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Team Develops Anti-Infection Technology
Combat-related injuries have long plagued the military in part because of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Imagine being able to spray a compound fracture with microcapsules that deliver a drug to bolster the immune system, stopping infection before it starts.

Burgess Response To President Obama's Answer To His Question On Medical Liability Reform
During today"s White House online town hall on health care, a question was submitted by Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Chairman of the Congressional Health Care Caucus. Following President Obama"s response to the question on medical liability reform, Congressman Burgess issued the following statement:
News of the day
London Health Service Begins Offering Rapid HIV Tests
Barts and the London NHS Trust has become the first National Health Service provider in the United Kingdom to offer rapid, oral HIV tests, BBC News reports. Officials hope that the service will increase the number of people who seek testing because requirements of giving blood and waiting for test results are eliminated with the rapid tests. Barts will offer the rapid, oral tests in non-health care settings such as outreach centers. In addition, sexual health workers hope to be able to offer the test in night clubs in the future. About 200 people in Barts clinics have received rapid tests since March, and officials hope to test 250 people monthly. Merle Symonds, the sexual health adviser at the trust, said the message that HIV is a treatable disease has not "filtered through and stigma does remain around HIV, even if it is waning." Lisa Power of the Terrence Higgins Trust -- an HIV/AIDS organization that also offers rapid, oral tests -- said that a major problem surrounding HIV/AIDS in the United Kingdom is that many people are not aware of their status. She added, "Anything we can do to increase the take-up of testing is welcome, and we think what Barts is doing is fantastic."According to BBC News, the United Kingdom has the largest number of people living with HIV in Western Europe, with men who have sex with men accounting for 41% of new cases. BBC News reports that approximately one-third of HIV-positive people in the country are not aware of their status (BBC News, 5/20).
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New Snapshots Show States Vary Widely In Providing Quality Health Care, USA

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality"s annual release of state-by-state quality data continues to give states mixed reviews for the quality of care they provide. As in previous years, AHRQ"s 2008 State Snapshots show that no state does well or poorly on all quality measures. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is also releasing state-by-state reports on the health care status quo. The reports are available at http://www.HealthReform.gov. The 2008 State Snapshots provide state-specific health care quality information, including strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement. The state-level information used to create the State Snapshots is drawn from the 2008 National Healthcare Quality Report, which was released in May by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and contributes to a national portrait of health care quality. "The State Snapshots are an invaluable re for state officials, health care providers and purchasers to help them better understand the extent of health care quality and disparities in their states," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. "With this information, they can take the necessary steps to improve health ca! re quality and address persistent gaps in access to health care." The 2008 State Snapshots summarize health care quality in three dimensions: type of care (preventive, acute and chronic care), setting of care (hospitals, ambulatory, nursing homes and home health care) and by clinical areas (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, maternal and child health and respiratory disease). The 2008 State Snapshots allow users to explore wheth! er a state has improved or worsened compared with other states in several areas of health care delivery. New features in the 2008 State Snapshots provide more ways to analyze the quality of health care for each state compared with all states, as well as states in the same region. Enhanced features include: - A new Focus on Asthma section: This section includes state-specific information on the prevalence of adult self-reported asthma rates; potentially preventable hospitalizations for children, adults and the elderly; and potential returns on investment of asthma care quality improvement programs for Medicaid, state employees and privately insured Americans. - An expanded Focus on Disparities: This section includes state-specific information on disparities in the quality of care compared with the nation overall by looking at care received by various racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups. This section also includes new information on prevalence of diabetes that includes a U.S. map showing the adult self-reported prevalence of diabetes by state.! - Enhanced Dashboards: The dashboard for each state now contains revised graphics that succinctly display all of the summary measures on health care quality and allow a clear view of the range of each state"s performance. AHRQ"s annual State Snapshots are based on data drawn from more than 30 s, including government surveys, health care facilities and health care organizations. To access this year"s State Snapshots tool, go to: http://statesnapshots.ahrq.gov/. AHRQ


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