_ Needed: Better Decision Making for the Sickest Patients By Jane Farrell article A sick, elderly patient who is considering risky surgery needs comprehensive help in the decision process, according to an analytical piece published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Laurent G. Glance, M.D, professor and vice-chair for research in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, said that a team approach would lead to better care that’s in accordance with the patient’s values.
_ Our New Secretary of HSS By Sondra Forsyth article In the wake of the error-plagued healthcare rollout that left millions of Americans struggling to log on to HealthCare.gov in order to get insurance, Kathleen Sibelius has resigned from the position of United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. On April 11th 2014, President Obama nominated Sylvia Matthews Burwell to be Sibelius’ successor. Burwell, who will turn 49 in June, served as Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget beginning in April 2013 after a stint as president of the Walmart Foundation starting in January 2012.
_ Long Live the Mitochondria! By article Manipulating the metabolic process of mitochondria, the “power plants” of cells, may compensate for defects that are associated with aging and various neurological diseases. That is the finding of scientists at the University of Alberta who published their research on April 10th 2014 in Cell Reports. The study will appear in the print edition of the journal on April 24th.
_ Medicare's Flawed Adjustment Methodology By article The methodology Medicare uses to adjust the billions of dollars it pays health plans and hospitals to account for how sick their patients are is flawed and should be replaced, according to study by Dartmouth Atlas Project investigators published in the journal BMJ in April 2014.
Silly Putty the Key to Stem Cell Therapies? By article Could a component of Silly Putty, the childhood classic from the 1950s that your grandkids probably play with today, help embryonic stem cells turn into working spinal cord cells? Yes, say researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann who published their study online at Nature Materials on April 13th 2014.
No News May Be Good News: Mindful Living By Jane Farrell blog Did you read the headlines today? Did you hear the “top stories”? Were they uplifting or did your mind go to worry, fear, concern? For many years, much to the chagrin of many, I never watched TV, never read a paper, and never listened to the news on radio. I was teaching mindfulness and meditation to those challenged with panic and anxiety disorders. News was, for me, disturbing. It still is. Good news doesn’t sell newspapers or get TV viewers. I always thought, if it’s something that will impact me now, today at this very minute, someone will tell me.
_ Avoid Portion Distortion By Jane Farrell article Want to try eating smaller? These tips from choosemyplate.gov can get you off to a great start: We’ve all been guilty of “portion distortion” – of believing that we’re eating a lot less than we actually are. Avoid that trap by figuring out how big your portions really are:
Telephone Care Helps Some Medicare Patients By Jane Farrell article Medicare Patients And Low-risk Medicare patients who are getting home health care appear to benefit from medication management therapy conducted via phone, but that procedure doesn’t work for higher-risk patients, a new study shows. The study, conducted by researchers from Purdue University, aimed to see which patients benefit the most from medication management via telephone.
_ Potato Chips And Toxins By Jane Farrell article Researchers have found that the snack food ingredient olestra speeds up toxin removal from the body. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Cincinnati’s medical school, was published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. Olestra is a zero-calorie fat substitute found in low-calorie snack foods such as Pringles. Researchers said it could reduce the levels of serum polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in people who had been exposed to PCBs. High PCB levels have been linked to hypertension and diabetes.
_ Pets Do Therapy Animals Really Help Patients? By article While many people have an opinion on whether animals can help to improve wellbeing and care for patients in hospitals, does anyone really know whether there are benefits both for the patients and the animals themselves?
_ Nasal Spray May Stop Depression By Jane Farrell article New research from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City shows that an antidepressant nasal spray can become effective within 24 hours – an unusually rapid amount of time. The ketamine spray was well-tolerated by patients who have treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. Of 18 patients who took ketamine or the placebo saline for two days, eight responded to ketamine within 24 hours, while one responded to saline.
_ New Program Could Improve Dementia Care By Jane Farrell article A new model of coordinated brain care improves treatment and outcomes for patients with cognitive impairment. Researchers from the Regenstrief Institute, Eskenazi Health and Indiana University Center for Aging Research, who developed the Healthy Aging Brain Center care model, said the new program also produces substantial cost savings. In the program, patients have an initial cognitive assessment, including neuropsychological testing, brain imaging, a medication review and structured neurological and physical evaluations.
_ Medicare Data on How Much Docs Are Paid By article A historic release of data gives Medicare beneficiaries an unprecedented look at the medical services physicians provide and how much they are paid.On Arpil 9th 2014, as part of the Obama administration’s work to make our health care system more transparent, affordable, and accountable, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the release of new, privacy-protected data on services and procedures provided to Medicare beneficiaries by physicians and other health care professionals.
_ Google Glass Helps Parkinson's Patients By article Experts at Newcastle University in the UK are investigating Google Glass, the next generation of wearable computing, as an assistive aid to help people with Parkinson's retain their independence for longer. The device has been likened to the kind of technology fictionalized in the Hollywood Blockbuster “Minority Report”. At first glance, Google Glass appears to be no more than a pair of designer glasses. But the system works like a hands-free smartphone, displaying information on the lens. The technology is voice-operated and linked to the Internet.
_ Cancer Patients and Post-Surgery Problems By Jane Farrell article Editor’s Note: For patients, cancer is frightening in a lot of ways. Beyond the physical risk to a patient’s health, there are mental effects as well. After surgery, people often find they suffer from memory and nervous systems problems as well as chronic pain. The changes, which can be caused by side effects of treatment, can be overwhelming if a patient doesn’t understand why they’re happening. Here, from the experts at NIHSeniorHealth, is an explanation: Memory
_ Don't Be Confused By Organ-Donation Myths By Jane Farrell article From the Mayo Clinic Over 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for an organ donation. Unfortunately, many may never get the call saying that a suitable donor organ — and a second chance at life — has been found.
_ Grandparenting Watching Grandkids Once a Week Keeps Grandmas Sharp By article Taking care of grandchildren one day a week helps keep grandmothers mentally sharp, according to a study from the Women's Healthy Aging Project in Australia, published online April 8th 2014 in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). That's good news for women after menopause, when women need to lower their risks of developing Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders.