Medical news feeds from NetDoc.com - clinical updates from the top medicine journals http://www.netdoc.com Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:49:50 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.netdoc.com/images/M_images/netdoc.gif http://www.netdoc.com Medical news feeds from NetDoc.com - clinical updates from the top medicine journals http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65925&Itemid=105 Nov. 5, 2009: Both the AMA and AARP today announced their support for health reform bills that are making their way through the U.S. House of Representatives. The AMA in particular expressed some ambivalence toward the bills but nonetheless endorsed them. Sources: AMA (http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/health-system-reform/ama-supports-house-bills.shtml) and AARP (http://www.aarp.org/health/insurance/hcr_event/). Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:43:23 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65923&Itemid=105 By relying solely on a patient’s clinical risk profile or the results of one imaging test when assessing patients with chest pain, physicians may be missing important, early signs of atherosclerotic disease and opportunities to intervene, according to new findings published in the November 10, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). The authors recommend adding coronary artery calcium (Dictionary/Medical-Dictionary/Calcium/)score (CACS) testing in patients with a normal single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan to better identify those at high long-term risk for cardiac events, in whom an earlier focus on aggressive risk factor modification and other medical therapies may be beneficial. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:00:11 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65922&Itemid=105 Cardiac complications around the time of noncardiac surgery (Dictionary/Medical-Dictionary/Surgery/) are relatively common and can be serious. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) today release a Focused Update to the Practice Guidelines based on new clinical trial data that summarizes and sheds light on the risks and benefits of using beta blockers to reduce cardiac events during noncardiac surgeries, and provides specific recommendations about which patients will likely benefit and in which patients there is not enough evidence to recommend their use. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:00:10 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65921&Itemid=105 Washington, DC – The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is deeply frustrated that the Centers for Medicare (Dictionary/Medical-Dictionary/Medicare/) and Medicaid Services (CMS) ignored the call from Congress to step back and assess the data upon which it based the 2010 physician payment rule. Instead CMS announced that the rule will proceed using unvalidated data risking devastating patient access to care. The rule puts into effect policy proposals that will unacceptably reduce payments for cardiovascular-related services averaging 27 percent for cardiology private practices. While phased in over four years, cardiologists can see the handwriting on the wall, and most are already looking for employment options as they plan to close their community based practices. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:00:08 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65919&Itemid=105 Oct. 30, 2009: The FTC today announced At the request of Members of Congress, the Federal Trade Commission is delaying enforcement of the “Red Flags” Rule until June 1, 2010, for financial institutions and creditors subject to enforcement by the FTC. Source: FTC (http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/redflags.shtm) Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:10:52 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65918&Itemid=105 Oct. 30, 2009: Dr. Regina Benjamin was confirmed as U.S. Surgeon General by voice vote in the U.S. Senate. Dr. Benjamin is a family practice physician with a long history of championing health care issues, most recently health care infrastructure in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Source: U.S. Senate Nomination Records (http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/one_item_and_teasers/nom_confc.htm) CNN (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/30/senate-confirms-benjamin-as-surgeon-general/). Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:38:22 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65915&Itemid=105 Washington, DC – The American College of Cardiology today announced the launch of the PINNACLE Network™, the first-ever registry-based cardiovascular (Dictionary/Medical-Dictionary/Cardiovascular/) network to link thousands of cardiology practices to each other and to the ACC’s National Cardiovascular Data Registry® (NCDR), the preeminent cardiovascular data repository in the United States. The PINNACLE Network™ immediately addresses the rapidly shifting business environment that private cardiovascular practices face with a wealth of practice management and financial management tools. The PINNACLE Network™ also builds a foundation for innovative, registry-based systems to reward practices for the high quality care that they provide. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:00:08 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65914&Itemid=105 Washington, DC - Dr. Alfred A. Bove, President of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) today released the following statement after S. 1776 failed to pass in the Senate this afternoon by a vote of 47-53. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:00:08 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65911&Itemid=105 Oct. 22, 2009: The US Senate failed to pass the Medicare Physician Fair Payment Act (S. 1776) which would have set the stage for revamping the Medicare pay structure to physicians. Source: AMA on S. 1776 (http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/health-system-reform/senate-blocks-s1776.shtml) Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:11:34 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65910&Itemid=105 Washington, DC - Dr. Alfred A. Bove, President of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) today released the following statement after S. 1776 failed to pass in the Senate this afternoon by a vote of 47-53: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:00:08 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65906&Itemid=105 Two medications commonly used to treat high blood pressure appear to be effective in treating a common type of heart disease known as stable ischemic heart disease, according to a new comparative effectiveness review funded by the Department of Health Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). A version of the analysis was posted in the October 20 online version of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:00:03 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65905&Itemid=105 Researchers from New York investigated the relationship between the BRCA1 gene mutation and diminished ovarian reserve. One hundred twenty five female breast cancer patients had their ovaries stimulated with fertility drugs prior to undergoing chemotherapy. Those women were then enrolled in a study with some of them being tested for a BRCA gene mutation and some not. Seventy percent of the women tested did not have a BRCA gene mutation. Thirty percent of the breast cancer patients had a BRCA gene mutation. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:00:07 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65903&Itemid=105 Oct. 13, 2009: The healthcare reform bill that was being debated in the Senate Finance Committee, commonly known as the Baucus Bill, has passed the committee with a vote of 14-9, with the support of Republican Senator Olympia Snowe. Source: CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/13/senate.health.care/index.html). Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:41:10 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65902&Itemid=105 Oct. 12, 2009: A health insurance industry trade group today released a report that concludes that the healthcare reform bill making its way through the Senate Finance Committee would result in an additional increase of $4,000 a year in premiums per family in 10 years. Source: PriceWaterhouseCoopers report in NYT (http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/flash/health/pdf/pwc_report_on_Costs_final_101109.pdf). Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:38:53 +0100 http://www.netdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65901&Itemid=105 Medical practices and hospitals have a Nov. 1, 2009 deadline to implement a written identity theft protection plan, also known as red flag rules. Despite objections from the AMA, the FTC has confirmend that even small practices must implement a plan. More information on the red flag rules (Physician-Practice-Articles/General-Medical-Practice/New-regulation-requires-medical-practices-to-protect-against-identity-theft/) is provided in an article by healthcare attorney Pat King, JD. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:59:39 +0100