LinkOPH

The Senate health committee today recommended the establishment of a national surveillance system for neurological diseases.The objective of the “Advancing Research for Neurological Diseases Act of 2015” (S. 849), sponsored by Sens. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., is to enhance and coordinate efforts to track the epidemiology of neurological diseases in the United States, such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. The bill provides for the collection and analysis of data on the incidence and prevalence of these diseases, as well as information pertaining to demographics, risk factors, diagnosis and disease progression markers.

Read more →

The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions unanimously recommended a measure today that would improve the use of electronic health records for the benefit of health care providers and patients.“This is some of the most important work that this committee has done — to call attention to the electronic medical record system being in a ditch,” Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said during an executive session. Alexander noted that President Barack Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative, a national research effort to support individualized treatment, “absolutely depends on electronic medical records.”

Read more →

The Senate health committee recommended a bill today that would improve opportunities for new researchers in the United States. The “Next Generation Researchers Act” (S. 2014), sponsored by Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, was created to establish an initiative within the office of the director of the NIH to support and encourage new opportunities for young researchers as well as earlier research independence. These include training opportunities for those seeking careers in research, mentorship programs, efforts to provide diversity in the workforce and assistance for new researchers seeking funding renewals.

Read more →