Information technology
MedStar hack shows risks that come with electronic health records | Baltimore SunHospitals in Maryland have followed the recent federal government guidelines to install electronic medical records, which benefits both patients and doctors. But last week's cyber attack at MedStar Health hospitals in Maryland and the District of Columbia have shown the new EMR systems can leave providers open to cyber attack threats.
DHS: Ransomware attacks widely targeting feds | The Hill
Since last July, ransomware attacks were attempted at over two dozen federal agencies, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Hackers lock files remotely to try to extort ransom payments in the cyber attacks.
Pharmaceuticals
Dashing hopes, study shows a cholesterol drug had no effect on heart health | New York TimesCholesterol drug evacetrapib, made by Eli Lilly, was shown to have no benefit for patients. The drug reduces levels of LDL cholesterol and doubles HDL cholesterol, but was shown not to be effective in curbing heart attacks, strokes, or deaths from cardiovascular disease.
Pharmaceuticals
Gender differences in antibiotic prescribing in the community: a systematic review and meta-analysis | Journal of Antimicrobial ChemotherapyAccording to a new study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, women are 27% more likely than men to be prescribed antibiotics. That number jumps to 40% for women between the ages of 35 and 54. The prescribing habits of physicians, differences in immunity between men and women, and how regularly people visit the doctor are all factors that could contribute, according to researchers.
Safety, quality and clinical practice
How a painkiller designed to deter abuse helped spark an HIV outbreak | NPREndo Pharmaceuticals redesigned prescription opioid Opana ER in 2012 to make it more difficult to crush and snort. But users discovered they could discard Opana's coating and inject the drug, allowing them to feel the effects at once. Now, 190 people in Scott County, located in Indiana, have tested HIV positive.