About half of Medicaid-covered children and adolescents in Ohio who are in treatment for depression complete their first three months of prescribed antidepressants, and only one-fifth complete the recommended minimum six-month course of drugs to treat depression, new research suggests. Among those at the highest risk for not completing treatment are adolescents – as opposed to younger children – and minorit ...

As part of psychology’s ongoing effort to fight for the interests of the profession through the ongoing challenges facing Medicare reimbursement, American Psychological Association (APA) recently responded to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule on the 2012 Medicare fee schedule.  Included in this report is a link to the comment letter. ...

In a study that included nearly three-fourths of all internal medicine residents in the U.S. in a recent academic year, suboptimal quality-of-life and dissatisfaction with work-life balance were commonly reported, as were burnout symptoms of emotional exhaustion, which were associated with higher levels of educational debt, according to a study in the September 7 issue of JAMA, a medical education theme iss ...

Some hospitalized pediatric patients, particularly those with rare conditions, may be exposed to many drugs and therapeutic agents, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. According to background information in the article, many drugs used for children in the hospital setting do not have well-established pediatric eff ...

States spend up to $15 billion a year in medical expenses related to obesity, according to a new study by researchers at RTI International, Duke University, and the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The study, published online in Obesity, updates 2004 state-by-state estimates of obesity-attributable medical expenditures. The report also provides rough estimates of the share of obesity expe ...

U.S. health care workers, especially doctors and nurses, use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) far more than do workers in other fields, according to a new study. CAM includes diverse therapies outside the realm of conventional medicine. Overall, 76 percent of health care workers report CAM usage, compared with 63 percent of the general working population. ...

Cost is only one barrier to getting timely medical care, a new study finds. Just getting to the doctor, making appointments and taking time off from work or other responsibilities are also major hindrances for some people to getting the medical care they need. ...

As we reported last week, the politics and process affecting Medicare reimbursement have changed significantly with the recent enactment of the Budget Control Act.  House and Senate leaders have finished appointing twelve members to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, which is tasked with identifying at least $1.2 trillion in savings over the next ten years.  If the Joint Committee fails to rea ...

Among elderly Medicare beneficiaries with limited prior drug coverage, implementation of Medicare Part D was associated with significant reductions in nondrug medical spending, such as for inpatient and skilled nursing facility care, according to a study in the July 27 issue of JAMA.  The research was carried out by J. Michael McWilliams, M.D., Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospit ...

While some members of Congress and others are trying to repeal the healthcare reform law that was passed in 2010, known as the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," medical providers have begun to implement requirements as the law slowly phases in over the next several years. For reform to be successful, one University of Missouri public health expert has determined that professional associations fo ...