Quality of care not necessarily better in hospitals that participate in quality improvement program
...ram has been concerned that Medicare beneficiaries receive appropriate and efficiently provided medical care." The authors explain: "Medicare currently contracts with quality improvement organizations (QIOs) and allocates approximately $200 million annually for quality improvement. Quality improvement or...Fish oil does not lower risk of heart problems for patients with implantable defibrillators
...illation (VF). Patients were randomly assigned to receive fish oil, 1.8 g/d, 72 percent omega-3 PUFAs, or pl... percent, and 65 percent of patients randomized to receive fish oil had ICD therapy for VT/VF compared with 36 percent, 41 percent, and 59 percent for patients...Invasive treatment may be more effective for heart attack patients presenting late to hospital
...s from symptom onset. Patients were randomized to receive either an invasive strategy (n=182) based predominantly on coronary stenting plus the intravenous medication abciximab or a conventional conservative treatment strategy (n=183), which included an intravenous infusion of heparin. The researchers foun...Avoiding amputation: Early infection intervention can save feet & legs
...nts whose wounds didn't heal, and those who didn't receive early surgical intervention, were much more likely to use home-health services after leaving the hospital. This kind of care, and outpatient visits, must also be considered when the costs of osteomyelitis are tallied, says Henke. But since surgery ca...Dartmouth study reveals flaws in screening for TB; Cases in 3rd world HIV patients may go undetected
...rders), has recommended that all HIV/AIDS patients receive the more sensitive and accurate TB culture test used in the Tanzania research project. This latest research was reported by investigators in the DARDAR Health Study, a collaboration between Dartmouth Medical School and the Muhimbili University Colleg...Placebos can bring emotional relief
...e following day, the subjects were told they would receive the same drugs. But instead, they received a saline solution as a placebo when they saw the pictures. The subjects' brains were also scanned during these experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This scanning technique uses har...Study confirms intensive treatment of diabetic patients significantly reduces heart disease
...e, with conventional treatments, the patient would receive 1-2 shots of insulin a day and occasional office visits and standard dietary reminders. In intensive treatment, patients are given 3-4 shots of insulin a day, frequent dietary reminders, monthly doctor's appointments, and psychological support. In r...University of Maryland scientist wins 2005 Kettering Prize
...search. Dr. Brodie is the first woman scientist to receive the Kettering Prize. An internationally recog...e is a tremendous honor, and I am very grateful to receive this kind of recognition," Dr. Brodie says. "I am very happy that the work we did turned out to be s...Study shows importance of exposure age for Hanford nuclear workers' cancer risk
...t 9 percent per rem. U.S. workers are permitted to receive up to five rem per year, roughly 15 times more than average annual background radiation. "Findings of increased cancer associated with low-level radiation exposures among nuclear workers are important for several reasons," he said. "Among the conside...Street-level London air pollution warnings coming via mobile phones
...ther vulnerable individuals in Croydon should soon receive text message warnings to their mobile phones before elevated air pollution days, with additional patients in other London boroughs receiving the service later on. The YourAir service predicts levels of the pollutants nitrogen dioxide, ozone and airbo...Thalidomide treatment proves better than conventional chemotherapy for multiple myeloma
...nful disease of the bone marrow. Most patients who receive this diagnosis have less than five years to live; ... as the number of cancer cells decreases, patients receive chemotherapy a few months before the procedure. In this study, 100 multiple myeloma patients given T...Rice bioengineer wins ASME's Van C. Mow Medal
...der Van Mow at Columbia, I am extremely honored to receive this inaugural award from ASME," said Athanasiou. "Dr. Mow embodied each of the characteristics this award honors, and it is humbling to be mentioned in such esteemed company." A past president of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), Athanasiou...Insomnia may precede and prolong major depression
...ment to monitor sleep patterns. Study participants receive a free physical exam and an analysis of how to improve their sleep, as well as free treatment. For more information or to enroll in a sleep study, please call 585-475-3379 (585-4-sleepy) or visit www.sleeplessinrochester.com ....Some male breast cancer patients may have unnecessary radiotherapy
...men with the equivalent stage of disease. Many men receive radiotherapy routinely after a mastectomy because ...Macdonald "A key finding is that males who did not receive radiotherapy had poorer overall survival than females. Given that breast cancer-specific survival wa...Endocarditis infection commonly related to health care factors, increasingly due to staph
...to have a presumed intravascular device source, to receive vancomycin, to be infected with MRSA, and to have persistent bacteremia. "The finding of S aureus as the leading cause of IE differs from previous reports and may be due in part to increasing rates of staphylococcal bacteremia related to health care ...Antibiotics appear to have little benefit for uncomplicated lower respiratory tract infections
...in symptom relief compared to patients who did not receive antibiotics, according to a study in the June 22/29 issue of JAMA. Acute lower respiratory tract illness is the most common condition treated in primary care, according to background information in the article. In the United States, excess antibioti...Passion for technology: Three UH women honored
...Technology. "It is gratifying to see our students receive awards of this caliber that nurture and encourage the development of critical STEM skills that play a vital role in technology today." Brooks' most recent project consisted of determining a way to create an image of a hard drive and distribute it a...Neurology Now, patient magazine of American Academy of Neurology, wins national award
...sease. "We are tremendously pleased and honored to receive this Award," said Robin L. Brey, MD, editor-in-chief of Neurology Now. "We developed Neurology Now to satisfy a need for credible, up-to-date information about neurological disorders for patients and their families. I am particularly gratified that o...Gene testing doesn't increase anxiety, depression in children of people with Alzheimer's
...g-term care insurance than individuals who did not receive genotype disclosure. "The study suggests that people who are armed with useful information about their possible future healthcare needs will take steps to protect themselves financially," says Green. According to Green and his team of researchers, ...Look to the future: Preparing for baby boomer dementia epidemic
...re doctors - the physicians from whom older adults receive most of their care - prepare for the huge wave of dementia patients expected to engulf us in 2010, the year the baby boomers begin to reach 65? Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Regenstrief Institute, Inc. and the Indian...