Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

First Edition: May 21, 2010

In today's headlines, legislation containing a Medicare pay 'fix' and an extension of the COBRA subsidy is moving toward House consideration.

21 May 2010

Researchers propose steps to enhance patient-physician communication to improve depression care

Because people with depression often do not recognize they have a problem or are unable to describe their distress, many do not seek treatment. About a quarter of those with major depression are undiagnosed, according to several studies, and fewer than half receive treatment.

21 May 2010

Majority of patients satisfied with care, but doctors lack multicultural awareness

Most patients in the southeastern United States are satisfied with the care they get from their primary care doctor — though many doctors lack training for dealing with patients of different ethnic backgrounds and often fail to ask important questions that indicate multicultural awareness, according to results of two surveys presented at the American Heart Association's 11th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.

21 May 2010

SLU Hospital announces increase in number of minimally-invasive spinal procedures performed

With the recent launch of the Neurosurgical Spine Program at Saint Louis University Hospital's Center for Cerebrovascular and Skull Base Surgery, the hospital has seen a dramatic increase in the number of minimally-invasive spinal procedures, including lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Designed to stop the motion at a painful vertebral segment, this procedure is traditionally performed via a large incision on the back, stripping vital muscles away from the spine. However, the emergence of minimally-invasive neurosurgical techniques is revolutionizing spinal surgery.

21 May 2010

Lawmakers agree to extend COBRA benefits, delay Medicare cuts and give states more money for Medicaid

Democratic committee leaders unveiled a tax extensions package today that would continue to allow laid-off employees "to get subsidies to buy health insurance through the COBRA program" and would also "spare doctors from a scheduled 21 percent cut in Medicare payments," The Associated Press reports. It would also give states money to cover Medicaid costs (Ohlemacher, 5/20).

21 May 2010

Most ER visitors have health insurance of some kind

A National Center for Health Statistics study has found that of the one in five Americans who visit an emergency room every year, most have health insurance.

20 May 2010

Invida Group completes joint venture agreement with MUGI

Invida Group, the leading specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization of healthcare products throughout Asia Pacific, today announced that it has completed a joint venture agreement with the Indonesian pharmaceutical manufacturer MUGI.

20 May 2010

AANS/CNS issue statement on Congress hearing of impact of concussions on high school athletes

On Thursday, May 20, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor held a hearing to learn more about the impact of concussions on high school athletes and how the injury can impact academic achievement. A concussion is an injury to the brain that results in loss of normal brain function and is usually temporary.

20 May 2010

Allergy sufferers can save out-of-pocket costs by visiting urgent care and retail health clinics instead of ER

In this economy, allergy sufferers are looking for relief from more than sneezing, runny noses, and itchy eyes. And, according to a recent study, they can find relief for both their symptoms and their wallets, saving anywhere from $50 to $400 in out-of-pocket costs per visit if they skip the emergency room and head to urgent care and retail health clinics when they are unable to see their primary physician.

20 May 2010

Flexible treatment delivery intervention in primary care reduces symptoms of anxiety: Study

An intervention in primary care settings that allowed a choice of cognitive behavior therapy, medication, or both, along with computer-assisted treatment support for patients with common anxiety disorders, resulted in greater improvement in anxiety symptoms and functional disability compared to usual care, according to a study in the May 19 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on mental health.

19 May 2010

Vaccinations recommended for adults

Yearly vaccinations aren't just for kids any more. You probably heard a lot about a seasonal or H1N1 flu shot last fall, but you should know that a battery of other adult vaccinations might also become part of your health care routine. Pneumonia and shingles vaccines are preventive-care essentials for older adults, and meningitis and tetanus shots are now college rites of passage. Even the vaccines of childhood—measles, mumps and rubella, and whooping cough—are recommended for adults who missed out in their younger years.

19 May 2010

Low blood phosphorus levels associated with high death rates in African AIDS patients: Research

Low blood phosphorus levels are associated with high death rates in the initial weeks of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in AIDS patients in sub-Saharan Africa, according to new research conducted by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers at the UAB-affiliated Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia.

19 May 2010

Physicians opting out of some insurance create two-tiered medical system

The Fiscal Times: "A small but growing number of physicians are ... abandoning traditional insurance-based practice to offer VIP treatment, including more time with patients, in return for upfront fees. In one common setup, often called concierge or retainer-based medicine, a primary care doctor charges an annual fee ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 just to get in the door.

19 May 2010

Antibiotics have significant resistance effects on individual patients in primary care

Antibiotics prescribed in primary care make a considerable contribution to the problem of antimicrobial resistance, both in individual patients and the population as a whole, according to research from the University of Bristol published in this week’s BMJ.

18 May 2010

Taking the final step from the bench to the hospital or clinic bedside

A new Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University Center for Aging Research (IUCAR) study provides effective strategies to help hospital systems, physicians and other care providers to overcome end zone hurdles and actually take evidence-based research to the patient’s hospital or clinic bedside.

18 May 2010

Taking the final step from the bench to the hospital or clinic bedside

18 May 2010

Health law's affect on ERs, doctors' panel, young adults examined

Officials and stakeholders are examining the new health reform law for changes that the reform will mean for their organizations and industries.

17 May 2010

BUSM researchers identify clinical characteristics associated with PDUD in primary care patients

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine have identified clinical characteristics associated with prescription drug use disorder in primary care patients with chronic pain. The study found that by identifying characteristics of prescription drug abuse, primary care clinicians can identify those at risk and provide appropriate treatment.

15 May 2010

SynerMed announces achievement of Elite status on 2010 SOE assessment

SynerMed, Inc., the largest Medicaid managed service organization in the country, today announced the achievement of "Elite" status on the 2010 Standards of Excellence assessment administered by the California Association of Physician Groups, the nation's largest professional association representing physicians practicing in the managed care model.

15 May 2010

New initiative to reduce health inequities

A major new initiative by the University of Maryland aims to eliminate health disparities in the state and extend the impact of health reform. The university's School of Public Health has recruited a team of nationally recognized faculty-researchers who will create action programs to improve primary care and expand public health outreach, so as to reduce the high rates of chronic disease in Maryland's medically underserved communities.

14 May 2010

Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

First Edition: May 21, 2010

Researchers propose steps to enhance patient-physician communication to improve depression care

Majority of patients satisfied with care, but doctors lack multicultural awareness

SLU Hospital announces increase in number of minimally-invasive spinal procedures performed

Lawmakers agree to extend COBRA benefits, delay Medicare cuts and give states more money for Medicaid

Most ER visitors have health insurance of some kind

Invida Group completes joint venture agreement with MUGI

AANS/CNS issue statement on Congress hearing of impact of concussions on high school athletes

Allergy sufferers can save out-of-pocket costs by visiting urgent care and retail health clinics instead of ER

Flexible treatment delivery intervention in primary care reduces symptoms of anxiety: Study

Vaccinations recommended for adults

Low blood phosphorus levels associated with high death rates in African AIDS patients: Research

Physicians opting out of some insurance create two-tiered medical system

Antibiotics have significant resistance effects on individual patients in primary care

Taking the final step from the bench to the hospital or clinic bedside

Taking the final step from the bench to the hospital or clinic bedside

Health law's affect on ERs, doctors' panel, young adults examined

BUSM researchers identify clinical characteristics associated with PDUD in primary care patients

SynerMed announces achievement of Elite status on 2010 SOE assessment

New initiative to reduce health inequities

Event guide: 4th Extra-Hepatic Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Delivery Summit 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

Event guide: 4th Extra-Hepatic Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Delivery Summit 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

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