Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

'Every woman should know her breast density'

D.E.N.S.E. CA, breast cancer survivors advocating for breast density awareness, and Are You Dense, Inc., a non-profit breast cancer organization, kicked off a California-wide public awareness campaign today designed to increase awareness of the risks of dense breast tissue and its impact on the early detection of breast cancer.

8 Apr 2011

Medicare doctor payments sometimes pit specialties against each other

One of the biggest disputes in the Relative Value Scale Update Committee came in 2005, when members clashed over primary-care groups' push for increases in the payments for doctor office visits, which are among the most commonly-billed Medicare services.

8 Apr 2011

Research Roundup: The cost of medical errors; 'Unreasonable rate increases'

Health Affairs: The $17.1 Billion Problem: The Annual Cost Of Measurable Medical Errors - "The estimated total cost of measurable medical errors in the United States was $17.1 billion in 2008, which was 0.72 percent of the $2.391 trillion spent on health care," write the authors of this study that used an "an actuarial approach to measure the frequency and costs of measurable U.S. medical errors, identified through medical claims data."

8 Apr 2011

First Edition: April 8, 2011

Today's headlines include stories tracking the partisan negotiations surrounding a current-year spending bill. Currently at an impasse, the differences between the GOP and Democrats as well as the White House surrounds more than just the total dollar figure attached to spending cuts. It also involves controversial "policy riders." Meanwhile, without resolution, a government shutdown is just hours away.

8 Apr 2011

Two new studies on Veterans Affairs health care system

As recently as the 1990s, the Veterans Affairs health care system had a subpar reputation for quality, but two new studies of standard quality metrics, both led by Amal Trivedi, assistant professor of community health at Brown University and a physician at the Providence VA Medical Center, show that the system that cares for more than 5 million patients has improved markedly in the last decade.

8 Apr 2011

First trial to test shared decision making for weight-loss surgery

A video-based decision aid helped severely obese people to make more informed choices about bariatric surgery and reach more certainty about them, according to a trial involving 152 Group Health patients, e-published in Obesity in advance of print. This randomized controlled trial is the first to test shared decision making for weight-loss surgery.

8 Apr 2011

National policy needed to address heath care system for immigrants, ACP says

As the U.S. immigrant population grows it will be necessary to address the vast number of immigrants who do not have access to health insurance coverage, or who face other barriers to accessing health care, the American College of Physicians said in a new policy paper released today at Internal Medicine 2011, ACP's annual scientific meeting.

8 Apr 2011

New USPSTF mammography recommendations confuse women

When the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention, released its recommendations on mammography screenings for US women on November 16, 2009, there was immediate and considerable controversy.

7 Apr 2011

Empire implements AGA, ACG guidelines for evaluation and management of dyspepsia and PUD

Empire BlueCross BlueShield today announced an initiative to inform and educate physicians and consumers about important findings from the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) and the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) related to a little known but common infection that is a precursor to serious stomach ailments.

7 Apr 2011

Large majority of U.S. adults concerned about health care access

Seven of 10 adults think the U.S. health care system needs to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt, according to a Commonwealth Fund survey released today. The concerns reflect widespread experiences with access barriers, poorly coordinated care and growing costs.

6 Apr 2011

New medical guidelines for diabetes care

Today the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists released new medical guidelines for developing comprehensive care plan for management of diabetes mellitus.

6 Apr 2011

Mass. hospital system continues efforts to buy community hospital

Steward Health Care System yesterday unveiled its second deal in four days to buy a Massachusetts community hospital, saying it had signed a letter of intent to purchase Saints Medical Center in Lowell and convert it to a for-profit institution.

6 Apr 2011

BMJ News reports on S. Africa's HIV prevention, treatment efforts

BMJ News reports on South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi's visit to the U.S. last week, where he spoke at a forum in Washington, D.C., on the efforts the government is making to promote HIV prevention and treatment and improve the country's health system. The publication notes that the health ministry has set a goal of testing the HIV status of 15 million people in the country by the end of the year - "nearly a third of its population of 50 million."

6 Apr 2011

Two reports show drastic increase in opioid prescriptions in America

Two reports by addiction researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the National Institute on Drug Abuse show a drastic shift in prescribing patterns impacting the magnitude of opioid substance abuse in America.

6 Apr 2011

CAPP introduces new initiative on accountable care for public

The Council of Accountable Physician Practices, an affiliate of the American Medical Group Association, today announced a new initiative to provide the public, media, and policymakers with resources and information about the value of care coordination and accountable care to national health care reform.

5 Apr 2011

Health plans cut out expensive doctors and hospitals

The Los Angeles Times reports that thousands of California employers are cutting back on insurance expenses by restricting access to expensive doctors and hospitals. Also, Bloomberg looks at which companies are getting money from the new federal health law for retiree expenses includes some major US corporations.

5 Apr 2011

Coronary computed tomographic angiography to evaluate acute chest pain reduces hospital admissions

Hospital admissions at Stony Brook University Medical Center on Long Island were significantly reduced when using coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) to evaluate patients presenting in the emergency department (ED) with acute chest pain (ACP), according to research results presented during a scientific session at the American College of Cardiology's 60th Annual Scientific Session and Expo in New Orleans on April 3.

4 Apr 2011

Oral cancer more common among Americans with HPV16 viral infections

A serious change in the cause of oral cancer is taking place nationally, and its implications are impacting the American public in a manner that a decade ago no one would have predicted.

4 Apr 2011

Reimbursement for surgical services has declined in recent years

In recent years reimbursement for surgical services has declined, failing to keep up with inflation and economic growth. Financial incentives aimed at re-distributing reimbursement from procedural specialties to primary care specialties have been ineffective thus far, and the financial returns of being a physician continue to decrease, according to new research published in the April 2011 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

2 Apr 2011

South Los Angeles celebrates opening of new Kaiser Permanente medical facility

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined other local community leaders including Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, and Los Angeles City Councilmembers Bernard C. Parks and Jan Perry to celebrate the opening of the Kaiser Permanente South Los Angeles Medical Offices.

2 Apr 2011