conference, Parallels today announced a two-year strategic relationship with Microsoft to deliver a complete cloud automation solution focused on meeting the needs of the health industry around the world.

11 Jul 2011

Avisena receives $2.5 million debt facility from Square 1 Bank

Avisena, one of the nation's leading providers of revenue cycle management software and services for physician practices, today announced the extension of a $2.5 million debt facility from Square 1 Bank. The facility will be used to accelerate the Company's strategic expansion into new markets through additional investments in sales and marketing.

11 Jul 2011

Evolution Benefits and Lighthouse1 merge to create Evolution1

Evolution Benefits and Lighthouse1 announced today that they have completed merging their companies to create Evolution1. Evolution1 offers the nation's most comprehensive electronic payment, on-premise and cloud computing solutions for the administration of flexible spending accounts (FSAs), health savings accounts (HSAs), health reimbursement accounts (HRAs), VEBAs, wellness and transit plans.

11 Jul 2011

Deal in debt talks still elusive as Aug. 2 deadline looms

Issues related to trimming entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, as well as revamping the tax code, continue to be difficult to tackle.

11 Jul 2011

RyMed's InVision-Plus Intraluminal Protection System effective against catheter-related bloodstream infections

Denise Macklin, BSN, RNC, representing the research team of Dr. Cynthia C. Chernecky Ph.D., RN, AOCN, FAAN, Dr. Jennifer Waller, Ph.D., both from Georgia Health Sciences University; and Dr. William Jarvis M.D., Jason & Jarvis Associates, exhibited a poster at the recent APIC 2011 (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology) conference in Baltimore, titled "Clinical Comparisons of Split Septum, Positive and Negative Mechanical Valve Intravenous Connectors to an Intraluminal Protection Connector on Infection Rates."

11 Jul 2011

Governors oppose Medicaid cuts in debt-ceiling efforts

One approach being discussed would lower federal payments to states for Medicaid and the CHIP program — which as analysis says would lead to even more budget burdens for already cash-strapped states.

11 Jul 2011

Potential causes for drops in children's immunization rate

Childhood immunizations - long proven invaluable in preventing contagious diseases - have become increasingly controversial. Despite numerous studies supporting safety and efficacy, a growing number of parents refuse to vaccinate their children. A study conducted by second-year University of Vermont (UVM) medical students identified several potential causes for drops in Vermont children's immunization rate, which ranks as one of the lowest nationally.

11 Jul 2011

Slow economic recovery slows tally of new health care jobs

Health care employment, which defied the economy by adding jobs through the 2007-09 recession, is looking less robust. The sector is starting to come under pressure as the weak recovery coupled with state budget cuts and uncertainty about the financial effects of the health care overhaul are pushing hospitals and health systems to cut costs.

11 Jul 2011

State roundup: Recurring SustiNet rumors in Conn.

The tentative concession deal negotiated between Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's administration and state employee unions is dead. But suspicions it was linked the SustiNet plan to create state-run insurance live on, complicating chances of striking a new deal to avert up to 6,500 layoffs. ... One simple, incontrovertible fact is that there is no SustiNet coverage plan into which state employees can be enticed or forced. But from there, the picture gets fuzzy.

11 Jul 2011

Alnylam seeks CTA clearance to initiate ALN-PCS Phase I clinical trial for severe hypercholesterolemia

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that it has filed a Clinical Trial Application (CTA) with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to initiate a Phase I clinical trial with ALN-PCS, an RNAi therapeutic for the treatment of severe hypercholesterolemia.

11 Jul 2011

Endosense completes first patient case utilizing new prototype software

Endosense, a Swiss medical technology company, has announced completion of the first patient case utilizing prototype software that integrates the contact-force data provided by Endosense's TactiCath force-sensing ablation catheter with Siemens Healthcare's electrophysiology solutions.

11 Jul 2011

HyGreen's hand hygiene system to be showcased at AHA summit

HyGreen, Inc. announces that it will showcase its hand hygiene system, HyGreen, at the 19th Annual American Hospital Association Leadership Summit held July 17-19, 2011 in San Diego, CA.

11 Jul 2011

Medworxx, AHS to expand use of Patient Flow system across the province

Medworxx Inc., provider of healthcare solutions for patient flow, compliance and education, is pleased to announce that they have entered into an agreement with Alberta Health Services (AHS) to purchase coverage of additional beds by the Medworxx Patient Flow system.

11 Jul 2011

Randox launches Lab Tests Blog

Randox Laboratories is excited to announce the launch of its very own online blog - Lab Tests Blog.

From Randox Laboratories Ltd. 11 Jul 2011

Study describes how obesity could protect against mortality in patients with RI/ARDS

Researchers have discovered that obese adults undergoing surgery are less frequently developing respiratory insufficiency (RI) and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and that when they do, they are less likely to have fatal outcomes.

11 Jul 2011