On the HCPLive news page, resources on the topics of disease- and specialty-specific medical news and expert insight can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on health care research, treatment, and drug development.
MS therapy: The End of the Needles?
February 24th 2010Until just a few years ago, neurologists could only observe as MS ravaged the nervous systems of our patients. The therapies available were basically symptomatic, and didn't really alter prognosis. The advent of disease modifying therapies (DMT) made a big difference: These immune system modifying agents slowed the progression of MS and improved quality of life for many patients.
I've spent years working in quality assurance and regulatory affairs, two of arguably the most thankless jobs in the world because you're constantly on your toes with regard to organizational behavior, and nobody, but nobody wants to discuss how they (or their department) can (or must) improve on the job. That's one of the reasons why I was looking forward to downloading the Heath brothers' new book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, to my Nook when it came out last week.
Medicaid Directors Say Program Teetering on a "Fiscal Cliff"
February 23rd 2010The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 designated $87 billion for state Medicaid programs, enacting major increases in federal matching rates. Despite the boost from ARRA, state budgets have been groaning under the weight of the economic downturn, with 29 of them planning to make Medicaid cuts in 2010.
Educational Series on Rheumatoid Arthritis
February 23rd 2010Rheumatologists and primary care physicians will find the "Rheumatoid Arthritis Virtual Grand Rounds" to be extremely beneficial. Hosted by experts in the field, 17 patient cases will help improve the quality of care provided through patient case studies and provide new information about the available treatments for rheumatoid arthritis.
Haiti Journey: Clinic Time Begins
February 17th 2010There's something about the constant drone of a generator – the relentless, unremitting growl that hangs in the air. It's like the smell and the dust and the fear of the rainy season, the way it creeps under your skin so quickly, and then sinks so deepely that you're not even aware that you're aware of it. All the time.
Watchful Waiting vs. Prescription Antibiotics in the Treatment of Acute Otitis Media
February 17th 2010There's a new battleground in the fight to curb antibiotic over prescribing and control the spread of resistant superbugs: the common ear infection, or acute otitis media (AOM). Although a growing body of literature shows that most kids with ear infections recover with no complications without the use of antibiotics, many physicians continue to prescribe antibiotics for the vast majority of children diagnosed with an ear infection.
We knew obesity was a growing problem here in the U.S., and we knew that more children were being diagnosed with attention deficits. However, these chronic conditions don't appear to be the only ones on the rise; according to a study published today in JAMA, a number of diseases, including physical ailments such as allergies and other behavioral/learning disorders, are becoming more and prevalent, and in a big way.
Scientists Map Out Genetic Hot Spots for Diabetes
February 17th 2010Researchers have built the first high-resolution atlas of regulatory elements in the most studied cell type for treatment and prevention of type II diabetes, guiding scientists to regions of the genome that appear functionally relevant.
Haiti Journey: Hitting the Ground
February 17th 2010Airports are bland portals scattered across the world. It's really when you step outside, walking down the cattle-chute ramp that's lined with well-wishers and people holding up hand-written signs - it's as you emerge, blinking into hot haze and the smell of moist, marinating diesel hits you, that's when you know you're somewhere else.