Competition in health care may not result in better quality
...outed as the way to curb rising prices by reducing inefficient practices and improving quality and safety. But a study of 341 HMOs suggests that more competition may not automatically solve price and quality-of-care problems as hoped for by legislators, regulators and employers. "Our findings show that less, not...Bad metabolism in blood vessels linked to high blood pressure and atherosclerosis
...cine in St. Louis to the first direct link between inefficient metabolism and atherosclerosis. "For years, we've...lerosis -- and some do -- their blood vessels have inefficient mitochondrial metabolism prior to developing blockages. "If abnormal cellular metabolism can cause ...May/June 2005 Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet
...y Medical Center concludes that it is ineffective, inefficient and impossible to provide appropriate care one disease at a time. Despite this, research in this issue by Barbara Starfield and colleagues out of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health shows that older people with multiple conditions are more likely t...Novel discovery of 'DCDC2' gene associated with dyslexia
...ple with dyslexia, compensatory brain circuits are inefficient and they have a hard time learning to read. Locating this gene provided researchers with part of the reason why dyslexia occurs. Gruen said discovery of the gene and its function will lead to early and more accurate diagnoses and more effective educ...Researchers identify major source of muscle repair cells
...e in muscle repair) from inside the body, they are inefficient in forming muscle when injected into mice. SP cells have been shown to produce a small amount of muscle when injected into dystrophic mice and may be candidates for delivering dystrophin, according to Kardon. Using SP cells derived from somites may...Neuronal receptor response may help explain Alzheimer's memory loss
... why these receptors are linked together, they say inefficient or higher-than-average levels of APOE in the brain could possibly be clogging these binding sites, preventing glutamate from activating the processes necessary to form memories. "We have found out that two receptors previously thought to have nothin...Assessment model gauges lung cancer risk based on medical history and genetics
...et of heavy smokers who have emphysema and possess inefficient DNA repair capacity have as much as 11 times the r... patient with the same medical history also has an inefficient DNA repair capacity. Clinical variables that appear to protect against lung cancer development are ...Study reports newborn screening tests can save both lives and money
...have to spend. Every dollar we spend on something inefficient is a dollar we can't spend on something else." "The lack of newborn screening program uniformity across states, new technology which can test for more and more disorders, and the complexity of genetics has led the federal government to convene an ex...Natural pine bark extract relieves muscle cramp and pain in athletes and diabetics
..., however studies continue to show magnesium to be inefficient for reducing muscle cramps. "Pycnogenol improves the blood supply to muscle tissue creating a relief effect on muscle cramping and pain. Poor circulation in the muscle is known to cause cramps and Pycnogenol improved the cramping in patients due to a...Researchers find molecular 'brake' to cell death
...says, suggesting how current therapy could be both inefficient and lead to resistance in a cell. "Many cancer drugs focus on pushing the mitochondria to release CC, and not on reducing the nucleotide pool, and our new model suggests that decreasing this pool is essential to produce sensitivity in cancer cells...JCI table of contents: July 3, 2006
...absence of Reissner's fiber. In addition, shorter, inefficient cilia were observed on the cells lining the aqueduct. Together, these changes likely result in turbulent CSF flow at the aqueduct entrance and reduced flow within the cerebral aqueduct, promoting hydrocephalus. In an accompanying commentary, David Pi...Google-like process for mammogram images speeds up computer's second opinions
...ugh diagnostically accurate, this practice becomes inefficient as the image database increases in size. Therefore, the researchers incorporate an additional approach. Instead of comparing the new unknown case with all mammography images stored in the knowledge database, the researchers restrict the analysis t...ACP tells Congress: Pilot test patient-centered medical home
...ards fragmented, high volume, over-specialized and inefficient care," Dr. Kirk said in concluding her testimony. "Or, it can put Medicare on a pathway to a payment system that facilitates high quality and efficient care centered on patients' relationships with their primary and principal care physicians." ...Commonwealth Fund commission says the US health care system needs thorough transformation
...re misaligned and provide financial incentives for inefficient care; there is not enough investment in health information technology; and there is a persistent lack of accountability. "More and more people are facing problems with their health care--higher costs, unmanageable bills, medical errors, and loss o...New lab technique churns out fungus' potential cancer fighter
...growing more fungus--a time-consuming and terribly inefficient method.Boeckman, the Marshall D. Gates, Jr. Professor of Chemistry at the University of Rochester, has now revealed a process that produces 67 times more rasfonin than any previous method. For the first time, scientists can obtain enough rasfonin to ...Researchers suggest new direction for development of psychotropic drugs
... new drug development has been such a historically inefficient process," explained Dr. Bryan Roth, Professor of Pharmacology at UNC Chapel Hill and Director of the NIMH Psychoactive Drug Screening Program at the National Institutes of Health. Affective disorders include bipolar, depressive and anxiety disorders...Asia-European collaboration addresses water management in Indonesia
...rchers to reverse strategies that have resulted in inefficient water management which threatens local communities. In recent decades, East Kalimantan and West Sumatra in Indonesia, have experienced fires, flooding, soil erosion and water quality degradation. A lack of knowledge and understanding of water ma...New research may overturn conventional wisdom on drug-resistant tuberculosis
...dwide. Most resistance is believed to derive from inefficient treatment, leading to mutations. This study found that 33 of 38 patients had a different strain of TB during treatment than before treatment. Improved methods of preventing TB transmission may be needed in the very facilities ...American College of Physicians commends MedPAC support for physician-directed care coordination
...gets would not differentiate between efficient and inefficient providers within a region, and appropriate and inappropriate volume increases. This approach has the risk of unintended shifting of providers and services from high volume areas, which may also result in increased access problems for beneficiaries ...ACP: Residency match results for internal medicine underscore need to redesign primary care
...come increasingly fragmented, over-specialized and inefficient - leading to poorer quality care at higher costs." As the single largest group of physicians, internists represent the backbone of the health care system. They not only diagnose and treat diseases of adults but also coordinate health care and play...