Family Practice News articles from April 2008

Family Practice News archives from April 2008

Flexibility is key to locum tenens stint.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ever wonder what it would be like to live and work in a remote village in New Zealand, or to travel around the United States practicing medicine along the way? Since leaving his full-time family practice in June...

Moderate drinking cut heart event risks by 38%: event rates were 6.9% versus 10.7%.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
April 1, 2008... COLORADO SPRINGS -- Former nondrinkers who initiated moderate alcohol consumption in middle age experienced a 38% reduction in cardiovascular events over 4 years, compared with continued nondrinkers in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities...

CDC: more than 3 million teenage girls have an STI.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- More than 3 million teenage girls have at least one sexually transmitted infection, and 15% of those have multiple infections, according to the first large study of STIs in this population. Overall, 26% of 14- to 19-year-olds...

MedPAC: primary care is undervalued.(News)
April 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Saying that primary care is undervalued, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission might recommend that Congress increase payment for primary care and pilot test a medical home program. MedPAC met in March to discuss various...

Health care spending to hit $4.3 trillion by 2017.(News)
April 1, 2008... Health care spending in the United States is projected to consume nearly 20% of the gross domestic product by 2017, according to estimates from economists at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Health care spending growth is...

Again, Medicare Advantage is eyed for fee fix.(News)
April 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- With Congress scrambling to come up with the funds to avert a physician fee cut scheduled for July, it appears once again that Medicare Advantage is being eyed as a funding source by Democrats but as sacrosanct by Republicans,...

HPV vaccination talk turns to older women.(News)(human papillomavirus)
April 1, 2008... ATLANTA -- Adult women in their mid20s to mid-40s could become the next group recommended for human papillomavirus vaccination. The currently licensed quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Merck & Co.'s Gardasil) is indicated for the prevention of...

Syphilis infection rates in U.S. jumped 12% from 2006 to 2007.(News)(united states)
April 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- The rate of syphilis in the United States has increased for the 7th consecutive year, jumping 12% from 2006 to 2007, according to preliminary evidence released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The upsurge was...

Guidelines limit use of fecal occult blood testing: only screening methods with sensitivities above 50% are recommended since repeat testing is often skipped.(News)
April 1, 2008... New joint consensus guidelines on screening for colorectal cancer recommend against the use of the most common form of the fecal occult blood test and add stool DNA testing and computed tomographic colonography to a list of the recommended...

Reliability of CT colonography for screening is questioned.(News)(Computed tomographic colonography)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... CT colonography may be getting polyp sizes wrong, a problem that calls into question the reliability of CT colonography as a tool for colorectal cancer screening. A comparison of 82 colonic polyps that were sized using both CT colonography...

Prescription cough product may be fatal at high doses.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)
April 1, 2008... Deaths and life-threatening side effects associated with the misuse of a long-acting, prescription cough medicine that contains hydrocodone have prompted the Food and Drug Administration to issue a public health advisory about the dangers of...

Another continuous glucose monitor is approved for the U.S.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)
April 1, 2008... Abbott's Freestyle Navigator Continuous Glucose Monitoring System was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use by patients with diabetes. Already licensed in Europe since June 2007, the Freestyle Navigator is the third...

Panel votes for continued, but limited ESA use in oncology.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(erythropoietin-stimulating agents )
April 1, 2008... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- A federal advisory panel voted 13-1 that erythropoietin-stimulating agents should continue to be marketed for chemotherapy-induced anemia despite concern that their use could have a negative impact on survival in cancer...

We all need to step up.(Guest editorial)
April 1, 2008... Like many adolescent medicine providers, I was caught off guard by the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention population-based study showing that, overall, one in four 14-to 19-year-olds tested positive for at least one...

Population growth limits matter, too.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... It was delightful to read about psychiatrist Dr. Lise Van Susteren and her environmental activism ("Why I Serve in Mother Earth's Cavalry," The Rest of Your Life, Feb. 15, 2008, p. 44). The practical items mentioned are valuable tools to...

Global warming? Don't sweat it!(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... A little historical perspective might be in order regarding the article about Dr. Lise Van Susteren and global warming. First, the temperature of the planet has fluctuated before the dawn of man. From the 1950s until the mid-1970s, 70 years...

It's time for parity.(Guest editorial)
April 1, 2008... As mental health professionals and primary care providers know very well, mental health and addiction treatment parity is long overdue in this country. The 1996 Mental Health Parity Act--sponsored by my father, the late Sen. Paul Wellstone...

Coronary calcium imaging has multiple uses.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
April 1, 2008... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- The most intriguing potential application for coronary artery calcium imaging is as a tool to track atherosclerosis progression over time in response to treatment, Dr. Matthew J. Budoff said at a conference sponsored by the...

ICDs have little impact on sudden death rates.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator )
April 1, 2008... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy has failed to make an appreciable dent in the enormous public health problem of sudden cardiac death, the leading cause of mortality in the United States. "The data are...

Mortality benefit seen in moderate drinking post MI.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
April 1, 2008... COLORADO SPRINGS -- Moderate alcohol consumption following a first nonfatal acute MI appeared to protect against cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in the Physicians' Health Study. This protective effect of moderate drinking was most...

Diastolic pressure, cognitive impairment linked.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... NEW ORLEANS -- Increased diastolic blood pressure levels are associated with cognitive impairment, findings from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study suggest. More than 27,800 participants from REGARDS--a...

Mechanical clot removal device shows promise for stroke prevention.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... NEW ORLEANS -- A novel clot removal device appears safe and effective for revascularizing patients with acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion, according to results of a multicenter study of 125 acute stroke patients. Of...

Controlling hypertension after stroke cut the risk of mortality at 3 months.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
April 1, 2008... NEW ORLEANS -- Treatment of dangerously high blood pressure in the period immediately following an acute stroke was associated with significantly reduced 3-month mortality in the randomized, placebo-controlled Control of Hypertension and...

Aspirin resistance not tied to metabolic syndrome.(Metabolic Disorders)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... The presence of metabolic syndrome did not affect aspirin nonresponsiveness in a study of 104 patients receiving chronic aspirin therapy. There was no significant difference in aspirin nonresponsiveness, which was defined as platelet...

DHEA helps some aspects of Addison's disease.(Metabolic Disorders)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... Dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation appears to have some benefit in patients with primary adrenal insufficiency. But it does not change fat mass, improve cognitive or sexual function, or necessarily alleviate physical fatigue, according to a...

Screen for thyroid problems before starting ED therapy.(Metabolic Disorders)(erectile dysfunction)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... Men with erectile dysfunction should be screened for thyroid disease before any ED-specific treatment is prescribed, researchers concluded based on a study of men treated at a thyroid clinic. Among men with ED in whom thyroid dysfunction is...

Ultrasound helps identify bone defects in women with type 2.(Metabolic Disorders)
April 1, 2008... Ultrasound findings from a cross-sectional study of 162 postmenopausal women might help explain the paradox that women with type 2 diabetes can have higher bone mineral density than nondiabetic women and yet have a greater risk of fractures....

Epidural steroid shots up diabetics' blood sugars.(Metabolic Disorders)
April 1, 2008... ORLANDO -- Glucocorticosteroids that are epidurally administered produce a transient increase in fasting blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine....

Unanswered questions, lack of data complicate incretin therapy.(Metabolic Disorders)
April 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- The new incretin mimetic exenatide and the incretin enhancer sitagliptin both have unique properties that need to be taken into account when prescribing them, American Diabetes Association president Dr. John B. Buse said at a...

Data suggest [HbA.sub.1c] can't be switched to mean blood glucose.(Metabolic Disorders)
April 1, 2008... Attempts to translate hemoglobin [A.sub.lc] into mean blood glucose via a mathematical formula are likely to introduce substantial error, according to data from an analysis of continuous glucose monitoring data in 47 children with type 1...

CDC addresses shortage of IG, rabies vaccine.(Infectious Diseases)(immunoglobulins)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... ATLANTA -- Supplies of human rabies biologicals for pre- or postexposure prophylaxis in the United States are "manageable, but are expected to be less than ideal" over the next few years, Charles E. Rupprecht, V.M.D., said at the winter meeting...

New norovirus strains virulent cause of diarrhea.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2008... LA JOLLA, CALIF. -- Infectious disease experts are concerned about the circulation of two new GII.4 norovirus strains that emerged in 2006 in the United States. Previously referred to as calicivirus, norovirus is transmitted through food,...

Abnormal pap smear rates fall since HPV vaccine.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2008... Abnormal Pap tests and cervical procedures have already declined markedly among young women who were vaccinated against the human papillomavirus in three pivotal clinical trials, according to data presented in Tampa at the annual meeting of the...

Link between HPV and oral cancers backed by new data.(Infectious Diseases)(human papillomavirus)
April 1, 2008... Researchers in Montreal have reported new evidence supporting a strong causal association between human papillomavirus infection and tonsil-related oral cancers. The study also found that human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 seropositivity...

Early syphilis often missed in HIV-positive men.(Infectious Diseases)(Human immunodeficiency virus)
April 1, 2008... BOSTON -- The diagnosis of syphilis is often delayed in HIV-positive patients, as it is characterized by a wide range of symptoms that may not be recognized as infection with Treponema pallidum, according to Dr. Lawrence A. Siegel of the...

Lack of circumcision, immunity linked to HIV vaccine failure.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2008... BOSTON -- The increased risk of HIV infection observed in the now-defunct trial of Merck's experimental trivalent HIV vaccine V520 was greatest in uncircumcised men with high preexisting immunity to the vaccine's delivery vector, the adenovirus...

Two nucleoside analogues shown to increase risk of MI.(Infectious Diseases)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... BOSTON -- Recent use of the nucleoside analogues abacavir and didanosine is associated with a significantly increased risk of myocardial infarction in HIV-infected individuals, whereas treatment with the thymidine analogues appears to convey no...

Value of melanoma biopsy technique is revised.(Skin Disorders)
April 1, 2008... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- An incisional biopsy that fails to remove all of a pigmented skin lesion suspected of melanoma certainly isn't optimal, but it doesn't adversely affect overall or disease-free survival, Dr. Daniel G. Colt said at the annual...

Dermoscopy may enhance melanoma risk assessment.(Skin Disorders)
April 1, 2008... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- Nevi displaying a specific high-risk pattern on dermoscopy appear to indicate a several-fold greater melanoma risk than is conferred by the presence of clinical dysplastic nevi, Dr. Allan C. Halpern said at the annual Hawaii...

COBRA trial opens door to all-topical therapy in psoriasis.(Skin Disorders)
April 1, 2008... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- Clobetasol propionate spray 0.05% resulted in dramatic clinical improvement with a low rate of adverse events and excellent acceptance in patients with moderate to severe generalized psoriasis in the largest community-based...

Watchful waiting best in kids' neurofibromatosis.(Skin Disorders)
April 1, 2008... LA JOLLA, CALIF. -- The way Dr. Lynne M. Bird sees it, the $1,500 gene sequencing test for neurofibromatosis type 1 in children is rarely necessary because it usually does not change clinical management. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] She...

Follow-up surveillance for primary melanomas often overdone.(Skin Disorders)
April 1, 2008... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- Dermatologic surveillance following diagnosis of a primary melanoma is often overly intensive, Dr. Daniel G. Coit asserted at the annual Hawaii dermatology seminar sponsored by Skin Disease Education Foundation. "The...

Postpartum depression is linked to prior obesity.(Mental Health)
April 1, 2008... DALLAS -- Obese women may be at increased risk for postpartum depression, new research suggests. In a prospective analysis of 1,282 women who gave birth to singleton infants at term, nearly 30% of women with a prepregnancy body mass index...

Antidepressant, behavioral Tx may ease poststroke depression.(Mental Health)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... NEW ORLEANS -- Individuals with poststroke depression may respond best in the short term to a combination of a brief psychosocial and behavioral intervention and an antidepressant, Pamela H. Mitchell, Ph.D., reported at the International Stroke...

In SSRI-resistant depression in teens, switch to CBT, new drug.(Mental Health)
April 1, 2008... Adolescents with depression that fails to respond to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor show more improvement with a switch to cognitive-behavioral therapy and another medication regimen than with a switch to a medication regimen alone,...

Fasting glucose levels tied to preeclampsia.(Women's Health)(Medical condition overview)
April 1, 2008... GLASGOW, SCOTLAND -- Fasting plasma glucose levels in pregnant women are associated with the development of preeclampsia, according to the latest data to be released from the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome study. Principal...

Patient perception of teratogenic risk.(Drugs, Pregnancy, And Lactation)
April 1, 2008... Ever since the thalidomide disaster almost 50 years ago, people have been fearful of the possible teratogenic effects of medications, and many pregnant women believe almost any drug is teratogenic. The way in which they and their families...

Health risks shifted after WHI patients stopped hormone therapy.(Women's Health)
April 1, 2008... In the 3 years after the Women's Health Initiative clinical trial was halted early, risks and benefits related to hormone therapy changed rapidly in those who stopped taking the medication, according to WHI investigators. Despite these...

Letrozole stems breast ca return after tamoxifen.(Women's Health)
April 1, 2008... Use of the aromatase inhibitor letrozole was linked to a significant 63% reduction in disease recurrence in women with early-stage breast cancer who completed 5 years of tamoxifen therapy 1 to 7 years earlier, results of a phase III study...

Prostate cancer prognosis favorable in PSA era.(Men's Health)
April 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- Men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the era of prostate-specific antigen screening and treated with radical prostatectomy are unlikely to die of the disease, even if they have adverse risk factors, a review of 6,398 patients...

News of prostate cancer boosts heart attack rates: in the year following diagnosis, the risk of having a heart attack was 50% higher compared with norms.(Men's Health)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- Telling a man that he has prostate cancer can give him a heart attack--literally, Dr. Fang Fang said at a symposium on genitourinary cancers. Men given a diagnosis of prostate cancer were 50% more likely to have a...

Data may ease concerns about risks from GnRH agonists.(Men's Health)(gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist )(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- Adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist did not increase deaths from cardiovascular causes in a randomized, controlled clinical trial that enrolled 945 men with locally advanced...

TNF-blocker approved for juvenile idiopathic arthritis.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)(Tumor necrosis factor)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... The Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of the tumor necrosis factor blocker adalimumab for treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis makes it the first biologic treatment approved for this indication since the 1999 approval of the...

New approach to plantar fasciitis pain aims to address biomechanics.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
April 1, 2008... ORLANDO -- Botulinum toxin injected at the plantar fascia insertion and at the gastrocnemiussoleus complex relieved chronic plantar fasciitis pain better than did standard treatment, according to the findings of a small, randomized controlled...

MRI overused to assess osteoarthritis patients.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)(Magnetic resonance imaging)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- Magnetic resonance imaging is often ordered before patients are referred for total knee arthroplasty, yet MRI confers minimal or no benefit, compared with taking weight-bearing and skyline patella-view x-rays of patients with...

PPI therapy may be tied to respiratory infections.(Digestive Disorders)
April 1, 2008... MONTREAL -- The association of proton pump inhibitors with an increased risk of severe respiratory infections is dramatically pronounced in the first 2 weeks of drug therapy, according to a new study. However, the reasons for this...

Surgery rarely needed for pediatric GERD.(Digestive Disorders)(gastroesophageal reflux disease)
April 1, 2008... SALT LAKE CITY -- Surgery is not needed for pediatric patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease to prevent the likelihood that the patient will go on to develop Barrett's esophagus or adenocarcinoma, Dr. David Gremse said. "Since the...

An elemental diet is a last resort in esophagitis.(Digestive Disorders)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- Use of an elemental diet in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis is extremely effective--albeit draconian, disruptive, and seldom necessary, Dr. David M. Fleischer said at a meeting on allergy and respiratory disease...

Questions about the epidemiology remain.(Digestive Disorders)
April 1, 2008... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- Does the sharp escalation in diagnoses of eosinophilic esophagitis in the past several decades reflect a true emerging epidemic of a relatively new disease, or is it merely an artifact of greater physician recognition? ...

Treating comorbidities may not benefit asthma.(Pulmonary Medicine)
April 1, 2008... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- Optimal treatment of allergic rhinitis symptoms provides no added benefit in terms of improved control of coexistent asthma, Dr. Harold S. Nelson said at a meeting on allergy and respiratory disease sponsored by the National...

Extensively drug-resistant TB: coming to a location near you.(Pulmonary Medicine)
April 1, 2008... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- Epidemiologic trends indicate that American physicians will increasingly encounter extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in coming years, Dr. Charles L. Daley said at a meeting on allergy and respiratory disease sponsored...

Tuberculosis pipeline holds promise for drug-resistant strain.(Pulmonary Medicine)
April 1, 2008... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- New drugs are desperately needed to address the growing problem of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis--and help appears to be on the way. Indeed, the drug development pipeline for anti-TB medications is remarkably...

Goals of therapy should guide end-of-life care.(Geriatric Medicine)
April 1, 2008... TAMPA -- Physicians caring for older adults at the end of life commonly have to treat these patients for urinary incontinence and delirium and often must decide whether the use of feeding tubes would be helpful. Several experts offered...

Outpatient arterial procedures appear safe for octogenarians.(Geriatric Medicine)
April 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Contrary to common belief, octogenarians can safely undergo diagnostic arteriography and arterial interventions as outpatient procedures. That was the conclusion of a retrospective comparison of outpatient arterial procedures...

Secondary-stroke prevention guidelines updated.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2008... An update to the secondary-stroke prevention guidelines included an upgraded recommendation to treat most patients with the combination of aspirin plus extended-release dipyridamole, and a broader recommendation to use a statin on most patients...

Use of aspirin may play a role in racial disparities in stroke mortality.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2008... NEW ORLEANS -- Differential prophylactic aspirin use may contribute to racial disparities in stroke mortality, but does not seem to play a role in geographic disparities, according to findings from a cohort of patients in the ongoing Reasons...

Mortality appears to rise in the 2 years following TIA.(Clinical Rounds)(transient ischemic attacks)
April 1, 2008... NEW ORLEANS -- Mortality is high in the 2 years following an emergency department visit for transient ischemic attack, with most patient deaths attributable to cardiovascular or cerebrovascular causes, Dr. Anthony S. Kim told the International...

Deferasirox's safety for sickle cell persists.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2008... ATLANTA -- A 4-year extension trial of 159 patients with sickle cell disease treated with the oral iron chelator deferasirox showed a continuation of benefit with the drug and a "manageable" tolerability profile with no renal toxicity or new...

Factor V Leiden testing not advised by genetics experts.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2008... ATLANTA -- An inherited mutation, Factor V Leiden puts people at risk for life-threatening blood clots. Carriers can be identified with a simple blood test, so why not use it? "Genetic testing is highly controversial. This is really not...

Rivaroxaban beats enoxaparin as buffer to thromboembolism.(Clinical Rounds)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... ATLANTA -- Rivaroxaban, an investigational oral anticoagulant, is significantly more effective than subcutaneous enoxaparin--the current standard of care--in warding off deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in patients who have undergone...

Daily 10-minute tread can help ease chronic pain.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2008... ORLANDO -- A physical conditioning program that consisted of just 10 minutes a day of walking on a treadmill at a moderate pace for 3 weeks significantly improved measures of pain perception, aerobic capacity, depression, and anxiety, in...

Pain rehabilitation programs help reduce medication costs.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2008... ORLANDO -- A comprehensive, 3-week rehabilitation program for chronic pain patients cut spending on oral medications, and these cost savings persisted for 6 months after program completion, according to the findings of a prospective cohort...

Methadone is an effective but complex choice for pain.(Clinical Rounds)
April 1, 2008... TAMPA -- Methadone is an excellent choice for pain management when the prescribing complexities are understood, said two experts at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Hospice and Palliative...

TPA may benefit those on antiplatelet agents.(Clinical Rounds)(tissue plasminogen activator)
April 1, 2008... It may not be necessary to withhold tissue plasminogen activator from patients with acute ischemic stroke who are already taking antiplatelet therapy, researchers reported. The antiplatelet therapy does put these patients at increased risk...

Excessive daytime sleepiness may signal elevated stroke risk.(Clinical Rounds)(Clinical report)
April 1, 2008... NEW ORLEANS -- People who experience routine episodes of dozing during the daytime may have a higher risk of stroke and other vascular events, according to a prospective, community-based cohort study of more than 2,000 people. The risk of...

Comorbidities flag sleep disorders.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Patients diagnosed with a sleep disorder were more likely than control patients to have previously been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, heart failure, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to data from longitudinal cohort study. ...

Stress, not depression, ups stroke risk.(Clinical Capsules)
April 1, 2008... Psychological distress is associated with significantly greater risk of stroke, but depressive episodes are not, according to a study of more than 20,000 residents of Norfolk taking part in the United Kingdom arm of the 10-country European...

Patent foramen ovale tied to stroke.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Patent foramen ovale is significantly associated with cryptogenic stroke in people aged 55 years and older, as well as in younger stroke patients. Previous findings have suggested such an association, but few have included older patients,...

Closing in on microbial detail.(Genomic Medicine)
April 1, 2008... National press attention recently has focused on the dramatic scientific advances in our understanding of the genetics of common chronic disease. These advances have led to the establishment of several high-profile companies that are...

Include indication for use to avoid Rx errors.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... The soaring numbers of commonly used drugs with sound-alike and look-alike names have prompted the U.S. Pharmacopeia to ask physicians and pharmacists to include an "indication for use" on prescriptions. This and other recommendations are...

MDs not sleeping enough.(Policy & Practice)(Survey)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Physicians are not getting the sleep they need to function at their best during the day, and their current work schedules could be to blame, according to a survey from the American College of Chest Physicians. In the survey, 70% of physicians...

Woodcock named CDER head.(Policy & Practice)(Center for Drug Evaluation and Research)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Dr. Janet Woodcock has been named director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Dr. Woodcock, a rheumatologist, served as director of CDER once before, in the 1990s, and has served as acting director since October 2007. The...

CMS finds improper payments.(Policy & Practice)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... More than $371 million in improper Medicare payments was collected from or repaid to health care providers and suppliers in 2007 as part of a demonstration program that used recovery audit contractors in California, Florida, and New York, the...

NYC implementing EMRs.(Policy & Practice)(New York City)(emergency medical records)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... New York City is in the process of computerizing the medical records of patients for hospitals, community health clinics, and private physicians in a project that has cost about $60 million to date, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. More than 200...