Precision Medicine

Also called personalized medicine, this evolving field makes use of an individual’s genes, lifestyle, environment and other factors to identify unique disease risks and guide treatment decision-making.

Mistakenly removing healthy kidney may cost hospital Medicare funding

Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, may lose its Medicare funding because of safety and patient identification issues, including a very damaging mistake made by one surgeon.

FDA awards 21 grants focusing on the treatment of rare diseases

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded 21 clinical trail grants, totaling more than $23 million, for the advancement of products for patients with rare diseases. These grants were given to lead academic investigators and industries with both domestic and international research clinics.

How high-deductible health plans frustrate physicians

The increasing prevalence of high-deductible health plans among insurers can cause headaches for a clinical practice, with physicians feeling stuck when they recommend care not covered by a patient's policy.

BCBS of Texas will launch new plan for children with demanding, complex conditions

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas will soon offer more benefits to families with children suffering from complex and demanding conditions, such as mental health disease or drug and alcohol addiction.

Vaccine may provide a 'functional cure' for herpes

Rational Vaccines, a biotechnology company and leaders in herpes research, have finished their Phase I Clinical Trial of the Theravax vaccine for patients with herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2). Results found that this medication may be the “functional cure” for both diseases.

Thumbnail

Is Twitter a secret weapon for improving public health?

Twitter has quickly become the most used application among adults aged 18 to 49 for hashtagging what we are doing, but who knew our tweets could tell us about our eating habits? Researchers from the University of Utah found that tweets about healthier food and more exercise come from neighborhoods that were found to be healthier.

HemaTerra introduces scheduling system for blood clinics, hospitals

HemaTerra Technologies, providers of software to healthcare facilities handling blood and other biologic products, has launched HemaComply–Equipment Manager, an equipment maintenance and quality control scheduling system made especially for facilities that handle blood.

Utah exec’s ‘holy grail’ of healthcare starts with listening to patients

As STAT News puts it, University of Utah Health Care CEO Vivian Lee, MD, PhD, MBA, is looking for a revolution in healthcare, and it all starts with asking patients one question: What do you want from your care?

Around the web

The American College of Cardiology has sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that outlines some of the organization’s central priorities and concerns. 

One product is being pulled from the market, and the other is receiving updated instructions for use.

If the Trump administration continues taking a laissez-faire stance toward AI—including AI used in healthcare—why not let the states go it alone on regulating the technology?