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When the Patient Can't Decide: Study Looks At Physician Perspectives on Surrogate Decision Making — last modified 2008-08-18 15:04

Family members are often called upon to make medical choices for patients who are unable to do so themselves. Researchers led by Alexia Torke, M.D., of the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute, Inc., studied how physicians treating these patients interacted with surrogate decision-makers.

Children with HIV in Low Income Countries More Adherent to Treatment Than Children in High Income Countries — last modified 2008-08-14 11:19

Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Regenstrief Institute and Moi University School of Medicine are the first to report that adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) to fight human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in children who live in low income countries is as high as or higher than adherence by children living in high income countries.

Communication Gap Exists Between Seniors and Surgeons, Study Finds — last modified 2008-08-01 09:01

The decision to undergo surgery can be particularly difficult and confusing for older adults. In a study published in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Richard M. Frankel, Ph.D., of the Indiana University School of Medicine, and colleagues report that older patients and their surgeons do not communicate effectively when exploring surgical treatment options.

End of Life Physician-Patient Communication: Ensuring Final Chapter Is Enacted With The Greatest Skill And Compassion Possible — last modified 2008-07-23 09:28

Although a growing body of research supports a link between effective communication and patient, family and physician satisfaction, doctors, including oncologists and other specialists who frequently care for terminal patients, do not routinely receive training in end-of-life conversations during medical school, residency training, or after they start to practice medicine.

Integrating Palliative Care for Dementia Into Primary Care — last modified 2008-07-14 15:07

Greg A. Sachs, M.D., has received an award from the National Palliative Care Research Center to conduct a study aimed at improving quality of life and decreasing suffering for older adults and their family caregivers. The award is one of only two pilot project support grants funded by NPCRC in 2008.

Taking Action Against Hospital Acquired Infections — last modified 2008-07-01 15:00

Patients enter hospitals every day for a variety of reasons but usually without the thought of developing a new health problem. Yet every year thousands of hospitalized Americans acquire infections during hospital stays, causing risk of complications, prolonged stays and an increased burden on the health-care system.

Neurological Assessment of Older Adults: A Crystal Ball to the Future — last modified 2008-07-01 14:59

Standard neurological exams of older adults are good predictors of future brain health and quality of life. These tests should become part of the physician’s routine examination of older adults say faculty from the Indiana University Center for Aging Research in an editorial in the June 23, 2008 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

University Geriatrics Specialist Awarded Australian Fellowship — last modified 2008-07-01 14:59

Steven R. Counsell, M.D., director of the Indiana University Geriatrics Program, will begin a prestigious six-month Packer Policy Fellowship at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia in July.

FSSA ANNOUNCES Indiana Flood Victimse Health Support Center — last modified 2008-07-01 14:58

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) announced the creation of the Indiana Flood Victims eHealth Support Center (1-877-788-5888) as a part of the relief effort for disaster victims across the state. This support center will provide doctors with medical information of flood victims, to the extent obtainable, for treatment purposes. FSSA is leading the effort between the Regenstrief Institute, Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE), who is handling the calls, and Electronic Data Systems (EDS).

How Best to Treat Chronic Pain? The Jury Is Still Out — last modified 2008-06-09 13:05

How best to alleviate chronic pain, a leading cause of disability and employee absenteeism, continues to perplex both patients and their doctors.