Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Antidepressants effective against depression in patients suffering from physical illnesses

Antidepressants are effective against depression in patients suffering from physical illnesses, according to a new systematic review by Cochrane researchers at King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre in the UK. The researchers found the drugs were more effective than placebos at treating depression in these patients.

17 Mar 2010

MedSolutions launches oncology management program for cancer patients

MedSolutions (www.medsolutions.com), a leading provider of medical cost management services, today announced the launch of its oncology management program, which uses evidence-based guidelines to ensure appropriate use of diagnostic imaging, radiation therapy and drugs for cancer patients.

17 Mar 2010

Medical home program: A new approach to optimize pediatric care

For parents of children with multiple medical problems, keeping up with countless doctor's appointments, ongoing tests and a variety of medications can be overwhelming, especially for those in challenging socioeconomic situations.

17 Mar 2010

Former GOP leader Armey predicts health bill will pass

Dick Armey, a former Republican House majority leader and one of the leaders of the Tea Party movement, said Monday "that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is 'inept' but that Congress would likely still pass health care reform," ABC News reports. "

17 Mar 2010

Alpha II’s CodeWizard software to be integrated with MedAppz' iSuite

Alpha II, a leader in healthcare coding, compliance and reimbursement, announced today a contract with MedAppz to integrate Alpha II’s CodeWizard software with iSuite. This integration of technologies will allow iSuite users to generate evaluation and management codes (E&M), delivering a more decisive calculation based on history, exam and medical decision making information obtained from medical records.

17 Mar 2010

House Democrats move health bill with controversial, complicated strategy

House Democrats have started the clock to a landmark vote on sweeping changes to America's health care system.

17 Mar 2010

California jury rules insurer should pay for out-of-state operation; Mass. probe shows insurers' payments can vary widely

The Los Angeles Times: "A Los Angeles jury concluded Monday that Anthem Blue Cross should cover the cost of an out-of-state liver transplant that a California man paid for after the insurer balked. In addition, the jury ordered Blue Cross to pay plaintiff Ephram Nehme's legal expenses, which could dwarf the $206,000 cost of the transplant. Blue Cross approved Nehme's liver transplant in late 2006, and he was on the waiting list at UCLA Medical Center.

17 Mar 2010

Emdeon signs definitive agreement to acquire HTMS

Emdeon Inc., a leading provider of healthcare revenue and payment cycle management solutions, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Healthcare Technology Management Services, a management consulting company focused primarily on the healthcare payer market.

17 Mar 2010

Medtronic launches Every Patient First health equity initiative.

Medtronic, Inc. today introduced Every Patient First, a health equity initiative that, in partnership with health care providers, professional societies and patient advocacy groups, aims to reduce disparities in access to health care in the United States. The announcement was made at the 59th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta.

17 Mar 2010

Obama makes a final overhaul pitch in Ohio

With a possible deciding vote on health care overhaul legislation nearing, President Obama traveled Monday to Ohio to make a last-minute plea for political "courage" to pass the legislation, The Washington Post reports. "Making an impassioned pitch in a part of the country where unemployment runs high and insurance coverage is uncertain, Obama said in a speech at a senior center here, 'I don't know about the politics, but I know what's the right thing to do'" (Slevin and Branigin, 3/15).

17 Mar 2010

Reports gauge the possible fallout of health care failure for Democrats

If the health overhaul fails to clear Congress, there may be lasting implications for Democratic lawmakers and President Barack Obama, The Christian Science Monitor reports.

17 Mar 2010

Tea Party activists rally in Washington against Dem's health reform bill

Fox News: "Tea Party activists from across the country rallied outside Democratic congressional offices in Washington on Tuesday to protest the $875 billion health care bill and demand meetings with their respective members of Congress." A memo was circulated in advance by the House Democratic leadership offering tips for dealing with the activists (3/16).

17 Mar 2010

USPTO issues Notice of Allowance for Quick-Med Technologies' NIMBUS technology

Quick-Med Technologies, Inc., a leader in developing innovative antimicrobial technologies for the healthcare and consumer markets, announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for intellectual property that significantly adds to the current patent coverage for the Company's NIMBUS technology.

17 Mar 2010

Ascent's hospital partners save millions using medical device remanufacturing programs

Ascent, the market leader in the remanufacturing of medical devices in the U.S., announced today that its hospital partners realized hundreds of millions of dollars in cost savings through the use of medical device remanufacturing programs in 2009. On a per-hospital basis, some hospitals saved more than $600,000 per year.

17 Mar 2010

Democrats making final push for health reform votes

The Associated Press: As "Democratic leaders make a desperate scramble for votes," President Obama "is wooing freshman Democrats in the Oval Office, holding at least two one-on-one sessions in the past few days that never appeared on his official schedule, according to aides to two lawmakers invited, Reps. Scott Murphy, D-N.Y., and Suzanne Kosmas, D-Fla.," who both voted no on a House health reform measure last year.

17 Mar 2010

Catholic Bishops oppose health bill, while other Catholic groups offer support

McClatchy: "The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said Monday it opposes the Democratic health care plan heading for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives because of its language on abortion. The group noted that it liked the House health care bill because it would continue the strict ban on federal financing of abortion.

17 Mar 2010

BioVigil's second generation hand hygiene monitoring system released

BioVigil LLC has released the second generation of the BioVigil hand hygiene monitoring system. The innovative system enables hospitals to more effectively combat Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs) by dramatically increasing hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers.

16 Mar 2010

National, state efforts seek to reduce medical errors

The Wall Street Journal: "Errors made by doctors, nurses and other medical caregivers cause 44,000 to 98,000 deaths a year. Hospital infections, many considered preventable, take another 100,000 lives. ... Hospitals are taking what might seem like a surprising approach to confronting the problem: Not only are they trying to improve safety and reduce malpractice claims, they're also coming up with procedures for handling—and even consoling—staffers who make inadvertent mistakes."

16 Mar 2010

Seatac Digital Resources provides $1.5M bridge financing commitment to AMHN

AMHN, Inc., parent company of America's Minority Health Network, Inc., announced bridge financing commitments in the aggregate of $1.5 million provided by one of its majority shareholders and vendors, Seatac Digital Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

16 Mar 2010

CareTech Solutions signs five-year infrastructure outsourcing contract with Sibley Memorial Hospital

CareTech Solutions, Inc., (www.caretech.com) an information technology (IT) and Web products and services company servicing U.S. hospitals and health systems, announced today that it has signed a five-year, comprehensive infrastructure outsourcing contract with Sibley Memorial Hospital, a full-service, 328 bed nonprofit acute care community hospital serving the Washington, D.C. area.

16 Mar 2010