Mar 11th, 2010 · Most patients without known heart disease who get coronary angiograms don't have clogged arteries after all, a large study finds. The results cast doubt on the usefulness of the expensive test in about 200,000 cases a year.
Mar 7th, 2010 · Placebos play a useful role in drug testing: they help scientists determine just how effective a drug is. But a comparison of studies of antidepressants finds that patients find placebos twice as effective today as they did in the 1980s. Researchers aren't entirely sure why this is happening, but they say these findings could complicate medicine.
Mar 5th, 2010 · John Patrick Bedell, who authorities say shot two police officers near the entrance of the Pentagon on Thursday, had reportedly been at in-patient mental health institutions at least four times. His parents told authorities in January that they were worried about his mental state and that he may have bought a gun.
Mar 2nd, 2010 · Some patients seeking mental health treatments have been forced to pick up a bigger share of the cost than they do with other medical bills. But a recently passed law prohibits such double standards.
Feb 28th, 2010 · Experts say medical identity theft has increased sharply in recent months. Patients use someone else's insurance card, Social Security number or name to receive health care. This can be dangerous for victims, especially if their imposter's health information is recorded in their chart and causes a mix-up.
Feb 26th, 2010 · The program's payments to doctors will fall by 21 percent starting on Monday, though Congress may soon act to undo the pay cut. It's the latest reminder of a chronic problem for the federal government: figuring out how to pay doctors who treat Medicare patients.
Feb 23rd, 2010 · The government now posts online the breaches of medical records that affect 500 or more people. Stolen and lost computers are often to blame.
Feb 23rd, 2010 · A new study takes a look at the stubborn problem of hospital-acquired infections — specifically, the nearly 300,000 cases of pneumonia and sepsis picked up by patients during their hospital stays in the U.S.