Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Automated eye tests best for toddlers

Children under the age of 4 years benefit from instrument-based vision screening rather than visual acuity tests since the former is quick, requires minimal cooperation of the child, and is not dependent on their behavioral responses, says a policy statement released by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

9 Nov 2012

Reminder of values helps African–Americans interact with physicians

Completing a values-affirmation task before a scheduled visit to the primary care physician could improve communications between African–American patients and their providers, show the results of a randomized, controlled study.

9 Nov 2012

Smoking and smartphones: an interview with Nasser Bin Dhim, Becky Freeman and Lyndal Trevena

Australia adopted the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2005. This includes a ban on all forms of tobacco advertising including on the internet.

9 Nov 2012

Nursing education and research experts to address health needs of veterans at Nov. 13 conference

Nursing education and research designed to meet the health needs of veterans, service members and their families will be the focus when he nation's top nurse educators and scientists gather Nov. 13 in Tampa, FL, for a conference hosted by the University of South Florida College of Nursing.

9 Nov 2012

Viewpoints: Bowles urges 'deficit deal now;' A doctor's take on health law; Preparing N.Y. hospitals for future storms

Going over the fiscal cliff would mean allowing a massive and immediate cut to nearly every major government agency and activity, including those vital to our national security or economic growth.

9 Nov 2012

Reduce intensity of exercising when sick

Stuffy noses, hacking coughs and aches all over—cold and flu season has arrived. Though your body may be aching and your nose running like a faucet, it can be difficult to decide if you should continue your exercise routine or take a temporary break.

8 Nov 2012

Young adults with high blood pressure less likely to be diagnosed during doctor visits

Adults 18-24 years old with high blood pressure were 28 percent less likely to be diagnosed during doctor visits than those 60 and older, according to findings presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2012.

7 Nov 2012

Low vitamin D levels mediate racial disparities in pain

A new study reveals that black Americans display lower levels of vitamin D and greater pain sensitivity compared to white Americans. Findings published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), indicate that vitamin D deficiency may be one of many factors that account for increased pain in older black Americans with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

7 Nov 2012

UCLA study to uncover risk profiles of breast cancer survivors likely to suffer from depression

UCLA researchers received a five-year, $5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute that will fund a study seeking to uncover risk profiles of breast cancer survivors likely to suffer from depression.

7 Nov 2012

State roundup: Examining health issues on state ballots

Sprinkled throughout ballots across the country are state initiatives that run the gamut from education to animal rights to marriage. And health care is well-represented, too. The National Conference of State Legislatures labels health a "key issue" in this cycle's roundup of state ballot questions.

6 Nov 2012

Detailing Medicare's 2013 doc pay schedules: Home health flat, primary care up

Under Medicare's 2013 payment schedule, released late last week, home health agency payments will remain flat while primary care physicians can expect up to a 7 percent boost in payments.

6 Nov 2012

Home monitoring may not improve blood pressure control in patients with hypertension and stroke

Home blood pressure monitoring may help patients with hypertension and stroke but did not improve blood pressure control for patients who had normal blood pressure at the start or those with disabilities, according to a randomized controlled trial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

6 Nov 2012

Humana to acquire Metropolitan Health Networks

Humana Inc. and Metropolitan Health Networks, Inc. today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Humana will acquire Metropolitan in a transaction valued at approximately $850 million plus transaction costs.

5 Nov 2012

First Edition: November 5, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about the final round of polls, forecasts regarding which party will control the House and Senate and analysis of how campaign-trail messages have been playing during the election season's final hours.

5 Nov 2012

Mobile health care centers in India reduce infant and maternal mortality

Infant mortality has fallen by half, and the number of women who died from complications during pregnancy and childbirth by three-quarters. This is the result of a four-year health care project in one of India's poorest districts.

4 Nov 2012

New information related to kidney transplantation

Three studies presented during the American Society of Nephrology's Annual Kidney Week provide new information related to kidney transplantation—specifically, the post-transplant health of kidney donors and the racial disparities faced by children in need of transplants.

3 Nov 2012

'Details of implementation' critical to reaching goal of AIDS-free generation

Noting the progress made since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the upcoming recognition of World AIDS Day on December 1, Ronald Valdiserri, deputy assistant secretary for health, infectious diseases at the Department of Health and Human Services, writes in a Public Health Reports opinion piece, "We would do well to keep in mind the following caution. No matter the elegance of the controlled trial, the statistical significance of the results, or the superiority of the science, we must confront this inevitable reality: We will never be able to take full advantage of our progress in HIV clinical and prevention science until we develop and sustain the human, organizational, and structural capacities necessary to implement these new scientific breakthroughs."

3 Nov 2012

CMS raises Medicaid rates for some doctors

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that, as a part of the health law, primary care and other physicians will see higher payments.

3 Nov 2012

Political cartoon: 'May Cause Nausea'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with 'May Cause Nausea' by Chip Bok.

3 Nov 2012

Research roundup: Lowering health costs of the poorest sick; Local variations in health spending

Olmstead County, Minn., which earlier required just restaurants to be smoke-free, enacted a law in 2007 that banned smoking in all workplaces. Researchers reported "a substantial decline in the incidence of MI from 18 months before the smoke-free restaurant law was implemented to 18 months after the comprehensive smoke-free workplace law was implemented 5 years later.

3 Nov 2012