Latest California Healthline Stories
HHS Issues New ‘Pre-Diabetes’ Guidelines Recommending Screening for the Condition
Federal health officials and the American Diabetes Association issued new guidelines yesterday that recommend screening for “pre-diabetes” after finding that 16 million Americans between 40 and 74 years old have the newly defined “dangerous condition,” which can lead to the “full-fledged” version of diabetes within a decade, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Newspapers Weigh In on Bush’s Nominees for Surgeon General, Director of NIH
Newspapers across the country are offering their opinions on President Bush’s nominations of Dr. Richard Carmona for surgeon general and Dr. Elias Zerhouni for NIH director.
Chronic Diseases More Prevalent in Low-Income Areas of Los Angeles, Study Finds
People living in the low-income neighborhoods of Los Angeles have a higher incidence of chronic disease and participate in more at-risk behaviors than do those in wealthy areas, according to a report released yesterday by the Los Angeles Department of Health Services, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Drug Companies’ Advertising in on Medical Research Web Sites Raises Concerns
With drug marketing becoming “ultra-competitive,” a number of pharmaceutical companies are breaking a “longstanding taboo” in medical publishing by placing drug advertisements alongside medical research on some Web sites, the Wall Street Journal reports.
PacifiCare to Offer Mail-Order Prescription Drug Discount Program for Secure Horizons Members
PacifiCare Health Systems announced plans yesterday to offer a new mail-order prescription drug discount program for members of the health plan’s Medicare HMO, Secure Horizons, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Hospitals Nationwide See ‘Suprising Increase’ of Patients
A “surprising increas[e]” in the number of patients seeking treatment at hospitals around the country has led some health centers to turn away ambulances or make patients wait “hours or even days” for a room, the New York Times reports.
Groups Form New National Nursing Association Advocating Government-Mandated Staffing Ratios
Five state nursing groups have “cut their affiliation” with the American Nurses Association and have formed the American Association of Registered Nurses, an organization that is advocating government-mandated nurse-to-patient ratios, the Knight Ridder/Tribune/Tallahassee Democrat reports.
Interlink Group’s Web-Based System Help Hospitals, Health Agencies Track Indigent Care
The Interlink Group, an information technology service provider, has developed a Web-based platform to help safety net providers and community health agencies monitor indigent care and improve reimbursement for that care.
By proposing a federal medical privacy regulation change that would eliminate the requirement that providers, insurers and pharmacies obtain written consent from patients before disclosing their medical records, the Bush administration is now “favoring the health care industry’s convenience over patient protection,” according to a USA Today editorial.
Silicon Valley Primary Care Clinics Begin Offering Patients Same-Day Appointments
Several primary care clinics in Silicon Valley have begun to move away from the traditional patient scheduling system and instead offer patients appointments for the same day that they call, the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal reports.