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 'american'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:53:27 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182218&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F09%2F01%2Fu-s-president-barack-obama-proclaims-september-2011-as-national-ovarian-cancer-awareness-month-what-should-you-know%2F Today, U.S. President Barack Obama designated September 2010 as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. During National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Libby’s H*O*P*E*™ will honor the women who have lost their lives to the disease, support those who are currently battling the disease, and celebrate with those who have beaten the disease.  Today, U.S. President Barack [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182218 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 23:03:15 +0100 5182218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181805&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fback-to-school-tip-your-child-may-need-a-comprehensive-eye-exam%2F2011.08.31 Dori Carlson, O.D. In a recent interview with the president of the American Optometric Association (AOA), Dr. Dori Carlson, I learned the surprising statistic that about 1 in 4 school age children have an undetected or undiagnosed vision problem. School vision screenings, while helpful, still miss more than 75% of these problems. And for those kids who are discovered to have a vision problem during a school screening, upwards of 40% receive no follow up after the diagnosis. Clearly, we need to do better at diagnosing and treating childhood visual deficits. My full conversation with Dr. Carlson can be listened to below: Dr. Carlson told me that the solution involves (more…) (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181805 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:00:24 +0100 5181805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169545&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-physicians-have-a-role-in-controlling-healthcare-costs%2F2011.08.27 The Role of Physicians in Controlling Medical Care Costs and Reducing Waste by the RAND Corporation and David Geffen, University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, Santa Monica was just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).  I do not think the JAMA should have published this article. 1.Why would the JAMA publish such an article? 2. Why are physicians blamed for all the waste in the system? 3. Why is it the physicians’ responsibility to eliminate waste when they are not the cause of the greatest percentage of the waste? “The amount of money spent on medical care is increasing faster than the gross domestic product (GDP), and the federal deficit is increasing.” The initial statement assumes that the government deficit is increasing because phy... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169545 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 21:05:19 +0100 5169545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169546&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fresearch-shows-decrease-in-time-from-hospital-arrival-to-heart-attack-treatment%2F2011.08.27 Heart attack patients are now being treated on average 32 minutes faster than they were five years ago, and medical societies are touting it as evidence of the success of national campaigns to treat heart attacks more quickly. The study, “Improvements in Door-to-Balloon Time in the United States: 2005-2010,” found that the average time from hospital arrival to treatment declined from 96 minutes in 2005 to just 64 minutes in 2010. In addition, more than 90% of heart attack patients who required emergency angioplasty in 2010 received treatment within the recommended 90 minutes, up from 44% in 2005. Also, the study reported that (more…) *This blog post was originally published at ACP Hospitalist* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169546 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:15:00 +0100 5169546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169574&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F26%2Fpresidents-as-patients-an-interview-with-dr-connie-mariano%2F Eleanor Concepcion “Connie” Mariano has quite an impressive resume — even for a doctor. Not only was Dr. Mariano — or, Dr. Connie, as she’s more intimately known by a few — the first Filipino-American to become a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, but she was also the first American woman to be appointed the Director of the White House Medical Unit. In June 2010, Dr. Mariano released The White House Doctor: My Patients Were Presidents: A Memoir (Thomas Dune Books, 2010). I was able to speak with her recently about the psychology behind spending nine years caring for three Presidents of the United States through everything from surprisingly panic-inducing blisters to that sex scandal heard ’round the world. Alicia Sparks: Whether you were headed to a lo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169574 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:31:24 +0100 5169574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159277&cid=t_105809_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2Fw2QBei4mkwo%2F For years, we’ve heard about how much clinical information is locked away in payer databases. Payers have offered to provide clinical summaries, electronic and otherwise, The problem is, it’s potentially inaccurate clinical information because it’s all based on billing claims. (Don’t believe me? Just ask “E-Patient” Dave de Bronkart.) It is for this reason that I don’t much trust “quality” ratings based on claims data. Just how much of a difference there was between claims data and true clinical data hasn’t been so clear, though. Until today. A paper just published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that searching EMRs with natural-language processing identified up to 12 times the number of pneumonia c... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159277 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:47:57 +0100 5159277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139732&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-difficulties-of-managing-implanted-medical-devices%2F2011.08.18 With the explosion of medical devices to treat various medical ailments in medicine, we have seen significant improvements in quality and quantity of life. An underappreciated consequence of all of these electronic device therapies, however, has been the manpower and expertise required to manage these implanted electronic medical devices long-term. Problems with electromagnetic interference (EMI) with medical devices are real. Innovations in medicine have come from various portions of the electromagnetic spectrum including analog and digital wireless technology, diagnostic and therapeutic radiation therapy and magnetic resonance imaging. The effects of these technologies on implanted electronic medical devices can vary and specialty physicians, ancillary health care providers, and medical ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139732 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:17:00 +0100 5139732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130901&cid=t_105809_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2F0ZSy8duv_ng%2F President Barack Obama speaks during a town hall meeting, Monday, Aug. 15, 2011, at the Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa, during his three-day economic bus tour Unbelievable – I mean really. At a town hall meeting on his campaign-style tour of the Midwest, President Obama claimed that his economic program “reversed the recession” until recovery was frustrated by events overseas.  And then, Obama said, with the economy in an increasingly precarious position, the recovery suffered another blow when Republicans pressed the White House for federal spending cuts in exchange for an increase in the national debt limit, resulting in a deal Obama called a “debacle.” “We had reversed the recession, avoided a depression, gotten the economy moving again,&#... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130901 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 01:37:41 +0100 5130901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130745&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-you-really-need-6-8-glasses-of-water-each-day%2F2011.08.15 “Bueno es saber que los vasos nos sirven para beber; lo malo es que no sabemos para qué sirve la sed”. Proverbios y cantares.XLI. Antonio Machado (‘It’s good to know that glasses are what can help us drink; The trouble is, we don’t know What is the purpose of thirst’) The one thing you can’t afford to have missing when you start a scientific congress or any other professional meeting is not a notepad, a pencil or even an iPad – nowadays, it’s a bottle of water. Offices, airports, handbags and lecture halls, all of them are bursting with all kinds of bottles. It seems they are essential to work and even to stay alive. Bordering nonsense, some people desperately search for a bottled water vending machine as soon as they arrive at the airport, even if that means gobbling i... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130745 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:00:20 +0100 5130745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130749&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-york-times-piece-about-plastic-surgery-gets-people-talking%2F2011.08.14 Monday’s New York Times tweeted a headline – “Never Too Old for Plastic Surgery” – about this story. While I’m very happy for the 83-year old woman in the piece for her happiness over her “new” $8,000 breasts, the piece was framed like an expensive billboard for plastic surgeons – only it didn’t cost them anything. The Times gave away the advertising space. The story states: “There are as many reasons for getting plastic surgery as there are older patients, experts say”…and…”some are simply sick of slackened jowls, jiggly underarms and saggy eyelids.” There are a few other perspectives in the middle of the piece: “Some critics question whether the benefits are worth the risks, which may be... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130749 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:00:43 +0100 5130749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118611&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpP2-UtiQPnQ%2F By Neal McCluskeyThe good news: Supporters haven’t been able to completely stamp out debate over national curriculum standards. The bad news: The Invasion of the School Snatchers strategy is real, and it is working!  Yesterday, I blogged about a letter from Jeb Bush reportedly causing a subcommittee of the American Legislative Exchange Council to table model legislation opposing national standards. Subsequent to my writing that, a follow-up Education Week post reported that debate wasn’t, in fact, quashed by Bush’s letter. Unfortunately, it appears consideration was postponed for another reason: Most state legislators have no idea what’s going on with national standards: “Legislators have heard of it, but not a whole lot of states engage legislators in... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118611 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:20:28 +0100 5118611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118998&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fg-WZvl9XAuY%2F The new president of the American Medical Association is lashing out at critics who claim the AMA has not done enough to persuade physicians to join its five-year-old Physician Data Restriction Program, InformationWeek reports. So far, less than 28,000 doc have joined the PDRP, which enables them to opt out of prescription data mining used in pharmaceutical marketing campaigns. Last week, a commentary in The New England Journal of Medicine commentary suggested the AMA had sabotaged the PDRP. As part of a discussion about the recent US Supreme Court decision to strike down a Vermont data mining law (read here), the authors pointed out that the AMA makes a great deal of money from selling its physician lists, which data miners combine with prescribing data. “To date, few physicians (... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118998 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:37:32 +0100 5118998 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118712&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F09%2Ffacebook-tied-to-poor-mental-health-in-teens-kids%2F You know it’s a good time of the year for psychology “news” when the American Psychological Association holds its annual convention. Why? Because they push out a bunch of sexy press releases about presentations at the conference. Case in point, “Social Networking’s Good and Bad Impacts on Kids,” a presentation that presents a seemingly-random selection of research findings about social networking websites like Facebook from the past few years. This quickly gets turned into an exclusive focus on the negative aspects of the talk — “Facebook tied to poor mental health in teens: What parents must know” (CBS News), “Too Much Technology Breeds Health Problems in Teens” (Patch.com), and of course the inevitable, “Is constant &#82... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118712 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 21:43:50 +0100 5118712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118616&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNjfGOgNR6eg%2F By Neal McCluskeyFormer Florida governor Jeb Bush cares about education. He made major education reforms in the Sunshine State, including many centered on private school choice. He has established the Foundation for Excellence in Education, and dedicates much of his time to education reform. Unfortunately, when it comes to national curriculum standards, it seems his genuine caring has led him to avoid—and now attempt to quash—critical debate on both the dubious merits of national standards, and the huge threats to federalism posed by Washington driving the standards train. As I’ve complained on numerous occasions, it’s clear that supporters of national standards have employed a stealth strategy to get their way: back-room drafting of standards, content-free Language ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118616 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:19:38 +0100 5118616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107891&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FGVab88opJB4%2F The ongoing controversy over ghostwriting appears to be accelerating amid ongoing disclosures that various papers - and in one case, a book - were allegedly written or largely crafted by paid editors who were not credited. The issue has even generated debate about the definition of ghostwriting, but meanwhile, has embroiled various drugmakers, universities and high-profile academics in scandal. To find a solution, a growing number of proposals are popping up (read this). One pair of academics - Jonathan Leo, a professor at the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University, and Jeff Lacasse a professor at the Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy at Arizona State University - have just published a paper in Society in which they suggest that all authors should b... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107891 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:42:15 +0100 5107891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107644&cid=t_105809_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FbZl-aySdFfA%2F I’m rather shocked to hear tonight that Bernadine Healy, M.D., has died of a brain tumor. Dr. Healy, who turned 67 on Thursday, was the first woman to head the National Institutes of Health (1991-93). She also served as president of the American Red Cross, was  dean of the Ohio State University College of Medicine and was health editor of US News and World Report. Dr. Healy, a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist, was deputy director of the White House Office of Science and Policy under President Ronald Reagan. She was married to former Cleveland Clinic CEO Floyd Loop, M.D. I met Dr. Healy once, after she spoke at the Medical Group Management Association‘s annual conference in 2003. For someone as busy as she was, she couldn’t have been more gracious. I lost my job just a cou... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107644 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 01:53:11 +0100 5107644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107523&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-best-thing-a-patient-can-do-following-a-heart-attack%2F2011.08.07 I’ve been telling my smoking patients for years that nothing I do for them is going to make an ounce of difference until they quit smoking for good.  And the Italians are out to prove me right.  The American Journal of Cardiology reported July 11th, 2011 on the Effect of Smoking Relapse On Outcome After Acute Coronary Syndrome. In a study of just under 1,300 patients,  Reuters reports that just over 1/2 the patients started smoking within 20 days of hospital discharge, despite in-hospital smoking cessation consultation for all patients.   Researchers also found that resuming smoking increased  death 3-fold compared with those that did not relapse and quitting smoking had a similar lifesaving effect as taking cholesterol and blood pressure medications.  And I’m sure these ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107523 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0100 5107523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103336&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-care-attorney-discusses-the-use-of-disclaimers-on-facebook-pages%2F2011.08.06 This is the third part of a three part post addressing the legal concerns of social networking in the health care arena. In part one, legal expert David Harlow, Esq., Health Care Attorney and Consultant at The Harlow Group, LLC in Boston, answered questions regarding “The Legal Implications for Doctors, Nurses and Hospitals Engaging in Social Media?” In part two, Mr. Harlow answered questions related to the Pharma industry;  “Legal Concerns: What Steps can Pharma Take to Engage in Social Media?” The third part addresses a question from a follower on Facebook about the use of disclaimers. Q:  Barbara: A Healthin30 reader on Facebook writes:  “I’m looking for a good disclaimer to put on a couple of medical practices’ Facebook pages. The AMA social media guidelines aren’t h... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103336 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 21:00:47 +0100 5103336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096206&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-problem-with-medical-licenses%2F2011.08.04 In one of those things I don’t really get*, Texas requires a separate license from an unrestricted medical license to prescribe narcotics. As the price of this extra license has always seemed to be more ‘cover the cost’, nobody has seriously objected. It’s $25, in case you’re interested. Since it’s a State license, it’s required if your job could even perceivably need to prescribe narcs in a hospital. (So, Radiologists and Pathologists are usually exempted). It’s never been an issue, as long as you don’t screw up. Until now. From the Austin American Statesman: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at GruntDoc* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096206 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:00:59 +0100 5096206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096195&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FzXJoBE2ln2E%2F By Stephanie Mensh. We are bombarded with conflicting messages on food.  On one front, we have Michelle Obama railing against childhood obesity, and organizations like the American Heart Association and the federal government driving on diet-related diseases—diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and chronic conditions.  Countering these efforts all around us, are compelling mouth-watering advertisements for high calorie, high fat, high sugar foods.  Every activity—at work, at home, at the movies, at the mall, at the park, studying, watching TV—requires lots of food and sugary drinks. Resisting these omnipresent temptations requires an incredible amount of individual willpower or habits that go contrary to the average American routine.  Despite my active role in advocating for healthy ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096195 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:15:28 +0100 5096195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086365&cid=t_105809_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FvNpmuGWnS7o%2F No American default now. The House has passed legislation designed to keep the government from defaulting on its debts. The measure also sets a course for reducing the federal deficit in the future.The Senate, where support is stronger, is expected to take up the bill on Tuesday, the deadline for Congress to act before the government loses its ability to pay all its bills. The 269-161 vote in the House came after Republican leaders spent the day urging recalcitrant conservatives to support the bill. The bill would raise the debt ceiling by more than $2 trillion and cut federal spending by a similar amount over the next decade. A special congressional committee would be set up to consider entitlement and tax changes. So, the long Washington drama is over and default has been averted. On a h... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086365 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:46:31 +0100 5086365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086367&cid=t_105809_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FvMyQDWEZDHA%2F Good ol’ Slow Joe Biden put his foot in his mouth again. Vice President Joe Biden joined House Democrats in lashing tea party Republicans Monday, accusing them of having “acted like terrorists” in the fight over raising the nation’s debt limit. Biden was agreeing with a line of argument made by Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) at a two-hour, closed-door Democratic Caucus meeting. “We have negotiated with terrorists,” an angry Doyle said, according to sources in the room. “This small group of terrorists have made it impossible to spend any money.” Biden, driven by his Democratic allies’ misgivings about the debt-limit deal, responded: “They have acted like terrorists,” according to several sources in the room. Biden’s office declined to comment about what the vice preside... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086367 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 21:22:06 +0100 5086367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077689&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-case-for-mammograms-friends-and-family-might-be-a-greater-influence-than-doctors%2F2011.07.28 Most women in their 40′s believe they should have annual mammograms, regardless of what screening regimen their doctor might recommend. So say researchers in Massachusetts who surveyed women (primarily white, highly educated) ages 39-49 presenting for annual checkups. They gave the women a fact sheet about the new USPSTF guidelines on mammogram screening in their age group, and asked them to read one of two articles either supporting or opposing the guidelines. The researchers then asked women about their beliefs, concerns and attitudes about breast cancer and mammogram screening. Here’s what they found - Women overwhelmingly want annual mammograms – Close to 90% of women surveyed felt they should have annual mammograms, regardless of what their doctor might recommend. Women... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077689 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 21:00:16 +0100 5077689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077771&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F28%2F5-reasons-for-the-joy-of-craft-or-why-is-computer-programming-fun%2F I recently read (sort of) Frederick Brooks’s The Mythical Man-Month. As I understand it, this book is a cult classic, and I was very curious to read it. It’s about software project management, and even though that’s a subject about which I know nothing, I found the book very interesting — that is, the parts I could understand. My favorite section was a discussion of “The Joys of Craft,” in which Brooks answers the question, “Why is programming fun?” This question interests me because it’s such a good reminder of my Secret of Adulthood: Just because something is fun for someone else doesn’t mean it’s fun for me — and vice versa. Nothing is inherently fun. Some people find computer programming fun, or skiing, shopping, ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077771 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:21:46 +0100 5077771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077691&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fswimming-may-not-be-as-safe-for-your-children-as-you-think%2F2011.07.28 As summer continues in North America, and for anyone who goes near the water during any time of year, prevention of drowning is very important. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) takes its responsibilities on this issue seriously, and in 2010 issued a policy statement on prevention of drowning. This is a remarkable and well-thought out document that addresses all of the important issues associated with risk for and prevention of drowning. The online version of the policy statement, along with updated information and services, is available on the web. The document points out that, historically, drowning has been the second leading cause of unintentional death in individuals aged one to 19 years, causing more than 1,100 deaths per year in the United States alone. The AAP defines drowni... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077691 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0100 5077691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077772&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F28%2F12-weeks-to-feeling-better-try-psychotherapy-today%2F It’s time for psychotherapy to stop beating around in the bushes and get a new marketing campaign going for itself. It’s time for organizations like our own, the American Psychological Association, the American Counseling Association and others to join together and have people understand a simple, basic message — 12 weeks is all most people need to start feeling better when faced with a mental health issue. Psychotherapy still gets a bad rap because of a basic misunderstanding of the process it entails, or prejudice around thinking that if you need to see a therapist, something’s really wrong with you. It doesn’t have to be this way. Just like the endless pharmaceutical commercials on TV for antidepressants and ADHD medications, psychotherapy could be remindin... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077772 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:06:58 +0100 5077772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069652&cid=t_105809_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FPVBTwdCypS0%2F Day By Day by Chris Muir Chris, the best approach is probably to swallow hard, bend over and accept the Boehner Plan. It certainly is NOT perfect, but the GOP and people have won and should now consolidate the gains by beating Obama in the race for 2012. Then, it will be over to Harry Reid and Obama to decide whether they want to push America into default or not. I bet they cave. with Obama’s poor polling in key battleground states, the GOP can afford to sit back and wait while they select a nominee. The next four years are too important to be squandered over cuts that won’t be seen in 10 years. Declare victory and call it a day —> over to Obama. Previous:The Day By Day Archive (Source: FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog) FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069652 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:16:15 +0100 5069652 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069479&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnsaids-might-be-risky-for-people-with-heart-problems%2F2011.07.26 As if people with the combination of high blood pressure and heart disease don’t already have enough to worry about, a new study suggests that common painkillers called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) pose special problems for them. Among participants of an international trial called INVEST, those who often used NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and others), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, and others), or celecoxib (Celebrex) were 47% more likely to have had a heart attack or stroke or to have died for any reason over three years of follow-up than those who used the drugs less, or not at all. The results were published in the July issue of the American Journal of Medicine. Millions of people take NSAIDs to relieve pain and inflammation. They are generally safe and effectiv... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069479 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:00:35 +0100 5069479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062290&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F25%2Fneed-mental-health-treatment-in-2-weeks-fat-chance%2F This study demonstrates quite the opposite. Read the full article: Medical News: Barriers High in Mental Health Care (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062290 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:15:01 +0100 5062290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077853&cid=t_105809_117_f&fid=38856&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timemastermd.com%2F%3Fp%3D2576 That’s right!  That little brown coffee bean packs a mighty wallop and seems to fight off the advances of the nasty Hepatitis C liver virus. Apparently coffee beans help the liver but not the brain, and doesn’t seem to protect against stupid nose piercings…”She’s beautiful and likes to bathe in beans, and she has a metal rod jutting out from her nose.”  ”Bonus, he said.” Is coffee antiviral?  YES it seems. People living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who drink three or more cups of coffee per day have a 53 percent lower risk of liver disease progression than non-coffee drinkers, according to a new study authored by Neal Freedman, PhD, MPH, of the National Cancer Institute.  Green or Black Tea didn’t do anything for Hep C. D... Timemaster MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077853 Sat, 23 Jul 2011 01:36:16 +0100 5077853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057813&cid=t_105809_117_f&fid=38856&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timemastermd.com%2F%3Fp%3D2576 That’s right!  That little brown coffee bean packs a mighty wallop and seems to fight off the advances of the nasty Hepatitis C liver virus. Apparently coffee beans don’t protect against stupid nose piercings…”She’s beautiful and likes to bathe in beans, and she has a metal rod jutting out from her nose.”  ”Bonus, he said.” Is coffee antiviral?  YES it seems. People living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who drink three or more cups of coffee per day have a 53 percent lower risk of liver disease progression than non-coffee drinkers, according to a new study authored by Neal Freedman, PhD, MPH, of the National Cancer Institute.  Green or Black Tea didn’t do anything for Hep C. Doctor’s may soon be writing hepatitis pati... Timemaster MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057813 Sat, 23 Jul 2011 01:36:16 +0100 5057813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050721&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F18%2Fbed-sharing-seems-okay-for-toddlers%2F While not particularly popular here in the U.S., bed sharing arrangements are a little more common in many other countries, especially when sleeping quarters may be scarce. A new study just published suggests that such bed sharing between parents and their toddlers and young children probably don’t result in any kind of long-term psychological or social problems. The study followed a sample of 944 low-income families who were enrolled in the Early Head Start program, and followed the toddlers and parents over the course of five years. Once other factors were accounted for — such as the family’s socioeconomic status, the mom’s educational level, ethnicity and parenting style — the negative outcomes associated with bed sharing went away. This suggests that bed s... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050721 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:06:36 +0100 5050721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050722&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F18%2F9-tips-to-keep-reality-tv-from-ruining-your-life%2F At lunch today, I was part of a spirited conversation on the pros and cons of reality TV. That’s a broad category, of course, covering a wide range of shows from The Real Housewives to American Idol to Jersey Shore to Project Runway. My older daughter loves that show where they do fancy cake decorations — what’s it called? TV is significant for happiness — if for no other reason, because of the time involved. In terms of hours, watching TV is probably the world’s most popular pastime. Among Americans, it’s the most common free-time activity — for an average of about five hours a day. It’s a source of relaxing fun. But while television is a good servant, it’s a bad master. It can swallow up huge quantities of our lives, without much happiness bang for t... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050722 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:15:55 +0100 5050722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036424&cid=t_105809_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FnpMGeU8L_TY%2F Mark Steyn Another masterful piece from Mark Steyn. There is something surreal and unnerving about the so-called “debt ceiling” negotiations staggering on in Washington. In the real world, negotiations on an increase in one’s debt limit are conducted between the borrower and the lender. Only in Washington is a debt increase negotiated between two groups of borrowers. Actually, it’s more accurate to call them two groups of spenders. On the one side are Obama and the Democrats, who in a negotiation supposedly intended to reduce American indebtedness are (surprise!) proposing massive increasing in spending (an extra $33 billion for Pell Grants, for example). The Democrat position is: You guys always complain that we spend spend spend like there’s (what’s th... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036424 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 12:19:55 +0100 5036424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028717&cid=t_105809_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2F0eoWx2DYKSE%2F According to the latest Gallup Poll. More Americans continue to struggle to access basic necessities than before the 2008 economic crisis. The U.S. earned a Basic Access Index score of 82.0 in June — about on par with the low point of 81.5 recorded in February and March of 2009 — and down compared with 83.6 measured in June 2008. The current score is more than two points lower than the highest measured point of 84.1 in October 2008, revealing that nearly 5 million fewer Americans today have access to the basic necessities of life compared to that time. These findings are based on approximately 29,000 interviews conducted each month from January 2008 through June 2011 with American adults as a part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. The Basic Access Index is a 13-item me... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028717 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:49:08 +0100 5028717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028138&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyZZPNvIJeBs%2F By Mark A. CalabriaIt’s probably never wise to inject oneself into the middle of a food fight, but since I think both sides actually have something right and something wrong, its been a worthwhile debate to follow.  That is the ongoing debate between Peter Wallison at the American Enterprise Institute and David Min at the Center for American Progress (at least we can all agree we love America) on the role of Fannie Mae (and Freddie Mae) in the financial crisis.  If you can’t guess, Peter says Fannie/Freddie caused the crisis, David says they didn’t. David makes an interesting point, one I’ve actually argued, in his latest retort.  That is, this wasn’t exclusively a housing crisis/bubble.  Other sectors, like commercial real estate, boomed and then went bus... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028138 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:40:43 +0100 5028138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028450&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F14%2Fgratitude-for-the-canadian-healthcare-system-from-an-american-patient%2F “…our challenge is twofold: We have to find a way to cover all our people; and we have to figure out how to get better value for the US$2 trillion we currently spend on healthcare.” – David M. Cutler, Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics at Harvard University and Member of the Institute of Medicine -commenting on the US healthcare system. Last month I was invited to speak for a week for The International Certificate Programme in Dual Diagnosis associated with Brock University under the guidance of Dr. Dorothy Griffiths & Dr. Frances Owen. Work I’ve developed over the past several years on psychotherapy for people with intellectual disabilities has been implemented in the States and most of the countries with socialized medicine.  The Canadians have a real fl... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028450 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:34:58 +0100 5028450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028141&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FhvnYWPITKek%2F By David BoazToday is the 222nd anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, the date usually recognized as the beginning of the French Revolution. I’ll be speaking this weekend at FreedomFest on the topic, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: A Libertarian Version.” I previewed part of my talk at this week’s Britannica Blog column. So what should libertarians think about the French Revolution? The great Henny Youngman, when asked “How’s your wife?” answered, “Compared to what?” Compared to the American Revolution, the French Revolution is very disappointing to libertarians. Compared to the Russian Revolution, it looks pretty good. And it also looks good, at least in the long view, compared to the ancien regime that preceded it…. Lord�... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028141 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:18:45 +0100 5028141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028451&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F14%2Ftelehealth-wait-theres-online-therapy%2F Stop the presses! Randall Stross over at the Digital Domain at The New York Times has just discovered online therapy. Acknowledging that the idea has been around for a long time, Stross begins the piece by digging up an American Journal of Psychiatry article from 38 years ago, written by Thomas Dwyer describing one of the first telepsychiatry systems ever devised (at Massachusetts General Hospital). How quaint. (Confusing telepsychiatry/telehealth systems — which have been around for decades utilizing private networks and closed video systems, and that are well-researched — with online therapy is a common mistake made by journalists who explore this area.) The hook, apparently, is to highlight yet some more companies who’ve decided to take the plunge into exploiting this ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028451 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:10:09 +0100 5028451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028573&cid=t_105809_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fradiology-needs-reassert-their-it-leadership Radiology groups and imaging centers have been on the leading technology edge for many years. The leadership principles of radiology CEOs and CIOs shine in how they approach: Documenting and streamlining workflows Selecting and implementing technology to enable the workflows Measuring the results and focusing on how to continue to enhance the workflows read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028573 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:50:18 +0100 5028573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028033&cid=t_105809_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fradiation-exposure-heart-tests-increasing-future-cancer-risks-worrisome%2F Dr. Jersey Chen of Yale University and his colleagues have published a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology documenting the signficant increase in the number of ionizing radiation tests being administered each year and the unknown risk of possible increased cancer rates because of it. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028033 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 08:29:22 +0100 5028033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008550&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fthe-best-evidence-says-mammograms-should-begin-at-age-forty%2F There was much hoopla a few years ago over recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to limit mammography screening to women ages 50 to 74 every other year. But there is less fanfare over new findings coming out of a study in Sweden, which suggests that regular mammograms in women ages 40 to 49 (the age group excluded by the new task force guidelines) prevented up to 30 percent of deaths from breast cancer. People, this is significant! The task force ignored studies like these ongoing in Sweden and Canada for their model, which was based on statistical data. The Swedish mammogram study spanned 29 years and included over 130,000 women. The task force’s answer to recent studies has been to recommend a baseline mammogram for women in their forties to look at breast density,... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008550 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:39:24 +0100 5008550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008201&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Famerican-heart-associations-registration-page-demonstrates-gender-and-sexual-orientation-bias%2F2011.07.06 This afternoon I sat in my chair, revitalized form my weekend trip to the Jersey Shore, where I can assure you I did not partake in any fist pumping, spray tanning, pickle eating, or felonious activities, when I received an email from the American Heart Association announcing new scientific findings. I like these emails and generally find them informative. This particular email announced the placement of the first completely lab-grown human vascular grafts. The email linked to a presentation from Todd N. McAllister of Cytograft Tissue Engineering Inc. These blood vessels were apparently engineered from donor skin cells and: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at On Becoming a Domestic and Laboratory Goddess* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008201 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:00:52 +0100 5008201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992755&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F02%2Fhow-the-dsm-developed-what-you-might-not-know%2F The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is widely known as the bible of psychiatry and psychology. But not many people know how this powerful and influential book came to be. Here’s a brief look at the DSM’s evolution and where we are today. The Need for Classification The origins of the DSM date back to 1840 — when the government wanted to collect data on mental illness. The term “idiocy/insanity” appeared in that year’s census. Forty years later, the census expanded to feature these seven categories: “mania, melancholia, monomania, paresis, dementia, dipsomania and epilepsy.” But there was still a need to gather uniform stats across mental hospitals. In 1917, the Bureau of the Census embraced a publication called the Statistical Manual for ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992755 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 10:43:12 +0100 4992755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975994&cid=t_105809_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhimss-career-services-member-needs Welcome to the first blog for HIMSS Career Services!  My name is Helen Figge, Senior Director of Career Services at HIMSS and excited to connect with you. I am a pharmacist by trade but have experience in various aspects of healthcare including teaching, research, grant writing, clinical practice, industrial sales and healthcare practice management. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975994 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:58:11 +0100 4975994 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968485&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fis-your-cell-phone-carrying-bacteria%2F2011.06.26 Alright doctors, time to give up the cell phones. (Never mind that there has not been a study linking cell phones and hospital acquired infections). From the American Journal of Infection Control: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine bacterial colonization on the mobile phones (MPs) used by patients, patients’ companions, visitors, and health care workers (HCWs). Significantly higher rates of pathogens (39.6% vs 20.6%, respectively; P = .02) were found in MPs of patients’ (n = 48) versus the HCWs’ (n = 12). There were also more multidrug pathogens in the patents’ MPs including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella spp, high-level aminoglycoside-resistant Enterococcus spp, ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968485 Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:00:00 +0100 4968485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968486&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fprimary-care-is-undervalued-what-should-be-done%2F2011.06.26 An article by Brian Klepper and Paul Fischer at Health Affairs has me all fired up. Finally these two health experts are calling it like it is. The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and EverythingHealth have written before about the way primary care is undervalued and underpayed in this country and how it is harming the health and economics of the United States. A secretive, specialist-dominated panel within the American Medical Association called the RUC has been valuing medical services for decades. They divvy up billions of Medicare and Medicaid dollars and all insurance payers base their reimbursement on these values also. The result has been gross overpayment of procedures and medical specialists and underpayment of doctors who practice primary care in internal medicine, family medi... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968486 Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4968486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968489&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffda-approved-drugs-are-not-always-effective-the-benefits-of-alternative-medicine%2F2011.06.25 On Saturday, while thousands of Boston Bruins fans gathered at Government Center to celebrate the team’s recent Stanley Cup victory, a hundred or so true die-hards met a few blocks away at a Massachusetts General Hospital conference to talk about complementary and alternative medicine for psychiatric disorders. While I hated to miss the Bruins parade, I’m glad I attended the MGH conference. I’ve always been a bit of a skeptic about so-called natural therapies for one simple reason: they don’t have to go through the same rigorous testing in clinical trials that medications do. At the same time, I realize that FDA-approved drugs don’t work for everyone. One in three adults with major depression, for example, can’t completely improve their mood and other symptoms even after trying... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968489 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:00:31 +0100 4968489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968494&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-is-it-appropriate-to-disregard-guidelines-in-medical-care%2F2011.06.24 Podcast: In an article appearing last week in the American Heart Journal, investigators concluded that if American doctors would prescribe for their patients with heart failure each of the six therapies which are most strongly recommended in current heart failure guidelines, 68,000 lives per year could be saved. The following (for the interest of the reader, and for the convenience of any attorneys who may follow DrRich’s offerings), is an ordered list of these six proven, life-saving heart failure therapies, along with the number of American lives that could be saved each year if only American doctors would stop grossly under-utilizing them in violation of published guidelines: aldosterone antagonist therapy – 21,407 lives beta blockers – 12,922 lives implantable defibrillators ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968494 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 21:00:47 +0100 4968494 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968823&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F23%2Fcan-a-diet-low-in-carbs-high-on-protein-help-in-the-fight-against-cancer%2F Eating a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet may reduce the risk of cancer and slow the growth of tumors already present, according to a study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Eating a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet may reduce the risk of cancer and slow the growth of tumors already present, [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968823 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 05:21:02 +0100 4968823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968914&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FaEr37LbJgo4%2F The ongoing controversy over industry sponsorship of continuing medical education took a new turn this week when delegates to the American Medical Association annual meeting voted to restrict support from entities or individuals that have financial interests in the subject matter. In other words, the delegates decided there should be little or no commercial support and those who are tapped to teach the material should not have any financial relationship with a drug or device maker. Danny Carlat, a psychiatrist who was once an industry speaker but now derides industry-sponsored CME, calls this vote “huge” (see here). However, an AMA spokeswoman says not so fast, or words to that effect. In a phone conversation, she says the language adopted by the delegates is open to interpreta... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968914 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:23:12 +0100 4968914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997535&cid=t_105809_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FFAw3qq0vzrY%2F The AHA combine the acting skills of Ken Jeong, MD (trained physician and crazy-ass actor from the Hangover II) with the metronomic beat of Stayin' Alive to teach CPR rhythm. (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997535 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:04:39 +0100 4997535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960274&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F21%2Fharvard-scientists-image-beginning-stages-of-ovarian-cancer-metastasis-cancer-cells-bully-their-way-through-normal-tissue%2F According to a study reported in the Cancer Discovery journal, scientists at Harvard University imaged the beginning stages of ovarian cancer metastasis, and identified a mechanism used by cancer cells to bully their way through normal tissue. Scientists at Harvard University have created a laboratory model using time-lapse video microscopic technology that allows observation of early [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960274 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:49:55 +0100 4960274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952984&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F21%2Ftiki-barber-football-retirement-and-depression%2F As a reminder that depression strikes anyone, at any time, for any reason or no reason whatsoever, I give you Tiki Barber. For those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Barber, he was a professional (American) football player who decided to retire four years ago at age 32. A good time to retire as a football player, as your body starts to show its age against the physicality of the game. He took jobs as a sports commentator at NBC, both in their sports division and for “The Today Show.” But Mr. Barber’s depression appears to be directly related to a number of events that occurred in his life after his retirement. And now he says he wants to get back into the game, at age 36. His real problems appear to have started when it was revealed he was having an affair with a 23-year-old N... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952984 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:37:49 +0100 4952984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952805&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F1rQIWfTFO8c%2F By Gene HealyAs David Boaz notes below, a few blocks away at 17th and M, the foreign policy and defense analysts at the American Enterprise Institute have discovered a threat that’s even more disturbing than the possibility of a Chinese “Space Force” armed with particle-beam weapons [.pdf].  It seems there’s a spectre haunting America–the spectre of “isolationism.” It’s such a threat that AEI, one of our leading conservative think tanks, is calling on President Obama to man the bully pulpit and use his magic rhetorical skills to raise awareness. I did a double-take on Tuesday when I saw a post at AEI’s blog titled, “With Growing Isolationism, We Need Obama to Lead Now More Than Ever.” And yet, when I got up the next day, I ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952805 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:55:18 +0100 4952805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952849&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcdc-reports-that-salmonella-is-still-a-major-problem%2F2011.06.20 Salmonella food infections continue despite success reducing disease caused by other pathogens, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Salmonella should be targeted because while infection rates have not declined significantly in more than a decade, they are one of the most common, the CDC reports in its latest Vital Signs. Contaminated food causes approximately 1,000 reported disease outbreaks and an estimated 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths annually in the U.S. Salmonella causes 1 million foodborne infections annually, incurring an estimated $365 million in direct medical costs. Salmonella infections in 2010 increased 10% from 2006-2008. The same prevention measures that reduced Escherichia coli infections to less than 1 case per 100,000 ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952849 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0100 4952849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953139&cid=t_105809_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F06%2Faph-position-paper-on-iq-testing-with.html A new position paper (from the Accessible Tests Department of the American Printing House for the Blind) on IQ testing with individuals who are blind or visually impaired is now available here.- iPost using BlogPress from my Kevin McGrew's iPad (Source: Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner)) Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953139 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:02:00 +0100 4953139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934328&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F16%2Fthe-incredible-shrinking-american-vacation%2F Vacations are theoretical concepts that exist today only on paper. That’s according to Joe Robinson, work-life balance speaker, trainer, and author of “Don’t Miss Your Life.” His statistics are dire: Some 25 percent of Americans and 31 percent of low-wage earners get no vacation at all anymore, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research. This is because, unlike in 138 other countries around the world, you’re not entitled to a vacation longer than the current news cycle. You happen to live in a country that, along with the esteemed likes of Myanmar, the Guyanas and North Korea, has no minimum paid leave law to make vacations statutorily legit. Now maybe it’s because I have been self-employed for most of my working life — and the few jobs I have held, I di... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934328 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:12:02 +0100 4934328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934160&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fvitamin-d-for-copd-why-that-wont-be-enough%2F2011.06.16 I am frequently extolling the health benefits of Vitamin D because almost weekly there is a new study that correlates high vitamin D levels with reducing some disease.  The latest is from the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and research shows that high doses of vitamin D supplementation improved respiratory muscle strength in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).  The patients that did not receive supplemental vitamin D had blood levels of 22.8 compared to 53.8 in the supplemented group.  The patients who were supplemented had improved respiratory function, strength and less shortness of breath.  It certainly didn’t cure or reverse COPD but the improvement was an encouraging trend in this terrible chronic disease. In reading about ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934160 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4934160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934740&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F11%2F2011-asco-exelixis-reports-expanded-cabozantinib-xl184-phase-ii-data-for-advanced-ovarian-cancer-six-deaths-reported%2F Exelixis, Inc. reported expanded Phase 2 study data with respect to cabozantinib (XL184) use in advanced ovarian cancer patients at the recent 2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. The overall solid tumor Phase 2 safety and tolerability data reference six deaths, including two ovarian cancer patients. Exelixis, Inc. reported expanded Phase 2 study [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934740 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 16:10:03 +0100 4934740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921689&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F09%2F2011-asco-additional-phase-iii-study-data-support-the-potential-role-of-avastin-in-newly-diagnosed-recurrent-ovarian-cancer%2F Positive results from two bevacizumab (Avastin®) phase III clinical studies were presented at the 2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting on June 4. The data reported add to the growing body of evidence in support of bevacizumab use to treat recurrent and newly-diagnosed ovarian cancer. Positive results from two bevacizumab (Avastin®) phase III [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921689 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 23:15:13 +0100 4921689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911455&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKqSbv2XRftU%2F By Caleb O. Brown On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down bans on interracial marriage in more than a dozen states in the case of Loving v. Virginia. Today, the highest court in the United States may soon take on the issue of marriage equality for gay and lesbian relationships. Attorneys David Boies and Theodore B. Olson are hoping the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger will further establish marriage as a fundamental right of citizenship. Also featured are John Podesta, President of the Center for American Progress, Cato Institute Chairman Robert A. Levy and Cato Executive Vice President David Boaz. Watch the full event from which many clips were pulled here and Robert A. Levy’s presentation here. The Constitutional Case for Marriage Equality is a post from Cato @ Liberty ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911455 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:52:04 +0100 4911455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902692&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F-n8abnKML2w%2F In a recent memo to clients, former US Attorney and healthcare fraud prosecutor Michael Loucks argues that qui tam, or whistleblower lawsuits should be unsealed after 60 days. Why? The average suit remains under seal for about 13 months which, he maintains, is unfair to drug and device makers that remain unaware of the allegations. “Very few companies have sought to force the government at an early stage to disclose the False Claims Act suit. Thus, companies have defended investigations without the benefit of the discovery and litigation rights accorded litigants in federal civil suits and without the ability to correct any misconduct identified in the (False Claims Act) complaint, and have typically allowed the matter to be resolved on the government’s timetable,” he writes,... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902692 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:20:07 +0100 4902692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902483&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F06%2Fthink-encouraging-girls-to-stay-smart-in-a-dumb-downed-world%2F In her gutsy book, Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World, attorney and national television legal analyst Lisa Bloom paints a dire picture: The problem is not just about that 25 percent of young women who would rather be hot than smart; rather, it’s about a culture that actually makes that a rational choice: rewarding girls for looks over brains. And it’s about ALL of us, intelligent American females, ranging from girlhood to old age, who are dazzling ignorant about some critically important things. An aggravating thing happened in the last generation. As girls started seriously kicking ass at every level of education (girls now out-perform boys in elementary, middle, and high schools; we graduate from college, professional, and graduate schools in greater ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902483 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:23:52 +0100 4902483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902643&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F05%2F2011-asco-ec145-demonstrates-85-percent-improvement-in-progression-free-survival-for-treatment-of-platinum-resistant-ovarian-cancer%2F EC145, in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil®/Caelyx®) in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, met its primary endpoint by showing an 85 percent (2.3 month) improvement in median progression-free survival in the intent-to-treat population, and a 260 percent (4.0 month) improvement in a subset of folate receptor positive patients. The final EC145 phase 2 clinical study data were presented [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902643 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 05:08:29 +0100 4902643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902644&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F04%2F2011-asco-women-with-brca-gene-mutations-can-take-hormone-replacement-therapy-safely-after-ovary-removal%2F Women with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, which are linked to a very high risk of breast and ovarian cancer, can safely take hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) to mitigate menopausal symptoms after surgical removal of their ovaries, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Women with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, which are linked [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902644 Sat, 04 Jun 2011 20:16:50 +0100 4902644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893809&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F03%2F2011-asco-entremed%25e2%2580%2599s-enmd-2076-demonstrates-clinical-activity-in-recurrent-platinum-resistant-ovarian-cancer-patients%2F EntreMed, Inc. announced that ENMD-2076 demonstrated clinical activity — a six-month progression free survival rate of 19% – when administered as a single agent to platinum drug-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer patients. The announcement is based upon interim phase 2 data presented today at the 2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.  EntreMed, Inc., a clinical-stage [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893809 Sat, 04 Jun 2011 05:10:24 +0100 4893809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893810&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F03%2F2011-asco-matching-targeted-therapies-to-specific-tumor-gene-mutations-key-to-personalized-cancer-treatment%2F Customizing targeted therapies to each tumor’s molecular characteristics, instead of a “one-size-fits-all” approach by tumor type, may be more effective for some types of cancer, according to research presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting by the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. In patients with end-stage disease, matched patients achieved a 27% [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893810 Sat, 04 Jun 2011 03:36:14 +0100 4893810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893541&cid=t_105809_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fwhy-the-e-coli-outbreak-has-people-scared.html – The E. coli EHEC 0101:H4 outbreak that originated in Germany is spreading and Christine Gorman, writing in Scientific American, says she’s scared. At the time of writing, 10 countries had reported more than 1600 severe cases to World Health Organization in Europe and it’s likely that thousands more people have minor infection. The Centers for Disease Control has reported two cases (both travellers) in the US of infection with the EHEC 0101:H4 strain and state health departments are being urged to be vigilant. It is scary and people are dying. But, novel emerging diseases are nothing new and are inevitable in an evolving world. Open up a new niche and a pathogen will evolve to fill it. What is more scary is waiting to learn whether the authorities learned the lessons of... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893541 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:00:05 +0100 4893541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883907&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FUaHLMBOJt7k%2F For the past few years, one of the more contentious controversies has been the close financial ties between drugmakers and some doctors. But why have some docs embraced the pharmaceutical industry? Were their attitudes formed early in their careers? If so, would there be virtue in educating medical students and residents about the downside to industry interactions? That is the conclusion reached in a report issued last week in PLoS Medicine, which analyzed 32 studies that looked at industry interactions with medical students and whether these influenced student views (this amounted to reviewing data concerning some 9,850 students at 76 med schools or hospitals). They found that most had some interaction with drugmakers, but contact increased in the clinical years, with up to 90 percent of ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883907 Tue, 31 May 2011 12:03:59 +0100 4883907 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4876421&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F28%2Fhelping-others-is-good-for-your-health-an-interview-with-stephen-g-post-phd%2F Mahatma Gandhi once said that “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” I have benefited from that advice, for sure, especially in the months that I was crawling out of a very severe depression. An expert on the perks that come with helping others is bestselling author Stephen G. Post, author of The Hidden Gifts of Helping: How the Power of Giving, Compassion, and Hope Can Get us Through Hard Times (Jossey-Bass, 2011). He is Professor of Preventive Medicine, Heard of the Division of Medicine in Society, and Director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics at Stony Brook University. Visit him on his website at www.stephengpost.com/hiddengifts. I have the privilege of conducting an exclusive interview with him for... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4876421 Sat, 28 May 2011 10:07:20 +0100 4876421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872030&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fmedical-societies-paid-to-do-corporate.html BackgroundLast year we posted about how two medical societies which received funding from a drug manufacturer tried to persuade the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to deny approval of a generic competitor to one of that company's products.  The medical societies were the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) and the North American Thrombosis Forum (NATF).  The company was Sanofi-Aventis and the product involved was its anti-coagulant derivative of heparin, Lovenox.  At the time, we noted that the SHM CEO denied the need to specifically disclose funding from Sanofi-Aventis in the letter to the FDA, since he asserted the letter was about "providing the best, most effective care to the hospitalized patient." If so, I wondered why the SHM ha... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872030 Fri, 27 May 2011 18:37:00 +0100 4872030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862920&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FwIP6GVupYbw%2F Sanofi contributed more than $5 million to two medical groups and a Duke University researcher that encouraged the FDA to delay approval of a medicine the drugmaker feared would undercut its blockbuster Lovenox bloodthinner, according to a US Senate Finance Committee report released this morning. The Society of Hospital Medicine, the North American Thrombosis Forum and Duke University thrombosis expert Victor Tapson wrote to the FDA to argue that generic versions of Lovenox may not be as safe as Lovenox, but the letters did not mention any ties to Sanofi, according to the Senate findings, which were first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Just the same, the FDA last summer approved a generic from Momenta Pharmaceuticals and Sandoz, the Novartis generics unit (back story here and here).... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862920 Wed, 25 May 2011 12:55:52 +0100 4862920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852937&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F23%2F10-things-you-should-know-about-male-depression%2F What looks and feels like depression to a woman may not to a man, which is why so many men in America are misdiagnosed or missed altogether. However, considering that the rates of completed suicide of men are three to four times that of women, we need to educate ourselves about male depression and its unique symptoms. The following are 10 things you should know about male depression, compiled from Johns Hopkins Depression and Anxiety Bulletin and other sources. 1. Depression affects about 6 million American men and 12 million American women each year. But these numbers don’t tell the story of men, and older men, in particular. 2. Suicide in men peaks in the 20s and again in the 60s and 70s. 3. Many men experience “depression without sadness,” which makes it more challenging for prima... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852937 Mon, 23 May 2011 16:45:23 +0100 4852937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852943&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F21%2F6-steps-to-get-anyone-yourself-included-to-do-anything%2F I am not promising these things. A motivational coach, consultant, therapist, and award-winning faculty member at Yale School of Medicine is. A guy named Michael V. Pantalon. He has a bunch of credentials like publishing articles in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association, so I read though his book, Instant Influence: How to Get Anyone to Do Anything—FAST with curiosity. I have a lot of projects that I was hoping he could help me with. I have not had enough time to accurately test-drive his recipe of influence; however, I think I’m coming with a bit of a handicap considering my strong urge to want to please people. I only have to hear a vague “I don’t really see it that way,” to abandon my way and go with someone else’s. However,... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852943 Sat, 21 May 2011 10:36:08 +0100 4852943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841885&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F19%2Fasco-2011-genetic-biomarker-predicts-taxane-drug-induced-neuropathy%2F A new study has identified the first genetic biomarkers for taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy, a potentially severe complication of taxane chemotherapy that affects nerves in about one-third of patients with cancer receiving such treatment. ASCO Releases Studies From Upcoming Annual Meeting – Important Advances in Targeted Therapies, Screening, and Personalized Medicine The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) today highlighted [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841885 Thu, 19 May 2011 23:39:33 +0100 4841885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841886&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F19%2Fasco-2011-novel-multi-targeted-agent-cabozantinib-xl184-has-significant-effect-on-several-advanced-solid-tumors%2F Cabozantinib (XL184) demonstrated high rates of disease control in patients with prostate, ovarian and liver cancers. The investigators concluded that cabozantinib exhibits clinical activity in ovarian cancer patients with advanced disease, regardless of prior platinum drug status, as reflected by the high rates of response.  ASCO Releases Studies From Upcoming Annual Meeting – Important Advances [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841886 Thu, 19 May 2011 21:53:46 +0100 4841886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841887&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F19%2Fasco-2011-maintenance-therapy-with-parp-inhibitors-could-play-important-role-in-treatment-of-recurrent-ovarian-cancer%2F A randomized phase II clinical trial showed that the oral PARP inhibitor drug olaparib (AZD2281), given after chemotherapy, improved progression-free survival in women with the most common type of recurrent ovarian cancer. ASCO Releases Studies From Upcoming Annual Meeting – Important Advances in Targeted Therapies, Screening, and Personalized Medicine The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) today [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841887 Thu, 19 May 2011 18:03:58 +0100 4841887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841888&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F19%2F2011-asco-screening-with-ca-125-transvaginal-ultrasound-does-not-reduce-ovarian-cancer-death-rate-results-in-high-number-of-false-positives%2F Findings from a large, long-term study – the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Screening Trial – showed that using a CA-125 blood test and transvaginal ultrasound for early detection of ovarian cancer did not reduce the risk of dying from the disease, and resulted in a large number of false positives and related follow-up [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841888 Thu, 19 May 2011 15:56:18 +0100 4841888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841889&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F18%2F2011-asco-annual-meeting-abstracts-including-ovarian-cancer-made-publicly-available-today%2F More than 30,000 cancer specialists from around the world will gather at the 2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting to discuss the latest innovations in research, quality, practice and technology in cancer. More than 30,000 cancer specialists from around the world will gather at the 2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841889 Wed, 18 May 2011 22:43:10 +0100 4841889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841739&cid=t_105809_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F05%2Ffeedback-sought-on-proposed-speciality.html The following was just forwarded to me this past weekThe Board of Professional Affairs (BPA) seeks member and public comments on Proposed Revision of the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology, a collaboration between the American Psychology-Law Society, APA Division 41 and the American Board of Forensic Psychology, and facilitated through the APA review process, per Association Rule 30.8, by BPA and the Committee on Professional Practice and Standards (COPPS). The revised guidelines aim to improve the quality of forensic psychological services, enhance the practice and facilitate the systematic development of forensic psychology, and encourage a high level of quality in professional practice.The proposed Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology can be viewed here.Invitation for ... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841739 Wed, 18 May 2011 16:46:00 +0100 4841739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841582&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F18%2Fapa-mental-health-blog-party-2011-roundup%2F Here is our roundup of posts from the Psych Central Blog Network that blogged about mental health today as a part of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Mental Health “Blog Party.” Psych Central is the world’s largest independent mental health network run by ordinary mental health professionals. Each month, over 1.5 million people visit our site from around the world to learn more about better mental health and conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD and anxiety. Psych Central bloggers are some of the most dedicated and passionate people I’ve met in the field of mental health. Some are professionals, some are not, but all share one thing in common — they have a knack for writing about psychology and mental health issu... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841582 Wed, 18 May 2011 14:55:30 +0100 4841582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841583&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F18%2Fmental-health-blog-party-why-do-i-blog-about-mental-health%2F As part of May Is Mental Health Awareness Month, many of us here at PsychCentral are participating in a Mental Health Blog Party hosted by the American Psychological Association. Today, May 18, we are all blogging about mental health awareness. Here’s my contribution. Why do I blog about mental health? I want to explain to people that depression and other mood disorders aren’t yuppie diseases for folks with the time and resources to ruminate and obsess, that they can be life-threatening illnesses. That’s right. Depression kills. It killed my godmother — my mom’s younger sister — at the tender age of 43. It kills approximately 800,000 people across the globe every year. Suicide takes more lives than traffic accidents, lung disease, and AIDs, and it is the second leading cause o... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841583 Wed, 18 May 2011 14:01:37 +0100 4841583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841584&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F18%2Fincreasing-mental-health-awareness-too-much-of-a-good-thing%2F Today is the American Psychological Association’s “Blog Party” in recognition of May being mental health month. The marketing effort behind designating a specific month a time to recognize and help increase awareness of a certain disease, disorder or condition is intended to help people learn more about various medical and mental health concerns. But a few weeks ago, physician H. Gilbert Welch wrote an op-ed in the LA Times that questioned whether the pendulum has swung too far the other way. Have we become a nation of people who will get diagnosed for all sorts of sub-clinical problems at the drop of a hat? Indeed, I think there is a very real danger of that becoming the case. And nowhere is that more likely than in mental health. Dr. Ron Pies talked about some of these... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841584 Wed, 18 May 2011 10:14:06 +0100 4841584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841585&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F17%2Fnew-study-says-treating-mom-helps-childrens-mental-health%2F In this study, researchers learned that children’s improvement, in terms of both depressive symptoms and social functioning, is associated with the time it took their mothers to get better.” I sort of cringe when I read those facts because it took me two years to get better when I was severely depressed. My kids were the ages of one and three when my symptoms began, and they were three and five when I finally regained some stability. And yes, there were huge behavioral ramifications. Especially in my son. I suspect much of the anxiety he suffers today goes back to that frightening time in his life. Wall Street Journal columnist Melinda Beck writes about the new study in this week’s “Health Journal.” Beck mentions a report published in the journal Pediatrics that says at early a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841585 Tue, 17 May 2011 22:15:42 +0100 4841585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841671&cid=t_105809_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fcustomization-key-successful-pediatric-emr-systems As my interest in electronic medical records, especially in the pediatric realm, has grown alongside the weight and height of my young children, I did a little digging to see just how large the pediatric-specific EMR market has become. A simple Google search of “pediatrics, EMR” brought up, suffice it say, results too numerous to dive into (550,000, to be exact).   No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841671 Tue, 17 May 2011 13:38:09 +0100 4841671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828985&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F16%2Fover-40-playful-yet-practical-ways-to-cultivate-creativity%2F This article is designed specifically for marketing mavens but everyone can take away some good ideas, regardless of your profession. What are some of your favorite creativity-boosting activities? What helps you get those creative juices churning? (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828985 Mon, 16 May 2011 12:06:04 +0100 4828985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820763&cid=t_105809_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fsmall-bowel-injury-aast-classification%2F The American Association for the Study of Trauma has classified small bowel injury into five grades depending on severity and degree of devascularization. They are: Grade 1 – partial bowel wall thickness laceration or contusion/hematoma without devascularization Grade 2 – Less than 50% circumferential full-thickness laceration Grade 3 – Greater than 50% circumferential full-thickness laceration but without complete transection Grade 4 – Complete transection of bowel Grade 5 – Transection accompanied by segmental loss or with devascularization of a segment of bowel (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820763 Sat, 14 May 2011 06:00:24 +0100 4820763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4821100&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F13%2Fova1-blood-test-detects-ovarian-cancer-in-women-with-a-known-ovarian-mass-more-accurately-than-ca-125%2F A study published online in Obstetrics & Gynecology reports that the OVA1 blood test detects ovarian cancer in women with a previously discovered ovarian mass more accurately than the CA-125 blood test. The study also considers OVA1′s place in future surgical referral guidelines. A study published online ahead of print in the June 2011 edition of [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4821100 Fri, 13 May 2011 15:11:11 +0100 4821100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820959&cid=t_105809_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fnew-it-companies-bring-innovation-emergency-situations My recent blog on “Mobile Solutions Key to Evolving Emergency Care” prompted me to further ponder the current availability of mobile healthcare devices that enable a patient to initiate communication – even at a very basic, even non-verbal level - with caregivers before they arrive at the ER. Two companies – both relatively new to the industry it seems – caught my eye. No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820959 Fri, 13 May 2011 13:01:00 +0100 4820959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820765&cid=t_105809_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fpancreas-injury-aast-classification%2F The American Association for the Study of Trauma has classified pancreatic injury into five grades depending on the severity and location of parenchymal and duct disruption. They are: Grade 1 – superficial laceration to gland without duct injury or small hematoma in gland without duct injury Grade 2 – major laceration to gland without duct injury or large hematoma in gland without duct injury Grade 3 – parenchymal laceration with duct injury or distal transection Grade 4 – parenchymal laceration involving the ampulla of Vater or proximal transection Grade 5 – massive disruption or obliteration of pancreatic head (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820765 Fri, 13 May 2011 06:00:42 +0100 4820765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813245&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGSv73gL_4_A%2F By Michael F. CannonDefending ObamaCare in federal court yesterday, the Obama administration’s acting solicitor general, Neal K. Katyal, peddled the widely discredited claim that the uninsured increase your and my health insurance premiums by $1,000: “When people self-finance their health care,” Katyal contended, “that raises the cost of health care overall by $43 billion a year, and that raises the average family’s premiums by $1,000 a year. That will price untold numbers of people out of the market.” That estimate comes from two left-wing groups, Families USA and the Center for American Progress Action Fund. When President Obama himself made this claim, FactCheck.org reported: [Obama] said ”the average family pays a thousand dollars in extra premiums to pay for pe... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813245 Wed, 11 May 2011 17:47:04 +0100 4813245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813248&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FjvfxlWlE_Rw%2F By Gene HealyOver at the American Conservative, I have a review of Eric Posner and Adrian Vermuele’s new book Executive Unbound: After the Madisonian Republic. Funny enough, the working title for my book on presidential power was “Executive Unbound,” but P&V have a very different take on the dangers of concentrating power in the executive (they coin the term “tyrannophobia,” for irrational fear of executive abuse). From the review’s intro: The New York Times book editors assigned their review to the Straussian political philosopher Harvey Mansfield, the self-styled expert on “manliness” who’s as rabid a supporter of the imperial presidency as you’re likely to find. In the late Bush era, Mansfield wrote a 3,000-word Wall Street Journal op-ed, ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813248 Wed, 11 May 2011 16:30:24 +0100 4813248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813669&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FVsf-59_lCGQ%2F In a blistering missive, the Public Citizen consumer group has charged that researchers with ties to Eli Lilly withheld important data from the Journal of the American Medical Association concerning their recent study of an imaging agent for Alzheimer’s disease. Last March, the FDA declined to approve the drug over concerns that scans can be accurately read, but Lilly continues to seek approval. In a letter published yesterday in JAMA, Public Citizen criticized the January 19 study, which examined whether brain scans using Lilly’s Amyvid, an experimental dye to detect brain abnormalities, was effective. However, the consumer group charged the authors excluded data on the extent to which the scans could be intepreted accurately from one doctor to the next (here is the study and ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813669 Wed, 11 May 2011 13:26:24 +0100 4813669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813391&cid=t_105809_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fdear-ceo-are-you-making-most-of-your_11.html Your hospital has a great website with lots of clever graphics, health calculators, videos, and flash presentations ! Your marketing department is very pleased that you now have a Youtube and Twitter channel and a Facebook page. However, if you are using your hospital website as just a branding tool or a digital hospital brochure , you are not getting most bang for your buck !You need to integrate Information Therapy as part of your medical workflow, so your doctors can provide better medical care to their patients; and your patients can have a hospital experience they can rave about !By using clever new applications based on the Healthwise Knowledgebase , you can marry Information Therapy with EMRs, patient portals and web 2.0 social media, to improve the care you provide to your patients... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813391 Wed, 11 May 2011 03:15:00 +0100 4813391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803282&cid=t_105809_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fpediatric-emrs-getting-their-fair-share-hit-spotlight I was pleasantly surprised a few weeks ago when I walked into the office of my daughter’s pediatrician and saw a computer monitor and keyboard ready to be unwrapped and plugged in – presumably to an electronic medical record. Perhaps by our next visit, the doctor would already be familiar with my daughter’s trip to the emergency room in another town, and the results of a visit to a specialist a few weeks later.   No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803282 Mon, 09 May 2011 12:23:30 +0100 4803282 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4795056&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FgtIUt5aYG24%2F How closely tied are professional medical societies to drug and device makers? Just how much money do some receive? And how obvious is the spending at annual meetings? The answers - some have very close ties, get lots of money and the outlay can be enough to burst a blood vessel. Take the Heart Rhythm Society, which is holding its annual to-do in San Francisco this week. For instance, Sanofi-Aventis shelled out a total of $351,00, which was divided this way: $110,000 on programs & guides; another $110,000 on educational support; $96,000 for exhibit space; $25,000 for ‘turndown service,’ and $10,000 for bag inserts and cards. Similarly, Johnson & Johnson spent $386,750. Here’s how: $275,000 for exhibit space and lounge;s $36,000 on educational support; $25,000 for ban... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4795056 Fri, 06 May 2011 13:44:32 +0100 4795056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789203&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fl0GNcXjeCls%2F By Daniel GriswoldOur friends at the Economic Policy Institute are at it again, issuing another study this week that shows some particular trade agreement has costs X thousands of jobs over a certain number of years. The latest target of EPI’s flawed model is the North American Free Trade Agreement. Enacted in 1994, NAFTA has created a free trade zone comprising the United States, Canada, and Mexico. According to the EPI report, U.S. trade deficits with Mexico as of 2010 displaced production that could have supported 682,900 U.S. jobs; given the pre-NAFTA trade surplus, all of those jobs have been lost or displaced since NAFTA. This estimate of 682,900 net jobs displaced takes into account the additional jobs created by exports to Mexico. The report’s author, Robert Scott, claims it f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789203 Fri, 06 May 2011 01:40:06 +0100 4789203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789334&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F04%2Fpsych-central-roundup-the-death-of-osama-bin-laden%2F By now, you know the news: Osama bin Laden is no more. Whether he died in a blazing gunfight or was taken out by surprise (the reports are a little vague here), Seal Team 6 completed their mission. And for some people, that completed mission was cause for celebration.  Last Sunday evening and Monday morning, American flags were hoisted into the air, people stood out on the streets cheering and the internet was buzzing with elation. If you owned a Twitter or Facebook account, you saw it.  I certainly did.  In fact, I learned about bin Laden’s death before the President even announced it: I was Facebook chatting with the very friend who was sitting next to me almost 10 years ago when the twin towers came down and suddenly, status updates were exploding. “I think Osama bin La... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789334 Wed, 04 May 2011 20:52:45 +0100 4789334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780297&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6uq0Gov-s54%2F By David RittgersAs Chris Preble noted early Monday morning, Osama bin Laden is dead. In addition to celebrating V-OBL Day, we should take a moment to reflect on wars of the last decade and the civil liberties we have sacrificed since September 11, 2001. Malou Innocent makes the case for reconsidering our foreign policy, and Jim Harper asks if he can have his airport back. We lay out these thoughts in more detail in this Cato video, After bin Laden. The phrase “after bin Laden” has a nice ring to it. Cato held counterterrorism conferences in 2009 and 2010, and there’s more Cato work on counterterrorism and homeland security here. After bin Laden is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780297 Tue, 03 May 2011 12:49:54 +0100 4780297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775390&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbig-brother-taken-to-another-level-physician-movements-tracked-with-rfid-tags-at-medical-conferences%2F2011.05.02 Not everything that counts can be measured. Not everything that can be measured counts. -Albert Einstein Recently, a disturbing trend of monitoring physician quality and accountability has taken another ominous turn: tracking physician’s movements at scientific conferences (so called “tag and release”) using RFID tags imbedded in attendees name badges at national scientific sessions. Having had personal experience with the recent American College of Cardiology meeting, this technology will also be imbedded in the name badges for attendees at the upcoming Heart Rhythm Society meeting to be held in San Francisco in May. On first blush, it shouldn’t be such a big deal, right? It was all just a great way for companies to obtain, for a fee, the names and institutions of ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775390 Mon, 02 May 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4775390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4771211&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F30%2Fthe-freudian-problem%2F Excluding pop psychologists, (such as Dr. Phil, Dr. Drew or Wayne Dyer) Sigmund Freud is probably the most well known name associated with psychology (at least to the lay public).  In Frank Sulloway’s book, Freud: Biologist of the Mind, the author notes, “Few individuals, if any, have exerted more influence upon the twentieth century than Sigmund Freud.” (Shermer, 2001, p.203). A 1981 survey of chairpersons of graduate psychology found that the respondents considered Freud the most influential figure in the history of psychology (Davis, Thomas, & Weaver, 1982).  But times have changed. “[I]f all the members of the American Psychological Association [APA] who  were concerned with Freudian psychoanalysis were collected, they would make up  less than 10 percent of the membersh... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4771211 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 16:00:59 +0100 4771211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762769&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsome-older-male-physicians-dont-even-realize-when-theyre-being-inappropriate%2F2011.04.28 A few days ago I read that Dr. Lazar Greenfield, Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan, resigned as the president-elect of the American College of Surgeons over flak for authoring a Valentine’s Day-pegged, tacky, tasteless and sexist piece in Surgery News. The February issue is mysteriously absent in the pdf-ied archives. According to the Times coverage: “The editorial cited research that found that female college students who had had unprotected sex were less depressed than those whose partners used condoms. From Pauline Chen, also in the Times: It begins with a reference to the mating behaviors of fruit flies, then goes on to discuss studies on the menstrual cycles of heterosexual and lesbian women who live together. Citing the research of evolutionary psychologists at the... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762769 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:00:47 +0100 4762769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753627&cid=t_105809_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F27%2Fhow-a-valentines-editorial-about-chocolate-semen-lead-to-the-resignation-of-top-surgeon-greenfield%2F Dr. Lazar Greenfield, recently won the election as the new President of  ACS (American College of Surgeons). This position would crown his achievements. For Greenfield was a truly pre-eminent surgeon. He is best known for his development of an intracaval filter bearing his name. This device probably has saved many lives by preventing blood clots from going into the [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753627 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 23:51:44 +0100 4753627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747651&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F24%2Fanalyzing-the-thinking-process-interview-with-diane-halpern%2F Diane Halpern is a professor of psychology at Claremont McKenna College; she is the former president of the American Psychological Association and former president of the Western Psychological Association.  Halpern has won many awards for her teaching and research, including the 2002 Outstanding Professor Award from the Western Psychological Association, the 1999 American Psychological Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching, and the Silver Medal Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.  She has also authored a variety of books. Here are some of Halpern’s views on the thinking process. What is the goal of critical thinking?  Is critical thinking rational thinking? Critical thinking is good thinking or clear thinking—it involves analyzing the think... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747651 Sun, 24 Apr 2011 12:16:37 +0100 4747651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742366&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQ5ttBmNNh0c%2F By Trevor BurrusDuring Tuesday’s oral arguments in American Electric Power v. Connecticut—the global warming lawsuit that Walter Olson recently discussed here and Ilya Shapiro here, and in which Cato filed amicus briefs at both the certiorari stage and the merits stage—the justices concentrated their inquiries on a few technical legal doctrines in order to answer one question: should states even be allowed to sue power companies for the damage that global warming has allegedly done to their lands and citizens? There are multiple ways this question could be answered, and how it is answered in the final opinion could have important ramifications for future environmental litigation. Connecticut and five other states, plus New York City and three land trusts, brought the suit against fiv... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742366 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:10:08 +0100 4742366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734689&cid=t_105809_155_f&fid=38412&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpathlabmed.typepad.com%2Fsurgical_pathology_and_la%2F2011%2F04%2Fascocap-clarifications-to-erprher2-testing-guidelines.html ASCO is publishing a clinical notice regarding clarifications to previously published guidelines for HER2 testing and estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) testing in breast cancer.  A summary can be found at the CAP Web site. The clarifications were needed since these tests are generally run on the same specimen in routine practice and reconcile discrepancies between the two guidelines regarding cold ischemia time, handling of remotely obtained specimens, appropriate fixation times in NBF, and selection of optimal areas for testing. This is a welcomed development for us practicing grunts (who must acknowledge, explain and document this stuff) but shouldn't affect current routine practice or patient testing. (Source: The Daily Sign-Out) The Daily Sign-Out blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734689 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:43:39 +0100 4734689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734053&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FaZoSG5ocmyE%2F By Walter OlsonYesterday the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in American Electric Power v. Connecticut, the massive greenhouse-gas suit. Like the other “big” global warming/climate change suits, this one suffers from a basic and incurable defect: it seeks to undermine the separation of powers established under the U.S. Constitution by inviting the courts to address “political questions” of a sort properly resolved by other branches of government. As Cato’s amicus brief by Ilya Shapiro and Evan Turgeon explained in the case of Comer v. Murphy Oil: “[W]hile it executes firmly all the judicial powers intrusted to it, the court will carefully abstain from exercising any power that is not strictly judicial in its character, and which is not clearly confi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734053 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:35:14 +0100 4734053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734058&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOTvW8AKCpvs%2F By George Scoville “Collective bargaining gives unions the exclusive right to speak for covered workers, many of whom may disagree with the views of the monopoly union.” “Which two have done more to improve your life — Thomas Edison and Steve Jobs, or Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi?” “A temporarily frozen debt limit could instead signal U.S. lawmakers’ resolve to get our fiscal house in order. It may even reassure investors about long-term U.S. economic prospects.” “What makes Americans exceptional is our ornery resistance to being bossed around.” Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) spoke recently at a Cato forum on fiscal policy about the CAP Act–here’s an excerpt of his remarks: Wednesday Links is a post from Cato @ Liberty -... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734058 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:16:36 +0100 4734058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734060&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_w3pyeTsKZ0%2F By Gene HealyMy Washington Examiner column this week covers two developments last week that may make you somewhat less likely to “Give Thanks for the TSA” as former Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen urged on National Review’s website. The first is the viral video of a TSA agent at New Orleans airport giving the “freedom fondle” to a six-year-old girl. The second is Friday’s revelation that among the “behavioral indicators” TSA uses to scope out travelers who deserve extra manhandling is the “arrogant” expression of “contempt against airport passenger procedures.” Because, clearly, making a scene on an airport security line is sound strategy for anyone trying to sneak a bomb onto a plane. Is it possible that anyone with an IQ above room temperature bu... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734060 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:06:53 +0100 4734060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734063&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOJ5BsPWZczg%2F By George Scoville Please join us this Thursday, April 21 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern for a book forum and debate on “green energy” policy, following the recent release of the Cato book The False Promise of Green Energy. On Thursday, University of Alabama Professor of Law and Business Andrew P. Morriss (one of the book’s authors) and Center for American Progress Vice President for Energy Policy Kate Gordon will debate the merits of the “green” economic agenda, moderated by Cato Institute Senior Fellow Jerry Taylor. Complimentary registration is required of all attendees by noon TOMORROW, Wednesday, April 20. We hope you can join us in person and for the reception following the event–if you cannot attend in person, we hope you’ll tune in online or on Faceb... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734063 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:29:37 +0100 4734063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723737&cid=t_105809_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fdr-lazar-greenfield-resigns-board-regents-american-college-surgeons%2F Dr. Lazar Greenfield has resigned as President-elect and Board Member of the American College of Surgeons in the face of burgeoning criticism of a recent editorial he wrote in Surgery News that many College members found offensive and sexist. Drs. Barbara Bass and Diane M. Simone comment. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723737 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:59:52 +0100 4723737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719880&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F1aPkIMF85rM%2F By David RittgersTSA screeners and behavior detection officers may give you extra attention if you complain about security protocols (video at the jump). Former FBI agent Michael German sums up my feelings pretty well: It’s circular reasoning where, you know, I’m going to ask someone to surrender their rights; if they refuse, that’s evidence that I need to take their rights away from them. And it’s simply inappropriate. In related news, the GAO recently told Congress that the TSA’s Screening Passengers by Observation Technique (SPOT) is not scientifically grounded. The GAO testimony is available here. More Cato work on TSA screening here, here and here. TSA: If You Object to Giving Up Your Rights, We Should Take a Closer Look at You is a post from Cato @ Liberty -... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719880 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:52:08 +0100 4719880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714726&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fnj_4KnPBahk%2F By George Scoville One thing is clear after President Obama’s speech yesterday: He envisions a smaller national debt, but a much bigger government. One percent is better than nothing, but it’s still pretty close to nothing. One thing is clear about climate change: it’s causing a rising tide of red ink in Washington. See the forthcoming book Climate Coup: Global Warming’s Invasion of Our Government and Our Lives and join us for the accompanying book forum, featuring MIT meteorologist Richard Lindzen and American Meteorological Society fellow Bob Ryan, on Wednesday, May 4 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Complimentary registration is required of all attendees by 12:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, May 3. If you cannot join us in person, we hope you’ll watch live online. One can... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714726 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:23:25 +0100 4714726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709205&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fkudos-to-acog-a-moral-victory-for-pregnant-women%2F2011.04.13 This post is written as a follow-up to The Hijacking of Pregnant Women. It is said that sometimes you have to rock the boat in order to shift the course of progress. Well today pregnant women have reason to celebrate. The winds of change are apparent. Bowing under pressure, K-V Pharmaceutical Company reduced the price of Makena from $1500 to $690. Makena is the trade name for hydroxyprogesterone caproate or 17OHP. It is a drug recently approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce premature deliveries before 37 weeks if it is given before 21 weeks gestation.  It has been used for years as an off-label drug and costs approximately $10 to $20 to make by compound pharmacists. When the FDA gave K-V an exclusive right to manufacture the drug, their integrity flew out the window.... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709205 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:00:38 +0100 4709205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704956&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FPhLfP23_6gY%2F File this under The Case of The Missing Book. When last seen, Scientific Therapeutics Information was at the center of an ongoing controversy over an allegedly ghostwritten book - yes, an entire book - that was published in 1999 by the American Psychiatric Association. Funding came from a grant provided by SmithKline Beecham, which is now part of GlaxoSmithKline (back story). The listed co-authors were Charles Nemeroff, who chairs the psychiatry department at the University of Miami medical school, and Alan Schatzberg, who until recently chaired the psychiatry department at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Both men were at the center of a long-running probe by the US Senate Finance Committee into undisclosed conflicts of interest among academic researchers. They were also regul... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704956 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:13:27 +0100 4704956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704589&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fthem-or-your-lying-eyes.html …THEM OR YOUR LYING EYES? A few days ago I discussed stonewalling by the American Psychiatric Association over charges that they were partners in a ghostwritten textbook. The issue resonated with many people, including Daniel Carlat, John Nardo, the POGO blog, Alison Bass, Ed Silverman, and others. The APA has not seen its way clear to releasing key documents that might clear up the charges. By stonewalling, the APA just does more damage to its image and credibility. They come across as uninterested in transparency, and they appear to be fighting a rearguard action to defend the indefensible. What kind of key documents could the APA have released? In our letter last January we suggested several, including the contract involving the American Psychiatric Press, the medical communications c... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704589 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 04:18:00 +0100 4704589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696607&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGaYv4vnKj9A%2F By David BoazIn this week’s Britannica column, I look at the claims being made for the budget cuts in the weekend deal: “The largest annual spending cut in our history,” President Obama said. Speaker of the House John Boehner called it the “largest real dollar spending cut in American history.” Saturday’s front-page, upper-right headline in the Washington Post proclaimed: BIGGEST CUTS IN U.S. HISTORY The story went on to say that Obama “said the cuts would be painful but necessary.” NPR’s Andrea Seabrook reported, “The Republicans got big, big cuts.” And are they? Please. It’s a cut of $38 billion in a budget of $3,819 billion. That’s 1 percent. That’s a rounding error in federal budgeting…. That same budget table shows that federal spending fell f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696607 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:20:24 +0100 4696607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696954&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F3Eb37NoKR6k%2F Hello, everyone, and nice to see you again. We hope the weekend was refreshing and enjoyable. Now, though, the routine of meetings and deadlines has returned. To cope, yes, we are brewing that mandatory cup of stimulation. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits to get you going. Let us know if you hear anything interesting and have a great, productive day… Endo Pharma Buying American Medical For $2.6 Billion (Associated Press) Intercell Suspends Trial For MRSA Vaccine (Bloomberg News) Actress Sues Lilly For Using Her Face In Prozac Ad (New York Post) Novartis Stops Tasigna Trial In Patients With GIST (Reuters) Inspiration Pharma Eyes Plant In Ireland And 500 Jobs (Irish Post) Merck KGgA Considers Job Cuts At Serono Unit (Reuters) Merck And Sun Pharma Near Generics Deal (LiveMint) British M... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696954 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:51:13 +0100 4696954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693504&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F21CAXYYz48I%2F After months of overseeing a series of controversial moves at the FDA press office, Beth Martino has resigned to take a job with the American Health Care Association as a public affairs advisor. Her departure caps a brief, but tumultuous reign for the 31-year-old former press aide to Kathleen Sebelius, the former Kansas governor who is now Department of Human Health & Services secretary. As much as she attempted to manage the news, Martino succeeded in making news herself. In December, her office purged a few senior specialists who are 50 years and older. Three staffers were let go and a fourth, career employee Donna Avallone, 62, was stripped of her title and reassigned by Carl Chitwood, a 37-year-old Martino appointee, although he later denied forcing anyone out of a job (back story... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693504 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:59:23 +0100 4693504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693232&cid=t_105809_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fdr-larry-bramlage-wins-top-orthopedic-surgery-award-horses%2F Equine orthopedic surgeon Dr. Larry Bramlage of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital has won the American College of Veterinary Surgeons Foundation Legends Award. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693232 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:20:51 +0100 4693232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684319&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsurgeons-criticize-medical-tourism-you-cant-sue-if-things-go-awry%2F2011.04.06 In an earlier post, DrRich offered several potential strategies for doctors and patients to consider should healthcare reformers ultimately succeed in their efforts to make it illegal for Americans to seek medical care outside the auspices of Obamacare. To those readers who persist in thinking that DrRich is particularly paranoid in worrying about such a thing, he refers you to his prior work carefully documenting the efforts the Central Authority has already made in limiting the prerogatives of individual Americans within the healthcare system, and reminds you that in any society where social justice is the overriding concern, individual prerogatives such as these must be criminalized. Indeed, whether individuals will retain the right to spend their own money on their own healthcare is ul... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684319 Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:00:54 +0100 4684319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676731&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fwho-you-gonna-believe.html WHO YOU GONNA BELIEVE? Ghostwriting Charges and Stonewalling at the American Psychiatric Association The American Psychiatric Association came under a searchlight this past December over allegations of ghostwriting. The story originated with a public letter from Project on Government Oversight (POGO) to the Director of NIH, and it was picked up by Duff Wilson writing in the New York Times. The book was Recognition and Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: A Psychopharmacology Handbook for Primary Care. The named authors were Charles Nemeroff, now chairman of psychiatry at the University of Miami, and Alan Schatzberg, formerly chairman of psychiatry at Stanford University. Both are well known for ethical controversy – see here and here. Soon, these allegations were being dissected in the bl... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676731 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 04:44:00 +0100 4676731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4677021&cid=t_105809_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fright-to-life-means-you-have-no-rights.html H/T Red Rambler: Is Pro-Life really Pro-Life?Image via Wikipedia  Have you ever noticed that when Social Conservatives use a bumper sticker term like "Right To Life," it often means something entirely different than what ordinary English Usage would suggest? "Right to Life" - you would think - would imply a broad reverence for life and a reluctance to interfere in matters of individual liberty. But in fact, the only real right to life they seem to respect is their right to interfere with your life, and there are two iconic causes here - any chance that a woman might control her own reproduction, even in cases of rape or incest (one is tempted at times to use the word especially)  and of course the gun-culture fetishism. It is not Right to Life when the direct outcome of policy an... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4677021 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:28:00 +0100 4677021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4677134&cid=t_105809_160_f&fid=36189&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skinmdblog.com%2F514%2Fthe-dirt-on-common-cosmetic-ingredients%2F Have you given up trying to figure out what causes your skin allergies? Unbeknownst to many consumers, we could be spending good money on products that we think are good for our skin but are actually causing allergic reactions, dermatitis, premature aging, and worse.  The following are the cosmetic industry’s dirtiest ingredients, rated according to Environmental Working Group’s cosmetics database Skin Deep, which references the American Cancer Society and other reliable organizations.  Skin Deep rates specific ingredients on a hazard scale from 0 to 10, the latter being the most harmful. Petrochemicals Petroleum jelly, isopropyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, ethanol Found in skin astringents, perfumes Petrolatum (petroleum jelly) rates a low 2 on Skin Deep’s hazard scal... Skin MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4677134 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:16:43 +0100 4677134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4677040&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fnot-writing-much-longer-i-hope%2F I only learned tonight that Ann Romney, the wife of Mitt Romney, a presidential candidate wannabe, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. I didn’t know that until now, but I was happy to learn that she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer — ductal carcinoma in situ DCIS. Technically, carcinoma in situ is a pre-cancer. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in situ when she was 60; she survived that and then survived lung cancer later. Women diagnosed at that early age are often considered cancer-free after a lumpectomy to remove the tiny tumor. I was not so lucky. When I was diagnosed, the cancer was invasive and had spread to several lymph nodes. That was over six years ago. I survived and I have been writing about it for five years. I never figured that I would sti... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4677040 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:52:09 +0100 4677040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670169&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F03%2Fhas-psychiatry-really-abandoned-psychotherapy-the-story-behind-the-new-york-times-story%2F A fifteen-minute med check, a ‘scrip for some Prozac, and you’re outta here, buddy! You got other problems? Talk to your therapist! If the front-page article in the March 6 New York Times1 can be believed — and who wouldn’t believe America’s “Paper of Record”? — this is essentially what the practice of American psychiatry has become. But how accurate was the Times’ portrait of outpatient psychiatry? How grounded was it in the best available research? And given the roughly 30,000 psychiatrists in the U.S., how clear a picture can we get by peering through the eyes of one beleaguered practitioner who believes that psychotherapy is no longer “economically viable”? As an occasional contributor to the Times who has great respect for its journalistic integrity, I’m sorr... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670169 Sun, 03 Apr 2011 10:30:58 +0100 4670169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670170&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F02%2Fdo-you-feel-like-a-fake-2%2F When I was in grad school, I was a fake, a phony, a fraud. Or at least I felt that way — very much. I felt like the program made some exception to accept me, that I really didn’t deserve to be there, that I wore my stupidity on my sleeve and that soon the professors and powers-that-be would find out and kick me out. That never happened. (I actually left after receiving my Master’s to pursue writing.) But it didn’t quell my fears. Even when I received high grades and positive feedback and praise, I still felt a gnawing discomfort that I just didn’t belong in such a smart place. I also wasn’t the only one. My cohort and I talked regularly about feeling like our department had a made a mistake in admitting us. We worried about keeping up, regularly questioned our i... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670170 Sat, 02 Apr 2011 19:20:51 +0100 4670170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670089&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fsmgbhm97Dmc%2F By Benjamin H. FriedmanMany presidential foreign policy doctrines ago, George Kennan figured out what was wrong with them. In my latest post for The Skeptics, I rely on his insight to try to stop pundits from inventing an Obama Doctrine. The national effort to discern an Obama Doctrine from our attack on Libya is likely to be futile. If it succeeds, it will be harmful. No one can make foreign policy without some theory or strategy. But as Kennan’s lament about the Truman Doctrine points out, doctrines tend to be post-hoc rationales of actions that confuse policy later. If taken seriously, they typically encourage foolish wars. Kennan attributed the American desire for doctrines to our love of law and rules. I see it more as a product of divided power, which heightens the need for sales. ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670089 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:33:19 +0100 4670089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670094&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9bK1ZnQsJGQ%2F By Christopher PrebleI have an op-ed in Politico today that explores what I call President Obama's power problem, a common theme in my work (my book is now in a Kindle edition!). Simply stated, when a country has more military power than it needs to defend itself and its core interests, it will expand its definition of "the national interest." This will, in turn, lead it to intervene militarily in places and disputes that have no connection to the country's security. That certainly has been the pattern for the United States for at least the last two decades. The problem is nicely encapsulated in the famous exchange between Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell, which Powell recounted in his memoir. Madeleine Albright, our ambassador to the UN, asked me in frustration “What’s the po... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670094 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:04:31 +0100 4670094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670095&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FesbVSDUr5i4%2F By George Scoville They passed the bill, and now we're finding out what's in it. We're finding out that the war in Libya could really be about protecting European interests. In Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand described a world in which government both partly produced and partly subsidized goods; we're finding out she wasn't far off the mark. We're finding out that "American exceptionalism" is a cloak for military adventurism. The longer America fights a war on drugs, the more we find out about how detrimental it is to our fiscal outlook: Friday Links is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670095 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:45:22 +0100 4670095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658583&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F30%2F2011-aacr-annual-meeting-select-ovarian-cancer-presentations-abstracts-available-online%2F The 102nd American Association For Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting will be held from Saturday, April 2 through Wednesday, April 6, 2011, at the Orange County Convention Center located in Orlando, Florida.  Select ovarian cancer presentations and abstracts are available online. The 102nd American Association For Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting will be held from [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658583 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:23:54 +0100 4658583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653602&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FdtWgguerbvk%2F Yet another study has found a conflict of interest among doctors. This time, conflicts were reported by 56 percent of 498 docs who helped write 17 guidelines for the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology between 2003 through 2008, according to the study published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine (see the abstract). And this finding matters because these panels typically wield considerable influence. “Panels are the select groups of experts who are assigned to evaluate science independently and issue their advice to other doctors on what to do in clinical practice,” the researchers write. Guidelines “play an important role in synthesizing information for clinicians, as well as increasing uniform practice to certain standards and avoiding t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653602 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:15:11 +0100 4653602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653331&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fahrq-healthcare-access-and-racial-disparities-not-improving%2F2011.03.29 According to American Medical News, the U.S. health system is demonstrating better performance on most measures of health care quality, but it’s failing to improve access to care or cut racial and ethnic health disparities, according to two reports released in February by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.  “Quality of care continues to improve, but at a slow rate,” said Ernest Moy, MD, leader of the team at AHRQ that produced the reports.  ”In contrast to that, focusing on issues of access to care, not much has changed.  Focusing on disparities in care, not much changed…Those are bigger problem areas than overall quality of care.”  Measures related to hospital quality are showing the most improvement.  For example, in 2005, just 42% of patients with heart att... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653331 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:00:25 +0100 4653331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653461&cid=t_105809_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F29%2Fcelebrate-the-root-canal%2F   What was the dentist doing in Panama? …Looking for the Root Canal  Root Canal Awareness Week The American Association of Endodontists has designated  March 27-April 2 as Root Canal Awareness Week. This event is a national effort to raise awareness of endodontists and to teach the public that root canals should not be [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653461 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:07:56 +0100 4653461 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653605&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Figh8X5xxjNM%2F A provision of the False Claims Act that prevents whistleblower lawsuits from being unsealed does not violate the First Amendment and, therefore, the public’s right to access the documents, a federal appeals court has ruled. In a 2-to-1 vote, the US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit upheld an earlier decision that shot down the argument whistleblower lawsuits should be unsealed after a 60-day period because this would allow the public to learn as soon as possible about corporate wrongdoing. The rationale for requiring these lawsuits to remain sealed for at least 60 days is to allow the feds, who are permitted to seek extensions beyond that initial period, to investigate the allegations. During the seal period, the whistleblower is not supposed to discuss the suit or its contents. ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653605 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:55:34 +0100 4653605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642673&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F28%2Fpediatrics-gets-it-wrong-about-facebook-depression%2F You know it’s not good when one of the most prestigious pediatric journals, Pediatrics, can’t differentiate between correlation and causation. And yet this is exactly what the authors of a “clinical report” did in reporting on the impact of social media on children and teens. Especially in their discussion of “Facebook depression,” a term that the authors simply made up to describe the phenomenon observed when depressed people use social media. Shoddy research? You bet. That’s why Pediatrics calls it a “clinical report” — because it’s at the level of a bad blog post written by people with a clear agenda. In this case, the report was written by Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe, Kathleen Clarke-Pearson and the American Academy of... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642673 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:05:36 +0100 4642673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642912&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ffinishing-the-fight-against-breast-cancer%2F I have been writing this blog for 5 years now and last week was the first week that I missed posting one. I think I finally crashed and burned. Not from writing the blog — this is something I love — but from trying to be superwoman. I had follow-up reconstructive surgery a week ago last Thursday, and Friday I was right back to business. By Monday I was feeling the fatigue that comes after surgery, which I could have avoided by resting Friday and Saturday. I stumbled through the rest of the week barely accomplishing anything. Generally I bounce back quickly from surgery. I need at least a day of rest after, but I didn’t give myself that privilege this time. I am always encouraging breast cancer survivors to take their time healing and to give themselves as much time and spac... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642912 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:39:16 +0100 4642912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636528&cid=t_105809_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fafter-icd-10-will-coders-ever-regain-icd-9-efficiency-levels If anyone is suggesting that ICD-10 will not create a productivity drop in the days after compliance, they must be practicing silent protest. Most experts agree that come the flip-switch October 1, 2013 compliance deadline even seasoned, well-trained coders will take longer with the ICD-10 than they did with ICD-9. The overarching question is whether or not coders will master ICD-10 and, in so doing, resume ICD-9-era productivity? read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636528 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:22:30 +0100 4636528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636659&cid=t_105809_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F5PvEgH1s4QA%2F The pharmaceutical industry has traditionally established ties to doctors during their formative years in residency programs, but more recently, drugmakers have been shunned by several high-profile academic medical centers over concerns of undue influence on medical practice. Now, a new study in Academic Medicine finds that a wide array of family medicine residencies are taking similar steps. The researchers conducted a nationwide survey of family medicine residencies to determine the extent and type of industry interactions with trainees and to identify so-called pharma-free residencies that avoided iindustry influence. And so they e-mailed four questions to residency directors or coordinators at all 460 accredited US family med residencies. In all, 286 replied. The findings: 75 residenc... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636659 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:11:57 +0100 4636659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4631520&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F24%2Fgot-regret-the-top-10-american-regrets%2F Americans share a lot of the same regrets in life — lost love, family spats, missing a career or educational opportunity. So says new research out of Northwestern University from a telephone survey conducted by researchers on 370 American adults. The researchers asked people to describe one regret in detail, with the rationale that whatever regret they described would be the one that is most memorable. Regrets based on inaction were held on to longer over time, versus those based upon some action the person took. So what are the top ten regrets held by Americans? The Top 10 American Regrets Here are the subjects that survey respondents most commonly described they held the greatest regrets about: Romance, lost love – 18.1% Family (e.g., family arguments) – 15.9% Educati... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4631520 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:26:00 +0100 4631520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622243&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FylvsM-A6Df0%2F By Meryl Bloomrosen. “They” say that being a teenager is NOT easy.  Well, being the parent of a teenager is certainly isn’t easy either.  And it is usually the case that all of us will experience some bumps along the way.   Yet, to some such concerns and crises seem insignificant or trite in comparison to recent headlines such as those about the Tsunami, earthquake and nuclear reactor explosions in Japan; Haitian elections; social unrest and justice in Egypt and elsewhere; and attacks in Libya. Or the ongoing headlines about the economic meltdowns on Wall Street; bank, savings and loans failures; or the continuing high unemployment statistics; and plummeting real estate values.  Or even NCAA March madness. Although, there has been periodic news and media attention on teen ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622243 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:31:28 +0100 4622243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622290&cid=t_105809_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F21%2Fpsychologists-still-seek-prescription-privileges-no-new-news%2F This story caught my eye only because of its headline, Psychologists seek authority to prescribe psychotropic medications. Really? I thought… I never heard that before. Oh, wait a minute, I have. Because the last time I checked, psychologists have been seeking prescription privileges for something like 16 or 17 years, maybe longer. In all of that time, they’ve only gained them in two states. Was another state joining New Mexico and Louisiana? Was there a renewed push for this service because of a sudden demand for prescriptions from those who have a mental illness? In other words, for this new article that appeared in the Washington Post (but was actually written by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a healthcare policy organization) — what’s newsworthy about this story?... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622290 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:39:31 +0100 4622290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615078&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHvwUQ0pSe-Q%2F By Daniel GriswoldAs President Obama flies from Brazil to Chile today and then on to El Salvador later this week, trade and jobs have been a major theme of his trip. So far the tour has been a public relations success, but it also highlights the contradictions in the president’s trade policy toward our Latin American neighbors. One contradiction is that the president says nice things about trade agreements in the abstract, but he has so far refused to show leadership when it really matters. In an op-ed in USAToday on Friday, as he was about to depart for Brazil, the president wrote: Thanks in part to our trade agreements across the region, we now export three times as much to Latin America as we do to China, and our exports to the region — which are growing faster than our exports to t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615078 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:20:12 +0100 4615078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615079&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FoRoEQi1C_fQ%2F By Walter OlsonToday was a banner day for my new book on legal academia, Schools for Misrule. It was reviewed at the Wall Street Journal by John McGinnis, professor of law at Northwestern, and at the Weekly Standard by George Leef, director of research at the North Carolina-based John Pope Center for Higher Education Policy. (One or both reviews may be behind subscriber screens.) Both reviews were highly favorable. McGinnis: American law schools wield more social influence than any other part of the American university. In ‘Schools for Misrule,’ Walter Olson offers a fine dissection of these strangely powerful institutions. One of his themes is that law professors serve the interests of the legal profession above all else; they seek to enlarge the scope of the law, creating more work... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615079 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:23:17 +0100 4615079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615099&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsurvivorship-planning-may-be-the-key-to-beating-cancer%2F2011.03.20 I am a poster child for why everyone who has had cancer needs to work with their doctor(s) to develop and implement a survivorship plan. Two of my four cancer-related diagnoses were found during routine screenings.  Two of my cancer-related diagnoses and one serious heart condition were almost certainly due to late effects of cancer treatment when I was young. Each was a complete surprise to me, and while there is evidence that predicts most of these occurrences, not one of my doctors used this literature to shape a plan for my post-treatment care. I was on my own.  My fear of yet another recurrence led me over time to cobble together a motley collection of oncologists (one for each body part) and other specialists (cardiologist, dermatologist, endocrinologist, and so forth) to watch ove... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615099 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 14:00:54 +0100 4615099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4610957&cid=t_105809_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fget-the-best-reconstructive-surgery-for-you%2F I am so grateful that Dr. Rebecca Studinger began her practice in Michigan. Yesterday I had another breast revision surgery and fat grafting. Fat grafting is actually liposuction; Dr. Studinger took fat from another part of my body — not hard to find — and put it into my breasts to get the right size. The best thing about this wonderful doctor is that she is not only highly trained, skilled, and talented, but is willing to work with me patiently to ensure I get the results I want. Her vision for women after breast cancer matches our own. We desire natural looking breasts as close to the real thing as possible and Dr. Studinger is one doctor who can make that happen. My surgeries with her have been like a spa experience — she is that good. My doctors at Johns Hopkins were... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4610957 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:48:02 +0100 4610957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600515&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3H5iD5cOzT4%2F By John SamplesTwo hundred and sixty years ago, James Madison was born in Virginia. His life was long and eventful, comprising the American Revolution, the writing and ratification of the U.S. Constitution, the founding of political parties, the War of 1812, and the rise of Andrew Jackson. The struggles that would culminate in the Civil War were evident in the last years of his life. Along with his political career, Madison proved to be one of this nation's most insightful and certainly its most influential political theorist. He is often accorded the twin titles of Father of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. No doubt those titles claim too much for him or any other mortal. But according him those titles is not far from the truth. What would surprise Madison about our current consti... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600515 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:46:35 +0100 4600515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600536&cid=t_105809_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fobesity-beats-adiposity-for-cardiovascular-risk%2F2011.03.16 Obesity contributes to cardiovascular risk no matter where a person carries the weight, concluded researchers after looking at outcomes for nearly a quarter-million people worldwide. Body mass index, (BMI) waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio do not predict cardiovascular disease risk any better when physicians recorded systolic blood pressure, history of diabetes and cholesterol levels, researchers reported in The Lancet. The research group used individual records from 58 prospective studies with at least one year of follow up. In each study, participants were not selected on the basis of having previous vascular disease. Each study provided baseline for weight, height, and waist and hip circumference. Cause-specific mortality or vascular morbidity were recorded according to well d... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600536 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:00:00 +0100 4600536