Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Majority of Australians accept teen drinking

Half of Australian adults and 63 per cent of Australians on a higher income believe 15 to 17 year olds should be allowed to consume alcohol under parental supervision at home, according to the latest MBF Healthwatch survey.

3 Dec 2009

Yale researchers survey door-to-balloon times in 831 hospitals

Healthcare professionals using new time-saving strategies to coordinate care for patients having a heart attack saw dramatic improvement in "door-to-balloon" (D2B) times-the time from when a patient enters the hospital to the time blood flow is restored to the heart by opening a blockage with angioplasty. The faster patients are treated, the more likely they are to survive. The results are published by Yale researchers and their colleagues in the December 15 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

3 Dec 2009

Senate debate moving slowly, Reid could extend session

As debate over health care reform legislation continues in the Senate, Democrats are accusing Republicans of delaying votes and strategizing over how the schedule could unfold in the coming weeks.

2 Dec 2009

Kalbitor drug approved by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Kalbitor (ecallantide) on Dec. 1 to treat sudden and potentially life-threatening fluid buildup that can occur in people with a rare genetic condition known as hereditary angioedema (HAE).

2 Dec 2009

Orszag: Current health bills only a first step to controlling health costs

Reuters: "Congressional efforts to revamp the U.S. healthcare system are not enough to stem soaring health costs or close the nation's budget gap, a top Obama administration official said on Wednesday." White House budget director Peter Orszag did not offer specific ideas or changes President Obama might include in his next budget proposal

2 Dec 2009

Fruit flies use same molecular mechanisms as humans for maintaining cholestrol

More importantly, according to two new studies led by a University of Utah human geneticist, fruit flies use the same molecular mechanisms as humans to help maintain proper balances of cholesterol and a key form of stored fat that contributes to obesity. The findings mean that as researchers try to learn more about the genetic and biological processes through which people regulate cholesterol and fat metabolism, the humble fruit fly, also called Drosophila, can teach humans much about themselves.

2 Dec 2009

MSC's Quality Initiative Programs to be highlighted at the 2009 IHI National Forum

Medical Simulation Corporation (MSC) will highlight its full menu of Quality Initiative Programs at the 2009 IHI National Forum, December 7-9, 2009, in Orlando, Florida. MSC is the first simulation company to introduce simulation-based education programs that help healthcare providers bridge the gap between measurement and achievement of publicly reported patient safety and quality initiatives.

2 Dec 2009

Women at high risk of developing breast cancer reluctant to take tamoxifen for prevention

Even when women at high-risk of breast cancer are well-informed about the risks and benefits of using the drug tamoxifen for prevention, only 6 percent said they were likely to take it.

2 Dec 2009

Partisan sniping dominates Senate health debate

The Christian Science Monitor: In the coming days, "senators will have to grind through lots of [amendments], as members of both parties line up to try and shape the final product. ... Senate debate on Tuesday began at around 2:15 pm, and quickly formed along expected lines. Sen. Charles Grassley (R) of Iowa, ranking minority member on the Finance Committee, led off by complaining about the size and possible expense of the effort, layered on top of federal bailouts of banks and auto firms.

2 Dec 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

Once upon a time, grass-roots women challenged the establishment by figuratively burning their bras. Now, in some masochistic perversion of feminism, they are raising their voices to yell, "Squeeze our breasts!" (Barbara Ehrenreich, 12/2).

2 Dec 2009

Butler Health System implements PatientKeeper’s Platform and Physician Portal

PatientKeeper®, Inc., the leading provider of Physician Information Technology, announced today that Butler Health System of Butler, Pennsylvania selected PatientKeeper to help its organization meet the meaningful use criteria requirements established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The implementation of PatientKeeper’s Platform and Physician Portal, which is scheduled to roll-out in the first quarter of 2010, will extend physician accessibility and connectivity to over 200 physicians and significantly impact patient quality and care.

2 Dec 2009

URMC implements Allocade's artificial intelligence based solution to manage patient flow and logistics

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and Allocade, Inc., today announced the first installation and implementation of the On-Cue™ system in New York. URMC is utilizing the On-Cue software solution from Allocade to automate patient flow throughout the hospital and improve operational efficiencies by creating dynamic patient itineraries. The On-Cue system utilizes artificial intelligence, offering healthcare an efficient operating system that helps caregivers to effectively manage patient flow and logistics.

2 Dec 2009

Reactions to CBO report on Senate health bill are mixed

News organizations continue to report on reactions to the Congressional Budget Office's analysis of the Senate health bill.

2 Dec 2009

Generic erosion to decrease branded atypical antipsychotics schizophrenia drug market to $5.2B

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that generic erosion of several established branded atypical antipsychotics will cause the schizophrenia drug market to decrease from $6.3 billion in 2008 to $5.2 billion in 2013 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.

2 Dec 2009

Coding guidelines for Agendia's MammaPrint test established by Palmetto GBA

Agendia, a world leader in molecular cancer diagnostics, announced today that Palmetto GBA, California's Part B Medicare administrator, has established coding guidelines for the company's MammaPrint test.

2 Dec 2009

Columbia University VP testifies on medical malpractice reform

Lee Goldman, M.D., executive vice president for health and biomedical sciences and dean of the faculties of medicine and health sciences at Columbia University testified today on medical malpractice reform before the New York State Senate Committees on Codes, Health and Insurance in Albany, New York.

2 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 2, 2009

Today's headlines detail the Senate's effort to confront contentious amendments and partisan strife on day two of that chamber's health reform debate.

2 Dec 2009

Kaiser workers face pay and healthcare benefits risk by NLRB decision

A decision issued today by a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has put at risk the guaranteed raises, healthcare coverage, and pensions of Kaiser Permanente RNs, social workers, and professionals in Southern California.

2 Dec 2009

OEM's and third parties granted access to Telemis Group's PACS solutions

Telemis Group, the medical imaging company specialized in PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) solutions, has announced that it is to make its innovative, platform-independent technologies available to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and other third parties for the first time.

2 Dec 2009

Leicester student wins Global Health Essay Prize 2009

A third-year medical student at the University of Leicester has won the Global Health Essay Prize 2009, part of the assessment of the 'Health and Development Special Study Module' that Skillshare International has delivered in partnership with Leicester Medical School since 2002

2 Dec 2009