Rural Hospitals' ERs Just as Effective as Urban Ones: Study

• Robert Preidt
• November 24, 2021
• Full Page

If you live the country life, new research brings a reassuring finding: Your chances of surviving a heart attack, stroke or other potentially life-threatening medical emergency at a rural emergency department are similar to odds at a city ER in the United States.

Researc...

Biden Plan Will Spend $1.5 Billion to Boost Health Worker Supply

• Robert Preidt and Robin Foster
• November 23, 2021
• Full Page

Vice President Kamala Harris announced Monday that the Biden administration will spend $1.5 billion to tackle a health care worker shortage in underserved communities.

The money from the COVID-19 recovery program, called the American Rescue Plan, and other sources will g...

Almost 1 in 3 U.S. Seniors Now Sees at Least 5 Doctors Per Year

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• November 2, 2021
• Full Page

Nearly one-third of older U.S. adults visit at least five different doctors each year -- reflecting the growing role of specialists in Americans' health care, a new study finds.

Over the past 20 years, Americans on Medicare have been increasingly seeing specialists, rese...

Your Free Cancer Screen Shows Trouble: What If You Can't Afford the Follow-Up?

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• October 12, 2021
• Full Page

Just over a decade ago, the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare) made many common cancer screenings free. But a pair of new studies caution that when those free tests turn up signs of trouble, important follow-up tests may be too pricey for some patients.

Medical Paperwork: So Bad Some Folks Skip Care

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• September 15, 2021
• Full Page

Getting prior authorizations to see a specialist, dealing with errors on medical bills and even scheduling appointments can be a big hassle.

That's clear to anyone who has spent time on the phone handling issues with insurance companies or doctors' offices.

For som...

Most Older Americans Believe Health Care Workers Should Be Vaccinated: Poll

• Steven Reinberg
• September 14, 2021
• Full Page

Eight in 10 older Americans think health care workers should be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a new poll.

Among 50- to 80-year-olds, 61% of respondents said the vaccine should be required for all health care workers. Another 19% said vaccination should probab...

Health Savings Accounts Used Least by People Who Need Them Most: Poll

• Cara Murez
• September 10, 2021
• Full Page

Tax-free health savings accounts can make it easier for Americans to pay for future health expenses, but most older adults aren't using them.

A new poll by Michigan Medicine-University of Michigan found that while nearly 1 in 5 people weren't confident that they could af...

Father and Son Caught Up in Severe Blood Shortage Hitting U.S. Hospitals

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• August 5, 2021
• Full Page

As June 28 approached, David Beverley had been "psyching himself up" for major surgery, as a lifesaving liver donor for his ailing 60-year-old father, Peter.

"But then they called us, literally the day before, and told us: 'We've got to stop this. We don't have any ...

When Deductibles Rise, More Diabetes Patients Skip Their Meds

• Cara Murez
• July 30, 2021
• Full Page

As many Americans know, today's health insurance plans often come with high deductibles. Those out-of-pocket costs could cause harm: New research shows that 20% of people who have diabetes and high-deductible health plans regularly skip their medications.

Not keeping up ...

Major Medical Groups Call for Mandatory COVID Vaccination for Health Workers

• Robert Preidt
• July 26, 2021
• Full Page

All health care workers should be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, dozens of major U.S. medical groups said in a joint statement released Monday.

"Due to the recent COVID-19 surge and the availability of safe and effective vaccines, our health care organizatio...

Cancer Survivors Fared Better Financially After Obamacare

• Robert Preidt
• July 14, 2021
• Full Page

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has eased financial struggles for younger adult cancer survivors, a new study finds.

University of Michigan researchers analyzed data from more than 20,000 participants in the National Health Interview Survey and found that cancer survivors ...

1 in 3 Caregivers for Elderly May Be Untrained, Unscreened

• Cara Murez
• June 24, 2021
• Full Page

A new report raises questions about the training and qualifications of many caregivers for the elderly across the United States.

The study by the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, found that nearly a third of Americans who arranged for paid care of a f...

How Secure Is Your Health or Fitness App?

• Robert Preidt
• June 17, 2021
• Full Page

Your health and fitness apps may have privacy issues that put your personal information at risk, researchers warn.

"This analysis found serious problems with privacy and inconsistent privacy practices in mHealth [mobile health] apps. Clinicians should be aware of these a...

Most Editors at Leading Medical Journals Are White, Study Finds

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• June 14, 2021
• Full Page

The vast majority of editors at leading medical journals are white - with few of those influential spots going to Black or Hispanic professionals, a new study finds.

The study comes on the heels of a controversy that prompted the resignation of the editor-in-chief of the...

Medicare's Penalties for Poor-Quality Dialysis Centers Aren't Helping: Study

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 9, 2021
• Full Page

Dialysis centers hit with financial penalties for poor performance don't tend to improve afterward, calling into question a set of U.S. federal programs intended to improve health care nationwide, a new report says.

Dialysis centers face up to a 2% reduction in their ann...

After Editor-in-Chief's Resignation, JAMA Journals Outline Steps to Address Racism

• Dennis Thompson
• June 3, 2021
• Full Page

Reacting to recent controversy, the American Medical Association (AMA) announced Thursday a series of steps it will take to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within the medical society and its network of 12 influential journals.

Dr. Howard Bauchner, editor-in-chie...

JAMA Journals' Editor-in-Chief Steps Down After Deputy's Racism Comments

• Margaret Steele
• June 1, 2021
• Full Page

Because of controversial statements about racism made by a staff member, the editor-in-chief of JAMA and JAMA Network will step down on June 30, the American Medical Association (AMA) announced Tuesday.

Dr. Howard Bauchner, JAMA's chief since 2...

Many Pre-Surgery Tests Are Useless, So Why Are Hospitals Still Using Them?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• May 27, 2021
• Full Page

Patients facing relatively simple outpatient surgeries are nonetheless being told to undergo a number of preoperative tests that just aren't necessary, a new study reports.

More than half of a group of patients facing low-risk outpatient surgery received one or more test...

It's Still Tough to Find Prices on Most U.S. Hospital Websites

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• May 18, 2021
• Full Page

U.S. hospitals have been required to make their prices public since 2019, but 18 months into the rule more than half weren't doing it, a new study finds.

In 2018, the Trump administration issued a rule requiring hospitals to publish their "chargemasters" on their website...

Nurses Are Dying From Suicide at Higher Rates

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• April 14, 2021
• Full Page

Before the pandemic began, suicide risk was twice as high among female nurses compared with American women as a whole, a new study warns.

Even within the health care community itself, female nurses were found to be roughly 70% more likely to die by suicide than female do...

4 in 10 Adults Over 50 Consult Online Reviews When Picking a Doctor

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• April 14, 2021
• Full Page

Finding a new doctor can be a daunting task. For help, many older adults turn to online reviews, a new study finds.

In fact, many people rate online reviews as highly as they would a recommendation from friends and family when picking a doctor, the new research found.

Strain of COVID Care Has Many Health Professionals Looking for an Exit

• Cara Murez
• April 6, 2021
• Full Page

After the pandemic, the next great health care challenge in the United States could be retaining highly trained doctors, nurses and scientists, a new study warns.

Up to one in five employees at an academic medical institution are considering leaving their professions be...

Can Fitbits Be a Dieter's Best Friend?

• Sarah Collins HealthDay Reporter
• March 22, 2021
• Full Page

Looking to shed some of those pandemic pounds? A new analysis says wearables like Fitbit and Apple Watch can help people slim down.

The researchers examined studies involving commercial health wearables and adults who were overweight/obese or had a chronic health conditi...

Pandemic Is Hitting Hospitals Hard, Including Their Bottom Line

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 26, 2021
• Full Page

U.S. hospitals are expected to lose billions again in 2021, leaving them in dire financial shape as the COVID-19 pandemic guts the industry for a second year.

Hospitals could lose $53 billion to $122 billion in revenue in 2021, between 4% and 10% of their total revenue, ...

Pandemic Taking Big Mental Health Toll on Health Care Workers

• Cara Murez
• December 23, 2020
• Full Page

Frontline health care workers have been through tremendous challenges this past year while treating COVID-19 patients throughout the world.

It should come as no surprise that many are having trouble emotionally.

A new study looked at the impact of the pandemic on s...

Bias More Likely in Medical Journals That Accept Reprint Fees: Study

• Serena McNiff
• August 11, 2020
• Full Page

There is a longstanding fear in the scientific community that pharmaceutical companies could sway the research published in medical journals by paying them for advertising, but a new study reveals that advertising might not be the problem.

"All the available literatu...

Pandemic Has Half of U.S. Hospitals Operating at a Loss: Report

• Dennis Thompson
• July 22, 2020
• Full Page

The COVID-19 pandemic has America's hospitals on the fiscal ropes, with many facing financial ruin without continued aid from the federal government, a new report predicts.

Average hospital margins across the nation could sink to −7% in the second half of 2...

Americans Lag Behind Brits When It Comes to Health

• Steven Reinberg
• July 13, 2020
• Full Page

Health care in the United States is often touted as the best in the world, but Americans seem to be in worse health than their British peers, a new study shows.

Even the richest Americans in their 50s and early 60s had higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, a...