Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Experts available for comment on new medicare contracts that drive health care hookups

So-called "accountable care organizations" or ACOs might change the way that the agency running Medicare does business. An article in the Indiana Business Journal explains that the new health reform law requires the agency to sign new "shared savings" contracts with ACOs and gives examples of how these organizations work. ACOs can begin doing business with Medicare in January 2012.

26 Jul 2010

Research roundup: Hospital emergency room HIV screenings; Medical device reviews; Health law impact on docs and hospitals

Physician Satisfaction With Chronic Care Processes: A Cluster-Randomized Trial Of Guided Care - The authors randomly assigned teams of physicians and their chronically ill older patients into groups that either provided Guided Care - an educated registered nurse works with a primary care practice team to enhance quality of care - or usual care. One year later, they measured "physicians' satisfaction with chronic care processes, time spent on chronic care, knowledge of their chronically ill older patients, and care coordination provided by physicians and office staff."

26 Jul 2010

FDA approves Aricept 23 mg tablet for Alzheimer's disease

Eisai Inc. and Pfizer Inc announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new once-daily, higher-dose Aricept 23 mg tablet for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aricept 23 mg tablet offers another dosing option for patients with moderate-to-severe AD, for whom few treatments are available

26 Jul 2010

Today's OpEds: Varying points on the nation's doctor shortage, benefits of negative studies, and what about universal health care?

In the long list of problems affecting the American health care system, the shortage of general practitioners and overabundance of specialists is usually ranked near the top. There is truth to this: only 32 percent of physicians practice primary care medicine. As a result, patients have to wait longer to see their doctors and are more likely to be seen by nurse practitioners and physician assistants instead. However, pediatrics has the opposite problem: a growing shortage of pediatric subspecialists (Dennis Rosen, 7/22).

23 Jul 2010

HPM recognizes 19 Michigan health care providers for outstanding quality, service

The 19 Michigan health care providers were identified as the top primary care offices through a rigorous selection process that was based on Health Plan of Michigan's 2009 quality incentive plan. "We wanted to show our gratitude to our highest ranking health care providers for their excellence in quality and service," said Raymond D. Pitera, Vice President of Provider Service for Health Plan of Michigan. "We truly appreciate the access to quality services they provide to our Medicaid Members."

23 Jul 2010

Achieving meaningful use of inpatient EHR is top priority of hospital executives: Survey

According to a survey of U.S. hospital executives released today by CSC, steps to meet meaningful use requirements were already a priority for hospitals before the final rules to establish an incentive program for electronic health records were announced by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on July 12.

23 Jul 2010

New appeal regulations empower consumers to better control their health care decisions

Today, the Obama Administration is announcing both new regulations to empower consumers to appeal decisions made by their health plans or insurance companies and the availability of resources that will be used to help give consumers more control of their health care decisions. These provisions of the Affordable Care Act will help support and protect consumers and help end some of the worst insurance company abuses.

23 Jul 2010

New model for scaling up treatment, prevention of HIV amongst IDUs

Against the backdrop of some of the globe's fastest growing HIV epidemics in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, a report launched today at the XVIII International AIDS conference in Vienna makes the case for a new model for scaling up treatment and prevention of HIV amongst Injecting Drug Users.

23 Jul 2010

BCBSGA offers key tips for caregivers for better health care management

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, more than 65 million people in the United States serve as informal caregivers, typically for family members, which equates to more than one out of every four people serving as unpaid caregivers.

23 Jul 2010

Pfizer announces unrestricted access to patient assessment aids for mental disorders

As part of its commitment to improving the quality of patient care, Pfizer today announced that it will make available assessment scales used by physicians and others in the healthcare community to support the evaluation and diagnosis of patients suffering from certain mental disorders.

23 Jul 2010

Schizophrenia patients likely to sustain medical injuries during non-psychiatric hospital stay

People with schizophrenia are more likely than others to sustain medical injuries during non-psychiatric hospital stays, a large national study finds.These findings confirm that medical and surgical hospitalizations are an at-risk time for this group, and a national problem, said lead study author Elizabeth Khaykin, at the Department of Mental Health at Bloomberg Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

23 Jul 2010

2010 Life Beyond Cancer Retreat invites applications

The Life Beyond Cancer Foundation is calling for applications from cancer survivors, oncology nurses, social workers, oncologists, and primary care physicians who help diagnose cancer to attend the 2010 Life Beyond Cancer Retreat. The 11th annual retreat, held Nov. 18 – 21 at Lakeway Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas, helps women rekindle their spirits, relax their minds and bodies, and rejuvenate their souls.

23 Jul 2010

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield launches initiative to educate consumers on how to best access ER alternatives

At a time when health care costs continue to rise and hospitals are advertising emergency room availability, it is becoming more important to educate consumers on how to best access ER alternatives and receive the same care with less out-of-pocket cost. If a primary care physician isn't available, retail health clinics, walk-in doctor offices and urgent care centers can take less time and cost about the same as a regular doctor visit.

22 Jul 2010

Study: 17% of homeless people in Toronto report unmet health care needs

Most studies of healthcare for homeless people have been conducted in the United States, where it's not surprising that lack of money and insurance are the main barriers.

22 Jul 2010

Researchers speculate about risks, rewards of making clinicians' notes transparent to patients

Technology has placed vast amounts of medical information literally a mouse click away. Yet what often may be central - a doctor's notes about a patient visit - has traditionally not been part of the discussion. In effect, such records have long been out of bounds.

22 Jul 2010

AIDS 2010 opinions: U.S. AIDS funding; Human rights and HIV; Invest in primary care; Microbicide gel's possibilities

"Having met President [Barack] Obama, I'm confident that he's a man of conscience who shares my commitment to bringing hope and care to the world's poor. But I am saddened by his decision to spend less than he promised to treat AIDS patients in Africa," Desmond Tutu, archbishop emeritus of Cape Town and honorary chairman of the Global AIDS Alliance, writes in a New York Times opinion piece.

22 Jul 2010

Study shows Guided Care physicians are satisfied with patient/family communications

Physicians who provided Guided Care, a primary care enhancement program for patients with multiple chronic conditions, reported higher levels of satisfaction with their patient/family communications and their knowledge of their patients' clinical characteristics, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

21 Jul 2010

Doctor, nurse roles considered as shortages take hold

"The private doctor's practice — long considered a mainstay of American medicine — could be going the way of the independent bookstore and locally owned pharmacy," The Detroit News reports. "Crushed by mounting economic pressures, more midcareer physicians in Michigan and across the country are giving up their solo practices and joining large and better-financed hospital systems as salaried employees.

21 Jul 2010

Aegera reports data from Phase 1 portion of combination AEG35156 Phase 1-2 study for primary liver cancer

Aegera Therapeutics Inc. released today encouraging survival data from the Phase 1 portion of its Phase 1-2 Study of the novel targeted therapeutic, AEG35156, given in combination with sorafenib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer).

20 Jul 2010

Combined technologies offer promise for detecting colon cancer in women

A team led by a Northwestern University biomedical engineer has found that combining novel optical technologies with a common colon cancer screening test may allow doctors to more accurately detect the presence of colon cancer, particularly in women.

20 Jul 2010

Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Experts available for comment on new medicare contracts that drive health care hookups

Research roundup: Hospital emergency room HIV screenings; Medical device reviews; Health law impact on docs and hospitals

FDA approves Aricept 23 mg tablet for Alzheimer's disease

Today's OpEds: Varying points on the nation's doctor shortage, benefits of negative studies, and what about universal health care?

HPM recognizes 19 Michigan health care providers for outstanding quality, service

Achieving meaningful use of inpatient EHR is top priority of hospital executives: Survey

New appeal regulations empower consumers to better control their health care decisions

New model for scaling up treatment, prevention of HIV amongst IDUs

BCBSGA offers key tips for caregivers for better health care management

Pfizer announces unrestricted access to patient assessment aids for mental disorders

Schizophrenia patients likely to sustain medical injuries during non-psychiatric hospital stay

2010 Life Beyond Cancer Retreat invites applications

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield launches initiative to educate consumers on how to best access ER alternatives

Study: 17% of homeless people in Toronto report unmet health care needs

Researchers speculate about risks, rewards of making clinicians' notes transparent to patients

AIDS 2010 opinions: U.S. AIDS funding; Human rights and HIV; Invest in primary care; Microbicide gel's possibilities

Study shows Guided Care physicians are satisfied with patient/family communications

Doctor, nurse roles considered as shortages take hold

Aegera reports data from Phase 1 portion of combination AEG35156 Phase 1-2 study for primary liver cancer

Combined technologies offer promise for detecting colon cancer in women

Innovation in neuroscience drug discovery - eBook eBook

Evolving spectrophotometry for modern biopharma workflows

Scaling B-cell cloning workflows for antibody development

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Innovation in neuroscience drug discovery - eBook eBook

Evolving spectrophotometry for modern biopharma workflows

Scaling B-cell cloning workflows for antibody development

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

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