Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Research focuses on how we can improve care and outcomes for patients with multimorbidity

A research review carried out by the HRB Centre for Primary Care Research, based in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and published in this month's edition of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has focused on how we can improve care and outcomes for patients with multimorbidity (co-existence of two or more long-terms health conditions in an individual).

11 Sep 2012

Physician empathy has positive impact on patient outcomes

Patients of doctors who are more empathic have better outcomes and fewer complications, concludes a large, empirical study by a team of Thomas Jefferson University and Italian researchers who evaluated relationships between physician empathy and clinical outcomes among 20,961 diabetic patients and 242 physicians in Italy.

10 Sep 2012

First Edition: September 10, 2012

Today's headlines include news from the presidential campaign trail, including reports detailing how GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said, if elected, he would retain some parts of the 2010 health law.

10 Sep 2012

Antibiotic treatment more effective than placebo in patients with mild-to-moderate COPD

Antibiotic treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanate improves moderate exacerbations in patients with mild-to-moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and significantly prolongs the time between exacerbations, according to a new study from researchers in Spain.

10 Sep 2012

State news: Fla. hospitals fight over trauma center rules

She has been at the center of at least three public firestorms -- for removing consumer protections in health insurance rules approved by her predecessor, for attending a campaign fund-raiser held by an insurance company and for suggesting that the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association raise premium rates.

7 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: Obama's 'talk of tough choices'; Championing personal responsibility

And he clearly laid out a vision for governing squarely at odds with the one that Mr. Romney has, but was hidden from view at last week's Republican convention in Tampa, Fla. He promised deficit reduction "without sticking it to the middle class"; to enact a reformed tax code that raises rates on income above $250,000 to where it was under Mr. Clinton; to preserve middle-class deductions; to "never turn Medicare into a voucher."

7 Sep 2012

Research roundup: Reducing risk in shared savings programs

The Design And Application Of Shared Savings Programs: Lessons From Early Adopters --"Shared savings programs reward providers for holding spending below specific targets, thus introducing a level of financial accountability not present in strictly volume-based payment models, such as fee-for-service," researchers write.

7 Sep 2012

Democratic speakers rally around health law

During Wednesday's convention proceedings, speakers criticized what they described as Republican plans to "voucher-ize Medicare" and touted provisions of the 2010 health law already in effect, such as coverage for children with pre-existing medical conditions, the closing Medicare Part D "doughnut hole" and the ability to keep young people on their parents' policies until age 26.

7 Sep 2012

Alzheimer’s disease is not prevented by ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba extract does not significantly reduce the likelihood of diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in older people, according to the results of the largest ever Alzheimer’s prevention study in Europe, published in The Lancet Neurology.

6 Sep 2012

Expenditures for treatment of back and neck problems have nearly doubled since late 1990s

Expenditures for treatment of back and neck problems have nearly doubled since the late 1990s—mainly from increased spending for care provided by medical specialists, according to a report in the September 1 issue of Spine.

6 Sep 2012

Antibiotics: facts and fictions: an interview with Dr Philippa Binns, clinical adviser at NPS MedicineWise

Antibiotics are medicines used to treat infections or diseases caused by bacteria, such as some respiratory tract infections (including pneumonia and whooping cough), urinary tract infections, skin infections and infected wounds.

6 Sep 2012

Roundup: Cancer drug cost equity bill sitting on Calif. Gov's desk; Mass. cost-containment law could harm provider credit ratings

Out-of-pocket costs for cancer drugs can vary dramatically depending on whether the medications are administered through pill form or intravenous infusion. Newer oral drugs, which can be taken at home and often have fewer side effects than older drugs, can cost patients thousands of dollars a month, while receiving chemotherapy through an IV in an infusion center typically amounts to a standard co-payment for an office visit.

6 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: President Obama's Charlotte challenge; Action on vets' mental health; The Aetna arms race

Mr. Obama needs to explain how his actions eased the economic crisis and took on long-standing challenges such as extending health-care coverage to millions of uninsured Americans. ... Specifically, what would Mr. Obama do to restrain health care costs and entitlement spending? (9/3).

5 Sep 2012

Lack of evidence to recommend routine screening for chronic kidney disease

Currently there is insufficient evidence to recommend the routine screening of chronic kidney disease in asymptomatic adults in the general population, according to a review by the US Preventive Services Task Force.

4 Sep 2012

Diabetes prevention: an interview with Julian Baines, CEO of EKF Diagnostics

NICE public health guideline 38 ‘Preventing type 2 diabetes: Risk identification and interventions for individuals at high risk’.

From EKF Diagnostics 3 Sep 2012

Examining implications of hiring foreign-born health workers on U.S., global health care systems

In this post in the IntraHealth "Global Health Blog," Kate Tulenko, senior director of health systems innovation at IntraHealth, provides an excerpt of her recently published book, "Insourced: How Importing Jobs Impacts the Healthcare Crisis Here and Abroad."

1 Sep 2012

MRI detects high prevalence of abnormalities associated with knee osteoarthritis

A study conducted by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) shows that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected a high prevalence of abnormalities associated with knee osteoarthritis in middle-aged and elderly patients that had no evidence of knee osteoarthritis in X-ray images.

1 Sep 2012

New guidelines for physiotherapists can help prevent falls in older adults

Taking a fall in older life can not only result in injury, but also a potentially debilitating loss of confidence. But new guidelines for physiotherapists, co-compiled by a leading academic in the field from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD), University of Exeter, aim to refresh out-dated guidelines and introduce better direction for physiotherapists who work with elderly people at risk of falling.

1 Sep 2012

Roundup: Flurry of health bills as Calif. legislature winds down; Kansas City health data exchange opens up

The window to save the Healthy Families program is narrowing to a small slit, with just a single day left to pass bills. ... Today -- until midnight tonight -- is the last day for legislation to be passed this year. The governor has until the end of September to veto or approve bills.

1 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: Romney, Ryan rely on 'the magic asterisk'; Frightening voters over Medicare cuts

The press has focused a lot on the similarities between Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. They are both technocratic, they espouse tax cuts, and they believe in a balanced budget. But there is a deeper similarity as well: they both believe deeply in the "magic asterisk." The magic asterisk was the invention of David Stockman, budget director to Ronald Reagan. Stockman, who needed to show a more favorable budget than the Reagan tax cuts would justify, put in an asterisk and noted "future savings to be identified."

31 Aug 2012

Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Research focuses on how we can improve care and outcomes for patients with multimorbidity

Physician empathy has positive impact on patient outcomes

First Edition: September 10, 2012

Antibiotic treatment more effective than placebo in patients with mild-to-moderate COPD

State news: Fla. hospitals fight over trauma center rules

Viewpoints: Obama's 'talk of tough choices'; Championing personal responsibility

Research roundup: Reducing risk in shared savings programs

Democratic speakers rally around health law

Alzheimer’s disease is not prevented by ginkgo biloba

Expenditures for treatment of back and neck problems have nearly doubled since late 1990s

Antibiotics: facts and fictions: an interview with Dr Philippa Binns, clinical adviser at NPS MedicineWise

Roundup: Cancer drug cost equity bill sitting on Calif. Gov's desk; Mass. cost-containment law could harm provider credit ratings

Viewpoints: President Obama's Charlotte challenge; Action on vets' mental health; The Aetna arms race

Lack of evidence to recommend routine screening for chronic kidney disease

Diabetes prevention: an interview with Julian Baines, CEO of EKF Diagnostics

Examining implications of hiring foreign-born health workers on U.S., global health care systems

MRI detects high prevalence of abnormalities associated with knee osteoarthritis

New guidelines for physiotherapists can help prevent falls in older adults

Roundup: Flurry of health bills as Calif. legislature winds down; Kansas City health data exchange opens up

Viewpoints: Romney, Ryan rely on 'the magic asterisk'; Frightening voters over Medicare cuts

Transforming Cardiovascular Care: Insights from Mina Makar at AstraZeneca

Clue's CEO Rhiannon White on the Future of Femtech and PCOS

Freezing Point Osmometry in Life Science Applications

Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Transforming Cardiovascular Care: Insights from Mina Makar at AstraZeneca

Clue's CEO Rhiannon White on the Future of Femtech and PCOS

Freezing Point Osmometry in Life Science Applications

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