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MS Society Commends Federal Government's Research Investment In Neurological Diseases
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada praised the government"s announcement of $15 million to study the impact of a wide variety of neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis.
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New Interventional Pain Management Guidelines Released By The American Society Of Interventional Pain Physicians
The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) announced they have released the 2009 updated Interventional Pain Management (IPM) guidelines.
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New Biosensor Detects Extremely Low Bacteria Concentrations Quickly, Easily And Reliably
Bacterial diseases are usually detected by first enriching samples, then separating, identifying, and counting the bacteria. This type of procedure usually takes at least two days after arrival of the sample in the laboratory. Tests that work faster, in the field, and without complex sample preparation, whilst being precise and error-free, are thus high on the wish list. A Spanish research team headed by Jordi Riu and F. Xavier Rius at the University Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona has now developed a new technique to make this wish come true. With a novel biosensor, they have been able to detect extremely low concentrations of the typhus-inducing Salmonella typhi. As reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie, their new method is based on electrochemical measurements by means of carbon nanotubes equipped with aptamers as bacteria-specific binding sites. If bacteria bind to the aptamers, the researchers detect a change in electrical voltage.
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Massachusetts Proposal To End Fee-For-Service Could Be National Model

A proposal in Massachusetts to end the practice of paying doctors for individual procedures could prove a model to hold down costs for U.S. health care reform, Reuters reports. "A state-appointed panel of experts has endorsed the proposed "global payment system," which would make Massachusetts the first state in the nation to end the practice of paying healthcare providers for individual procedures. The proposed system instead attaches a fixed price to the routine healthcare costs incurred by a patient for a given time period, such as a year." A special commission in Massachusetts endorsed the idea last week. The state provides near-universal coverage and has often been used as a "template for revamping the national healthcare system," Reuters reports. "Advocates see the Massachusetts idea, which has yet to be included in legislation, as a way to curb costs, but they also are concerned about how long it would take to realize those savings. Proponents say it will eliminate unnecessary medical procedures that the current system encourages by paying doctors for each test or treatment they administer. Requiring doctors to treat patients under a set-fee system would give them a financial incentive to not perform unneeded treatments or tests, the panel said. ò€¦ Under the Massachusetts proposal, healthcare providers and insurance companies would create a common system for evaluating quality of care and setting budgets." Insurers would set a budget for doctors who would receive a portion of the savings if they come under budget. Insurers and employers would do the same if the amount spent on care came in under budget. "Critics say that unanticipated patient healthcare costs could pose a huge financial burden on doctors and hospitals. They have also expressed fear that the budget structure of the global payment system would limit patient access to care, but Nicholas said that problem would be managed in a similar manner to the current system" (Kutz, 7/21). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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