Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Expenditures for treatment of back and neck problems have nearly doubled since late 1990s

Expenditures for treatment of back and neck problems have nearly doubled since the late 1990s—mainly from increased spending for care provided by medical specialists, according to a report in the September 1 issue of Spine.

6 Sep 2012

Antibiotics: facts and fictions: an interview with Dr Philippa Binns, clinical adviser at NPS MedicineWise

Antibiotics are medicines used to treat infections or diseases caused by bacteria, such as some respiratory tract infections (including pneumonia and whooping cough), urinary tract infections, skin infections and infected wounds.

6 Sep 2012

Roundup: Cancer drug cost equity bill sitting on Calif. Gov's desk; Mass. cost-containment law could harm provider credit ratings

Out-of-pocket costs for cancer drugs can vary dramatically depending on whether the medications are administered through pill form or intravenous infusion. Newer oral drugs, which can be taken at home and often have fewer side effects than older drugs, can cost patients thousands of dollars a month, while receiving chemotherapy through an IV in an infusion center typically amounts to a standard co-payment for an office visit.

6 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: President Obama's Charlotte challenge; Action on vets' mental health; The Aetna arms race

Mr. Obama needs to explain how his actions eased the economic crisis and took on long-standing challenges such as extending health-care coverage to millions of uninsured Americans. ... Specifically, what would Mr. Obama do to restrain health care costs and entitlement spending? (9/3).

5 Sep 2012

Lack of evidence to recommend routine screening for chronic kidney disease

Currently there is insufficient evidence to recommend the routine screening of chronic kidney disease in asymptomatic adults in the general population, according to a review by the US Preventive Services Task Force.

4 Sep 2012

Examining implications of hiring foreign-born health workers on U.S., global health care systems

In this post in the IntraHealth "Global Health Blog," Kate Tulenko, senior director of health systems innovation at IntraHealth, provides an excerpt of her recently published book, "Insourced: How Importing Jobs Impacts the Healthcare Crisis Here and Abroad."

1 Sep 2012

MRI detects high prevalence of abnormalities associated with knee osteoarthritis

A study conducted by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) shows that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected a high prevalence of abnormalities associated with knee osteoarthritis in middle-aged and elderly patients that had no evidence of knee osteoarthritis in X-ray images.

1 Sep 2012

New guidelines for physiotherapists can help prevent falls in older adults

Taking a fall in older life can not only result in injury, but also a potentially debilitating loss of confidence. But new guidelines for physiotherapists, co-compiled by a leading academic in the field from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD), University of Exeter, aim to refresh out-dated guidelines and introduce better direction for physiotherapists who work with elderly people at risk of falling.

1 Sep 2012

Roundup: Flurry of health bills as Calif. legislature winds down; Kansas City health data exchange opens up

The window to save the Healthy Families program is narrowing to a small slit, with just a single day left to pass bills. ... Today -- until midnight tonight -- is the last day for legislation to be passed this year. The governor has until the end of September to veto or approve bills.

1 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: Romney, Ryan rely on 'the magic asterisk'; Frightening voters over Medicare cuts

The press has focused a lot on the similarities between Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. They are both technocratic, they espouse tax cuts, and they believe in a balanced budget. But there is a deeper similarity as well: they both believe deeply in the "magic asterisk." The magic asterisk was the invention of David Stockman, budget director to Ronald Reagan. Stockman, who needed to show a more favorable budget than the Reagan tax cuts would justify, put in an asterisk and noted "future savings to be identified."

31 Aug 2012

Residency cap may hamper efforts to expand number of doctors

Bloomberg examines the need for more primary care physicians and the limit on the number of slots for training doctors.

30 Aug 2012

Southampton Traffic Light test could easily diagnose liver fibrosis and cirrhosis

A new 'traffic light' test devised by Dr Nick Sheron and colleagues at University of Southampton and Southampton General Hospital could be used in primary care to diagnose liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in high risk populations more easily than at present.

30 Aug 2012

Novant Health reaches new contract agreement with Aetna

Aetna and Novant Health announced that they have reached agreement on a multi-year contract that ensures Novant's continued participation in the Aetna network. Physicians and facilities affiliated with Novant Health will continue their participation without interruption.

30 Aug 2012

UMHS, MidMichigan Health announce plans to affiliate as clinical and business partners

MidMichigan Health and the University of Michigan Health System have announced plans to affiliate as clinical and business partners.

29 Aug 2012

VA report shows improvement in gender disparities in 12 out of 14 HEDIS measures

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released a report that shows improvement in gender disparities in 12 out of 14 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures in VA since 2008.

29 Aug 2012

Rural and urban areas equally likely to receive endovascular aneurysm repair care

A new study published in the September issue of Journal of Vascular Surgery reveals that rural and urban patients have equivalent access to endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) care from vascular surgeons, increased referral to high-volume hospitals and improved outcomes after repair.

28 Aug 2012

Community-based pharmacists could provide added resource in identifying knee OA

Canadian researchers have determined that community-based pharmacists could provide an added resource in identifying knee osteoarthritis (OA). The study, published in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), represents the first evidence supporting a collaborative approach to managing knee OA.

28 Aug 2012

Study explains how breast milk fosters colonies of microbiotic flora in a newborn's intestinal tract

The benefits of breast milk have long been appreciated, but now scientists at Duke University Medical Center have described a unique property that makes mother's milk better than infant formula in protecting infants from infections and illnesses.

28 Aug 2012

Research roundup: Who do patients seek for primary care?; Treating kids with antipsychotics

n order to find out what kind of doctor patients were visiting for primary care service, researchers analyzed the frequency in which patients visited generalists and specialists in 1999 and 2007 by using a nationally representative sample of outpatient visits.

26 Aug 2012

Roundup: Rate regulation on Calif.'s 2014 ballot; Ga. state workers facing health premium hike; Kan. Medicaid overhaul recruiting providers

An initiative that would bring health insurance rate regulation to California has qualified for the November 2014 ballot, setting the stage for a vigorous and costly battle between insurers and consumer groups. The measure, sponsored by Consumer Watchdog, would give the state insurance commissioner the power to deny certain premium increases if they are deemed excessive.

26 Aug 2012

Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Expenditures for treatment of back and neck problems have nearly doubled since late 1990s

Antibiotics: facts and fictions: an interview with Dr Philippa Binns, clinical adviser at NPS MedicineWise

Roundup: Cancer drug cost equity bill sitting on Calif. Gov's desk; Mass. cost-containment law could harm provider credit ratings

Viewpoints: President Obama's Charlotte challenge; Action on vets' mental health; The Aetna arms race

Lack of evidence to recommend routine screening for chronic kidney disease

Examining implications of hiring foreign-born health workers on U.S., global health care systems

MRI detects high prevalence of abnormalities associated with knee osteoarthritis

New guidelines for physiotherapists can help prevent falls in older adults

Roundup: Flurry of health bills as Calif. legislature winds down; Kansas City health data exchange opens up

Viewpoints: Romney, Ryan rely on 'the magic asterisk'; Frightening voters over Medicare cuts

Residency cap may hamper efforts to expand number of doctors

Southampton Traffic Light test could easily diagnose liver fibrosis and cirrhosis

Novant Health reaches new contract agreement with Aetna

UMHS, MidMichigan Health announce plans to affiliate as clinical and business partners

VA report shows improvement in gender disparities in 12 out of 14 HEDIS measures

Rural and urban areas equally likely to receive endovascular aneurysm repair care

Community-based pharmacists could provide added resource in identifying knee OA

Study explains how breast milk fosters colonies of microbiotic flora in a newborn's intestinal tract

Research roundup: Who do patients seek for primary care?; Treating kids with antipsychotics

Roundup: Rate regulation on Calif.'s 2014 ballot; Ga. state workers facing health premium hike; Kan. Medicaid overhaul recruiting providers

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

Modular, Scalable, Intelligent: How n6 Is Rethinking NGS Library Prep

Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

Modular, Scalable, Intelligent: How n6 Is Rethinking NGS Library Prep

Newsletters you may be interested in