Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Benchmarks to measure clinical engineering activities

A new study in Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology reports on the findings of a study that is the first phase of a project to develop benchmarks to measure clinical engineering activities.

8 Aug 2007

Geriatric conditions and disability

A broad study of adults ages 65 and older has found that half of them have one or more conditions that can affect their ability to participate in activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing on their own.

8 Aug 2007

Staffordshire screening programme on track to screen over 35,000 diabetes patients

The Staffordshire Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service, a community based digital eye screening programme designed to detect and treat diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in the developed world, is on track to exceed its target of screening over 35,000 diabetes patients this year.

7 Aug 2007

The battle against killer superbugs begins in earnest

A new initiative in the battle against hospital infections caused by antibiotic-resistant superbugs will be led by the very doctor who first raised the alarm bells over the deadly germs.

7 Aug 2007

India rejects Novartis' drug patent claim

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), which operates free AIDS treatment clinics in India (Mysore, New Delhi and in Guwahati, Assam in collaboration with the National AIDS Control Organization) has applauded the news that an Indian court rejected a legal challenge mounted by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis to a portion of India's Patent Act that restricts certain kinds of patents, a ruling that will protect access to affordable medicines in the developing world.

7 Aug 2007

Misconceptions about high blood pressure impede treatment

The distrust of healthcare providers shown by people with high blood pressure impedes effective treatment, as emphasized in a new study published in Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

7 Aug 2007

What causes rosacea?

Doctors can describe the symptoms of rosacea, a common inflammatory skin disease that causes facial redness and affects nearly 14 million Americans.

6 Aug 2007

Screening improves detection of atrial fibrillation

Actively screening people aged 65 or over in the community improves the detection of atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rhythm), a major risk factor for stroke, finds a study published on bmj.com.

3 Aug 2007

Efalizumab effective in treatment of heavy psoriasis

A meta-analysis of four randomized Phase III placebo-controlled trials confirms that the injectable drug Efalizumab, a humanized therapeutic antibody designed to selectively and reversibly block the activation, reactivation and trafficking of T-cells that lead to the development of psoriasis, had an acceptable safety and efficacy profile in the treatment of psoriasis in heavy patients, researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine announced today.

3 Aug 2007

New detection techniques for pancreatic cancer

Using novel light-scattering techniques, researchers have found the first evidence that early stage pancreatic cancer causes subtle changes in part of the small intestine.

3 Aug 2007

Screening method for pancreatic cancer in asymptomatic patients

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Optical technology developed by a Northwestern University biomedical engineer shown to be effective in the early detection of colon cancer now appears promising for detecting pancreatic cancer, the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

2 Aug 2007

How language relates to use of mental health services for California Latinos

An examination of usage of publicly sponsored mental health services by Spanish-speaking Latinos in San Diego revealed significant differences from use patterns by either English-speaking Latinos or Caucasians.

2 Aug 2007

Seven out of ten women with anorexia recover

Anorexia nervosa is a disorder with a grim reputation. Even experts say that anorexia is often devastatingly chronic and carries high mortality rates.

2 Aug 2007

Novavax begins human clinical testing of novel pandemic flu vaccine

Novavax has announced that it has begun vaccinating healthy volunteers in the first human clinical trial of its virus-like particle ("VLP") based pandemic influenza vaccine.

1 Aug 2007

Obese patients get patchy weight-loss support from their local health surgery

Only one in seven UK doctors’ surgeries provide well-developed support programmes for obese patients, according to a survey of primary care nurses published in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing.

1 Aug 2007

Pets could be to blame for infections of multi-resistant bacteria in humans

The next time you have difficulty fighting a bacterial infection, your next trip to the doctor might be to the family veterinarian.

31 Jul 2007

Contraceptive sponge making a comeback

The contraceptive sponge initially launched in 1983 is now making a comeback ten years down the line.

31 Jul 2007

Patient data safety in healthcare industry in Europe

Legislation is promoting the development of healthcare IT infrastructure, while supporting efforts to enhance patient data privacy and security across the European healthcare spectrum.

30 Jul 2007

ADHD drug given to toddlers

Reports in the UK suggest that almost 400,000 youngsters aged between 5 and 19 are being treated with Ritalin and similar drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, regardless of fears about the drugs' serious side-effects such as cardiovascular disorders, hallucinations and even suicidal thoughts.

30 Jul 2007

More research needed on uterine fibroid treatment options

A systematic review of the research concerning treatment options for uterine fibroids, which affect most American women over 50, reveals surprisingly little evidence to help compare standard treatment recommendations, according to a report by researchers at the RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center, which is sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

27 Jul 2007