Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Internet poor for foot and ankle patients

Foot and ankle patients seeking education on the internet are likely to come across poor quality information on their diagnosis, US researchers warn.

9 Aug 2012

CardioDx establishes coverage for Corus CAD gene expression test

CardioDx, Inc., a pioneer in the field of cardiovascular genomic diagnostics, today announced that Palmetto GBA, a national contractor that administers Medicare benefits, has established coverage for the company's Corus CAD gene expression test for the evaluation of patients presenting with typical and atypical symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease.

9 Aug 2012

Steroid induced Cushing’s warning

People who develop Cushing’s syndrome as a result of taking systemic glucocorticoids are at very high risk of cardiovascular disease, warn researchers.

8 Aug 2012

GW School of Nursing aims to increase number and diversity of professionals

The George Washington University School of Nursing was recently awarded a three year grant totaling nearly $1 million from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration in support of the school's Success in Nursing Education project, which aims to increase the number and diversity of nursing professionals, specifically African-American, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, male and economically disadvantaged students in the Washington D.C., and rural Virginia areas.

8 Aug 2012

Roundup: Ky. judge to hear Christians-only health insurer case

A judge has scheduled a hearing for later this month in a longstanding dispute between Kentucky and a Christians-only health care plan. The case pits the Kentucky Department of Insurance against Medi-Share, a Florida-based cost-sharing ministry that helps to pay medical bills for churchgoers across the country.

8 Aug 2012

Safety-net hospitals brace for health law's changes in funding, other adjustments in federal programs

Safety net hospitals governed by elected officials reported higher profits than those governed by political appointees, not-for-profit boards or for-profit directors, according to a study. … Public hospitals governed by elected officials operated in competitive markets reported the highest operating margin, on average, at 7%. Hospitals governed by political appointees reported a slim average 0.7% operating margin. Safety net not-for-profit and for-profit hospitals reported margins of -0.9% and -2%, respectively.

8 Aug 2012

HHS selects Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to take part in GNE Demonstration

The Department of Health and Human Services has selected the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) as one of five hospitals that will take part in a nationwide initiative designed to train more nurses at a higher level.

8 Aug 2012

Migrant access to GPs lacking

Migrants newly arriving in the UK need better access to GPs and primary care services, say experts from the Health Protection Agency.

7 Aug 2012

Patient-centered model of healthcare could improve ethics of medicine

The patient-centered medical home model of healthcare includes principles of medical ethics and professionalism that could reinvigorate the patient‑physician relationship and enhance the ethical practice of medicine, suggest members of the American College of Physicians.

7 Aug 2012

Cushing’s patients must be screened for heart disease

Individuals who use glucocorticoids and exhibit iatrogenic Cushing’s syndrome should be “aggressively” targeted for early screening of cardiovascular risk factors, say researchers.

7 Aug 2012

Post-discharge stroke coaching can help patients with their medications or recovery

When a stroke patient is discharged from the hospital, they often must cope with a new disability or lack of function, so changes in their medications or a new dosing prescription can be particularly confusing. This can lead the patient to overmedicate, take the wrong medication or skip medications entirely and can result in being readmitted to the hospital.

7 Aug 2012

Study suggests race-specific cutoff points for a diabetes diagnostic test

Healthcare providers should take into account differences among racial groups when using hemoglobin A1C levels to diagnose and monitor diabetes, new research from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center suggests.

7 Aug 2012

Topline results from Janssen bapineuzumab Phase 3 trial on mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's

Pfizer Inc. announced today that the co-primary clinical endpoints, change in cognitive and functional performance compared to placebo, were not met in the Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy R&D LLC (Janssen AI)-led Phase 3 trial of intravenous (IV) bapineuzumab in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease who do not carry the ApoE4 (apolipoprotein E epsilon 4) genotype (Study 301).

7 Aug 2012

Risk score flyers raise diabetes awareness in China

Distributing a simple Diabetes Risk Score is a cheap and effective way to raise awareness of the condition among the Chinese population, report researchers.

6 Aug 2012

Medication reconciliation in hospitals: an interview with Dr. Leonard Feldman

Adverse drug effects are harms caused by the use of a medication. There are many different types of ADEs, including medication errors.

6 Aug 2012

Obama Administration promises new money to help Vets become physician assistants

The Obama administration has announced $2.3 million in grants to help veterans become physician assistants -- helping ease their transition back into civilian life.

3 Aug 2012

First Edition: August 3, 2012

Today's headlines include reports on a Capitol Hill hearing during which House GOP lawmakers grilled the director of the Internal Revenue Service on his agency's health care subsidy ruling.

3 Aug 2012

Health care systems explain why they did not participate in CMMS ACO program

Many health care systems across the US have declined to participate in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMMS) Accountable Care Organization (ACO) program, developed under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), to improve efficiency and quality of health care delivery.

3 Aug 2012

Home is where the heart is for congenital defect children

The American Heart Association recommends that children with a congenital heart defect deemed as being at high risk for developmental disorders are treated under a “medical home” model of care.

3 Aug 2012

Researchers, politicians gather in London for Global Health Policy Summit

Medical researchers, politicians, and policymakers gathered at a Global Health Policy Summit in London Wednesday "to champion innovative solutions to the world's major health problems," Imperial College London reports in an article, which notes the summit, "the first event of its kind, is the result of a partnership between Imperial College London and the Qatar Foundation for education, science and community development" and "will tackle maternal health, primary care, non-infectious diseases and aging societies".

3 Aug 2012