Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Infectious Disease for January 2014. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Deal Could Trade Tort Reform for Additional Health Reform
FRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians may be willing to make a trade in accepting some additional health reform efforts in exchange for tort reform, according to an article published in the January issue of Health Affairs.
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AAP Approves Childhood Immunization Schedules for 2014
FRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedules for 2014 have been approved, according to an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement published in the Feb. 1 issue of Pediatrics.
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Improving Infection Control Could Mean No More White Coats
THURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Health care personnel should consider their clinical attire, such as white lab coats, carefully with regards to risk of transmitting infection, according to guidelines published in the February issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
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Inappropriate Use of Antibiotics in ERs Remains High for Adults
THURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients presenting to the emergency department with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI), inappropriate utilization of antibiotics has decreased for children, but not for adults, according to a study published online Dec. 16 in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
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Docs Prefer Tablets Over Smartphones for Reading Articles
THURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Although physicians generally use smartphones rather than tablets for professional purposes, they are more likely to read articles from medical publications and access medically oriented webcasts/podcasts on tablets, according to the results of a survey conducted by Kantar Media.
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Report Reveals Payment Methods for Physicians
THURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Many physicians in non-solo practice settings are paid using different methods, with just over half receiving all or most of their compensation from salary, according to a report from the American Medical Association.
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Practices Must Engage Vendors for ICD-10 Updates Now
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Practice owners need to communicate with system vendors to coordinate International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) updates, according to an article published Dec. 25 in Medical Economics.
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Businesses Urge Change to ACA's Insurance Mandate
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Beginning in 2015, U.S. businesses with 50 or more workers must provide health insurance to "full-time" employees, meaning workers who log at least 30 hours a week, on average.
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Fear of Violence Hinders Women's Attempts at Safer Sex
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Women who fear intimate partner violence (IPV) report inconsistent condom use and difficulty in negotiating safer sex, according to research published in Women & Health.
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Risk of Flu-Linked Hospitalization Up for Adults With Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Working-age adults with diabetes are at increased risk of all-cause hospitalizations associated with influenza, according to a study published online Jan. 24 in Diabetologia.
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Handwashing Appears Best in Prevention of Common Cold
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The evidence relating to prevention and treatment of the common cold is frequently poor, but best evidence for prevention supports physical methods such as handwashing and possibly use of zinc supplements, according to a review published online Jan. 27 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Insurance Eligibility Headaches Expected With ACA
TUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- With the influx of newly insured patients under the Affordable Care Act, physician practices should be prepared to spend even more time verifying coverage, according to an article published Jan. 2 in Medical Economics.
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Framework Established to Promote Safety of Care
TUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A framework has been established to advance clinical learning environments that promote change in the quality and safety of care, according to a perspective piece published online Jan. 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Case Series Describes Critical Illness Linked to MERS-CoV
TUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with critical illness associated with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) present with acute severe hypoxemic respiratory failure and most have extrapulmonary manifestations, according to research published online Jan. 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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CDC: Health Care Providers Shouldn't Rely on Rapid Flu Tests
MONDAY, Jan. 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors should not rely entirely on rapid flu tests when determining if patients have the flu, U.S. health officials say.
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Top Ten Physician Challenges of 2014 Discussed
MONDAY, Jan. 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The top ten challenges for physicians in 2014 relate to payment for medical services and government mandates, as well as adapting to a changing patient population and the need to improve work-life balance, according to an article published Dec. 25 in Medical Economics.
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Writing a Blog Can Up a Doc's Visibility
FRIDAY, Jan. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Blogs can be a valuable tool to promote physician practices, according to an article published Dec. 17 in Medical Economics.
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Medical Staff Performance Goals Should Be Clear, Attainable
THURSDAY, Jan. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Staff performance in medical practices needs to be appropriately managed and measured with performance goals, according to an article published Dec. 25 in Medical Economics.
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Woman's Death Highlights Danger of Overlooking Dengue
THURSDAY, Jan. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The case of a Texas woman who died after becoming infected in New Mexico with the mosquito-borne dengue virus highlights a need for U.S. doctors to recognize the disease early, experts say. This is the third locally acquired dengue-related death in the United States, according to a report published in the Jan. 24 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Community-Wide Preventive Isoniazid Tx Ineffective for TB
THURSDAY, Jan. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Community-wide isoniazid preventive therapy does not improve tuberculosis (TB) control in miners, according to a study published in the Jan. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Legitimacy of Publishing Pharma-Funded Research Queried
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The question of whether to stop publishing research funded by the drug industry is addressed in a head-to-head piece published online Jan. 15 in BMJ.
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Some Medical Schools Offering Accelerated Training
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Some medical schools are offering an accelerated three-year program, according to a report from Kaiser Health News.
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Interhospital Transfer Less Likely for Uninsured Patients
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Uninsured patients are significantly less likely than insured patients to be transferred between hospitals, according to research published in the Jan. 21 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Pediatric AOM Costs Health Care System ~$2.88 Billion Annually
TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Pediatric acute otitis media (AOM) is associated with increased health care utilization and costs, adding approximately $2.88 billion in health care expense annually, according to a study published in the January issue of The Laryngoscope.
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ACA Impact on Primary Practice May Depend on Location
TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The impact of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on physicians' primary care practices will vary geographically, according to an article published Dec. 25 in Medical Economics.
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More Federal Funding of Health Centers Mitigates Access Issues
TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Since 2000, increased federal funding for community health centers has helped low-income adults get access to primary care and dental care, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in Health Services Research.
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Researchers Examine FDA Decision Making Processes
TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The rationale behind the decision making processes of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is discussed in three articles published in the Jan. 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Medication Synchronization Program Ups Adherence
TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A community pharmacy-based medication synchronization program can improve medication adherence, according to a study conducted by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).
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Survey IDs Factors Influencing Physician Job Satisfaction
TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Believing that they are delivering high-quality patient care is key to physician job satisfaction, according to an article published Dec. 10 in Medical Economics.
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Doctor Urges Colleagues to Disclose Conflicts of Interest
MONDAY, Jan. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A campaign to encourage physicians to disclose potential conflicts of interest has sparked ire from doctors despite evidence that openness improves the doctor-patient relationship, according to a personal view piece published online Jan. 15 in BMJ.
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State Insurance Marketplaces Boost Outreach Efforts
THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Health insurance exchanges in five states with strong enrollment growth are ramping up efforts to reach even more uninsured Americans before the end of the Affordable Care Act's open enrollment period on March 31. The March 31 deadline is for people who want health coverage for 2014.
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Reliable Emotion Words ID'd to Assess Patient Experience
THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A reliable set of emotion words have been identified that can serve as a tool for experience-based design questionnaires in health care, according to a study published in the December issue of Healthcare.
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NCPA: Access to Controlled Substances Often Delayed
THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Most pharmacists report experiencing multiple delays or issues with their controlled substance orders, according to the results of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Controlled Substances Access Survey.
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Survey Results Identify Drivers of Doctor Engagement
THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The results of a survey from the Physician Wellness Services and Cejka Search have identified the key aspects of doctor engagement.
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FDA Warns Against Rx With High Levels of Acetaminophen
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is recommending that physicians stop prescribing and dispensing prescription combination drug products containing more than 325 mg of acetaminophen per tablet, according to a safety alert issued by the agency.
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Interferon-Free Combo of ABT-450, Ritonavir Helpful for Hep C
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment with an interferon-free combination of the protease inhibitor ABT-450 with ritonavir, or daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir, is associated with high rates of sustained virologic response in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, according to two studies published in the Jan. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Pritelivir Safe, Effective for Genital HSV-2 Infection
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Pritelivir is safe and effective for treatment of genital herpes simplex virus (HSV)-2 infection, according to a study published in the Jan. 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Program Cuts MRSA Rates at VA Long-Term Care Centers
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A national initiative to prevent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection has successfully reduced MRSA health care-associated infections in Veterans Affairs long-term care facilities, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
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Risk of Intussusception Still Up After New Rotavirus Vaccination
TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of intussusception is still increased after administration of the new rotavirus vaccines, but the risk is lower than that seen with previous vaccines, according to two studies published online Jan. 14 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The studies were published ahead-of-print to coincide with the sixth annual Sentinel Initiative Public Workshop at the Brookings Institution, held on Jan. 14 in Washington, D.C.
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Wednesday Is Deadline for Feb. 1 Coverage Under ACA
TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- There's still time to enroll in a health insurance plan through one of the Affordable Care Act's new online marketplaces. Those who sign up by Wednesday will have coverage starting next month.
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More Than Two Million People Have Signed Up for ACA Coverage
TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly 2.2 million Americans had selected health plans through the federal and state marketplaces as of late December, and nearly one in four was a young adult, the Obama administration disclosed Monday.
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Disease Severity Factors ID'd for Human Rhinovirus
MONDAY, Jan. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Human rhinovirus (HRV) infection is a common pathogen seen in young children with respiratory infection symptoms, with severe disease caused mainly by presence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in coinfections, prematurity, congenital heart disease, and noninfectious respiratory disease, according to a study published online Jan. 13 in Pediatrics.
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CMS: New Rule Proposed for Contract Year 2015
MONDAY, Jan. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A proposed rule has been issued that will strengthen protections, improve health care quality, and reduce costs for Medicare beneficiaries with private Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription plans, according to a report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
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Survey: Fees, Reimbursement Top Physician Worries
FRIDAY, Jan. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The results of a new survey show that physicians are concerned about declining reimbursements and increasing administrative hassles, including negotiating with payers, obtaining prior authorizations, and cutting through government red tape, according to an article published Nov. 25 in Medical Economics.
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EHR Use Linked to Doc-Reported Enhanced Patient Care
FRIDAY, Jan. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Use of electronic health records is associated with enhanced patient care overall, according to a study published online Dec. 21 in Health Services Research.
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CMS: Low Growth for National Health Expenditures in 2012
FRIDAY, Jan. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Overall national health expenditures were marked by a fourth consecutive year of low growth, according to a report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
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Female Conveners Up Number of Women at Scientific Symposia
FRIDAY, Jan. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Having at least one woman on teams that convene scientific symposia increases the proportion of invited female speakers by 72 percent, compared with teams containing all men, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in mBio.
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ACP Introduces Free 'High Value Care' Case Studies
FRIDAY, Jan. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- In an effort to improve health care and eliminate wasteful practices, the American College of Physicians (ACP) has developed a series of High Value Care cases studies, available online for free.
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Mesenchymal Stem Cells Safe As Adjunct Therapy for Resistant TB
THURSDAY, Jan. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis, adjunct therapy with autologous mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is safe, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
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Liquid Tamiflu for Children in Short Supply
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Manufacturing problems have created a shortage of the liquid form of Tamiflu, which is designed for young children who can't swallow capsules, U.S. health officials announced Wednesday.
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Smoking Rates Still Low for Most Health Care Professionals
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Compared with 2006 to 2007, smoking rates among health care professionals for 2010 to 2011 continue to be lowest in physicians and highest in licensed practical nurses (LPNs), according to a research letter published in the Jan. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on tobacco control.
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AMA Urges Med Students to Be Agents of Health Care Change
TUESDAY, Jan. 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Medical students are being encouraged to be agents of change in the health care system, according to a report from the American Medical Association (AMA).
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Increased Fever Risk After Vaccination With TIV + PCV-13
TUESDAY, Jan. 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Simultaneous vaccination with trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) and 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13) is associated with increased risk of fever compared with receipt of either vaccine alone, according to a study published online Jan. 6 in JAMA Pediatrics.
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Non-White Physicians Provide Disproportionate Minority Care
MONDAY, Jan. 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Non-white physicians provide a disproportionate share of care to underserved populations, according to a research letter published online Dec. 30 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Herpes Zoster Is Risk Factor for Stroke in Young Adults
MONDAY, Jan. 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Herpes zoster (HZ) is an independent risk factor for vascular disease, including stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and myocardial infarction (MI), particularly in those affected before the age of 40 years, according to a study published online Jan. 2 in Neurology.
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CDC Addresses Burden, Threat of Antibiotic Resistance
MONDAY, Jan. 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The burden and threats posed by antibiotic resistance infections are discussed in a report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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AMA Details Top Five Federal Issues for 2014
MONDAY, Jan. 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the repeal of Medicare's failed sustained growth formula, and the proposed roll-out of the International Classification of Diseases, Version 10, top the list of federal issues expected to impact physicians and patients in 2014, according to a viewpoint piece published online Dec. 30 by the American Medical Association (AMA).
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Over 100 New Accountable Care Organizations Formed
FRIDAY, Jan. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- One hundred twenty-three new Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have been formed by doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers, which will provide access to high-quality coordinated care for about 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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Doctors Discuss Use of MenB Vaccine at Princeton University
FRIDAY, Jan. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The planned use of an experimental Neisseria meningitides serogroup B (MenB) meningitis vaccine at the University of Princeton has raised several contentious issues relating to vaccination, according to an ideas and opinions piece published online Dec. 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Usage, Cost of Antibiotics for Children Higher in U.S. Versus U.K.
THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For young children, the usage and cost of antibiotics is considerably higher in the United States than in the United Kingdom, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in Pharmacotherapy.
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Impact of Transitions in Doctors' Careers Discussed
THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Transitions and their associated challenges are encountered throughout a doctors' medical career, according to an editorial published online Nov. 26 in BMJ.
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CDC: Updated Guidance for HBV Vaccination for Health Workers
THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Health care personnel should be vaccinated against hepatitis B virus (HBV) if they anticipate exposure to blood or body fluids, and receive serologic testing to assess for antibody against the virus, according to updated guidelines published in the Dec. 20 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Worsening of Shortage of Residency Slots Feared
THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Despite a looming physician shortage, the number of residency positions in the United States has not changed since 1996, creating a bottleneck that will become worse with further budget cuts, according to a blog post published Dec. 7 on KevinMD.com.
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Docs Have Until Jan. 31 to Change Medicare Status
THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The deadline for making changes to Medicare participation status has been extended to Jan. 31, 2014, according to a report from the American Medical Association (AMA).
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C. difficile Is Carried on Hands of Health Care Workers
THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- After routine care of patients infected with Clostridium difficile, C. difficile spores were detected on the hands of about a quarter of health care workers (HCWs), according to research published in the January issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
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