Current medical news and unique business news for anyone who cares about the healthcare industry.
Peacekeepers caused an epidemic? According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, new evidence points to U.N. peacekeepers from Nepal as the source of the deadly cholera outbreak in Haiti, one of the most deadly epidemics in recent history, which has sickened more than 360,000 people. The CDC found contamination in the Artibonite River and one of the tributaries downstream from a military camp. A Haitian aid group says its still treating 300 new cases of the disease a day.
Technology error vs. human error. Electronic health records have been long advocated as a way to lower healthcare costs and reduce medical errors, but a new report says prescriptions sent to pharmacies electronically contain just as many errors as ones written by hand.
The Power Behind Enterprise EHR Software for Large Healthcare Systems
Enterprise EHR boosts scalability, interoperability, and governance for large healthcare systems.
State of the Biotech industry. Steven Burrill delivered his annual State of the Biotech Industry presentation at BIO International Convention Thursday. His prediction? “We will see more change (in the biotech industry) in the next 10 years than from the beginning of time until now.” Here’s more on BIO day three.
Biotech launches to develop rare skin disease treatment. Life science investor Third Rock Ventures has contributed $26 million to the launch of Lotus Tissue Repair Inc., a Massachusetts startup developing treatment for the rare skin disease dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, which currently has no approved therapies.
Support from Medicare. A spokesperson says Medicare will still pay for Avastin for breast cancer patients, even if the FDA pulls its approval of the drug for that purpose. Also announced Thursday was that Medicare will cover Provenge, an innovative prostate cancer drug for men.