March 2012 - NPR Health Blog - The Network of Care

Scientific Journals Plan To Publish Contentious Bird Flu Research

A government advisory committee has reconsidered its advice to keep certain details of bird flu experiments secret. Revised versions of manuscripts that describe two recent studies can be openly published, the committee now says. The decision could help...

Published Fri, Mar 30 2012 2:49 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Romney Says No Thanks To Medicare

Now that he's 65, Romney is eligible for Medicare. But he does not want the coverage. If he changes his mind and signs up later, he may have to pay a penalty. Read More...

Published Mon, Mar 12 2012 2:13 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Connecticut Considers Letting Health Aides Give Medicines To Homebound

The state legislature is now mulling a change to allow trained home care aides to administer medications to Medicaid patients while working under a nurse's supervision. If the proposal becomes law, it could save the state a bundle. Read More...

Published Tue, Mar 13 2012 1:17 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Get To Know 'Number Needed To Treat'

A single statistic can help show how beneficial, or not, a treatment is. It's called the number needed to treat. And the lower it is, the better. Read More...

Published Wed, Mar 14 2012 12:32 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Blackouts Predict Which Binge-Drinking Students Will End Up In ERs

About half of college students who drink say they have blackouts. They're much more likely to end up in the emergency room, according to a new study, and cost a college about $500,000 a year in medical expenses. Read More...

Published Thu, Mar 15 2012 11:59 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Prone To Failure, Some All-Metal Hip Implants Need To Be Removed Early

Shavings of metal can flake off of the artificial joints and cause serious pain and medical problems in the hip. About a half-million Americans have this type of implant, and though most patients won't have a problem, one doctor called the failure...

Published Mon, Mar 19 2012 1:14 AM by Shots - Health Blog

How Do Racial Attitudes Affect Opinions About The Health Care Overhaul?

Data suggest that the racial attitudes of ordinary Americans have shaped both how they feel about Obama's health care overhaul and how intense those feelings are. Read More...

Published Tue, Mar 20 2012 1:27 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Air Pollution In An Unlikely Spot: An Indoor Hockey Arena

Early last year 31 people got sick after spending time at an indoor ice arena owned by a private school in New Hampshire. Poor ventilation of exhaust from a machine used to resurface the ice turned out to be a big problem. Read More...

Published Thu, Mar 01 2012 1:50 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Inconsistency: The Real Hobgoblin

Why are politicians and those of us who vote for them so obsessed with inconsistency? We take that question on from three angles: how our brains are wired; the psychology of judging what's consistent; and how consistency plays out in leadership styles...

Published Mon, Mar 05 2012 12:40 AM by Shots - Health Blog

How Birth Control Saves Taxpayers' Money

By far the biggest return on investment would come from expanding access to family planning through Medicaid, a Brookings Institution analysis finds. Read More...

Published Tue, Mar 06 2012 9:45 AM by Shots - Health Blog

For The Tavenners, Health Care Is All In The Family

Marilyn Tavenner is the acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Matt, assistant administrator at Jackson Purchase Medical Center in Mayfield, Ky., is her son. Read More...

Published Wed, Mar 07 2012 9:37 AM by Shots - Health Blog

Surgeon General Calls Smoking A 'Pediatric Epidemic'

The U.S. Surgeon General is sounding the alarm about kids and tobacco, saying a lot more has to be done to keep minors from lighting up. Most smokers in high school will smoke as adults, and half of them will die prematurely as a result. Read More...

Published Thu, Mar 08 2012 12:35 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Forget The Robots: Venture Capitalists Change Their Health Care Investments

As biotech investments and medical device development falters, hospitals are turning to other avenues to help cut costs: streamlining billing systems and investing in simpler medical products. Read More...

Published Thu, Mar 08 2012 9:01 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Is Anesthesia A Luxury During Colonoscopy?

Anesthesia is being used more often for colonoscopies, even if people really don't need it. People in the Northeast are far more likely to be put to sleep, compared to the West Coast, where insurers are less likely to pay. Read More...

Published Tue, Mar 20 2012 1:36 PM by Shots - Health Blog

Aspirin Might Reduce Cancer Risk, But It Has Risks, Too

A review of hundreds of studies found that people who take aspirin daily lowered their risk of several cancers, but the jury's still out. And daily aspirin use also has major drawbacks — including the risk of serious internal bleeding — that may outweigh...

Published Wed, Mar 21 2012 12:35 PM by Shots - Health Blog

March 2012 - NPR Health Blog

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