Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Rep. Boustany introduces legislation that would require states to report on SCHIP enrollment, outreach efforts

Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) last week introduced a bill (HR 6506) that would require all states to submit annual reports on SCHIP enrollment, CQ HealthBeat reports.

22 Jul 2008

Awareness of the role of physical activity in colon cancer prevention

Many experts now consider colon cancer a largely preventable disease, but a new study finds that primary care doctors might not always inform patients about one important step they can take to reduce their risk: becoming more physically active.

17 Jul 2008

Culturally tailored education can improve blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes

Using community-based health advocates, delivering information within same-gender groups or adapting dietary and lifestyle advice to fit a particular community's likely diet can help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels, certainly for up to six months, following health education.

16 Jul 2008

New technology revolutionizing drug discovery

The National Science Foundation has awarded Weill Cornell Medical College researcher Dr. Scott Blanchard its prestigious Career Award, recognizing his groundbreaking work in cell biology -- work that is poised to revolutionize research for the next generation of young scientists.

15 Jul 2008

Certain communication skills can help physicians increase the efficiency of their time with patients during office visits

With their waiting rooms crowded and exam rooms full, many physicians say they are too busy to be good communicators. Those who study physician time-management think otherwise. Certain communication skills can foster efficiency and effectiveness during an office visit without sacrificing rapport with patients, according to researchers at the University of Washington (UW) and the University of Rochester.

14 Jul 2008

Integrating palliative care for dementia into primary care

Greg A. Sachs, M.D., has received an award from the National Palliative Care Research Center to conduct a study aimed at improving quality of life and decreasing suffering for older adults and their family caregivers. The award is one of only two pilot project support grants funded by NPCRC in 2008.

14 Jul 2008

Optimism is good for heart health, at least among men, a new study shows

University of Rochester Medical Center researcher Robert Gramling, M.D., D.Sc., found that men who believed they were at lower-than-average risk for cardiovascular disease actually experienced a three times lower incidence of death from heart attacks and strokes.

14 Jul 2008

Does this make me look fat?

The peer groups teenage girls identify with determine how they decide to control their own figure. So reports a new study by Dr. Eleanor Mackey from the Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC, and her colleague Dr. Annette La Greca from the University of Miami.

13 Jul 2008

Action to improve children's communication following Bercow Review

The funding comes as a result of a ground breaking independent review by John Bercow MP, commissioned by Government, which identifies that communication is the key life skill for every child - if they are to achieve at school, make friends and be successful in later life.

8 Jul 2008

Get rid of the market in health care, says Dr Hamish Meldrum

A call to get rid of the damaging market in healthcare once and for all came today from BMA Chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum in his keynote speech opening the British Medical Association's annual conference held this year in Edinburgh.

7 Jul 2008

San Francisco Chronicle examines 'Healthy San Francisco' program enrollment progress

Although city officials estimated in July 2007 that Healthy San Francisco would offer access to health care to all city residents by January, the program one year later remains open only to individuals with incomes up to 300% of the federal poverty level, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

4 Jul 2008

Cases of malaria increasing in UK

A huge rise in the numbers of UK residents travelling to malaria endemic areas, combined with a failure to use prevention measures, has significantly increased cases of imported falciparum malaria in the UK over the past 20 years, according to a study published on BMJ.com.

3 Jul 2008

Lord Darzi's final vision for primary care is positive though undermined by previous announcements

While many of the ambitions within the government's Vision for Primary and Community Care are welcome, previously announced government proposals will undermine the positive in this report, the BMA said today (Thursday 3 July 2008).

3 Jul 2008

Hurried doctor visits can leave patients bewildered

Have you ever been whisked through a doctor's visit, and afterward were unable to remember what the doctor said? A University of Rochester Medical Center study disclosed that doctors don't often take the steps necessary to help patients recall medical instructions.

26 Jun 2008

Health Minister accuses the AMA of being protectionist

Relations between the Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon and the Australian Medical Association (AMA) do not appear to be improving.

24 Jun 2008

New more accurate cardiovascular score developed to improve heart attack and stroke detection

A new and more accurate method of assessing people at risk from cardiovascular disease (CVD) is set to improve national diagnosis rates and identify those at risk among black and minority ethnic groups.

24 Jun 2008

Neurological assessment of older adults: A crystal ball to the future

Standard neurological exams of older adults are good predictors of future brain health and quality of life. These tests should become part of the physician's routine examination of older adults say faculty from the Indiana University Center for Aging Research in an editorial in the June 23, 2008 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

24 Jun 2008

Neurological assessment of older adults should become routine examinations

24 Jun 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy report feature highlights recent blog posts

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.

17 Jun 2008