Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

Unique Cardiovascular Treatment Readied For Global Market: Proprietary Paccocath(R) Technology Is The Only Drug Eluting Balloon With Clinical Data
MEDRAD Interventional(TM)/Possis(R) announced that it has reached key milestones in bringing the Paccocath(R) Technology closer to market as an option for the over 14 million patients in the United States and Europe who suffer from Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). These milestones include the selection of physician investigators for U.S. clinical trials and the completion of a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.
generic viagra online
Editorial, Opinion Piece Discuss Issues Related To Routine HIV Testing
A recent directive to streamline the HIV testing consent process in Massachusetts as well as consent forms "no longer hav[ing] to accompany test specimens to the lab," are bringing "the state closer to a CDC recommendation that clinicians provide HIV screening on an opt-out basis," according to a Boston Globe editorial. "The opt-out provision is at the heart" of legislation sponsored by state Sen. Patricia Jehlen (D) that would end the state"s requirement of written consent for HIV testing "and instead have healthcare providers inform patients verbally that the test is planned but that they can decline it," the editorial states, adding, "The Jehlen bill would help destigmatize HIV testing itself" (7/6).
News of the day
Dose-Reduction Techniques Associated With Decreased Amount Of Radiation Exposure From Cardiac Scans Without Impairing Image Quality
An intervention that includes techniques to reduce the amount of radiation from cardiac computed tomography angiography (scanning used to diagnose coronary artery disease) was associated with decreasing patient exposure to radiation without significantly changing the quality of the images, according to a study in the June 10 issue of JAMA.
Health Insurance

Payment Reform: A Trend In White House Thinking

White House health reformers have pressed over the last month for payment reforms that would reward doctors and hospitals for spending less and delivering higher quality care, rather than simply providing a higher volume of services. The Wall Street Journal reports that reexamining payment systems is a hot topic among administration officials in other disciplines, too: "President Barack Obama believes you get what you pay for--in business, in health care and in teaching. And in each of those spheres, he doesn"t think the way the U.S. pays professionals is designed to get what the nation really wants and needs." While Obama budget chief Peter Orszag leads the charge on changing physician payment, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has suggested a mandate to pay business executives based on the performance of their companies, an alternative to other proposals calling for executive salary caps. And Arne Duncan, the education secretary, has said standardized-test scores should factor into teacher"s compensation. These types of reforms could be a challenge. Especially in health care and education, critics argue, "quality measures remain crude and pay-for-performance schemes don"t work as intended." In business, the pay-for-performance concept is more familiar, though it has come with unintended consequences. In the 1980s and 90s, executives were increasingly paid in stock options as a way of reflecting the corporation"s performance under their steerage. But it lead them to make choices that would temporarily inflate stock prices so they could cash out, with little regard for long term effects (Wessel, 7/9). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009