Category «Medicine»

New GAO Reports – OPM Federal Classification System, Medicare Advantage, VA Dialysis Pilot, Export-Import Bank

HUMAN CAPITAL: OPM Needs to Improve the Design, Management, and Oversight of the Federal Classification System, GAO-14-677: Published: Jul 31, 2014. Publicly Released: Sep 2, 2014.”GAO’s analysis of subject matter specialists’ comments, related literature, and interviews with Office of Personnel Management (OPM) officials identified a number of important characteristics for a modern, effective classification system, which GAO consolidated …

Subjects: Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Health Care, Medicine

Trends in Smokeless Tobacco Use and Initiation: 2002 to 2012

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (July 24, 2014). The NSDUH Report: Trends in Smokeless Tobacco Use and Initiation: 2002 to 2012. Rockville, MD. “In 2012, 3.5 percent of persons aged 12 or older (an estimated 9.0 million persons) used smokeless tobacco in the past month. Rates of past …

Subjects: E-Government, Government Documents, Health Care, Medicine

The 2014 Ebola Outbreak: International and U.S. Responses

CRS – The 2014 Ebola Outbreak: International and U.S. Responses, Tiaji Salaam-Blyther, Specialist in Global Health. August 26, 2014. “Ebola virus disease (Ebola or EVD) is a severe, often fatal disease that was first detected near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1976. Originating in animals, EVD is spread to and among humans …

Subjects: Congress, Government Documents, Health Care, Medicine

HIV Or Anti-HIV Drugs Unexpectedly Protect Against Multiple Sclerosis

Neomatica: “A team of an Australian doctor and British researchers analyzed the medical records of over 5 million individuals and discovered that either HIV or anti-HIV drugs have a protective effect against multiple sclerosis (MS).  AIDS patients or people with HIV receiving treatment have a 60% less likely chance of receiving a diagnosis of MS.  Deeper analysis found that …

Subjects: Health Care, HIV/AIDS, Medicine

Research Finally Revealed – Chemical Ingredient in Colgate Total Linked to Cancer

Bloomberg – “The chemical triclosan has been linked to cancer-cell growth and disrupted development in animals. Regulators are reviewing whether it’s safe to put in soap, cutting boards and toys. Consumer companies are phasing it out. Minnesota voted in May to ban it in many products. At the same time, millions of Americans are putting it in their mouths every …

Subjects: Food and Nutrition, Government Documents, Health Care, Legal Research, Medicine

Drugs in space and sleepless in the shuttle – Study

MindHacks: “A fascinating study published in today’sLancet Neurology reports on sleep deprivation in astronauts but also describes the drugs shuttle crew members use to keep themselves awake and help them fall asleep. The study looked at sleep data from 64 astronauts on 80 space shuttle missions along with 21 astronauts on 13 International Space Station missions, and compared it …

Subjects: Knowledge Management, Medicine

Competition and the Cost of Medicare’s Prescription Drug Program

“The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (generally referred to as the Medicare Modernization Act, or MMA) substantially expanded the federal Medicare program by creating the prescription drug benefit known as Part D. In fiscal year 2013, Medicare Part D covered 39 million people. The federal government spent $59 billion net of …

Subjects: Economy, Government Documents, Health Care, Medicine

Free Exercise of Religion by Closely Held Corporations – CRS

Free Exercise of Religion by Closely Held Corporations: Implications of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. Cynthia Brougher, Legislative Attorney. July 23, 2014 “One of the ongoing controversies related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been the scope of exemption from certain health care coverage requirements, including the contraceptive coverage requirement. Though closely divided, the U.S. Supreme Court’s …

Subjects: Congress, Courts, Government Documents, Health Care, Legislation, Medicine

New GAO Reports – Coastal Zone Management, High Containment Labs, Medicaid, Special Education, U.S. Launch Enterprise

COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT: Opportunities Exist for NOAA to Enhance Its Use of Performance Information, GAO-14-592: Published: Jul 16, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 16, 2014. HIGH-CONTAINMENT LABORATORIES: Recent Incidents of Biosafety Lapses, GAO-14-785T: Published: Jul 16, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 16, 2014. MEDICAID: Assessment of Variation among States in Per-Enrollee Spending, GAO-14-456: Published: Jun 16, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 16, 2014. SPECIAL EDUCATION: Additional Federal …

Subjects: Education, Environmental Law, Government Documents, Health Care, Medicine

New GAO Reports – Federal Workforce, Helium Program, Medicaid Payment, Military Training, VA Disability Claims Processing

FEDERAL WORKFORCE: Human Capital Management Challenges and the Path to Reform, GAO-14-723T: Published: Jul 15, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 15, 2014. HELIUM PROGRAM: BLM’s Implementation of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, GAO-14-751T: Published: Jul 15, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 15, 2014. MEDICAID PAYMENT: Comparisons of Selected Services under Fee-for-Service, Managed Care, and Private Insurance, GAO-14-533: Published: Jul 15, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 15, …

Subjects: Defense, Government Documents, Health Care, Medicine