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Terminally Ill Patients And Their Physicians Delay Conversations About End-of-Life Choices, Study Finds
About half of terminally ill patients do not have discussions with their physicians regarding end-of-life choices, according to a Harvard Medical School study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the Boston Globe reports.The study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, examined files on 1,517 patients in California, Iowa and Alabama with metastasized lung cancer. According to the Globe, a majority of patients diagnosed with metastasized lung cancer do not survive two years. Researchers asked the patients whether a physician or other health care provider had recommended hospice care or discussed end-of-life care preferences with them. According to the study, about 49% of blacks and 43% of Hispanics had discussed end-of-life care preferences with a physician or health care provider within four to seven months of their diagnosis, compared with 53% of whites and 57% of Asians. Lead study author Haiden Huskamp, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, said, "Patients who had unrealistic expectations about how long they had to live were much less likely to talk about hospice with their doctor." Huskamp theorized that patients who said they did not discuss end-of-life options with providers might not have completely understood their prognosis or chose to believe in a better outcome. Huskamp also said physicians typically are not well-trained to handle some delicate conversations (Lazar, Boston Globe, 5/26).
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New Study Uncovers Mode Of Action Of Enzyme Linked With Several Types Of Cancer
Scientists at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Universitçİ de Montrçİal have discovered a key mechanism used by cells to efficiently distribute chromosomes to new cells during cell multiplication. Published in the journal Molecular Cell, the study is the first to demonstrate that this mechanism relies on the polo kinase, an enzyme implicated in several cancers. Inhibiting this mechanism could be key to developing effective therapies to treat cancer.
News of the day
Novel Peripheral IV Catheter: Telesso Technologies Wins Popular Science Invention Award
Telesso Technologies Limited (ASX: TEO), a global healthcare company, has announced the FDA-approved guide wire-assisted peripheral IV catheter it is developing with Vascular Pathways, Inc., has been honored with the Popular Science Invention Award.
Public Health

UPMC Earns High Rating For Software Development Process

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) recently became the first non-profit health care provider in the country to achieve an internationally recognized standard for effectiveness and efficiency in software development. Achievement of the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level 2 rating is based on a rigorous appraisal methodology from Carnegie Mellon University"s Software Engineering Institute. "This accomplishment by our technology staff underscores our commitment to continually improving the development and delivery of our technology products and services to better serve our patients," said UPMC Chief Information Officer Dan Drawbaugh. The specific scope of the appraisal focused on UPMC"s Strategic Biodefense Emergency Operations and Communications System (SBEOCS) team. Developed over the past four years, the system helps emergency management officials, first responders, hospitals and others to coordinate care during a disaster, manage and share assets, and collaborate on disaster planning. SBEOCS includes a public information Web site, which contains health-related information to help the public plan for, respond to and recover from disasters. This system most recently was used during the H1N1 flu outbreak to coordinate information for UPMC, the region and the state. CMMI is a performance improvement methodology that was established to guide users in improving quality and efficiency through repeatable processes. The primary focus of CMMI is to identify and leverage an organization"s best IT practices in key disciplines to better meet its business objectives. UPMC"s Innovative Medical and Information Technologies Center provided program management for the project and sponsored the CMMI initiative. The appraisal, using Standard CMMI Appraisal Method for Process Improvement Class A methodology, was conducted by Krishnan Puthucode, an SEI-authorized lead appraiser. UPMC


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