News From Around the Web
> A texting intervention in which doctors sent encouraging notes to patients at risk for heart disease led the patients to increase their physical activity, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Study abstract
> Some Iowa healthcare providers have warned patients that the state's new privatized Medicaid management plans may prevent them from keeping their doctors, according to the Des Moines Register. Article
> Parents of teens may exercise too much control over their children's health checkups, with barely 1 in 3 saying their child discussed health concerns privately with their doctor, according to a new report from the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at the University of Michigan. Announcement
Provider News
> Clostridium difficile is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections and new research shows it is also one of the most complicated and costly to treat. Article
> Despite some improvements, racial disparities affecting black and Hispanic patients persist in U.S. surgical outcomes, even at hospitals participating in a national program aimed at quality improvement, according to a study published in the Annals of Surgery. Article
And Finally… Don't be decoy. Article