Latest California Healthline Stories
Incompatibility Issues Could Hinder Use of California Rx Database
Some health care providers say they will not be able to use California’s upgraded prescription drug monitoring system — which is set to go live on July 1 — because their Internet browsers or electronic health record systems are incompatible with the database. Los Angeles Times‘ “PolitiCal.”
Assembly Health Committee Delays Vote on Assisted Death Bill
State Sen. Lois Wolk, the author of a bill that would allow some dying Californians to end their lives through lethal doses of medication, has agreed to delay a vote on the measure in order to garner more support. Wolk called the delay a “momentary pause” in the effort to legalize physician-assisted death in the state. Los Angeles Times‘ “PolitiCal,” Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert.”
Senate Confirms New VA Undersecretary for Health
On Tuesday, the Senate confirmed David Shulkin, president of the Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey, as the undersecretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs. In March, President Obama nominated Shulkin to lead the Veterans Health Administration after his predecessor resigned amid reports of long wait times at VA facilities. AP/Sacramento Bee.
Report: California Agency Must Bolster Welfare, Food Stamp Anti-Fraud Efforts
The California Department of Social Services must do more to improve anti-fraud efforts for the welfare and food stamp systems, according to a State Auditor report released Tuesday. The report shows that just one of 15 recommendations to improve anti-fraud efforts made in 2009 has been fully implemented. Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ News.”
California-Based Precision Medicine Research Project Shows Early Signs of Success
A precision medicine research project that is using electronic health records and genetic data from more than 100,000 Californians is showing early signs of success, according to research published in the journal GENETICS. The initial results show that the project is helping to pinpoint genetic variants linked to allergies, diabetes, high cholesterol, glaucoma, macular degeneration and prostate cancer. Health Data Management.
Number of Obese, Overweight U.S. Residents Up Significantly Over Past 20 Years, Study Finds
The number of U.S. adults who are overweight or obese has increased significantly over the last two decades, according to a study in published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. The researchers found that in 2012, 65.2 million U.S. residents were overweight and 67.6 million U.S. residents were obese. This is the first time the number of residents who are obese is greater than the number who are overweight. Washington Post‘s “To Your Health.”
Hospitals in California, New York and the New England region face a shortage of transplantable livers, in part because of protocols that have led to an uneven distribution of available organs throughout the country. About 6,000 U.S. patients undergo liver transplant operations annually, just a fraction of the nearly 15,600 who are on the waiting list. About 1,500 patients die each year waiting for new livers. Capital New York.
ASCO Unveils ‘Value Framework’ for Evaluating Cancer Treatments
The American Society of Clinical Oncology has published a new “value framework” designed to help physicians and patients assess cancer treatments based on the medications’ costs, effectiveness and side effects. Physicians are not required to use the framework, which was developed in response to concerns over increasing cancer drug costs. New York Times et al.
U.S. Uninsured Rate Declined to 11.5% in 2014, CDC Survey Finds
CDC’s National Health Interview Survey finds 36 million U.S. residents reported being uninsured on the day they were interviewed in 2014, or about 8.8 million fewer than in 2013. Nationwide, the 2014 uninsured rate was 11.5%, while the West had an uninsured rate of 16.3%. Huffington Post, New York Times.
Calif. Prisons Look To Reduce Inmate Drug Overdoses
State authorities will spend $8 million this year on efforts to reduce the number of California prison inmate deaths from drug overdoses. Since 2006, more than 150 inmates have died from drug overdoses, more than triple the national average. KQED’s “Forum,” AP/Capital Public Radio’s “KXJZ News.”