Pediatrics
Posted May 2012
Type 2 Diabetes More Common, More Dangerous in ChildrenAlarming increases of Type 2 diabetes in children are no closer to being managed successfully, according to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine showing common diabetes-control medications failed to work in children.
The study also found that because children develop Type 2 diabetes at younger ages, there is an increased lifetime risk for serious complications such as heart attack and stroke.
Terri H. Lipman, PhD, CRNP, of the
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, was a co-investigator in this multi-center study. Dr. Lipman, the Miriam Stirl Endowed Term Professor of Nutrition and professor of nursing of children, is an expert in pediatric dia
MorePrevention
Posted April 2012
Teen Violence Prevention Keeps It Real
Briana and Damon could be the kids up the block. Briana does well in school and wants to follow in her sister’s footsteps to college. Damon works hard at an after-school job in a local barbershop. They hang out with friends and try to stay out of trouble.
But Briana and Damon have a mission. Voiced by Philadelphia teens, they are a pair of digitally animated street-smart characters with a Facebook page aimed at reducing urban youth violence. Working with members of the West Philadelphia community, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and the Philadelphia Collaborative Vi
More Pediatrics
Posted April 2012
Choosing the Right Hospital May Save Your Baby's Life
Choosing the right hospital may make the difference between life and death for very low birth weight infants, according to research led by the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and released today in JAMA
The Journal of the American Medical Association.
In a comprehensive study of 72,235 infants born in 558 hospitals across the nation, the researchers found that babies cared for in hospitals with the Magnet credential were less likely to die, acquire a hospital-based infection, or suffer severe brain hemorrhage. While only 1.5 percent of births nationally are very low birth weight babies,
More Other
Posted April 2012
No More Business as Usual in Health Education and Practice
The days of a patient receiving care from a single doctor at a single location have long passed. Healthcare and health information come from numerous sources, facilities, and providers. To maximize the strengths of multiple providers, improve care, and lower costs, healthcare leaders met at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing on April 17 to consider steps toward interprofessional education and practice among teams of nurses, doctors, and other health providers.
The symposium,
Partners in Education and Practice: Stronger Teams, Better Health, built on calls for interprofessionalism in healthcare in two major commission reports,
The Future of Nursing: Leadi
More Cancer
Posted April 2012
Cancer and Clinical TrialsIn one of the first studies of its kind, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing researchers have identified what cancer patients consider the “benefits and burdens” of participating in clinical research trials. From their findings, the researchers developed a model of the five elements of decision-making (physical, psychological, economic, familial, and social) that patients with cancer use to determine whether to participate or remain in a clinical trial.
These findings can help researchers address factors leading to research participation and in ensuring voluntary, informed consent in clinical trials, explained lead author
Connie M. Ulrich, PhD, RN, of Penn Nursing. “Clinical research is imperat
More Asthma
Posted April 2012
The Secret to Preventing AsthmaFor the student athlete with asthma, spring and summer pose particular dangers. The most significant danger is the all-too-frequent lack of access to a life-saving asthma inhaler, explains Maureen George, PhD, RN, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Federal law permits students to carry their asthma inhalers with them, yet many schools do not because of safety concerns.
“Managing asthma is especially challenging for student athletes because many coaches do not feel comfortable assuming responsibility for administering asthma medications, nor are they trained to do so,” explains Dr. George. “School rules keep epinephrine pens and inhalers off the playing field a
More Staffing Levels
Posted March 2012
Quality and Safety Problems in Hospitals
In one of the largest studies of its kind, a consortium of investigators from 13 countries led by the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in the U.S. and the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium in Europe, found that nurses who reported better working conditions in hospitals and less likelihood of leaving also had patients who were more satisfied with their hospital stay and rated their hospitals more highly. The study was released today in the current issue of the prestigious British Medical Journal.
The massive study, which in some countries involved ev
More Nutrition
Posted March 2012
Food Stamps and Farmers' MarketsCurrent food stamp programs at urban farmers’ markets attempting to bring fresh produce to economically stressed city dwellers are so complicated for the shopper and expensive for the farmer that fewer people are taking advantage of the federal program designed to help them, according to research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
Record numbers of Americans are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, as food stamps are now known, and many SNAP participants live in neighborhoods with little or no access to healthy food. A study conducted at the Clark Park Farmers’ Market in Philadelphia, Pa., found that making it easier for vendors to collect SNAP payments with electronic point-of-sale systems increased fresh produce sales to SNAP recipients by 38 percent.
However, the costs associated with
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