Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Four Mass. hospitals investigate trashing of patient health records, Calif. employers worry about workers using marijuana on job

"Four Massachusetts community hospitals are investigating how thousands of patient health records, some containing Social Security numbers and sensitive medical diagnoses, ended up in a pile at a public dump. The unshredded records included pathology reports with patients' names, addresses, and results of breast, bone, and skin cancer tests, as well as the results of lab work following miscarriages. By law, medical records and documents containing personal identifying information must be disposed of in a way that protects privacy, and leaving them at a dump is probably illegal, privacy lawyers and hospital officials said" (Kowalczyk, 8/13).

13 Aug 2010

Today's opinions: Rep. Ryan's plan to aid Medicare; The burden on health law supporters in Va.; Evaluating Medicare actuary's estimates

Only in Washington could the government raid one entitlement program to finance a brand-new one and still claim that deficits have been reduced and entitlements have been reformed (Rep. Paul Ryan, 8/13).

13 Aug 2010

Hospitals' 'bad debts' grow as even insured patients have trouble paying medical bills

A "local hospital group says the fastest-growing part of what hospitals call 'bad debt' -- basically, uncollectible bills -- is money owed by patients who have insurance. As employers dump costs onto workers, so now are workers dumping costs onto hospitals. Because of rising deductibles and cost-sharing rules, patients are increasingly faced with bills that would have been unusual for someone with insurance a few years ago. Growing numbers of them can't pay, or won't. Total bad debt grew 12 percent, from $490 million in fiscal 2007 to nearly $550 million in fiscal 2008, at 36 area hospitals that responded to a 2009 survey by the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council of HAP, a hospital association that released the data this week. But bad debt from insured patients grew twice as fast: 28 percent, from $76 million to $97 million."

13 Aug 2010

ACAM, AAEM sign agreement to host joint conference in Portland

The American College for Advancement in Medicine and the American Academy of Environmental Medicine are excited to announce they have reached an agreement to host a joint conference and tradeshow, November 16 - 20, 2011 in Portland, Oregon.

13 Aug 2010

Quick-Med Technologies, Biosara sign development agreement

Quick-Med Technologies, Inc., a life sciences company that is developing innovative technologies for the healthcare and consumer markets, announced today that it has signed a development agreement with Biosara Corporation, a medical device company targeting wound dressings for major medical and healthcare providers, along with the multi-billion dollar organized sports athlete markets.

13 Aug 2010

Activists, care providers, patients protest against Senator Nelson's silence on AIDS drug program

While Florida continues to add up to 300 people each month to its waiting list for its AIDS Drug Assistance Program, scores of AIDS activists, care providers and patients will gather at a protest and press briefing hosted by AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Friday, August 13th at 12:00 Noon outside the Tampa offices of United States Senator Bill Nelson (D, FL).

13 Aug 2010

Health 2.0 Developer Challenge initiative announces four new challenges

The Health 2.0 Developer Challenge, an initiative designed to stimulate new innovative application development and data use, announces its four newest challenges which include prize money of over $15,000.

13 Aug 2010

Challenges in interrelated disciplines of information governance in effective e-Health systems

According to a new report from Accenture, healthcare organizations planning large investments in e-health solutions face challenges in five interrelated disciplines of information governance - data privacy, confidentiality, security, quality and integrity.

13 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 13, 2010

Today's headlines explore a variety of health policy issues, ranging from consumer protections regarding benefit rights to the cost of electronic medical records.

13 Aug 2010

Magnet hospitals don't provide better working conditions for nurses than non-magnet hospitals: Study

Magnet hospitals, while widely recognized for better patient safety and outcomes, don't provide better working conditions for nurses than non-magnet hospitals, according to a new study by the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

13 Aug 2010

General Dynamics awarded $80.3M contract to support HHS Early Retiree Reinsurance Program

General Dynamics Information Technology's ViPS, part of its Health IT Solutions business sector, has been awarded a contract to support the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP). The total potential contract value is $80.3 million over four years if all options are exercised.

13 Aug 2010

Research reveals self-care improves healing experience

New research conducted by Experience In Motion LLC (EIM), Minneapolis, reveals that when healthcare organizations, their staff and practitioners engage in self-care as an organizational strategy, it not only improves the healing experience for themselves and patients, but it also improves business measures.

13 Aug 2010

MedAssurant enters agreement with NCQA to develop new measures of healthcare quality

MedAssurant Inc., a leading provider of data-driven healthcare solutions, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the organization that maintains the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS ®)—the most widely used performance measurement tool in healthcare and a core component of the Medicare Star Rating system—to support the development of new measures of healthcare quality that NCQA is developing under a contract it has with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

13 Aug 2010

NewCardio second-quarter net loss decreases to $1.5 million

NewCardio, Inc., a cardiac diagnostic technology provider, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

13 Aug 2010

AHRQ selects Outcome Sciences to study effects of different treatments for open angle glaucoma

Outcome Sciences, Inc. (OUTCOME), the leading provider of patient registries, studies, and technologies for evaluating real-world outcomes, today announced that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has selected Outcome as the DEcIDE Center for a study designed to compare the effectiveness of medications versus surgery for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma. The study will enroll 2,600 patients from 30 sites across the United States and is intended to provide new scientific information about the effects of different treatment approaches in individuals who have glaucoma.

13 Aug 2010

NAC to deliver education program on asthma management for youth

As children with asthma head back to school this fall, the National Asthma Campaign Foundation (NAC) is partnering with Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago (RHAMC) to deliver Fight Asthma Now (FAN), an asthma education program that teaches youth to control and manage their asthma.

13 Aug 2010

Sandata announces acquisition of Medical Management Technology Group's customer base

Sandata Technologies, LLC, a leading nationwide provider of information technology solutions to the home healthcare and social services communities today announced the acquisition of all of the home healthcare agency contracts of Medical Management Technology Group, Inc. in connection with the settlement of a patent infringement lawsuit.

13 Aug 2010

Alliance HealthCare Services receives Exceeding Patient Expectations Award for 2009

Alliance HealthCare Services, Inc., a leading national provider of outpatient diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy services, has been awarded the prestigious Exceeding Expectations Award for 2009 by Avatar International, an industry leader in healthcare quality improvement services. Alliance also earned the award in 2007 and 2008.

13 Aug 2010

Alimera Sciences second-quarter net loss decreases to $4.8 million

Alimera Sciences, Inc., today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010 and provided an update on progress toward achieving its 2010 goals.

13 Aug 2010

Insurers, small businesses and ER care all affected by overhaul

News outlets consider the impact of health reform on insurers — who are seeking flexibility on mandates — as well as changes to premiums, small businesses and emergency room care.

13 Aug 2010

Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Four Mass. hospitals investigate trashing of patient health records, Calif. employers worry about workers using marijuana on job

Today's opinions: Rep. Ryan's plan to aid Medicare; The burden on health law supporters in Va.; Evaluating Medicare actuary's estimates

Hospitals' 'bad debts' grow as even insured patients have trouble paying medical bills

ACAM, AAEM sign agreement to host joint conference in Portland

Quick-Med Technologies, Biosara sign development agreement

Activists, care providers, patients protest against Senator Nelson's silence on AIDS drug program

Health 2.0 Developer Challenge initiative announces four new challenges

Challenges in interrelated disciplines of information governance in effective e-Health systems

First Edition: August 13, 2010

Magnet hospitals don't provide better working conditions for nurses than non-magnet hospitals: Study

General Dynamics awarded $80.3M contract to support HHS Early Retiree Reinsurance Program

Research reveals self-care improves healing experience

MedAssurant enters agreement with NCQA to develop new measures of healthcare quality

NewCardio second-quarter net loss decreases to $1.5 million

AHRQ selects Outcome Sciences to study effects of different treatments for open angle glaucoma

NAC to deliver education program on asthma management for youth

Sandata announces acquisition of Medical Management Technology Group's customer base

Alliance HealthCare Services receives Exceeding Patient Expectations Award for 2009

Alimera Sciences second-quarter net loss decreases to $4.8 million

Insurers, small businesses and ER care all affected by overhaul

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Newsletters you may be interested in