Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Quality of life predicts cancer survival

Head and neck cancer patients who reported lower physical quality of life were more likely to die from their disease, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. The findings could mean that identifying patients with poor quality of life could also identify patients with particularly aggressive tumors.

30 May 2008

Body's baking soda used to catch cancer early

A chemical commonly called baking soda which is found naturally in the body could be used to detect cancer with magnetic resonance imaging, reveals a Cancer Research UK study published in Nature.

29 May 2008

New Kaiser Daily health blog watch

While mainstream news coverage is still a primary source of information for the latest in policy debates and the health care marketplace, online blogs have become a significant part of the media landscape, often presenting new perspectives on policy issues and drawing attention to under-reported topics.

28 May 2008

Medical errors - Is healthcare getting worse or better?

Most would say worse. And one of the many reasons is medical errors. Most Americans say the quality of care has not improved, and dissatisfaction among patients and caregivers has increased. The perceptions exist despite the efforts across the country to reduce medical errors.

28 May 2008

Patients to benefit from multi-million pound research funding

NHS patients in North West London will benefit from a multi-million pound research project leading to the rapid introduction of new, effective treatments for a wide range of medical conditions.

27 May 2008

Digital Healthcare appointed to major NHS Framework contract

NHS Connecting for Health, on behalf of the NHS, has appointed Digital Healthcare to the NHS Additional Supply Capability & Capacity (ASCC) Framework following open competition bids to provide additional capacity and capability in the supply of IT products and services to the NHS.

27 May 2008

Nurse-midwives present blankets for babies to Boston area women's organizations

Women, newborns, and families in the Boston area will benefit from the contributions of new and handmade blankets during the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) annual Blankets for Babies public service campaign during the ACNM 53rd Annual Meeting & Exhibit in Boston. Three area women's organizations will receive baby blankets, which are donated by certified nurse-midwives, certified midwives, student nurse-midwives, exhibitors and other meeting guests.

27 May 2008

Thousands with type 2 diabetes at risk bacause they do not take their drugs

According to Diabetes UK, in excess of 650,000 people with obesity-related diabetes do not take their drugs and the charity says they are putting themselves at risk of developing serious health problems such as stroke and blindness.

27 May 2008

FDA will monitor medical records of Medicare beneficiaries to identify potential prescription drug, medical device safety problems

HHS on Thursday announced the creation of a new program that will allow FDA, state agencies and academic researchers to use medical record data to ensure drugs and medical devices are safe for consumers after they enter the market, the Washington Post reports (Stein, Washington Post, 5/23).

25 May 2008

Massachusetts Medical Society sues group insurance commission over physician rankings

The Massachusetts Medical Society on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the state's Group Insurance Commission, which purchases health insurance for most state employees and retirees, over its physician ranking system, the AP/Boston Herald reports (AP/Boston Herald, 5/21).

25 May 2008

The emerging role of infection in Alzheimer’s

A number of chronic diseases are in fact caused by one or more infectious agents. For example, stomach ulcers are caused by Helicobacter pylori, chronic lung disease in newborns and chronic asthma in adults are both caused by Mycoplasmas and Chlamydia pneumonia, while some other pathogens have been associated with atherosclerosis. The realization that pathogens can produce slowly progressive chronic diseases has opened new lines of research into Alzheimer's disease.

25 May 2008

$50 billion needed for global AIDS control

As Congress considers the renewal of PEPFAR (the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), the successful US global AIDS program, over the coming weeks, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) President Michael Weinstein offers the following commentary regarding what is needed in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

25 May 2008

New efforts to improve medical products for patient safety

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced efforts underway at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that will complement each other to improve patient safety and the quality of medical care.

22 May 2008

Digital Healthcare appointed to major NHS Framework contract

21 May 2008

New biological classification of ovarian cancer

A thesis from The Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden shows that it might be possible to predict with great probability which women with ovarian cancer will survive the disease before painful treatment with antineoplastic agents. A better prognosis would considerably improve the quality of life of patients since the treatment could be made more effective and thereby result in fewer side effects.

21 May 2008

New clinical research and imaging centre for Bristol

The University and United Bristol Healthcare Trust (UBHT) are joining forces to establish a new state-of-the-art Clinical Research and Imaging Centre (CRIC) at St Michael's Hospital on St Michael's Hill

21 May 2008

Michael Parkinson becomes a 'dignity' ambassador for the elderly

An initiative by the British Government to encourage more respect for older people in care has been given added impact by the recruitment of TV talk show host Sir Michael Parkinson as a "dignity ambassador".

21 May 2008

Old age is the new middle age - Health Secretary Alan Johnson says

Health Secretary Alan Johnson today called on the NHS to rise to the challenge of providing more and better preventative care for older people.

21 May 2008

Mayo Clinic research shows U.S. intensive care units' prevention of pneumonia in critically-ill generally strong; identifies area of improvement

Mayo Clinic researchers found that the frequency with which critically-ill patients developed ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is approximately the same at a multidisciplinary medical center such as Mayo Clinic compared to the average VAP-risk rate for 211 hospitals in the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

20 May 2008

Rifampin provides new way to treat latent tuberculosis

A new way to treat patients with latent tuberculosis (TB), who are infected with TB but without symptoms, can effectively treat it in less than half the time and at a lower cost than the current standard treatment, according to researchers who conducted a multi-center, randomized controlled trial. The results will be presented at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.

20 May 2008