Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Hospitals can now quickly evaluate pricing strategy using Value-based Pricing Analyzer

With market conditions expected to fluctuate in the wake of healthcare reform, hospitals can now quickly and easily evaluate their pricing strategy with Value-based Pricing Analyzer™, a new offering from Craneware, Inc., the market leader in automated revenue integrity solutions.

27 Jan 2011

Poll findings indicate public's continued mixed feelings about health overhaul

Americans are still pretty polarized in their views of the health care overhaul law passed last year, including whether to repeal it. But a majority oppose the notion of defunding the law's provisions in order to neuter it, a poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health finds (Hobson, 1/25).

27 Jan 2011

GE's Pathology Imaging Centre of Excellence receives HTX investment under Ontario Flagship Program

HTX announced today an agreement to establish GE's first global Pathology Imaging Centre of Excellence in Toronto, Ontario. GE Healthcare and its digital pathology joint venture, Omnyx™, will invest $7.75M along with a $2.25M grant from the Health Technology Exchange (HTX). Planned collaborative research and development (R&D) partnerships will bring an additional $7.2M, for a total investment of $17.2M over the next 3 years.

27 Jan 2011

Healthcare at Home acquires Sciensus

Healthcare at Home Ltd, Europe's leading international provider of home-based healthcare and specialty pharmacy services, is today pleased to announce that it has acquired Sciensus Ltd, a provider of health informatics for clients across the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry.

27 Jan 2011

State of the Union address includes brief, but clear, defense of health law

President Barack Obama made clear that he is willing to tinker around the edges of the sweeping reform, but not return to the days before the measure became law. Media outlets analyzed the specifics of his comments and offered a big picture view of the impact of the entire speech, including fact-checking some of his related policy ideas and budget recommendations.

27 Jan 2011

QIAGEN announces formation of subsidiary in India

QIAGEN today announced the formation of its India subsidiary, QIAGEN India Pvt. Ltd., and the beginning of direct sales in the country. Until now, QIAGEN products have been sold in India through distributor partnerships.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 27 Jan 2011

MRSA screening in ICU patients can save costs for hospitals

Screening patients in the intensive care unit for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus roduces cost savings for the whole hospital, according to a study that used a statistical simulation model published in the February issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of APIC - the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

27 Jan 2011

Abbott fourth quarter worldwide sales increase 13.4% to nearly $10 billion

Abbott today announced financial results for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2010.

27 Jan 2011

Teva announces acquisition of Corporación Infarmasa

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced today the acquisition of Corporación Infarmasa, a top ten pharmaceutical company in Perú, from The Rohatyn Group and Altra Investments.

27 Jan 2011

It may not be the end for employer-sponsored insurance

A new study finds the effects of health care reform to be minimal on employer-sponsored insurance, despite criticism that changes to how insurance premiums are calculated will force employers to stop offering coverage.

27 Jan 2011

Six key points to tackle substance abuse, addiction problems among nurses

As many as ten to 20 per cent of nurses and nursing students may have substance abuse and addiction problems, but the key to tackling this difficult issue - and protecting public safety - is support and treatment, not punishment. That is the key message in a paper in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

27 Jan 2011

Viewpoints: Trying to regulate insurance premium rates, fighting Medicare fraud

Big, powerful industries facing tougher government oversight — the health insurance industry, say — know that the legislative battle in Congress or state capitals is just the first skirmish. The more important fight is over the regulations that implement legislative policies (Michael Hiltzik, 1/25).

26 Jan 2011

First Edition: January 26, 2011

Reporting for KHN, in collaboration with Politico, Bara Vaida writes: "Lobbyists for doctors, hospitals and drug companies are urging lawmakers to derail a planned government panel that health industry officials fear will sharply curb Medicare spending -- a critical revenue source for them".

26 Jan 2011

Microvisk secures £6 million to launch world's first diagnostic SmartStrip

Microvisk Technologies, the developer of a handheld system to monitor the blood clotting status of patients taking the drug Warfarin, has raised £6 million through a rights issue to existing investors in an oversubscribed round. This is the third successful funding round for Microvisk, which has secured £10.5m in the past 12 months - the largest amount raised by a UK life science company**.

26 Jan 2011

ECCA and EDMA advance the EU health literacy debate

As part of the 2011 European Cervical Cancer Week, EDMA, the European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association and the ECCA, the European Cervical Cancer Association jointly organised the "Better Health Literacy for Better Health in Europe" dinner debate.

26 Jan 2011

ASTRO reaffirms commitment to quality, issues progress report on patient safety plan

The American Society for Radiation Oncology is continuing its commitment to Target Safely, a six-point patient protection plan developed in January 2010, to improve the safety and quality of radiation therapy treatments and reduce the chances of medical errors.

26 Jan 2011

Johnson & Johnson fourth quarter sales decreases 5.5% to $15.6 billion

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $15.6 billion for the fourth quarter of 2010, a decrease of 5.5% as compared to the fourth quarter of 2009. Operational sales declined 5.1% and the negative impact of currency was 0.4%. Domestic sales declined 8.1%, while international sales declined 3.1%, reflecting an operational decline of 2.3% and a negative currency impact of 0.8%.

25 Jan 2011

First Edition: January 25, 2011

Today's health policy headlines include speculation about what President Barack Obama will say during tonight's State of The Union address and how the GOP will respond to it.

25 Jan 2011

Arizona State University sponsored forum addresses child health crises in America

Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, 17th Surgeon General of the U.S. (2002-2006), said there is "no choice but to act" today to find solutions to the child obesity epidemic and mental health problems in the nation at a forum attended by more than 200 health leaders at the National Press Club. Dr. Carmona made his remarks at "America's Children at Peril: Solving the Child Obesity and Mental Health Epidemics," a forum sponsored by Arizona State University and its College of Nursing & Health Innovation.

25 Jan 2011

IRIS International places 40 iQ200 Elite Automated Urine Microscopy Analyzers in Mexico in 2010

IRIS International, Inc., a leading manufacturer of automated in-vitro diagnostics systems and consumables, and a provider of high value personalized diagnostics testing services through its CLIA certified molecular diagnostics laboratory,has begun to significantly penetrate the Mexican healthcare market with the initial placement in 2010 of 40 iQ®200 Elite™ Automated Urine Microscopy Analyzers within one of the largest social security healthcare systems in Mexico.

25 Jan 2011