Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Public Health News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/public_health/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170105.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170105.php Community-based education and awareness programs minimized the death toll from the recent Samoan tsunami, though there are still ways to improve the warning and evacuation process, according to a team of researchers that traveled to Samoa last month. The team, funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, collected data Oct. 4 through Oct. 11 to document the impacts of the 8.1 earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that occurred on Sept. 29. Aid / Disasters Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170107.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170107.php Researchers reporting in BioMed Central's open access journal Conflict and Health found that the discrepancy in media reporting of casualty numbers in the Iraq conflict can potentially misinform the public and contribute to distorted perceptions and gross underestimates of the number of civilians killed in the armed conflict. In February of 2007 Associated Press conducted a survey of 1,002 adults across the United States about their perceptions of the war in Iraq. Public Health Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170112.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170112.php The whole genome sequence of the domestic horse has been completed by the genome-sequencing center of The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, in collaboration with an international team of researchers that includes scientists at the University of California, Davis. Findings from the genome sequence have important implications for improved breeding of horses, which constitute a $39 billion industry in the United States alone, and for studies of human health. Genetics Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170130.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170130.php Many parents like to meddle in their children's lives. Sometimes this can be beneficial, if the meddling is in the form of parental guidance or setting rules. However, numerous studies have found that in Western countries, when parents are very controlling and dominating over their children, the children suffer psychologically. Psychology / Psychiatry Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170140.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170140.php The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced contract awards for up to 120,000 treatment courses of intravenous (IV) antiviral drugs to help treat hospitalized 2009 H1N1 influenza patients. Patients hospitalized with 2009 H1N1 influenza are evaluated to determine if antiviral drugs will be useful; some patients are not able to take the drugs that are currently available as pills or liquid and may benefit from intravenous antiviral medications. Swine Flu Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170135.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170135.php The Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive, today 6th November 2009, published the Integrated Workforce Planning Strategy for the Health Services. The strategy has been designed and developed to ensure integration of workforce planning activity with the broader objectives of financial and service planning in the Irish healthcare and social care system. Public Health Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170126.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170126.php One of every three people who died in 2007 in the United States were in the hospital for treatment at the time of their deaths, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The cost of their hospital stays was about $20 billion. Public Health Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170071.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170071.php House Democratic leaders are preparing a rare Saturday night vote on sweeping health care reform. The Washington Post reports: "Democratic whips worked their rank and file, while House leaders tried to secure a momentum-building endorsement from the AARP, the nation's largest association of people over 50. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170077.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170077.php Doctors and lawyers are disputing the true costs of defensive medicine, while surgeons oppose provisions being considered by the Senate for health reform. The Seattle Times reports that "defensive medicine" is under scrutiny as part of the congressional consideration of health care reform. Primary Care / General Practice Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170090.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170090.php The President Should Be Opposed To The House Bill Kaiser Health News When Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled the revised House Democratic health care bill last week, the Obama White House hailed it as a "critical milestone" in the process. No doubt senior administration officials were relieved to see signs of "momentum" toward passage of something. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170147.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170147.php When paramedics rush to the scene of a multi-car pileup or a terror attack, their first task is to assess who needs immediate care. But blood hemorrhaging can obscure damage, and the gruesome mess means paramedics can't always determine who should be treated first. Tel Aviv University's new LifeFlow device, currently in development, could become the paramedic's new best friend - and save many lives in the process. Medical Devices / Diagnostics Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170150.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170150.php School-based physical education plays a key role in curbing obesity and improving fitness among adolescents from low-income communities, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and UC Berkeley. Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170073.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170073.php As House Democrats move towards a weekend vote, they must resolve a series of outstanding issues, The Hill reports. Blue Dog Democrats, a fiscally conservative voting bloc, said up to 30 of their members "are considering voting against the bill because of concerns that it will increase healthcare costs in its second 10 years." Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170086.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170086.php Federal Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg announced a new "Safe Use" program for drugs on Wednesday. The program sets out "to reduce the misuse of medications, saying that at least 50,000 hospitalizations a year could be prevented if physicians, pharmacists, patients and parents used greater care in dispensing and taking drugs," Regulatory Affairs / Drug Approvals Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170111.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170111.php The House Republican health reform proposal issued this week provides no meaningful protection for America's families and businesses, according to a report issued by the consumer health organization Families USA. The report asserts that the Republican bill promotes "old, discredited ideas" that are harmful to most families and businesses. Public Health Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170117.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170117.php Research has clearly demonstrated that health and illness are determined by a complex interaction of biological, behavioral, psychological, socio-cultural and environmental factors, as well as a person's coping resources and access to health care. Each of these factors must be addressed if true health care reform is to be achieved. Psychology / Psychiatry Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170122.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170122.php A recent special supplement to the Journal of Public Health Management calls attention to the country's pressing need for a larger and fully capable public health workforce. The supplement, written by the leading academic voices in public health and published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW), also sheds light on the challenges the U.S. faces in adequately meeting public health needs. Public Health Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170083.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170083.php The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is seeking comments on the Containment Standards for Facilities Handling Aquatic Animal Pathogens. The draft Standards are available for comment on the CFIA website until January 4, 2010. Federal standards exist for laboratories handling human pathogens and for facilities handling animal pathogens. Public Health Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170108.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170108.php Parents who dress their children in inappropriate clothing could be inadvertently hampering their child's physical activity in childcare settings. The study, reported in BioMed Central's open access journal, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, suggests that inadequate or inappropriate clothing could restrict children's outdoor play. Three-quarters of children aged 3-6 years old in the U.S. Pediatrics / Children's Health Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170026.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170026.php A survey by US think tank the Commonwealth Fund has rated the NHS top in a number of key areas comparative to other international health systems. Nigel Edwards comments on its findings The survey of 10,000 primary care physicians in 11 countries shows the NHS leading on reduced waiting times, using financial incentives to drive quality improvements and using comparative systems to measure clinical outcomes. Public Health Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170034.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170034.php The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) joined nineteen other surgical organizations, led by the American College of Surgeons, to send a letter to the U.S. Senate today reiterating they are prepared to oppose the Senate's health care reform bill due to its threat to patients' access to specialty care and its potential to harm quality care. This coalition represents over 240,000 surgeons and anesthesiologists. Bones / Orthopaedics Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170004.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170004.php Fifty-eight percent of primary care doctors in the U.S. report their patients often have difficulty paying for medications and care, and half of U.S. doctors spend substantial time dealing with restrictions insurance companies place on their patients' care, according to findings from the 2009 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey published online in the journal Health Affairs. The responses of U.S. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169963.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169963.php "My body aches and my head is throbbing. Do I have the flu or is it just because I'm stressed or tired? Do I need a flu shot? Do I need the H1N1 vaccine, too?" Millions of Americans will be asking themselves these and more questions this fall and winter as news reports and health care providers continue to warn about seasonal influenza and novel H1N1 influenza, otherwise known as swine flu. The Swine Flu Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169962.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169962.php Chemical pesticides are among the tools farmers often use in managing insects dedicated to dining on our nation's harvest. Pesticides, unfortunately, are not without risk to those who labor in the fields and orchards, planting, tending and harvesting crops. This risk increases for Mexican farmworkers, according to a study appearing online in a supplemental issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Public Health Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169961.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169961.php Being warm enough at home might lead to better health, according to a new review appearing online in the American Journal of Public Health. Hilary Thomson, of the Medical Research Council's Social and Public Health Sciences Unit in Glasgow, Scotland, and her colleagues combined the results of 40 studies from the 1930s through 2007. Improvements in general, mental, and respiratory health followed increases in warmth of a person's housing, studies showed. Public Health