Despite significant investment in health information technology such as computerized health records and clinical decision support, leveraging the technology to improve the quality of care will require significant and sustained effort by health systems, according to a new RAND Corporation study. In order to accelerate change, better mechanisms for creating and disseminating best practices are…
NEW YORK, NY (Oct. 27, 2020)–Coronaviruses are adept at imitating human immune proteins that have been implicated in severe COVID-19 disease, a study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has found. The study was published online ahead of print in Cell Systems. Many plants and animals use the art of…
Emergency intubation in the field is a challenge for everyone involved, most especially the patient. Paramedics and EMTs have to contend with less than ideal circumstances while they attempt to insert a stiff laryngoscope down the throat and into the lungs of a nonresponsive patient. “And the success rate is only about 50%, which is…
NEW YORK, NY (Oct. 27, 2020)–A team of researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute have embarked on the largest, most comprehensive longitudinal study of how U.S. college students are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic–and how they are seizing the moment to redefine their futures.…
LA JOLLA, CA–Scientists at Scripps Research have uncovered a potential new strategy for treating eye diseases that affect millions of people around the world, often resulting in blindness. Many serious eye diseases–including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and related disorders of the retina–feature abnormal overgrowth of new retinal blood vessel branches, which can lead to…
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – How much will it cost? For many, this question is the most critical determining factor in receiving quality medical care but can be difficult to broach with a health care provider. A new research effort led by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture aims to better facilitate these conversations, leading to…
The body’s immune system defeats diseases by sensing foreign invaders, like bacteria or viruses, and then mounting a response against them. But just how immune cell receptors work together to sense multiple molecules and make these decisions remained a mystery. Now, researchers at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) at the University of Chicago…
This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here. Jeannette Williams-Parker loved rock music from the 1980s and ’90s. She played AC/DC and Prince while driving or cleaning the house. The big, loud beat spoke to her mischievous side, starting from her childhood: the 2-year-old…
Among health care workers, nurses in particular have been at significant risk of contracting Covid-19, according to a new analysis of hospitalized patients by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings were released Monday as a surge of new hospitalizations swept the country, with several states hitting record levels of cases. About 6…
Parents beware: Many YouTube channels that are wildly popular with young children are targeting them with thinly veiled ads for sugary beverages and junk food. That is the conclusion of a new study published on Monday in the journal Pediatrics. The authors of the study analyzed over 400 YouTube videos featuring so-called kid influencers —…