Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Scientists to present new findings from NIAID-funded research at ACAAI Annual Meeting

The 2010 Annual Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) brings together leading allergists and immunologists from around the world.

12 Nov 2010

American healthcare system not as safe as thought

A new tool for measuring patient safety shows that the American healthcare system "isn't as safe as we thought it was," according to David Classen, MD, senior partner at CSC and associate professor of medicine at the University of Utah.

12 Nov 2010

SU2C to receive second CLIO Healthcare Award

The CLIO Healthcare Awards will present its second annual honorary award, to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), on November 12th, 2010. This dedicated award celebrates an organization or individual for excellence in healthcare communications and for contributing to the improvement of public health.

12 Nov 2010

Hartford Hospital research team receives $238,000 grant from InHealth to study prostate cancer

The Institute for Health Technology Studies (InHealth) has awarded a grant totaling more than $238,000 to a research team at the Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut to study how various prostate cancer treatments affect a patient's "social capital" the ability to continue working productively in a paying job.

12 Nov 2010

Drug industry roundup: Fosamax trial focuses scrutiny on osteoporosis drugs; What about $4 generics; Recalls undermining confidence

The New York Times: A civil trial against the drugmaker Merck is now underway in Manhattan. A retired investigator for the U.S. army is one of 1,400 people suing the company on the premise that Fosamax, a Merck drug used by millions of women with thinning bones, caused them to develop jawbone ailments.

12 Nov 2010

IBM enters agreement with Central Norway Regional Health Authority to support healthcare system

At the Smarter Industries Symposium today in Barcelona, IBM announced it has entered into an agreement with Central Norway Regional Health Authority to provide information technology to support all hospitals in Norway and improve coordination and reporting of health information, logistics and finance. The agreement is estimated at $120 million USD.

12 Nov 2010

GOP prepares to grill Berwick at Senate hearing next week

Bloomberg: "Medicare Administrator Donald Berwick will face critics of President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul next week, his first appearance before Congress since he was appointed in a process that bypassed the Senate. Berwick will testify at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Medicare, the health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, and the Medicaid program for the poor, the panel said today in a statement.

12 Nov 2010

Debt panel's draft would take on Medicare, raise Social Security age

President Barack Obama's bipartisan debt-reduction panel laid out a draft version of its recommendations for cutting spending and raising taxes on Wednesday, The New York Times reports. The proposal includes increasing the retirement age for Social Security and plans to reduce the growth of the Medicare program. In all, the proposals would lower deficits by $4 trillion through 2020 and "stabilize" debt. Liberal groups immediately lashed back at what they see as excessive cuts in spending (Calmes, 11/10).

12 Nov 2010

IPC The Hospitalist Company announces acquisition of Zenith Hospitalists

IPC The Hospitalist Company, Inc., a leading national hospitalist physician group practice company, announced today that it has acquired Zenith Hospitalists, LLP, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The acquisition represents an expansion in the Nevada market, where IPC already has a well-established presence. Zenith has an annualized volume of approximately 40,000 patient encounters.

12 Nov 2010

Veterans and caregivers face ongoing challenges

WebMD: "When veterans with service-related injuries or illness need caregivers, the role typically falls on women, usually spouses or partners," according to a new study by the National Alliance for Caregiving and the United Health Foundation. The study "reports that 96% of veterans' caregivers are women, compared to an overall nationwide finding that 65% of family caregivers are women.

12 Nov 2010

Comparative effectiveness push tailed by controversy, distrust

Two-third of Americans agree that studies comparing treatments are needed, but even more 75 percent say the government and insurers would use the results of such studies to ration medical care, MarketWatch reports.

12 Nov 2010

New A.D.A.M. Health Navigator for hospital, healthcare websites

A.D.A.M., Inc., a leading provider of health information and benefits technology solutions, announced today that the company will unveil the new A.D.A.M. Health Navigator at the 14th Annual Healthcare Internet Conference in Las Vegas, November 15th - 17th.

12 Nov 2010

Mobile health summit ends

The three-day mHealth Alliance summit wrapped up on Wednesday after discussions and seminars that aimed to advance the discussion around ways mobile technology can increase the access, efficiency and effectiveness of health systems, allAfrica.com reports.

11 Nov 2010

FDA grants SEDASYS System appeal

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (EES) today announced that the Commissioner's Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the appeal of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health's (CDRH) denial of the SEDASYS System Premarket Approval Application (PMA). As a result, a new Independent Advisory Panel will be appointed to reconsider the SEDASYS System clinical trial data and application.

11 Nov 2010

Australian Defence Force suffers from shortage of medical officers

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is battling with a shortage of medical officers, and is looking to recruit at least 200 health and medical personnel to fill the gap for current and future needs. According to Captain Julian Fidge, “I am certain the ADF have an enormous shortage of their specialist service officers despite recruiting many valuable, gifted applicants. These people are basically run out of the Army or the Navy through poor treatment…I worked alongside one of the civilian contractors and I had significant difficulties accepting their level of health care, their provision of health care, and so did my medics.”

11 Nov 2010

First Edition: November 11, 2010

In today's headlines, health law advocates huddle in an effort to defend the measure against GOP efforts to undo it.

11 Nov 2010

Aradigm reports $1.3M net income for third quarter 2010 vs. $3.0M net loss for third quarter 2009

Aradigm Corporation today announced financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2010.

11 Nov 2010

Howza launches 'I choose to live' music video to increase awareness of impact of diabetes

Howza (Tshepo Mosese), South African Kwaito star, presenter and actor, has launched a music video for his latest song "I choose to live" on November 10 in an effort to increase awareness of the impact of Diabetes in the world. Inspired by Howza's own story of living with diabetes the song describes the distressing impact diabetes is having on the world and the importance of prevention. Written and performed with fellow South African artist Omen, the song features the voices of the celebrated Soweto Gospel Choir, who lost a member to diabetes seven years ago.

11 Nov 2010

PPH uses Xenex PX-UV disinfection system to destroy microorganisms causing HAIs

Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH) today announced it is the first health system in California to use the Xenex PX-UV disinfection system in its patient and operating rooms. The Xenex system is the fastest, safest and most cost-effective method for the advanced cleaning of hospital rooms in the world today, scientifically proven to destroy all major classes of microorganisms that cause hospital acquired infections (HAIs), such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile (C. diff).

11 Nov 2010