Blood Clots

A new UCLA study shows that patient-care performance ratings for 25 medical groups across California improved significantly following the launch of a statewide pay-for-performance program in 2004 — but not when incentives focused on doctors’ productivity. Reporting in the December edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, Hector P. Rodriguez, assistant professor in the [...]

Chronic sinusitis, a constant irritation and swelling of the nasal passages, is a common condition thought to affect about one out of every six people. This problem has several forms with a range of severities. One of the most severe forms produces polyps, overgrowths of unhealthy sinus tissue that can block the nose and sinus [...]

When patients undergo general anesthesia, they stop breathing on their own and anesthesiologists must quickly insert a tube into the airway as a first step in machine-assisted breathing. The researchers showed that a comprehensive program designed to help physicians quickly identify and treat anesthetized patients in which placement of this tube is difficult has dramatically [...]

The study, published online November 24 in Molecular Therapy describes a new treatment for pachyonychia congenita, an ultra-rare genetic skin condition caused by mutations in a gene called keratin. The disorder is characterized by painful, blistering calluses on the feet and limbs that limit a patient’s ability to walk. Other skin and nail problems also [...]

"Public release of hospital performance data is increasingly being mandated by policy makers with the goal of improving the quality of care. Advocates of report cards believe that publicly releasing performance data on hospitals will stimulate hospitals and clinicians to engage in quality improvement activities and increase the accountability and transparency of the health care [...]

UT Southwestern University Hospital — St. Paul is only one of only two sites in Texas and one of 25 in the country currently equipped to implant the device, called the NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System. The device is designed to give patients more freedom and to help slow respiratory decline. Patients who have diseases or [...]

The investigators note that the prognosis of heart failure — by far the single biggest reason for acute hospital admission — has not been improved by the introduction of new medical treatments in recent years, with continuing high rates of mortality and morbidity. Thus, while drug therapy is still the mainstay of treatment, "relatively few [...]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate 27 million Americans suffer from OA with more women than men affected by the disease. Forecasts indicate that by the year 2030, 25% of the adult U.S. population, or nearly 67 million people, will have physician-diagnosed arthritis. OA is a major debilitating disease causing gradual loss [...]

"Childhood asthma disproportionately affects urban minority children," said Dr. Glenn Flores, professor of pediatrics and the study’s lead author. "Asthma mortality among African-American children alone is almost five times higher than for white children. The goal for this study was to determine whether parent mentors would be more effective than traditional asthma care in improving [...]

The research, which analyzed 90,000 HIV patient hospital visits over the course of one year, found that few of the patients had health care through their employers, and that the majority of the patients were black. "The study highlights the lack of a federal strategic plan supported by appropriate policy to address the high number [...]