Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Researching treatments shows paths to health savings

An orthopedic surgeon in Sacramento became suspicious of a new therapy that helps tendons heal by injecting platelet-rich plasma into joints, The Sacramento Bee reports. So, he decided to do a test. It turned out, his patients outcomes were no different when he used the platelet-rich plasma therapy as when he didn't. The plasma treatment costs hundreds of dollars more per patient.

27 Jan 2010

Blue Foundation announces grants to improve Florida’s healthcare system

The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida, the philanthropic affiliate of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF), is announcing grants to 11 Florida nonprofits that improve the health of in-need Floridians across the state. The grants are part of The Blue Foundation's biannual IMPACT Health Care (Improving Access to Health Care) grants program.

27 Jan 2010

dbMotion receives certification for IHE Profiles

dbMotion, a provider of health interoperability solutions, today announced it successfully completed interoperability testing at the 11th Annual IHE North American Connectathon in Chicago.

27 Jan 2010

Doctors accepting medicare patients decline in rural Arizona

Doctors Accepting Medicare Patients Decline In Rural Arizona

27 Jan 2010

AIDS Healthcare Foundation bans Merck's sales representatives for unwarranted pricing of Isentress

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest global AIDS organization which operates free AIDS treatment clinics in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe, including 18 healthcare centers in California, Florida, and Washington, DC, has banned pharmaceutical sales representatives from Merck and Co. Pharmaceuticals, from calling on AHF’s medical providers and staff in its US healthcare centers.

27 Jan 2010

Scott & White conducts DBS research for Parkinson's patients

At Scott & White Memorial Hospital, a multi-disciplinary team of neurosurgeons, neurologists, neurophysiologist, neuropsychologists and a movement disorders specialist are offering hope to some Parkinson's patients with a treatment called Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). DBS involves placing a thin wire that carries electrical currents deep within the brain on Parkinson's patients who are no longer benefitting from medications, and have significant uncontrollable body movements called dyskinesia. Scott & White is also performing research into the effects of DBS on the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease including "drenching sweats," bladder dysfunction, depression, hallucination, anxiety, and dementia as well as intestinal disorders, loss of sense of smell, and sleep disturbances.

27 Jan 2010

Ecolab signs exclusive license agreement with C Change Surgical

Ecolab Inc. today announced it has entered into an exclusive agreement with C Change Surgical LLC to license products that improve surgical outcomes by helping to maintain consistent body temperature of patients. The

27 Jan 2010

Low-cost ventilators for healthcare emergencies

A group of UK anaesthetists have designed and tested three prototype low-cost ventilators that could provide vital support during major healthcare emergencies involving large numbers of patients or casualties. The devices, detailed in a paper published online by Anaesthesia, could also be used where resources are limited, such as in developing countries, remote locations or by the military.

27 Jan 2010

Insurance companies increased lobbying by 24 percent in 2009

The Hill reports on insurer lobbying spending in 2009: "America's largest insurance companies spent millions more on lobbying last year as lawmakers debated healthcare reform, lobbying disclosure records show.

27 Jan 2010

Obama acknowledges mistakes in health overhaul politics and processes

President Barack Obama acknowledged Monday in an interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer that mistakes were made in the health reform debate, among the biggest "was the confusing way in which the health bill was shaped." Obama said: "'I think the healthcare debate as it unfolded legitimately raised concerns not just among my opponents, but also amongst reporters that we just don't know what's going on,' and that some 'stray cats' got in the bill." Obama also said he "didn't make a bunch of deals" and "I am happy to own up to the fact that I have not changed Congress and how it operates the way I would have liked" (Mooney, 1/25).

27 Jan 2010

Los Angeles Times examines how Miss. Delta region hopes to learn from Iran's rural health care

The Los Angeles Times reports on how health workers in the Mississippi Delta region of the U.S. are hoping to mimic Iran's success in reducing infant mortality by recreating the country's low-cost rural healthcare delivery system in their own backyard.

27 Jan 2010

Testing DBS for treating severe long-term depression

Bewernick and colleagues administered DBS treatment in ten patients with severe long-term depression who had not responded to multiple other antidepressant treatments, including psychotherapy, drug treatments and electroconvulsive treatment. After one year of DBS, all patients showed some improvement, and half of them experienced significant improvement in their symptoms of depression, astonishing considering they had not responded to any prior antidepressant treatment. In addition, the patients showed reduced ratings of anxiety and had only minor side effects. Importantly, none of their overall brain functioning was impaired by the DBS treatment.

27 Jan 2010

Regrouping Democrats consider next steps on health overhaul

Democrats are trying to regain health reform momentum during the week of the president's State of the Union address.

27 Jan 2010

FDA approves Novo Nordisk's Victoza for type 2 diabetes

Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company, announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the new drug application for Victoza® (liraglutide [rDNA origin] injection), the first once-daily human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Victoza is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

27 Jan 2010

Health IT money secured, but program faces challenges

Washington has channeled billions of dollars to help hospitals and doctors adopt electronic medical records, but obstacles remain on the horizon. One possible challenge is that no entity has yet been named to "test and certify" the records, Modern Healthcare reports. Nonetheless, one group, The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, will begin taking applications Feb. 12 from health IT vendors to do just that. The group fulfilled the certifying function for much of the Bush administration and gained the confidence of then-HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt.

27 Jan 2010

Quest Diagnostics announces 2.8% increase in revenues for full-year 2009

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, announced that for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2009, income from continuing operations increased to $182 million, or $0.97 per diluted share, compared to $170 million, or $0.87 per diluted share, in 2008. The quarter included a $0.04 per share charge associated with the early extinguishment of debt, which was offset by certain non-recurring tax benefits totaling $0.04 per share.

From Quest Diagnostics 25 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 25, 2010

Today's news begins to set the scene for the President's upcoming State of the Union address, and provides continuing coverage of Democrats' efforts to regroup on health reform.

25 Jan 2010

Beyond Pay-for-Performance: A free Webinar to help hospitals improve patient care

Attend the free Webinar, "Beyond Pay-for-Performance," and learn how today's national performance improvement efforts are helping hospitals improve patient care and reduce costs - and discover the tactics and strategies behind top-performing hospitals and health systems.

25 Jan 2010

Sagefrog Marketing Group awarded a contract for Agency of Record

Penn Pharma Americas announced today that Sagefrog Marketing Group, LLC, a full service marketing, interactive and public relations company, has been awarded a contract for Agency of Record for both marketing and public relations.

25 Jan 2010

Institute of Medicine urges healthcare providers to take steps to battle hepatitis B and C

The Institute of Medicine, a branch of the US National Academy of Sciences, is urging healthcare providers to take steps to battle liver-damaging hepatitis B and C, which are often overlooked viruses.

25 Jan 2010