In The Literature: Using a Patient's Immune Cells to Treat Metastatic Cholangiocarcinoma
May 9th 2014Researchers identified tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T cells specific for a mutated antigen expressed by a tumor from a patient with metastatic cholangiocarcinoma. Infusion of this patient with an expanded-population, mutation-specific T cell resulted in tumor regression and stabilization of disease.
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Arizona Offers 'Sneak Peak' At Costs Of Shifting Kids Off CHIP
May 8th 2014Families of Arizona children who were forced to switch from the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to private plans sold in the federal marketplace are likely paying more and getting fewer benefits, according to a study by Georgetown University researchers released Thursday.
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Hospitals and Physicians Face Challenges with Stage 2 Meaningful Use
May 7th 2014Only 50 physicians and 4 hospitals that enrolled in the federal electronic health record (EHR) incentive payment program have reported achieving Stage 2 meaningful use of EHRs. Officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said that due to these low numbers, many participating practitioners who did not achieve Stage 2 risk having their Medicare reimbursement payments lowered at the end of 2014.
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Limited Medicare ACO Quality Data Show Sharp Variations in Performance
May 7th 2014Since the Obama administration launched its accountable care initiative as part of healthcare reform in 2012, the CMS has announced which hospital and physician networks in one of the programs have met cost targets and received shared savings. But so far, it has published little data on quality of care delivered by these networks, which were designed to deliver better care as well as lower costs for Medicare patients.
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CMS Data Shows That Elderly Health Spending Slowed Between 2002-2010
May 6th 2014The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reported that between 2002 and 2010, elderly healthcare spending grew at the slowest rate among all age groups, which, according to CMS, can be attributed to the recession.
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Big Data Tools Help to Lower Costs and Increase Value in Care
May 5th 2014Experts from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) found that big data tools can play an important role in personalizing healthcare delivery methods. Transforming care delivery models is an essential component of health reform because tailored, value-based care will lower costs and improve quality of care.
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Report: Healthcare Access, Affordability Declined From 2007 to 2012
May 5th 2014States did little to improve healthcare access, quality, costs and outcomes in the past five years, according to a Commonwealth Fund report. Researchers examined 42 health indicators between 2007 and 2012, and found that in many states, access and affordability of healthcare actually declined among adults younger than 65. Healthcare spending rose $491 billion, reaching $2.8 trillion nationally.
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Hyperfractionated Radiation Therapy: Improved Local-Regional Control and OS in HNSCC
May 2nd 2014Patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with hyperfractionated radiation therapy (HFX) experienced improved local-regional control and, with patients censored at five years, improved overall survival with no increase in late toxicity.
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