Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

GE Healthcare showcases low-dose CT innovations at 96th RSNA

For decades GE Healthcare has invested in leading, state of the art technology for significantly lowering dose in computed tomography (CT) procedures. At the 96TH annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, GE Healthcare is showcasing some of its latest CT innovations that provide dose-reducing options to customers to help ensure better diagnoses.

1 Dec 2010

New tool helps gauge care for people with neurological disorder

A national conversation continues about the best ways to improve both the quality of medical care and to contain costs. So far, developing quality measurements has focused on primary care or highly prevalent, chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes. But what about brain disorders? To date, the number of measures that apply to neurologic care has been limited.

1 Dec 2010

Migraine headache with aura increases risk of stroke among women: Research

Women with a history of migraine headache with aura (transient neurological symptoms, mostly visual impairments) are at increased risk of stroke. However, according to new research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association stroke events in women with migraine with aura are more likely to have mild or no disability compared to those without migraine.

1 Dec 2010

Washington State Hospital Association makes public surgical infection rates

Today, the Washington State Hospital Association is releasing hospital-specific surgical infection rate data. This is the first time this information has been made public.

1 Dec 2010

Philips Electronics introduces IntelliSpace Portal to improve patient care

Royal Philips Electronics today introduced the Philips IntelliSpace Portal, a multimodality workspace that uses advanced networking capabilities to facilitate collaboration between radiologists and referring clinicians that may lead to faster, more accurate and informed patient care.

From Philips Healthcare 1 Dec 2010

Alpha II integrates CodeWizard software with First Medical Suite

Alpha II, a leader in healthcare coding, compliance and reimbursement, announced today the integration of Alpha II's CodeWizard software with First Medical Solutions' First Medical Suite, a combination of FirstEMR and First Medical Office (PMS) software.

1 Dec 2010

Underwood-Memorial Hospital joins Jefferson Neuroscience Network as New Jersey participant

Underwood-Memorial Hospital of Woodbury, New Jersey has joined the Jefferson Neuroscience Network (JNN) as one of the first New Jersey participants. Through this collaboration, Jefferson and Underwood will provide some of the most sophisticated care and expertise available to patients with time-sensitive neurovascular diseases.

1 Dec 2010

Health law causing ripples in Congress, insurance industry, among doctors

The Washington Post: "One of the most significant savings envisioned in the new health- care law - limiting payments to the private health plans that cover 11 million older Americans under Medicare - is, so far, bringing little of the turbulence that the insurance industry and many Republicans predicted. ... Early clues to the actual effects have now materialized, as elderly Americans may sign up for a health plan for 2011 during an enrollment period through the end of the year, and the warnings of swift, serious damage to the program are not borne out.

1 Dec 2010

Medical records and medical device interests gain attention from big names, congressional delegation

The Hill: "The new lobby shop of former Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) and his son Tom has registered its first client. The San Francisco-based tech company Resilient Networks Systems has hired Tauzin Consultants to help lobby on the deployment of electronic medical records under the healthcare reform law among other issues, according to lobbying disclosure records.

30 Nov 2010

Lame duck update: Congress delays Medicare payment cuts, fails to roll back health law's 1099 provision

Congress on Monday agreed to delay for one month a cut in Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors, giving a short-term reprieve to a looming crisis over treatment of the nation's elderly.

30 Nov 2010

Health care models: Accountable Care Organizations, medical homes

Kansas Health Institute News Service examines accountable care organizations (ACOs): "In an effort to combat the lack of coordination that is widely recognized as a major shortcoming of the current health system, the new federal health reform law includes provisions intended to encourage wider use of Accountable Care Organizations or ACOs."

30 Nov 2010

New findings offer insights into novel treatment avenue for Crohn's Disease, sarcoidosis

A new finding out in the December 1st issue of Genes & Development offers insight into a new treatment avenue for two painful inflammatory diseases: Crohn's Disease and sarcoidosis.

30 Nov 2010

Celulas Genetica licenses new organ regeneration treatment from Chinese BBFITCL

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. announced today that its affiliate, Celulas Genetica, purchased a license to develop and market a revolutionary new medical treatment known as the Rutherford Procedure.

30 Nov 2010

Ascension Health to deploy MedAssets' suite of charge integrity solutions

Ascension Health, the nation's largest Catholic and non-profit health system, signed a long-term agreement to deploy MedAssets' suite of charge integrity solutions and consulting services to drive best practices and standardize the management of its charge and acquisition cost data at more than 65 of its acute care locations.

30 Nov 2010

Largest remote health monitoring project in the world launched in China

Canada-based IDEAL LIFE and China's Shandong NovaTech Biological Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer and medical products distribution network in China, announced the launch of the largest remote health monitoring project in the world, bringing wireless, remote health monitoring to the People's Republic of China.

30 Nov 2010

RRIA adds ZixGateway Inbound email scanner for unsecure protected health information

Zix Corporation, the leader in email encryption services, announces that Riverside Radiology and Interventional Associates (RRIA) has enhanced its current three-year contract by adding ZixGatewayTM Inbound, an appliance that automatically scans inbound email for unsecure protected health information (PHI).

30 Nov 2010

Toshiba introduces 160-detector row helical scanning at RSNA annual meeting

One of the most common applications of CT exams is routine body imaging of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. During these exams, healthcare facilities look to provide cutting-edge exams for diagnosis, while improving departmental workflow and maintaining patient safety. To improve body CT imaging, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. introduces 160-detector row helical scanning, which is the helical scan mode with the largest number of detector rows available at this year's Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting.

30 Nov 2010

Prescription rates for controlled medications double for teens, young adults

Adolescents and young adults are most likely to abuse prescription medications. Yet prescription rates for controlled medications, or drugs the Drug Enforcement Administration deems as having the potential for abuse, have nearly doubled for those age groups in the past 14 years, according to a recent study published in Pediatrics. Overall, a controlled medication was prescribed for young adults at approximately one out of every six visits and for young adult by adolescents one out of every nine encounters.

30 Nov 2010

Northern Hospital implements EMC and VMware solutions to virtualize and consolidate IT infrastructure

EMC Corporation, the world leader in information infrastructure solutions, today announced that Northern Hospital of Surry County, a community hospital in Mount Airy, N.C. with more than 850 healthcare professionals including physicians on staff, has implemented EMC and VMware solutions to virtualize and consolidate its IT infrastructure for increased efficiency, agility and data protection.

30 Nov 2010

AIDS Healthcare Foundation to participate in Members Project

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is proud to be selected as a candidate charity in Members Project, a partnership between American Express and TakePart.

30 Nov 2010