Preventive Services news and information

Some hospitals have been using low-dose CT scans in recent years to screen patients at high risk for lung cancer even though most payers, including the CMS, still don't reimburse for the tests.
FULL STORY »

The professional society representing urologists, which had earlier railed against tightening standards for the use of prostate-specific antigen tests, reversed course when it issued new guidelines related to the controversial screening.
FULL STORY »

The American College of Physicians has issued new screening guidelines for prostate cancer, advising physicians to limit their use of prostate-specific antigen tests.
FULL STORY »

More hospitals and docs are signing accountable care contracts that tie payouts to delivering better results at lower costs. Some want insurers to nudge patients toward choices that help them do it.
FULL STORY »

Healthcare can't afford to overlook nurses as the nation seeks to expand access and cut costs, Donna Shalala said.
FULL STORY »

Close to one-quarter of colonoscopies performed on older adults in the U.S. may be uncalled for based on screening guidelines, a new study from Texas suggests.
FULL STORY »

Regarding “Better data needed on preventive health spending: GAO”: Preventive care is a laudable goal but will never reduce healthcare costs.
FULL STORY »

Regions that spent the most to screen women older than 65 years old for breast cancer were more likely to use new and more expensive technologies, but did not report better outcomes, a study found.
FULL STORY »

Cook County Health and Hospitals System garnered some unusual attention recently in Washington. And it is the kind of notice hospitals are eager for as post-election fighting over federal spending ramps up.
FULL STORY »

The revised mammography screening guidelines issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force three years ago may result in missed cancers and declines in screening, according to two studies presented at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting this week in Chicago.
FULL STORY »