Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Revenue cycle: How to maximize patient collections

Conifer Revenue Cycle Solutions, Inc., President Stephen M. Mooney will discuss how hospitals and healthcare systems can improve their financial performance in the current economic downturn during an upcoming executive webinar, “Revenue Cycle: How to Maximize Patient Collections.”

12 Aug 2009

Health Canada approves Multaq (Dronedarone) for atrial fibrillation

Sanofi-aventis Canada announced today that Multaq (dronedarone, 400 mg tablets) has received Health Canada approval for the treatment of patients with a history of, or current atrial fibrillation to reduce their risk of cardiovascular hospitalization due to this condition.

12 Aug 2009

IBM to deliver advanced analytic solutions to public sector clients

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the creation of a new practice focused on delivering advanced analytic solutions to public sector clients. IBM will expand its work with federal, state and local government organizations, as well as in fast-growing markets such as healthcare and education.

12 Aug 2009

Ranbaxy receives approval to market Sumatriptan Succinate tablets

Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc. (RPI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited (RLL), announced today that RLL has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to manufacture and market Sumatriptan Succinate Tablets, 25 mg (base), and 50 mg (base).

12 Aug 2009

Shwarzenegger’s cuts to HIV/AIDS programs to be protested

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the nation’s largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider, is joining a broad-based coalition of AIDS advocates and patients to protest draconian budget cuts that were blue lined out of the budget by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and that will jeopardize the public health by eliminating the vast majority of funding for AIDS prevention, care and treatment.

11 Aug 2009

Report: Some U.S. health care spending 'squandered'

CNN Money details a recent report from the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute that found $1.2 trillion, or more than half of the $2.2 trillion the United States spends on health care each year, is wasted: "What counts as waste?

11 Aug 2009

New personal assistance voice dialer for seniors who need to call for help in an emergency

eMed-ID, the world's first emergency medical device franchise, announced today the launch of eMed-Alert, a next-generation personal assistance voice dialer designed for seniors who may need to call for help in an emergency. With more than 11 million Americans age 65 and older living alone today, eMed-Alert provides seniors a way to maintain their independence.

11 Aug 2009

American Medical Alert Corp. reports Q2 2009 results

American Medical Alert Corp. (NASDAQ: AMAC) a provider of healthcare communication services and advanced telehealth monitoring technologies, today announced operating results for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2009.

11 Aug 2009

Democrats, Republicans dispute meanings and motivations behind angry Town Hall meetings

"Angry crowds have put many lawmakers on the defensive as they try to talk about health care with their constituents, leading some to replace public forums with teleconferences or stepping up security to keep protesters at bay," The Associated Press reports.

11 Aug 2009

‘Antiquated’ systems means the Government is not delivering

Dr. Terry Mason, Commissioner for Chicago's Department of Public Health (CDPH), famously started his tenure by telling City Hall to shape up - but he soon discovered that waistlines weren't the only thing that needed to be leaner.

11 Aug 2009

Integrated Medical Systems receives U.S. Army order for "suitcase" intensive care unit

Integrated Medical Systems, Inc., a medical technology systems integrator transforming critical care, announced that it has received a commitment for approximately $3.25 million in funding from the U.S. Army's Medical Research Material Command for acquisition and ongoing development of the company's MedEx 1000(TM) "suitcase" intensive care unit (ICU).

11 Aug 2009

Knopp Neurosciences to present phase 2 results of drug candidate in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Knopp Neurosciences Inc. said the results of a Phase 2 safety and tolerability study of KNS-760704 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) will be presented at the 20th International Symposium on ALS/MND in Berlin on December 9, 2009.

11 Aug 2009

The new electronic healthcare payment processing ecosystem

HERAE, one of the nation’s largest healthcare payment services providers, and Ohio State University Medical Center (OSU) have been invited to present a case study on how OSU successfully migrated to electronic payments at The Association for Work Progress Improvement (TAWPI) Healthcare Payments Automation Summit in Chicago on September 15.

11 Aug 2009

Obama’s corporate wellness initiatives delivered by Professional Health Services

The Obama Administration has put corporate wellness programs like those offered by Professional Health Services (PHS) at the forefront of healthcare reform. The benefits of improving employee health not only increase productivity and decrease absenteeism, but also lower health care costs.

11 Aug 2009

Cases of depression and other mental illnesses nearly doubled between 1996 and 2006

The number of Americans under care for depression and other mental illnesses nearly doubled between 1996 and 2006, and the overall cost of treating them jumped by nearly two-thirds, according to the latest News and Numbers from HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

11 Aug 2009

Negotiations: A 'frustrating process' as lawmakers elbow for position during recess

The Senate Finance Committee's "Gang of Six" closed negotiations are frustrating for other lawmakers on Capitol Hill, The Christian Science Monitor reports and adds: "So, how do the other 529 members of Congress get to have a say in these closed yet critical deliberations? The same way they influence legislation — by working through outside interest groups with clout in the Congress to influence other members."

11 Aug 2009

'Nanobee' drug delivery to tumors

When bees sting, they pump poison into their victims. Now the toxin in bee venom has been harnessed to kill tumor cells by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The researchers attached the major component of bee venom to nano-sized spheres that they call nanobees.

11 Aug 2009

Underinsured face daunting medical bills, look for help from Congress

"While much of the American health care discussion has focused on providing coverage to the country's 46 million uninsured, there is growing concern about millions more who are underinsured, or whose policies require them to pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket before coverage kicks in," The Sacramento Bee reports.

11 Aug 2009

Sorting out the truth in the health care debate

The New York Times reports in a "primer on the details of health reform" that Republican criticism of a government-run insurance plan to compete with private health insurance as "socialized medicine" "seems overblown," it reports. "The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that, under the House bill, the number of people with employer-sponsored insurance would climb to 162 million in 2016, which is 3 million more than expected under current law. Further, it said, enrollment in the proposed public plan might total 11 million, far lower than estimates cited by Republicans."

11 Aug 2009

Additional trial to be conducted for KYNAPID under FDA special protocol agreement

Cardiome Pharma Corp. (NASDAQ: CRME/TSX: COM) and its co-development partner Astellas Pharma US, Inc. ("Astellas") announced today that Astellas will undertake a single confirmatory additional Phase 3 clinical trial of KYNAPID(TM) (vernakalant hydrochloride) Injection for rapid conversion of atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm. The trial, to be called ACT 5, is expected to begin enrolling patients by the end of 2009, with completion expected in the first half of 2011.

11 Aug 2009