America’s emergency rooms are near the breaking point, causing long wait times and boarding of patients awaiting care, a new study says. Essentially, ERs are being asked to serve as health care hubs that offer services far beyond emergency care, according to a new report from the non-profit research organization RAND. And they are asked… read on > read on >
People with heart implants could be in trouble if they’re hit with a powerful handheld taser, a new study says. A heavy electrical charge delivered by a taser could cause a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator to malfunction, researchers report in the journal Heart Rhythm. As a result, the implant might stop working or deliver its… read on > read on >
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he will tell the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water across the country. He also announced plans to form a special task force to focus on health risks of fluoride. Kennedy made the comments Monday during a media… read on > read on >
Lung cancer screening can save the lives of former and current smokers, but most aren’t taking advantage of it, a new study says. Fewer than 1 in 5 people eligible for lung cancer screening go through with a chest CT scan, according to research published April 2 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.… read on > read on >
Smoke from wildfires driving you mad? You’re not alone, a new study says. Short-term exposure to air choked with wildfire smoke increases people’s risk of mental health problems, according to findings published April 4 in JAMA Network Open. Hospital emergency rooms experience surges in patients with mental health conditions on days when smoke pollution is… read on > read on >
Don’t be surprised if you get a bill for that note your doctor sent you through his clinic’s patient portal. About 1 in 7 patients have been billed for messages sent to them through a patient portal, according to a new study published April 4 in JAMA Health Forum. “Even though we don’t know the… read on > read on >
A notorious hospital-associated infection has been spreading through hospitals much more readily than people suspected, a new study says. The bacterium Clostridium difficile – commonly called C. diff – spreads within intensive care units more than three times as much as previously thought, researchers reported in JAMA Network Open. C. diff can spread covertly from… read on > read on >
Ozone air pollution increases the risk of asthma among preschoolers and kindergarteners, a new study says. Relatively small increases in ozone smog in a child’s first two years of life is associated with an increased risk of asthma and wheeze at 4 to 6 years of age, researchers reported April 2 in JAMA Network Open.… read on > read on >
Disrespected by a neighbor or colleague? Eyerolls from servers at a restaurant or store? Denied a job or a mortgage due to skin color? More than half of Americans have experienced some such form of discrimination, and this mistreatment dramatically increases their risk of depression or anxiety, a new study says. Nearly 56% of Americans… read on > read on >
Hospitals could be short-changing patients if they lean too heavily on nurse staffing agencies or overtime hours, a new study says. Patients are much more likely to develop bedsores at short-staffed hospitals that regularly bring in travel nurses or require nurses to work overtime, researchers reported in JAMA Network Open. “Our study shows that when… read on > read on >
