Quality Care
£15 m for South Africa in new struggle against AIDSSouth Africa's revitalised drive against AIDS today received a £15 million boost which could help save millions of lives and stop the spread of HIV across the country.
Obese women may have safe pregnancy after weight loss surgeryObese women who have weight loss surgery before becoming pregnant have a lower risk of pregnancy-related health problems and their children are less likely to be born with complications, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
US adults skip needed care due to costsCompared to patients in seven other countries, chronically ill adults in the United States are far more likely to forgo care because of costs; they also experience the highest rates of medical errors, coordination problems, and high out-of-pocket costs, according to a new study from The Commonwealth Fund.
Factors identified causing barriers to asthma careBarriers to managing asthma include access to appropriate care, patient adherence, distrust of the medical profession, delayed asthma diagnosis, culture, lifestyle choices and genetic discrepancies according to experts at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Seattle.
Chinese exercise Tai chi relieves knee painTai chi is effective in the treatment of pain and physical impairment in people with severe knee osteoarthritis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.
Kids from low income families are without health insuranceNew research at Oregon Health & Science University reveals millions of children from low- to middle-income families are going without health insurance, even when at least one parent has private health insurance through his or her employer.
Obama has modest lead over McCain - US ElectionAs part of the ongoing poll series, Debating Health: Election 2008, the Harvard Public Opinion Research Program at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Harris Interactive conducted a new survey focused on how voters think the presidential candidates' health care reform plans would affect them personally - rather than how they think the plans would affect the nation as a whole.
Lumpectomy, radiation improve life in breast cancer patientsWomen with breast cancer who are treated with lumpectomy and radiation report a high level of overall quality of life several years after treatment that is comparable to a general sampling of the adult women U.S. population according to a survey conducted by physicians at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Retail clinics attracting patients with no regular doctorRetail medical clinics located in pharmacies and other stores typically attract insured and uninsured patients who are seeking help for a small group of easy-to-treat illnesses or preventive care and do not otherwise have a regular health care provider, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
Alexander technique offers long-term relief for back painAlexander technique lessons in combination with an exercise programme offer long-term effective treatment for chronic back pain, according to a study published on BMJ.com.
Xenazine approved for treatment of chorea in Huntington's DiseaseThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Xenazine (tetrabenazine) for the treatment of chorea in people with Huntington's disease. Chorea is the jerky, involuntary movement that occurs in people with this disease.
HIV people not tested for tuberculosisA mere 1% of people living with HIV/AIDS are reported to have been screened for TB, according to the most recent global data available from the World Health Organization. Health experts and activists at the International AIDS Conference are calling upon HIV/AIDS programs and international donors to ensure universal TB screening of every person who has tested positive for HIV.
RFID may pose hazards to medical equipmentsThe use of radio frequency identification devices RFID appears to have the potential to cause critical care medical equipment to malfunction. Electromagnetic interference from these identification devices pose hazards to critical care medical equipments in hospitals and nursing homes.
High blood pressure patients advised to use home monitorsPeople with hypertension should routinely monitor their blood pressure at home to help manage the disease, according to a new joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association, American Society of Hypertension and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses' Association.
Women more likely to ignore heart attack warningsMany women under age 55 aren't seeking timely treatment for heart attack because they expect the warning signs and their reaction to follow a Hollywood script - tightening in the chest, shortness of breath, clutching the chest while dropping to one knee.
Patients choice may destabilise health services, says BMA, UKPatients deserve real choice when making decisions about their treatment, but exercising that choice may destabilise existing services, the UK BMA warns as the UK Department of Health announces changes to provision of elective hospital care from 1st April 2008 in England.
Progress in TB diagnosis and control slowingThe Global tuberculosis control 2008, released by WHO, finds that the pace of the progress to control the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic slowed slightly in 2006, the most recent year for which data were available. The new information documents a slowdown in progress on diagnosing people with TB.
Better care expected from NHS IT programme, UKThe new IT systems in the NHS, UK are on course to deliver better care and an estimated £1.14 billion in savings by 2014, according to the first annual Benefits Statement published by the UK Government.
BMA launches campaign to safeguard medical training, UKThe British Medical Association (BMA) launches a campaign to alert the UK government to doctors' concerns about the future of medical training. It is calling on doctors and medical students in England to e-mail their MPs about the need for budgets for their training to be ringfenced.
Helping older people live safely and independentlyComplex interventions such as preventive home visits and community-based care after hospital discharge can help improve physical function and maintain independent living in older people, according to a Bristol University study of more than 90,000 older people published in this week's edition of the Lancet. The authors also advise against withdrawal of existing well-developed services for older people.
Snoring linked to cardiovascular diseaseLoud snoring with breathing pauses is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and increased health care utilization, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.
New York unveils electronic health record technologyNew York's Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden unveiled the City's next-generation electronic health records (EHRs), already in use at more than 200 primary-care providers across the city that care for more than 200,000 New Yorkers.
Patients are benefiting from the new GP contract, says BMA, UKGeneral Physicians (GP) are spending more time with their patients and the work they do has become more complex, GP leaders said in response to the National Audit Office (NAO) report on the GP contract in England.
4000 new midwives for the NHSUK Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced a package of measures to recruit an extra 4,000 midwives to the NHS over the next three years. During a visit to Royal Victoria Infirmary Maternity Unit in Newcastle, the Health Secretary will outline plans to give former midwives a 'golden hello' worth up to £3,000 to help them return to work after a break in service.
Aquatic exercise could benefit fibromyalgia sufferersPatients suffering from fibromyalgia could benefit significantly from regular exercise in a heated swimming pool, a study published today in the open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy shows. The findings suggest a cost effective way of improving quality of life for patients with this often-debilitating disorder.
UK government wasting money on private treatment centresResearchers writing in the BMJ, argue that there is no good evidence that independent sector treatment centres provide value for money or high quality care. The involvement of private companies in the UK's National Health Service always generates controversy.
Colorectal cancer deaths are down in USNew data revealing decreasing trends in cancer deaths in the United States overall, and in colorectal cancer deaths in particular, highlight the remarkable benefits of colorectal cancer screening tests, but the lifesaving potential of these tests is unrealized for many Americans, according to experts from the American College of Gastroenterology.
Cholesterol drug statins may reduce heart's atrial fibrillationWhen we're young, a racing heart often means love is in the air. If you're a "baby boomer," it might mean you've just joined the 2.2 million Americans who have atrial fibrillation (AF), an irregularity in the heart's rhythm that grows more common as we age and markedly increases the risk for stroke.
Marijuana smoking impairs cognition in multiple sclerosis patientsPeople with multiple sclerosis (MS) who smoke marijuana are more likely to have emotional and memory problems, according to research published February 13, 2008, in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
US improving health care qualityThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issuing more information on special focus facilities to better equip beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to make informed decisions and stimulate robust improvements in nursing homes having not improved their quality of care.
UK Govt. has put GPs in an impossible position, says BMAThe British Medical Association - BMA's GP Committee (GPC) met last week to discuss the two options the UK government has given GPs regarding changes to their contract and passed the following resolution:
27% lower mortality in top hospitals, finds HealthGradesPatients treated at top-rated hospitals in US are nearly one-third less likely to die, on average, than those admitted to all other hospitals, according to a study released by HealthGrades (Nasdaq: HGRD), the leading independent healthcare ratings organization.
7000 pediatric emergency visits linked to cough and cold medicationAn estimated 7,000 children ages 11 and younger are treated in hospital emergency departments each year because of cough and cold medications, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately two-thirds of those incidents were due to unsupervised ingestion (i.e., children taking the medication without a parent's knowledge).
Maternity care in UK varies - Healthcare Commission reviewThe Healthcare Commission has ranked one in four NHS maternity services as "best performing" in a national review published today, but the comparative review, the most comprehensive assessment ever of maternity services in England, also found significant variations in the quality of care across the country.
BMA not forcing GPs to leave the NHS, UKUK doctors may feel forced to quit the NHS if the UK Government pushes through its plans for them to work extra hours. Responding to a news article in Pulse magazine on the BMA's impasse with Government on extended hours, Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA's GPs Committee, said:
Heart and stroke death rates steadily decline in USIn an appropriate prelude to American Heart Month, which is just ahead in February, new mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that, since 1999, coronary heart disease and stroke age-adjusted death rates are down by 25.8 percent and 24.4 percent, respectively.
Integrated health strategies can save children's lives, says UNICEFStrategies that can help reduce the number of children who die before their fifth birthday were highlighted today, at the launch of UNICEF's flagship report - The State of the World's Children 2008: Child Survival – in Geneva.
Australian health budget for a responsible long term health planThe Australian Medical Association (AMA) Federal Budget Submission 2008-09 provides the Government with suggested health spending priorities to build a sustainable and equitable health system to serve Australians for the long term. The Submission was lodged with Treasury on 18 January in keeping with the Treasurer's deadline.
Strong health system in Canada by 2020, says CNABy 2020, problems with access to health services will be eradicated and registered nurses will be central to Canada's primary care system, predicts the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) in Vision for Change a vision statement for Canada's health system and a signature component of their 100th anniversary.
Colonoscopy fears overcome when patients support patientsPatients who have had a colonoscopy can play a life-saving role by encouraging other patients to follow through with their own colorectal cancer screenings, according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. These peer coaches can provide important information to combat myths and fears that serve as barriers to colonoscopy – issues patients say their doctors often fail to address.
Education programs lead to better health in heart patientsOlder women heart patients benefit from educational programs as a supplement to clinical care to help significantly lower cardiac symptoms, lose weight and increase physical activity, a new study shows.
Healing Value of Magnets establishedMagnets have been touted for their healing properties since ancient Greece. Magnetic therapy is still widely used today as an alternative method for treating a number of conditions, from arthritis to depression, but there hasn't been scientific proof that magnets can heal.
Bayer Diabetes Care recalls test strips for Contour TS Blood Glucose MeterBayer Diabetes Care has initiated a voluntary market recall of test strips (sensors) used exclusively with the Contour TS Blood Glucose Meter. In the course of its routine quality control monitoring processes the Company identified a manufacturing issue with test strips from specific lots that could result in blood glucose readings with a positive bias that is outside of our product specifications. Test results may demonstrate results 5 -17% higher.
Late developmental growth may risk depressionPsychiatrists remain divided as to how to define and classify the mood and anxiety disorders, the most common mental disorders. Committees across the globe are currently pondering how best to carve nature at its anxious joints for the fifth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V), the "gold standard" reference book for psychiatrists.
Utilizing health information technologyMike Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, USA, highlighted benefits of utilizing health information technology in his statement regarding Medicare Physician Payment Legislation and Health Information Technology.