The “New & Interesting” series is a biweekly compilation of select research findings, news articles, and random tidbits in bullet-point format. The entries are highly abbreviated, but provide links to the original articles or abstracts if you desire to read further.
General Articles
- Reducing just 3 grams of salt from the diet of the average American could prevent up to 66,000 strokes, 99,000 heart attacks, and 92,000 deaths in the United States. This would also save $24 billion in health care costs per year. (Reuters)
- Raising ambulatory care copayments among elderly patients similarly increased rates of hospitalizations, length of stays, and total cost of care. (NEJM)
Technical Articles
- Reducing the rates of readmission in the geriatric population. A hospitalist and his colleagues at the Baylor University Medical Center performed a pilot project involving a care coordinator and clinical pharmacist performing telephone follow-up calls and home visits to geriatric patients recently discharged from the hospital. The team found that this approach reduced the rates of readmissions or emergency visits within 30 days after discharge. The population studied included geriatric patients pre-identified to be have high risk for readmission. (ACP Hospitalist)
- High doses (50 mg / day or more) of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain in the elderly were associated with a two-fold increased risk for developing a fracture. (J Gen Intern Med)
The “New & Interesting” series is a biweekly compilation of select research findings, news articles, and random tidbits in bullet-point format. The entries are highly abbreviated, but provide links to the original articles or abstracts if you desire to read further.
General Articles
- Video games may cause kids to suffer finger and wrist pain (WebMD)
- Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine employed high-sensitivity MRI scanners to evaluate the effect of glucosamine on progression of knee osteoarthritis. They “did not find any evidence that glucosamine can prevent or slow joint damage in individuals with mild to moderate knee pain.” The results from the study resemble findings from an earlier meta-analysis that did not demonstrate substantive symptomatic benefit from the use of chondroitin. (WebMD)
- Universal health coverage in Massachusetts does not reduce visits to the Emergency Department (American Medical News)
Technical Articles
- Prophylactic administration of acetaminophen for febrile reactions at the time of vaccination reduces antibody responses to vaccine antigens in children (Lancet)
Posted July 16th, 2009 in
Hospital,
Industry,
Patient Care
Although the core business of the U.S News & World Report franchise is the delivery of mainstream news, it is best known for annual rankings of the best colleges, graduate schools, and hospitals. Like clockwork every July, the magazine just released today its rankings for the best hospitals in the United States.
The overall ranking is based on the sum of points assigned to a hospital’s top-tier specialty services. A hospital gets 2 points for each specialty ranked “at or close to the top” when compared to its peer hospitals. They receive 1 point for each specialty that is ranked lower.
Topping the list this year, and for the nineteenth consecutive time, is the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. The hospital has 3 specialties ranked as the top in the nation, including Urology, Rheumatology, and Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose, and Throat). It also has 10 other specialties within the top-three rank. Its closest rival, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, also has 3 first-ranked specialties, including Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, and Neurology/Neurosurgery. The remaining few contenders on the list may have at most one or two top-ranked specialties. The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, which has now taken the third spot since 2007, and the title “Best in West [Coast]” for the 20th consecutive year, leads the nation in geriatric care. The top 7 institutions on the list has not changed since last year.
Drum roll for the top twenty-one (#10 and #11, #17 and #18 below are tied) …
Read more … »
TechCrunch, a technology blog focused on Internet-related products and companies, reports on the brewing partnership between Healthline (medical information portal) and Aetna (health insurance company) to create a personalized health portal. Similar to the Google and Cleveland Clinic deal, Healthline will benefit from a rapid infusion of new users, comprising the thousands of individuals insured by Aetna. It is unclear what Aetna gains from this marriage, as additional details surrounding the collaboration are yet sparse. It seems that dynamic duos are now the trend to remain competitive in the personal health record (PHR) industry.
Related Posts:
Google’s official blog revealed today some details and screenshots of its yet unreleased Google Health project, a web portal for your personal health records (PHR). It appears the site will provide more than just storage space for medical records. Complementary tools may include health information resources and a doctor directory. The two screenshots are only a first look into the new service, and it is likely that more features will be announced in future posts.
Related Post: Google Health Collaborates with Cleveland Clinic
