Birthing Centers Provide Equal or Better Deliveries
HBNS STORY | April 18, 2013
Low-income women who chose to deliver their baby at a birthing center under the care of a certified nurse-midwife had the same or better birthing experience as women under traditional care with a hospital-based obstetrician, according to a new study in Health Services Research.

Elderly Women in Rural Areas Less Likely to Recover from Depression
HBNS STORY | March 19, 2013
Being female and living in a rural area are among several factors that predicted whether an elderly person with depression recovered over the course of a year, finds a recent study in Depression Research and Treatment.

Drugs to Treat Fibromyalgia Just as Likely to Harm as Help
HBNS STORY | January 31, 2013
Among fibromyalgia patients taking either of two commonly prescribed drugs to reduce pain, 22 percent report substantial improvement while 21 percent had to quit the regimen due to unpleasant side effects, according to a new review in The Cochrane Library.

Only Half of Young Women Complete Three-Part HPV Vaccine
HBNS STORY | December 11, 2012
Of young women who start the three-part series of the highly effective human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, only half get all the necessary doses, according to new research in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Center for Advancing Health's Board of Trustees

Women Often Lose Their Health Insurance When Divorced
HBNS STORY | November 13, 2012
Each year, almost 115,000 women in the U.S. will lose their health insurance in the months following a divorce, finds a study in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

When You Really Learn about Hospital Infections
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 13, 2012 | Trudy Lieberman
One of the greatest risks I faced from surgery to repair a macular hole in my eye was from a hospital acquired infection. But when I tried to find data on the performance of various hospitals in New York City, there were no ratings for Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat where I would have my surgery.

Comparative Effectiveness Research: Judy Norsigian of Our Bodies Ourselves
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | September 19, 2012 | Judy Norsigian
Judy Norsigian is one of the founders of Our Bodies Ourselves (OBOS), a nonprofit public interest organization practicing women's health education, advocacy and consulting, and has served as its executive director since 2001. This is the second in a series of interviews with patient and consumer group leaders about their experiences with and attitudes toward comparative effectiveness research.

Keeping Mom and Baby Together After Delivery Beneficial
HBNS STORY | September 13, 2012
“Rooming in,” keeping mother and her newborn in the same room 24/7 to encourage breastfeeding, does support the practice, at least in the short term, finds a new review in The Cochrane Library.

Diagnostic Confidence Key for Prompt Treatment for Women with Heart Symptoms
HBNS STORY | August 29, 2012
Doctors who believe that women have “atypical” coronary heart disease symptoms are less certain when diagnosing heart disease in women. As a result, women are less likely than men to receive treatments for an urgent cardiac event, finds a new study in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

Even With Insurance, Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer Treatment Persist
HBNS STORY | July 26, 2012
A new study in Ethnicity & Disease finds that racial disparities in breast cancer treatment persist even when Black and White patients have the same Medicaid health insurance and similar economic status.

Women and Minorities Face Barriers to Clinical Trials
HBNS STORY | June 1, 2012
Physicians have great influence over whether minorities and women participate in cancer clinical trials, according to a new literature review.

Cervical Stitch Has Risks, Decreases Pre-term Births for Few Women
HBNS STORY | April 18, 2012
A new evidence review from The Cochrane Library finds that cerclage, a procedure intended to provide support to the cervix during pregnancy, provides no clinically significant difference in the number of fetal deaths or newborn complications compared to women who don’t receive the treatment.

Over-the-Counter Test for Vaginal Infection Just as Good as the Doctor’s
HBNS STORY | April 17, 2012
For women with symptoms of the most common vaginal infection, a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health finds that an over-the-counter diagnostic test may be just as accurate as having a test performed by a clinician.

Women Veterans Report Poorer Health Despite Access to Health Services, Insurance
HBNS STORY | April 10, 2012
As more and more soldiers return from recent conflicts overseas, new research reveals that female veterans experience poorer health than other women.

Doctors in U.S. Overuse Pap Smears
HBNS STORY | March 20, 2012
A new study finds U.S. physicians are performing Pap smears far more often than needed to prevent cervical cancer.

Popular Fetal Monitoring Method Leads To More C-Sections
HBNS STORY | February 15, 2012
A new research review suggests that the use of one popular method of fetal monitoring does not improve maternal and fetal outcomes and makes women more likely to have cesarean sections.

Guest Blog: How Much Does it Cost to Have a Baby?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | January 24, 2012 | Kenny Lin
My wife and I are expecting our third child, and our new insurance plan requires us to pay 20% coinsurance for all non-preventive care. Given the rapid rate of health care inflation, we thought it prudent to find out how much it would cost this time around. So, we asked for an estimate of the charges. It seemed like a reasonable enough request'

Breast Cancer Patients More Satisfied When Specialists Share Care Management
HBNS STORY | December 15, 2011
Patients with breast cancer report greater satisfaction when their cancer doctor co-manages care with other specialists, finds a new study in Health Services Research.

Guest Blog: On Alcohol and Breast Cancer, Guilt, Correlations, Fun, Moderation, Doctors' Habits, Advice and Herbal Tea
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 11, 2011 | Elaine Schattner
Few breast cancer news items irk some women I know more than those linking alcohol con'­sumption to the disease.

Pink Ribbons, Mixed Emotions
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | October 18, 2011 | Patient Perspectives
October is national Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and recently, breast cancer patients and survivors alike have shared their (sometimes disparate) thoughts and feelings about these four weeks.

Sidewalks, Crime Affect Women’s Physical Activity Throughout U.S.
HBNS STORY | October 11, 2011
Getting women to meet the U.S. federal government’s recommended level of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity remains a huge challenge. A large new study shows that where women live affects just how likely they are to exercise.

Guest Blog: Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer Clamor for a Different Awareness Level
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | October 4, 2011 | Gary Schwitzer
October is breast cancer awareness month. But October 13th is National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) argue that "awareness" should not be the only message ' or even the main message'of the month. Here are 13 facts they think you should know...

Routine Follow-up Mammography Benefits Breast Cancer Survivors
HBNS STORY | September 28, 2011
After breast cancer surgery, a follow-up regimen that includes regular mammograms offers a survival benefit over a follow-up regimen that does not include mammograms, according to a new systematic review.

Smoking Bans Motivate Even Reluctant Women to Quit
HBNS STORY | September 1, 2011
A new study finds that women smokers who live and work where bans are enforced, even those had no previous plans to stop smoking, are more likely to attempt quitting.

Guest Blog: NBC Urges Women >40 to Ask About CRP Test
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | August 19, 2011 | Gary Schwitzer
After seeing the NBC Nightly News last night, a physician urged me to write about what he saw: a story about a "simple blood test that could save women's lives." Readers - and maybe especially TV viewers - beware whenever you hear a story about "a simple blood test."

1st Person: I Think So Too
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | July 19, 2011 | First Person
Breast cancer survivor, Lisa Bonchek Adams, blogs about life-changing events including a cancer diagnosis, the sudden death of a family member, and having a child with medical challenges. She combines medical, psychological, and sociological viewpoints to these and other topics. You can read this post and follow her at LisaBAdams.com.

Patient Advocates: Flies In The Ointment Of Evidence-Based Care
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | July 18, 2011 | Jessie Gruman
The women recounted how their lives had been saved as they pleaded for the Food and Drug Administration not to withdraw approval for Avastin as a treatment for advanced breast cancer. They did so even without evidence that it provides benefit and with evidence that it confers risks.

Drug Speeds Up Slow Labor but Doesn’t Prevent C-Sections
HBNS STORY | July 14, 2011
A new review says that oxytocin, a medication often used to quicken slow-paced labor in its early stages, doesn’t decrease a woman’s risk of having a complicated birth involving forceps or a cesarean section.

Strength Training Curbs Hip, Spinal Bone Loss in Women With Osteoporosis
HBNS STORY | July 12, 2011
An updated review of studies confirms that compared to staying sedentary, strength exercises boost bone density in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

Bisexual, Lesbian Women Less Likely to Get Pap Tests
HBNS STORY | June 7, 2011
A new study finds that young bisexual and lesbian women are less likely to get Pap tests than straight women, while young bisexual women face a higher risk of being diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases.

Safer-Sex Ed for Women Increases Condom Use, Might Reduce Partners
HBNS STORY | April 12, 2011
Teaching young women how to prevent sexually transmitted infections increases condom use and might reduce their number of sexual partners, but do programs reduce disease rates?

Rising Rates of Tubal Pregnancies Cause Concern
HBNS STORY | April 5, 2011
Ectopic – or tubal – pregnancies can be dangerous for mothers, leading to rupture of the fallopian tube and possible hemorrhage, and they appear to be on the rise, according to a new study.

Black and Hispanic Women With Breast Cancer Face Treatment Delays
HBNS STORY | February 1, 2011
At a time when access to prompt treatment might affect survival, a large new study finds that African-American and Hispanic women newly diagnosed with breast cancer often face delays in care of more than a month.

Treating Women’s Depression Might Help Them Lose Weight
HBNS STORY | December 10, 2010
For women coping with obesity and depression, new research finds that improving your mood might be the link to losing weight.

Childhood Sexual, Physical Abuse Linked to Drinking Problems in Women
HBNS STORY | November 16, 2010
Women who suffered sexual or physical abuse as children are more likely to abuse alcohol than are others, according to a new study of 3,680 women.

Instruments Can Assist Birth, But With Risks to Mother, Child
HBNS STORY | November 9, 2010
Forceps might be a better instrument than a vacuum cup for assisting a successful birth, but new mothers might experience more trauma and complications after a forceps delivery, according to a new review of studies.

Childhood, Teenage Abuse Raises Diabetes Risk in Women
HBNS STORY | November 9, 2010
A new study of nearly 70,000 women found a clear association between abuse in childhood and adolescence and the risk of type 2 diabetes in adult women.

Non-hormone Treatments Can Relieve Hot Flashes in Women With Breast Cancer
HBNS STORY | September 7, 2010

Hormonal Contraceptives Have Mixed Success Among Overweight Women
HBNS STORY | July 8, 2010

Sedentary Behavior Puts White Women at Greatest Risk for Obesity
HBNS STORY | June 29, 2010

WIC Program Has Moderate Effect on Birth Outcomes
HBNS STORY | April 28, 2010

Study: HPV May Not Act Like Other STDs
HBNS STORY | March 23, 2010

Breast Cancer Rates Decline Most for Affluent White Women
HBNS STORY | February 10, 2010

Alcohol Increases Women’s Risk of Intimate Partner Violence
HBNS STORY | January 27, 2010

Women With Partner, Baby Gain More Weight Than Single Women
HBNS STORY | January 5, 2010