Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Study examines how drug promotion rules influence physician prescribing practices

Findings from a new study led by researchers at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School and published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, show that the way in which pharmaceutical companies are permitted to share information about their drugs can influence physician prescribing practices.

14 Nov 2019

Non-coding enhancer DNA may be key for identifying genetic risk in neurological conditions

One might think that the primary cause of most genetically linked diseases comes from mutations in coding DNA -- alterations in coding regions of the genome that can lead directly to changes in the expression of particular proteins important for a healthy body.

14 Nov 2019

EHRs get 'F'rating for usability from health care professionals

The transition to electronic health records (EHRs) was supposed to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare for doctors and patients alike -- but these technologies get an "F" rating for usability from health care professionals, and may be contributing to high rates of professional burnout, according to a new Yale-led study.

14 Nov 2019

WPI researchers developing miniaturized device to measure baby's blood oxygen levels

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute are developing a sensor the size of a Band-Aid that will measure a baby's blood oxygen levels, a vital indication of the lungs' effectiveness and whether the baby's tissue is receiving adequate oxygen supply.

14 Nov 2019

Improved method for predicting retinopathy of prematurity could reduce unnecessary tests

A multicenter group of 41 hospitals led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has confirmed that an improved method for predicting retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a leading cause of blindness in children, was able to reduce the number of babies having invasive diagnostic examinations by nearly a third, while raising disease detection up to 100 percent.

14 Nov 2019

Despite increasing support, LGBTQ+ community continues to face discrimination

Despite increasing support for the rights of people in the LGBTQ+ community, discrimination remains a critical and ongoing issue for this population, according to researchers.

14 Nov 2019

Using digital data and AI to improve quality of life for people with diabetes

Until now, medical doctors have used biomarkers to determine the health status of people with diabetes (PWDs).

14 Nov 2019

Antibiotic Resistance Threats report highlights significant gaps and impact of federal investments

The Antibiotic Resistance Threats Report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control today shows that while recent federal investments to combat antibiotic resistance have had meaningful impacts, the continued spread of infections that are not effectively treated by existing medicines pose deadly threats to patients and public health.

14 Nov 2019

Study finds sex differences in treatment and outcome after stroke

Women are more likely to survive a stroke, but have worse disability and poorer quality of life afterwards compared to men, according to research published in the latest issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

14 Nov 2019

Simple 'nudges' help improve heart patients' adherence to statins

Statins are an effective medication for treating patients with heart disease - they cut the risk of a second major adverse cardiac event by almost 50 percent. But only about six percent of patients take statins as prescribed. One way to solve that? Nudge them. Literally.

14 Nov 2019

Study looks at trends in added sugars consumption by infants and toddlers

A new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, published by Elsevier, found that nearly two-thirds of infants (61 percent) and almost all toddlers (98 percent) consumed added sugars in their average daily diets, primarily in the form of flavored yogurts (infants) and fruit drinks (toddlers). Infants were 6-11 months, and toddlers were 12-23 months.

14 Nov 2019

Thermo Fisher Scientific becomes member of the Pistoia Alliance

Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, has become a member of the Pistoia Alliance, a global, not-for-profit alliance of life science companies, vendors, publishers and academic groups working to lower barriers to innovation in life science and healthcare R&D through pre-competitive collaboration.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 14 Nov 2019

Study examines efficacy of nutraceuticals to manage diabetes

Every five minutes, someone in Australia is diagnosed with diabetes. It’s Australia’s fastest growing chronic condition, but as its prevalence grows more people are adding dietary supplements to their diets in the hope of reducing their risk of the disease.

14 Nov 2019

Cedars-Sinai surgeons detect and remove 25-pound cancerous ovarian tumor

Maria Robles Garcia was sure her uncomfortable abdominal symptoms weren't caused by irritable bowel syndrome or from being overweight, no matter that her local doctors repeatedly told her that was the case.

13 Nov 2019

Study shows potential of phage therapy to treat alcoholic liver disease

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically destroy bacteria. In the early 20th century, researchers experimented with phages as a potential method for treating bacterial infections.

13 Nov 2019

Study explains how variation in spinal patterns may lead to scoliosis

A pediatric researcher has identified patterns of spinal curvature in younger children that may be likely to develop into scoliosis by adolescence.

13 Nov 2019

New IASLC policy statement discourages the use of e-cigarettes by non-smokers

The IASLC is the world's largest multidisciplinary lung cancer organization and the new policy statement coincides with Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

13 Nov 2019

$Receiving multiple fracture-associated drugs may increase hip fracture risk$

Receiving multiple fracture-associated drugs may increase hip fracture risk

There is a strong association between the number of fracture-associated drugs (FADs) older patients receive and their risk of sustaining a broken bone, according to a new Dartmouth study published in JAMA Network Open.

13 Nov 2019

Study: Even a minor surgery can prove to be high-risk for frail patients

Even a minor surgery such as a laparoscopic gallbladder removal can prove to be a high-risk and even fatal procedure for frail patients, according to new research published in JAMA Surgery.

13 Nov 2019

New NIH grant could help develop novel tool to analyze unstructured data in safety reports

Reports that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States have led the Institute of Medicine and several state legislatures to suggest that data from patient safety event reporting systems could help health care providers better understand safety hazards and, ultimately, improve patient care.

13 Nov 2019