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Health spending growth low for 4th consecutive year

Pamela Lewis Dolan Healthcare Administration

For the fourth consecutive year, growth in healthcare spending remained historically low. But the likelihood this trend will continue, and how the Affordable Care Act will impact it, is still in question. From 2009 to 2012, the U.S. saw the slowest growth in healthcare spending since the government started tracking these trends in the 1960s, according to data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Latest advances in the diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury

Dr. Afsaneh Motamed-Khorasani Medical & Allied Healthcare

In the United States alone, more than 1.7 million individuals have been reported to have some sort of traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year. Of those, 80 percent could be categorized as mild TBI (mTBI) or concussion. It has been also reported that 15 percent of the patients with mTBI went to private clinics, while an additional 25 percent did not seek any medical attention. For this reason, TBI has been known as the silent epidemic.

Food for thought: Exercise your optimism muscle

Karen Childress Healthcare Administration

If you routinely hear phrases like "Why are you so negative?" coming from people who know you well — your spouse, practice partner, office manager or even your children — it may be time to work on building up your optimism muscle. The dictionary definition of optimism is, "a feeling or belief that good things will happen in the future," but deep-seated optimism goes beyond simply the ability to maintain a sunny, hopeful outlook on life.

Health app certification program halted

Pamela Lewis Dolan Medical & Allied Healthcare

Just days after the first class of certified mobile apps was announced by an organization that promised to take the guesswork out of app recommendations for physicians, the certification program was halted after it was found to be significantly flawed.

A blood test that predicts suicide?

Dorothy L. Tengler Mental Healthcare

There are other variables, however, that affect suicide rates, such as socioeconomic status, employment, occupation, sexual orientation and gender identity. But there may be more; it could be that changes in gene expression can indicate heightened risk for self-harm. Alexander Niculescu, a psychiatrist at Indiana University in Indianapolis, has been looking for biological signs of suicide risk in an effort to prevent these tragedies. Because of the brain's complexity and inaccessibility, he has focused on molecular signs, such as biomarkers.

Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act: The basics for providers

Jessica Belle Healthcare Administration

On Nov. 13, the departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services issued the final rules implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). This Act requires that group health plans that offer mental health or substance use disorder benefits apply the same type of financial requirements (deductibles, co-insurance) and treatment limitations (number of visits, scope of treatment) that the plan applies to medical and surgical benefits.

Why HealthCare.gov should have been a mobile app

Alex Bratton Healthcare Administration

Of all the problems with the HealthCare.gov site, perhaps the most baffling is why it was created as a website in the first place. The main target of the HealthCare.gov website is young, healthy millennials, those aged 18 to 29 years old. Since millennials don't run up big healthcare bills, their monthly premiums will subsidize the insurance benefits of nearly 4.3 million older and less healthy Americans.

Clock is ticking: New acetaminophen combo limitations coming soon

Jason Poquette Pharmaceutical

Beginning next month, manufacturers of combination prescription products containing acetaminophen are expected to limit their APAP content to no more than 325 mg per dose. The significance of this is that many narcotic combination products currently being dispensed will soon no longer be compliant with these guidelines. The guidelines do not impact any OTC acetaminophen products or combinations.

Traumatic brain injury: Prevalence, diagnosis and treatment

Rosemary Sparacio Medical & Allied Healthcare

Recognition over the last several years regarding the prevalence and seriousness of traumatic brain injury has led to more attention in the media, among physicians, trainers, athletes (adults and children, professional and amateur) and the general population. The reality is that even a single concussion may cause lasting damage to the brain, and that even after symptoms fade, the brain is still injured.

Private website touted as interim alternative to HealthCare.gov

Pamela Lewis Dolan Medical & Allied Healthcare

Despite doubts from many, including people within his own administration, President Barack Obama remains confident that the technical glitches that overshadowed the launch of the federal health insurance exchange in October will be fixed by Nov. 30. Those working on the site are feeling pressure after a Nov. 13 report from the Department of Health and Human Services found that the technical glitches had the effect the administration feared — people visiting the site got frustrated and left as opposed to buying a plan. Just 108,185 plans had been sold.

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