Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines

FDA Expert Panel Declines to Endorse New Influenza Vaccine

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:46:09 EST

An advisory committee said more efficacy and safety data are needed before it can back FluBlock, which is made using a new technology.

H1N1 Flu Wave Peaking in US?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:39:54 EST

New cases of the H1N1 flu have declined, but deaths and hospitalizations are still rising.

Retaining an Aging Nurse Workforce: Perceptions of Human Resource Practices

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:05:03 EST

Retaining aging nurses is key to providing care for an aging population, and there are specific management practices that can support this goal.

Sen Grassley Questions Top Medical Schools About Ghostwriting

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:48:39 EST

As part of his mission to see more financial transparency in medicine, Sen Grassley has asked eight top US medical schools about their policies on ghostwriting.

Patients Happier When Doctors Discuss What Went Wrong

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:58:27 EST

Hospital patients who suffer a side effect from treatment are more likely to give high ratings to their quality of care when hospital staff are up front about what went wrong, a new study suggests.

Unique Malpractice Risks of Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:06:52 EST

More physicians are setting up ambulatory surgery centers, but there are many malpractice risks that come with having a center. Here is what to watch out for.

Nurse Practitioner Role Development

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:02:36 EST

In some countries, NPs are still taking baby steps, but in the United States, NPs may have advanced beyond early practice regulations.

Physician Impairment due to Substance Use Disorders

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:59:13 EST

A family physician starts self-prescribing narcotics abuse after a bike accident.

House Passes Medicare SGR Fix

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:11:22 EST

The House passed a bill that would rewrite the controversial sustainable growth rate formula and eliminate a 21.2% Medicare pay cut for physicians scheduled for 2010.

EFFECT: Public Reporting of Hospital Performance Improves Quality of Care?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:33:49 EST

Publicly released report cards based on hospital performance did not result in a measurably greater systemwide improvement in two composite AMI or CHF process-of-care indicators in a Canadian study. But they did appear to stimulate some important changes in delivery of care that could have led to some better outcomes.

First Orthopaedic Surgeon in Space to Use His Medical Skills on Mission

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:10:31 EST

Five million miles from home, Dr. Robert Satcher completed his first space walk and "tweets" while in orbit.

No Adverse Events Reported So Far With H1N1 Influenza Vaccine

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:58:39 EST

US officials are keeping a close watch for adverse events from H1N1 influenza vaccinations; nothing has been reported yet, but it's early, and the data are insufficient to assess the safety just yet.

H1N1 Vaccine as Safe as Seasonal Vaccine, WHO Says

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:52:39 EST

The WHO emphasizes that the pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine appears to be as safe as the seasonal influenza vaccine, with few reports of adverse events.

Antimicrobial-Resistant Infections Exact Staggering Costs

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:57:26 EST

In one year at one urban teaching hospital, antibiotic-resistant infections in just 188 patients cost the hospital and society somewhere between In one year at one urban teaching hospital, antibiotic-resistant infections in just 188 patients cost the hospital and society somewhere between $13 and $18 million, researchers say.3 and In one year at one urban teaching hospital, antibiotic-resistan...

U.S. Senate Panel Passes Food Safety Reform Bill

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:57:25 EST

A Senate committee passed legislation on Wednesday that would increase government oversight of the U.S. food supply, which has been battered by a series of high-profile recalls that have soured consumer confidence in the food safety system.

Improper Government Payments Hit $98 Bln: W.House

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:57:25 EST

New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Opposed by Societies

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:35:47 EST

The ACS, ACR, and ACOG advocate continuing to follow their own current guidelines and not adopting the new USPSTF recommendations.

FDA Panel Recommends Prevnar 13 Vaccine for Approval

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:18:48 EST

An advisory committee voted 10 to 1 (with 1 abstention) to approve Pfizer's request for licensure of Prevnar 13 to immunize infants and children against invasive pneumococcal disease.

A Comparison of Hospital Adverse Events Identified by Three Widely Used Detection Methods

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

How often do adverse events occur in a hospital setting? Does type of adverse event identified vary by detection method?

New Senate Healthcare Reform Bill Features Public Option With Opt-Out

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:03:45 EST

The Senate bill would cost $849 billion through 2019, but it would ultimately shave $127 billion off the federal deficit while reducing the number of uninsured by 31 million people.