ScienceDaily: Health Policy News

Hospitals profit when patients develop bloodstream infections

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:18:18 EDT

Researchers report that hospitals may be reaping enormous income for patients whose hospital stays are complicated by preventable bloodstream infections contracted in their intensive care units.

Costs to treat stroke in America may double by 2030

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:31:31 EDT

Stroke costs are predicted to more than double in the next 20 years. Americans 45-64 years old are expected to have the highest increase in stroke incidence.

Expert questions US public health agency advice on influenza vaccines

Thu, 16 May 2013 21:54:54 EDT

The United States government public health agency, the CDC, pledges "To base all public health decisions on the highest quality scientific data, openly and objectively derived." But experts argue that in the case of influenza vaccinations and their marketing, this is not so.

Massachusetts' health care reform didn't raise hospital use, costs

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:16:16 EDT

Health care reform in Massachusetts didn't result in substantially more hospitalizations, longer stays or higher costs. There were no significant differences in post-reform hospital use in Massachusetts versus to three other states without reform. There was also no significant increase in use of safety-net hospitals in Massachusetts.

Collecting DNA for human rights: How to help while safeguarding privacy

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:50:50 EDT

DNA databases might help identify victims of crime and human trafficking, but how do we safeguard the personal privacy of innocent victims and family members? A new report identifies a number of key challenges to consider as experts develop such programs.

Stronger partnerships to improve healthcare

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:31:31 EDT

Today the British Medical Journal calls for doctors and patients to join together as partners to improve healthcare.

Nearly 50 percent increase in ICU admissions in U.S., new study says

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:29:29 EDT

A new study offers an in-depth look at hospitals nationwide in the United States and admissions to intensive care units (ICU). The study finds a sharp increase—nearly 50 percent—in ICU admissions coming from U.S. emergency departments.

Routine screening for depression not recommended for adults with no apparent symptoms of depression

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:33:33 EDT

For adults with no apparent symptoms of depression, routine screening is not recommended in primary care settings because of the lack of high-quality evidence on the benefits and harms of screening for depression, according to new evidence-based guidelines.

How state and local governments can address the obesity epidemic

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:21:21 EDT

Researchers suggest that simple and innovative measures at the state and local level can play a significant role in promoting healthier eating habits.

Patients should have right to control genomic health information, experts say

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:34:34 EDT

Doctors should not have the right or responsibility to force-feed their patients with genomic information about their future health risks, according to bioethicists. They write in response to controversial recommendations from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics on the reporting of incidental findings in clinical genome sequencing.

Local health departments find Twitter effective in spreading diabetes information

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:33:33 EDT

The web-based social media site Twitter is proving to be an effective tool for local health departments in disseminating health information — especially in promoting specific health behaviors.

Credit card debt leads some to skip medical care

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:31:31 EDT

People with outstanding credit card or medical debt were more likely to delay or avoid medical or dental care, finds a new study.

5,000 steps a day to avoid paying higher health insurance costs? When money talks, people walk

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:24:24 EDT

Faced with a choice between higher insurance prices or exercising, people who were obese enrolled in and stuck with Internet-tracked walking program for a year.

Millions pass up free health subsidy

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:17:17 EDT

Low-income Medicare beneficiaries with poorer cognitive abilities are less likely to enroll in the Low Income Subsidy program, which provides nearly free prescription drug coverage for low-income adults. The findings suggest that even when presented with a single dominant option in the form of free additional drug coverage, many seniors fail to act in their own economic interests.

Saving money on medical costs: Slowdown in health care spending growth could save Americans $770 billion

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:16:16 EDT

A slowdown in the growth of US health care costs could mean that Americans could save as much as $770 billion on Medicare spending over the next decade, economists say. The slowdown, researchers say, is the result of a decline in the development of new drugs and technologies and increased efficiency in the health care system. If those trends continue, government estimates of health care spending could be off by hundreds of billions.

Local laws key to reducing dangers of lead poisoning

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:24:24 EDT

A new study catalogs community-based efforts to develop strategies and policies that -- by targeting high risk housing -- may hold the key to reducing lead hazards in children's homes.

New Canadian guidelines for treating fibromyalgia

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:24:24 EDT

Physicians have published a review article to help family doctors diagnose and treat fibromyalgia. The article represents the first time researchers have published Canadian guidelines to help manage the condition.

90 percent of pediatric specialists not following clinical guidelines when treating preschoolers with ADHD

Sat, 04 May 2013 16:33:33 EDT

A recent study by pediatricians examined to what extent pediatric physicians adhere to American Academy of Pediatrics clinical guidelines regarding pharmacotherapy in treating young patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The results showed that more than 90 percent of medical specialists who diagnose and manage ADHD in preschoolers do not follow treatment guidelines recently published by the AAP.

Poverty threatens health of US children

Sat, 04 May 2013 16:32:32 EDT

Pediatricians, economists, social scientists and policy experts came together to address one of the greatest threats to child health -- poverty.

Researchers outline concerns about unproven stem cell therapies

Fri, 03 May 2013 11:46:46 EDT

An international group of leading stem cell researchers has issued a statement that specifies concerns about the development and use of unproven stem cell therapies. The commentary is published ahead of a debate in the Italian parliament on whether to change a recent law that allows certain untested stem cell therapies to be used by the public health system. The authors of the commentary argue that rigorous clinical testing and regulation of stem cell therapies are essential to introduce safe and effective medical interventions for patients.

Older U. S. -born Mexican-Americans have more physical limitations than Mexican American immigrants

Fri, 03 May 2013 10:50:50 EDT

New research indicates that Mexican-Americans born in the United States who are aged 55 and over are significantly more likely than Mexican-American immigrants to report that they have substantial limitations in one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying. (30% versus 25%).

Protecting hospitals from 'new' terrorist threats

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:45:45 EDT

Health care facilities play a vital role in the UK’s terrorism contingency plans, but a new study provides a timely warning to managers, regulatory bodies and government that crucial services such as hospitals are also potential targets for malevolent actions.

Exercise proves to be ineffective against care home depression

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:17:17 EDT

Researchers have shown that exercise is not effective in reducing burden of depression among elderly care home residents.

Expanding Medicaid: Mental and financial health improve, but no improvement shown in physical health

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:31:31 EDT

New findings from the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment show that Medicaid coverage had no detectable effect on the prevalence of diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure, but substantially reduced depression, nearly eliminated catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditures, and increased the diagnosis of diabetes and the use of diabetes medication among low-income adults.

Progress in introducing cleaner cook stoves for billions of people worldwide

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:28:28 EDT

It may be the 21st century, but nearly half the world's population still cooks and heats with open fires or primitive stoves that burn wood, animal dung, charcoal and other polluting solid fuels. A new article describes impressive progress being made to remedy that situation and the obstacles that remain.

Amusement rides in U.S. injure 4,400 kids a year: Injuries higher on 'fixed' rides

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:18:18 EDT

On average, a child is treated in an emergency department every other hour in the US for injuries on amusement rides, according to the first national study to examine those types of accidents in depth. Researchers investigated amusement ride injuries from 1990 to 2010 and found nearly 93,000 children were injured on rides including roller coasters, merry-go-rounds and coin-operated rides. The study finds consistent safety standards are needed.

HIV-infected children: Less-used regimen is more effective for children in low-resource settings

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:40:40 EDT

Researchers find better outcomes for efavirenz over nevirapine in children over age 3.

‘Catastrophic’ malpractice payouts add little to health care’s rising costs

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:20:20 EDT

Efforts to lower health care costs in the United States have focused at times on demands to reform the medical malpractice system, with some researchers asserting that large, headline-grabbing and “frivolous” payouts are among the heaviest drains on health care resources. But a new review of malpractice claims suggests such assertions are wrong.

Retirement expert: Medicare already means-tested

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:49:49 EDT

The Obama administration's controversial proposal to means-test Medicare recipients has one small problem -- the Medicare program is already means-tested, says an expert on retirement benefits.

Analysis: U.S. emergency care cost estimates are too low

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:05:05 EDT

US emergency care costs may be more than twice previously published estimates, according to a new analysis that critiques those estimates, argues for improved accounting, and suggests considering the value of emergency care as well as total spending.

U.S. health insurance survey: 84 million people were uninsured for a time or underinsured in 2012

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:38:38 EDT

84 million people -- nearly half of working-age US adults -- went without health insurance for a time last year or had out-of-pocket costs that were so high relative to income they were considered underinsured.

ERs have become de facto psych wards

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:58:58 EDT

Long waits for insurance authorization allowing psychiatric patients to be admitted to the hospital from the emergency department waste thousands of hours of physician time, given that most requests for authorization are ultimately granted. A new study argues that pre-authorization process is akin to health care "rationing by hassle factor."

Costs to treat heart failure expected to more than double by 2030

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:22:22 EDT

By 2030, you — and every U.S. taxpayer — could be paying $244 a year to care for heart failure patients, according to a new policy statement.

Study reveals alcohol industry tactics to influence alcohol policy reform in Scotland

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:27:27 EDT

The alcohol industry misrepresented international evidence on effective alcohol control measures in an attempt to influence the Scottish Government's public health policy to its advantage, according to new research.

Health impact assessments prove critical public health tool: Best way to gauge impact of gas drilling on communities

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:57:57 EDT

As natural gas drilling expands, policymakers, communities and public health experts are turning to health impact assessments to predict the effects of gas drilling on communities, according to a new study.

Lung cancer mortality rates linked to primary care provider density

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:33:33 EDT

Researchers found lower mortality was associated with higher primary care provider density.

Combating H7N9: Using Lessons Learned from recent studies on H5N1

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:10:10 EDT

Researchers have developed a series of messages for policy makers that are highly relevant to the current outbreak.

'Health MOT' programme could uncover 440,000 new diabetes, heart or kidney patients per year

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:48:48 EDT

Researchers believe a new health MOT-style program for over-40s is likely to uncover more diabetes, kidney or heart patients than expected.

Despite superbug crisis, progress in antibiotic development 'alarmingly elusive'

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:01:01 EDT

Despite the desperate need for new antibiotics to combat increasingly deadly resistant bacteria, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved only one new systemic antibiotic since the Infectious Diseases Society of America launched its 10 x '20 Initiative in 2010 -- and that drug was approved two and a half years ago.

Patient satisfaction with hospital stay does not reflect quality of surgical care

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:44:44 EDT

Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of a hospital’s service quality, but new research suggests that it doesn’t necessarily reflect the quality of the surgical care patients receive.

Half of Tamiflu prescriptions went unused during 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic, UK sewage study

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:59:59 EDT

A new study concludes that approximately half of the prescriptions of Tamiflu during the 2009-10 influenza pandemic went unused in England. The unused medication represents approximately 600,000 courses of Tamiflu at a cost of around £7.8 million to the UK taxpayer. The finding comes from the first study of its kind to use sewage water to estimate drug compliance rates.

Patients with surgical complications provide greater hospital profit-margins

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:18:18 EDT

Privately insured surgical patients with a complication provided hospitals with a 330 percent higher profit margin than those without a complication, report researchers. Medicare patients with a complication produced a 190 percent higher margin. For hospitals, reducing surgical complications may mean reduced financial performance.

A quarter of patients discharged from hospitals return to ERs within 30 days

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:23:23 EDT

Nearly one quarter of patients may return to the emergency department within 30 days of being discharged from a hospitalization, according to researchers.

Mammogram tool improves some breast cancer detection but also increases false alarms

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:23:23 EDT

A costly and widely used mammography add-on increases detection of noninvasive and early-stage invasive breast cancer but also makes more mistakes than mammography alone, researchers have found.

England's smoking ban linked to annual 5 percent drop in emergency admissions for asthma

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:49:49 EDT

Emergency admissions for asthma among adults fell by just under five percent in each of the first three years after the ban on smoking in public places was introduced in England, reveals the largest study of its kind.

Sharing individual health information could improve care and reduce costs for all

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:24:24 EDT

Information collected from individual patients at doctor's office and hospital visits could be used to improve health care and reduce costs on a national scale, according to a new article.

Doctors urged to 'pause before posting' and not 'friend' patients

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:23:23 EDT

New recommendations offer physicians ethical guidance for preserving trust in patient-physician relationships and the profession when using social media.

Regulating density of alcohol outlets a promising strategy to improve public health

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:34:34 EDT

Despite potential, many public health agencies unaware of how to use regulation of alcohol density to address excessive drinking.

Researchers develop tool to assist areas of infectious disease outbreaks

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:14:14 EDT

Researchers have developed a simple new tool to help governments worldwide decide whether to screen airplane passengers leaving or arriving from areas of infectious disease outbreaks.

One in five seniors on risky meds; more in US South

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:13:13 EDT

A study of more than six million seniors in Medicare Advantage plans in 2009 found that 21 percent received a prescription for at least one potentially harmful "high risk medication." Nearly 5 percent received at least two. Questionable prescriptions are more common in the South and among people who live in poor areas.

Fewer unnecessary early deliveries seen in multistate, hospital-based study

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:46:46 EDT

A hospital-based quality improvement program showed an 83 percent decline in the rate of elective early term deliveries (inductions of labor and cesarean sections without a medical reason) among of 25 hospitals that implemented of a toolkit called "Elimination of Non-medically Indicated (Elective) Deliveries before 39 Weeks Gestational Age." The rate fell significantly from 27.8 percent to 4.8 percent during the one-year project period.

Increased rates of hospitalization linked to elder abuse

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:20:20 EDT

Older adults who are subject to elder abuse, neglect and exploitation face a greater risk of being hospitalized than other seniors, according to the results of a study published in the April 8 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.

Older patients have higher expectations and are more satisfied with healthcare

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:32:32 EDT

New research on patients' experiences of health services and how these relate to their expectations and satisfaction, reveals that older people have higher expectations of their care and that they believe that their expectations are being met.

Healthy doctors make healthy patients, study finds

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:32:32 EDT

Patients are more likely to follow preventive health practices like getting a flu shot or mammography if their doctors do likewise, researchers have discovered.

New frontiers in breast cancer screening

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 06:44:44 EDT

Researchers predict that advancements in breast cancer screening will need a personalized touch because mammography is not a "one strategy fits all" technology.

Human infection with influenza A(H7N9) in China

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 07:35:35 EDT

On April 3, 2013, the China Health and Family Planning Commission notified WHO of an additional four cases of human infection with influenza A(H7N9). The four patients are from Jiangsu province in eastern China. There is no link between the cases.

U.S. medical patients aren't bargain hunters

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:03:03 EDT

Despite the incentive to shop around, patients with increasingly popular Consumer-Directed Health Plans pay roughly the same amount as their traditionally insured counterparts.

Dementia costs top those for heart disease or cancer, study finds

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:02:02 EDT

The most-detailed examination of the costs of dementia in the United States finds the disease is more costly to the nation than either heart disease or cancer. The analysis suggests that the costs of dementia could more than double by 2040 if the rate of the disease remains constant as the nation's population continues to grow older.

Assessing disease surveillance and notification systems after a pandemic

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:02:02 EDT

Significant investments over the past decade into disease surveillance and notification systems appear to have "paid off" and the systems "work remarkably well," says a researcher who examined the public health response systems during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.

Vermont's health care reform has lessons for other states

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EDT

Vermont’s aggressive health care reform initiatives can serve as a roadmap for other states, according to new research.