CHICAGO (Reuters) – Hospitals in Texas that used computers to keep track of patient records and manage care had lower rates of deaths, complications and costs, U.S. researchers said on Monday, offering a strong argument for hospitals to go “paperless.”
They said patients treated in hospitals that ranked highest in use of health information technology to manage patient records and physician notes were 15 percent less likely to die compared with patients Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: Jan. 23, 2009
The American Civil Liberties Union on Friday asked a federal judge to order changes in how medication is administered to inmates at Taycheedah Correctional Institution, Wisconsin’s largest women’s prison.
The action is part of a federal class-action lawsuit the ACLU filed in 2006 on behalf of prisoners.
The ACLU contends the state is violating the rights of Taycheedah prisoners by having guards without medical training Read the rest of this entry »
WASHINGTON (AP) — It could have been the world’s first prescription pistol. The single-bullet Palm Pistol set the Internet abuzz with speculation that Medicare might even pay for the elderly and disabled to pack heat.
But Monday the Food and Drug Administration said the Palm Pistol doesn’t have a shot of being listed as a medical device, and revoked the registration issued to its inventor only last week.
“The FDA has determined the product Read the rest of this entry »
said Tuesday it suspended shipments of all its drugs in tablet form and recalled a painkiller because the tablets are oversized.
The production suspension “is being taken as a precautionary measure to allow KV to expeditiously review and enhance comprehensively the company’s manufacturing and quality systems, and to implement efficiency improvements in its production facilities,” the company said in a statement. “KV is keeping Read the rest of this entry »
A portion of the House bill reportedly retained in the Senate’s proposed $789 billion compromise version calls for the creation of a federal agency that would help coordinate research on “comparative effectiveness,” a wonky term that means determining which treatments work better than others.
To proponents, such research would improve quality of care and reduce health costs by limiting the use of drugs and treatments that do not work well. They Read the rest of this entry »
Health-insurance deductibles of $1,000 or more have become commonplace for people who receive coverage through their employers.
After holding steady at $500 for seven years in a row, the median deductible for individuals jumped to $1,000 in 2008, according to a survey of employers by human-resources consultant Mercer.
The results, released Wednesday, apply to workers covered by traditional plans called preferred-provider organizations. These plans Read the rest of this entry »
When asked to contribute suggestions for websites geared towards
youth mental health and wellness, youth stressed the importance of
marketing its availability widely. Safety and anonymity were also
important, followed by ease of use. Responses suggest sites are most
helpful when they include both accurate, accessible information and a
community where users can interact and obtain personal support from
both peers and professionals. An ideal Read the rest of this entry »
NEW YORK — Cynthia Casey’s husband was in the hospital with a failing liver when she was laid off in September, stranding the family without health insurance.
Medical bills were piling up. She had two teenagers to feed and a weekly unemployment check of less than $300.
“The bills just were not getting paid,” said Casey, a 50-year-old resident of Pompano Beach, Fla., who until recently worked as an accounts payable supervisor. Read the rest of this entry »
And, most persistently these days, “Flat Belly Diet.”
Why we are obsessed with having concave mid-sections is a story for another day, but we can examine the new book “Flat Belly Diet!”
Written by Liz Vaccariello, editor in chief of Prevention magazine, with registered dietitian Cynthia Sass, the book’s subtitle claims are bound to bring out the skeptics: “A flat belly is about food and attitude. Period. (Not a single crunch required)” and “Lose Read the rest of this entry »
FLORENCE, S.C. –
A man serving prison time on gun charges says a former South Carolina police officer facing drug trafficking charges let him smoke marijuana in and drive her patrol car.
Deshawn Wallace testified Friday that former Lake City officer Shanita McKnight let him use her police car while they were having a sexual relationship.
The Morning News of Florence also reports that Wallace testified that McKnight told drug dealers who went Read the rest of this entry »