CDC Report shows largest one-year increase in suicide rate in 15 years
ATLANTA (ASRN.ORG) -- Following a decline of more than 28 percent, the suicide rate for 10- to-24-year-olds increased by 8 percent, the largest single-year rise in 15 years, according to a report released today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention′s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
The decline took place from 1990 to 2003 (from 9.48 to 6.78 per 100,000 people), and the increase took place from 2003 to 2004, (from 6.78 to 7.32), the report said
Average doctor visit grows -- by 32 seconds over 10 years
SAUSALITO (ASRN.ORG) -- A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey shows that complaints first heard over 10 years ago by patients visiting their doctors hasn't changed much.
A decade ago, one of the major criticisms consumers had about their doctors was how little time was allotted to office visits. A new survey shows only minor improvements in the last 10 years. Fewer consumers are experiencing visits of 10 minutes or less, but overall, the length of the average office visit hasn't changed much since 1995.
New York City puts hospital error data on the web
NEW YORK (ASRN.ORG) -- Eleven hospitals in the nation's largest public health system have begun putting data on the web on infections and death rates in response to widespread concern about hospital errors that are seen as preventable, deadly and costly.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projected that 1.7 million patients nationwide would get an infection during a hospital stay this year, and that of those, 99,000, or about 270 per day, would die. The centers estimate the cost of treating such infections at more than $30 billion a year.
New legislation seeks to uncover payments to doctors by drug and medical device makers
WASHINGTON (ASRN.ORG) -- Newly proposed Senate Legislation would require full disclosure by drug and medical device manufacturers that provide direct or indirect payments to doctors.
The proposed bill is more comprehensive than any state measure. It includes medical device companies, not just drug makers, and has a more inclusive list of gifts and benefits that must be disclosed.
Any payments or benefits made ?directly, indirectly, through an agent, subsidiary or other third party? would have to be disclosed. That could include payments by universities and an array of small companies that, with industry financing, set up conferences for influential doctors at expensive hotels. Such payments have never been disclosed on a widespread basis.
CDC declares US is canine-rabies free
ATLANTA (ASRN.ORG) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has formally declared the elimination of the type of rabies previously found in dogs in the United States. This declaration is supported by animal rabies surveillance nationally.
"The elimination of canine rabies in the United States represents one of the major public health success stories in the last 50 years," stated Dr. Charles Rupprecht, Chief of the CDC Rabies Program. "However, there is still much work to be done to prevent and control rabies globally."
