The next time you habitually search your bathroom cabinet for some pain medication, you may want to consider playing a video game first. Research has shown that psychology plays an important part in how we experience both acute and chronic pain – and that painful sensations can be manipulated by what we think and feel.
From virtual reality to noise control—how to manipulate the senses to relieve pain
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Changing default prescription settings in EMRs increased rates of generic drugs, study finds
Using generic instead of brand name medications can save money for both patients and health systems. Some studies have even shown that prescribing generic medications leads to higher adherence and better outcomes, yet many physicians still prescribe brand name drugs when they could be prescribing equivalent generics. A new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, found that a simple change to prescription default options in electronic medical records immediately increased generic prescribing rates from 75 percent to 98 percent.
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How cancer patients can manage pain
Studies suggest between 20 to 50 percent of cancer patients are in pain when they are first diagnosed with cancer. Approximately 80 percent of patients with advanced cancer say they are in moderate to severe pain. But not all health care providers properly address pain in these patients.
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Study aims to teach future doctors how to help patients manage their weight
Losing weight is one of the keys to improving health, but medical schools traditionally do not offer adequate opportunities to prepare future physicians to help their patients lose weight. Now, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a consortium of other institutions are working to teach medical students the skills needed to help patients manage their weight.
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Effectiveness of medical management vs revascularization for intermittent leg claudication
Among patients with intermittent claudication, those who had revascularization had significantly improved walking function, better health-related quality of life, and fewer symptoms of claudication at 12 months compared with those who had medical management (walking program, smoking cessation counseling, and medications), according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery.
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Craniectomy after head injury reduces risk of death from brain swelling
Craniectomy – a surgical procedure in which part of the skull is removed to relieve brain swelling – significantly reduces the risk of death following traumatic brain injury, an international study led by the University of Cambridge has found.
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Endovascular therapy potentially beneficial for distal stroke clots
Endovascular therapy for disabling strokes caused by a blockage in a more distal portion of a large vessel is effective and possibly superior to best medical management, according to a large multicenter retrospective study by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
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BNPratio predicts mortality in degenerative mitral regurgitation
(HealthDay)—The ratio of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) to upper limit of normal for age, sex, and assay (BNPratio) predicts long-term mortality for patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) who undergo medical management, according to a study published in the Sept. 20 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Final results from the RESPECT study reported
Final results from the RESPECT trial found that percutaneously closing a patent foramen ovale (PFO) using the Amplatzer PFO Occluder was superior to medical management in the prevention of recurrent ischemic stroke in patients who previously had a cryptogenic stroke.
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Data-driven algorithm yields notable improvements in HbA1c
(HealthDay)—A data-driven algorithm for personalized diabetes care can yield substantial improvements in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), according to a study published online Dec. 5 in Diabetes Care.
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Left ventricular assist device ups QoL in ambulatory heart failure
(HealthDay)—Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) improve quality of life in ambulatory patients with advanced heart failure, but increase lifetime costs, according to a study published online Jan. 11 in JACC: Heart Failure.
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Weight-management benchmarks not met in primary care of overweight Latino children
One of the first studies of provider-patient communication regarding weight-management and associated electronic medical records (EMR) finds that many benchmarks of quality weight-management care are not met during primary-care visits with overweight Latino children.
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Study finds patients more likely to receive surgical intervention for narrowed arteries in fee-for-service
Individuals were more likely to undergo surgery to treat narrowed arteries when they were treated by fee-for-service physicians in the private sector compared with salary-based military physicians, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery.
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Economic benefit for lifestyle modification in prediabetes
(HealthDay)—For individuals with prediabetes, participation in lifestyle modifications such as the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is associated with economic benefit, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in Population Health Management.
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A virtual glucose management service significantly improved glycemic control in hospitalized patients
Implementation of a virtual glucose management service (vGMS) was associated with significant improvements in glycemic control among hospitalized patients. The system utilized electronic medical records (EMRs) to review patient insulin/glucose charts and dispatch recommendations for managing patients with hyper- or hypoglycemia. The findings of an observational study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Methadone may reduce need for opioids after surgery
Patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery who are treated with methadone during the procedure require significantly less intravenous and oral opioids to manage postoperative pain, reports a new study published in the May issue of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).
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Care management program reduced health care costs in Partners Pioneer ACO
Across the country, health care is going through a transformation both in how care is delivered and how it is paid for. These alternative payment models, such as Medicare's Accountable Care Organization (ACO), require health care delivery organizations to share in the financial risk associated with their patients' medical spending and encourage health care providers to think of alternative ways to get patients the care that they need. Although ACOs appear to lower medical spending, there is little information on how these savings are actually achieved. Today, researchers at Partners HealthCare published a study showing that Partners Pioneer ACO not only reduces spending growth, but does this by reducing avoidable hospitalizations for patients with elevated but modifiable risks. The study appears in the May issue of the journal Health Affairs.
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Opiate use study in hospitalized seniors with nonsurgical conditions shows negative outcomes
In one of the first studies of its kind, nearly one-third of 10,000 older adults were prescribed opiate pain medications such as morphine, Percocet and OxyContin while hospitalized for non-surgical conditions, a course of care significantly linked to poor outcomes such as being restrained and requiring bladder catheterization, according to startling new research by Northwell Health physicians.
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Nurse-led intervention helps carers' manage medication and cancer pain
A study funded by Marie Curie and Dimbleby Cancer Care published today shows the potential benefits of a new nurse-led intervention in supporting carers to manage pain medication in people with terminal cancer.
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Researchers identify new target for chronic pain
Proteins must be in the right place at the right time in the cell to function correctly. This is even more critical in a neuron than in other cells because of its complex tree-like structure and its function. Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have now discovered how phosphorylation, a common type of protein modification, functions in a novel way to change the location of proteins that are critical for both neuronal function and pathological pain. They find that phosphorylation can occur outside of the neuron and impacts protein function, localization and the sensation of pain.
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Patients taking opioids prior to ACL surgery more likely to be on pain medications longer
More than 130,000 Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgeries take place each year with the majority of patients not requiring pain medication after three months post-operatively. However, researchers presenting their work at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Annual Meeting today in Toronto, Ontario, Canada found that those patients who were filling opioid prescriptions prior to surgery were 10 times more likely to be filling prescriptions five months after surgery.
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Study compares treatment and outcomes in asthma patients in two countries
In two countries with a Western lifestyle, similar health systems, and similar asthma prevalence, investigators observed differences in asthma management and treatment costs, despite comparable outcomes.
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What you can do to help fight the opioid epidemic
(HealthDay)—Proper disposal of prescription painkillers and use of safe alternatives to manage pain could help combat America's opioid abuse epidemic, doctors say.
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Can virtual reality be used to manage pain at a pediatric hospital?
Virtual reality has emerged into popular culture with an ever-widening array of applications including clinical use in a pediatric healthcare center. Children undergo necessary yet painful and distressing medical procedures every day, but very few non-pharmaceutical interventions have been found to successfully manage the pain and anxiety associated with these procedures. Investigators at Children's Hospital Los Angeles have conducted a study to determine if virtual reality (VR) can be effectively used for pain management during blood draw. Their findings showed that VR significantly reduced patients' and parents' perception of acute pain, anxiety and general distress during the procedure. The results of the study are published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.
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Evidence-based approach to treating post-delivery pain in new moms during opioid crisis
Women who undergo vaginal delivery often do not require opioids to manage pain after hospital discharge, concludes a study published in Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). In addition, the quantity of opioids prescribed to women after cesarean delivery can be less than currently prescribed. The study looked at the times it takes for pain to resolve, stopping the use of opioids and other pain medications, and functional recovery following childbirth in healthy, first-time mothers.
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Study: How to get patients to share electronic health records
Education is the key to getting patients to share their medical records electronically with health care providers, according to a new study from the University at Buffalo School of Management.
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Dangers of commonly prescribed painkillers highlighted in study
Commonly prescribed painkillers need to be given for shorter periods of time to reduce the risk of obesity and sleep deprivation, a new study has revealed.
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Managing concerning behaviors when opioids are taken for chronic pain
Patients receiving long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain sometimes demonstrate challenging and concerning behaviors, such as using more opioid medication than prescribed or concomitant alcohol or drug use. A new study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, establishes expert consensus about treatment approaches that should be implemented when these behaviors arise.
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Researchers focus on pain management in older adults
Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington are focusing their attention on pain management in older adults, a segment of the population which presents a specific series of challenges to health providers.
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A centuries-old math equation used to solve a modern-day genetics challenge
Researchers developed a new mathematical tool to validate and improve methods used by medical professionals to interpret results from clinical genetic tests. The work was published this month in Genetics in Medicine.
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