Largest-Ever Psoriasis Grant
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has awarded Case Western Reserve University $6.37 million to establish a Center of Research Translation for psoriasis. The NIAMS funds will be added to a $5 million donation made in 2006 by the Murdough Foundation, and seek to bring together multidisciplinary teams of scientists, physicians, nurses, and researchers. The NIAMS grant will initially be used for development of Pc 4, a novel photodynamic therapy; for a project to understand the role of S100A8/9, a proinflammatory protein; and, for mouse models for analysis of biochemical processes and cardiovascular risks associated with psoriasis.
NIH Lupus Research Plan
Government scientists recently outlined their plans for future research in lupus. The goals include laying the foundation for lupus prevention, identifying disease triggers, defining target organ damage mechanisms, understanding autoantibodies, expanding biopsychosocial research, discovering and validating biomarkers, and advancing therapy options. These goals are part of a long-range planning document recently released by NIAMS. The document predicts that lupus prevention could become an attainable goal in the next decade, and outlines a need to advance research efforts to identify disease risk through family studies and genetics. "The ultimate goal of this plan is to identify needs and opportunities from both public and private organizations to continue to accelerate progress in lupus research to further improve quality of life of patients who have lupus," Dr. Stephen Katz, NIAMS director, wrote in the introduction to the research plan.
MRSA Mortality Reaches 5%
Almost 5% of all patients hospitalized in 2004 with a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection died, according to a statistical brief by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Hospital stays for patients with a MRSA infection were both longer (10 days vs. 5 days) and more expensive ($14,000 vs. $7,600) than stays for patients with other conditions. The number of hospital stays for MRSA increased from 1,900 in 1993 to 368,600 in 2005, and more commonly occurred in Medicare patients and those aged 65 years and older. Males and people in the South were also more likely to be hospitalized for MRSA treatment.
Low Health Literacy Is Costly
Researchers found that 87 million adults, or 36% of the adult U.S. population, have basic or below basic health literacy skills. Using data from the 2003 Department of Education National Assessment of Health Literacy, they estimated that low health literacy costs the U.S. economy between $106 billion and $236 billion a year. "Our findings suggest that low health literacy exacts enormous costs on both the health system and society," lead author John A. Vernon, Ph.D., said in a statement. The researchers also found that while 7% of those with employer-provided insurance had low health literacy, 30% of those on Medicaid, 27% of those on Medicare, and 28% of those with no insurance had low health literacy. The report, "Low Health Literacy: Implications for National Health Policy," was supported by a grant from Pfizer Inc.
Push for Medicare E-Prescribing
A coalition of 22 health, business, and consumer organizations has asked Congress to pass legislation requiring physicians who see Medicare patients to adopt electronic prescribing by 2010. "Last year, the Institute of Medicine estimated that preventable medication errors harm an estimated 1.5 million Americans each year," said a letter from the coalition, which includes Aetna, Consumers Union, the Corporate Health Care Coalition, the Pacific Business Group on Health, and the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, to leaders of the Senate Finance Committee, House Committee on Ways and Means, and House Energy and Commerce Committee. The letter noted that the IOM called on all physicians to adopt e-prescribing by 2010 to address medication errors. "Unfortunately, fewer than 1 in 10 physicians are meeting this challenge," the coalition wrote. The American Medical Association, however, said e-prescribing should be voluntary, not mandatory, and that it should be tied to the Medicare Part D drug benefit. In a letter to several House and Senate members, the organization also said that it is still waiting for the Department of Health and Human Services to issue national e-prescribing standards, called for in the 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act. Physicians also need financial incentives and other support to adopt e-prescribing, said the AMA, noting that half of practices are made up of five or fewer physicians. "The costs for such small practices of e-prescribing technology, training, and upgrades are significant," said the AMA.
California Enacts AIDS Bill