Health care Archives

Pregnant should gain a healthy weight before and during pregnancy

Report updates guidelines on how much weight women should gain during pregnancy – Calls on health care providers to help women achieve a healthy weight before and during pregnancy. – A growing amount of scientific evidence indicates that how much weight women gain during pregnancy and their starting weight at conception can affect their health and that of their babies, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council.

Gardasil is eligible for UN immunization programs

GARDASIL? is First Cervical Cancer Vaccine to Receive WHO Pre-qualification — WHO Pre-qualification Will Help to Facilitate Expanded Global Access and Implementation of HPV Vaccination Programs. – GARDASIL [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16 and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant], Merck’s cervical cancer vaccine, has been awarded World Health Organization (WHO) pre-qualification. GARDASIL is the first cervical cancer vaccine to receive WHO pre-qualification.

Ontario’s primary health care reforms questioned

Study questions whether Ontario’s primary health care reforms serve the sick and poor – Ontario has invested millions of dollars into the healthcare system in response to a serious doctor shortage. But despite improvements in primary care, a study out of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) has found Ontario’s chronically sick and poor are the least likely to benefit from the investments.

Intervention helps reduce pain and depression

Optimized antidepressant therapy followed by a pain self-management program resulted in substantial improvement in depression as well as moderate reductions in pain severity and disability. – For patients who experience pain and depression, common co-existing conditions, an intervention that included individually tailored antidepressant therapy and a pain self-management program resulted in greater improvement in the symptoms of these conditions than patients who received usual care, according to a study in the May 27 issue of JAMA.

Computer programs help for smokers trying to quit

Computer-based programs provide help for smokers trying to quit – Trying to quit cigarettes but don’t know how? A new analysis led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, suggests that Web- and computer-based smoking cessation programs are worth a try, and fortunately during these tough economic times, many of them are free.

$1.79 billion to help people living with HIV AIDS

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to Award $1.79 Billion to Help People Living with HIV/AIDS – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the release of $1.79 billion to ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS continue to have access to life-saving health care and medications.

Patients want computer consultations, electronic health record

Patients reveal willingness to trade hands-on medical care for computer consultations — Study also finds that Internet-savvy consumers will trade some privacy in order to gain transparency, full access to medical records. – As President Barack Obama calls for streamlining heath care by fully converting to electronic medical records and as Congress prepares to debate issues of patient privacy, one question has largely gone unasked: What do patients want?

Cataract surgery complications linked to BPH drug tamsulosin

Medication Used to Treat Urination Difficulties for Men Associated With Higher Risk of Ophthalmic Complications Following Cataract Surgery – Use of the medication tamsulosin to treat male urination difficulties within two weeks of cataract surgery is associated with an increased risk of serious postoperative ophthalmic adverse events such as retinal detachment or lost lens, according to a study in the May 20 issue of JAMA.

Sleep aid increases CPAP adherence in sleep apnea patients

2-week course of sleep aid increases CPAP adherence in OSA patients at 6 months – New research suggests that patients newly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who use a short-course of the sleep aid, eszopiclone, when beginning continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, are more adherent with therapy in six months.

Free medicines program for unemployed Americans, Pfizer

Pfizer Launches Free Medicines Program For Newly Unemployed Americans – Pfizer Inc announced that it will launch an innovative program to help eligible unemployed Americans and their families who have lost their health insurance maintain access to their Pfizer medicines for free.

Voter attitudes on health care reform

Stanford Center on Longevity (SCL) Releases New Findings About Voter Attitudes on Health Care Reform – Voters willing to engage in discussion about trade-offs. – Americans want answers to tough questions about the trade-offs involved in health care reform, according to new data released today by the Stanford Center on Longevity (SCL).

Medicare serves elderly more effectively

Medicare’s strong performance in consumer satisfaction, access to care, and other areas suggests that many adults under age 65 would choose a public health insurance option if it were offered as part of health reform. – Elderly Medicare beneficiaries are more satisfied with their health care, and experience fewer problems accessing and paying for care, than Americans with employer-sponsored insurance (ESI), according to a study by Commonwealth Fund researchers published today on the Health Affairs Web site.