Heart attack patients face 25% lower death risk if hospitals follow national care standards
...on to implement measures like the standard orders, pocket guides, chart stickers, discharge checklists and performance reports that helped the 33 GAP hospitals improve their adherence to guidelines. And, he hopes that soon, forgetting to give a patient a guideline-recommended medication or to educate them a...Northwestern Memorial tests 'pacemaker' for stomach
...an electrical pulse generator, about the size of a pocket watch, which is placed under the skin in the abdomen and connected to the wall of the stomach with two wires. The pulse generator delivers electrical stimulation to the stomach, causing the feeling of fullness. Implanting it takes less than an hour...Extra Medicare payments for private health plans to total $2.75 billion in 2004
...hrough another plan or Medigap--or pay more out of pocket with Medicare-only coverage," said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. "The policy of increasing payments to private managed care plans needs to be carefully monitored to determine if it is achieving its objectives and is making the best use of ...New way to tally death risk for heart patients could ease worry
...patients to reassure, and which to warn Simple pocket card calculates risk of dying within six months of... episode. The calculating tool, which can fit on a pocket card or be programmed into an ordinary handheld data device, is based on data from 22,645 patients t...Lack of insurance coverage, cost cited as reasons for not seeking mental health services
...ductibles, day and visit limits and maximum out of pocket caps. More than 44 million Americans suffer from a mental health disorder. According to the U.S. Surgeon General's 1999 report, only one third of people suffering from a mental health disorder receive treatment. "Having a mental health disorder can ...Despite legislation, prompt payment for radiology services 'elusive goal' in New Jersey
...our study suggests that managed care companies may pocket close to $20 billion per year for unpaid claims at the expense of U.S. physicians," said Dr. Swayne. And it is not just the physicians who are affected, according to Dr. Swayne. "Ultimately, the general public bears the final burden. Patients without...HHS Secretary names UO researcher to national health advisory panel
...y need and if they are required to pay more out of pocket for their care. The UO study examines how consumers behave when they have information on differences in health care costs and health care quality. Hibbard says more informed consumer decisions could ultimately improve health care and lower costs for ...Mayo Clinic researchers find PDAs okay with pacemakers
...device can be used and/or carried safely in a coat pocket when turned on near the patient's implanted device." Dr. Hayes suggests that a template for further study could be from the cellular telephone study he led which was published in 1997 in the New England Journal of Medicine. That study tested numerous...Surgical treatment of migraines reduces sick days and increases employee productivity ASPS study
... missed 1.2 days per month and the employee out of pocket expense for annual treatment was reduced from approximately $7,612 to $925. Plastic surgeons successfully reduced the frequency, intensity or duration of migraines for 92 percent of the patients studied. In fact, the surgical treatment eliminated mig......ven though previous research indicates that out-of pocket costs may lead to cost-related failure to use prescribed medication and threaten quality of care and that physicians and patients value such discussions. The researchers found that the most common barriers to physician-patient communication about ou...