Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Cogent Healthcare announces new hospital medicine affiliation with Allegiance Health

Cogent Healthcare today announced a new hospital medicine affiliation with Allegiance Health, a 411-bed health system located in Jackson, Mich.

11 Aug 2010

Study shows physicians reluctant to use finasteride for prostate cancer

Despite the dramatic results of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT), which showed a significant reduction in prostate cancer among those taking finasteride, physicians have not increased its use, according to a study published in the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

11 Aug 2010

State News: Ex-Anthem Blue Cross president speaks out; Clinics to fill in N.M. primary care gap

The Los Angeles Times: "The abrupt resignation last month of Anthem Blue Cross' president is offering a glimpse of an internal struggle that has roiled California's largest for-profit health insurer for months. Leslie Margolin was the public face of Anthem this year when it sought to raise individual insurance rates as much as 39%.

11 Aug 2010

Today's Opinions and Editorials: Bringing down health care costs; More on the Medicare trustees report

Short of transforming the medical payment system, can we bring down health care costs by feasible fixes? Yes, by reducing the number of services that must be covered by every insurance policy and requiring higher copayments for patients using the highest cost providers (Robert Pozen, 8/10).

11 Aug 2010

Nat'l Health Services Corps spending more to increase primary care docs in underserved areas

The Washington Post reports on the Obama administration's efforts "to bring thousands of young primary care doctors to underserved areas … and keep them there. The administration recently invested more than $1 billion from the stimulus and the health-care law into the National Health Services Corps to beef up doctor recruitment.

10 Aug 2010

Patient navigator program to educate Hmong women on cervical cancer

The Asian-American community of Hmong women in California carries a stunning burden of cervical cancer and resulting mortality four times as high as non-Hispanic white women in California do.

7 Aug 2010

MDinsight clinical quality system to help hospitals, physicians achieve meaningful use requirements

MDdatacor, Inc., a leader in health care quality management solutions for insurers and health care providers, today announced that its MDinsight clinical quality system will help hospitals and physicians achieve many of the meaningful use requirements as outlined in the recently announced final rules of the HITECH Act.

7 Aug 2010

President Obama issues Proclamation recognizing National Health Center Week

President Barack Obama today issued a Presidential Proclamation recognizing August 8 - 14, 2010 as National Health Center Week. "During National Health Center Week, we recognize the important work of Community Health Centers for their role in providing quality, accessible, and affordable patient care as we strive to build a health care system equipped for the 21st century," said the President.

7 Aug 2010

Asynchronous telepsychiatry provides primary-care physicians greater access to psychiatric consultation

A new study by researchers at the UC Davis School of Medicine has found that psychiatrists can accurately assess a patient's mental health by viewing videotaped interviews that are sent to them for consultation and treatment recommendations.

7 Aug 2010

Obama Administration awards $159.1 million in grants for nurses, geriatric care workers

"The grants, which include new and continuing funding, build on multimillion dollar investments called for under the new health-care overhaul law in order to address a growing shortage of primary care workers." A 2008 report by the Council on Physician and Nurse Supply said schools would need to produce 30,000 nurses annually to offset the shortfall and the looming mass retirement of nurses, 45 percent of whom are 50 or older" (Aizenman, 8/5).

7 Aug 2010

State news: Kansas facing Medicaid shortfall; Indiana to expand coverage for low-income adults; Maryland's medical home experiment

Sen. Sam Brownback, the Kansas Republican who is running for governor, "faced new questions Thursday about joining fellow congressional Republicans in opposing legislation that would prop up state budgets as his Democratic opponent in the race for governor criticized him. Brownback said he is against a plan that includes extra Medicaid dollars for states because it wasn't drafted in a fiscally responsible way. Kansas' share is $131 million, and its current $13.7 billion budget won't balance without the money, which covers health care for the poor and disabled" (Hanna, 8/5).

7 Aug 2010

Research Roundups: Expanding Medicaid; More spending doesn't reduce mortality; Colonoscopy cost effectiveness; Kids, asthma and access to care

Health Affairs: Little Evidence Of Correlation Between Growth In Health Care Spending And Reduced Mortality - This study examines differences in hospital mortality and cost between 2000 and 2004 for patients at 122 U.S. hospitals, with seven common medical diagnoses: acute myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, community-acquired pneumonia, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular accident (also called ischemic stroke), sepsis, or urinary tract infection.

7 Aug 2010

Research shows variations in care that kidney disease patients receive before starting dialysis

The wealth or poverty of kidney disease patients' communities impacts the quality of care patients receive before starting dialysis, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology. The results suggest that medical professionals need to improve care for patients who have not yet started dialysis.

6 Aug 2010

HHS Secretary announces $159.1M in grants to health care workforce training programs

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today will announce $159.1 million in grants to health care workforce training programs. These grants build on the multimillion dollar investments made under the Affordable Care Act and Recovery Act to strengthen and grow our primary care workforce. The grants will target three types of programs: Nursing Workforce Development programs; interdisciplinary geriatric education and training programs; and Centers of Excellence programs for underrepresented minority students.

6 Aug 2010

Eliminating depression, diabetes can reduce levels of dementia: Study

Eliminating diabetes and depression, as well as increasing education and fruit and vegetable consumption, are likely to have the biggest impact on reducing levels of dementia in the coming years, should no effective treatment be found, concludes a study published on bmj.com today.These findings suggest priorities for future public health interventions.While the exact cause of dementia is still unknown, several modifiable risk factors have already been identified. These include vascular risk factors (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol), a history of depression, diet, alcohol consumption, and education level.

6 Aug 2010

NAEDI aims to correct survival gap in cancer diagnosis

Cancer Research UK today reveals that as many as 11,000 deaths from cancer could be prevented annually if Great Britain raised its survival figures to match those of the best performing countries in Europe.Cancer Research UK and national cancer director, Professor Mike Richards, believe that the most important reasons for the survival gap include poor awareness of the symptoms of cancer, late presentation to a GP and, late onward referral to hospital.

6 Aug 2010

Primary care practices recognized with Priority Health Quality Awards

Priority Health, one of the nation's top health plans, is pleased to recognize 138 primary care practices across the state of Michigan with the Priority Health Quality Awards. The Priority Health Quality Awards were established in 2003 to recognize excellence in health care. Quality Awards are presented in two categories: Exceptional Patient Care and Outstanding Health Care Value. Among the honorees are 38 practices winning awards in both categories.

5 Aug 2010

Optimer second-quarter net loss decreases to $10.4 million

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010. Optimer reported a net loss for the second quarter of 2010 of $10.4 million, or $0.27 per share, which was in line with the Company's expectations. This compares to a net loss for the second quarter of 2009 of $12.4 million, or $0.37 per share. The decrease in net loss was primarily due to lower research and development expenses offset by an increase in general and administrative expenses.

5 Aug 2010

Arthritis treatment costs more than $128 billion a year in the U.S.

Arthritis is the single greatest cause of chronic pain and disability among Americans and the treatment of arthritis costs the nation more than $128 billion a year in medical care and lost earnings. Persistent, chronic joint pain determines the choices people make and limits their ability to perform basic tasks for themselves and their family. Eighty percent of Americans either have, or know someone who has, arthritis and these numbers continue to escalate.

4 Aug 2010

Victory Pharma acquires assets of MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals

Victory Pharma, Inc. today announced that it has completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals, Inc..

4 Aug 2010

Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Cogent Healthcare announces new hospital medicine affiliation with Allegiance Health

Study shows physicians reluctant to use finasteride for prostate cancer

State News: Ex-Anthem Blue Cross president speaks out; Clinics to fill in N.M. primary care gap

Today's Opinions and Editorials: Bringing down health care costs; More on the Medicare trustees report

Nat'l Health Services Corps spending more to increase primary care docs in underserved areas

Patient navigator program to educate Hmong women on cervical cancer

MDinsight clinical quality system to help hospitals, physicians achieve meaningful use requirements

President Obama issues Proclamation recognizing National Health Center Week

Asynchronous telepsychiatry provides primary-care physicians greater access to psychiatric consultation

Obama Administration awards $159.1 million in grants for nurses, geriatric care workers

State news: Kansas facing Medicaid shortfall; Indiana to expand coverage for low-income adults; Maryland's medical home experiment

Research Roundups: Expanding Medicaid; More spending doesn't reduce mortality; Colonoscopy cost effectiveness; Kids, asthma and access to care

Research shows variations in care that kidney disease patients receive before starting dialysis

HHS Secretary announces $159.1M in grants to health care workforce training programs

Eliminating depression, diabetes can reduce levels of dementia: Study

NAEDI aims to correct survival gap in cancer diagnosis

Primary care practices recognized with Priority Health Quality Awards

Optimer second-quarter net loss decreases to $10.4 million

Arthritis treatment costs more than $128 billion a year in the U.S.

Victory Pharma acquires assets of MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals

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Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

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