"Health & Medical News"

Three in five inpatients are extremely satisfied with their hospital care. And two of three patients would definitely recommend their hospital to friends and family, according to new survey data released last month by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

The patient satisfaction data also show that eight in 10 patients said their physicians always explained things clearly, listened carefully and treated them with courtesy and respect.

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Hormonal birth control pills may increase markers of cardiovascular disease risk and the chance of developing cervical cancer, according to a handful of studies published and presented at medical meetings within the past month. Experts say, however, that while these studies help paint a more complete picture of the effects of this form of contraception, the positives still outweigh the negatives.

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The U.S. Sentencing Commission has issued new guidelines that reduce average sentences for crack-cocaine offenses and bring penalties more in line with those meted out to offenders caught selling or possessing powdered cocaine, the New York Times reported Nov. 2.

After years of debate over the sentencing disparity*, the sentencing panel quietly reduced the average crack sentence from 10 years, 1 month to 8 years, 10 months. Congress let a mandatory 180-day review period pass without challenging the commission’s recommendation.

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