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Computer assisted CBT provides little or no benefits for depression

Computer assisted cognitive behavioural therapy is likely to be ineffective in the treatment of depression because of low patient adherence and engagement, suggests the largest study of its kind published in The BMJ this week.

Current NICE guidelines recommend cCBT as a treatment for depression. But in light of the new findings, the authors say "the routine promotion and commissioning of cCBT be reconsidered" because it is "likely to be an ineffective form of low-intensity treatment for depression and an inefficient use of finite healthcare resources."

Workers are not being protected from occupational diseases and deaths, argues expert

British workers are not being protected from occupational diseases and deaths, argues an expert in The BMJ this week.

There are around 500,000 new work-related illnesses every year, and over 13,000 deaths are caused by occupational exposures, mostly from cancers related to asbestos and respiratory diseases from dust and chemicals.

However, probably fewer than 15% of workers in Britain have access to adequate occupational health services, explains Anne Raynal, an occupational physician.

New risk tools spot patients at high risk of diabetes complications

People with diabetes who are at high risk of blindness and amputation because of their condition could get better preventative treatment thanks to two new risk prediction tools created by University of Nottingham researchers and medical software company Clinrisk Ltd.

The tools use existing patient data and will help to personalise care and advice and to target resources at those in greatest need. They are based on information that patients are likely to know, or that is routinely recorded in general practice computer systems. The study is published in The BMJ this week.

More young adults are failing to launch or 'boomerang' home: Study

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Melbourne, concluded that the changing nature of family living situations often led to avoidable conflict.

Associate Professor Cassandra Szoeke and Katherine Burn, from the University's Faculty of Medicine, Health and Dentistry Sciences, examined both 'boomerang kids' (those who return home) and 'failure to launch' kids (those who never left).

The project reviewed 20 studies involving 20 million people worldwide was published in Maturitas.

Southern right whale calf wounding by kelp gulls increased to nearly all over 4 decades

Wounding of southern right whale calves and mothers by Kelp Gulls has increased from 2% to 99% over four decades, according to a study published Oct. 21, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Carina Marón from the University of Utah and colleagues.

What's the best time to launch a video game?

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The video game industry is a massive one, with some $93 billion in annual sales. Budgets for major titles rival those for major motion pictures. This fall's 800-pound gorillas include Halo 5 and Star Wars Battlefront. But releasing a new video game title is a more complicated business than releasing a movie because in order to buy the game consumers must first own the platform it runs on, typically meaning a console or computer or tablet or phone -- so game sales interact with platform sales.

Southern right whale calf wounding by Kelp Gulls increased to nearly all over four decades

Wounding of southern right whale calves and mothers by Kelp Gulls has increased from 2% to 99% over four decades, according to a study published Oct. 21, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Carina Marón from the University of Utah and colleagues.

Hospital readmission common after emergency general surgery

A study of patients who underwent an emergency general surgery procedure found that hospital readmission was common and varied widely depending on patient factors and diagnosis, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery.

Advance directives: Doctors and relatives often see patients' wishes differently

If a patient is no longer able to communicate personally how he or she would like to be treated, doctors and relatives consult an advance directive, if one is available. However, doctors and relatives often interpret patients' written wishes in different ways, as Nadja Leder et al. establish in their original article in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztbl Int 112: 723-9).

Canadian researchers improve safety, decrease risks of new blood thinners

Hamilton, Ont. (Nov. 11, 2015) -- Researchers at McMaster University and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton have successfully tested an antidote that reverses the effects of two new blood thinners named apixaban and rivaroxaban. By reversing the effects of blood thinners within minutes, this new antidote may help to save the lives of patients taking blood thinners that experience major bleeding complications.

Elderly with dementia, diabetes and kidney problems risk dehydration

One in every five older people living in UK care homes has dehydration, suggesting that they are not drinking enough to keep themselves healthy. Those with dementia, diabetes and kidney problems are at most risk of dehydration - according to research from the University of East Anglia.

Older people are particularly at risk of water-loss dehydration - which is caused by not drinking enough fluid. It can lead to poor health outcomes such as disability and even death.

So long, stethoscope? New device and iPhone alter exams

The iconic stethoscope we've become accustomed to seeing draped around the necks of doctors and healthcare providers may someday be replaced by smartphones and a new portable device, called HeartBuds, that is slightly larger than a quarter.

Tighter local alcohol licensing curbs linked to fewer drink-related hospital admissions

Tighter local alcohol licensing curbs are linked to fewer drink-related hospital admissions in these areas, reveals research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

In areas with the most restrictive licensing policies, annual drink-related admissions were 2% lower than would have been expected if no active policies had been in place, the findings show.

New treatment option may be on the horizon for polymyalgia rheumatica

A drug approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis, tocilizumab (Actemra, Genentech), is a potential new therapy for patients with polymyalgia rheumatica, according to an open-label, phase II study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals on November 10. The inflammatory disorder impacts 1% of people over the age of 50 and is predominantly found in individuals over the age of 65.

Cardiac rehab coverage expands for chronic heart failure patients with symptoms

Medicare's and Medicaid's newly extended cardiac rehabilitation coverage for chronic heart failure patients with symptoms has tripled the number who are now eligible, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2015.

Chronic heart failure patients are at high risk for serious health problems and declines. The new coverage includes those who are on optimal medical therapy and have less than 35 percent ejection fraction, which is a measure of the heart's pumping ability.