While not-for-profit hospitals receive substantial tax benefits, some do not provide free or subsidized care for a higher percentage of patients living in poverty than their for-profit counterparts, according to a study done by the University of California San Francisco in August 2015 and published August 3, in Health Affairs. A release from the university… Continue reading Not-for-Profit Hospitals May Not Trump For-Profits for Uncompensated Care
Category: Medical Care
Getting Ready for Surgery
Have you been told by your doctor that you need surgery? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of older Americans have surgery each year. Here, from the National Institue on Aging, is what you need to know before an operation: For most surgeries, you will have time to find out about the operation, talk about… Continue reading Getting Ready for Surgery
Hospitals Unfairly Penalized for Good Care
A study by Johns Hopkins researchers indicates that hospitals suffer improper financial penalties because of the number of patients who suffer blood clots in the lung or leg. The researchers said the penalties did not take into account clots that occurred despite consistent use of the best preventive therapies. “We have a big problem with… Continue reading Hospitals Unfairly Penalized for Good Care
A Day at the Art Museum: Rx for Medical Students
Considering the growing number of people with Alzheimer’s disease, understanding their care is vital for doctors. Yet medical students often just learn the facts and may only see people with advanced disease who are at the hospital or nursing home. A study done at Columbia University in New York City shows a new way to… Continue reading A Day at the Art Museum: Rx for Medical Students
The Right Music Helps Surgeons’ Performance
Surgeons who listen to music that they like improve their surgical technique and show improved closing of incisions, according to a new study. Although previous studies have shown that listening to music during operations can lower the stress levels of surgeons, there is limited information on the effects of music on technical performance while completing… Continue reading The Right Music Helps Surgeons’ Performance
Researchers Lengthen Lifespan of Aging Cells
Researchers, working with yeast and worms, have found that they can extend the lifespan of aging cells. The study was published in the journal Genes & Development. The investigators were led by senior author Shelley Berger, PhD, a Daniel S. Och University Professor in the departments of Cell & Developmental Biology, Biology & Genetics at… Continue reading Researchers Lengthen Lifespan of Aging Cells
Non-Invasive Technique Can Help with Paralysis
Thanks to a new, non-invasive procedure that stimulates the spinal cord, five men who had been completely paralyzed were able to move their legs. It is believed to be the first time that voluntary leg movements have ever been relearned in completely paralyzed patients without surgery. “These findings tell us we have to look at… Continue reading Non-Invasive Technique Can Help with Paralysis
A Healthier Picture for Medicare Patients
The health picture is brighter for older Medicare patients: In a 15-year study, Yale School of Medicine researchers saw an estimated 20% drop in mortality, about 30% fewer hospitalizations, and 40% reduction in deaths after hospitalization. The findings were published In JAMA’s theme issue on Medicare and Medicaid at 50. In the study, researchers took… Continue reading A Healthier Picture for Medicare Patients
Hospitals Overestimate Ability to Deliver Fast Stroke Care
Hospitals often overestimate their performance in providing fast delivery of anti-clotting medication to stroke patients, according to new findings published in July 2015 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. According to a release from the association, researchers surveyed staff in 141 hospitals who treated 48,201 stroke patients in 2009 and 2010. They found… Continue reading Hospitals Overestimate Ability to Deliver Fast Stroke Care
Glaucoma Drug Appears to Fight TB
A medicine used for glaucoma could also be used to treat tuberculosis – even the drug-resistant kind, research shows. Robert Abramovitch, a Michigan State University microbiologist, along with graduate student Benjamin Johnson, have discovered that ethoxzolamide, a sulfa-based compound found in many prescription glaucoma drugs, actually turns off the bacterium’s ability to invade the immune… Continue reading Glaucoma Drug Appears to Fight TB
Challenges of Delirium Detection in Older Adults in the Emergency Department
An estimated one to two million older adults with delirium visit hospital emergency departments in the United States annually. Yet about two-thirds of the cases of this sudden and potentially lethal change in mental status are unrecognized by emergency department clinicians who are under time pressure and almost always managing multiple patients at once. Half… Continue reading Challenges of Delirium Detection in Older Adults in the Emergency Department
Chemotherapy and Quality of Life at the End of Life
Chemotherapy for patients with end-stage cancer was associated with worse quality of life near death for patients with a good ability to still perform many life functions, according to an article published online by JAMA Oncology IN JULY 2015. A release from the JAMA Network Journals explains that physicians have voiced concerns about the benefits… Continue reading Chemotherapy and Quality of Life at the End of Life
Better Communication Needed on End-of-Life Directives
Increasing numbers of people have advanced care planning, but a survey found that almost 40 percent of them didn’t discuss their preferences with the people they designated as their representatives. A study led by Johns Hopkins researchers reviewed nearly 2,000 surveys with people whose loved ones died of cancer. They found a 40 percent increase… Continue reading Better Communication Needed on End-of-Life Directives
Lower Risk Treatment for Blood Clots
Potentially fatal blood clots account for thousands of emergency room visits each year and often those patients are admitted to the hospital, treated with an injectable anticoagulant and monitored for a few days. In companion studies published in July 2015 in Academic Emergency Medicine, an alternative approach was found to be more effective, less costly… Continue reading Lower Risk Treatment for Blood Clots
Healthcare Workers Not Removing Protective Garments Correctly
Fewer than one in six (4/30) healthcare workers (HCW) followed all CDC recommendations for the removal of personal protective equipment (PPE) after patient care, according to a report published in July 2015 in American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). A release from… Continue reading Healthcare Workers Not Removing Protective Garments Correctly
This is Why Ulcerative Colitis Surgery May be Better than Drugs
Patients over 50 who have ulcerative colitis live longer if they undergo surgery rather than taking drugs This according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the finding was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. “Most physicians opt to treat [ulcerative colitis] with medications, as opposed… Continue reading This is Why Ulcerative Colitis Surgery May be Better than Drugs
Progress in The Battle Against Superbugs?
Infections stemming from one of the most troublesome and least understood “superbugs” are increasing at alarming rates, particularly in health-care settings, a new study says. But researchers from Washington University, in St. Louis, say it may be possible to rein in the spread of such infections without needing to develop new antibiotics. So-called “superbugs” are… Continue reading Progress in The Battle Against Superbugs?
Peppermint Oil and Cinnamon to Treat Chronic Wounds
Infectious colonies of bacteria called biofilms that develop on chronic wounds and medical devices can cause serious health problems and are tough to treat. Now, according to a July 2015 release from the American Chemical Society, scientists have found a way to package antimicrobial compounds from peppermint and cinnamon in tiny capsules that can both… Continue reading Peppermint Oil and Cinnamon to Treat Chronic Wounds