Tag: medical

Social vulnerability and medical skepticism top factors limiting adherence to screening

Social vulnerability showed to be a major limitation to participation in cancer screening for four tumors types—breast, cervical, colorectal and lung—according to the French nationwide observational survey, EDIFICE 6. Also, a disbelief in cancer test efficacy among target populations was highlighted as new indicator of the non-uptake of screening, according to results to be presented

Team’s study reveals hidden lives of medical biomarkers

What do medical biomarkers do on evenings and weekends, when they might be considered off the clock? The hidden lives of medical biomarkers are the focus of a recent study in Nature Communications by Jonathan Mosley, MD, Ph.D., assistant professor of Medicine and Biomedical Informatics, and colleagues from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and 11 other

Smart pills dumb down medical care, experts warn

Enthusiasm for an emerging digital health tool, the smart pill, is on the rise but researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have published a paper in the American Journal of Bioethics that cautions health care providers and policymakers to slow down when it comes to allowing this technology in patient care settings. Smart

Even a small amount of medical debt can trigger headaches

It doesn’t take a huge unpaid medical bill to make a collection agency come calling … and calling. Researchers found in a study of credit reports that more than 2 percent of adults had medical bills under $200 sent to a collections agency. Over half of the annual medical collections were for less than $600,

Medical practices should address negative online reviews

(HealthDay)—Medical practice staff can effectively handle negative online reviews by staying calm and positive, looking for solutions, apologizing, and thanking the reviewers, according to an article published in Physicians Practice. According to the article, every physician or medical practice owner deals with many online reviews. While most are encouraging, the ability to stay anonymous can

Experts Offer Tips for Provider Appeal of Denied Medical Claims

MONDAY, Aug.20, 2018 — Knowing payer policies and regulatory requirements is critical to appealing denials, according to an article published in Medical Economics. Michael Strong, a bill review technical specialist at SFM Mutual Insurance Co. in Bloomington, Minn., and Tammy Tipton, owner of Appeal Solutions Inc. in Oklahoma City, suggest several tips to ease the

Survey of oncologists finds knowledge gap on medical marijuana

As more states legalize medical marijuana, two key groups—researchers whose job is it to understand its benefits and drawbacks, and physicians charged with advising potential users—are struggling to catch up with policymakers. Ilana Braun, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of adult psychosocial oncology at the Dana-Farber

Consumer sleep technology is no substitute for medical evaluation

According to a position statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), consumer sleep technology must be cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and rigorously tested if it is intended to diagnose or treat sleep disorders. Consumer sleep technologies are non-prescription devices such as wearables and mobile apps that are directly marketed

Centralized infrastructure facilitates medical education research

The Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance has enabled a large number of research teams to conduct meaningful scholarship with a fraction of the usual time and energy. CERA regularly conducts omnibus surveys of key family medicine education leaders, a process that includes collaboration with experienced mentors, centralized institutional review board clearance, pilot

Increased prevalence of depression, PTSD and medical conditions among military personnel who experience trauma

Service members who experience trauma, including sexual trauma, during their service are at increased risk of major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic medical conditions, according to new research presented today at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association here. Adverse childhood experiences also increased risk of PTSD among female service members.

Survey: Medical marijuana could reduce opioid use in older adults

A questionnaire of older men and women suffering from chronic pain who were given medical marijuana found that the drug significantly reduced pain and their need for opioid painkillers, Northwell Health researchers report. The results of the study, “Older Adults’ Use of Medical Marijuana for Chronic Pain: A Multisite Community-Based Survey,” are scheduled to be

Zimbabwe legalises cannabis for medical, scientific use

Zimbabwe has legalised production of cannabis for medicinal or scientific use, according to new regulations seen by AFP Saturday. A statutory instrument entitled Production of Cannabis for Medicinal and Scientific Use Regulations, said prospective producers can apply to the health ministry for a licence to grow cannabis but under strict conditions. “An application shall be

New medical devices help doctors with disabilities

Instead of using a traditional stethoscope or otoscope to examine a patient, one physician-in-training at the University of Michigan uses a new device, with a long, flexible wire and camera at its tip. A live video feed plays important diagnostic information back on her cell phone. The specially created device allows this medical student to

Position statement: Avoid using medical marijuana to treat sleep apnea

Medical cannabis and synthetic marijuana extracts should not be used for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, according to a position statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). In November 2017 the Minnesota Department of Health announced the decision to add obstructive sleep apnea as a new qualifying condition for the state’s medical