Safety, quality and clinical practice
Abuse in nursing homes unreported despite law | Associated Press
Of the 134 cases of possible physical and sexual abuse of nursing home residents the Office of the Inspector General investigated, only 96 were reported to law enforcement. The Office of the Inspector General has since reported the cases.
Information technology
Artificial intelligence: Big data and invisible patients | Medcity News
Data from insurance claims, EHRs, imaging, and elsewhere can be mined for precision medicine, identifying patients who may become sick.
New ransomware strain targeting healthcare | Healthcare IT News
Cybercriminals are attacking the healthcare industry with a new type of ransomware, called Defray, according to security firm Proofpoint. Defray comes in via Microsoft Word email attachments.
Pharmaceuticals
Drug aimed at inflammation may lower risk of heart disease and cancer | The New York Times
Canakinumab, sold under the brand name Ilaris to treat juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, may cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people who've hada heart attack already and are at risk for having another, according to a study done by Novartis, the drug's manufacturer. The drug costs about $200,000 per year.
Pharma leads profitable second quarter for health care | Axios
Pharmaceuticals, which have been raising list prices for brand-name drugs, continue to be profitable—the most profitable sector in healthcare, in fact.
In other news
Having a best friend in your teenage years could benefit you for life | NPR
People who had best friends in the teenage years tended to be less depressed and anxious later in life, while there was no link between having many friendships—as opposed to a few close ones—with decreased depression and anxiety, according to a new study.
