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Current medical assessment not sufficient; clinimetric methods may improve final outcomes

In a paper published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Giovanni A. Fava (University of Bologna) and Nicoletta Sonino (University of Padova) summarize data which indicate that current medical assessment, by ignoring the psychosocial dimensions, is inadequate in most of medical encounters

19 Oct 2009

Walgreens, aVinci Media launch initiative for breast cancer awareness, raises more than $50,000

Walgreens and aVinci® Media have launched a very successful national initiative to raise vital funds and awareness for breast cancer research and support. On Oct. 7, Walgreens offered aVinci's My Personal Movie slideshow DVDs, which normally retail for $19.99, for only $1.

19 Oct 2009

Website answers questions about 'end of life'

Questions about end of life are as old as humanity, yet they can be new and overwhelming when someone we care about is dying.

19 Oct 2009

Scientists find cause for lupuslike disease in mice

Macrophages, the scavenger cells of the body's immune system, are responsible for disposing of dying cells. Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have identified one pathway in this important process in mice that, if disrupted, causes a lupuslike autoimmune disease.

19 Oct 2009

California's community hospitals launch public education and media campaign on H1N1

As preparations for the H1N1 flu season kick into high gear, California's community hospitals have launched a statewide public education and media campaign.

19 Oct 2009

Children with neurological disorders have low skin temperature

Many wheelchair-using children with neurological disorders have much colder hands and feet than other children, and most receive no special help even though they have had these problems for a long time, is revealed in at thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

19 Oct 2009

WHO recommends antivirals for patients with symptoms of both H1N1, pneumonia

The WHO concluded a three-day meeting on H1N1 (swine flu) in Washington, D.C., on Friday, where health experts issued recommendations that patients with symptoms of H1N1 and pneumonia be treated quickly with antivirals, even before the results of H1N1 tests are complete, the San Francisco Chronicle blog, "ChronRX" reports (Allday, 10/16).

19 Oct 2009

West Virginia nears dental crisis over stagnant Medicaid payments

West Virginia's Medicaid patients are nearing a crisis when it comes to access to dental care, West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports. Medicaid's reimbursement rates for dentistry haven't increased since 1991, and West Virginia cut rates in 1994 by 30 percent, causing fewer and fewer dentists to accept payment from the public program for low-income patients.

19 Oct 2009

School-age children most vulnerable to malaria infection in Africa, study says

Children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 19 in malaria-endemic African countries are "the most vulnerable group to malaria following the successful distribution of the free bednets to protect children under five and pregnant women against the killer fever," according to a study published in the journal BMC Public Health, the East African reports.

19 Oct 2009

Circle Medical Devices and Texcel Medical to provide medical product design and manufacturing solutions

Circle Medical Devices of Los Gatos, Calif., and Texcel Medical of Springfield, Mass., have merged to create CIRTEC Medical Systems, a leading provider of comprehensive medical product design and manufacturing solutions.

19 Oct 2009

Baxa and SINOPHARM sign distribution agreement

Baxa Corporation, a US-based medical device company in Englewood, Colorado, has signed an exclusive four-year distribution agreement with SINOPHARM, a China National Pharmaceutical Foreign Trade Corporation, to promote sales of its products in China.

19 Oct 2009

Lead exposure in early childhood can impact test scores

Exposure to lead in early childhood significantly contributes to lower performances on end-of-grade (EOG) reading tests among minority and low-income children, according to researchers at Duke University and North Carolina Central University.

19 Oct 2009

Baucus: Public insurance option 'alive' in Senate negotiations

USA Today: During a conference call with reporters today, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said the public option is "alive." Baucus, "one of a handful of senators engaged in behind-the-scenes health care negotiations, said Democratic lawmakers are continuing to debate whether to include a government-run health insurance program -- also known as the public option -- and what shape that program might take."

19 Oct 2009

Philippines at risk for rapid spread of disease after typhoons

"Survivors of two powerful storms that caused widespread destruction in the Philippines in recent weeks are threatened by outbreaks of potentially life-threatening diseases, as the country braces for another super-typhoon," named Lupit, that is expected to make landfall on Thursday, the Guardian reports.

19 Oct 2009

Even with budget concerns, lawmakers fight for rural hospitals

Kaiser Health News' staff writers Eric Pianin and Mary Agnes Carey report in a story produced in collaboration with Politico on rural hospitals' stake in the ongoing efforts to overhaul the nation's health system.

19 Oct 2009

Experts: Treat swine flu quickly, even without verification

The World Health Organization concluded a three-day meeting on H1N1 (swine flu) in Washington, D.C., on Friday, where health experts issued recommendations that patients with symptoms of H1N1 and pneumonia be treated quickly with antivirals, even before the results of H1N1 tests are complete, the San Francisco Chronicle blog, "ChronRX" reports (Allday, 10/16).

19 Oct 2009

Federal grant for ecstasy research

A so-called "club drug" - typically not used all that often by those who take it - can still have the potential to cause a lot of damage among some users, say University of Cincinnati researchers. Trials are underway to trace the effects of ecstasy and to see who's most at risk. The study is supported by $471,000 in federal stimulus funds awarded by the National Institutes of Health and spread out over two years.

19 Oct 2009

Medidata Solutions extends multi-year contract with Bristol-Myers Squibb

Medidata Solutions, a global provider of hosted clinical development solutions, today announced a multi-year contract extension with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company for use of Medidata Grants Manager™, an investigator site benchmarking tool that helps sponsors ensure fair and consistent investigator payments, mitigate compliance risks and reduce trial start-up time.

19 Oct 2009

More details emerging on health reform's proposed changes to Medicare

The Dallas Morning News reports on some of health reform's proposed changes to Medicare and local consumer reactions. "The 10.4 million beneficiaries with private insurers' Medicare Advantage plans will still get coverage at least comparable to regular Medicare, but some will see fewer extra benefits or higher out-of-pocket costs. For most of Medicare's 45 million beneficiaries, an overhaul will improve coverage by beefing up drug benefits, preserving access to physicians, paying for more preventive care and putting Medicare on firmer financial footing."

19 Oct 2009

URL Pharma's Colcrys approved by FDA for prevention of gout flares

URL Pharma, Inc., announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Colcrys(TM) (colchicine, USP) for the prophylaxis (prevention) of gout flares. Colcrys was first approved by the FDA on July 30, 2009 for the treatment of acute gout flares when taken at the first sign of a flare.

19 Oct 2009