Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

First Edition: September 13, 2010

In this morning's news, many in Congress are pushing for repeal of a tax provision in the health law that critics say places a heavy burden on small businesses. Meanwhile, opponents of the overhaul are focused on a Florida court hearing.

13 Sep 2010

Physician shortage could grow under new health law

HealthDay/Bloomberg BusinessWeek: With tens of millions of patients newly insured under the law, "[s]ome experts worry that there could be longer wait times to see a doctor, particularly in rural areas and underserved markets where primary-care physicians are in short supply. … [P]rimary-care physicians make up only 35 percent of America's physician workforce, and the pipeline of fresh talent is tapering off.

10 Sep 2010

Dartmouth study says primary care not always a cure-all

A new study by Dartmouth Health Atlas researchers contends that making primary care more widely accessible -- one of the goals of the health overhaul -- won't necessarily improve the nation's health, Reuters reports. The researchers found wide variations in the quality of care that do not always match up with the level of access to physicians.

10 Sep 2010

Research Roundup: Shifting ER visits to urgent care centers; Evaluating doctors; Medicare Advantage quality ratings

Health Affairs: Many Emergency Department Visits Could Be Managed At Urgent Care Centers And Retail Clinics - Researchers analyzed samples of patient records and found "13.7 percent of all emergency department visits could take place at a retail clinic" - 7.9 percent when hours are restricted - and "an additional 13.4 percent of emergency department visits could take place at a urgent care center—8.9 percent when hours are restricted.

10 Sep 2010

NACHC Conference to discuss primary care foundation in America under Affordable Care Act

Former Health and Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt will address a national conference of Community, Migrant and Homeless Health Center representatives scheduled to convene this week. The 2010 Community Health Institute (CHI) and EXPO, hosted by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), will take place in Dallas, TX, September 10-14th.

10 Sep 2010

Mexican-American stroke survivors with atrial fibrillation at increased risk for second stroke

Mexican-American stroke survivors with a heart rhythm disorder have more than twice the risk for another stroke compared to non-Hispanic whites, according to a study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

10 Sep 2010

Researchers say access to primary care doesn’t always guarantee better health

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jordan Rau reports on a new findings by Dartmouth researchers. "A study released Thursday challenges two widely-held assumptions about medical care: that people who see a primary care physician will end up healthier than those who don't, and that having more primary care doctors in an area guarantees better access for patients"

10 Sep 2010

NIH launches two research studies to examine ways to curtail childhood obesity epidemic

The National Institutes of Health is launching two major research efforts, totaling $72.5 million, to examine ways to curtail the nation's childhood obesity epidemic. One will study long-term approaches to prevent or treat childhood obesity, and the other will examine community efforts to reduce childhood obesity rates.

10 Sep 2010

AAOS releases clinical practice guideline for periprosthetic joint infection diagnosis

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recently approved and released an evidence-based clinical practice guideline on the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infections of the hip and knee. Clinical practice guidelines are one avenue the Academy uses to ensure that patients receive high quality care.

10 Sep 2010

Ohio doctor starts new clinic with lower charges but doesn't accept insurance

Dr. James Brockman has taken on a new business model with his medical practice to maintain less overhead and avoid hassles with insurance companies and people who won't pay their bills. No insurance is accepted at his Affordable Health Care Center, which opened in April and offers visits starting at $45 and capped at $100 for more complicated cases.

10 Sep 2010

Wealthy patients beat cancer better than poorer counterparts: Survey

Cancer survival rates have improved across England, according to two new reports from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).But the reports also reveal that there are still gaps in survival, with patients from wealthy areas having a better chance of beating cancer than their poorer counterparts.

10 Sep 2010

Researchers find minocycline antibiotics effective for fragile X syndrome

One of the antibiotics most commonly prescribed to treat adolescent acne can increase attention spans and communication and decrease anxiety in patients with fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of mental impairment, according to a new survey study that is the first published on parents' reports of their children's responses to treatment with the medication.

9 Sep 2010

Santarus, VeroScience enter agreement to commercialize CYCLOSET drug for type 2 diabetes

Santarus, Inc., S2 Therapeutics, Inc. and VeroScience LLC today announced that they have entered into a distribution and license agreement granting Santarus exclusive rights to manufacture and commercialize CYCLOSET (bromocriptine mesylate) tablets in the U.S.

9 Sep 2010

Hospitals find new ways to serve growing senior, immigrant, suburban populations

News outlets report on hospital industries in Houston, Texas; Irvine, Calif. and Madison County, La.

9 Sep 2010

Study: Only 42% of acute care visits are made to personal physicians

Only 42 percent of yearly acute care visits in the U.S. are made to patients' personal physicians, according to a new study published in the journal Health Affairs.

9 Sep 2010

Patient panels associated with lower physician quality rankings: Study

Patients panels (used to rate the quality of care of physicians) with greater proportions of underinsured, minority and non-English speaking patients were associated with lower physician quality rankings, according to a study in the September 8 issue of JAMA.

8 Sep 2010

Study suggests better quality primary care improves health

Financial incentives in primary care cut heart disease deaths and hospital admissions, particularly among people from deprived areas, finds research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

8 Sep 2010

HealthInsight and GE Healthcare enter collaboration

Soon after the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) named HealthInsight the Regional Extension Center (REC) of record for Nevada and Utah, GE Healthcare began a collaborative effort the parties plan to continue well into the future.

8 Sep 2010

Study finds increase in emergency department usage among US patients

Only 45 percent of the 354 million annual visits for acute care in the United States are made to patients' personal physicians, as Americans increasingly make busy emergency departments, specialists or outpatient care departments their first point of contact for treatment of new health problems or a flare up of a chronic condition like asthma or diabetes.

8 Sep 2010

GW Cancer Institute receives grant to establish City-wide Patient Navigation Network in Washington

The GW Cancer Institute (GWCI) was recently awarded a $2.4 million grant from the D.C. Cancer Consortium to establish and coordinate a City-wide Patient Navigation Network (CPNN) in Washington, D.C.

8 Sep 2010

Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

First Edition: September 13, 2010

Physician shortage could grow under new health law

Dartmouth study says primary care not always a cure-all

Research Roundup: Shifting ER visits to urgent care centers; Evaluating doctors; Medicare Advantage quality ratings

NACHC Conference to discuss primary care foundation in America under Affordable Care Act

Mexican-American stroke survivors with atrial fibrillation at increased risk for second stroke

Researchers say access to primary care doesn’t always guarantee better health

NIH launches two research studies to examine ways to curtail childhood obesity epidemic

AAOS releases clinical practice guideline for periprosthetic joint infection diagnosis

Ohio doctor starts new clinic with lower charges but doesn't accept insurance

Wealthy patients beat cancer better than poorer counterparts: Survey

Researchers find minocycline antibiotics effective for fragile X syndrome

Santarus, VeroScience enter agreement to commercialize CYCLOSET drug for type 2 diabetes

Hospitals find new ways to serve growing senior, immigrant, suburban populations

Study: Only 42% of acute care visits are made to personal physicians

Patient panels associated with lower physician quality rankings: Study

Study suggests better quality primary care improves health

HealthInsight and GE Healthcare enter collaboration

Study finds increase in emergency department usage among US patients

GW Cancer Institute receives grant to establish City-wide Patient Navigation Network in Washington

Forensics and toxicology - Industry Focus eBook eBook

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Forensics and toxicology - Industry Focus eBook eBook

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

Newsletters you may be interested in