Nearly a fourth of Americans are now forced to travel farther to a hospital trauma center than they once did, a new study shows.
And those most affected are African Americans, poor, uninsured and rural residents.
Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco examined changes in driving time to trauma centers, which have increasingly been shuttered [...]
A new survey shows hospital patients want to know if medical trainees are going to be participating in their surgery.
Although most patients would allow residents and medical students to be involved in their operation, researchers say the rates of consent vary depending on the type of surgery and the trainee’s level of participation
Dr. Christopher R. [...]
With 16 percent of Americans unable to afford medical care, patients today need to think of themselves as consumers or buyers of health care, shopping around and using haggling strategies with doctors and hospitals.
A new report from Consumer Reports features advice on this very topic.
“Americans are overwhelmed by health costs and many people simply can’t [...]
While the use of financial incentives continues to grow as a way to encourage primary care physicians to do their jobs better, a new study shows there is no evidence to support that such incentives are working.
According to Australian researchers who collected data from studies of incentive programs in the U.S., the UK and Germany, [...]
Patients in the United States who receive permanent pacemakers and defibrillators are now at greater risk of contracting an infection over the life span of the device, new research shows.
Researchers analyzed data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample — a national database of hospital discharge records — from 1993-2008 and found a significant increase in infections [...]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the first test for Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) infections that is able to quickly identify whether the bacteria are methicillin resistant (MRSA) or methicillin susceptible (MSSA).
There are many different types of Staphylococci bacteria, which cause skin infections, pneumonia, food and blood infections (blood poisoning). Staphylococcus aureus or “Staph” [...]
During surgery to remove the thyroid gland, the technique surgeons use to identify an important nerve appears to make a difference in terms of complications.
According to researchers, thyroidectomy is a common operation, but it can be associated with serious complications: paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN, a nerve that transmits motor function and sensation [...]
Those who live in the stroke belt, an area in the Southeast known to have significantly higher rates of stroke deaths than the rest of the country, are also at greater risk for sepsis, a severe illness in which the bloodstream is overwhelmed by bacteria, a new study shows.
The term Sepsis Belt might be a [...]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Xarelto to reduce the risk of blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism following knee or hip replacement surgery.
Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is a pill taken once daily. Those undergoing a knee replacement should take the medication for 12 days and patients undergoing a hip replacement procedure should [...]
The number of surgical errors at VA medical centers is on the decline, according to the results of a new three-year study.
Researchers reviewed the VA National Center for Patient Safety database, looking for surgical adverse events and close calls that occurred between July 2006 and December 2009. The authors suggest possible reasons for the decline [...]