News From Around the Web
> Researchers at the Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center are developing mobile apps to assess and treat patients who suffer from severe mental illness. These apps, called FOCUS, could help patients in crises and also help them manage their illnesses in the crucial time between visits to the doctor, New Hampshire Public Radio reports. Article
> Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, together with researchers at the Polish Wroclaw University of Technology, have made a discovery that may lead to the curing of diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (mad cow disease) through photo therapy, according to an announcement. In the journal Nature Photonics, the researchers show it is possible to distinguish aggregations of the proteins, believed to cause the diseases, from normal proteins in the body by using multi-photon laser technique. "Nobody has talked about using only light to treat these diseases until now. This is a totally new approach and we believe that this might become a breakthrough in researching treatments," Piotr Hanczyc, at Chalmers University of Technology, says in the announcement. Announcement
Medical Imaging News
> A team of researchers from the Department of Radiological Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles has developed an imaging patient portal that, instead of focusing on sharing text reports, medications and laboratory results, is designed to display and explain radiology images and reports. Article
Health Payer News
> Certain "skinny" insurance plans not specified in the Affordable Care Act or designated by regulation as minimum essential coverage may now meet minimum coverage requirements, exempting enrollees from penalties for underinsurance or lack of insurance, LifeHealthPro reported. Article
> Despite setbacks, state-run insurance exchanges are exceeding federal enrollment targets in California, Connecticut, Kentucky, New York, Rhode Island and Washington. But why are the states succeeding while new issues keep preventing people enrolling in health plans through the federal marketplace? Three factors make it easier for states to succeed while federal efforts falter, according to Kaiser Health News. Article
And Finally... 'Staches for awareness. Article