Children in foster care much more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medications

One in every three children in foster care are on psychotropic medications designed to alter their mental status or mood, a significantly higher percentage than children who are not in foster care within the Medicaid program. That is one of the findings of a study abstract, “Psychotropic Medication Usage Among Foster and Non-Foster Youth on […]

Most trials in primary care stand the test of time

According to a new paper in Family Practice, published by Oxford University Press, while medical practice is often undermined by subsequent investigation, randomized trials relevant to primary care generally hold up over time. Medical reversal describes a problem whereby new research leads doctors to stop using a popular medication, procedure or diagnostic test that had […]

New tool helps long-term care facilities decide when, how to test for COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted long-term care facilities, resulting in the deaths of 8% of residents nationwide, or 1 in 12 people. As coronavirus case rates decline and health restrictions are lifted, people who manage these facilities must now define policies to reduce disease transmission. What should that look like, with varying numbers of staff, […]

Clinicians report improved COVID critical care with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Analysis of the critical care of COVID-19 patient involving the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in University Hospital Vienna shows that the chances of survival are good. Nearly three quarters of patients who had undergone ECMO treatment between January 2020 and April 2021 survived. In this demanding critical-care technique, a machine partially or completely […]

Charitable care provided by hospitals doesn’t measure up to their tax exemptions

The amount of charity care provided by government and nonprofit hospitals falls short of the obligation implied by their favorable tax treatment, according to a new study published in the April issue of Health Affairs by researchers at Johns Hopkins University’s Carey Business School and Bloomberg School of Public Health. Using Medicare data from 2018, […]

Telemedicine improves access to high-quality sleep care

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recently published an update on the use of telemedicine for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders to reflect lessons learned from the transition to telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic and the benefits of continuing to utilize remote care when appropriate. While the technology to remotely connect doctor and […]

Undocumented women receive inadequate pregnancy care

Undocumented women in Finland access pregnancy care later than others. Yet, screening of infectious diseases at the early stages of pregnancy would be particularly important to these women, a new study carried out in Helsinki, Finland, shows. Conducted by the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Helsinki, the study on undocumented women’s pregnancy […]

Firefighters — ‘Health Care Providers on a Truck’ — Signal Pandemic Burnout

Tim Dupin thought — or at least hoped — that Missouri firefighters, paramedics and other emergency medical services personnel would be among the first to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. After months of feeling overlooked by elected leaders in the distribution of safety equipment and other resources, surely, Dupin thought, their role on the front […]

When should patients with dementia receive palliative care?

Patients with dementia may benefit from being referred to specialist palliative care—a branch of medicine that focuses on optimizing quality of life and providing relief from symptoms—but who should be referred, and when? A recent analysis of published studies on the topic found a lack of consensus regarding referral criteria for palliative care in patients […]

Many health care workers report vaccine hesitancy

(HealthDay)—Many health care workers (HCWs) report they may delay getting the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a research letter published online Feb. 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Adva Gadoth, Ph.D., from the University of California in Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a survey (Sept. 24 to Oct. 16, 2020) to understand general vaccine acceptance […]