More healthcare news snippets ...

Medical inflation shows no sign of slowing

Eamonn Ryan, Business Report, 17 March 2011

Findings recently published by Alexander Forbes Health's Technical and Actuarial Consulting Solutions, based on the Council for Medical Schemes' annual report for 2009/10, show that over the past decade, the increase in the medical care and health expense index exceeded consumer price inflation by an average of 2.8% per year, while actual increases in medical scheme contributions per principal member exceeded consumer inflation by an average of 2.5% per year.

The findings also show that, since 2005, the South African medical schemes industry has consistently incurred an operating loss, sustained only by investment income on accumulated assets. In 2009 the industry lost R2,6 billion on its operations - a 184% increase in operating losses from the previous year. Only investment income allowed medical schemes to post a net surplus of R964 million in aggregate. Over the past decade, the number of registered medical schemes dropped from 144 in 2000 to 110 in 2009. This decline is symptomatic of an increasingly complex and challenging environment requiring scale and intellectual property to secure continued price competitiveness - driving an increase in medical scheme mergers and administrator consolidation.

Transgenic Fungi may be able to combat malaria and other bug-borne diseases

Science Daily, 26 February 2011

New findings by a University of Maryland-led team of scientists indicate that a genetically engineered fungus carrying genes for a human anti-malarial antibody or a scorpion anti-malarial toxin could be a highly effective, specific and environmentally friendly tool for combating malaria, at a time when the effectiveness of current pesticides against malaria mosquitoes is declining.

In a study published in the February 25 issue of the journal Science, the researchers also say that this general approach could be used for controlling other devastating insect and tick bug-borne diseases, such as or dengue fever and Lyme disease. "Though applied here to combat malaria, our transgenic fungal approach is a very flexible one that allows design and delivery of gene products targeted to almost any disease-carrying arthropod," said Raymond St. Leger, a professor of Entomology at the University of Maryland.

"In this current study we show that spraying malaria-transmitting mosquitoes with a fungus genetically altered to produce molecules that target malaria-causing sporozoites could reduce disease transmission to humans by at least five-fold compared to using an un-engineered fungus," St. Leger said.

Virtual conversation simulator found beneficial for adults with autism

Science Daily, 20 March 2011 

Simulated interactions in which adults with autism converse with a virtual partner may help them develop better social interaction skills, according to a novel study presented in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

More than half of individuals diagnosed with autism have normal intellectual capabilities yet struggle in social and work environments because of their severely impaired abilities to interact and converse with others. Cheryl Trepagnier, PhD, and Corinne Bell, MA, (The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC), and Dale Olsen, PhD, and Laura Boteler, (SIMmersion LLC, Columbia, MD), report that adults with autism who participated in a prototype conversation simulation program responded positively to the experience, supporting the quality and usefulness of the simulation.

In the article, "Virtual Conversation Partner for Adults with Autism," the authors describe a simulated environment in which participants with autism who are not otherwise intellectually disabled interact with virtual partners, are given onscreen dialog options, and are scored on their ability to initiate, maintain, and conclude a pleasant conversation on a variety of topics.

"Over the past two decades, simulations have proven effective at helping people with a variety of physical and mental disorders. This new application could make it so many with Autism Spectrum Disorder could function more effectively in the larger world," says Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCIA, Editor-in-Chief of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, from the Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, CA.