Malpractice litigation wrongly blamed for inconsistent health care
...ation, a University of Illinois health-law scholar finds most of the assertions to be without factual basis...pooling and economies of scale. Over and over, one finds that providers fail to implement proven patient safety measures because they lack incentives to bear...Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for July 19, 2005
...ople with diabetes, a new cost effectiveness study finds (Article, p. 89). Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors slow progression of kidney disease and reduce heart disease and deaths in patients with diabetes, yet the drugs are underused by elderly patients with diabetes. Some studies have found ...'Hospital-at-home' concept does not save money or improve outcomes, study finds
...over from serious illness, a new review of studies finds that "hospital-at-home" programs common in Europe ... beginning of recovery," she says. The review also finds no evidence that people treated at home live longer or avoid readmission to a hospital, although it ...Fathers more involved when paternity is established in the hospital
... did not have their paternity established. "These finds suggest that, even among nonresidential parents, in-hospital paternity establishment is associated with higher levels of father involvement than establishing paternity outside the hospital," authors Ronald Mincy, Irwin Garfinkel, and Lenna Nepomnyasc...Possible exposure to nerve agents and brain cancer deaths in Gulf War veterans
...005 issue of the American Journal of Public Health finds that Gulf War veterans who may have been exposed to nerve agents during the March 1991 weapons demolitions in Khamisiyah, Iraq, appear to have a higher risk for brain cancer death than veterans who were not exposed. Researchers compared the causes o...What are the roles and responsibilities of the media in disseminating health information?
...findings. Is a gene linked to a disease? One study finds a link. Another does not. Such situations demand interpretative and analytical skills on the part of health writers. Otherwise, writers may mislead readers, or leave them confused." Other invited commentators were: Merrill Goozner, Director of t...July/August 2005 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet
...ry care physicians in a Midwestern city, the study finds that a small proportion of patients (2 percent) co...HE PATIENT A qualitative study of nine physicians finds that a spontaneous show of emotions from a physician may help the patient, and that personal disclos...Hey doc, do I still need this catheter?
...nder system isn't expensive, and in fact the study finds that its cost equals or is less than the savings that a hospital could achieve by reducing infections among patients. An estimated 40 percent of infections developed by patients during their hospital stay are urinary tract infections, and most of the...Many body-conscious teens use supplements to improve physique
...ncern about body image in both boys and girls, and finds that adolescents with such concerns are much more likely to use hormones and dietary supplements to enhance their physique. Moreover, adolescent supplement users appear to be heavily influenced by the media. In the largest population-based study to ...Annals of Internal Medicine, tip sheet, August 2, 2005
... studies of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) finds that the risk for GERD symptoms, erosive esophagitis and esophageal cancer increases 1.5- to 2.0-fold with overweight or obesity compared with normal weight (Article, p. 199). Researchers say that the link with obesity implies that losing excess weig...Preschoolers who take responsibility do better later on
A new study published in Journal of Personality finds that parents who provide their preschoolers with choices and encourage them to take on responsibilities were helping their children in the long run. This pattern of parenting called "autonomy supportive" was shown to lead to high academic and social...Pricey new versions of old drugs fuelling huge rise in drug spending
...g substantial improvements over existing products, finds a study published online by the BMJ today. The rising cost of using these "me-too" drugs at prices far exceeding those of time-tested competitors deserves careful scrutiny, say the authors, based at the University of British Columbia in Canada, where...Physically abused children highly distracted by anger
A large body of research finds that physically abused children have a very high r...researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison finds that these children have a tendency to focus and respond to even subtle signs of anger from others, ...Changing patient profile signals rising emergency care waits for seriously ill patients
...r seriously ill patients needing urgent treatment, finds a study in Emergency Medicine Journal. The findings are based on 10 years of data in three emergency departments. including a minor injuries unit, in Sheffield, a large city in northern England. The data, which record the time taken for every epis...Airport screening unlikely to prevent spread of SARS or influenza
...event the importation of either SARS or influenza, finds a study published online by the BMJ today. In the event of a new SARS or influenza epidemic, air travel would represent the principal route of international spread. Although airport entry screening has been advocated, its benefit is currently unknown...Left handedness may be linked to increased risk of breast cancer
...y be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, finds new research published online by the BMJ today (26 September 2005). Researchers in the Netherlands examined the relation between handedness and incidence of breast cancer in over 12,000 healthy, middle aged women born between 1932 and 1941. Body meas...Training local health workers improves TB control in South Africa
...is care and control without requiring extra staff, finds a study from South Africa in this week's BMJ. Tuberculosis is a growing problem in lower and middle income countries, including South Africa. The World Health Organization estimates that about two thirds of people with tuberculosis are never diagnose...Intermittent prophylaxis prevents malaria in infants
...n seasonal, high transmission areas such as Ghana, finds a study in this week's BMJ. But concern exists about a possible rebound when treatment is stopped, warn the authors. The study followed over 2,400 infants in Ghana who were given a preventive treatment for malaria or a placebo (dummy pill) when they ...Fitness-oriented gym classes demonstrate measurable health benefits for overweight children
...d moves from one place to another and, especially, finds it FUN." (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159:996-997. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.org .) For more information, contact JAMA/Archives Media Relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations@jama-archives.org . Medi...Pharmacies in minority, low-income areas less likely to carry sufficient pain medications
...regard for their race or finances. But a new study finds that minorities and people with low incomes have less access than high-income white people to the medications that will help them endure their pain. In a wide-reaching study of 95 pharmacies in ZIP codes with predominantly white populations and 93 ph...