Internal Medicine News articles from August 2008

Internal Medicine News archives from August 2008

Findings focus on depressed teens.(News)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... PHOENIX -- The only prospective, randomized, controlled comparison of treatment for resistant depression in adolescents is yielding new insights about efficacy and suicidality through several post hoc analyses. The selective serotonin...

Vital signs.(News)(Table)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Top 10 Channels for Prescription Drug Distribution in 2007 (in billions of dollars) Chain drugstores $ 98.0 Mail services $ 44.6 Independents $ 38.7 Clinics $ 33.3 Nonfederal...

Brain stimulation tops medications for Parkinson's; Serious adverse events occurred in 40%.(News)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- Preliminary data from two trials suggest that deep brain stimulation may be superior to the best medical therapy in Parkinson's disease, and that stimulating specific targets may lead to different cognitive and mood outcomes. ...

Gastric bypass reduces [HbA.sub.1c] levels in diabetes.(News)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. -- Patients with type 2 diabetes who have undergone laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery might experience a significant drop in hemoglobin [A.sub.1c] levels to below the cutoff value recommended in guidelines,...

Blood test identified patients with lung cancer.(News)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... TORONTO -- Gene expression profiling of peripheral blood lymphocytes successfully identified lung cancer patients with an overall accuracy of 87% in a cross-sectional study of 230 subjects. The new test, which is in the early development...

AMA apologizes for racial discrimination and pledges change.(News)(American Medical Association)
August 1, 2008... African American physicians are looking for action to back up the words of apology recently tendered by the American Medical Association for more than a century of racial inequity and bias. In accepting the AMA's apology, the National...

Reproductive information on labels slated for revision.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)
August 1, 2008... The system that uses letters of the alphabet to categorize drugs' pregnancy and lactation risks will be replaced by a more consistent format designed to be more useful to health care professionals and patients who are of childbearing age,...

FDA requires boxed warning about tendinitis risk on fluoroquinolones.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(United States. Food and Drug Administration)
August 1, 2008... The Food and Drug Administration said that manufacturers of fluoroquinolone drugs will be required to add a boxed warning to the label and provide a medication guide for patients explaining the increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture....

FDA replacing 'approvable,' 'not approvable' letters.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(United States. Food and Drug Administration)
August 1, 2008... The Food and Drug Administration will no longer issue "approvable" or "not approvable" letters when a drug application is not approved, but will instead issue a "complete response" letter at the end of the review period, the agency announced....

HPV vaccine approval for older women delayed.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(human papillomavirus )
August 1, 2008... The expanded approval of the currently marketed human papillomavirus vaccine to women aged 27-45 years is being held up, at least until the manufacturer addresses some outstanding issues. In a statement, the manufacturer of Gardasil, Merck...

Gastric bypass aids [beta]-cell sensitivity in diabetes.(News)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... NATIONAL HARBOR, MD.--A low degree of [beta]-cell sensitivity per degree of insulin sensitivity may be the defining quality of type 2 diabetes, according to a retrospective study of severely obese patients who experienced remission of type 2...

Nursing homes to get new rating system.(News)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The federal government will soon be rating the nation's nursing homes on a five-star quality scale. Kerry Weems, acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, announced the plan during a teleconference. The new...

Once-weekly exenatide lowers glycemia, weight.(News)
August 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO--An investigational once-weekly formulation of exenatide resulted in superior improvements in glucose control at 30 weeks, compared with the current twice-daily version, and clicited sustained glycemic control and weight loss at 1...

Screen asymptomatic patients for PAD.(GUEST EDITORIAL)(peripheral artery disease)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... Results from the German Epidemiological Trial on Ankle-Brachial Index (getABI), presented at the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology, provide good evidence that there is a real need for primary care physicians to screen...

Health care must be earned.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2008... Dr. Alan R. Nelson's discouragement about health care reform is not uncommon ("Top 10 Reasons Reform Won't Happen Soon," Adviser's Viewpoint, June 15, 2008, p. 9). Sadly, the only health care reform he considers is some form of "universal...

Implications of diabetes diagnosis.(LETTERS)
August 1, 2008... I take issue with Dr. Rhoda Cobin's claim that there were "few arguments against" the recent recommendation of an expert panel that all women with polycystic ovary syndrome be screened for diabetes ("Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Urged for All...

Improving the peer review process.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2008... If you are unfairly peer reviewed by your competition and your hospital privileges are suspended, you don't have any recourse with the current system ("A Matter of Privilege," Law & Medicine, Jan. 15, 2008, p. 34). The decision to suspend...

Vision loss is preventable in giant cell arteritis.(Neurology)
August 1, 2008... LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND--Giant cell arteritis is a critical ischemic process and should be considered a preventable stroke in the eye, yet vision loss almost always occurs before treatment is begun, according to Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta. Giant cell...

Late-life low blood pressure associated with Alzheimer's.(Neurology)
August 1, 2008... WASHINGTON--Low blood pressure correlated with Alzheimer's disease among 3,734 elderly men, but the dementia appeared to be attributable to the presence of other chronic diseases and not hypotension itself. Other studies have found that...

Newer drugs no better for migraine prophylaxis.(Neurology)
August 1, 2008... Washington -- Newer drugs aren't any better for migraine prophylaxis than are older treatments and may be worse choices for many patients when cost is a factor. "There's no proof of increased efficacy with the newer drugs," said Dr....

Investigational nontriptan relieves migraine pain, symptoms.(Neurology)
August 1, 2008... Boston--The investigational antimigraine drug drugtelcagepant may provide relief for patients with acute moderate to severe migraine who do not respond to treatment with triptan agents, according to results from the first phase III clinical...

Antioxidant may reduce risk of melanoma.(Dermatology)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... KYOTO, JAPAN--Prophylactic oral N-acetylcysteine has shown early promise as a novel melanoma chemoprevention strategy, Dr. Douglas Grossman said. Taking N-acetylcysteine (NAC) episodically in anticipation of a day at the beach or before...

Annual melanoma follow-up sufficient; In low-risk patients, the likelihood of a second primary melanoma is low after the first year.(Dermatology)
August 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...

Noninvasive test can distinguish melanoma cells, atypical nevi.(Dermatology)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... SAN DIEGO--Melanoma proved genetically distinguishable from atypical nevi when cells were collected from the stratum corneum using a custom-designed adhesive tape in a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer...

Skin cancer education for patients.(Dermatology)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The Skin Cancer Foundation offers information to help patients recognize skin cancer. A brochure titled "The ABCDEs of Melanoma" is now available in both English and Spanish. The foldout helps to identify the most important differences...

Psoriasis associated with sleep disturbance.(Dermatology)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... KYOTO, JAPAN--The strongest predictor of sleep disturbance in psoriasis patients is concomitant psoriatic arthritis, according to Dr. Kristina P. Callis Duffin. Other significant--albeit far less potent--predictors of sleep interference...

Infliximab safe for pustular psoriasis.(Dermatology)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... SAN ANTONIO--Infliximab appears to be a valuable treatment for long-term management of pustular psoriasis, Dr. Rajat Varma said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. In a patient with severe pustular psoriasis who...

Comorbidities differ in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis; Differences in disease burden undercut the argument that psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are one disease.(Dermatology)
August 1, 2008... KYOTO, JAPAN -- Psoriatic arthritis is associated with a considerably larger burden than is psoriasis in terms of comorbid autoimmune diseases, according to Maryanne Kazanis. While both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patients share...

Psoriasis an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.(Dermatology)
August 1, 2008... MONTREAL--Psoriasis is an independent risk factor for increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, according to a growing number of studies as well as new guidelines from the American Academy of Dermatology. Based on this evidence, it...

Vigilance needed to curb amputations in diabetes.(Endocrinology)
August 1, 2008... WASHINGTON--The United States has one of the highest diabetes-associated limb amputation rates of any industrialized country, but many of these expensive and debilitating operations could be prevented through more aggressive early treatment of...

Diabetes associated with increased incidence of cancer.(Endocrinology)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- People with diabetes are more likely to develop cancer and more likely to die of cancer, and have a shorter survival time after a cancer diagnosis than do people without diabetes, according to a study presented by Hsin-Cheh...

Standard diabetes therapies work in real-world settings.(Endocrinology)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- Standard therapies for type 2 diabetes are effective at maintaining glycemic control over at least 5 years in community settings, Dr. James Best reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association....

Lowering blood pressure reduces CV risks in diabetes.(Endocrinology)(cardiovascular)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... PHILADELPHIA -- Lowering blood pressure might be more effective than lowering blood sugar alone for reducing the risk of cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes patients, according to Dr. George J. Philippides, director of the coronary care...

Behavioral strategies help patients manage diabetes.(Endocrinology)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- Here's what doesn't work when trying to help patients self-manage their diabetes: * Urging them to use more will power. "You need to get serious about your diabetes." * Threatening them with bad outcomes. "Do you want...

Rates of nontraumatic hip fracture decrease.(Endocrinology)
August 1, 2008... PARIS -- Osteoporotic hip fracture rates have been declining in the United States since the mid-1990s, despite the graying of the population. The most likely explanation for this strong secular trend is the increased awareness, screening,...

Jaw necrosis affects 1 in 1,700 on oral bisphosphonates.(Endocrinology)
August 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- The prevalence of osteonecrosis of the jaw appears to be about 1 in 1,700 for adults who are taking long-term oral bisphosphonate therapy, according to an initial analysis of a group of Kaiser Permanente Northern California...

Send bone density results to patients for better follow-up.(Endocrinology)(Survey)
August 1, 2008... SAN FRANCISCO -- Mailing results of bone densitometry directly to women instead of asking them to contact their physician for results significantly improved treatment rates among osteoporotic women within 6 months. A prospective study of 370...

Thalidomide prolongs survival in prostate Ca.(Urology)(Prostate cancer)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- The antiangiogenic agent thalidomide can significantly prolong progression-free survival in patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer, reported investigators from the National Cancer Institute and other clinical centers at...

Androgen deprivation boosts diabetes, CV risks.(Urology)(cardiovascular)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... ORLANDO -- With increasing use of androgen deprivation hormone therapy for men with prostate cancer come growing concerns about an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular morbidity, and other adverse treatment effects. Consider these...

External beam radiation increases risk of leukemia.(Urology)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- Men who receive external beam radiation therapy as part of their treatment for prostate cancer are at increased risk for developing acute myeloid leukemia, according to a large, prospective, population-based cohort study. After...

More younger men diagnosed with stage IV prostate cancer.(Urology)
August 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- Advanced prostate cancer is being diagnosed increasingly in younger men aged 60 years or less in the United States, despite the widespread availability of prostate-specific antigen testing, according to epidemiologic evidence...

GnRH agonist does not increase cardiovascular mortality.(Urology)
August 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...

Immediate access to Plan B didn't increase use.(Adolescent Health)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF.-- Having emergency contraception pills on hand instead of a prescription didn't increase the risk for unprotected sex, infectious disease, or pregnancy in a randomized study of 409 high-risk young women, but neither did it...

Adolescents lack knowledge of sexually transmitted infections.(Adolescent Health)
August 1, 2008... NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF.-- Only one in five female adolescents correctly identified nine common sexually transmitted infections or correctly answered seven true-false questions about their sequelae in a study of 259 subjects. Questionnaires...

Teens want physicians to initiate discussion of sex.(Adolescent Health)(Survey)
August 1, 2008... NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF.-- Adolescents want their doctors to bring up the topic of sexuality, but few physicians do, a survey of 388 teenagers revealed. The majority of adolescents said they would be comfortable being asked any of 11...

Sleep-disordered breathing may harm kidneys.(Pulmonary Medicine)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... BALTIMORE -- Nocturnal hypoxemia is associated with higher levels of urinary albumin excretion, according to results from a cross-sectional study of more than 500 men aged 67 years and older. Sleep-disordered breathing has been linked to...

Severe sleep apnea may raise all-cause mortality.(Pulmonary Medicine)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... BALTIMORE -- Moderate to severe sleep apnea significantly increased the risk of all-cause mortality, according to 14 years of follow-up data from a large community sample. "Sleep apnea is a disease of public health significance," said...

Genetic discrimination rendered passe?(GENETICS IN YOUR PRACTICE)
August 1, 2008... Imagine for a moment that you are interviewing to join a new medical practice, and at the conclusion of the interview you are asked to submit a blood sample for genetic testing. Your potential future colleague tells you that this is the last...

Genetic changes in saliva may flag smoking-related cancers.(Clinical Rounds)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... SAN DIEGO -- Smoking-related cell damage may leave molecular footprints in saliva and oral epithelial cells, offering the potential for noninvasive early diagnosis of lung cancer and of head and neck cancers, researchers reported in separate...

Long-term statin users have fewer Ca deaths.(Clinical Rounds)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... SAN DIEGO -- Four or more years of statin use was associated with decreased overall cancer mortality, and especially deaths from lung and colorectal cancers, in a population-based study of 23,320 men presented at the annual meeting of the...

Sarcoma, infertility are higher in childhood cancer survivors.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- The treatment for pediatric cancers is becoming more successful, but at a price--increased incidences of new primary sarcomas and female infertility, according to two reports by the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study presented at the...

Modafinil helps reduce severe cancer-related fatigue.(Clinical Rounds)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- The wakefulness-promoting drug modafinil (Provigil) reduced self-reported severe fatigue, according to a study of more than 600 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy that was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society...

Perioperative anticoagulation management.(THE EFFECTIVE PHYSICIAN)
August 1, 2008... Background The perioperative management of patients on warfarin and/or antiplatelet medications is a difficult clinical issue that affects approximately 250,000 patients in North America annually. The recent American College of Chest...

Endovascular stenting may benefit women on OCs with DVT.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(oral contraceptives)(deep vein thrombosis)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... WASHINGTON--When women develop deep vein thrombosis while on oral contraceptives, the lower left side of the body is more likely to be affected than are the upper extremities or the lower right side, according to the results of a single-center,...

Home AEDs did not reduce post-MI mortality.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(automated external defibrillator)(Myocardial infarction )(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- Placing an automated external defibrillator in the homes of patients with a previous anterior wall MI did not reduce mortality in a large randomized, multicenter trial. The primary end point of death from any cause was not...

Prevention measures drive drop in CHD deaths.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Coronary heart disease)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... COLORADO SPRINGS -- An estimated 341,745 fewer deaths due to coronary heart disease occurred in 2000 than in 1980, with more than half of this benefit being attributable to nationwide reductions in the major risk factors achieved through...

Bioterrorism and vaccine events remain threats.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2008... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Despite the grateful lull that has followed Sept. 11 and the anthrax scare in 2001, bioterrorism remains a very real threat, according to a Food and Drug Administration counterterrorism official. Dr. Boris Lushniak,...

Rise in tonsillar cancer parallels HPV positivity.(Infectious Diseases)(human papillomavirus)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- A twofold to threefold increase in the incidence of tonsillar cancer over several decades was paralleled by a similar rise in the incidence of tumors positive for the human papillomavirus, the results of a Swedish cohort study...

Smoking increases risk of ulcers after Roux-en-Y.(Gastroenterology)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... PHILADELPHIA -- Perforated marginal ulcers develop in about 1% of patients who undergo laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, about half of whom may have an etiology associated with smoking at the time of the operation, according to a...

Guidelines may misclassify high-risk findings.(Gastroenterology)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2008... SAN DIEGO -- Use of the guidelines recommended by the American College of Radiology for computed tomographic colonography could mean that up to one-third of high-risk adenoma findings would be interpreted as normal, Dr. Douglas K. Rex reported....

Terms standardized for CT Colonography results.(Gastroenterology)(computed tomography)
August 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- As more clinicians practice computed tomographic colonography, they will learn the language in which to report their findings, Dr. Michael Zalis said at a meeting on CT colonography sponsored by the AGA (American...

Colonoscopy may be overused in patients at low risk.(Gastroenterology)(Survey)
August 1, 2008... SAN DIEGO -- Physicians may be conducting surveillance colonoscopy too often on low-risk patients and not enough on high-risk patients, according to results of a substudy of the Polyp Prevention Trial presented at the annual Digestive Disease...

New payment method piloted by Prometheus.(Practice Trends)(Prometheus Payment Inc)
August 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Prometheus Payment Inc., a nonprofit group seeking to implement a better way to pay providers, intends to launch pilot projects this year that will test a new form of payment featuring a negotiated flat fee for guideline-based...

CMS issues PQRI payments.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Physician Quality Reporting Initiative )
August 1, 2008... Physicians who successfully reported quality measures to Medicare in 2007 as part of the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative should be receiving their bonus payments this month. Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services...

Drugs easy to get online.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Despite a decline in the number of Web sites advertising or selling prescriptions for controlled substances, 85% of sites selling such drugs in the past year did not require a prescription, according to a new report by the National Center on...

Claims by dead doctors paid.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
August 1, 2008... In the past 8 years, Medicare has paid more than $76.6 million in durable medical equipment claims that contained the Unique Physician Identification Numbers of dead physicians, according to the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations....

Pharmacies, PBMs merge networks.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... RxHub, founded in 2001 by the nation's three largest pharmacy benefit managers, and SureScripts, formed the same year by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association, announced that they will...

N.J. expands coverage.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(New Jersey )(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) has signed a bill that will require all children in the state to have health insurance within a year. The bill also expands coverage to more low-income parents. The legislation is the first step toward universal...

Infection control experts renamed.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Call them infection preventionists. In what it said was an effort to better articulate the expanding roles of its members, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology has offered a new moniker for its members. The...

Obama plan would leave employer system intact.(Election 2008)
August 1, 2008... With Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) set to become the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, experts continued to scrutinize his plans to reform health care. The centerpiece of Sen. Obama's plan is a public-private system that would allow...

Private foundations roll out health care reform proposals.(Practice Trends)
August 1, 2008... In addition to the presidential candidates, other players in the health care arena are also unveiling their own detailed plans to provide health care coverage for all or most Americans. The Commonwealth Fund's proposal, called "Building...

Medicare advisers object to publishing PQRI data.(Practice Trends)(Physician Quality Reporting Initiative)
August 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- A panel of Medicare advisers warned agency officials against moving forward with a proposal to make public a list of doctors participating in a voluntary federal quality reporting effort. The Physician Quality Reporting...

Physicians often unsure how to disclose medical errors.(Practice Trends)(Survey)
August 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Physicians generally believe that medical errors--especially those that cause an adverse event--should be disclosed to patients, but some question whether patients should be told all the details or just the basic facts about what...

Global perspectives on medical practice; In for the long haul: primary care in Honduras.(WORLD WIDE MED)(Interview)
August 1, 2008... Feeling frustrated with the limits of some charitable care medical organizations, Dr. Jay Martin decided to start his own--a U.S.-based organization called Total Health. "I started the charity with the belief that primary care was a better...

The inevitability of death and snaxes.(INDICATIONS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Thinking about your future death can make you reach for the cookie jar, according to an international study in which participants wrote essays on morbid imaginings of their own deaths or a painful medical procedure. After completing their...

Blimey, it's the bloomin' onions.(INDICATIONS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Speaking of obesity, it seems Australia has edged America as "heavyweight champion" of the world, with an estimated 26% of its adult citizens rated as obese, versus the U.S. rate of 25%. It's "a title we don't really want," said Dr. Simon...

Get your starbucks prescription, stat!(INDICATIONS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Heavyweight championship or not, if we Americans do eat more goodies, we should wash them down with coffee, a University of North Dakota study tells us. At least we should if we want to remember the pleasure of that consumption--because coffee...

Behold or beware: the botox boob job.(INDICATIONS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... But enough about food and drink. On another front, "Dermatologist to the Stars" Dr. Patricia Wexler has extended the range of Botox injections from the face to the breast--or more precisely, to the pectoralis minor muscle, the culprit that...

Pain relievers.(Cartoon)
August 1, 2008... "I'm giving you a prescription that can be filled at any gym."

But wait--Botox and bubbly!(INDICATIONS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... That last comment--about drinking the stuff--got some ironic affirmation with a Chicago TV station's recent health-beat featurette about a California wine bar where you can have a glass or two of champagne, or perhaps a nice healthy pinot...

Spanish-language CDC site.(FYI)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention )(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has relaunched its Spanish-language Web site, CDC en Espanol, at www.cdc.gov/spanish. The site, which receives more than 6 million visitors a year, provides information on topics such as asthma,...

Community diabetes programs.(FYI)(National Business Coalition on Health )(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The National Business Coalition on Health offers a Web site to help employers, health plans, and coalitions develop diabetes policies. The Community Health Value Collaborative site (www.nbch.org/chvc/index.cfm) features models, evidence-based...

Information on device reuse.(FYI)(ECRI Institute)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... ECRI Institute, an independent non-profit organization, offers a new Web site about medical device reuse. The site, at www.ecri.org/device_reuse/Pages/infection.aspx, includes guidance articles, medical product alerts, and toolkits on the...

Fees aim to boost medical homes.
August 15, 2008... Providing a patient-centered medical home is about to start paying dividends for Dr. James C. Leyhane and his patients. Imagine being able to spend all the time you need to with a middle-aged patient who is over-weight and smokes. A sore...