Culture

Too many tests at the doctor's office could cost you more than just dollars. In addition to the huge hit to your wallet, there's also the potential harm of false positives, and just because a test has traditionally been done for a condition doesn't mean it's the best way to treat it.

U-M neurologist Brian Callaghan, M.D., M.S., is helping lead a national push to determine what neurologic tests or services are performed more than they should be.

In one of the most comprehensive studies to date to analyze job outcomes for U.S. university graduates with funded doctoral degrees, researchers found that nearly 40% of the doctoral recipients evaluated went into industry, and that these employees were more likely to work at high-wage establishments compared to their counterparts in academia.

A decade ago the late Jack Marburger, a physicist and former college president who served as science advisor to President George W. Bush, challenged academics to come up with scientific evidence on the impact of federal research investment. Even more adamantly, Congress required the National Science Foundation to "better articulate the value of grants to the national interest."

December 10, 2015 - Patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) have low survival rates--but why do some hospitals achieve higher survival than others? Higher nurse staffing levels and better working conditions may be part of the answer, reports a study in the January issue of Medical Care. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

The birth rate is declining in all industrialised countries, and socioeconomic factors and women's age are not solely to blame. Male reproductive health and environmental factors are also significant, as concluded in a new scientific review article. The article was recently published in the prestigious American journal Physiological Reviews.

DECEMBER 10, 2015 A new epidemiologic study showed that patients with early stage dementia, who had been referred to a specialist, have twice the risk of institutionalization compared to those who are not, according to a research study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease this month. The research suggested the influence of early specialist referral for dementia patients on institutionalization risk and demonstrated that the benefits of early dementia diagnosis may lead to challenging issues.

Researchers led by Dr. Teppo Särkämö at University of Helsinki, Finland have revealed that caregiver-implemented musical leisure activities, particularly singing, are cognitively and emotionally beneficial especially in the early stages of dementia. The findings could help improve dementia care and better target the use of music in different stages of dementia. The research was published today in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Irvine, Calif., Dec. 9, 2015 -- Many strokes that required immediate treatment in emergency rooms may have been preventable, according to a University of California, Irvine study.

SAN ANTONIO -- Adding carboplatin to presurgery chemotherapy improved disease-free survival for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), according to results from the randomized phase II GeparSixto clinical trial presented at the 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 8-12.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Board of Directors recently approved Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for treatment and rehabilitation of elderly patients with hip fractures, in addition to postoperative direction to help prevent fractures from recurring.

A common fracture in older adults, hip fractures often occur due to falls or slips because bones are fragile.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) today released Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) to assist in the treatment and rehabilitation of pediatric patients with osteochondritis dissecans of the femoral condyle, also known as OCD knee.

The injury results when a small piece of bone breaks away from the femur due to inadequate blood supply, and loosens surrounding cartilage in the knee joint. The reason why blood supply decreases is unknown, but physicians believe some cases happen because of repetitive stress or motion with the bone.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) today introduced a new clinical practice guideline (CPG) for adults undergoing surgery to improve motion and relieve pain caused by osteoarthritis of the knee. The guidelines focus on the surgical procedure most commonly performed for this condition, total knee replacement (TKR).

A study of patients seen at two primary care practices at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has identified specific unmet socioeconomic needs that can interfere with the quality of care patients receive. In their report published online in the journal BMJ Quality & Safety, investigators from MGH and from Health Leads - a Boston-based organization that helps connect patients with local services - describe finding how limited financial and other resources relate to specific health problems.

INDIANAPOLIS -- An innovative inpatient care model utilizing multidisciplinary accountable care teams reduced hospital stays and lowered costs even beyond those associated with fewer days of hospitalization, according to a new study published in the December issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine.

The Accountable Care Teams model, ACT model for short, is based on three foundational domains (1) enhancing interpersonal collaboration between healthcare team members; (2) enabling data-driven decisions and (3) providing leadership.

URBANA, Ill. - A University of Illinois study suggests a significant link between instability in the lives of college-age young adults and the likelihood that they will engage in risky sex.