Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

New study on prisoner health

People with chronic illnesses can experience great difficulties in prison, but people such as drug addicts and the homeless may find their healthcare improves, according to a study in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing.

26 Apr 2007

Psychotherapeutic drug spending surges

Spending on prescription drugs to treat depression, anxiety, pain, schizophrenia and other conditions climbed from $7.9 billion in 1997 to $20 billion in 2004 - over a 150 percent increase, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

25 Apr 2007

1.2 million hospitalized patients experienced an adverse drug event

In 2004, 1.2 million hospitalized patients experienced an adverse drug event, 90 percent of which were due to a side effect from a medication that was properly administered, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

25 Apr 2007

Extended bed rest leads to substantial muscle deterioration in older adults

Extended bed rest – often necessary during hospitalization – leads to a substantial amount of muscle deterioration in older adults, researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) report in the April 25 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association .

25 Apr 2007

Primary school children should not be routinely screened for obesity

Primary school children should not be routinely screened for obesity and overweight in the absence of effective treatment, finds research in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

25 Apr 2007

Costs of treating heart disease and cancer have increased substantially

The costs of treating heart disease and cancer rose markedly between 2000 and 2004, from $62 billion to $90 billion and $42 billion to $62 billion, respectively, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

25 Apr 2007

Chronically ill prisoners can face great healthcare problems, but others inmates enjoy improved health

25 Apr 2007

New FDA audio broadcasts provide emerging drug safety information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting health care professionals and consumers to the availability of audio broadcasts that provide emerging drug safety information.

24 Apr 2007

Enigma Diagnostics appoints Dr Lynn Busteed as CEO

Enigma Diagnostics has announced the appointment of Dr Lynn Busteed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a member of the Board of Directors.

24 Apr 2007

Baxter Healthcare presents phase I inhaled insulin study results

Baxter Healthcare Corporation announced results of a Phase I study that evaluated pulmonary insulin produced with Baxter's PROMAXX microsphere technology and administered using a small, standard dry powder inhaler.

24 Apr 2007

Community based digital eye screening programme set to expand

Community based digital eye screening programme designed to detect and treat diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in the developed world, is being rolled out to other locations, following its huge success since launching seven months ago.

24 Apr 2007

No strong evidence of racial disparities in survival between African-Americans and Caucasians with colon cancer

Correcting social, economic and healthcare inequalities may have the most significant impact in reducing survival differences in colorectal cancer (CRC) between African Americans and Caucasians, according to a new study.

24 Apr 2007

Primary school children should not be routinely screened for obesity!

Primary school children should not be routinely screened for obesity without any sound evidence of benefit, suggests research published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

24 Apr 2007

SCHIP has been successful in increasing access to health care for low income children

As the debate over reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) heats up in Washington, a new survey of leaders in health policy and health care finds that large majorities feel the program has been successful in increasing access to health care for low income children (71%) and in reducing the rate of uninsured, low-income children (65%).

24 Apr 2007

Military to revamp hospitals

In a memo issued in January, the U.S. Department of Defense instructed design teams to apply evidence-based design principles for all new military medical construction projects.

24 Apr 2007

Qigong helped people during SARS outbreak

Oriental therapies can help chronically ill people stay strong and reduce stress levels during epidemics, according to research in the April issue of the UK-based Journal of Clinical Nursing.

24 Apr 2007

Are higher doses and higher costs for cholesterol drugs worth the extra money?

When it comes to cholesterol-lowering drugs, more is better. At least, that's what heart doctors and heart patients have been hearing in recent years.

24 Apr 2007

Agile Therapeutics to report on new generation of transdermal contraceptives

Dr. Thomas M. Rossi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Agile Therapeutics, Inc., will report on the company's progress in developing a new generation of transdermal contraceptives at the BIO 2007 annual international conference on biotechnology.

24 Apr 2007

Abbott continues drug blacklist in Thailand, says AIDS Healthcare Foundation

AIDS Healthcare Foundation has chastised Abbott Laboratories for its 'quid pro quo' offer to the Government of Thailand to lower its price for Abbott's key AIDS drug, Aluvia (a heat-stable tablet version of Kaletra) to approximately USD$800 per patient per year -- an offer contingent upon Abbott's demand that Thailand immediately halt issuing compulsory licenses for the generic manufacture of this lifesaving drug.

24 Apr 2007

Remote monitoring for patients with chronic heart failure shows significant benefits

Researchers from Canada and Australia have found that the use of remote monitoring for patients with chronic heart failure has the potential to significantly improve clinical outcomes (mortality, morbidity and quality indicators).

21 Apr 2007