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Discovery Of Shared Genetic Link Between The Dental Disease Periodontitis And Heart Attack
The relationship between the dental disease periodontitis and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been known for several years. Although a genetic link seemed likely, until now its existence was uncertain. Now, for the first time, scientists have discovered a genetic relationship between the two conditions, a researcher told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics.
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La. Gov. Jindal Signs Law Expanding Protections For Health Workers Who Refuse Services
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) on Tuesday signed into law a bill (HB 517) that expands health care provider "conscience" protections beyond abortion to also include refusals to provide emergency contraception or participate in certain other procedures, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. The law provides job protection and legal immunity to "any person" who refuses to provide abortion services, distribute "abortifacient drugs," work on research involving embryonic stem cells or cloning, or participate in physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia. According to the Times-Picayune, the provision that refers to abortifacient drugs is intended to include EC but not other forms of birth control.Jindal"s administration said the law is necessary to protect the individual rights of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care workers whose personal beliefs might conflict with their professional duties. Opponents of the law, including the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the American Civil Liberties Union, argue that it will restrict patient access to accurate information and timely services (Barrow/Anderson, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 7/8).
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What Is Diarrhea? What Causes Diarrhea?
Diarrhea is the frequent passing of loose or watery stools. Acute diarrhea, which is a common cause of death in developing countries, appears rapidly and may last from five to ten days. Chronic diarrhea lasts much longer and is the second cause of childhood death in the developing world. Diarrhea is sometimes accompanied by abdominal cramps or fever. It may be caused by infection, allergy, or could be a sign of a serious disorder, such as IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), or Crohn"s disease.
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Economy Forces Most Wired Hospitals To Look Closely At IT Spending

The economic crisis is forcing many hospitals to make tough decisions with scarce res, including delaying and scaling down information technology (IT) projects, according to a newly released survey of America"s "most wired" hospitals and health systems. While progress has been made and incentives to implement IT will be available through the recently passed stimulus legislation, many hospitals still have a long way to go. The 100 Most Wired hospitals are torn between building on their IT successes and keeping a sharp eye on budgets. Marking its 11th year, the Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study continues to lead the field in analyses and benchmarking of healthcare IT. "The economic slowdown is forcing hospitals to look closely at IT spending," says Alden Solovy, executive editor of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. "Most Wired hospitals are doing their best to stay the course." To complicate matters, the great unknown of health care reform looms in the near future and a number of regulatory changes are already heading down the pike, including the shift to ICD-10. "As the health reform debate continues, it"s clear that IT will play an even more important role in the health system of tomorrow," says Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association (AHA). "Most Wired hospitals help illustrate IT in action-improving efficiency, quality and safety of care while helping to control costs." Although hospitals appear to be cutting the total dollars they spend on information technology, IT spending as a percent of total capital and operating budgets is actually increasing. "Hospitals clearly recognize that in spite of smaller budgets they still need to invest in IT and position themselves for the future," says Sunny Sanyal, president of McKesson Provider Technologies. "We"re seeing hospitals reprioritize. For example, instead of continuing with plans to build a new data center extension, a hospital now may choose to redirect funds to other technologies." Hospitals also continue to invest in IT that supports quality and safety initiatives. Investment in electronic medication management is considered one of the fundamentals of using IT to improve care. The 2009 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study shows an overall increase in both provider order entry of medications and electronic bedside matching at the time medications are administered. Of the organizations completing the survey this year, 38 hospitals and health systems - 6.8 percent of the sample - have effectively deployed information technology at both ends of the medication administration process. This compares with 23 hospitals and health systems in 2008, or 4.1 percent of the sample. At the typical hospital responding to the survey, 26 percent of medications are entered electronically by physicians, compared with 19 percent in 2008. The typical respondent has 40 percent of medications matched at the bedside, compared with 30 percent in 2008. The Most Wired Survey is conducted annually by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine, the journal of the AHA, which uses the results to name the 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems. It focuses on how the nation"s hospitals use information technologies for quality, customer service, public health and safety, business processes and workforce issues. Hospitals & Health Networks conducted the 2009 survey in cooperation with McKesson Corp. and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. The July H&HN cover story detailing results is available at www.hhnmag.com. About AHA The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes more than 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, and 38,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a of information on health care issues and trends. About the Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study Hospitals & Health Networks, the journal of the AHA, conducts the voluntary Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study annually and names the 100 Most Wired. McKesson Corporation is the world"s largest healthcare services, technology and automation company. CHIME was formed with the dual objective of serving the professional development needs of healthcare chief information officers and advocating the more effective use of information management within health care. AHA


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