MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'advocate'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:54:23 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975793&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fbabys-death-spotlights-safety-risks.html Two tragic cases.Case #1. See Baby's death spotlights safety risks linked to computerized systems by Judith Graham and Cynthia Dizikes in the Chicago Tribune.A baby died at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital due to an intravenous solution containing a massive overdose of sodium chloride — more than 60 times the amount ordered by the physician. The authors write:Although a series of other errors contributed to the tragedy, its origin — a piece of data entered inaccurately into a computer program — throws a spotlight on safety risks associated with medicine's advance into the information age, a trend being pushed aggressively under health reform.One wonders - what happened to the alerting features, for the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars the hospital spent on health IT?I've als... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975793 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:26:00 +0100 4975793 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615343&cid=t_108259_134_f&fid=35179&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscottsdiabetes.com%2F2011%2F03%2F2011-jdrf-government-day-takeaways%2F Shelley, Debbie, Scott, Camile, Ann Did you know there is a whole section of JDRF that deals with Government Relations?  Me either – at least not until this trip. When I think JDRF, I always think about fundraising and walks, stuff like that.  I didn’t think about people keeping an eye on government stuff. It makes sense though, if you think about it.  There are many decisions made on Capitol Hill that directly impact us, positively or negatively, in our daily lives with type 1 diabetes. Partnerships As I learned more about the many things the JDRF is, and has been, involved in, I was impressed by the scope of their vision.  Beyond government relations, the JDRF is actively involved with the NIH (and many others), together funding a number of important studies. We listened ... Scott's Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615343 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:00:37 +0100 4615343 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592457&cid=t_108259_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F15%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-march-15-2011%2F There are just two things on my mind right now: Japan and the time change. One is weighing heavy on my heart and the other has turned me into a zombie. Both have affected the way I view my life. How can two things so different in severity–a natural disaster and a loss of an hour–have anything to do with each another? For me, it crowns time as King and places everything else as a lesser priority. What we choose to spend time in our lives suddenly becomes clearer. Like the grains of sand falling in an hourglass, time slips away putting a spotlight on the impact hardship and an hour loss have on what’s really important. It forces me to ask what moments should I be spending more time on and which ones should I lay to rest? As we begin a new week, our bloggers have a pulse on ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592457 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:25:35 +0100 4592457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433102&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Faccountable-care-act-unconstitutional-the-fate-of-americans-health%2F2011.02.03 A Florida’s judge’s ruling that the Accountable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional doesn’t resolve the underlying constitutional issue (which will ultimately have to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court) but it has introduced new uncertainty for the $2.3 trillion health care industry, and emboldened the law’s critics to push even harder for repeal (not that they weren’t trying already). The Wall Street Journal’s (WSJ) health blog reports that “states and companies that are supposed to be implementing the law trying to figure out what to do next. The WSJ reports that the 26 states that are parties to the suit are considering whether to ask the Supreme Court to take up the case now, before it has fully wended its way through the legal system. The New York Times (NYT) quotes the... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433102 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 20:00:00 +0100 4433102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372047&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fshould-doctors-be-allowed-to-self-refer%2F2011.01.19 Federal law generally prohibits physicians from referring their own patients to a diagnostic facility in which they have an ownership issue — a practice called “self-referral” — unless the facility is located in their own practice. This exemption exists to allow patients with access to a laboratory test, X-ray, or other imaging test at the same time and place as when patients are seeing their physician for an office visit. Less inconvenience and speeder diagnosis and treatment — what could be wrong with that? Much, say the critics, if it leads to overutilization and higher costs and doesn’t really represent a convenience to patients. This is the gist of two studies by staff employed by the American College of Radiology, published in the December issue of Health Affa... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372047 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4372047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337939&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-repeal-how-would-it-affect-coverage-and-cost%2F2011.01.11 [Soon] the new GOP-controlled House of Representatives will be voting on and is expected to pass a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – lock, stock, and barrel. There is virtually no chance the repeal bill will get through the Senate, though, which maintains a narrow Democratic majority, and President Obama would veto it if it did. But let’s say that the seemingly impossible happened, and the ACA was repealed. What would the impact be on healthcare coverage, costs, and the federal deficit? In a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its preliminary estimates of the impact of repeal on the deficit, uninsured, and costs of care, and found that it would make the deficit worse, result in more uninsured persons, and higher premiu... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337939 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 22:00:00 +0100 4337939 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314007&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-year-begins-with-a-baby-boom%2F2011.01.05 On January 1, Kathleen Casey-Kirschling became the first of the baby-boom generation to qualify for Medicare. She’s hardly alone: The baby-boom generation will cause enrollment in Medicare to soar. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicare enrollment will increase from 47 million today to 64 million in 2020 to 80 million people by 2030. At the same time, the ratio of workers paying into the program to support each Medicare enrollee will drop from 3.4 (2010) to 2.8 (2020) and then to 2.3 workers per beneficiary in 2030, denying the program the tax revenue needed to sustain it. What happens then? Well, the President and Congress would have a dismal menu of political and policy choices. They could impose huge tax increases, inflicting great harm on working families and the economy... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314007 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 18:00:00 +0100 4314007 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309608&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpersonalized-medicine-a-2011-resolution-for-you%2F2011.01.04 You are an individual right? To your mom and dad you are/were like no other. Hopefully your family and friends continue to see you as one-of-a-kind. Had you considered your doctor should see you that way too? Not as yet another one with diabetes, or heart disease, or cancer, but as a singular human being with biology that may be different from even the next person through the door with the same diagnosis. This is the age of “personalized medicine” and it will accelerate in 2011. It is our responsibility as patients to ensure the power of this concept is leveraged for us each time we interact with the healthcare system. This is especially true as we manage a serious chronic condition or a cancer. Now, in research and in clinical practice there are refined tests to determine what our spe... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309608 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:00:47 +0100 4309608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4287416&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-twelve-days-of-healthcare-reform%2F2010.12.24 Today’s blog will be my last for 2010, as I will be taking a break to spend the Christmas and New Year’s holidays with family and friends. In keeping with a tradition I started two years ago, I again have taken the liberty of mangling a beloved holiday song, story, or rhyme to give a humorous (I hope!) perspective on current politics. In December, 2008, I adapted “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to convey President-elect Obama as being a not-so-jolly old elf besieged by lobbyists demanding stimulus gifts. Last year, I depicted the GOP as the Grinch trying to stop “ObamaCare” from coming. Today, I’ve re-written the “Twelve Days of Christmas” carol so that it is the government bestowing “gifts” (based on actual provisions of the Affordable Care Act) that the new Co... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4287416 Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:00:00 +0100 4287416 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253136&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Frationed-care-denied-treatment-and-%25e2%2580%259cdeath-panels%2F2010.12.13 One of the canards slung at the Affordable Care Act is that it creates “death panels” that would allow the government to deny patients lifesaving treatments, even though two independent and non-partisan fact-checking organizations found it would do no such thing. I don’t bring this up now to rehash the debate, but because the New York Times had a recent story on Arizona’s decision to deny certain transplants to Medicaid enrollees — “death by budget cuts” in the words of reporter Marc Lacey. His story profiles several patients who died when they were unable to raise money on their own to fund a transplant. Lacey quotes a physician expert on transplants who flatly states: “There’s no doubt that people aren’t going to make it because of this decision.” Arizona Medic... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253136 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:00:00 +0100 4253136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225247&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Faddressing-healthcare-spending-%25e2%2580%259ccowardice%25e2%2580%259d-or-bravery%2F2010.12.03 In assessing the “best and worst” of the recommendations from the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility, Washington Post blogger Ezra Klein accuses the Commission of “cowardice” in addressing healthcare spending: “The plan’s healthcare savings largely consist of hoping the cost controls . . . and various demonstration projects in the new healthcare law work and expanding their power and reach. . . In the event that more savings are needed, they throw out a grab bag of liberal and conservative policies . . . but don’t really put their weight behind any. . .[their] decision to hide from the big questions here is quite disappointing . . . ” Pretty harsh words, considering that in other respects Klein gives the Commission high marks. But I think there is a lot mo... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225247 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:00:00 +0100 4225247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190154&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-reform-compete-and-succeed-or-repeal-or-replace%2F2010.11.22 Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) thinks so. So does Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). And Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Senators Brown, Wyden and Sanders have introduced the “Empowering States to Innovate Act.” Ezra Klein blogs that the Senators may have found a way forward on health reform. “If a state can think of a plan that covers as many people, with as comprehensive insurance, at as low a cost, without adding to the deficit, the state can get the money the federal government would’ve given it for health-care reform but be freed from the individual mandate, the exchanges, the insurance requirements, the subsidy scheme and pretty much everything else in the bill,” Ezra Klein writes. “If conservative solutions are more efficient, that will be clear when their ben... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190154 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:00:00 +0100 4190154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175765&cid=t_108259_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F17%2Fmental-health-and-the-media-in-new-zealand%2F AF: We are going to have to cut those lines from your play about people being in institutions. DT: Why? AF: We don’t have them here in New Zealand. – Adam Fresco, Director of the Rethink Theatre Challenge to me, October 7th, 2010 Last month I traveled to New Zealand because a one-act play I’d written won an international playwriting contest. The contest, sponsored by Mind and Body Consultants, was funded by their annual RETHiNK Grant and was part of the national “Like Minds, Like Mine” campaign, a publicly funded program aimed at reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness. Ten one-acts were chosen to be performed on World Mental Health Day, October 10th (10 plays, 10 minutes, on the 10th day of the 10th month 2010.) The contest drew entries from aro... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175765 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:18:31 +0100 4175765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105670&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-insurance-new-survey-reveals-record-number-of-uninsured%2F2010.10.24 Last month the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual survey on health insurance coverage. The results were startling, yet few politicians seemed to take notice: – The number of people with health insurance declined for the first time ever in almost two decades. In fact, as reported by CNN this is the first time since the Census Bureau started collecting data on health insurance coverage in 1987 that fewer people reported that they had health insurance: “There were 253.6 million people with health insurance in 2009, the latest data available, down from 255.1 million a year earlier.” The percentage of the population without coverage increased from 15.4 percent to 16.7 percent. – Almost 51 million U.S. residents had no health insurance coverage at all, a record high, ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105670 Sun, 24 Oct 2010 22:00:00 +0100 4105670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4077245&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedicare-should-it-pay-less-for-less-effective-care%2F2010.10.18 From its inception, Medicare has been agnostic about the effectiveness of different treatments when it sets payment rates. Once a treatment is found to be “reasonable and necessary,” Medicare establishes a payment rate that takes into account complexity and other “inputs” that go into delivering the service. But it is prohibited by law from varying payments based on how well an intervention works. This would change under a “dynamic pricing” approach proposed by two experts in this month’s issue of Health Affairs. The article itself is available only to Health Affairs subscribers, but the Wall Street Journal health blog has a good summary. The researchers propose that Medicare pay more for therapies with “superior” results and the same f... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4077245 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:00:00 +0100 4077245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040566&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-and-fred-flintstone%2F2010.10.06 Like most kids who grew up in the 1960s, I spent many a night watching the adventures of Fred, Wilma, Barney and Betty, the coolest cavemen ever (sorry, GEICO). It is hard to explain the appeal of the Flintstones, which [recently] celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first broadcast. Its animation was primitive, the stories campy and cliché, and it was horribly sexist — but the characters were lovable, the dialogue funny, and who couldn’t love the way it depicted “modern conveniences” (like washing machines) using only stone-age technologies (bones, stones and dino-power?) What does Fred Flintstone have to do with healthcare? Not much, really, although Fred was the victim of a medical error. According to Answers.com: “A 1966 episode had Fred can’t st... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040566 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 01:00:00 +0100 4040566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993914&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fprimary-care-has-it-been-oversold%2F2010.09.21 Citing a new study by the Dartmouth Atlas, the Wall Street Journal’s health blog provocatively asks: “Has the notion of ‘access’ to primary care been oversold?” The Dartmouth researchers found “that there is no simple relationship between the supply of physicians and access to primary care.” That is, they found that having a greater supply of primary care physicians in a community doesn’t mean that the community necessarily has better access to primary care. Some areas of the country with fewer primary care physicians per population do better on access than other areas with more primary care physicians. The researchers also report that the numbers of family physicians is more positively associated with better access than the numbers of internists... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993914 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +0100 3993914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3929235&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpatient-bill-of-rights-what-ever-happened-to-it%2F2010.09.02 One of the more surprising twists and turns in the continuing debate over healthcare reform is that many physicians who now object to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were just a few years back advocates for more federal regulation. In fact, in the early 2000s, more than 200 “provider” and consumer groups — including many state medical and national medical specialty societies that now oppose the ACA because of concerns about “excessive regulation” — were among the fiercest champions of federal legislation to mandate that health insurers comply with a Patient Bill of Rights. A bipartisan bill introduced by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and the late Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) would have ensured that patients have the “right” to appeal insurance compa... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3929235 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:00:00 +0100 3929235 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3902899&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-gift-of-being-a-doctor-what-are-you-going-to-do-with-it%2F2010.08.25 I’m going to do something unusual: Reprint in its entirety a commentary from a fourth-year medical student, Jonathan. He posted it in response to comments from other readers to my blog about Dr. Berwick’s commencement address to his daughter’s medical school class. I tweeted about Jonathan’s post, calling it a needed voice of idealism at a cynical time. This is what Jonathan had to say to his physician colleagues: “To begin, I am a fourth-year medical student going into primary care and this directly applies to me. We have two options when reading [Dr. Berwick's] address. We can take, in my opinion, the weak road or the strong road. Our new generation, as well as the one that raised us, is one of apathy and selfishness. We are only concerned about how changes ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3902899 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:00:00 +0100 3902899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3868760&cid=t_108259_101_f&fid=38969&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheemtspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2F15%2Fpatients-define-their-emergencies-part-2%2F True Story… The dispatch information was updated before we had even rolled our rig out onto the pad. Eye injury, no serious symptoms. Jodie shut down the lights and I informed dispatch that we’d be responding non-emergent. Up stairs and inside the small two bedroom apartment, Samantha, our patient, was waiting on the couch, holding a hot compress to her swollen right eyelid. Mom worked calmly in the kitchen finishing diner for her other two children. Alan, Samantha’s father sat on the edge of his seat next to his daughter in a state of barely containable anxiety. He had recently arrived home from work and his wife had informed him of the apparent infection in Samantha’s right eye. One look and he was on the phone to us. Now he breathed rapidly as he fumbled throug... The EMT Spot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3868760 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:10:06 +0100 3868760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3764185&cid=t_108259_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F18%2Fare-you-spiritual-or-psychotic%2F In his bestselling book, “Strong at the Broken Places,” Richard Cohen profiles, among five persons living with chronic illness, mental health advocate Larry Fricks. He writes: Larry had been to hell and back and now his spirit soared. “Religion is for people who fear hell,” Larry told me. “Spirituality is for those who have been there.” Life to Larry is not about a church but belief in the human spirit. “Richard, that spirit is why I get up each day.” For him, doctors did not understand this dimension. “Psychiatry tried to beat it out of me, to convince me this was just a symptom of my disease, a psychiatric disorder” “And that was not the whole story?” “No. Even in sickness, I see a spiritual realm that to me is... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3764185 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:09:59 +0100 3764185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3505093&cid=t_108259_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FQm_a_6w1zxY%2F The Diabetes Online Community is awesome.  I love you all! but I am ready to shift focus. I went to my local ADA (American Diabetes Assoication) to talk about a few ideas, thoughts and concerns about the diabetes community as a whole.   What do you do offline to support/advocate for diabetes?  Be Blessed Cherise (Source: Diabetes Daily) Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3505093 Sun, 25 Apr 2010 22:22:18 +0100 3505093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460250&cid=t_108259_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2010%2F03%2F31%2Ficd-10-and-meaningful-use-lack-incentives-for-doctors%2F One of the really interesting conversations I had recently was with Tori Sullivan from Capgemini. Tori is knee deep in the fun that is ICD 10 and the transition to ICD 10. However, one thing that she said really struck a major chord with me during our discussion. She said… “ICD 10 and Meaningful Use Don’t Focus Enough Incentives for Doctors.” Basically, what’s the benefits for doctors to implement these regulations and changes? If you’ve ready me for any length of time, you probably have realized that I’m a doctor’s advocate. I strongly believe that some of the major reasons that EMR software hasn’t been adopted more widely is because far too many of the EMR software don’t put enough focus on the doctor. Like it or not, Doctors ar... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460250 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:13:54 +0100 3460250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3290901&cid=t_108259_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fgoodbye-to-our-behind-the-scenes-ms-advocate%2F Why is it, do you suppose ,that I had an easier time writing a farewell blog post to a fictional American president with MS than I am writing this goodbye? For nearly four years this blog has been quietly (to most of you at least) nudged along in its existence to the place of recognition we currently hold.  Through diligent behind the scenes efforts one cannot search for an MS blog and not have our Life with MS pop up “above the fold” on the first page of a search engine’s results page. New readers join us every day and partake (and sometimes participate) in our lively conversation, advice and experience because of her tireless work. It may seem that I have been at the helm of this ship but I’ve had a little (one might say “pixy-like”) voice on my shoulder, whispering things l... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3290901 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:21:15 +0100 3290901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096902&cid=t_108259_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F12%2F17%2Fdsm-v-suggestions-for-change%2F With the recent announcement (PDF) by the American Psychiatric Association of a one year delay for the latest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM, as it’s known), a new round of commentary and articles have appeared questioning the usefulness of the DSM. The DSM is used by clinicians in the mental health field to diagnose mental disorders according to the symptom lists contained in the book. The DSM is also used by researchers to ensure that when one researcher is talking about treatments for “major depression,” another researcher will use the same definition for “major depression.” I’m no defender of the DSM revision process, as previous blog entries have noted. But I’ve noticed that sometimes the criti... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096902 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:09:35 +0100 3096902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015298&cid=t_108259_101_f&fid=38969&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheemtspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2F21%2Fdont-be-a-jerk%2F I didn’t draw the graph at right. It was made by a woman named Jessica Hagy over at www.thisisindexed.com. Jessica is not in the medical profession. She draws her observations about the world on index cards and posts them online. She also has a long and growing list of blogging awards from around the world. Mostly due to her brilliantly irreverent style and her ability to make social observations that resonate with people. Like this one. It’s a sad but true observation. For some reason, it seems like many medical personnel have an interesting combination of helpfulness and jerkiness. Why do you suppose that is? I’ve thought a lot about that over the years. I think a friend of mine, Steve Brien put it best when he said, “Some of us still have a lot of us still in u... The EMT Spot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015298 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:28:03 +0100 3015298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2992681&cid=t_108259_101_f&fid=38969&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheemtspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2F14%2Fthe-ultimate-ems-protocol%2F I don’t handle the card much anymore. It stays inside a plastic sleeve in my planner. The edges are worn and the words are faded. It wasn’t printed on kind of paper that travels well in a wallet for twenty plus years. But it’s been worth carrying. It is, quite simply, the ultimate EMS protocol. I don’t read it often. I’ve read it enough times over the past two decades to have it pretty well memorized. It’s my STAR CARE card. I got it back when I was a paramedic student at Baystar Ambulance in San Mateo California. It was 1992. I always believed the original author was none-other-than EMS guru Mike Taigman. Mike had signed on to be the quality care guy at the fledgling service and I knew the cards had originated in his office. The idea was simple. We can&... The EMT Spot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2992681 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:00:08 +0100 2992681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2876380&cid=t_108259_158_f&fid=38949&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAgingWithGraceCareconnection%2F%7E3%2F0kJYyfcC8hk%2Fwar-stories-from-medical-billing.html by Sheri SamotinToday was a very interesting session at the Medical Billing Adovcates of America's (www.billingadvocates.com) annual workshop. We spent the day hearing interesting speakers from the Florida Attorney General's office talk about fraud and abuse as it applies to medical billing. We also spent time with an attorney who specializes in helping patients fight with their insurance plans and providers.There seems to be no end to the tactics that providers, especially hospitals, will go to in order to capture extra dollars from payors and patients. They will try to charge for the drapes and gowns in the operating room, even though they are already being paid for the use of the OR and are supposed to include (or "bundle") those items into the facility fee. Or, I'm sure you've heard th... Aging with Grace CareConnection blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2876380 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:31:00 +0100 2876380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2809776&cid=t_108259_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fa-reluctant-voice-for-multiple-sclerosis%2F I began a posting over three years ago by stating that I was not “the guy that gets phone calls like this on a regular basis”.  That phone call requested my voice at a press conference on the topic of stem cell research alongside two US Senators.  This morning,  I opened an international pharmaceutical company’s newest research facility (specializing in inflammatory diseases) here in Seattle. It is not easy for me to admit to you but, I guess that I have become “that guy”… None of us could have expected this lot in life: multiple sclerosis.  Not a single one of us knew what to do in the moments, days and weeks after diagnosis.  I doubt I’m alone in the sentiment I expressed in our interview blog that I would trade every lesson I’ve learned for health. Still, it’s not... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2809776 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:51:26 +0100 2809776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2788706&cid=t_108259_101_f&fid=38969&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheemtspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2F08%2Fseven-flawless-physical-restraint-tips%2F Physical restraint techniques and procedures are a subject of debate and controversy in EMS. Few agencies have taken the time and energy to research and develop a comprehensive restraint guideline for field providers to follow. When violent or aggressive patients show up (and they always do) EMT’s are left to fend for themselves. In these situations we take on a great deal of risk, both personal and legal, to bring the patient safely to the hospital. I’ve had my share of both good and bad take-downs. When things go well the call transitions smoothly from the street to the hospital. The patient stays protected, the prehospital personnel stay safe and everyone goes back in service happy. When things go badly people get hurt, patient care gets compromised and everyone ends up wri... The EMT Spot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2788706 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:32:01 +0100 2788706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2788707&cid=t_108259_101_f&fid=38969&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheemtspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2F05%2Fwritten-protocol-vs-common-sense%2F Steve Valdez only wanted to cash a check. In retrospect it seems so simple. The check was written to him from his wife’s account at Bank of America. He had two forms of ID, both with photos. The address on the drivers license was the same as the ID on the check (printed by Bank of America.) Bank of America thought differently. Here’s the rub. B of A has a written policy that states if you don’t have an account at their bank you need to leave a thumbprint. You’ve probably seen those by now. Either you dab your thumb in an ink blotter or you use the fancy thumb scanner. But Steve Valdez doesn’t have any arms. And based on his inability to make a mark with his non-existent thumb, B of A refused to cash the check. Clearly the bank representative thought that follo... The EMT Spot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2788707 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 12:00:27 +0100 2788707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2788711&cid=t_108259_101_f&fid=38969&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheemtspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2F27%2Fget-anyone-to-go-with-you-to-the-hospital%2F I’m going to share with you a very powerful technique to convince just about anyone to go with you to the hospital, and I’m going to ask a favor of you. Please only use this technique in the patient’s best interest. This isn’t a technique to drag out when your service pressures you to increase transports or you’re not in the mood to call in for a proper refusal. This is a technique for when you really honestly believe that the patient needs to go, but they refuse.    -Steve                  It’s an interesting contradiction in prehospital medicine. The people who don’t really need an ambulance insist on transport and the really sick folks refuse to go. Sometimes the people we could really help dig in their heals and just refuse ... The EMT Spot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2788711 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:20:40 +0100 2788711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2674454&cid=t_108259_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fa-word-from-christian-stokes-one-lucky-teen-with-diabetes.html Several years ago, the American Diabetes Association decided to create a new position called the National Youth Advocate, which would give one lucky teen the chance to meet with Senators and Representatives and travel to summer camps to inspire young kids to get involved in diabetes research and awareness. It’s similar to the JDRF Children’s [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2674454 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:00:55 +0100 2674454 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2613900&cid=t_108259_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F07%2F17%2Fthe-psychology-of-groups%2F Jeremy Dean over at PsyBlog has a series of articles about the psychology of groups which are the usual great collection of nuggets of insight into how groups work. Why should you care? Because you’re a part of groups throughout different areas in your life — at work, among your friends, even at home. While a lot of the information he discusses applies primarily to groups in a working, school or project environment, there’s still things you can glean from the discussion that can be applied to any group. Group psychology falls under the purview of social psychology, the study of how individuals within groups interact with one another. The first article, 10 Rules That Govern Groups, includes common rules taken from research findings on group interactions, such as: Groups... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2613900 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:01:03 +0100 2613900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2660805&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D1012 I’ve been a critical care nurse for 12 years. I rarely find out about the costs my patients incur as they get care in my unit, though occasionally I hear figures. One gentleman, who had open heart surgery to fix one of his heart valves had to come back 3 months later for a re-do. His wife told me that they had just received the bills that added up to almost $200,000. That was about 8 years ago. Not long ago I learned that the charge per day in intensive care units like mine was now $11,000. Not unrelated to that fact, just the other day, one of our patients who was a ’self pay’ (read ‘no insurance’) was quickly and quietly packed up and transferred to the county hospital for the remainder of her critical care stay which was going to be several days. ludlow&#82... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2660805 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:48:18 +0100 2660805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2660806&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D1009 It is spring in McAllen, Texas. The morning sun is warm. The streets are lined with palm trees and pickup trucks. McAllen is in Hidalgo County, which has the lowest household income in the country, but it’s a border town, and a thriving foreign-trade zone has kept the unemployment rate below ten per cent. McAllen calls itself the Square Dance Capital of the World. “Lonesome Dove” was set around here. McAllen has another distinction, too: it is one of the most expensive health-care markets in the country. Only Miami—which has much higher labor and living costs—spends more per person on health care. In 2006, Medicare spent fifteen thousand dollars per enrollee here, almost twice the national average. The income per capita is twelve thousand dollars. In other words, Medicare spends ... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2660806 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:49:35 +0100 2660806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2417102&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D1002 A message to all physicians from AMA President Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD. As our country hurtles toward health system reform, Medicine has been at the table during the discussions. The American Medical Association and the specialty and state society leaders have had access to and have been engaged with the White House and the key committees in Congress. We have been working closely with top Obama administration officials and key staff members of both parties. We have given our best advice, and we have taken the time and effort to carefully consider all views. In truth, we’re not just at the table; we’re helping set the stage for our nation’s future. But as Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, W.V.) said recently, “There’s too much happy talk. It’s time to start t... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2417102 Mon, 18 May 2009 14:29:08 +0100 2417102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414935&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D1001 Physicians can receive up to $44,000 over a five-year period for the use of HIT CHICAGO – As part of its continuing efforts to help physicians learn about and adopt new technology, the American Medical Association (AMA) today announced a new, free webinar series that will help physicians understand the health information technology (HIT) provisions laid out in the recently passed economic stimulus bill. The three-part series will lay out what these provisions mean for physicians and how they can take advantage of the $19 billion in funds allocated for the purchase and use of HIT. The first webinar is Thursday, May 21. “The stimulus bill marks the first significant federal investment in HIT and offers both financial benefits for physicians and the promise of national standards that w... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414935 Fri, 15 May 2009 15:51:04 +0100 2414935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405616&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D999 Last month, the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) testified before the legislature’s Joint Committee on Health Care Financing and urged adoption of major reforms in medical liability, saying that the current system to resolve medical liability claims doesn’t work for either patients or providers, takes too long, doesn’t appropriately compensate negligently injured patients in a timely manner and encourages the practice of costly defensive medicine. Alan Woodward, MD, vice chair of the MMS’ Committee on Professional Liability and a past president of the organization, recently testified in support of Senate Bill 561, “An Act to Establish an Adverse Event Disclosure and Compensation Grant Program for Hospitals.” The legislation would establish a program at the Betsy Lehman C... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405616 Wed, 13 May 2009 16:34:09 +0100 2405616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2404984&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FEuJubYHRiY4%2F Every ailment stems from improper aliment. – Frederick Kaufman, “Love Yourself Thin”, Harper’s Magazine, January 2000 With all the chatter on the social media airwaves (Twitter, the blogosphere) surrounding e-patient activity and patient advocacy, I’d like to focus for a moment on what it actually means to be a ‘patient advocate.’ It’s important to note first that I’m examining the issue wearing both personal and professional goggles. As a person with an ongoing ortho condition, I’ve acted as a self-advocate through repeated surgical procedures, rounds of physical therapy, and hospital stays over a 10 year stretch. Professionally, I’ve worked as a paid patient advocate in a small, acute-care community hospital setting. I now... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2404984 Mon, 11 May 2009 11:58:03 +0100 2404984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398913&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D998 The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), along with several other health organizations, filed an amici curiae (friends of the court) brief with the U.S. Supreme Court asking that it overturn a recent decision by the Georgia Supreme Court that would allow cases alleging injury from childhood vaccines to be decided by state juries, threatening the no-fault system enacted by Congress in the mid-1980s. Congress enacted the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation Act of 1986 to protect the small number of children injured by vaccines and to safeguard the nation’s vaccine supply. Leading up to passage of the legislation, vaccine-related lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers had spiked, and the rising litigation threatened to halt necessary production of life-saving vaccines. Accordin... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398913 Fri, 08 May 2009 16:52:21 +0100 2398913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2387043&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D996 Yesterday I visited the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and was taken inside the command center, where almost 100 staffers have been working around the clock to monitor and stem the current outbreak of flu. I first spoke to Toby Crafton, the manager of the command center, who oversees the day-to-day operations. He and his team have been preparing for a possible pandemic of flu or another infectious illness for years. I also spoke to Michael Shaw, PhD, who heads up the virology labs that are studying the H1N1 virus causing the current outbreak. He’s spent a career learning the laboratory techniques that are so urgently needed right now. The third person I spoke to was Dr. Richard Besser, Acting Director of the CDC, who has been working at the agency for 13 years and is an extensiv... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2387043 Mon, 04 May 2009 14:32:21 +0100 2387043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365224&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D992 The American Medical Association (AMA) recently launched a new online learning center to provide physicians with the information and tools they need to make informed decisions about electronic prescribing (ePrescribing). The learning center can be found at www.ama-assn.org/go/eprescribing. “The AMA’s new ePrescribing learning center takes the guess work out of the decision-making process by giving physicians all the tools they need to decide what system is best for their practice,” said Joseph M. Heyman, MD, AMA board chairman. “At the end of last year, about 13 percent of physicians were prescribing electronically, but with the incentives available through Medicare’s ePrescribing incentive program and this new AMA resource, I’m certain that percentage will increase.” ... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365224 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:02:44 +0100 2365224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365225&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D991 On June 23-24, at the Union League of Philadelphia, the American Conference Institute (ACI) will be hosting a Conference on Preventing, Managing and Defending Claims of Obstetric Malpractice. Arguably the most expensive medical malpractice cases to deal with given the economic consequences of compensating for a lifetime of medical care and economic loss as well as pain and suffering, perinatal brain injury cases carry a disproportionate share of total defense costs, indemnity payments and damages in physician liability lawsuits. Thus, it is key for professionals involved in obstetric care to have up-to-the-minute medico-legal information on obstetric malpractice lawsuits. The Conference on Preventing, Managing and Defending Claims of Obstetric Malpractice will feature a panel of legal an... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365225 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:37:27 +0100 2365225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353930&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D989 Ontario recently became the latest Canadian province to adopt an apology law that will allow people to say they’re sorry without fear of having it turned against them in court. Under the new rules, apologies can’t be used as an admission of fault or liability and won’t affect someone’s insurance coverage—a move critics warn may do victims more harm than good. Fewer people apologize because they’re afraid it could come back to haunt them if they are sued, Attorney General Chris Bentley said after the bill passed a third and final reading in the legislature. “This removes a legislative barrier to do what we all think is the right thing to do,” he said. “If you do harm, your natural instinct is to say, ‘I’m sorry.’” British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba hav... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353930 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:43:12 +0100 2353930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353932&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D987 Congressman Michael Burgess, MD, has reintroduced the Medical Justice Act (HR 1468) for this year’s legislative session, which was conceived to improve patient access to healthcare by diminishing unnecessary medical liability lawsuits. “Texas has led the nation in medical justice reform, and is now a model state for what successful tort reform looks like,” Congressman Burgess said. “Unfortunately, only a few states have followed suit, leaving too many Americans trapped in a system that is harmful to patients and doctors. We need national, across-the-board change in the tort reform system, and my bill would do just that. Runaway lawsuits are unnecessary and costly, and reforming medical liability must be a part of the national healthcare debate.” The Medical Justice Act would re... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353932 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:26:37 +0100 2353932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348892&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D986 The AMA has created an extensive online resource. By the close of 2008, only about 13% of physicians were prescribing electronically. The prescription pad and pen still rule in most offices. But doctors are getting a nudge to automate their prescribing process. Physicians who prescribe electronically for their Medicare patients will be eligible for incentive payments. This year’s bonus will be equal to 2% of all Medicare Part B pay for the year. Before the monetary incentives there was friendly persuasion. A 2006 Institute of Medicine report called on all prescribers to have an electronic prescribing system in place by 2010, saying such systems would help reduce medication errors. In November 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a guide for doctors who ... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348892 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:43:18 +0100 2348892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348893&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D985 CONCORD, N.H. (AP) The New Hampshire Medical Society says the state has no right to take a $110 million surplus from a state fund that underwrites malpractice insurance and use it for other purposes in the state budget. The society argues the money is from premiums paid by health care providers and belongs to them. About half the 900 policyholders are doctors. The rest are nurses, physicians’ assistants, home care providers, nursing homes, a hospital group and other medical providers. The state counters that the Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting Association in question was created in 1975 by the state to fill a gap in the availability of malpractice insurance and the policyholders got what they paid for: coverage against malpractice claims. Any surplus can rightfully be used t... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348893 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:38:18 +0100 2348893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348543&cid=t_108259_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2F16%2Fpostpartum-depression-advocacy%2F I’ve spent a good deal of the day writing advocacy for postpartum depression. I’ve been in communication with the wonderful and passionate Katherine Stone, author of the blog “Postpartum Progress” and postpartum depression advocate. It’s been a great way to learn and stand up for women with pregnancy-related depression disorders. The MOTHERS act is currently going through congress. It is a bill that supports research for the causes of postpartum depression as well as education and helping families with appropriate services. There is a great deal of controversy about this act. Those who support are hopeful it will provide better support and services for women who need it. Those who oppose fear that postpartum depression will be overdiagnosed, leading to a great... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348543 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:26:36 +0100 2348543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348895&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D983 By Dr. Ana Maria Lopez On behalf of the 2,043 members of the Arizona chapter of the American College of Physicians, I would like to congratulate the Arizona Daily Star for tackling one of the most pressing challenges facing our health-care system — the growing shortage of primary-care physicians. A survey of 1,200 fourth-year medical students published in the Sept. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that only 2 percent of graduating medical students plan to go into primary-care medicine. In a similar survey in 1990, the figure was 9 percent. In Arizona, we have only 4,719 primary-care physicians (36 percent of doctors in the state) to provide care for all Arizona residents. In the United States, there are 88.1 primary-care practitioners for every 100,000... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348895 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:03:21 +0100 2348895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232496&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D976 side note: This is exactly why we linked with MyMedicalMalpracticeInsurance.com. They have proven time and time again that they will save you money on your premiums. By Stephanie Desmon Baltimore Sun Legislators seek remedies before the situation gets even worse When his longtime physician retired, Southern Maryland lawmaker Thomas “Mac” Middleton faced a predicament: The senator needed a new doctor but couldn’t find one who was taking new patients. “I had to go through three different doctor groups before someone would take me,” he said. He ran right into the critical doctor shortage facing rural Maryland - to the west of Baltimore, to the south, on the Eastern Shore. There are not enough primary-care doctors setting up practice in these areas, leaving s... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232496 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:21:27 +0100 2232496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2232497&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D975 side note: At the end of the article, Tom Ockers, chief executive of Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center calls for the President to fund programs for preventive care and wellness. We at Doc Advocate also believe that there is a need to better educate physicians so they can help prevent frivolous lawsuits themselves. Check out Cunningham Group Insurance’s website to learn more about the book Healing Words on how a doctor can cut their number of claims by quite a huge amount. BY RIDGELY OCHS Newsday.com Local hospital administrators applauded President Barack Obama for putting health care front and center in his budget proposal. But they said they need to see more details and worry that, given the dire state of the economy, the changes could be hard to implement. “He&... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2232497 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:17:13 +0100 2232497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2216504&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D974 An on-line training module for GP’s and healthcare professionals to increase awareness of Parkinson’s disease, has attracted over 3,000 participants from as far away as New Zealand. Parkinsons’ Disease Society’s (PDS) 2007 membership survey showed that 50% of people with Parkinson’s believed there was a lack of understanding from GP’s and professionals about how to spot and treat the condition. As a result the PDS commissioned BMJ Learning to produce an on-line module to help users increase their knowledge and skills in how to care for patients, and how to increase knowledge and skills to assess and refer people with suspected Parkinson’s Disease. Daiga Heisters, PDS National Education Adviser, comments: “We were delighted with the res... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2216504 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:36:55 +0100 2216504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2210322&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D970 Remember the Seinfeld episode where word got around that Elaine was a difficult patient? That scenario might not be so far-fetched. For 30 years, studies consistently have found that doctors call one out of every five or six patient encounters “difficult.” The latest, in today’s Archives of Internal Medicine, found that primary-care doctors who felt they had a high number of “difficult” patient encounters were younger and more likely to be women. Researchers surveyed 449 general internists and family practitioners at 118 U.S. clinics, asking them to estimate how often they encountered patients with any of eight attributes ascribed to the most difficult. A patient insisting on an unnecessary drug was the most frequently cited challenge, cited by more than a ... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2210322 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:46:32 +0100 2210322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2210323&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D969 Dr. Adrian Strand is something of a rarity. Strand, 33, is a primary care physician in a country where such doctors are in short supply, and she practices in Santa Cruz County, where the challenge of recruiting frontline doctors is making it difficult for Medicare patients to access care. But Strand works for Salud Para La Gente, a safety net clinic that is able to take advantage of a federal financial aid program aimed at encouraging primary care doctors to work in under-served communities. As the county’s private practices struggle to recruit young doctors who can earn more and live more cheaply elsewhere, Salud has hired Strand and six other doctors through the federal National Health Service Corps program in the past two years. Some medical professionals think the federal pro... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2210323 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:10:34 +0100 2210323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2200455&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D964 President Obama on Tuesday in Denver signed into law a $787 billion economic stimulus package that includes a number of health care provisions, the New York Times reports (Stolberg/Nagourney, New York Times, 2/18). During a speech in which he discussed the benefits of the stimulus package, Obama said, “We have done more in 30 days to advance the cause of health care reform than this country has done in an entire decade” (Fletcher, Washington Post, 2/18). He added that the stimulus package provides “the biggest increase in basic research funding” for NIH, with an additional $10 billion for biomedical research and facility construction (Hall/Jackson, USA Today, 2/18). White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs also said that Obama might consider a second stimulus pac... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2200455 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:01:54 +0100 2200455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194838&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D963 To better accommodate physicians’ needs in the fast-changing world of health-care news, the American Medical Association’s (AMA) physician-focused newspaper, American Medical News, is expanding its online presence and capabilities. The print version of American Medical News is moving to a twice-a-month publishing schedule and will continue to provide in-depth coverage and practical advice for physician readers. The full content of the print edition will continue to be presented on www.amednews.com, which will also present fresh reporting and features every weekday throughout the year. “American Medical News’ convenient and easily accessible online news and resources can better help physicians with their day-to-day needs,” said AMA Board Chair Joseph M. Heyman, M.D. “The Web si... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194838 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:35:24 +0100 2194838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194839&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D962 This study gives us a better sense about the general success of paperless systems in a diverse set of community, academic and safety-net hospitals. We were also able to examine the many components contained in a hospital information system.” Results showed that with computerized automation of notes and records, hospitals whose technologies ranked in the top third were associated with a 15-percent decrease in the odds that a patient would die while hospitalized. “If these results were to hold for all hospitals in the United States, computerizing notes and records might have the potential to save 100,000 lives annually,” Powe said. Similarly, the highest scores for electronic “order entry” systems were linked to a 9-percent and 55-percent decrease in the odds of death from heart... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194839 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:54:33 +0100 2194839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194840&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D961 Today’s medical professional liability insurance (MPLI) industry is facing challenges from volatile economic conditions—free fall in the stock market, the credit freeze, the subprime crisis and the current recession—coupled with competitive pressures from the ongoing soft market. To discuss this new era in insurance and medicine—as well as help insurance professionals understand and prepare for turbulent conditions ahead—the Physician Insurers Association of America will be hosting its 32nd Annual Meeting, aptly titled On the Horizon: Solutions for an Evolving Market, which will convene the world’s leading MPLI industry specialists and influential healthcare leaders. The 2009 PIAA Annual Meeting will be held May 13-16 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on Hawaii’s Big Island. T... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194840 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:48:36 +0100 2194840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194841&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D960 To help reduce the incidence of medical malpractice lawsuits and foster better communication between physicians and their patients, Administrators for the Professions, Inc. has authored a new book that provides physicians with effective strategies and advice to help address the sources of many malpractice suits. The new book, Practicing Medicine in Difficult Times: Protecting Physicians from Malpractice Litigation includes a number of case studies and real-world examples to help physicians develop a more thorough understanding of the current medical litigation landscape and to positively impact their relationships with patients. Expert commentary is provided by experienced physicians and medical malpractice attorneys, who suggest ways to minimize physicians’ susceptibility to lawsui... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194841 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:36:28 +0100 2194841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190521&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D959 This study appears in the February issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. (Source: Doc Advocate) Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190521 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:02:12 +0100 2190521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190522&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D958 With the inauguration of a new president and the 111th Congress, the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) recently published its Healthcare Reform Principles, the multispecialty organization’s priorities for systemic changes to improve the quality of healthcare for American patients. Tort reform is a central component of the organization’s mission. “No discussion of changing the delivery system is complete without discussing professional liability and related tort reforms,” reads the AMGA’s Healthcare reform Principles. “The high costs of professional liability insurance coverage, more commonly known as medical malpractice insurance, continue to be an unabated problem. Medical malpractice insurance costs have skyrocketed due to oftentimes frivolous lawsuits and excessive ... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190522 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:56:06 +0100 2190522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2190523&cid=t_108259_114_f&fid=34901&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdocadvocate.com%2F%3Fp%3D957 An advocacy group for Massachusetts doctors said it will offer a bill in the state legislature to eliminate the expanded liability of physicians which was created by two recent court decisions. The Massachusetts Medical Society said the legislation would eliminate the liability of doctors beyond the physician-patient relationship and establish that physicians cannot be held liable for the loss of chance of a better outcome, but only for their negligence that actually causes the death of a patient who has a better than 50-percent chance of survival. The bill was prompted by two court cases: the December 2007 decision in Coombes v. Florio, which allows claims against physicians by non-patients, and by the July 2008 decision in Matsuyama v. Birnbaum, which held that doctors can be held liab... Doc Advocate blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2190523 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:53:17 +0100 2190523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2116550&cid=t_108259_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2FOkRc9OoX684%2F I ran into an new piece on a man who is disabled to a wheelchair who goes around to businesses and and documents violations of the American’s With Disabilities Act (ADA) and then sues them - making over $100,000 USD a year! Embedded video from CNN Video According to CNN.com Tom Mundy has been doing this as [...] This is an excerpt from an article on AspieWeb.net, A blog writen by an Autistic Blogger. (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2116550 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:57:11 +0100 2116550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2104748&cid=t_108259_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F5_hgQRUM_4E%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(420,280,502227,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() I’ve often said that getting diabetes as a young child has to be the most difficult thing. I got diabetes when I was in my early 20s, and it’s been a challenge enough! So I have a soft spot for all those children that deal with diabetes. How can you not? That’s why I like the fact that the American Diabetes Association (ADA) always chooses a child each year to be the “national youth advocate.” It’s one thing to hear people talk about the challenges of diabetes, it’s only to see a young child talk about all they go through. This year the ADA has chosen “Chris Stokes, 17, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, to b... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2104748 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 03:57:22 +0100 2104748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1975582&cid=t_108259_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2FY8ediy2Jlc8%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(420,638,272927,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() If you or a friend has diabetes, one of the best ways you can help in the cause for a cure is to become an advocate. There are numerous ways to get involved, whether it be with informing others about the disease, contacting lawmakers, or just spreading the word about the realities of living with this chronic illness. Here are some ways to get started as a diabetes activist. ~more Tags: ada, chronic illness, congress, contact legislatures, cure for diabetes, diabetes advocate, funding, get involve, inform people about diabetes, lawmakers, living with diabetes, spread the wordShare This (Source: Diabetes Notes) Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1975582 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:00:04 +0100 1975582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1961082&cid=t_108259_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2FPHCvCTPfP4I%2F var iamInit = function() {try{initIamServingHandler(420,281,261329,"http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Css/css2.css")}catch(ex){}}() Wouldn’t we love to kiss diabetes goodbye? Boy, I would. I could kiss the cost, the stress, the misunderstanding, the pain, the body changes, the isolation, and the restrictions goodbye in an instant! I wouldn’t hesitate. The great thing about being alive today is that we don’t just have to sit around and wait for something to happen. We can make it happen. For the last several years, we have rec’d nothing but lip service from the current administration in regards to diabetes care. Diabetes continues to grow. And isn’t it sad, since for the last several years people keep saying we are close to a cure. Quite simply, we ... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1961082 Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:08:07 +0100 1961082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1905903&cid=t_108259_109_f&fid=35044&url=http%3A%2F%2Fadultaddstrengths.com%2F2008%2F10%2F24%2Fstudy-33-of-alcoholics-had-adhd-65-of-drug-users-had-adhd%2F CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal that habit-forming illnesses can be associated with a high comorbidity with ADHD, expressed in the form of alcohol abuse and also in consumption of illegal drugs. The results underline the great importance of early and adequate diagnostics and therapy of ADHD for the prevention of habit-forming illnesses. While adults with ADHD are only 5% of the population, ADDers are dramatically over represented in people who are addicted to alcohol and drugs, the SMALLEST numbers I’ve seen on ADHD and addiction are 20-25% in peer reviewed clinical journals in Pub Med, (a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine indexing articles from MEDLINE and other life science journals for biomedical articles) and I’ve frequently seem much larger ones. If adults... Adult ADD Strengths blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1905903 Sat, 25 Oct 2008 07:34:53 +0100 1905903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1775747&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2FK4RvtoBBdO8%2F Pediatrician, attachment parenting expert, and breastfeeding advocate Dr. Jim Sears kicks off a new television show “The Doctors” today on CBS (check local listings for time). A spin-off of the “Dr. Phil” show, “The Doctors” features four physicians: a pediatrician, an OB/GYN, a plastic surgeon, and an ER physician. It’s a one-hour daytime talk show taped in front of a live studio audience five days a week. To see a preview, get more information, submit a question for the doctors, or find out how to be in the audience, visit “The Doctors” website. Share This (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1775747 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:33:29 +0100 1775747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1544606&cid=t_108259_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fwhy-is-autism-speaks-so-bad%2F I’ve received a lot of inquiries as of late about why I and other people dislike Autism Speaks, and I think its important that people understand why I think Autism Speaks does not in fact support Autistic People, read more for some examples Please not that the following is my personal opinion, and does not express [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1544606 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:49:14 +0100 1544606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1510066&cid=t_108259_118_f&fid=36984&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthManagementRx%2F%7E3%2F308898029%2Fhospitals-want-guitar-hero-healthcare.html "Hospitals want involved patients" - from the Chicago Tribune.Good piece, but a bit outdated. The Joint Commission's Speak Up! Program has been around for a few years (at least since I used it as a Patient Advocate 'rounding' in 2003-2004), but you rarely see a specific staff person within the acute care setting responsible for implementing the program. Our hospital, however, had a team of 5 Patient Advocates rounding on inpatient floors discussing the Speak Up! Program with patients and families.What, we found, however, upon administering the program is indicative of the healthcare system's larger 'chronic' issues....The process looked a bit like this:1. PA enters the room, cheerily confirms identity with double checks (name, armband) - after asking if we can chat about the program and if... Health Management Rx blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1510066 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:13:00 +0100 1510066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1538752&cid=t_108259_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fabuse-and-autism-advocacy%2F More and more Autistic people keep complaining about how organizations describe Autism as “a disaster” or an epidemic.  Well one parent decided to write an email to one of these organizations - and she got a horrific response which you can read. (CONTAINS STRONG LANAGUAGE) The Orriginal Email: (March 28th) To: jonathan.howard@runthedream.ca, Subject: You run & reasons Cc:bill.robertson@runthedream.ca,alex.bittner@runthedream.ca,alison.pickard@runthedream.ca, becky.doyle@runthedream.ca,bryan.howard@runthedream.ca,carly.murdock@runthedream.ca, kevin.cassan@runthedream.ca,kevin.fraser@runthedream.ca,lauren.canzius@runthedream.ca, mike.mccarther@runthedream.ca,scott.rogers@runthedream.ca,warren.howard@runthedream.ca Sir, Words like these [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1538752 Sun, 18 May 2008 19:14:17 +0100 1538752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1344719&cid=t_108259_158_f&fid=36160&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.popeinstitute.com%2Fcaregivingminutes%2F%3Fp%3D52 www.popeinstitute.com When speaking to families about my being an elder care specialist and aging in place consultant, they always marvel at the availability of such a resource and thank me for my commitment to advocating for seniors and their families. Families I work with are always grateful to know that I am there to help them find solutions and manage the challenges that come with caring for a sick, disabled, or elderly loved one. I wish I could tell you that Pope Institute is the only elder care company around. I wish I could tell you I work with millions of families each year (imagine the improvements in quality of care if that were the case). I wish I could tell you that your family is the exception and you will never need an impartial elder care specialist to help you mana... CaregivingMinutes™ by Pope Institute blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1344719 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:08:32 +0100 1344719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1251201&cid=t_108259_158_f&fid=36160&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.popeinstitute.com%2Fcaregivingminutes%2F%3Fp%3D27 Recently, I had the pleasure of getting to know Rob Liebreich of seniorDecision.com. SeniorDecision.com is an online consumer rating instrument for senior housing. If you’ve had an experience with senior housing the website allows you to post a rating of the facility you used. As you know, I am a committed elder care advocate and welcome resources that allow seniors and caregivers to raise an informed voice. To add your voice, visit their website by clicking on their logo below. Senior housing options can be complex and expensive. The options range from senior apartments, supported living facilities, and senior care centers. The transition from living in a free standing home to living in a facility can be difficult for seniors and their caregivers. The goal, as always, is to make th... CaregivingMinutes™ by Pope Institute blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1251201 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:38:31 +0100 1251201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1118241&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fmy-sky_26.html so here it is, the sky i held as my own today. i must say that after all of that angst i felt quite good all day. even dealing with the paperwork stuff, it was annoying, but i feel good about things. it really takes a lot of work to hit the pavement and bounce back many times. and i'm not done yet, but what the hell, i'm still standing. slapped a facial on this morning, dyed my hair and saw this sky at the end of the paperwork disaster, and then you know, it's like life tuned in even more. also, when i thought i was failing the eye exam test at the drivers license place i thought, thank God, i passed it, because i really couldn't see the letters that great. then the guy says i don't exist in the system, you expire in 45 days now step to the line and don't blink for the photo! i expire in 4... soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1118241 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 02:05:00 +0100 1118241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1048579&cid=t_108259_158_f&fid=36018&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaregiversbeacon.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fjacqueline-marcells-book-elder-rage-or.html At the website for "ElderRage - Or, Take My Father Please!" eldercare expert Jacqueline Marcell tells about the times she had to intervene when her father, who was mostly blind, and had bad hearing and memory loss, hid the car keys so he could take the car out later. He insisted he did not know where the keys were. After Jacqueline heard a clanking when he walked she found the car keys masking taped to his leg.Another story titled, "Midsummer's Nightmare at the Alamo" tells of the time her father came in to wake her and tell her there were two guys in the house, one wearing a coon-skin cap like Davy Crockett, and another who looked like someone from the FBI. He pointed at Jacqueline's mom and said, "There's one of them now." But when they got closer to get a better look he said, "Oh, that'... The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1048579 Sat, 24 Nov 2007 23:49:00 +0100 1048579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1014907&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=34816&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHonestMedicine%2F%7E3%2F181875833%2Ftimothy-mark-fi.html Many visitors to this site know that it is dedicated to my husband Tim Fisher, who died exactly two years ago today, as a result of complications from a brain tumor, which was first diagnosed in 1990, when Tim was just 40. Had he lived, he would have been 59 this coming March. As I wrote in my article that was published by the National Brain Tumor Foundation, during the 15 years Tim lived as a brain tumor survivor, he was subjected to all varieties of treatments our medical system had to offer -- both good and terrible -- from his one lifesaving surgery to remove the original tumor in 1990, to a succession of subsequent, almost-20 surgeries to correct all sorts of complications that ensued. The complications included non-healing suture lines and hydrocephalus. In addition, he suffered mor... HONEST MEDICINE: My Dream for the Future blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1014907 Thu, 08 Nov 2007 22:58:47 +0100 1014907 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=817674&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fbagel-dog.html (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=817674 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 04:21:00 +0100 817674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=811320&cid=t_108259_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F146173139%2F That sounds very negative, doesn’t it? But consider that a patient-advocate consultant, who was hired by a conference organizer to arrange a patient-focus group for a pharma marketing event in Phildelphia next month, says nearly all of the people who were approached to participate have nothing nice to say about the pharmaceutical industry. The focus group, which will be held live at the conference, is supposed to have three real patients, who will help industry attendees “reach, engage, educate, and retain patients. Patients across three therapeutic areas gather to share their stories from diagnosis, to research of the disease, to how they communicated with their physician and ultimately chose their treatment.” But Trisha Torrey, a marketing consultant who also bills hers... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=811320 Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:39:36 +0100 811320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=802234&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F16%2Fdiabetes-trending-like-a-shrimping-net%2F Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Drugs, Research, Daily News, Allie Beatty, Support, PersonalitiesI'm having a blonde moment. The headline reads: cases of undiagnosed diabetes drop sharply. As if this is good news. The article continues - the number of men in the United States with undiagnosed diabetes has declined sharply over the past 25 years. Like I said, I'm blonde. Maybe somebody can help me correlate this to good news for us diabetics. I have a larger than life question mark looming over my head. A recent news story alluded to the fact that the death toll for women over the last 30 years shows little to no improvement over diabetic men. I think I get it now. The net continues to harvest whole, healthy bodies. Shrimp caught in nets are complete animals. Only once they are dumped on... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=802234 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 802234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=767635&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fbrain-harvesting-torreytac-and-stanley.html Brain Harvesting Lawsuits:Torrey-Stanley Foundation-Seattle2005 article of interest:"Virginia Hendricks can't help but feel betrayed. Just a few days after her son Jim died unexpectedly, the King County Medical Examiner's office called, asking to take a sample of her son's brain. Instead, without permission, the county sent Jim's entire brain, plus his mental health and medical history files to the Stanley Medical Institute in Bethesda Maryland.""The sister of a homeless, mentally ill man named Bradley Gierlich is suing King County as well. In a lawsuit filed late Friday, the family claims nobody ever gave permission to harvest organs. Bradley Gierlich's brain was sent to Stanley medical by King County anyway.""The suit accuses King County and Stanley Medical of outrage, negligence, violat... soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=767635 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 22:14:00 +0100 767635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=728502&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35448&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseemedlikeagoodideathetime.com%2F2007%2F07%2F11%2Fwhat-was-she-thinking-or-oh-no-you-didnt%2F Do you know someone with an Eating Disorder? And I don’t just mean someone who UNDEReats! I mean someone who eats and eats and eats, also! That’s an eating disorder also… Or maybe you know someone who throws up (purges) after they eat? Would you give someone who you KNOW throws away EVERY diamond you give them, a DIAMOND every time you see them? Of course not, they obviously don’t want it, right? Then WHY on earth would you give someone with an eating disorder… FOOD? Why would you give them say…. brownies, or fudge when you KNOW they’re going to be driven to purge then? I mean it… Purging is NOT something that a purging anorexic does because they LIKE to… it’s something done in shame, and in pain… It’s something that i... bipolar chicks blogging blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=728502 Thu, 12 Jul 2007 03:34:23 +0100 728502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=721314&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F09%2Flilly-for-life-awards%2F Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Lifestyle, Drugs, Opinion, SupportEli Lilly has an award they give to people who have been diabetic for 25, 50 and 75 years. They call it the Lilly for Life Award. The award recognizes people who have been enslaved to the exorbitant expenses of diabetes management, in addition to the other schedules of daily life. Endearing isn't it? The award is a significant token of Lilly's appreciation for all you have endured and sacrificed. Lilly awards people who have used insulin for 25 years with the monetary equivalent of what your diabetes management has cost. All your copays for each bottle of insulin, each box of syringes, each blood sugar testing strip, and your ability to adapt to the ever-changing technology of diabetes care (I swear, it says that in block le... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=721314 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 721314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=719399&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F07%2Fdoes-this-look-swollen%2F Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Diet, Lifestyle, Exercise, SupportWhat is the purpose of body fat? We all have it, some of us a little more than others. As we grow older, some of our diets fall out of balance with our energy needs causing our white fat cells to become swollen. White fat cells secrete leptin, adiponectin and resistin. Leptin and adiponectin work together in suppressing appetite. Resistin is the newest discovered - and has been found to participate in the inflammatory response and resistence to insulin. It also triggers an immune response to irritation, so it may be the fat cells attempt to shut your piehole because we're not gonna take it. As the white fat cells take on excessive calories they begin swelling, resulting in an inflammatory response. Inflammation, by defin... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=719399 Sat, 07 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 719399 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=697004&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Famr-loses-contract-with-county.html AMR lost its contract in the [King]county, WA. *update 6/07: New transportation crew person told me that :"AMR lost its contract with the county for not restraining mental health patients, and one ran away onto the freeway as a result, we are the new transportation [company]and we do 4 and 5 point restraints with bed pans and spit nets".[for those who spit]. My daughter had the 4 point, bed pan, spit shield. She's just a kid in a grown up age. Thankfully the ambulance crews always tell me the truth. They told me this after I asked that she be offered to use the bathroom, and after the Judge inside the courtroom ordered the crew to release her hand per the Judge's observation that it was turning red and swollen in appearance. Nice way to treat innocent people who deserve to be treated with ... soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=697004 Tue, 26 Jun 2007 04:58:00 +0100 697004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=676732&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Ftac-this-on-your-calendar-haldol.html Drug implant offers hope, spurs worry-2003"Researchers said yesterday that they are prepared to seek FDA approval of a surgically implanted tablet that could deliver daily doses of psychiatric medication for as long as a year.""This is very doable technology," said Siegel, director of the Stanley Center for Experimental Therapeutics in Psychiatry. "It's not the science that is limiting. If there really is interest, then I think drug companies and other groups" would be happy to move forward with implants."The disk, which could also contain antidepressants or other medications, gradually disappears over the course of a year, slowly releasing the drug as it dissolves.But Jonathon Stanley, a lawyer and activist whose parents founded the Stanley Foundation after he became severely psychotic as... soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=676732 Mon, 11 Jun 2007 23:29:00 +0100 676732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=645395&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fcauses-of-mental-illness-trauma.html Not a cause of mental illness, but I certainly believe it can prevent recovery and quality of life. Each time my daughter was transferred to new hospitals, I always believed she was setback. Her psychosis flared, and the environments re-traumatized her.This happening for a year caught in a legal mental health system, in my opinion, created her traumatic stress disorder and what appears to be a sort of permanent trauma-induced psychosis, per the inpatient hospital stays at violent and loud county and state hospitals.She changed forever, and stopped talking when Children's discharged her ON her 18 th birthday to the county, and then after I negotiated an exception to take her back to Childrens--they shipped her to Western.Witnessing violence in 4 hospitals for a year.This did not cause her m... soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=645395 Mon, 28 May 2007 05:35:00 +0100 645395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=620657&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Frambles-of-heart.html in the tearing wind, I am freeExtended treatment with typical and atypical antipsychotic drugsAMR/#/Loading dock/Western/Daffodils/Zyprexa/SeroquelVillage of AngelsZyprexa withdrawals; summer of 2005, "I think it's gonna rain"Mindfulness in crisis, bad things happen to good peopleinspired by a garden of hopegardens, solace and peace (Source: soulful sepulcher) soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=620657 Sun, 13 May 2007 18:12:00 +0100 620657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=620650&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fnami-and-new-advocate-culture.html NAMI-Seattle-TorreyTaking a look at the NAMI Seattle website, I came across the year in review[2006] in the newsletter. Click on Jan/Feb 2007, it's in PDF format.Here's a bit from the newsletter, "Spotlight":"Community Education"--NAMI Seattle:We held 2 comprehensive seminars educating nearly 200 people. The first events were with Dr.E. Fuller Torrey Of the Treatment and Advocacy Center [TAC];a sit down dinner [$50.00 a person held the night before the public lecture, at Eleanor Owen's home]hosted by Eleanor Owen[NAMI] and Gerry Tarutis[Gerald Tarutis is Treasurer, on the Board of Directors of TAC [Fuller Torrey is President] followed by and outstanding[the next day]seminar on the latest research on Schizophrenia at Northwest Hospital.[$10.00 entry fee]"The problem I have with this communi... soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=620650 Sun, 13 May 2007 16:55:00 +0100 620650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=620660&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Feverything-part-2.html Due to my number one popular search request; I am posting the entire lyric sheet of:"Everything" by Buckcherry.Bipolar chicks do: [per search results]1.have a look on her face2.way beneath the sheets have meltdowns3.under the sheets i think shes having a meltdown4.buried way beneath the sheets5.under the sheets i think shes having a meltdown6.somewhere way beneath the sheets i think shes having a meltdown7.the look on her face, a waste of time she wont let go~Hi. Yes, according to Google searches, people want to know the real dirt about bipolar women. How to have a relationship with one, how to break up with one, and most of all---how we have meltdowns beneath sheets.I can think of a lot of reasons to be "way beneath the sheets".Cheers. ~Buried way beneath the sheetsI think she's having a ... soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=620660 Sat, 12 May 2007 02:42:00 +0100 620660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=620662&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Froad-to-friends-house-is-never-long.html "The surgeon is optimistic that after a year she may be walking naturally (well not quite, but not like the crippled walk she has now).She will have to learn how to walk again.She has been outfitted with a special wheelchair, will return to school on Monday with a full time aide to take her class to class. She really wants to go back to school! I suppose she will be on pain medication, but that's ok she won't be driving! She has straight A's and is getting a special award form the [high school] School District on [date]!"[ The teenager who will return to school in a wheelchair, is Lindsay's cousin. Same age. Lindsay has been in a mental health/physical health crisis since 1999, and during her hospitalization, never heard from her Grandmother. The cousin was hit by a car when she was jaywal... soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=620662 Sat, 12 May 2007 00:00:00 +0100 620662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=620661&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fsubliminal-subdivision-of-bipolar.html Subthreshold bipolar disorder.I think we are standing on the threshold of hell. Or, quite possibly all able to jump on the bipolar disorder diagnosis train, and quite possibly have a claim to fame, after all, anything we do from now on, whether it's creative writing, painting, sewing, just being eccentric in floral bathrobes walking to the mailbox could be written off as SBD.We can all be added to the famous people list of "who has bipolar and became famous and functional".Personally, I will be known as that about town community activist who snuffed out burn piles and got on the news for it--"Hey she was SBD?" we knew it! I can hear it now. "That lady who got the C-Curb placed on a dangerous road was SBD?" I knew it! "That mother who wrote the Governor when her daughter was in danger of ra... soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=620661 Fri, 11 May 2007 22:43:00 +0100 620661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=620659&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fbipolarity-rainbow-spectrums.html Recent information:Just How Bipolar Is America, And Treatment Notes, Furious Seasons, Philip Dawdy.Lifetime and 12-Month Prevalence of Bipolar Spectrum Disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey ReplicationThis features Hagop S. Akiskal, MD; who was quoted in the magazine article I linked Here,Bipolarity and narcissistic personalities; rainbow spectrums, Lithium or wonder drugs?Now,check out this expert patient's thoughts regarding the bipolar spectrum and medication treatment. I think it is a real testimony to finding "what works" for a person, how to manage bipolar with few to no medications. After 18 years of experience, I think we should all pay attention.When anyone is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I am positive of one thing: we want relief of symptoms, and stability. It goes beyo... soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=620659 Wed, 09 May 2007 00:50:00 +0100 620659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=598227&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fnami-seattle-ive-never-heard-of.html I will add more notes later, but just wanted to say thanks Frank. He told me to call Philip Dawdy; "I already did." [When my daughter was going to be transferred on her 18th birthday morning from Children's to County due to age.][and from Children's to Western]. [Frank,NAMI had nothing to tell me as far as "help"; except "Call the media."--the rest is history.Frank wanted me to speak at NAMI advocacy groups. Because of my success to get my daughter from one bad facility to another--still want me to run the advocate group Frank?I'm not as bad ass in person as I sound in type.I get things done.*digging through my notes now* I'm the one who took notes on June 27, 2006 when Torrey gave his lecture in Seattle; and NAMI was dismayed that there was not a video to replay later; when I called and a... soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=598227 Tue, 08 May 2007 01:48:00 +0100 598227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=598228&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fnew-advocate-culture.html The Nexus Between Mental Illness and Violence"A common question posed to mental health researchers is whether people with mental illnesses are more violent than those in the general population. For years, the clarion call from advocacy groups was that the answer to this question was a flat "no". However, recent research is beginning to challenge that rather dogmatic view, and in so doing, has enveloped into a controversy."--Steve EricksonTAC Gets WhackedViolence and Mental Illness: Simplifying Complex Data Relationships.."indicative of the advocacy culture that has gone too far.."--Steve Erickson.."Dr. Swanson and colleagues present data demonstrating that during a 6 month period, the rate of violence among participants in the CATIE.."Do Antipsychotic Drugs Control People?[Six months? are ... soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=598228 Tue, 08 May 2007 01:30:00 +0100 598228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=553974&cid=t_108259_140_f&fid=35439&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarsoupkitchen-stephany.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fday-in-life-mineas-advocate.html 9:15 am > 4:00pmLife has been full swing ahead with neuro doc, psych doc, and blood draw appointments. Time has no boundary when things need to be done. No matter what, the sun still rises and sets, and as an advocate and voice for my daughter, at a time when she cannot speak--a person (me)learns to go with the flow, and switch from task at hand to another, and another quickly.As I talked in length to the pharmacy team that has known Lindsay all of these years, they were speechless, as I described Western State Hospital, and how Lindsay was weeks away from being sent there last summer, but instead was discharged to a group home. This feels like dodging an oncoming train in my mind.I walked outside, and the rain was coming down hard. Someone honked and waved at me, and it was an old friend.... soulful sepulcher blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=553974 Thu, 19 Apr 2007 02:42:00 +0100 553974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=516396&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F04%2F02%2Fthought-for-the-day-im-too-young-for-this%2F Filed under: All Cancers, Young Adult Cancers, Blogs, Services, Cancer Survivors, Thought for the DayThere's this guy. His name is Matthew Zachary. He's a cancer survivor, a motivational speaker, a concert pianist, and the founder of a resource portal for young adults surviving cancer.Steps for Living, Inc. -- also known as I'm too young for this -- was created by Zachary because he wants us all to know there are awesome cancer support services out there for adolescents and young adults. He means really awesome opportunities -- like spa retreats, online forums and blogs, social networking, camping excursions, fertility education, peer counseling, financial scholarships, and more.You may be too young for cancer, but you are not alone, says Zachary whose mantra is Get Busy Living. And this i... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=516396 Mon, 02 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 516396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=509312&cid=t_108259_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F03%2F29%2Fas-illiteracy-stacks-up-patients-suffer%2F Filed under: All Cancers, Research, Environment, Daily newsIn 2003, 29 percent of the American population had only basic prose literacy skills and 14 percent had below-basic skills. Prose literacy measures the skills needed to understand texts such as new stories, brochures, and instruction manuals. People with basic skills can perform simple, everyday literacy activities. Those with below-basic skills are proficient in only the most simple and concrete literacy.How is it that these individuals, when they are diagnosed with a disease such as cancer, are able to understand the medical jargon thrown their way, the literature that piles up in front them, the complicated process we call the medical system?They aren't. And this leads to increased chances that people will be hurt, even killed, i... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=509312 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 509312