Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Psychiatry for April 2017. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Meeting Organizers Overlooking Qualified Female Scientists
FRIDAY, April 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Invited speakers at medical conferences tend to be disproportionately male, a disparity that can be addressed by actively preparing lists of potential speakers, according to a study published online April 18 in Nature Immunology.
AMA Urges Doctors to Talk About Safe Opioid Storage, Disposal
FRIDAY, April 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Physicians should take three essential steps to reduce the amount of unwanted, unused, and expired medications in an effort to avoid non-medical uses of the drugs, according to a new recommendation from the American Medical Association (AMA) Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse.
Distinct Bacterial Taxa in ME/CSF Subgroups With/Without IBS
FRIDAY, April 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Distinct bacterial taxa are seen in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) subgroups, defined by the presence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to a study published online April 27 in Microbiome.
Risk Factors in Six Areas Tied to Physician Burnout
THURSDAY, April 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Physician burnout factors include control, whether there is time to deliver excellent care, and whether the workplace is fair, according to a presentation at the Medical Group Management Association/American Medical Association 2017 Collaborate in Practice Conference, held April 9 to 11 in Chicago.
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Single-Payer Health System Bill Moves Forward in California
THURSDAY, April 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A proposal to replace private insurance with government-funded health care for all moved forward in California on Wednesday as Democrats on the Senate Health Committee voted to advance the measure.
Clinician Awareness of Exercise Addiction May Be Lacking
THURSDAY, April 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Health care professionals need to recognize exercise addiction and understand its risks, according to a practice pointer published online April 19 in the BMJ.
Illicit Marijuana Use Up in States With Legal Medical Use
WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Illicit cannabis use increased significantly more in states that passed medical marijuana laws than in other states, according to a study published online April 26 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Children With Suspected Child Abuse Present to Hospital Late
WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Children with suspected child abuse (SCA) present late to the hospital, and most arrive at hospitals that are not designated pediatric-capable major trauma centers, according to a study published online April 24 in the Emergency Medicine Journal.
Many Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease Discontinue AChEIs
WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Discontinuation of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is common, with adverse effects and cost cited as major factors, according to a study published recently in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Exercise Improves Cognitive Function in Those Over 50
TUESDAY, April 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Physical exercise improves cognitive function in people over 50 years of age, according to a review published online April 24 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction May Ease Back Pain
TUESDAY, April 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients with low back pain, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) may be associated with short-term improvements in pain intensity and physical functioning, according to a review published online April 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Mortality Up for Opioid Addicts Not Treated in Addiction Clinics
MONDAY, April 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Opioid addicts who get their medical care in settings such as primary care offices and hospitals, rather than addiction centers, are twice as likely to die as opioid addicts treated in addiction clinics, according to a study published online April 20 in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.
More Risks on School Playgrounds Linked to Happier Children
MONDAY, April 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Children from schools with greater risk and challenge in the playground environment report being happier at school and playing with more children, according to a study published online April 24 in Pediatrics.
Trump Administration Offers Grants to Fight Opioid Crisis
FRIDAY, April 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Nearly half a billion dollars promised by the Obama administration for opioid abuse prevention and treatment programs will be handed out by the Trump administration.
Microvascular Endothelial Dysfunction Can Predict Dementia
FRIDAY, April 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Markers of microvascular endothelial dysfunction can predict dementia, according to a study published online April 13 in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
Antipsychotic Medication Use Can Be Reduced in Dementia Patients
THURSDAY, April 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Hoping to cut the use of antipsychotic drugs in nursing home residents, researchers tried training staff on new ways to meet the needs of residents with dementia. Their findings were published online April 17 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Potential Benefits, Risks of OpenNotes Discussed
WEDNESDAY, April 19, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The benefits of sharing notes with patients include improved patient engagement and empowerment, while potential risks may include more phone calls, questions, and increased documentation time, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Non-Invasive Neurotechnology May Help Ease PTSD Symptoms
WEDNESDAY, April 19, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Technology using a patient’s own brainwaves might offer hope against tough-to-treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a study published online April 19 in BMC Psychiatry.
Link Between Antidepressant Use in Pregnancy, Autism Challenged
TUESDAY, April 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Taking antidepressants during pregnancy doesn’t appear to raise a child’s risk of autism, once other factors that could influence the risk are taken into account, according to two studies published in the April 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Marijuana Use Higher in Pregnant Teens Than Nonpregnant Peers
TUESDAY, April 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — More than twice as many pregnant 12- to 17-year-olds use marijuana as their nonpregnant peers, and significantly more use the drug than pregnant women in their 20s, according to a letter published online April 17 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Cervical Cancer Screen Rates Low for Women With Mental Illness
MONDAY, April 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Cervical cancer screening rates are much lower among women with severe mental illness than among other women, according to a study published online April 17 in Psychiatric Services.
Care Access Worsening for Adults With Psychological Distress
MONDAY, April 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) — An estimated 8.3 million American adults — about 3.4 percent of the U.S. population — suffer from serious psychological distress, with barriers to care on the rise, according to research published online April 17 in Psychiatric Services.
Doctors Need to Be Mindful of What They Post on Social Media
MONDAY, April 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Young doctors often have unprofessional or offensive content on their Facebook profiles, according to a study published online April 9 in BJU International.
Intervention Fosters Resilience to Stress, Burnout for Mothers
MONDAY, April 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) — An intervention to foster resilience among professional women at high risk for stress and burnout is beneficial, according to a study published online April 12 in Women’s Health Issues.
Mortality Up With Depression Just Before Breast Cancer Diagnosis
THURSDAY, April 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Women with newly-developed depression before a breast cancer diagnosis have a modestly, but significantly, increased risk for death, according to a study published online April 7 in Cancer.
Surgery Often the Starting Point for Opioid Addiction
THURSDAY, April 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Certain surgery patients prescribed opioids for postoperative pain relief may face a higher risk for developing a persistent opioid addiction, according to research published online April 12 in JAMA Surgery.
FDA Approves First Drug for Treatment of Tardive Dyskinesia
WEDNESDAY, April 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Ingrezza (valbenazine), the first drug to treat adults with tardive dyskinesia, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Depressive Disorders Up With Antimuscarinics for OAB
WEDNESDAY, April 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Women with overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome treated with antimuscarinics have increased subsequent risk of depressive disorder, according to a study published online April 5 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
Physicians Are Spending Half Their Time on Computer Tasks
WEDNESDAY, April 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Physicians spend roughly as many hours on computer work as they do meeting with patients, according to a study published in the April issue of Health Affairs.
Midlife Vascular Risk Factors Associated With Elevated Amyloid
WEDNESDAY, April 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Individuals with risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke in middle age are more likely to have elevated levels of amyloid, according to a study published in the April 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Past Psychiatric Disorders Do Not Raise Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
TUESDAY, April 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Having a mental health disorder doesn’t translate into a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life, according to a study published in European Psychiatry.
Integrated E-Prescribing Can Cut Prescribing, Dispensing Errors
MONDAY, April 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — An integrated electronic medication prescribing (e-prescribing) and dispensing system can reduce prescribing and dispensing errors, according to a study published online March 30 in the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research.
Benzodiazepines May Up Risk of Pneumonia in Alzheimer’s Disease
MONDAY, April 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Patients with Alzheimer’s disease who use benzodiazepines may have an increased risk for pneumonia, according to a study published in the April 10 issue of CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Insulin Resistance Predicts Later Cognitive Decline
MONDAY, April 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Higher serum fasting insulin and insulin resistance predict poorer verbal fluency and a steeper decline in future verbal fluency, according to a study published online April 5 issue of Diabetes Care.
Mindfulness Practice Reduces Cortisol Blunting During Chemo
MONDAY, April 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Mindfulness practice during chemotherapy can reduce the blunting of neuroendocrine profiles typically observed in cancer patients, according to a study published online April 7 in Cancer.
MACRA Changes Government Approach to Doctor Payment
FRIDAY, April 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) has made fundamental changes to the government’s approach to physician payment, according to a March 27 policy brief published in Health Affairs.
SGA Prescribing Higher for Veterans With PTSD/Dementia
FRIDAY, April 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Elderly veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with dementia have increased odds of being prescribed second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) compared with those with PTSD alone, according to a study published online April 3 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
991 Used Oregon’s Physician-Aided Dying Law 1998 to 2015
FRIDAY, April 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Fewer than 1,000 residents have followed through since Oregon became the first state to permit physician-aided dying in 1997, according to a report published online April 6 in JAMA Oncology.
Risk Adjustment, Reinsurance Transfer Offer Financial Benefit
THURSDAY, April 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Risk adjustment and reinsurance transfer programs seem to have been effective for increasing revenues at the expense of claims costs, according to research published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
Second Opinion Yields Different Diagnosis for 1 in 5 Patients
WEDNESDAY, April 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) — One-fifth of patients who sought a second opinion recently at a single academic medical center had received a different diagnosis from their primary care providers, according to a study published online April 4 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
‘SuperAgers’ Have Less Whole-Brain Cortical Volume Loss
WEDNESDAY, April 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Cognitively-average elderly adults have greater annual whole-brain cortical volume loss than adults age 80 years and older with episodic memory ability at least as good as that of average middle-age adults (SuperAgers), according to a research letter published in the April 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Doctors Must Be Wary of HIPAA Violations With Online Reviews
TUESDAY, April 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Physicians should be aware that responding to a negative health care review could potentially expose personal medical information, resulting in a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violation, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
High Prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders in Eczema
TUESDAY, April 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Patients with eczema have a high prevalence of alcohol use disorders, according to a study published online March 27 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
Geographic Variation in Admission for Opioid Tx Programs
TUESDAY, April 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — There is geographic variation in treatment admissions among opioid treatment programs that accept Medicaid, according to a study published online March 27 in Health Services Research.
Use of Health Literacy Tools Can Promote Shared Decision Making
MONDAY, April 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Use of health literacy tools is encouraged for facilitating shared decision making (SDM), according to an article published in the March issue of the AMA Journal of Ethics.
Bidirectional Link for Anorexia Nervosa, Celiac Disease
MONDAY, April 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) — There is a bidirectional association between anorexia nervosa (AN) diagnosis and celiac disease (CD) in women, according to a study published online April 3 in Pediatrics.
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