Diagnosis Archives

US adults skip needed care due to costs

US has highest rates among 8 nations of patient-reported medical errors, wasteful or poorly coordinated care and high out-of-pocket costs; Dutch often fare best in affordable, accessible care, low rates of medical errors – Compared to patients in seven other countries, chronically ill adults in the United States are far more likely to forgo care because of costs; they also experience the highest rates of medical errors, coordination problems, and high out-of-pocket costs, according to a new study from The Commonwealth Fund.

Factors identified causing barriers to asthma care

Factors identified causing barriers to asthma care – access to appropriate care, patient adherence, distrust of the medical profession, delayed asthma diagnosis, culture, lifestyle choices and genetic discrepancies – Barriers to managing asthma include access to appropriate care, patient adherence, distrust of the medical profession, delayed asthma diagnosis, culture, lifestyle choices and genetic discrepancies according to experts at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Seattle.

New genes identified linked to lung cancer

Scientists find new genes linked to lung cancer. Discovery opens door to individualized treatment strategies. – Working as part of a multi-institutional collaboration, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have assembled the most complete catalog to date of the genetic changes underlying the most common form of lung cancer.

X PRIZE to help fight tuberculosis with Gates Foundation

X PRIZE Foundation to help fight tuberculosis worldwide with Gates Foundation support. Gates Foundation providing grant to explore prize for innovative breakthroughs in TB Diagnostics. – The X PRIZE Foundation has received a planning grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop an X PRIZE for effective diagnosis of tuberculosis in the developing world.

3 million US children have food or digestive allergies

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study finds 3 million u.s. children have food or digestive allergies. – The number of young people who had a food or digestive allergy increased 18 percent between 1997 and 2007, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New prenatal test for Down syndrome less risky than amniocentesis

New prenatal test for Down syndrome less risky than amniocentesis, Stanford/Packard scientists say. – Pregnant women worried about their babies’ genetic health face a tough decision: get prenatal gene testing and risk miscarriage, or skip the tests and miss the chance to learn of genetic defects before birth.

Sickness absence can predict employee mortality

Employees who take long spells of sick leave more than once in three years are at a higher risk of death than their colleagues who take no such absence, particularly if their absence is due to circulatory or psychiatric problems or for surgery. – Major diagnoses for medically certified absences were associated with increased mortality, with the exception of musculoskeletal disease. Data on sickness absence diagnoses may provide useful information to identify groups with increased health risk and a need for targeted interventions.

Physicians rarely show empathy with lung cancer patients

In a small study of 20 audiorecorded interactions, physicians seldom responded empathetically to concerns raised by patients with lung cancer, according to a report in the September 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. – In consultations with patients with lung cancer, physicians rarely responded empathically to the concerns of the patients about mortality, symptoms or treatment options, according to a study led by a University of Rochester Medical Center researcher.

Breast cancer risk more in women with tough time

A study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researchers states that women exposed to negative life events are at greater risk of breast cancer. – Happiness and optimism may play a role against breast cancer while adverse life events can increase the risk of developing the disease – breast cancer, according to a study by Professor Ronit Peled, at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel.

Skin odor may diagnose skin cancer

Skin cancer could be diagnosed by the distinctive chemical odor it gives off, say US researchers. – Chemists described the first identification of a specific “odor profile” for skin cancer, a discovery that could form the basis of a rapid, non-invasive test for diagnosing the most common type of cancer in the United States.

HIV people not tested for tuberculosis

Only 1% of people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide have been screened for tuberculosis, according to a report recently released by the coalition Advocacy To Control TB Internationally, or ACTION. – A mere 1% of people living with HIV/AIDS are reported to have been screened for TB, according to the most recent global data available from the World Health Organization. Health experts and activists at the International AIDS Conference are calling upon HIV/AIDS programs and international donors to ensure universal TB screening of every person who has tested positive for HIV.

Lung health action plan needed to control air pollution

A major medical report by the Canadian Medical Association is warning the number of deaths related to air pollution is set to rise in the coming decades and a strategy for lung health is needed. – The National Illness Cost of Air Pollution (ICAP) study, released by the Canadian Medical Association, is clear evidence that action is required on air pollution and that a national strategy for lung health is needed now more than ever.