Culture | Page 1819 | Science Codex

Level of computer use in clinical encounters associated with patient satisfaction

Patients at safety-net hospital clinics where there was high computer use by clinicians were less likely to rate their care as excellent, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.

Safety-net clinics serve populations with limited health literacy and limited proficiency in English who experience communication barriers that can contribute to disparities in care and health. The implementation of electronic health records in safety-net clinics may affect communication between patients and health care providers.

How can I tell if she's lying?

When she says she loves my new haircut is she telling the truth or being sarcastic? The answer isn't always obvious.

Especially for men.

Or for those who suffer from diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, or neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism spectrum disorders. For people with these problems, any form of non-literal speech such as sarcasm, teasing or 'white lies' can be very confusing. A new video inventory of examples of these forms of indirect speech developed at McGill should help in the diagnosis and clinical testing of those with disorders of this kind.

Good medicine left on the shelf?

A controversial new paper by James Cook University scientist claims many useful new treatments are being left on the shelf by medical researchers.

JCU's Dr David Kault, a medical doctor and mathematician, has examined the way clinical trials of medical treatments are judged.

"Traditional assessment of a clinical trial is based on whether we can blame chance for a favourable outcome," said Dr Kault. "But there is little consideration of background and context, which sometimes leads to ignoring common sense."

Method of postoperative pain relief may influence recovery from total knee replacement surgery

A new study published today in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association compared outcomes from two types of postoperative pain control methods in a group of patients who had both of their knees replaced.

Comparing therapies for a rare autoimmune disease

In the course of a study conducted throughout Germany, medical professionals have compared different treatment methods for Neuromyelitis optica, an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. It turned out that the best results were not achieved with conventional steroid therapy. Under the auspices of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum and the Hannover Medical School, the team published their findings in the journal Annals of Neurology.

Relapsing disease course

Beware, asthma sufferers: Migraines may worsen

CINCINNATI--Pre-existing asthma may be a strong predictor of future chronic migraine attacks in individuals experiencing occasional migraine headaches, according to researchers from the University of Cincinnati (UC), Montefiore Headache Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Vedanta Research.

The findings were published online in November in the journal Headache, a publication of the American Headache Society.

MRI reveals weight loss protects knees

CHICAGO - Obese people who lose a substantial amount of weight can significantly slow the degeneration of their knee cartilage, according to a new MRI study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Testosterone replacement makes Type 2 diabetic men more sensitive to insulin

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Men with Type 2 diabetes who have low testosterone levels can benefit significantly from testosterone treatment.

That is the conclusion of University at Buffalo researchers who conducted the first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of testosterone treatment in Type 2 diabetic men that comprehensively investigated the role of insulin resistance and inflammation, before and after treatment with testosterone.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, was published online before print in Diabetes Care in November.

Threats against children during the separation process for women in abusive relationships

HUNTSVILLE, TX (11/30/15) -- Mothers who separate from their abusive partners are four times more likely to report threats to take or to harm their children than those who stay in the relationship, a study by Sam Houston State University found.

In "Indirect Abuse Involving Children During the Separation Process," Brittany Hayes, Assistant Professor at the College of Criminal Justice, said that victims of intimate partner violence continue to suffer from abuse after separation, but few recognize the indirect abuse of children during the process.

Cognitive behavior therapy can help overcome fear of the dentist

Cognitive behavioural therapy could help many people with a dental phobia overcome their fear of visiting the dentist and enable them to receive dental treatment without the need to be sedated, according to a new study by King's College London.

Top priorities named in hearing loss research

Experts have published a list of the most urgent priorities for researching a debilitating condition that affects more than 10 million people in the UK.

Published in The Lancet, the top 10 research priorities for tackling mild to moderate hearing loss aims to re-focus future studies on areas which could potentially have the greatest impact in furthering understanding of the condition and developing successful new treatments.

Mobile phone data 'predicts' wealth and poverty in Rwanda

A person's history of phone communication can be used to infer aspects of his or her socioeconomic status, a new study suggests. The study, focused in Rwanda, reveals how cell phone metrics can be a source of "big data" in resource-constrained regions. Collecting data on basic economics quantities, such as wealth and income, is challenging in developing countries, making reliable quantitative data scarce; in much of Africa, for instance, national statistics on economic production may be off by as much as 50%, previous research suggests.

Patient deaths do not increase during doctor strikes

As doctors in England prepare for strike action next month, researchers at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, USA) show that, in high-income countries, "patients do not come to serious harm during industrial action provided that provisions are made for emergency care."

Heart disease patients who sit a lot have worse health even if they exercise

Sophia Antipolis, 26 November 2015: Patients with heart disease who sit a lot have worse health even if they exercise, reveals research published today in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention.1

Get up and move every 30 minutes to improve health.

Heart disease patients who sit a lot have worse health even if they exercise

Ottawa, November 25, 2015 - Patients with heart disease who sit a lot have worse health even if they exercise, reveals research from the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, and published today in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention.1

"Get up and move every 30 minutes to improve health."