Clinical Psychiatry News articles from December 2004

Clinical Psychiatry News archives from December 2004

Team meets kids where they are.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... Care for mental and physical health issues is erroneously segregated in the current health care environment, said John V. Campo, M.D. That's why Dr. Campo and his colleagues have developed a collaborative care model aimed at delivering...

Nearly half of patients oppose off-label prescribing.(VITAL SIGNS)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
December 1, 2004... Nearly Half of Patients Oppose Off-Label Prescribing Oppose it 48% Favor it 31% Not sure 22% Notes: Based on a nationwide survey of 2,148 adults conducted May 25-27, 2004. Percentages do not add to 100% because of rounding....

Alzheimer's study will try to identify best biomarkers: hundreds of early AD, MCI patients will be followed for up to 3 years.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... Government agencies, industry, academia, and advocacy groups are working together in a unique collaboration to undertake what could be the Framingham Study of Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, headed by...

Imaging offers insight into schizophrenia: new modality shows language abnormalities.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)
December 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Magnetoencephalography, a new imaging modality that provides a millisecond-by-millisecond picture of the brain in action, is providing new insights into the language abnormalities of schizophrenia, reported Karen Froud, Ph.D., at a...

Physicians, patients differ on care priorities.(News)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Physicians and consumers appear divided on their health care priorities for 2005, according to several polls released at a forum sponsored by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and Forbes magazine. Physicians are...

Dearth of providers exacerbates terrorist threat.(News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- The urban areas faced with the highest threat of being attacked by terrorists are also the areas with the highest shortages of health care providers, Ivan C.A. Walks, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the National Medical...

Panel backs psychoactive Rx study in children.(News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- The newly created ethics subcommittee of the Food and Drug Administration's pediatric advisory panel recommended approval, with modifications, of a proposed trial designed to study the effects of a psychoactive agent on...

New dosing approved for ADHD Drug.(News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved 72-mg daily dosing for methylphenidate extended-release tablets for adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Because a 72-mg pill does not exist, most patients will take...

All that glitters: bringing back Metallica.(REEL LIFE)(Metallica: Some Kind of Monster)(Movie Review)
December 1, 2004... In 2001, the legendary heavy metal rock band Metallica reached the nadir of its 20-year association. No recent albums or tours. Heck, band members were barely able to speak to one another. Their managers, worried that a major cash cow was going...

The challenge of HIV testing.(GUEST EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... Thanks to the advent of effective antiretroviral treatments, patients living with the human immunodeficiency virus in the United States can now expect to live nearly 2 decades from the day of becoming infected, and perhaps even to have a normal...

Case for directives advanced.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... Despite the article in CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY NEWS, there is a growing body of evidence that the presence of a durable power of attorney for health care, or advance directive, is in the best interest of optimal care ("Advance Directives May...

Cultural connection.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... Paul J. Fink, M.D., asked how we can help patients who historically have been taught and/or modeled to remain tight-lipped ("The Importance of Cultural Competence," Fink! Still at Large, September 2004, p. 19). Despite the DSM's attempts...

ECT misperceptions widespread.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... Of all available treatments in psychiatry, few elicit as much negative reaction as electroconvulsive therapy, arguably the most effective treatment for some of the most serious forms of depression and other major psychiatric disorders...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2004... An inaccuracy occurred in Table 2, page 10, of the CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY NEWS supplement, "New Findings in Schizophrenia: An Update on Causes and Treatment." A corrected table has been placed in the Web version. To view the supplement containing...

Length of therapy and depression.(FINK STILL AT LARGE)
December 1, 2004... A recent study found that patients with depression who had more than 12 sessions did not progress as fast as did those who had fewer. Have you found that some depressed patients do better with fewer sessions? Least Improvement = Most...

The pitfalls of regulating academia.(GUEST EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, and multiple other national, state, and local agencies are very, very busy, ensuring quality of care. No one can argue with the desired...

One patient, three diagnoses.(GUEST EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... Clinicians managing patients with a dual diagnosis face a myriad of challenges in caring for coexisting substance abuse and psychiatric disorders. But there are also "triple-diagnosis" patients--those with a psychiatric disorder, substance...

Eliminating seclusion and restraint.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
December 1, 2004... Almost 4 years ago, those of us working in the psychiatric unit at Salem (Ore.) Hospital initiated a new approach to the treatment of acutely ill inpatients. Our vision was to create an environment in which psychiatric patients could find...

Are caps the answer to the malpractice crisis?(PRO & CON)
December 1, 2004... YES Multiple fires are burning in our health care system today. But the malpractice insurance crisis is among the most serious, and ironically, the one that can be most easily remedied. Caps on noneconomic damages are a critical first...

Smoking cessation by race.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A survey has found mixed results about smoking cessation among African Americans, reported Gary King, Ph.D., of Pennsylvania State University, University Park. In the study of 30,660 African Americans and 209,828 whites aged 18-64 years,...

Seasonality of birth in SAD.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The season of birth may affect the development of seasonal affective disorder, reported Edda Pjrek, M.D., of the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, and colleagues. The researchers studied 553 SAD patients (426 women, 127 men) diagnosed...

Therapy for at-risk patients.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Cognitive therapy appears to be a promising intervention to prevent or delay psychosis in help-seeking, high-risk patients, said Anthony P. Morrison, Clin.Psy.D., University of Manchester, United Kingdom. In a controlled trial of 58...

Generalized social phobia Tx.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... For adults with generalized social phobia, fluoxetine and comprehensive cognitive behavior therapy (CCBT) were more effective than placebo. But combining the two therapies was no more effective than monotherapy, reported Jonathan R.T. Davidson,...

Adjunctive psychotherapy benefits bipolar patients.(Adult Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... STOCKHOLM -- Adjunctive treatment with psychotherapy can be very beneficial to patients with bipolar disorder, decreasing relapse rates by up to 40% and significantly improving social functioning. These kinds of therapies appear to be...

Ziprasidone in bipolar mania.(EVIDENCE-BASED PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE)
December 1, 2004... The Problem You have a patient diagnosed with bipolar I disorder who has cycled into a severe manic episode with psychotic features. He refuses treatment with typical mood stabilizers such as lithium, valproate, or carbamazepine. Because...

The art of Richard McLean.(VISIONARY ART)
December 1, 2004... In many ways, schizophrenia sneaks up on you. That's the way it happened for Australian artist, author, and graphic designer Richard McLean. While he was studying fine art at a university and traveling through Europe, first a deep...

Strategies for treating PTSD.(THE PSYCHIATRIST'S TOOLBOX)
December 1, 2004... In the course of our careers, many of us have run across terms like shell shock, soldier's heart, combat neurosis, combat fatigue, or--get this--Da Costa syndrome, known for more than a century as neurocirculatory asthenia, and a favorite term...

Visual stimulus and antidepressant adherence.(Adult Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Depressed patients who perceive a neutral facial expression as a look of anger, fear, disgust, or sadness are more likely to have somatoform symptoms and less likely to adhere to antidepressant therapy than are patients who...

FDA okays treatment exemption study for VNS in chronic depression.(Adult Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... Up to 100 patients with life-threatening treatment-resistant depression will receive vagus nerve stimulator therapy as part of a treatment investigational device exemption study the Food and Drug Administration approved after rejecting an...

Mirtazapine tied to psychomotor deficits.(Adult Psychiatry)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... STOCKHOLM -- In healthy adults, mirtazapine is initially associated with more driving errors and decreased performance on divided attention tests, compared with escitalopram, but these deficits subside with continued treatment, Marleen Wingen...

Proportion of women scoring 13 or higher on Edinburgh postnatal depression scale.(DATA WATCH)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
December 1, 2004... Proportion of Women Scoring 13 or Higher On Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale 6 months or less 23% 7-12 months 17% 13-18 months 17% 19-24 months 20% Time Since Birth Note: Based on an online survey...

Treating sexual dysfunction: antidepressant-associated SD tends to be dose related, but a dosage reduction can prove risky.(PRACTICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY)
December 1, 2004... Sexual dysfunction is commonly encountered in psychiatric practice as both a symptom of major mental disorders and a consequence of their treatment. In the last decade, considerable attention has been paid to the latter issue. This is a...

Web sites selling 'herbal Viagra' fail to fully inform users.(Adult Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Important gaps in the information provided by Web sites selling herbal treatments for erectile dysfunction could put buyers in danger, Ramesh Thurairaja, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association....

Disordered eating in girls: weight status is key.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Data from an ongoing longitudinal study suggest that both individual factors and family environment play an important role in the development of maladaptive eating, Leann L. Birch, Ph.D., said at an international conference...

Dangers of untreated depression are examined.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Some antidepressant medications may increase suicidal ideation in pediatric patients, but untreated depression is deadly without question, David Feinberg, M.D., said at a meeting sponsored by the Los Angeles Pediatric Society. ...

Gay, bisexual youth at risk for suicidal ideation, action.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... ST. LOUIS -- North American teens who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual have a significantly increased risk of suicidal ideation or suicide attempts, according to a secondary analysis of eight large North American school surveys. The analysis,...

Internalizing, externalizing behaviors help predict medication adherence.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... MIAMI -- Internalizing and externalizing behaviors significantly predicted treatment adherence in suicidal adolescents in the 6 months after psychiatric hospitalization, Diane Chen said at the annual conference of the American Association of...

Family meals affect eating disorders.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... In a survey of 4,746 ethnically diverse teenagers (mean age 15 years), girls who reported eating at least five meals a week with their families were significantly less likely to demonstrate disordered eating patterns than those who ate no meals...

Risperidone improves autistim.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Children aged 5-12 years with autism or other pervasive developmental disorders who received risperidone showed a 64% improvement in irritability scores after 8 weeks, compared with a 31% improvement in a placebo group, said Sarah Shea, M.D.,...

Meditation relieves ADHD stress.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Children who participated in a 6-week meditation program with their parents showed significant improvements in behavior, self-esteem, and relationship quality, said Linda Harrison, Ph.D., of Charles Sturt University, New South Wales, Australia,...

Substance use underestimated.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Primary care providers identified only 18 adolescents with substance use problems out of more than 100 teens who met the substance use criteria based on the Adolescent Diagnostic Interview, said Celeste R. Wilson, M.D., of Harvard University,...

Counseling less likely for black teens.(CLINICAL CAPSULES)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... In a study of 3,963 adolescents who scored in the top third on an emotional distress scale survey, 8% of black adolescents reported receiving psychological counseling, significantly less than white adolescents (19%) and Hispanic adolescents...

Hostility may play role in nicotine addiction.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... BETHESDA, MD. -- Adolescents and people who are naturally hostile may be more biologically susceptible to the effects of nicotine. At least that's what researchers at the Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center at the University of...

Adding bupropion to patch fails to improve smoking cessation.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... Bupropion hydrochloride does not improve smoking cessation rates among adolescents when added to nicotine patch therapy, according to a randomized clinical trial. There is a paucity of controlled studies assessing strategies for adolescent...

Teens drop drugs, add pounds in substance abuse facility.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... Adolescents in a substance abuse recovery facility gained an average of 11 pounds during the first 60 days of their stay, said Candace C. Hodgkins, who is a doctoral candidate at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and her colleagues. ...

Donepezil may help behavioral responses in AD.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Alzheimer's disease patients who do not obtain clear-cut cognitive benefits with donepezil nonetheless often experience significant improvement in behavioral symptoms of the dementia. Ralf Ihl, M.D., said at Wonca 2004, the...

CV risk factors may be bad for brain, as well as heart.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Dyslipidemia, obesity, and hypertension aren't just bad for the heart. They're bad for the brain, too. Data from three large population-based studies presented at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and...

Ounce of prevention worth pound of cognition: patients who follow standard preventive health advice may protect themselves against dementia.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Tried and true preventive health advice may have a newly recognized benefit: prevention of cognitive impairment. New data presented at the Ninth International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders suggest...

Quetiapine useful for treating dementia-related agitation.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Quetiapine is effective and safe in treating agitation associated with dementia in long-term care residents, Pierre Tariot, M.D., reported at the Ninth International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders. ...

Research suggests that food may be addictive.(Addiction Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... People who claim to be addicted to sugar, Big Macs, or chocolate just might be right, a growing body of research shows. Several papers published recently in the Journal of Addictive Diseases suggest that food competes with marijuana and...

Exposure to anesthetic may promote addiction: study shows anesthesiologists are exposed to fentanyl despite its intravenous administration.(Addiction Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Exposure to fentanyl in the operating room may fuel the consistently high rates of substance abuse among anesthesiologists, Mark S. Gold, M.D., reported at the annual conference of the Association for Medical Education and...

Topiramate may help addicts refrain from using cocaine.(Addiction Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... The anticonvulsant topiramate helped recovering cocaine addicts abstain from cocaine significantly more than a placebo in a pilot study of 40 patients, said Kyle M. Kampman, M.D., and his associates at the University of Pennsylvania,...

Men and women smokers: what startle responses show.(Addiction Psychiatry)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... SANTA FE, N. M. -- Men smoke to increase positive affect, and women smoke to reduce negative affect, according to a poster presented by Joanne M. Hogle and John J. Curtin, Ph.D., at the annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological...

Let's not miss warning signs.(PERSPECTIVE)
December 1, 2004... Children who witness violence--particularly domestic violence--often fly outside of the radar. That's why clinicians, therapists, and caregivers must be cognizant of the telltale signs. Among them: * Traumatic play. Violence-exposed...

Childhood exposure to violence.(PREVENTION IN ACTION)
December 1, 2004... Little boys trying out for the local football team expect to get tackled. They don't expect to get shot. Yet that's what happened to 11-year-old Jenry Gonzales in August as the Boston youngster was running drills with nearly 100 other young...

Clozapine is a proven choice for suicidal patients.(Community Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... STOCKHOLM -- Despite the potential for serious side effects, clozapine remains a highly effective medication for schizophrenia patients with suicidal behavior, reducing the risk of suicide attempt by up to 85%. Herbert Meltzer, M.D., said at...

Psychopathy, Asperger's: a 'serious' combination; Dahmer also had schizoid personality disorder features and schizotypal pathology, expert says.(Forensic Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- The late convicted serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer probably had Asperger's syndrome, Arturo J. Silva, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. People like Mr. Dahmer "have...

Psychopaths appear less attuned to facial emotions.(Forensic Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... SANTA FE, N.M. -- Psychopaths are far more likely than are control patients to make errors on a task requiring the identification of facial emotions while showing no differences in a similar task requiring identification of letters of the...

Psychopaths show deviant responses to aversive stimuli.(Forensic Psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... SANTA FE, N.M. -- Psychopaths show decreased startle responses compared with nonpsychopaths when viewing aversive photographs, Edward M. Bernat, Ph.D., reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for...

Incarcerated women experience mental decline.(forensic psychiatry)
December 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Women who are incarcerated have more substance dependence problems and mental illnesses than their male counterparts, and their health appears to deteriorate more rapidly than that of nonincarcerated women, Catherine Lewis,...

Functional MRI helps to predict depression recovery.(neuropsychiatric medicine)
December 1, 2004... SANTA FE, N.M. -- Activation in six brain regions to emotional stimuli can predict which patients will recover from depression, Ian H. Gotlib, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research. In a...

Survey: Parkinson's symptoms respond poorly to drug Tx.(neuropsychiatric medicine)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- If it sometimes seems that patients with Parkinson's disease aren't all that thrilled with their available treatment options, there's a good reason: The symptoms that patients typically find most troubling are poorly responsive...

FDA approves extended-release hydromorphone.(pain medicine)(Food and Drug Administration)
December 1, 2004... The approval of an extended-release formulation of the potent opioid agonist hydromorphone was accompanied by a risk management plan aimed at reducing abuse and minimizing diversion of the drug, a notorious problem with the controlled-release...

Research suggests existence of true sinus headache.(pain medicine)
December 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Most so-called sinus headaches are actually migraines, but a small subset of these headaches cannot be classified as anything else. Dr. Eric J. Eross said at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society. Many...

Muscle tenderness seen in pelvic pain patients.(pain medicine)
December 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Up to a fourth of women with chronic pelvic pain also have piriformis or levator ani tenderness, according to a study presented by Dr. Frank Tu at a meeting sponsored by the International Pelvic Pain Society. Musculoskeletal...

Migraine underdiagnosed in HMO population.(pain medicine)(health maintenance organizations)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Even in a health maintenance organization, few patients with migraine are identified, diagnosed, and treated--even fewer than previous epidemiologic studies of the population have suggested, Marcelo E. Bigal, M.D., reported...

Antispasmodic improves triptan's migraine relief.(pain medicine)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Combining a triptan with a smooth muscle relaxant used to treat irritable bowel syndrome helped achieve rapid relief of migraine, presumably because the relaxant helped to overcome the gastroparesis that is thought to occur...

Trigeminal surgery: two targets better than one.(Pain Medicine)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Using two targets on the trigeminal nerve during radiosurgery provides better intermediate-term pain relief of neuralgia than does the traditional method, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the American...

Chemotherapy may affect aspects of neuropsychological function.(psychosomatic medicine)
December 1, 2004... LOS ANGELES -- Cancer patients call it "chemobrain"--a soggy mental state that seems to be a frequent side effect of chemotherapy. It is rarely studied and poorly understood, but as the number of cancer survivors grows, the impact of...

Pain relievers.(psychosomatic medicine)
December 1, 2004... "While I'm looking through your suitcase, Dr. Manheim will check your emotional baggage."

About one-third of asthmatics report poor sleep quality.(psychosomatic medicine)
December 1, 2004... SEATTLE -- About 30% of patients with asthma report that their sleep quality is either "fairly bad" or "bad," according to one of the largest studies to use objective sleep measurements in this patient population. "Sleep quality is...

Drug pipeline for obesity holds 189 contenders.(Across Specialties)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Drugs in development will soon offer more hope to patients struggling to control their weight, Louis Aronne, M.D., said at a symposium on obesity sponsored by the American Society of Bariatric Physicians. The future of...

Valproic acid strongly linked to birth defects.
December 1, 2004... Physicians seeing young girls and women with epilepsy now have strong reason to ensure the prescription of newer antiepileptic drugs whenever possible. New data suggest that older antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), particularly valproic acid, are...

Hispanics have low rates of BP control; aggressive intervention is warranted.(Across Specialties)
December 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- Hispanics have the lowest rates of hypertension treatment and control in the United States, and hypertension-related mortality in this population is on the rise, according to data from several studies presented at a prevention...

FDA orders new rules for OTC labels.(over-the-counter drugs)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Oral over-the-counter drugs containing specific levels of calcium, magnesium, sodium, or potassium must now include the amount of these ingredients in the labeling, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The change is aimed at...

Exenatide phase III data promising for diabetes.(Across Specialties)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Synthetic exendin-4 improved blood glucose control and was associated with weight loss in patients with type 2 diabetes who were inadequately controlled on metformin, sulfonylureas, or a combination of the two, Ralph A....

Better blood sugar control may improve memory.(Across Specialties)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Improved glycemic control appears to improve working memory in patients with type 2 diabetes, Mark W. J. Strachan, M.D., reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. A relatively large...

Hormone raised patients' exercise capacity by 7%.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Physiologic doses of growth hormone can increase exercise capacity in adults with growth hormone deficiency, as well as improve their body composition and lipid levels, Jostein Hallen, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the...

GAO: Medicare payment fix will raise spending 4%-23%.(practice trends)
December 1, 2004... No matter what the solution is, fixing the Medicare physician reimbursement formula is sure to be a costly venture, the Government Accountability Office concluded in a report. Modifications to the sustainable growth rate (SGR), a component...

Bush signs suicide prevention bill.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... President George W. Bush has signed the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, which allocates $82 million over a 3-year period to fund suicide prevention programs for college students, as well as a federal Suicide Technical Assistance Center that...

Dual diagnosis in addiction patients.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Almost half (47%) of the 1.1 million people enrolled in drug and alcohol treatment on a typical day in 2003 were being treated for both problems, according to a survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. An...

Anthem-WellPoint merger.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Anthem Inc., the for-profit Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance giant that covers nearly 13 million people, will need to start paying special attention to the needs of mental health patients. As part of its $16.4 billion merger deal with...

Health IT adoption.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services are putting some money behind their push to adopt health information technology (IT). HHS awarded $139 million in grants and contracts to communities, hospitals, physicians, states, and...

Internet medical journal launched.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Public Library of Science, a coalition of researchers and physicians founded 4 years ago by Nobel Prize winner and former National Institutes of Health director Harold Varmus, M.D., has launched PLoS Medicine, a free online medical journal....