Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Doctors need to do better at talking to families about critically ill patients

(Reuters Health) - Doctors' conversations with families about care for critically ill patients often fail to address patients' values and preferences, according to a study that suggests there's plenty of room for improvements in communication. These conversations are an essential component of so-called shared decision making, which depends on clinicians taking the time to explain the benefits and harms of treatment options and also listening to patients and families explain what they hope to gain from any interventions. When it's done right, shared decision making improves patient satisfaction and helps ensure that care plans are designed to achieve outcomes most important to patients and families. More people might survive cardiac arrest if more bystanders tried hands-only CPR

(Reuters Health) - More lives could be saved after cardiac arrest if bystanders applied cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), even if it's just the hands-only version, a new study suggests. With hands-only CPR emerging as an alternative to the traditional method - chest compressions coupled with mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths - Swedish researchers decided to investigate the impact of the simpler method. Two Republican attorneys general urge court to uphold Obamacare

Two Republican state attorneys general on Monday urged a federal appeals court to uphold the Obamacare federal healthcare law, saying that striking it down would be disruptive for patients, doctors, insurers and employers. The attorneys general of Ohio and Montana submitted "friend of the court" briefs to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Swiss drugmaker Novartis must face doctor kickback suit, U.S. judge rules

Novartis AG must face a U.S. government lawsuit accusing it of paying millions of dollars in kickbacks to doctors so they would prescribe its drugs, after a federal judge ruled in a decision released on Monday that the government had offered evidence of a "company-wide kickback scheme." U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe in Manhattan also rejected the Swiss drugmaker's bid to keep key government evidence out of the case, and ruled that the government does not have to prove a direct "quid pro quo" agreement between Novartis and doctors for the company to be liable. Trump says vote on healthcare can wait until after 2020 election

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he was willing to wait until after the 2020 presidential election to get Congress to vote on a new healthcare plan, giving Republicans time to develop a proposal to replace Obamacare. Congressional Republicans have been unable thus far to draft a proposal to replace Democratic President Barack Obama's signature Affordable Care Act despite frequent vows to do so in recent years. U.S. government boosts 2020 Medicare payments to insurers by 2.53 percent

The U.S. government on Monday said it would increase by 2.53 percent on average 2020 payments to the health insurers that manage Medicare Advantage insurance plans for seniors and the disabled, a reflection of a new estimate on medical cost growth. The rate, which affects how much insurers charge for monthly healthcare premiums, plan benefits and, ultimately, how much they profit, represents an increase over the 1.59 percent increase proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in February. IVF tied to slight increased risk of rare childhood cancers

(Reuters Health) - Certain rare childhood cancers may be more common in children conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF), a U.S. study suggests, but parents needn't lose sleep over this finding, according to the researchers. "For the few cancers that seemed associated with IVF the absolute risk was still extremely rare," said lead study author Logan Spector of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. 'Chemsex' risk messages should target all, survey suggests

Combining sex and drugs is common among all genders and sexual orientations, with people in Britain more likely to engage in the practice than Americans, Australians or other Europeans, according to a global survey. The findings suggest that messages about reducing potential harm from the practice - including overdosing, date rape and the risk of sexually transmitted diseases - should be targeted at all genders and sexual groups, researchers said. Most parents would support age restrictions for tackle football

(Reuters Health) - Even though there are no age restrictions on tackling in youth football in the U.S., a new survey suggests most parents would support rules prohibiting this for younger players because of the injury risk. While there are many physical and mental health benefits of playing youth sports and the risk of concussions is relatively low, as many as 1.9 million kids ages five to 18 get concussions from sports and other recreational activities each year, researchers note in Pediatrics. Many young athletes recover without lasting problems, but kids who suffer repeated head injuries and get hurt at younger ages can be more likely to have long-term challenges with academics, cognitive skills, and behavioral and emotional health, some previous research suggests. Congo Ebola outbreak spreading faster than ever: WHO

Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak is spreading at its fastest rate yet, eight months after it was first detected, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. Each of the past two weeks has registered a record number of new cases, marking a sharp setback for efforts to respond to the second biggest outbreak ever, as militia violence and community resistance have impeded access to affected areas.