Family Practice News articles from June 2004

Family Practice News archives from June 2004

Hot debate over reimported drugs: safety, quality at issue.
June 1, 2004... For Dr. Ronald I. Blum of Island Falls, Maine, the national debate on drug reimportation is old news. As a family physician whose practice is just 25 miles from the Canadian border, Dr. Blum said he estimates that at least one in 10 and...

Changes in brain tracked decades before Alzheimer's: neuroimaging techniques: may be useful in testing medications for treatment and prevention of the disease.
June 1, 2004... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- Brain imaging techniques are giving researchers invaluable clues about the development of Alzheimer's disease well before symptoms appear. Such techniques may offer the chance to test promising ways to prevent the disorder...

FDA draws fire on plan B, proposed label for OCs: changes exclude some OC benefits: was politics, not science, behind decisions?(Food and Drug Administration)(over-the-counter)(oral contraceptives)
June 1, 2004... The Food and Drug Administration's recent decision against over-the-counter status for the emergency contraceptive pill known as Plan B enraged many women's health advocates, who say the decision marks a departure from science and represents a...

Marker may help in early MS detection: whole-brain n-acetylaspartate.(News)(multiple sclerosis)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- A comparison of magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy has revealed that neuronal injury precedes brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis, Dr. Oded Gonen reported at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society...

Prescribing internet information helps create better informed patients: using MedlinePlus.(News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Using a special prescription pad, physicians can direct patients to a free medical Web site that supplements advice given during office visits. The Information Rx prescription pad is a new component of the Internet Health...

CDC: flu shot recommended for 6 to 23-month-olds: schedule for July-December 2004.(News)
June 1, 2004... Routine annual influenza vaccination as now officially been added to the U.S. Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule issued by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Advisory...

Community-acquired MRSA infections rising: pediatric, soft tissue infections.(News)(methicillin-resistantS taphylococcus aureus)
June 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- The fraction of pediatric, community-acquired, soft tissue infections by Staphylococcus aureus that were caused by methicillin-resistant strains soared during 2002 and 2003 at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. By 2003,...

Sunglasses for kids.(Guest Editorial)
June 1, 2004... We have known for years that the bulk of the sun damage occurs in early childhood. Less well known, however, is the fact that the same can be said for certain sun-induced ocular diseases. Recently, I was invited to an ophthalmology meeting,...

Correction.(Opinion)(Correction Notice)
June 1, 2004... The article "Insulin-Sensitizing Effects Distinguish Carvedilol" (March 1, 2004, p. 20) should have stated that "the difference between carvedilol and the other [beta]-blockers amounted to a 25%-40% change in insulin sensitivity." The article...

A second varicella shot.(Guest Editorial)
June 1, 2004... Preliminary results from ongoing studies suggest that children stand to benefit from a second varicella vaccine as early as 3 months after their first immunization up to when they are ready to start school--around 5 or 6 years of age. ...

Low-carb diets: are they safe and effective?(Pro & Con)
June 1, 2004... YES With the low-carbohydrate diet craze sweeping the nation, concerned doctors have worried about emergency rooms filled with patients whose arteries are clogged. As many as 40 million people have tried low-carb diets in the past decade,...

Epilepsy guidelines focus on newer agents: off-label uses included.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Major new evidence-based guidelines on epilepsy treatment from the American Academy of Neurology encourage physicians to make far greater off-label use of seven antiepileptic medications that have come on the market in the last...

Options abound for fecally incontinent patients: careful patient selection required.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- Many modalities can bring relief and improve the quality of life of patients with fecal incontinence, but physicians must weigh the potential risks and benefits of conservative and surgical treatments, speakers said at...

Incontinence a key risk factor for perineal dermatitis: nursing home residents.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Older adults with fecal incontinence 3 months after nursing home admission are 5.1 times more likely than their healthy counterparts to develop perineal dermatitis, Donna Zimmaro Bliss, Ph.D., reported in a session at the annual...

Medical acceptance of core strengthening grows: prevents, relieves lower back pain.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Core strengthening, a hot trend in physical fitness, is finding acceptance by physicians in light of evidence that core exercises provide an effective way to treat, and maybe even prevent back pain and lower-extremity injury,...

Defibrillators becoming common at collegiate sports venues: NCAA study.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- About 90% of large universities have automated external defibrillators in their athletic facilities and those defibrillators have already saved lives, Dr. Jonathan Drezner said at the annual meeting of the American Medical...

Trans-capsaicin patch gives months of pain relief: single, hour-long application.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- A single, hour-long application of a novel, high-concentration trans-capsaicin skin patch provided an average of 19 weeks of sustained reduction in the pain of postherpetic neuralgia, Dr. Miroslav Backonja reported at the...

Health workers share blind spots on pain management: opioids, special populations.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- More than half of 950 health care workers incorrectly answered at least 11 of 24 questions about pain management, regardless of their level of medical training, Dr. Claudia Fegan reported at the annual meeting of the American...

Think restless legs in sleep-disturbed elderly: family history in half of cases.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... BETHESDA, MD. -- Physicians owe it to their patients to learn about restless legs syndrome, a neurologic disorder that usually presents as a sleep complaint and is remarkably disabling--more than even most sleep experts appreciate, Dr. Mark W....

Restless legs syndrome diagnosis, treatment found lacking: most cases go unrecognized.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Roughly 3% of all visits to primary care physicians involve patients who are experiencing at least twice-weekly symptoms of restless legs syndrome, which are having an appreciably negative effect on their quality of life,...

Restless legs syndrome responds to EECP: benefits last for months.(Clinical Rounds)(enhanced external counterpulsation )
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Enhanced external counterpulsation therapy appears to markedly improve the symptoms of restless legs syndrome, according to the findings of an intriguing albeit highly preliminary pilot study. The most exciting observation...

Parkinson's drugs are in trials for restless legs syndrome: ropinirole may gain first indication.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Restless legs syndrome, a common and sometimes disabling disorder that's long been below the radar of most nonneurologists, is likely to finally become a hot topic now that effective therapies have been identified in randomized...

Early therapy reduces genital herpes recurrence: valacyclovir.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Early valacyclovir suppressive therapy, given within 60-120 days of initial infection, effectively reduces genital herpes recurrences and improves patients' psychological adjustment, according to results of a pilot study. ...

Mental illness seen after many SARS diagnoses: Hong Kong.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Mental illness diagnoses were found soon after hospital discharge in nearly half of patients who had severe acute respiratory syndrome at one Hong Kong hospital, Dr. Dickson L.Y. Chow reported at the annual meeting of the...

SARS: lab safety under scrutiny: research continues.(Clinical Rounds)(severe acute respiratory syndrome )
June 1, 2004... The latest outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Beijing has added to growing concerns about laboratory safety and hastened testing of a potential vaccine. In March, a 26-year-old female laboratory worker developed SARS-like...

Two experimental U.S. vaccines protect mice against SARS: use modified virus.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... Two experimental U.S. vaccines against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus are showing promise in animal trials. A vaccine developed by scientists at the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institute of Allergy and...

When isolation fails to contain SARS: ten infected in 12 hours.(Clinical Rounds)(severe acute respiratory syndrome )
June 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- The crucial importance of effective isolation for the containment of severe acute respiratory syndrome was amply demonstrated by a case in Singapore where a single undiagnosed patient on a general medical ward infected 10 others in...

Ultralow-dose unopposed estradiol boosts BMD: patch has low endometrial risk.(Clinical Rounds)(boosting bone mineral )
June 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- A quarter of the standard, hormone-therapy estradiol dose was safe and effective for boosting bone mineral density in women aged 60-80 years in a controlled study with 417 women. Two years of treatment of postmenopausal...

In-home treatment helps elderly with depression: community agencies involved.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... A program that partnered psychiatrists with community agencies serving the elderly significantly improved depression in a study of 138 frail, older adults by using primarily nonpharmacologic treatments at home. Approximately half the...

Depression may double Alzheimer's disease risk: no consensus on treatment.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... MIAMI -- A study of more than 300 people with Alzheimer's disease suggests there are distinct subtypes of depression that can occur at any stage of the disease. Depression is common in people with Alzheimer's disease, and in most cases is...

Depression or early dementia? Try treating for depression: cognition improves in depressed.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Treat for depression when you're not sure if an elderly patient has depression or early dementia, Dr. Michelle S. Eslami advised at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians. In an elderly patient, it's often...

Treatment may slow dementia onset: cerebrovascular risk factors.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... Treatment of cerebrovascular risk factors may slow the progression of subclinical structural brain disease in the elderly and consequently its effect on cognition, Dr. Ian A. Cook and his associates said. Subclinical structural brain...

Urine may contain best renal failure biomarkers: Kim-1 may hold most promise.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Make it easy to measure. That should be a key characteristic of the ideal biomarker to detect acute renal failure (ARF), Dr. Joseph Bonventre said at an international conference on continuous renal replacement therapies. ...

Sleep with budesonide.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Intranasal budesonide significantly improved sleep in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis, Dr. Timothy Craig reported at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Sleep problems are an...

Military skin lesions.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Clinicians should consider cutaneous leishmaniasis in the differential diagnosis of skin lesions in military personnel who were deployed to southwest and central Asia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends (MMWR...

Imported-food safety.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Food and Drug Administration has proposed a rule that would strengthen imported-food safety measures. The rule addresses proper identification, collection, maintenance, and testing of food samples by private laboratories hired by...

Hepatotoxicity risk of statins.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Statins do not appear to increase the risk of hepatotoxicity in patients with elevated liver enzymes, reported Dr. Naga Chalasani of Indiana University, Indianapolis, and colleagues. They retrospectively compared 342 patients with elevated...

Smoking cessation in substance abusers: ongoing debate.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Dr. Richard Hurt is sick of watching his alcoholism patients die. But it's not alcoholism they're dying from "Smoking causes significant morbidity and mortality in alcoholics," said Dr. Hurt, director of the Nicotine...

AntiVirus for handhelds, PDA cameras.(Digital Assistance)
June 1, 2004... Featured App: AntiVirus for Handhelds Recent news items or bulletins from system administrators have made us all too familiar with the increasing phenomena of computer viruses and Trojan horse programs. These small fragments of malicious...

FDA panel hears update on alosetron risk management: no deaths linked to Lotronex reported.(Women's Health)
June 1, 2004... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- The risk management program for the irritable bowel syndrome drug alosetron appears to be working and should not be modified for now--despite some elements that the manufacturer says may deter physicians from prescribing the...

High-Risk HPV common in STD clinic patients: significance of findings unclear.(Women's Health)(human papillomavirus)
June 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Antibodies to human papillomavirus 16, one of the cancer-causing types of human papillomavirus, were found in 30% of women and 19% of men in a study of 1,595 heterosexual patients attending sexually transmitted disease clinics...

Older women can have high-risk HPV strains: preliminary findings.(Women's Health`)
June 1, 2004... LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. -- Preliminary findings suggest that older women, even nonsexually active ones, can be infected with the high-risk strains of human papillomavirus associated with cervical cancer, Dr. Concepcion Diaz-Arrastia said at a...

Investigational patient self-test yields adequate HPV sample, but few endocervical cells: study of 765 women.(Women's Health)(human papillomavirus evaluation )
June 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- A device designed for women to collect their own cervicovagihal samples for cytologic and human papillomavirus evaluation yielded a high number of cells but few endocervical cells, compared with a regular Pap test performed by a...

Derm diagnosis.(Women's Health)
June 1, 2004... A 58-year-old white female presented with erythema and edema of her face and eyelids. She said the problem had persisted for 8-9 months and felt like something was "crawling on her face." She had been prescribed desonide, pimecrolimus,...

Alopecia nearly epidemic in black women; hairstyles blamed: tight braids, extensions.(Women's Health)
June 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Alopecia has become almost epidemic in black women, the result of certain hairstyles that pull too tightly on the scalp and harsh chemical treatments that damage the hair shaft and follicles, Dr. Susan C. Taylor said at the annual...

Emphasize irritant avoidance, nail protection when managing paronychia: yeast may not be primary culprit.(Women's Health)
June 1, 2004... WHISTLER, B.C. -- Strict avoidance of irritants and scrupulous nail protection are the most important aspects of managing chronic paronychia, Dr. C. Ralph Daniel said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis. Treatment with...

Drug-free therapy postpones recurrent depression: childbearing years.(Women's Health)
June 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Women of child bearing age who can achieve remission from depression with interpersonal psychotherapy alone can remain depression-free with monthly maintenance psychotherapy, Ellen Frank, Ph.D., said at a meeting sponsored by the...

The athlete's heart.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Women who exercise strenuously do not appear to develop left ventricular hypertrophy with atrial fibrillation as they age, as do some male former athletes, according to a study of former elite athletes in Sweden. The study compared 20...

Oocyte renewal.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A new study in mice raises the possibility that oocyte and follicle renewal are still ongoing in the postnatal ovary, contradicting a central tenet of reproductive biology that most mammalian females are born with a finite, nonrenewing pool of...

Prenatal testing.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Prenatal testing is cost effective for pregnant women of any age or risk level, reported Dr. Ryan A. Harris of the University of California, San Francisco, and his colleagues. Current prenatal testing guidelines suggest offering...

Subdural hematomas.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Instrument delivery after attempted vacuum extraction was associated with a significantly increased risk for asymptomatic subdural hematoma in one group of term newborns, Dr. Elspeth H. Whithy of the University of Sheffield (England) and her...

Genetic testing affects breast cancer treatment: prophylactic bilateral mastectomy.(Women's Health)
June 1, 2004... Genetic testing and counseling were shown in a recent study to be valuable aids to treatment decision making for the 50/010% of breast cancer patients at high risk of BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriage, but feasibility of this approach is a concern. ...

Screening mammography cost effective in elderly: ages 70-79.(Women's Health)
June 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- A theoretical analysis of the use of mammography to screen women aged 70-79 for breast cancer has revealed that such screening would cost $16,948 per year of life saved, investigators reported at the annual meeting of the...

Breast cancer screening rates low among older minority women: large study of Brooklyn.(Women's Health)
June 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Breast cancer screening rates remain low in older minority women, Nathan Consedine, Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. In a study that he said is the largest of its kind, Dr....

Suspicious newborn dermatoses? Think syphilis: three conditions discussed.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- If a newborn presents with desquamation, vesicobullous lesions, and/or condylomata lata, think congenital syphilis until proved otherwise, Dr. Patricia Treadwell said at a meeting sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics and...

Teens' lack of relationship insight raises their risk of STDs: can't assess monogamy.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... ST. LOUIS -- Adolescents have very little grasp of whether or not their sexual partners have concurrent sexual relationships, a misunderstanding that could leave them at an increased risk for contracting a sexually transmitted disease. ...

Urinary symptoms better predict gonorrhea, chlamydia: tricnomonas detected vaginally.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... ST. LOUIS -- Urinary symptoms are much more highly predictive of gonococcus and chlamydia infections than are vaginal symptoms, Dr. Jill Huppert reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. ...

Give supplements when water is not fluoridated: dental health.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... Ask pediatric patients to open wide and show their pearly whites--and then ask where they live. Primary care physicians should prescribe oral fluoride supplements to preschool children older than 6 months who live in areas with a...

Last year marked by findings on lead, obesity: roundup of top articles.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... BELLEVUE, WASH. -- The big news in children's health last year involved the underdiagnosis of celiac disease, the finding that delaying placement of tympanostomy tubes does not affect language development, and the fact that lead continues to be...

Short casts okay in distal-third forearm fractures: casting by design.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Well-constructed short-arm casts are just as effective as full-length plaster casts in treating displaced, distal-third fractures of the forearm, while allowing children to return more quickly to their usual activities,...

In Ponseti method, a series of casts straightens ligaments: correcting without surgery.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... SAN Francisco -- Babies born with clubfoot can be treated safely and effectively by the Ponseti method, which usually avoids the need for surgery by using a series of casts to correct the twisted feet, Dr. Jose A. Morcuende said at the annual...

Focus on easy-to-modify steps in obese children: cover 'bases'.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... BAL HARBOUR, FLA. -- Be sure to cover the BASES when managing obese children, Dr. Robert E. Kramer said at the annual Masters of Pediatrics conference sponsored by the University of Miami. Obesity, which has skyrocketed among American...

Heavy exercise trims obesity, disease risk: children, teens.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- More children and adolescents are obese than ever, but vigorous exercise could help them trim their fat and reduce their risk for chronic diseases, Bernard Gutin, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the North American...

Got milk? Got acne? New research suggests link: eliminate dairy.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Milk intake may influence comedogenesis in adolescent acne, and hormones are likely to blame, Dr. William F. Danby said at the Atlantic Dermatological Conference. It's not just the raging hormones of puberty that are suspect,...

Working together helps in Dx of intratracheal hemangioma: often seen first at hospital.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Pediatric dermatologists must work with pediatricians, family physicians, and other children's care providers to properly diagnose and treat intratracheal hemangiomas, Dr. Howard Pride said at a meeting of the Society for...

Effort aims to improve data on inhalant deaths: deaths underreported.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- New guidelines aim to stop inhalant deaths from going undetected. Millions of teens and adolescents use household and industrial products every year to get high, yet only about 100-125 deaths each year are attributed to...

Prevention program reduces adolescent suicide attempts: awareness, peer intervention.(Children's Health)(Signs of Suicide prevention program)
June 1, 2004... The Signs of Suicide prevention program significantly reduced self-reported suicide attempts among high school students in high-risk settings in the 3 months after exposure to the program, reported Robert H. Aseltine Jr., Ph.D., of the...

Cons, pros seen with compressed vaccine plan: more fever, same hospitalizations.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... OLD GREENWICH, CONN. -- An ongoing study is finding more fever, partial work-ups, and antibiotic use, but not more infections or hospitalizations, in infants immunized under a new compressed vaccination plan that uses the combination Pediarix...

Calcium--an emerging element in weight management: mounting evidence.(Bell Institute Of Health And Nutrition)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Did you know that calcium may be important for weight management as well as for bone health? Researchers are drawing this conclusion as a gnawing number of studies show a relationship between calcium intake and body weight. Calcium's...

Parents may be fearful of corticosteroid therapy: more education needed.(Children's Health)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... OLD GREENWICH, CONN. -- Physicians need to do more to allay parents' fears about the side effects of anti-inflammatory medicines for asthma, Dr. Anne Gordon and Dr. Katherine O' Conner advised at a meeting of the Eastern Society for Pediatric...

Allergen testing rare for inner city children: urban asthma.(Children's Health)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... OLD GREENWICH, CONN. -- Allergen testing is an underused tool that could help inner city children with asthma, many of whom are exposed to high levels of allergens in their homes, Dr. Karen Warman said at a meeting of the Eastern Society for...

Refer patients with low bone mineral density: false alarm can be harmful.(Children's Health)
June 1, 2004... MIAMI -- Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry findings can have a powerful effect on the lives of children with low bone density, so refer parents and children to a specialist for interpretation and counseling, Dr. Laura K. Bachrach said at the...

Chronic hepatitis C.(Drug Update)
June 1, 2004... Treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection has improved tremendously over the past decade. The current standard of care is a regimen that combines a pegylated, long-acting form of interferon plus the oral antiviral ribavirin. This...

New and approved: Nasacort HFA Nasal Aerosol, Advair Diskus.(Rx)
June 1, 2004... Nasacort HFA Nasal Aerosol (triamcinolone acetonide, Aventis Pharmaceuticals) The Food and Drug Administration approved Nasacort HFA Nasal Aerosol for treatment of nasal symptoms associated with seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis for...

FDA turns down request to take leflunomide off the market: risk-benefit ratio acceptable.(Rx)
June 1, 2004... The Food and Drug Administration denied a health advocacy group's request to remove the rheumatoid arthritis drug leflunomide from the market, rejecting the argument that the risks associated with the drug outweigh its benefits. After a...

Hepatic failure reports added to label of leukotriene inhibitor zafirlukast: FDA MedWatch report.(Rx)
June 1, 2004... Reports of life-threatening hepatic failure in people taking zafirlukast for asthma have been reported in patients on the asthma drug and the label has been revised to reflect these reports, according to a Food and Drug Administration MedWatch...

Leflunomide may be linked to interstitial pneumonia in Japan: six deaths.(Rx)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Six people in Japan taking leflunomide for rheumatoid arthritis died from interstitial pneumonia, and another 11 contracted the illness during the drug's first 4 months on the market there, according to a spokesperson at Aventis Pharmaceuticals...

FDA adds new over-the-counter labeling rules: four ingredients.(Rx)(calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium )(Brief Article)
June 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...

Roadblocks to liability reform.(Policy & Practice)(political reasons for stall in medical liability reform)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Roadblocks to Liability Reform Democratic senators have been the "number one roadblock" to a legislative solution to the medical liability crisis, Patrick Hope, legislative council for government affairs and public policy at the American...

Rising costs of education.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Rising Costs of Education Liability premiums are not the only skyrocketing costs affecting doctors. Medical education debt is 4.5 times higher in 2003 than it was in 1984, while average tuition and fees rose 2.7-fold in private medical schools...

It's a federal problem.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... It's a Federal Problem Many state officials see the implementation of the Medicare-approved discount drug cards and the new Medicare prescription drug benefit as a federal responsibility, said Jack Hoadley, Ph.D., research professor at the...

Health savings accounts set to boom.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Health Savings Accounts Set to Boom Introduced last November as part of the Medicare reform legislation, health savings accounts "seem poised to take root quickly," according to a survey of 991 employers by Mercer Human Resource Consulting....

Mom and pop pay up.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Mom and Pop Pay Up Small businesses that provide health insurance to their employees consistently get less for their money and see quicker premium increases and steeper jumps in deductibles over time than large firms, the Commonwealth Fund...

Nurses make a difference.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Nurses Make a Difference Hospitals with low nurse staffing levels tend to have higher rates of poor patient outcomes such as pneumonia, shock, cardiac arrest, and urinary tract infections, according to a series of studies funded by the Agency...