Most Clicked ANA SmartBrief Stories


1. CDC stats show 3 major STDs still spreading in U.S.

ANA SmartBrief | Nov 16, 2009

CDC researchers said U.S. rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea were stable at unacceptably high levels in 2008, and cases of syphilis are increasing after the STD almost was eliminated. Data showed that girls ages 15 to 19 had the most chlamydia and gonorrhea cases of any age group. Reuters (11/16)


2. Women in 40s may skip routine mammograms, guidelines say

ANA SmartBrief | Nov 17, 2009

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has issued new guidelines suggesting that women in their 40s may not need to undergo routine mammograms and may decide for themselves when to start getting screened for breast cancer. Some medical groups and cancer experts said the recommendations could result in more breast cancer-related deaths. Yahoo! (11/17) New York Times, The (11/16)


3. Which population should receive more attention from the health and medical communities -- including research, education and outreach -- in 2010?

ANA SmartBrief | Nov 16, 2009

Read the ANA SmartBrief Year-End Report, which will be published on Dec. 15, to find out how your peers are responding.


4. Survey: Universal coverage could impact access to care

ANA SmartBrief | Nov 18, 2009

Hospital CEOs have expressed concern that a universal health system would lead to increased demand in health care services, which would in turn lead to a shortage in hospital staff, a survey from AMN Healthcare said. Of the CEOs surveyed, only 21% think their facilities have enough doctors to meet the growing demand for health services and only 33% said they have an adequate number of nurses. HealthImaging.com (11/18)


5. Hospital report cards fail to improve quality of care

ANA SmartBrief | Nov 19, 2009

A study of 81 Canadian hospitals showed public report cards did not affect quality of care for heart attack and heart failure patients. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found the ratings did lead to 25% of hospitals changing policies to allow emergency department physicians to give heart attack patients clot-busting drugs without a consult. ABC News (11/18)


6. ACOG urges women to start getting Pap smears at age 21

ANA SmartBrief | Nov 20, 2009

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has issued new guidelines advising women to get Pap smears at age 21 and those younger than 30 to undergo such tests once every two years. The recommendations are based on studies that found frequent cervical cancer screening could lead to overtreatment of minor abnormalities, which could increase risk of preterm labor, an ACOG official said. Yahoo! (11/20)


7. Children in Philly sick with rhinovirus, not flu

ANA SmartBrief | Nov 18, 2009

Hundreds of children have shown up at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with flu symptoms but were diagnosed with a rhinovirus infection. Federal health officials are investigating whether this is occurring elsewhere in the U.S. and if it's a new strain of infection. ABC News (11/17)


8. Herpes virus may not go dormant in body, study finds

ANA SmartBrief | Nov 20, 2009

Researchers said genital herpes may never really go dormant in the nerves around the spinal cord as commonly believed. They said the virus appears to continually shed tiny bits of itself in the genital tract, even without an active outbreak, but they don't know if the shedding is enough to infect another person. HealthDay News (11/18)


9. 7 top technologies to watch in 2010

ANA SmartBrief | Nov 17, 2009

Electronic medical records and genetic testing are at the top of ECRI Institute's recently released list of technologies to watch in 2010. The list could help health plan executives decide which technologies they should prioritize, the institute said. Healthcare IT News (11/16)


10. Massage therapy leads nurse in new career direction

ANA SmartBrief | Nov 16, 2009

Jean Wible was a geriatric nurse for more than 20 years before getting certified in massage therapy and building a private practice. The author of two books on massage, she now also teaches massage therapy. Sun (Baltimore), The (11/15)




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