Archive for January, 2009
At Least 25 States Have Cut, Plan To Cut Health Insurance Programs For Low-Income Residents, Report Finds
Officials and lawmakers in at least 25 states have enacted or plan to propose cuts to various state public health services and insurance programs for low-income residents as part of efforts to reduce budget deficits, according to a report to be released on Wednesday by Families USA, the Wall Street Journal reports.
3 Out Of 4 Senior Households Lack The Economic Security Needed To Sustain Them Through Their Lives, According To New Study
“This is a wakeup call for America: Congress must act now to ensure economic stability for today’s seniors and future generations.” Older Americans have experienced huge, negative financial shifts that now make it more difficult to enter retirement with sustainable economic security, a new study finds. Seventy-eight percent of all senior households are financially vulnerable when it comes to their ability to meet essential expenses and cover projected costs over their lifetimes.
Leading Seniors Organization Applauds New Part D Proposal In Congress
New legislation introduced this week in Congress may finally end years of Congressional efforts to privatize Medicare that for too long have put industry profits ahead of seniors’ needs. The Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act (HR 684), sponsored by Senator Dick Durbin and Representatives Marion Berry and Jan Schakowsky, creates a prescription drug program managed by Medicare while also requiring the government to negotiate for lower drug prices.
Motor Control Exercises Reduce Persistent Low-back Pain, Study Shows
Motor control exercises, when performed in conjunction with other forms of therapy, can significantly reduce pain and disability in patients with persistent low back pain, according to a new systematic review published in Physical Therapy.
Senate Rejects Republican SCHIP Amendment Requiring Coverage Of Most Eligible Children Before States Cover Children Of Documented Immigrants
The Senate on Tuesday rejected two Republican amendments to SCHIP reauthorization and expansion legislation, including an amendment that would have limited states’ abilities to expand coverage to documented immigrants, CongressDaily reports (CongressDaily, 1/28). SCHIP is set to expire on March 1. Under the expansion bill (
House Democrats Introduce Legislation That Would Allow Medicare To Offer Prescription Drug Plans That Compete With Private Plans
Congressional Democrats on Tuesday introduced legislation (HR 684, S 330) that would allow traditional Medicare to establish one or more plans to compete with private plans under the prescription drug benefit, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Study Shows No Standardized Approach To Epidural Steroid Injections For Back Pain
Today at the American Academy of Pain Medicine’s 25th Annual Meeting, researchers from University of California at San Diego report that no standardized practices exist for administering an epidural steroid injection for back pain. Researchers looked at many factors including: which steroids were given, the amount of steroid used, and whether or not a local anesthetic was mixed with the steroid.
Provision To Increase Access To Medicaid Family Planning Services Cut From Stimulus Package
Under pressure from Republicans, President Obama and House Democrats on Tuesday agreed to drop a provision of the proposed economic stimulus package that would have given states the option to expand Medicaid coverage of family planning services, the
Exercise Underutilized For Chronic Back And Neck Pain
Exercise is commonly used to improve physical function, decrease symptoms and minimize disability caused by chronic low back or neck pain. Numerous randomized trials and clinical practice guidelines have supported this practice, and studies suggest that individually tailored, supervised exercise programs are associated with the best outcomes.
A case study for teaching information literacy skills
Background:The Internet has changed contemporary workplace skills, resulting in a need for proficiency with specific digital, online and web-based technologies within the fields of medicine, dentistry and public health. Although younger students, generally under 30 years of age, may appear inherently comfortable with the use of technology-intensive environments and digital or online search methods, competence in information literacy among these students may be lacking.Methods:This project involved the design and assessment of a research-based assignment to help first-year, graduate-level health science students to develop and integrate information literacy skills with clinical relevance. Results:One cohort of dental students (n=78) was evaluated for this project and the results demonstrate that although all students were able to provide the correct response from the content-specific, or technology-independent, portion of the assignment, more than half (54%) were unable to demonstrate competence with a web-based, technology-dependent section of this assignment. No correlation was found between any demographic variable measured (gender, age, or race).Conclusion:More evidence is emerging that demonstrates the need for developing curricula that integrates new knowledge and current evidence-based practices and technologies, traditionally isolated from graduate and health-care curricula, that can enhance biomedical and clinical training for students. This study provides evidence, critical for the evaluation of new practices, which can promote and facilitate the integration of information literacy into the curriculum.
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