Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Researchers: VA electronic health records system worth the cost

A new study in the journal Health Affairs finds that while the system, "collectively called Vista, for Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture" was expensive, it has paid off, The Wall Street Journal reports.

8 Apr 2010

U.S. hospitals continue to implement palliative care programs at a rapid pace

United States hospitals continue to implement palliative care programs at a rapid pace, according to a new analysis released today by the Center to Advance Palliative Care. Palliative care programs are widely regarded to improve the quality of care of serious and chronic illness.

8 Apr 2010

Women need to be educated on osteoporosis risk factors and treatment: Study

Underscoring what researchers call a serious global public health concern, results from a new study led by Columbia University Medical Center reveal that many women at an elevated level of risk for osteoporosis-associated fractures fail to perceive the implications of the risk factors.

8 Apr 2010

Medical community and MPs react to deaths caused by inept foreign doctors

German doctor Daniel Ubani accidentally killed patient David Gray on his first UK shift as an out-of-hours locum GP. The death of the man aged 70 occurred from an overdose of diamorphine administered by Ubani whose poor English skills are being blamed. This has lead to a strong reaction from the local medical community and the MPs.

8 Apr 2010

Massachusetts insurers close plans, leaving would-be customers in limbo

An ongoing showdown between Massachusetts regulators and the insurance industry resulted in insurers temporarily closing plans to new enrollees Tuesday.

8 Apr 2010

Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, PETNET Solutions collaborate in manufacture of Florbetapir F 18

Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc. and PETNET Solutions, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Siemens Medical Solutions, USA, Inc., marked the first dose shipped from a PETNET Solutions manufacturing facility as part of its collaboration with Avid on Florbetapir F 18 (18F-AV-45 or Florbetapir), Avid's molecular imaging agent for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of β-amyloid deposits in the brain, a key pathological component of Alzheimer's disease.

8 Apr 2010

Arizona's hospital industry decides not to push tax to help poor, Maryland health programs struggle financially

"Arizona's hospital industry has decided not to push for an income tax increase on the state's wealthy to help the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System," the Medicaid program in the state.

8 Apr 2010

Health reform law raises hopes, issues for Medicaid

Changes coming because of the health reform law could affect the delivery of care for Medicaid patients.

8 Apr 2010

Allscripts' third-quarter revenues rise up 12%

Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions, Inc. today announced its financial results for the three and nine months ended February 28, 2010.

8 Apr 2010

Arizona and Nevada Governors reject AGs' advice, join suit against new health law

The Associated Press/Boston Globe: "The governors of Arizona and Nevada say their states will join 14 others suing the federal government over health care reform. Gov. Jan Brewer announced Arizona was joining the suit Tuesday night. She signed a bill April 1 that gave her the authority to skirt the state's Democratic attorney general, Terry Goddard, who declined to sue on the state's behalf.

8 Apr 2010

Today's opinions and editorials

From an economic perspective, health reform will fail if we can't sometimes push back against the try-anything instinct (David Leonhardt, 4/6).

8 Apr 2010

First Edition: April 7, 2010

Today's headlines highlight developments regarding the implementation of the new health law as well as health developments from the state level.

7 Apr 2010

Brazil healthcare market to reach $129.9 billion in 2012

On the road to global economic recovery, the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are setting up a new scene. Brazil, in particular, is the 9th economy in the world and is expected to reach the 8th position by 2012. New opportunities set a promising healthcare market perspective with a strong potential for further growth.

7 Apr 2010

Achaogen announces completion of $56M Series C round of financing

Achaogen, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative broad-spectrum antibiotics to treat life-threatening, multi-drug resistant bacterial infections, today announced the completion of a $56 million Series C round of financing. The round was led by new investor Frazier Healthcare Ventures, and also included new investor Alta Partners.

7 Apr 2010

Aerocrine AB experiences low first-quarter sales development

Aerocrine AB today announced that its first quarter sales development has been below expectations. Revenues are estimated to reach approximately 18 MSEK compared to 26,9 MSEK previous year.

7 Apr 2010

Payers, benefits administrators look for ways to reduce costs of managing benefits programs

Sending communications on healthcare benefits through the mail is an important channel in engaging members as they make benefits decisions and as program managers seek to influence member behavior, according to a study on Healthcare Benefit Communications Preferences by Pitney Bowes Management Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Pitney Bowes Inc.

7 Apr 2010

Gerresheimer AG sets up new sales office in Moscow

Gerresheimer AG has set up a sales office in Moscow. The new representation centre will intensify the Group's business in pharmaceutical primary packaging and drug-delivery systems. "This is a strategically important step to further develop the fast-growing pharma & healthcare markets of Russia and neighboring regions," says Gerresheimer CEO Dr. Axel Herberg.

7 Apr 2010

Thomson Reuters ranks UC San Diego Health System as one of nation's top 15 major teaching hospitals

UC San Diego Health System was recently listed as one the nation's top 15 major teaching hospitals by Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of health care. The award recognizes hospitals that have achieved excellence in clinical outcomes, patient safety, patient satisfaction, financial performance, and operational efficiency. This is first time UC San Diego Health System has been recognized with this honor.

7 Apr 2010

A-Life Hospital signs agreement to provide facility outpatient-based CAC services to OhioHealth

A-Life Medical, Inc., the pioneer and leading provider of computer-assisted coding (CAC) products and services to the healthcare industry, announced today that A-Life Hospital, its wholly owned subsidiary, has entered into an agreement with OhioHealth, a Columbus, Ohio-based hospital system, effective March 15, 2010.

7 Apr 2010

Actual cost of blood 37% higher than previously estimated

A new blood transfusion cost analysis study published in the April 2010 issue of Transfusion, a peer-reviewed academic journal, shows that when all of the complex cost factors leading up to and after a red blood cell (RBC) transfusion are considered, the actual cost of blood is substantially higher than previously estimated.

7 Apr 2010