Can hospital data detect poor performing doctors?
...theme to more general measures of clinical quality where death may not be the outcome. The authors investig...e potentially useful in other settings, especially where performance entails several indicator variables," they conclude....Cancer research could lead to improved detection methods
...ing disease; in particular in lung cancer patients where early lesions are rarely identified prior to the diagnosis of the disease."...Obesity common among Chinese adults
...nd 64 million have metabolic syndrome--a condition where a number of risk factors for heart disease are present, suggests a study published in this week's issue of THE LANCET. The metabolic syndrome is characterised by a clustering of cardiovascular risk factors, including abdominal obesity, raised blood p...Execution by lethal injection is not humane or painless suggests study
...information from the states of Texas and Virginia, where around 45% of executions are done. They found that...ath penalty depends not on what you have done, but where you committed your crime, what colour your skin is, and how much money you have. The use of the deat...Pessimism and depression increase dementia risk
...easures. "We are reporting our findings in an era where there are empirically validated interventions to modify 'personality' toward emotional health; hence, we are optimistic about the future. Contemporary studies indicate that 'personality' is a modifiable cognitive, emotional and behavioral style. For ...Ibuprofen may lower risk of Parkinson's disease
...t the disorder are not clear, and this is the area where we need more research," said Chen. Age, gender, and smoking status known risk factors for Parkinson's disease could not explain the results. No significant associations were found between the use of aspirin, other NSAIDs, or acetaminophen and the ...Alcohol magnifies the rewarding effects of smoking, even for light smokers
...was tested individually in three separate sessions where he or she received a placebo (with an alcohol taste), a low-dose (0.4 g/kg), or a high-dose (0.8 g/kg) alcoholic beverage in random order. Subjects were not allowed to smoke two hours prior to and during each session. A questionnaire was used to as...Easing the anxiety of pregnancy after miscarriage
...d Ct-Arsenault. There are gardens of baby statues, where mothers who have lost babies can place a tiny knit cap on a statue and mourn publicly. "It would be wonderful if pregnancy losses were acknowledged openly in our culture too," she said, "but at least hospitals in this country have gotten bet...NCI's Patient Navigator Research Program: Questions and answers
...missed doctor appointments; and emotional barriers where irrational fears lead to cancellation or delay of medical services. The patient navigator offers disadvantaged cancer patients someone with whom they can feel comfortable; someone who has the knowledge base and confidence the patient might not posses...Alternate view for pathology of AD
... our accumulating data called for a paradigm shift where pathology is protective," said Lee. "If proven correct, this will not only change current dogma but, more importantly, reveal key insights to accelerate the development of new therapeutic inroads." In addition to Lee and Smith, co-authors represente...Obesity adds risk of cardiovascular disease in siblings in families with a history of heart problems
... to gauging real risk of heart disease in families where this is already a problem," says the study's lead author, cardiologist Samia Mora, M.D., M.H.S., then a research fellow at Hopkins. "When monitoring these patients with traditional Framingham Risk Scores, physicians should also closely monitor body m...Drugs targeted at muscle cells
...a receptors (PFAAR) and they reside in the nucleus where they regulate a large number of enzymes involved in the cell's metabolism and energy production. Using human muscle cells cultivated in vitro, the researchers were able to show that drugs that bind to PFAAR increase the absorption of glucose in the m...The Neurosciences and Music in Leipzig: Registration boom and over 140 posters
...gh the presentation of recent "practical" results, where these methods have been successfully applied for several years. The posters, sent to the Foundation, demonstrate the energy enforced towards a scientific validation of research currently in progress, also in this field. During the conference, in fact...American Society of Travel Agents urges healthy travel for consumers
...lion people will travel abroad this year to places where they may contract a potentially serious disease. T...isease risks, specifically 40 percent are not sure where malaria, 52 percent are not sure where hepatitis A and 51 percent are not sure where hepatitis B ca...Annals of Internal Medicine, tip sheet, April 19, 2005
...ith lawmakers and regulators to create a situation where the public good will prevail," they say....Institute of Medicine news: Human resource crisis in HIV/AIDS
...at least two years to programs or geographic areas where they could have the greatest impact. Participants' ability to help combat the spread of malaria and tuberculosis -- which often overlap HIV infections in the developing world -- would also be considered. On the whole, the initial cost of the GHS is...News tips from the Journal of Neuroscience
...icularly the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA), where the CSUS association may be stored. Bilateral amygdala lesions cause severe impairment of fear conditioning, but the left and right amygdala can independently cause mild impairment. Blair et al. now report that the amygdala fear circuitry can be excl...The Cochrane Library newsletter, 2005, issue 2
...se, nerve cells can become overactive to the point where they die. Consequently there is the hope that mema...hose that move bristles with ultrasound, and those where the head either moves side to side or round and round, as well as those with rotating oscillating he...Combination chemotherapy shows small survival benefit in advanced stomach cancer
...ch cancer "is regarded as controversial in Japan," where most physicians rely on single-drug therapy, Wagner says. In the United States, the prevalence of cancers at the junction between the stomach and the esophagus, the muscular tube that feeds food to the stomach, is increasing, perhaps in part due to a...No strong evidence linking mercury levels with worse neurobehavioral performance in older adults
...ly crosses the blood-brain barrier into the brain, where it may become trapped. Recent regulations for mercury emissions, the increasing trend in fish-consumption advisories, clinical studies, and heightened media attention have led to the emergence of mercury as a leading public health concern. Fish cons...