Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Appalachian Regional Healthcare sues West Virginia DHHR, Bureau for Medical Services over Medicaid reimbursements

Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc., yesterday filed a lawsuit against the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) and its Bureau for Medical Services for inadequate Medicaid reimbursement rates that threaten the continued operation of the not-for-profit Beckley ARH Hospital (BARH). The suit was filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court.

29 Dec 2010

Exercise and Vitamin D supplementation most effective in reducing fall among seniors

A systematic review of over 50 clinical trials finds that exercise and Vitamin D supplements are the best ways to reduce the risk of falling in people aged 65 and over. The review is published in the December 21 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine and was commissioned by the US Preventive Services Task Force.

22 Dec 2010

Tips to find if a senior relative needs immediate medical attention

You're in from out of town and stop by to see Great Aunt Edna and Great Uncle Albert for the first time in a few years. But you become worried when you observe that the busy, meticulous couple of your youth is gone, replaced by a disheveled woman who won't get out of bed and a belligerent man who doesn't recognize you and thinks it is 1959.

21 Dec 2010

Majority of Massachusetts physician groups use statewide results to improve patient experiences

Most Massachusetts physician groups are using results from a statewide patient survey to help improve patient experiences, but a significant number are not making use of the information or are making relatively limited efforts, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

21 Dec 2010

Aetna's ACO model improves health care quality, lowers cost of care

Three years ago Aetna began working with doctor groups, specialists and health care facilities to create a more personalized, connected and accountable way to provide health care. Today, Aetna's early accountable care organization model is improving health care quality and lowering the cost of care.

21 Dec 2010

Britain’s NHS falls short in providing services

British patients are being denied routine procedures varying from hip replacements, to cataract removal and wisdom tooth extraction as trusts are cutting back on surgeries and diagnostic procedures to save money. There is also a restriction preventing patients undergoing procedures for lifestyle reasons and those considered “low priority”. This includes obesity surgeries, mild varicose veins, fertility treatments, back injections for pain, hip and knee replacement in obese patients etc.

20 Dec 2010

Take charge of your medical tests

Whether you're healthy or ill, there are a variety of medical tests your health care team might recommend for you. A yearly checkup often includes routine tests such as blood sugar and cholesterol levels, vision and hearing assessments, tests for heart functioning and others used to monitor a chronic condition—such as a lung function test for those with asthma.

20 Dec 2010

AAPD pediatric oral health experts partner with text4baby to provide information to pregnant women, new moms

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the recognized leader in children's oral health, announced today an outreach partnership with the text4baby program. The AAPD's leading pediatric oral health experts will work closely with text4baby in the dissemination of information to pregnant women and new moms about children's oral health care.

20 Dec 2010

PwC: Top Health Industry Issues of 2011

Health organizations will undergo a strategy makeover in 2011 as they react to new rules and payment models, continuing cost pressures and new customer demands, according to the Top Health Industry Issues of 2011, published today by PwC's Health Research Institute. But in a recent nationwide survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, PwC found that consumers don't fully understand or buy-in to all the changes.

20 Dec 2010

Research roundup: Gender differences in health spending; How the states could fare under the new law; Increased Medicare premiums

Health Affairs: Pronounced Gender And Age Differences Are Evident In Personal Health Care Spending Per Person - This paper examines health care spending by men and women in 2004, including comparisons "by age group, goods and services consumed, and payers, and an analysis of some of the most frequently cited health conditions and treatments associated with that spending."

20 Dec 2010

Electronic medical records appear to have varying effects on primary care physicians: UC Davis study

The introduction of electronic medical records in hospitals and clinics—dubbed the "silver bullet" of health care reform—appears to have varying effects on different types of primary care physicians, a UC Davis study has found.

17 Dec 2010

Caffeine consumption affects children's sleep quality

Caffeine consumption in children is often blamed for sleep problems and bedwetting. Information on childhood caffeine consumption is limited, and many parents may not know the amount or effects of their child's caffeine consumption. In a study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that 75% of children surveyed consumed caffeine on a daily basis, and the more caffeine the children consumed, the less they slept.

16 Dec 2010

UnitedHealthcare's care management solution will improve diabetes prescription drug adherence: Study

HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of managed care market intelligence, reports that UnitedHealthcare's innovative care management solution in the Phoenix market will improve diabetes prescription drug adherence. According to the recent West Health Plan Analysis, the use of non-physician, credentialed providers is intended to create virtual medical homes that allow non-traditional providers, such as pharmacists, wellness coordinators and lifestyle coaches, to recommend and coordinate necessary prescription adjustments.

14 Dec 2010

ACCESS receives $6.7M NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award

Access Community Health Network (ACCESS) has received a $6.7 million Clinical and Translational Science Award grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to construct a community-based research center. The goal of the center's research will be to engage the community and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care.

14 Dec 2010

State roundup: New Dem Gov. and Minn. Medicaid; Fla. docs on Medicaid changes; Iowa Gov. eyes long-term care loopholes; Conn. provider rates

Over the past decade, programs that integrate Medicaid and Medicare have resulted in improved consumer satisfaction, better health outcomes and lower Medicaid costs in Arizona, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Wisconsin and Washington. In each case, states have had to change their Medicaid rules by attaining a waiver from the federal government (Vestal, 12/13).

13 Dec 2010

Quality of care for ADHD children poor under Medicaid, says new report

Whatever its final incarnation, the recently enacted landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will expand Medicaid eligibility and is expected by 2013 to provide coverage, including mental health care, to an estimated 4.1 million children currently uninsured.

13 Dec 2010

Higher co-payments lead to early discontinuation of life-saving therapy for breast cancer

A higher prescription co-payment, especially among older women, is associated with both early discontinuation and incomplete use of adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy, a life-saving therapy for women with hormone sensitive early stage breast cancer.

13 Dec 2010

Research roundup: For-profit hospitals' readmission rate, containing self-referrals, children's dental health, revisiting McAllen

For-Profit Hospital Status And Rehospitalizations At Different Hospitals: An Analysis of Medicare Data - "Rehospitalization within the first 30 days of discharge affects 1 in 5 hospitalized Medicare fee-for-service patients and costs approximately $17.4 billion in payments annually ... the top 4 factors most related to the risk for rehospitalization at a different facility were initial admission to a for-profit index hospital … lower-volume index hospital (hospitals with <1000 annual discharges) … hospital with a major medical school affiliation … and being disabled."

10 Dec 2010

OpEds: Palin on the Ryan Roadmap, Seniors and primary care docs, Arizona transplant controversy

[The president's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform's report] implicitly endorses the use of 'death panel'-like rationing by way of the new Independent Payments Advisory Board—making bureaucrats, not medical professionals, the ultimate arbiters of what types of treatment will (and especially will not) be reimbursed under Medicare.

10 Dec 2010

New 5-minute Memory Orientation Screening Test to identify elderly patients with dementia

A new 5-minute test to identify elderly patients with dementia promises to give doctors a more sensitive tool to use in the Annual Wellness Examination. The Memory Orientation Screening Test (MOST™) developed by Mitchell Clionsky, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist, and Emilymarie Clionsky, MD, an internist/psychiatrist, is based on their clinical experience with thousands of patients who suffer from Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias, which now afflicts more than 5 million Americans.

10 Dec 2010

Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Appalachian Regional Healthcare sues West Virginia DHHR, Bureau for Medical Services over Medicaid reimbursements

Exercise and Vitamin D supplementation most effective in reducing fall among seniors

Tips to find if a senior relative needs immediate medical attention

Majority of Massachusetts physician groups use statewide results to improve patient experiences

Aetna's ACO model improves health care quality, lowers cost of care

Britain’s NHS falls short in providing services

Take charge of your medical tests

AAPD pediatric oral health experts partner with text4baby to provide information to pregnant women, new moms

PwC: Top Health Industry Issues of 2011

Research roundup: Gender differences in health spending; How the states could fare under the new law; Increased Medicare premiums

Electronic medical records appear to have varying effects on primary care physicians: UC Davis study

Caffeine consumption affects children's sleep quality

UnitedHealthcare's care management solution will improve diabetes prescription drug adherence: Study

ACCESS receives $6.7M NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award

State roundup: New Dem Gov. and Minn. Medicaid; Fla. docs on Medicaid changes; Iowa Gov. eyes long-term care loopholes; Conn. provider rates

Quality of care for ADHD children poor under Medicaid, says new report

Higher co-payments lead to early discontinuation of life-saving therapy for breast cancer

Research roundup: For-profit hospitals' readmission rate, containing self-referrals, children's dental health, revisiting McAllen

OpEds: Palin on the Ryan Roadmap, Seniors and primary care docs, Arizona transplant controversy

New 5-minute Memory Orientation Screening Test to identify elderly patients with dementia

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

Freezing Point Osmometry in Life Science Applications

Precision in every drop: Inside Hamilton’s syringe technology

Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

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

Freezing Point Osmometry in Life Science Applications

Precision in every drop: Inside Hamilton’s syringe technology

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