Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Medspira to manufacture and market Mayo Clinic developed products and technologies

Medspira, and Mayo Clinic have entered into an agreement to commercialize, manufacture and market several Mayo Clinic developed products and technologies invented by Mayo physicians and scientists.

19 Nov 2009

NCQA to revise landmark evaluation of medical practices to improve care quality

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) today announced plans to revise its landmark evaluation of medical practices through the Physician Practice Connections®-Patient-Centered Medical Home™ (PPC®-PCMH™) to reflect the growing interest in this promising approach to improving care quality.

18 Nov 2009

Depression is as much of a risk factor for mortality as smoking, says new study

A study by researchers at the University of Bergen, Norway, and the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King's College London has found that depression is as much of a risk factor for mortality as smoking.

17 Nov 2009

Startling new mammogram guidelines incite debate about risk, cost

The Washington Post: "Women in their 40s should stop routinely having annual mammograms and older women should cut back to one scheduled exam every other year, an influential federal task force has concluded, challenging the use of one of the most common medical tests" (Stein, 11/17).

17 Nov 2009

Telephone-delivered collaborative care for treatment of depression in post-CABG patients improve outcomes

Patients who received telephone-delivered collaborative care for treatment of depression after coronary artery bypass graft surgery reported greater improvement in measures of quality of life, physical functioning and mood than patients who received usual care, according to a study in the November 18 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early online because of its presentation at an American Heart Association scientific conference.

17 Nov 2009

USPSTF recommendations against regular mammography screening can result in unnecessary breast cancer deaths

If cost-cutting U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) mammography recommendations are adopted as policy, two decades of decline in breast cancer mortality could be reversed and countless American women may die needlessly from breast cancer each year.

17 Nov 2009

SynerMed and L.A. Care team up to launch e-consult program

SynerMed, Inc., the largest Medicaid managed service organization (MSO) in the country, in collaboration with L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest public health plan, announced today the launch of an e-consult pilot program.

16 Nov 2009

Bravo Health to open its first Advanced Care Center in Philadelphia

Bravo Health today announced that the first Bravo Health Advanced Care Center (the Center) will open in Philadelphia in January 2010. The Center, an innovative, state-of-the-art outpatient physician practice designed to meet the health care needs of Bravo Health members, will be located in a new building being constructed at 1010 W. Lehigh Avenue in North Philadelphia.

16 Nov 2009

FDA approves Lysteda for treating menorrhagia

Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an integrated specialty pharmaceutical company with both development and commercial capabilities focused on women's healthcare and pain management, announced today that Lysteda(TM) (tranexamic acid) oral tablets has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for treatment of women suffering from cyclic heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), also known as menorrhagia.

16 Nov 2009

New faces of HIV/AIDS: A report

World AIDS Day 2009 will be marked with both grim and hopeful data: more than 25 million people have died of AIDS worldwide since 1981; 33 million are living with HIV/AIDS. While potent, effective medications have changed an HIV diagnosis from death sentence to manageable chronic illness in resource rich countries, global rates of infection still outstrip prevention and treatment capacity.

16 Nov 2009

Chronic pain patients with depression three times more likely to receive opioid medications

Chronic pain patients with a history of depression are three times more likely to receive long-term prescriptions for opioid medications like Vicodin compared to pain patients who do not suffer from depression, according to new research.

16 Nov 2009

CCH issues a special Briefing on employer and Medicaid-related provisions

CCH has issued a special Briefing on the employer and Medicare- and Medicaid-related provisions in the House version of health care reform, detailing provisions of the legislation approved on November 7.

16 Nov 2009

AtHoc IWSAlerts third-generation mass emergency alerting system to be deployed

AtHoc, Inc., the pioneer and leader in network-centric emergency notification systems, today announced the Lyster Army Health Clinic will deploy the AtHoc IWSAlerts™ third-generation mass emergency alerting system to help protect staff and patients.

16 Nov 2009

Doctors face image problems; patients deal with shortages, are urged to question care

Doctors must not only face the fading image of primary care providers, but also physician shortage issues. Meanwhile, some experts suggest patients consider saying "no" to their doctor to control health care costs.

13 Nov 2009

In rural Kentucky, an unexpected take on the health debate

Frank Browning reports for Kaiser Health News on how the health reform debate is playing out in rural Kentucky. "From a strip-mined bluff at the edge of this famous mountain town you can see one of the most concentrated and diverse sets of medical facilities in rural America: a general hospital, a psychiatric hospital, a university-based rural health care center and clinics for primary care, cancer, urology, cardiology, addiction and ear-nose-and throat problems.

13 Nov 2009

First Edition: November 13, 2009

On this Friday the 13th, the headlines offer an array of health policy views -- from the possibility of including a Medicare payroll tax in health reform legislation to continuing analysis of the overhaul's winners and losers as well as the CDC's new estimate of the far-reach of the swine flu.

13 Nov 2009

Idaho's U.S. Representatives oppose HR 3962: AARP disappointed

AARP is disappointed Idaho's U.S. Representatives chose to oppose the legislation, ignoring the worsening health care crisis in their home state.

13 Nov 2009

Cardiac Science and Cambridge Heart team up to develop MTWA module

Cardiac Science Corporation [NASDAQ: CSCX], a global leader in automated external defibrillator (AED) and diagnostic cardiac monitoring devices, and Cambridge Heart, Inc., [OTCBB-CAMH], a developer of noninvasive diagnostic tests for cardiac disease, with a focus on identifying those at risk for sudden cardiac arrest, today announced a partnership pursuant to a Development, Supply and Distribution Agreement Cambridge Heart previously announced on June 23, 2009.

13 Nov 2009

New book 'Thinking in Circles About Obesity' presents a novel approach to address weight crisis

Low-carb-low-fat-high-protein-high-fiber-Americans are food-savvy, label-conscious, calorie-aware - and still gaining weight in spite of all their good intentions. Worse still, today's children run the risk of a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

13 Nov 2009

MinuteClinic praises practitioners for providing affordable medical treatment and quality patient-centered care

In celebration of National Nurse Practitioner Week (Nov. 8-14), MinuteClinic, the pioneer and largest provider of retail health care centers in the United States, salutes practitioners across the country who deliver patient-centered care and help to increase access to high-quality, affordable medical treatment.

12 Nov 2009