Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Nurses can help manage S. African's syndemic of TB and HIV

Jason E. Farley, PhD, MPH, CRNP knows the dangers inherent to an increasingly common and hazardous syndemic in South Africa: HIV and drug-resistant tuberculosis.

11 Jul 2011

Medicaid pricing, volume varies across states

A new study in the July issue of Health Affairs finds significant regional differences in program spending. Researchers suggest understanding these differences could lead to improved quality and efficiency of care.

8 Jul 2011

Critical principles to preserve patient access and reduce health care spending

"A debt ceiling agreement must be reached in time to avert an unprecedented suspension of funding for the millions of patients who rely on Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health programs," Virginia Hood, MBBS, MPH, FACP, president of the American College of Physicians (ACP) told the president, vice president and Congressional leaders today.

8 Jul 2011

Longer looks: Shortage of HIV doctors; Oregon program builds on British model

Of the 3,155 U.S.-based members of the HIV Medicine Assn., 45% are older than 50, according to a March 17 Institute of Medicine report on HIV screening and access to care.

8 Jul 2011

Data fusion of three vital signs may predict serious illness in children

The research will be presented today at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society of Academic Primary Care, hosted this year by the Academic Unit of Primary Health Care, University of Bristol. The research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research.

7 Jul 2011

Medicaid expands access to care, improves health for low-income adults

Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and Providence Health & Services have found that expanding low income adults' access to Medicaid substantially increases health care use, reduces financial strain on covered individuals, and improves their self-reported health and well-being.

7 Jul 2011

Smoking, social class may lead to POF in women

POF is not only associated with infertility but also with significantly increased morbidity and mortality, as well as a decreased quality of life equivalent to that of people with type 2 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis, said Dr. Rumana Islam, from Imperial College, London, UK.

6 Jul 2011

Dems to CMS: Hold firm on Medicaid 'MOE' requirements

Meanwhile, a Government Accountability Office report finds that, although most physicians still accept some new Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program patients, a majority of primary care docs say they have difficulty finding specialists to provide care for young low-income patients.

6 Jul 2011

States wrestle with Medicaid funding and budgets, contracts, rule changes

News outlets report on Medicaid developments in Kentucky, Colorado, Arizona and Hawaii.

6 Jul 2011

Scientists, medical doctors propose integrated method for treating chronic disease

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD), such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, chronic respiratory disorders and cancer represent the major global health problem of the 21st century and affect all age groups.

6 Jul 2011

Viewpoints: 'Imaginary' mandates, premium hikes, Medicare leadership

Liberals are taking a victory lap since a federal appeals court upheld President Obama's health care plan last week, but not so fast. This is an idiosyncratic and flawed opinion, and we trust the Supreme Court, however it rules, will hold itself to a higher standard of jurisprudential reasoning.

6 Jul 2011

Obese children more likely to be bullied

Children who are overweight or obese are more likely to be victimised by bullying when compared to children who are not overweight.

6 Jul 2011

States must make do without stimulus dollars for Medicaid; judge freezes Ariz. cuts

As healthcare costs for the poor soar across the United States, perhaps no state will feel the loss of federal stimulus money more than Florida. America's fourth-most-populous state, Florida is second only to Texas in the percentage of residents without health insurance and its struggles are emblematic of problems afflicting many states.

2 Jul 2011

Roundup: Mass. doctors eye care management funds; Fla. groups fear Scott will block federal grants

It's clear from the data that hospitals and doctors can do a lot better at coordinating care for their patients. On the final day of hearings on controlling health care costs today, state officials estimated that at least $2 billion was spent in Massachusetts in 2009 on potentially avoidable emergency room visits, hospitalizations and readmissions.

2 Jul 2011

100 million Americans suffer pain - many in silence

According to a report released by the Institute of Medicine Wednesday, nearly a third of Americans experience long-lasting pain and too often feel stigma rather than relief from a health care system poorly prepared to treat them. Chronic pain is costing the nation at least $558 billion a year in medical bills, sick days and lost productivity, the report found. That's more than the cost of heart disease, the top killer.

30 Jun 2011

White House backs away from 'secret shopper' survey of doctors

The Obama administration said Tuesday that it had shelved plans for a survey in which "mystery shoppers" posing as patients would call doctors' offices to see how difficult it was to get appointments.

30 Jun 2011

ESC Congress 2011 to spotlight 'controversial issues in cardiology'

The scientific programme for this year's ESC Congress, which will take place in Paris from 27-31 August, is now complete and promises to provide journalists with a rich source of front-page news stories and background for topical features.

30 Jun 2011

Diagnostic delay in women with tuberous sclerosis complex increases mortality risk

Women with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are often misdiagnosed because the condition, commonly recognized in early childhood when it presents with seizures, manifests differently later in life, typically with renal angiomyolipomas - a benign tumor of the kidney - and pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) - a rare lung disease that affects almost exclusively women.

30 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 29, 2011

In today's news, two senators offer a new plan for Medicare cuts -- which includes increasing the eligibility age -- but top Democrats lined up against it.

29 Jun 2011

Hi-Tech Pharmacal pays $3.6M for rights to Atley's branded pain treatment products

Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co., Inc., a specialty pharmaceuticals company, announced today that they acquired marketing and distribution rights to several unique branded products for the treatment of pain from Atley Pharmaceuticals. Some products are approved and some are pending approval with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

29 Jun 2011