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 'company'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:55:07 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181959&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FTHPZrzE1cCI%2F In a post on EMR and EHR about Social Media and EMRs, Andre Vovan, MD MBA from Mitochon Systems offered an interesting insight into the comparison between EMR and social media. Social media and EMR are a natural fit. Think about what social media really enables. The ablity to stay connected, following different strings of info/story weaved by connected people. Say for instance you and your friends went to the Grand Canyon, one person took pictures while the other did the cooking, planning, and was responsible for entertainment during the trip. When they try to retell the story to their friends, each will be able to add different aspect of the story and with social network platforms such as facebook, this is possible. Now take the story above, and insert 2 doctors and change the trip taken ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181959 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:44:38 +0100 5181959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158999&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fare-patients-considering-the-idea-of-medical-tourism-to-receive-health-care%2F2011.08.24 I must confess that I have a weakness for medical tourism. Patients have always been ready to go on a pilgrimage to find the world’s leading expert (we call it ‘key opinon leader’ now) hoping to find a cure. As long as traditional leaders in the field of Medicine have been the Germans, the French and the English -with some occasional Austrian and Spanish name in the mix- traffic of wealthy patients across Europe is nothing new. Since we entered the antibiotics era, these leaders started to be located mainly in the United States, the cradle of modern, technology-driven Medicine. Thus hi-tech centers got ready to welcome foreign patients, building strong International Customer Support departments. A random example -by no means the only one- would be the Mayo Clinic. On their website y... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158999 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:00:07 +0100 5158999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125738&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-new-meaning-of-the-refrigerator-nurse%2F2011.08.13 Meet Nurse Prudence Perfect. She is the unit’s refrigerator nurse. It’s her job to make sure that everything is perfect and meets Joint Commission standards because you never know when the old JC will drop by for an unannounced visit. Insulin vials labeled and dated? Check. Refrigerator thermometer easily accessible and log up to date? Check. Hey, who put their lunch in here? There is to be no food in medication refrigerator! Prudence is gearing up. Stand by for one of her Joint Commission inservices. For you nursing history buffs, the term “refrigerator nurse” goes way back to a time when Prudence was a graduate nurse. The term was coined back when it only took one paycheck to support a family, and when nurses, typically women, quit working once they got married. A nurse who went... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125738 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 12:00:50 +0100 5125738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107650&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2011%2F08%2F02%2Fan-opposing-view-of-carecloud-ehr%2F Turns out David, who manages the Smart Phone Healthcare, EMR Videos, EMR Screenshots and EMR News websites, didn’t agree with some of the devil’s advocate positions I took in my Carecloud EHR post. He said that after reading Dr. Blackledge’s post, I missed a number of things. So, the following is his commentary on what I missed in my previous Carecloud post. Pretty much every company out there has some good and bad about it.  There are a few that are completely useless, and a few that think they are perfect, but for the most part every company has some worthwhile traits and some things they need to work on. Last week, John wrote about a new EHR, Carecloud that has been talked about for months, but finally was released last week.  He referenced a post that was written... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107650 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:48:52 +0100 5107650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077817&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2011%2F07%2F26%2Fnew-ehr-company-ready-to-launch-carecloud%2F Aaron Blackledge M.D., founder of Care Practice clinic in San Francisco, sent me a link to a post he did back in April about a new EMR company called Carecloud. The irony of this is that Carecloud had just reached out to me for information about advertising their EMR on my sites since they are getting ready to launch their product. Their impending launch was why Aaron decided to share his post with me. I think Dr. Blackledge’s post about Carecloud is summarized in his final paragraph: My recommendation is if you are about to give up and lay down some hard earned cash on an EMR that is just good enough I would urge you to wait a few more months and compare CareCloud’s first iteration with other emerging platforms now gaining a foothold in the marketplace. Since Carecloud is about to... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077817 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 23:11:03 +0100 5077817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057763&cid=t_112160_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F23%2Fsallie-mae-markel-and-dewar-discriminate-against-people-with-mental-illness%2F Sometimes you just have to shake your head — the more things change, the more they stay the same. It can really be depressing to see how, 3 years after the federal mental health parity act was passed, the company known primarily for underwriting students loans — Sallie Mae — is discriminating against people with a mental illness. It’s doing so through one of its myriad of products called tuition refund insurance, something that allows you to reclaim up to 100 percent of your tuition if an illness strikes you while you’re in school. But not just any illness — it has to be a physical illness. If a mental illness strikes you, you will only get 75 percent of your tuition returned. There’s a silver lining on this cloud… suggesting change may be fo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057763 Sat, 23 Jul 2011 12:42:04 +0100 5057763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050536&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwUHSFnB7htA%2F When an entity is as mammoth and undisciplined as the $3.8 trillion U.S. federal government, it’s inevitable that its programs will be working at cross purposes. Just ask the civil aircraft manufacturer Boeing Company. Politicians love Boeing because it not only makes valuable products but it also exports billions of dollars worth around the globe. To give a boost to those exports and supposedly create more jobs in the United States, the federal government’s Export-Import Bank offers preferential loans to foreign governments and airlines to help them buy more Boeing aircraft. As my Cato colleague Sallie James documents in a new study, “Time to X Out the Ex-Im Bank,” the number-one user of the Ex-Im Bank is the Boeing Company. Of the 35 aircraft sales supported by Ex-Im in FY2010, ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050536 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:52:02 +0100 5050536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008382&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2F4-factors-driving-hospital-satellite-emergency-department-development The satellite emergency department market is doing well, and from what I have seen, as attractive to patients as hospitals looking to implement them. Satellite emergency clinics are much what they sound like: a remote facility, often time located off campus from the hospital, which perform very similar types of services as a hospital emergency room. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008382 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:48:36 +0100 5008382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984693&cid=t_112160_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FIkIZCh14KuA%2F After years of embarrassment, lobbying and litigation, The Medicines Company last week finally succeeded in convincing Congress to support what has been derisively called the ‘Dog Ate My Homework Act.’ In reality, this was not a separate bill, but an amendment to the patent reform legislation known as the America Invents Act. The amendment was designed to compensate for a mistake that occurred a decade ago, when the drugmaker sought a patent extension for its Angiomax anti-coagulant, but its lawyers missed the filing deadline by one day, a contentious point that the law firm denies (see comment below). And so the amendment, which was introduced by four members of the House, would retroactively alter the process used to review filings - and grant an additional day (read the amen... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984693 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:35:16 +0100 4984693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953062&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2F4-innovative-hospital-programs-driving-efficiency A new Health and Human Services (HHS) initiative, Partnership for Patients, is calling hospitals to focus on nine specific types of medical errors where the potential is great for increased care. The initiative has two over arching goals: keep hospitals patients’ symptoms from worsening, and facilitate patients’ treatment process from the hospital environment to other care settings. This ambitious project’s goal is to reduce readmissions by 20% by 2013. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953062 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:14:47 +0100 4953062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902521&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fovercrowding-er-spurs-new-facility-development Even before accounting for the mass influx of Americans rushing to hospitals’ emergency departments from healthcare reform, EDs are in serious need of fine tuning as over crowding and escalating inpatient costs are on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency department visits increased 117 million from 2007 to 2008 and it shows no sign of slowing. No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902521 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:21:14 +0100 4902521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862505&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fm92vhIhzrek%2F By Daniel IkensonThe Washington Post ran a story in yesterday’s print edition about the U.S. antidumping order against Wooden Bedroom Furniture from China—a case I described seven years ago as the “Poster Child for [Antidumping] Reform” because its sordid details explode the myths upon which rest the rationalizations for the law’s existence. Those details are nowhere to be found in the WP article, which was published, presumably, to make a few other points.  One such point—the only one with which I agree—is that antidumping duties aren’t very effective at restoring or preserving U.S. jobs.  As the article demonstrates, since the imposition of AD duties on Chinese furniture beginning in 2005, imports from Vietnam, Indonesia, and other countries not subject to the AD restri... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862505 Wed, 25 May 2011 19:05:02 +0100 4862505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762821&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2F28%2Fnew-research-partner-mit-media-lab%2F We are excited to welcome Ian Eslick of MIT Media Lab to our research partners! Ian is studying collective self-experimentation and treatment recommendations, and will access subsets of CureTogether’s data to assist with his research. CureTogether actively partners with academic researchers who approach us about studying our data. We believe having more minds looking at the data will only accelerate discovery, as each researcher brings their own approach and interest to the data analysis. Our current research partnerships include, in alphabetical order by institution: Carnegie Mellon University Kateryna Kuksenok and Jen Mankoff Dynamic filtering visualization of CureTogether data (in progress) Drexel University Will Dampier Building an adaptive recommendation system for treatments... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762821 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:00:27 +0100 4762821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704795&cid=t_112160_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fms-drug-presentations-theyve-changed%2F There was a day in my community when a person with MS could spend nearly one night per week at one of the pharmaceutical company-sponsored multiple sclerosis drug seminars around the country, complete with free meals. They were “dinner and a [multiple sclerosis] show”! Like many of our readers, I spent more than a few of these evenings learning about the disease modifying drugs, but also learning quite a lot about the doctors who presented at these meetings. Nearing a decade post-diagnosis, I could safely say that I no longer attend (and am seldom invited to) these seminars. I get information in other ways when something new comes out – for example, at events such as the CCSVI program I attended in Seattle in January. Last week, however, I decided to sit in on one of the drug company... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704795 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:34:47 +0100 4704795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670169&cid=t_112160_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=4670090&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fl5hY3vtgmjo%2F By Chris EdwardsFrom Pennsylvania, bad news for chocolate lovers: The Hershey Company says it is raising wholesale prices by 9.7% on most of its candy products. The maker of Reese's, Kit Kat, Hershey's Kisses and Twizzlers cited increased costs for raw materials, fuel, utilities and transportation. The costs of two key raw materials—sugar and dairy products—are artificially inflated by federal government policies, the effect of which is to harm U.S. consumers and U.S. food producers, such as Hershey. Senator Richard Lugar has introduced legislation to reform U.S. sugar policies. His timing is good, as world food prices are rising and some experts predict that sugar prices will soar in coming years. The best ways to combat rising food prices—which particular harm people with moderate ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670090 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:15:37 +0100 4670090 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4631543&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F24%2Fnew-genetic-data-added-to-curetogether-research%2F   I read recently about the idea of a “data donor” – someone who decides to donate their data to disease research rather than the more customary financial contribution. In the future, as people gather more and more information about themselves, and learn the value of this data, I think that data donorship will become widespread. At CureTogether, we’ve just added the ability for our members to upload their 23andMe genetic data to add to the research we’re doing. People are already eagerly adding their genetic data, and once we have enough genomes, we can start making discoveries towards understanding how our genes influence what symptoms we have and what treatments work for us. In the screenshot above, you can see the interface for uploading your 23andMe d... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4631543 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:48:56 +0100 4631543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560283&cid=t_112160_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2Fx2HOtSmjTvQ%2F Jelinek and Brown announce that Emergency Medicine Australasia is taking a stand against drug company advertising. The LITFL team applauds! (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560283 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:54 +0100 4560283 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549804&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34695&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicalConnectivityConsulting%2F%7E3%2F4_IfBZBpw3Y%2F Amcom Software was acquired March 3, 2011, for $163.3 million in cash (press release). USA Mobility, one of the few companies left standing in the declining pager industry, purchased the company to strengthen their position in health care, and move beyond paging into messaging and unified communications. Amcom was built through a series of acquisitions, including messaging middleware vendor CommTech Wireless.  The CommTech Wireless solution provides event notification, including alarm notification that is called out in the final MDDS rule by FDA for enforcement discretion. Amcom’s plans regarding potential FDA regulation or limiting marketing claims (to exclude alarm notification) are not known. The company was undecided when asked about it at HIMSS in 2010. One would hope that this... Medical Connectivity Consulting blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549804 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:49:43 +0100 4549804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549805&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F04%2Fcuretogether-goes-mobile-new-treatment-finder-and-symptom-checker-apps%2F                                     At long last, after many requests, we have made a mobile version of CureTogether. It works across all platforms, and you can access it by going to http://curetogether.com with your mobile device. We’ve built two apps to get the ball rolling, and more will be released as we go. With Treatment Finder, you can quickly look up the top patient-reported treatments for any of our 500+ conditions. And with Symptom Checker, you can do the same thing for patient-reported symptoms.                                 Here’s what they look like for Anxiety, our most popular condition commu... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549805 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:26:44 +0100 4549805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501588&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdiet-soda-and-your-risk-for-heart-attack-or-stroke%2F2011.02.20 It tastes sweet. It’s pleasurably fizzy. And free of calories. What’s more, the FDA says NutraSweet (aspartame) is safe. So what’s not to like about diet soft drinks? A bunch. The ongoing debate about the healthiness of diet soft drinks reminds me of the old adage, “If something sounds to be true, it probably is.” Artificially-sweetened “diet” drinks get touted as healthy alternatives to sugary drinks because they contain no calories or carbohydrates. On paper it seems plausible to think they are inert, no more dangerous than water. The Coca-Cola Company sublimely strengthens this assertion by putting a big red heart on Diet Coke cans. But diet-cola news (Los Angeles Times) presented at the International Stroke Conference 2011 suggests otherwise. This widely-publ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501588 Sun, 20 Feb 2011 14:00:45 +0100 4501588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482825&cid=t_112160_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F15%2Fthe-psychology-of-advertising%2F How often have you seen a teeth-whitening ad that shows the person with bright, white teeth as more attractive — sexier even? Or viewed an ad for a green cleaning product that made you fearful that using a chemical product would harm your kids? Or just think of any product — diet food, skin care, insurance company, car, medication — that features celebrity testimonials or the words of other consumers who’ve achieved “incredible results.” For these common advertising ploys, you can thank John B. Watson, the founder of behaviorism here in America. After getting fired from his academic post at Johns Hopkins, Watson began working for one of the biggest advertising agencies in New York City, J. Walter Thompson. (He was dismissed for his scandalous divorce. Short story: He fell in lo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482825 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 01:00:37 +0100 4482825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477816&cid=t_112160_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F14%2Fmaking-lemonade-from-lemons-on-valentines-day-a-romantic-tale%2F In order to move beyond their dark days, most people with depression master the lesson on how to make lemonade from lemons. For Valentine’s Day, here’s a romantic tale on just that: how a friend of mine turned an embarrassing situation into the best thing that ever happened to her… Back when I began my writing career drafting instructions on how to bury St. Joseph (he’s known to make real estate sell) as part of the “St. Joseph’s Home Sales Kit” for Roman, Inc., a religious giftware company in the suburbs of Chicago, I befriended a woman who worked in the IT department. Aneta, a spritely Polish babe, handled the technological emergencies of computer-challenged folks such as myself who might, say, send an off-color joke to the entire company by acci... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477816 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:42:46 +0100 4477816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455327&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F5kzcqXGTCIE%2F Some very interesting commentary from an EMRUpdate thread: Six-plus years ago, I started my own office and my husband insisted on an EMR – mainly because the real estate prices were so high that he did not want to pay for file storage. I have posted on this site over the years: early on, I was told I was crazy for picking an Application Service Provider (I think it’s now called “cloud computing”), and the site had a smartest-guy-in-the-room vibe. But my EMR worked so I didn’t need help or a tech consult. So I went on my merry way and grew my practice – and downloaded quite a few babies, too! EMR was a big deal for me back in 2004; but now I never really think about it. Maybe the reason is that I was never searching for “THE PERFECT EMR” &#82... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455327 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:40:40 +0100 4455327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450359&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F08%2Fnew-condition-scores-to-compare-your-severity-to-others-at-curetogether%2F New Feature at CureTogether: Scores for Your Conditions Ever wonder how you compare to other people with your condition? Are your symptoms worse than the average, or better? Well, now you can find out. We’ve just released a major update to CureTogether that gives you a score for each condition you reported and compares you to all other members with those conditions at CureTogether. In the screenshot above, you can see that for each condition, there are two blue gradients. The one on the left indicates your severity score (how mild or severe your condition is), and the one on the right shows your percentile (how your score compares to other CureTogether members). So for Depression, if you have a score of 65, that indicates a moderate severity, which is more severe than 89% of people a... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450359 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:57:51 +0100 4450359 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419246&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F01%2F31%2Fcuretogether-wins-emerging-star-of-healthcare-engagement-award%2F . We are very excited to announce that CureTogether has just won the Emerging Star of Healthcare Engagement Award in the 2011 Healthcare Engagement Strategy Awards. In the award announcement, Director Daniel Ghinn writes: “In many ways, CureTogether captures the essence of how the Internet is changing healthcare. A startup operating with just 2½ people, born out of one patient’s frustrated search for answers, the social network has grown to include over 22,000 patients with 549 conditions since it started in 2008…. CureTogether is an example that illustrates how healthcare engagement is changing: not only empowering patients to share experiences with each other, but to develop their own evidence base… This kind of crowdsourced approach to medical research will at the v... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419246 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 02:34:39 +0100 4419246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372109&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F01%2F19%2Fannouncing-uc-davis-teledermatology-partnership%2F We are excited to announce a new academic research partner at CureTogether! University of California Davis April W. Armstrong, MD MPH Personalized Therapeutics and Evaluation of Treatment Responses in Skin Diseases from Patient-Driven Data (in progress) Dr. Armstrong and her team will be analyzing CureTogether’s dataset of skin diseases to help us find publishable discoveries faster. They will also contribute pictures of different severities of skin diseases from real, consented patients, to help CureTogether members identify how severe their skin disease is and find more personalized treatment options. Dr. April Armstrong is Director of the Clinical Research Unit and Teledermatology Program at the Department of Dermatology at UC Davis, trained at Harvard Dermatology Residency Progr... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372109 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:17:23 +0100 4372109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294794&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F12%2F28%2Fhealth-tracking-goes-to-brazil%2F Here’s a video clip from RedeTV!, one of Brazil’s biggest TV stations. Steven Dean, a long-time CureTogether member and Quantified Self organizer in New York City, gives a fantastic overview of his self-tracking, and a Brazilian doctor shares his perspective on the benefit for patients. It’s in Portuguese with a bit of English. Very exciting to see how this is spreading! (Source: The Collective Well) The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294794 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 20:41:10 +0100 4294794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245395&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F12%2F09%2Fand-the-winner-is%2F We’re excited to announce that CureTogether is a winner of the Amgen/Ashoka Changemakers Patient Empowerment Competition! The winners were announced here yesterday. The $10,000 prize will help us to improve CureTogether for our members, and spread it to more people who can be helped. Everyone who is reading this – do something extra nice for yourself to help us celebrate! ! (Source: The Collective Well) The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4245395 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 22:12:39 +0100 4245395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4237959&cid=t_112160_111_f&fid=38038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcosmicwatercooler.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fadidas-company-background-next-step.html Imagine walking all the adidas company background it comes to get hold on a great idea for the adidas company facts of others people. So Adidas design this a3 Gigaride Running Shoe push you to run as fast as you want in the adidas company background of growing. Not only do they grow out of time to come. As the adidas company profile are classic, they will undoubtedly be ultra comfortable. They come in many ways.Although gaining in popularity, among them Adidas running shoes and Shimano triathlon shoes, customers may want to use caution when shopping online with smaller, less well-known businesses. Make sure you are used to playing in. If you take this to an extreme think about playing golf in high heels, how stable would you feel in those?Marc D. has worked for various Fortune 500 companie... Cosmic Watercooler blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4237959 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:24:00 +0100 4237959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179381&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2F18%2Fplease-vote-and-help-curetogether-win-10000-in-the-amgen-changemakers-contest%2F Hi everyone, Just a quick note to let you all know that CureTogether is a finalist in the Amgen/Changemakers Empowering Patients Competition!! Thank you for being part of this. Please vote today – we have a good shot at winning the $10,000 grand prize if we get enough votes in the next 13 days. It can be your good deed for the day! Please take half a minute to cast your vote. THANK YOU so much!! Wishing you all a wonderful day, Alex (Source: The Collective Well) The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179381 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:58:46 +0100 4179381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133661&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyTHsTqDHzVg%2F By Daniel IkensonThough it has been relatively successful in the marketplace lately, the Ford Motor Company continues to confound in its public policy commitments. First, the company remained silent for the better part of two years as its chief domestic rivals General Motors and Chrysler were nursed back to viability by a doting government dispensing $65 billion of taxpayer-funded nourishment. Not once (to my knowledge) did Ford publicly complain that the government bailout of its struggling competitors was an affront to its own prospects or that it would deny the company its rightful increase in sales and market share (the so-called spoils of competition). But now Ford is trumpeting its opposition to the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. In a full page ad in today’s Washington Post, Ford... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133661 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:43:03 +0100 4133661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118933&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fphysician-referrals-be-daring-and-ask-for-a-special-order%2F2010.10.28 As a specialist, one of the saddest truisms about practicing medicine in the private world has always been how little one’s clinical skills determines referrals. Unfortunately, as our present healthcare climate pushes “providers” to consolidate along the lines of major hospital networks this injustice will only worsen. A decade or so ago when I started private practice it was obvious that referrals came to me because of my association with an established group. This association was essential, as one could have been the next Michael Jordan of electrophysiology, but referrals would still have gone along historic lines, to the favored group. It would have taken a Herculean effort, over years, to encroach upon such long-established referral patterns, etched over the bonds of ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118933 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:00:00 +0100 4118933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4077371&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F10%2F18%2Fcuretogethers-impact-and-strategy%2F For our recent entry into the Ashhoka Changemakers competition for Empowering Patients, I had to answer some great questions about where CureTogether is today and where we’re going. Just wanted to share them here too, for full transparency and to see if any of you have ideas for how to help going forward! . What impact have you had? 1. Global Reach. CureTogether has 15,000 members in 112 countries, who have contributed 1.3 million data points across 625 conditions. 2. Changed Lives. The real impact of CureTogether can be seen in individual patient stories. One of our members is bed-ridden 22 hours a day with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder. She has a computer screen mounted over her bed and an assistive keyboard to help her function online. Being an active membe... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4077371 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 11:41:22 +0100 4077371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082161&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2010%2F10%2F15%2Femr-vendor-extortion-for-renewal-fees%2F A reader of EMR and HIPAA recently emailed me about the title of this post. The way they saw it, the software renewals fees for an existing EMR user amounted to EMR vendor extortion. This person felt like providers had little options when it came to the renewal fees that EMR vendors would charge them. The fact of the matter is that it’s not actually extortion (from what I’ve seen), but it certainly can feel that way if you’re a provider that’s getting charge a train load of money to renew or update your license with your EMR vendor. Unfortunately, once you’re in that position you really don’t have many options. Plus, your options are always very specific to the contract you signed with the EMR vendor. Instead of focusing on those who are stuck with littl... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082161 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:52:45 +0100 4082161 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4053278&cid=t_112160_86_f&fid=34464&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDavidrothmannet%2F%7E3%2F19Kz697Gsnw%2F You may remember this post in which I complained about excessive spam from Cision (and it worked), or this post about Ashley Julian at Trent and Company. Got an email from Ashley today (23 days after my post went up and months after I sent her multiple polite emails asking her to stop spamming me): From: Ashley Julian [ashleynjulian@gmail.com] Date: Sat, Oct 9, 2010 at 12:19 PM Subject: Emails To: David Rothman Dear Mr. Rothman - I am writing from my personal email to let you know that I have removed you from all of my contact lists. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience I have caused you and I assure you that you will never hear from me again. I would like to ask if it would be possible for you to remove your entry about me from your blog. As I am sure you can understand, I do not ... davidrothman.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4053278 Sat, 09 Oct 2010 17:00:50 +0100 4053278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031334&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F10%2F04%2Fnew-feature-track-your-lab-test-results%2F We are excited to announce a new feature at CureTogether – tracking your lab test results! Here are a few words about it from my co-founder Daniel Reda: . “As you all know, we initially built CureTogether to help people share their experience with thousands of symptoms and treatments in a structured, quantitative way across hundreds of conditions. We already had limited day-to-day tracking of health data and realized that extending this was going to provide the next level of insight to you. So we decided to build a whole new infrastructure to help members input lab test results, and chart those over time so that you could observe trends not only in your self-reported data, but also more objective data coming from traditional lab tests. We first made it so that members ca... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031334 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 21:38:33 +0100 4031334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4002980&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E5%2FgknsHz4Aupo%2Fmoogaloop.swf have just returned from the Maker Faire and have seen the future of medical device innovation, invention, and design– Self-design and rapid home prototyping.  For those unfamiliar with the jargon basically technology now exists that can allow the creation of a working prototype of a device from idea to an actual working hand-held version in a physician-inventor’s own home.  This has the potential to democratize the process and eliminate previous massive cost and technological barriers that kept the process inaccessible except to large industry or those with substantial capital resources. One person I spoke with was calling this the Next Industrial Revolution.  To me this is clearly the inevitable technological evolution of design and device innovation following in the exact ... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4002980 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 06:29:17 +0100 4002980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3994066&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F09%2F23%2Fquantifying-curetogether%2F Yes, thank you to all our members who inspire us every day!! Here are some fun and amazing CureTogether facts, for those of you who like numbers: 1. This is our 100th blog post 2. We now have over 1 million data points 3. As of this minute, we have 13,502 awesome members in 112 countries 4. CureTogether has over 600 member-submitted health conditions 5. We’ve been live on the web for 820 days 6. Our top condition is Anxiety, with over 2,000 people reporting it 7. People have entered 2,657 different treatments they’ve tried, with Exercise being #1 8. Infographics have been released so far on effective treatments for 9 conditions 9. We’re still 2 people working from home, amazed at the power of bringing people together to share data and solve problems 10. What else do you w... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3994066 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:50:15 +0100 3994066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3983415&cid=t_112160_105_f&fid=36987&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FIvorKovicMd%2F%7E3%2FqtRzSaXqYPk%2F Dear visitors and friends, I give you Ivor Medical Ivor Medical is a company which I have started in order to develop my invention for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Some of you will remember my talk from Mobile Monday Amsterdam event earlier this year, where for the first time I have presented my invention which is intended to relieve rescuers’ fatigue, as well as provide feedback during CPR. After being awarded with several prestigious awards from international innovation fairs, I have decided to seriously pursue the development of my invention into a product available for market. So far, my company has developed a mobile application for CPR feedback called CPR PRO, which is already available in the iTunes store, and will soon also be available for Android phones. My cradle... Ivor Kovic, M.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3983415 Sun, 19 Sep 2010 15:45:32 +0100 3983415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3957897&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDKojA3KM-8w%2F By Michael F. CannonThis week saw more bad news for ObamaCare.  So the Obama administration slipped on the brass knuckles. Last week brought news that health insurance premiums grew by a smaller increment in 2010 than in any of the past 10 years.  On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that ObamaCare appears to be turning that around: Health insurers say they plan to raise premiums for some Americans as a direct result of the health overhaul in coming weeks, complicating Democrats’ efforts to trumpet their signature achievement before the midterm elections. Aetna Inc., some BlueCross BlueShield plans and other smaller carriers have asked for premium increases of between 1% and 9% to pay for extra benefits required under the law, according to filings with state regulators. Th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3957897 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:32:44 +0100 3957897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3935855&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F09%2F06%2Fcuretogether-honored-with-amgenashoka-changemakers-award%2F We are so excited! CureTogether’s entry into the Ashoka Changemakers patient empowerment competition won the Early Entry Prize for best idea entered by the early deadline! From the competition website: The Amgen Foundation is supporting the Patients| Choices| Empowerment competition with Ashoka’s Changemakers to answer the question of how we can elevate patients’ voices to improve health outcomes globally. Submit your solutions, or nominate a project, in this challenge that empowers patients to make decisions with confidence and clarity, in concert with people who care and can help. Congratulations to the Early Entry Prize winner: CureTogether – Crowdsourced Patient Experience. Learn how they are working to empower patients HERE. Prizes: Enter before the competition dea... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3935855 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:31:12 +0100 3935855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3885436&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2F19%2Fthe-future-of-health-in-2020%2F IFTF’s HealthCare 2020 map – click here for the full version Our friends over at Institute for the Future have released their vision of health and healthcare in 2020. We’re excited that CureTogether is included on their map! They placed CureTogether at the intersection of taking a Commons approach (self-organized participatory solutions that bring a new culture of cooperation) to Making Information Actionable (filtering and integrating health-related information in meaningful ways). What do you think of their vision for the future of health and healthcare? (Source: The Collective Well) The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3885436 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:10:40 +0100 3885436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3876621&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fproductivity-advice-from-a-alternative-medicine-guru-kevin-trudeau-scientology-organic-juice-and-clean-desks%2F Kevin Trudeau, known for infomercials peddling natural remedies and “get rich quick” schemes – and being fined to the tune of $37.6 million by the Federal Trade Commission for it – also turns out to be a really forward-thinking boss. The Smoking Gun revealed a copy of internal policy directives sent to his employees, which included some pretty interesting thoughts on Scientology, drinking organic juice, and clean desks. Check these choice company policy highlights, below: Policy #20: Scientology and Dianetics I highly encourage and recommend that you take some steps to better and advance yourself, and I do strongly recommend and endorse auditing or courses that are offered through an L. Ron Hubbard organization. Keep in mind, John Travolta, Tom Cruise, and many other celebr... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3876621 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:27:32 +0100 3876621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3867004&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2F14%2Fnew-feature-talk-to-your-closest%2F . Imagine being able to talk to someone who shares the same 7 conditions you have. What if they’re also your age? They could be going through the same thing every day that you do. You start to wonder, is their experience the same as yours? Do they have the same symptoms? What treatments are they trying? Do they also have the same side effects as you? In a new feature released at CureTogether this week, now you can not only find people that are your closest health matches, but you can send them a private message to ask them these questions. They can respond privately to you, and you can both choose what information to share with each other. To start talking, just log in to CureTogether, and click on the “Connect” link on the right menu of your home page. You’ll see a... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3867004 Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:57:20 +0100 3867004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3831432&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2F06%2Fwelcome-curetogether-curators%2F . We’re excited to announce a new development at CureTogether. Our most active contributing members have been upgraded to official Curators! Amazing people like Ricky Buchanan in Melbourne, Australia (pictured above and found at http://notdoneliving.net/) are combing through CureTogether data. They are carefully checking for accuracy, duplicate entries, and generally helping to make sure that the information we have for our over 500 conditions is the highest quality it can be. This enables more discoveries that we can share with our condition communities and the larger public. Ricky and people like her are the reason CureTogether was started, and we are so grateful and glad to welcome the support of these inspiring heroes. Thank you!! (Source: The Collective Well) The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3831432 Sat, 07 Aug 2010 04:42:25 +0100 3831432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816757&cid=t_112160_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FSGF4hDX3Gyk%2F After years of litigation, The Medicines Company has won a bitter fight with the US Patent and Trademark Office when US District Court Judge Claude Hilton today ruled that the USPTO must consider a patent term extension for the Angiomax anti-coagulant. Unless the USPTO appeals, the decision ends a closely watched case over an unusual point - whether the drugmaker was due a reprieve because it missed a basic, but crucial patent filing deadline by just one day (read the opinion). Here’s the background: In early 2001, the drugmaker applied for a standard extension to its patent, which would have been approved, except the MDCO’s lawyers filed an application 61 days after initial FDA approval, missing the statutory deadline by one day. As a result, Angiomax’s protection was set to exp... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816757 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:02:51 +0100 3816757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767163&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2F19%2Fthe-skin-disease-race-is-on%2F Do you have a skin disease? If you do, please join the race. CureTogether is excited to announce a new research project we’re collaborating on. Researchers Suephy Chen, Adam Sperduto, and Bob Swerlick at Emory University are doing a study to compare whether online recruiting methods can beat their traditional in-clinic recruiting methods. Basically, they want to see whether CureTogether or in-person methods can get more people to answer a skin disease survey. Here’s your chance to help show the power of online communities. “Please click here if you have been diagnosed with eczema/atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, rosacea, or acne and would like to learn more about participating in a clinic research study conducted by the Emory University School of Medic... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767163 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:19:12 +0100 3767163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733057&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fshould-your-texts-be-private-at-work%2F So your company provides a pager, phone, or BlackBerry – score! Saving money on phone bills every month is a major job perk, but what if the texts you send could get you fired? Not so perky. In City of Ontario v. Quon, Jeff Quon, a California police sergeant, claimed that the city had violated his privacy when they audited the texts sent through his company phone. Though the lower courts said that he had a right to privacy in this case, the Supreme Court ruled that police officer’s texts weren’t private. The court made it clear that this ruling doesn’t extend to all cases, but the ruling indicates that companies are likely to have protection of the law when auditing employee communications. In Quon’s case, the city found that out of 456 texts sent on his work phon... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733057 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:00:19 +0100 3733057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3721740&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fjust-when-you-thought-bp-couldnt-get-worse-they-cover-oil-with-sand%2F BP really should stop lying, and realize that they can’t get away with their catastrophic and irresponsible environmental damages forever, but somehow we have a feeling that’s not going to happen anytime soon. The corporation’s latest mistakes include trying to cover up washed-up oil by dumping more sand on the beach. Check out a visual tour of their latest scumbag move: via Fast Company Post from: BlissTree Just When You Thought BP Couldn't Suck More, They Cover Oil With Sand (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3721740 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:06:37 +0100 3721740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3621942&cid=t_112160_147_f&fid=39202&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnicolaziady.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F01%2Fyoutube-com-market-share%2F Fast Company ran an article about YouTube.com’s market share. There are the highlights I found :: YouTube has 40% of market share [/source] 12.8 billion videos – compare to Hulu’s 903 million Each YouTube user watches 93 videos per month – compare to 23 on Hulu (Source: Nicola Ziady) Nicola Ziady blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3621942 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:11:50 +0100 3621942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3511512&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Felizabeth-spiers-blisstrees-editorial-director-is-one-of-fast-companys-most-influential-women-in-tech%2F Blisstree’s awesome Editorial Director, Elizabeth Spiers, was named one of 2010’s Most Influential Women In Tech by Fast Company yesterday. Check out her profile, which lists her impressive roster of media projects, including her work with Blisstree and b5media (our parent company). Congrats, Elizabeth! Post from: BlissTree Elizabeth Spiers, Blisstree's Editorial Director, Is One of Fast Company's Most Influential Women In Tech! (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3511512 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 22:10:13 +0100 3511512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508290&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2F27%2Fautism-study%2F This press release went out this morning: CureTogether, an online social health community, announced today the launch of its Autism treatment study. CureTogether will provide an online venue for parents with Autistic children to anonymously share and rate the success of their treatments. “CureTogether is here to do good; we’ve adopted an open-source philosophy for health research,” said CureTogether co-founder Daniel Reda. “Patients and parents have so much knowledge and expertise to share with each other and with the world.” CureTogether is interested in collecting information about any and all treatments tried including: Anxiety and Depression medications, Chelation and IV therapies, Glutathione, Naltrexone, EDTA, DMPS, DMSA, Detoxification, vitamins B-12, ... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508290 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:51:40 +0100 3508290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3515478&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2010%2F04%2F27%2Fone-example-of-rating-long-term-care-emr-software%2F After my previous post on EMR company ratings, one of my readers pointed me to a resource (pdf) that kind of rates the various long term care EMR software vendors. There are 64 listed and not all are EMR vendors, but it’s an interesting way to approach listing the various long term care software providers. Basically, a list of each vendor and a mark in the column that matches the software. Of course, the real problem with this type of resource is that it’s just a grid with no qualitative information. The grid works great when you’re talking about static details like database or supported operating systems. However, when you’re talking about various functions in an EMR software, you need some more qualitative information and not just a check box. For example, it woul... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3515478 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:59:27 +0100 3515478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508154&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Ffast-companys-most-influential-women-in-technology-2010%2F Blisstree loves Women Who Rule, but in the tech industry they’re usually overshadowed by shining male stars with better job titles and pay. So today, when Fast Company released its list of the Most Influential Women in Tech in 2010, it felt like a breath of double-X fresh air. Here’s a quick roundup of Fast Company’s roster, which includes executives, entrepreneurs, media-whizzes, “brainiacs”, and more, and is a great reminder that technology isn’t just for Dads and geeks: Jen Bekman Founder, 20×200 Fernanda Viegas Co-founder, Flowing Media Darlene Liebman Co-founder and Vice President of Production, Howcast Studios Shireen Mitchell Founder, Digital Sisters Elizabeth Stark Co-founder, Open Video Alliance Susan Wu Co-founder and CEO, Ohai Alison... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508154 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:41:58 +0100 3508154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494384&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FfsUtWG8KI0w%2F Lately I’ve been really intrigued by the concept of trying to rate the long list of EMR vendors in order to identify the “Top EMR Companies.” I guess I’ve been intrigued by this idea for a number of reasons. First, tons of people are searching the internet and finding this website in their search for the top EMR vendors. Makes a lot of sense that doctors would want to narrow down their search for an EMR since it’s just unreasonable for them to try and review 300+ EMR vendors. Although, I do think it’s a little bit funny that they think they can just enter “top EMR vendors” into Google to find the answer. Second, I’ve seen a number of groups touting an EMR vendor showcase with the “top EMR vendors.” The problem I have with th... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494384 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:12:02 +0100 3494384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3453957&cid=t_112160_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F08%2Fthe-doctor-will-see-you-in-3-or-4-months%2F One of the problems neither the new health care bill nor the mental health parity law that kicks into full effect in another month or so will address is a growing problem in America’s mental health system — the lack of professionals who can see you now. The problem is most seriously felt within psychiatry, where the number of medical students who choose psychiatry over a different medical specialty continues to shrink. A friend of mine who currently sees a psychiatric nurse for her medications wanted to switch to a psychiatrist so that she can try to get off of Effexor, a commonly prescribed antidepressant than can be extremely challenging to get off. She lives north of a major metropolitan area in the U.S. and has decent health insurance. So she started the thankless process e... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3453957 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:19:32 +0100 3453957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3448790&cid=t_112160_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F04%2Ftradegy-west-virginia-disaster%2F As a former trauma surgeon in West Virginia, this author has noted with sadness the death of twenty five miners in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in Boone County, West Virginia. Dozens more are reported to be seriously injured. West Virginia coal miners are some of the toughest people on earth. Despite advances in mine safety, it is still incredibly dirty, difficult and dangerous work. Mine injuries generally fall into one of four categories – blast injuries, crush injuries, asphyxiation, and drowning. Blast Injury The traumatic injury to internal organs in mining blast injuries is more severe than other situations where blast injury occurs (refineries, battlefied) because the concussive force is multiplied by the small space of the mine shafts, unlike in open terrain wh... Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3448790 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:41:12 +0100 3448790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3440723&cid=t_112160_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F04%2Ftradegy-west-virginia-disaster%2F As a former trauma surgeon in West Virginia, this author has noted with sadness the death of twenty five miners in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in Boone County, West Virginia. Dozens more are reported to be seriously injured. West Virginia coal miners are some of the toughest people on earth. Despite advances in mine safety, it is still incredibly dirty, difficult and dangerous work. Mine injuries generally fall into one of four categories – blast injuries, crush injuries, asphyxiation, and drowning. Blast Injury The traumatic injury to internal organs in mining blast injuries is more severe than other situations where blast injury occurs (refineries, battlefied) because the concussive force is multiplied by the small space of the mine shafts, unlike in open terrain wh... Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3440723 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:41:12 +0100 3440723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395367&cid=t_112160_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FTYmGpSUrexM%2F There was a flurry of legal activity last week over the patent for Angiomax, an anti-coagulant drug which is sold by The Medicines Company. The little drugmaker caused a ruckus in Washington over the past couple of years due to an unusual battle - whether it was due a reprieve because it missed a basic, but crucial patent filing deadline by one day. Background: In early 2001, MDCO applied for a standard extension to its patent, which would have been approved, except the company’s lawyers filed an application 61 days after initial FDA approval, missing the statutory deadline by one day. As a result, Angiomax’s protection is set to expire today instead of in late 2014, as the routine extension would have allowed. MDCO calls this an administrative mistake and says the early patent expirat... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395367 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:16:16 +0100 3395367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3382788&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fyour-baby-is-just-a-number%2F No, this isn’t a trailer for Gattaca II, it’s a commercial for IBM. from fastcompany.com Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3382788 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:15:47 +0100 3382788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342734&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E3%2FMWRk2xEt2GE%2F Docinthemachine first exclusive report! Olive Medicalhas developed a single use HD endoscopic camera system for surgical applications.  Traditional endoscopic camera systems consist of a camera head with a coupler to attach it to the scope and a camera control unit.  Camera head and control systems typically cost in the $30, 000 range.  olive’s approach is to make the camera had single use and delivered in a sterile peel pack ready for the operating room.  They intend to deliver such a system at under $300 per case — less than 1% of a current cost to purchase a system.  What’s more the system is native HD at up to 1080 resolution.   I had a chance to speak with them about the system and they claim they are using a native HD imaging sensor chip.  if so, they would... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342734 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:45:00 +0100 3342734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3276083&cid=t_112160_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FGoV0wZygDn4%2F Welcome back, everyone. There was, of course, the long, holiday weekend in the U.S. Hope those of you who had time off, enjoyed the stretch. Now, though, the routine has returned. So get set for those meetings and deadlines. To help you cope, we have assembled a few items of interest. So grab a cup of stimulation and climb those mountains… Glaxo Hiring More Reps In India (Hindu Business) AstraZeneca And Rigel Strike Deal For Arthritis Drug (MarketWatch) Merck Profit Gets Boost From Schering-Plough (Associated Press) Sirtris Founders Launch Venture Capital Firm (MassHighTech) Teva Chairman Takes Medical Leave (Reuters) Medicines Company Cuts Sales Force (NJ.com) Unilab Says Pfizer Loses Bid To Halt Generic Lipitor (Bloomberg News) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3276083 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:16:20 +0100 3276083 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262759&cid=t_112160_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fwhat-kind-of-job-would-accomodate-crohns-disease%2F It seems that I may be looking at a change of careers very soon, or at the very least, a change of tasks.  I hope the impact is only a change of task, but I fear that it may be worse.  Last week I found out that the program that I have been working on is likely to be canceled.  I only say likely because there is still a small chance that Congress will vote against the President’s plan, but from what I am hearing, the outlook is not good.  No one knows what may happen or what the new “vision” really entails or how we in Houston will fit into the big picture.  I hope to stay with my current company but may be forced to look elsewhere or even into a whole new career path if nothing else is available. I really like my current employer and hope that there will be some task that I can... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262759 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:47:11 +0100 3262759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243757&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fdissolvable-tobacco-seriously%2F Not for kids? Really? Excuse me while I go pull my hair out – I won’t have much left after reading about this new product developed and marketed by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. What is the product? Dissolvable, flavored tobacco. A smaller company, Star Scientific Inc., is also involved as they have been marketing a similar product for about nine years already. Now, if you go to the Reynold’s website for the product, www.cameldissolvables.com, you will see that you can’t get in without a huge song-and-dance. You either have to have a special code from one of their products, or go through a lengthy inquisition to determine (and prove) that you are over 18 years old. But, seriously, do we really believe that dissolvable, flavored tobacco strips are for the over-18 ye... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243757 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:03:59 +0100 3243757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3204836&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgvXoHyeZqkM%2F By Thomas FireyThe New York Times editorial board must be baffled by this news story about a few dozen present and former corporate executives appealing to Congress to expand public funding of political campaigns. The appeal comes one day after the Supreme Court re-extended (some) First Amendment rights to corporations in a move the editorial board branded a “blow to democracy” that will lead to corporations “overwhelm[ing] elections and intimidat[ing] elected officials.” But now some corporate executives want to be dispossessed of the keys to the kingdom immediately after SCOTUS returned them — say what? The executives’ appeal makes sense if you’ve read this article by law professor Robert Sitkoff (then of Northwestern, now the John L. Gray Profes... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3204836 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:59:53 +0100 3204836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3167097&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_T4oaMqq1iI%2F By Michael D. TannerAs President Obama is finding out, spending a trillion dollars on health care reform is easy; paying for it is a bit harder.  Both the House and Senate versions contain huge tax increases.  But they take completely different approaches toward which taxes are hiked and who would pay them.  And, as President Obama discovered in yesterday’s contentious meeting with labor bosses, those differences will not be easy to resolve. The Senate wants to slap a 40 percent excise tax on so-called “Cadillac” insurance plans, that is plans with an actuarial value of more than $8,500 for an individual and $23,000 for a family.  The tax technically falls on the insurance company that offers the plan, but there’s widespread recognition that insurers will merely pas... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3167097 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:30:28 +0100 3167097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153339&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Ftwo-new-challenges-to-cybernetic-utopia.html At "2009: a Pivotal Year in Healthcare IT" I concluded that 2009 had proven to be a critical year in HIT, due to authoritative publications on HIT difficulties and related issues that appeared that year.It was good to see the critical thought processes and the scientific methods inherent in modern medicine applied to the irrational exuberance and marketing-dominated field of healthcare IT.It seems in 2010 the trend may continue.Two new very interesting publications have recently come to my attention regarding the complications that can, and are, introduced by HIT.These complications are worsened by the "boatload of cash," as one author expressed it, that is helping fuel what I term an irrational exuberance, or purchased exuberance, in this technology and its use in social re-engineering in... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153339 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:31:00 +0100 3153339 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3149003&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Ftwo-new-challenges-to-cybernetic-utopia.html Two new very interesting publications have appeared regarding the complications that can, and are, introduced by HIT.These complications are worsened by the "boatload of cash" as one author expressed it that are helping fuel what I term an irrational exuberance, or purchased exuberance, in this technology and its use in social re-engineering in medicine.-----------------------The first publication of note is a newsletter "Medical Risk Management Advisor" from ProAssurance Indemnity Company, Inc. and affiliates, a provider of medical insurance for clinicians. It can be downloaded here (PDF). It advises:On choosing an EHR system:Be sure to obtain physician input and review of the software prior to purchase to ensure it meets the needs of your practice. Consider talking to other medical prac... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3149003 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:31:00 +0100 3149003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3133639&cid=t_112160_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F12%2F30%2Fodds-and-ends-2009%2F Well, we’re about to say goodbye to another year (and some would say, another decade). But I see the end of the year not so much about saying goodbye, but rather about saying hello to a new year and the opportunities it presents us. Not to say it’s been a bad year for us here. Although Psych Central remains a small, independent company, 2009 has been our best year on record. We’ll be focused on significantly topping that in 2010. That’s what we like to do around here — continually challenge ourselves to ensure we’re publishing the highest quality, interesting and even sometimes-entertaining articles on mental health and psychology. And I have some exciting news I hope to share with you next week about something that I hope will help touch and change the... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3133639 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:16:47 +0100 3133639 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3111462&cid=t_112160_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F12%2F22%2F5-tips-for-eating-healthy-through-the-holidays%2F If you are like me, you will be spending 90 percent of your energy from today until January 1 repeating the words “choose the apple … choose the apple” because you know what processed flour and sugar does to your limbic system. It’s not pretty. Which is why I asked Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., author of Eat Your Way to Happiness, to share with us some tips for healthy eating during the holidays. Here she is! * * * The holidays are a time of tradition and ritual, the time spent with loved ones, the feelings of connectedness, the memories, the giving, the celebration of the human spirit makes this time of year magical. The key is to preserve the tradition and avoid the binge. This is the season to splurge — not on endless trays of fudge and cookies, but rather ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3111462 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:59:24 +0100 3111462 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3071142&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMXKV9raIBsY%2F By Chris Moody Well, so much for the peace presidency… Patrick Michaels on Copenhagen: “Expect a lot of heat, not much light, and a punt right into our next election.” Why the Supreme Court should strike down the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board: “Imagine a government agency with the authority to create and enforce laws, prosecute and adjudicate violations, and impose criminal penalties. Then throw in the power to levy taxes to pay for all the above. And for good measure, make the agency independent of political oversight.” Discussing Hayek over at Cato Unbound: Four problems with spontaneous order. Podcast: “Obama’s Patriot Act Duplicity.” (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3071142 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:26:33 +0100 3071142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3067016&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FxnBC6u3J_3c%2F By Ilya ShapiroThis morning at the Supreme Court, the federal government argued for the continued existence of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB, pronounced peek-a-boo) — and by extension the nefarious financial regulatory scheme known as Sarbanes-Oxley.  Cato filed a brief supporting a free market advocacy group and an accounting firm, who sued PCAOB for violating both the Appointments Clause and general constitutional separation-of-powers principles. Passed with scant deliberation in the wake of the Enron and WorldCom scandals, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 established PCAOB to oversee the accounting practices of the nation’s public companies.  As my piece with Cato legal associate Travis Cushman details today, PCAOB enjoys the rare authority to mak... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3067016 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:36:24 +0100 3067016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3052233&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E5%2FGctkViI2GI8%2FDITM_Jeff_Cohen_Complete.mp3 I’m so excited to share with you my latest docinthemachine podcast with Jeff Cohen — serial entrepreneur and current CEO of Halt Medical (a gyn fibroid treatment statup), Voyage Air Guitar (the world’s best foldable guitar),  and Nashville publishers Savannah Music Group just recorded live at the 38th Global Congress of Minimally Invasive Gynecolog in Orlando Florida. You might recognize Jeff who was recently featured on ABC’s Shark Tank where he turned down the shark’s offer of $500,000 for his guitar idea.  In the podcast we discussed the unique opportunities and challenges of medical device development- and innovation in general. I was immediately struck by Jeff’s unique perspective and vision when I met him.  He has innovated in so many different... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3052233 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:28:51 +0100 3052233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015324&cid=t_112160_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F11%2F20%2Fwoman-loses-sick-leave-benefits-for-depression-thanks-to-facebook-pics%2F Quebec woman Nathalie Blanchard poses on the beach in a Facebook photograph that convinced her insurance company that she was no longer depressed.Can you really determine someone’s mental state by looking at a photograph? Manulife, a Canadian-based financial services company, apparently thinks so. Nathalie Blanchard, a 29-year-old IBM employee from Quebec, took a long-term sick leave from her job after being diagnosed with major depression. Her doctor told her to try & have fun, and to take a sunny vacation to get away from her problems. She did just that while she received monthly sick-leave benefits from Manulife. And she posted her vacation photos on her private Facebook profile. But recently, the monthly payments stopped. So, Blanchard contacted her insurance company to see w... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015324 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:17:30 +0100 3015324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984880&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E5%2FGVbZRtnVvWE%2Fditmnov2009ott.mp3 I have been getting great feedback on my DITM medical technology podcast which starts the podcast series I’ll be doing regularly.  Several people wrote to ask if I could post a version with just the interview since they loved it so much and wanted to share that segment.  The original podcast starts with FDA approvals then has an interview with Sony Exec Bob Ott on the future of video technology in entertainment and medicine that we did a the NAB broadcast meeting in Vegas. Here’s an edit version with just the interview enjoy and share with your friends!   addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fdocinthemachine.com%2F2009%2F11%2F12%2Fsonypodcast%2F'; addthis_title = 'DITM+Podcast+on+Future+of+Video+for+Entertainment+%26%23038%3B+Medicine+With+Sony+Exec'; addthis_pub = ''; (Source... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984880 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:15:36 +0100 2984880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2967404&cid=t_112160_117_f&fid=38158&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drneedles.comhttp%3A%2F%2Famericanacupuncture.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Faarp-health-insurance-company.html The AARP, a $40 million strong American organization, is wondering why its leaders are endorsing a health bill that would undermine Medicare?As a medical physician for over 51 years, I strive to give you the best medical information on controversial medical subjects, and help your read betwwen the lines. You must come to your own conclusions. I have no ties to any organization, pharmaceutical, or lobby group. As an practicing medical acupuncturist since 1982, I find western medicine and medical acupuncture are very complimentary. This results in astounding healing in pain management, addictions to cigarettes and food, and a host of other maladies. Visit drneedles is blogging" at the end of each blog for a complete alphabetical list of all my blogs Visit http://www.americanacupuncture.com/ ... Dr. Needles Medical Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2967404 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:54:00 +0100 2967404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2954553&cid=t_112160_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F11%2F03%2Fwhat-health-care-reform-means-for-mental-health%2F Now that it looks like some form of health care reform will be passed this year — barring a catastrophe like Joe Lieberman — we have some idea of how the eventual act will affect mental health services. All of the plans now under consideration will mean some real improvements for mental health consumers, and there doesn’t seem much likelihood of these improvements being cut out before passage. However, it appears that individuals and employers will still have to purchase their insurance from private insurance companies, without competition from a strong public option like Medicare available for everyone. Nevertheless, the “reform” aspect of the bill would require private insurers to make some real changes in how they treat mental health issues. Key Benefits Parity for m... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2954553 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:08:39 +0100 2954553 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2927562&cid=t_112160_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FdR81JvZ-0yk%2F At a time when saving big bucks on health care is such a hot issue, should Congress alter patent laws to save a company a lot of money from generic competition because it missed a basic, but crucial filing deadline by one day? Tim Carney at The Washington Examiner raises the case of The Medicines Company, which makes Angiomax, an anti-coagulant drug that helps prevent a second heart attack. In early 2001, MDCO applied for a standard extension to its patent, which would have been approved, except the company’s lawyers filed the application 61 days after initial FDA approval, missing the statutory deadline by one day. As a result, Angiomax’s protection is set to expire next year instead of in 2014, as the routine extension would have allowed. MDCO says the early patent expiration... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2927562 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:18:41 +0100 2927562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2905001&cid=t_112160_125_f&fid=38161&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalheroes.com%2Fdental-emergencies-americans-unprepared%2F New York, NY (October 16, 2009) Although 72 percent of Americans have fillings, caps or crowns and one in six had a dental emergency during the past 12 months, most are not prepared to deal with a dental emergency, according to a recent survey conducted by Majestic Drug Company, a leading provider of oral care products. Interestingly, in the national survey of 1,000 Americans, those with a lower income (less then $35,000) were more likely to have had a dental emergency in the past 12 months (vs. 14 percent of those who make $100,000 or more). Of those who had a dental emergency, 23 percent involved a loose crown or cap, 10 percent involved a lost filling, while 72 percent said their dental emergency involved something else. Among those who had a dental emergency involving a loose crown/ca... Dental Heroes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2905001 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:00:56 +0100 2905001 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2902767&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fgovt-sues-tobacco-companies-really%2F If this wasn’t such a serious topic, it would almost be funny. Farmers, who want to earn a living, grow tobacco for big tobacco companies. Big tobacco companies buy the tobacco to turn into cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Big tobacco companies spend millions and millions of dollars on salaries, production, advertising, and sales. Government rakes in millions and millions of dollars on income tax from tobacco company employees, sales (and other) tax on equipment purchased, gas employees use to get to work, and so on. Big tobacco companies rake in millions and millions of dollars in profit. Smokers get sick from using big tobacco company’s products. Smokers get very expensive medical treatment paid for by insurance companies or government programs (United States) or the governme... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2902767 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:22:13 +0100 2902767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886779&cid=t_112160_165_f&fid=36770&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmetaot.com%2Fblog%2Fforeal-development-coltd . was established in Hongkong in 1986. Our company is regarded as one of the largest bearing exporting agent which is authorized by many global brands, including SWDEN SKF bearings, GERMANY FAG bearings, INA bearings, JAPAN NSK bearings, IKO bearings,USA TIMKEN bearings, NTN bearings,KOYO bearings,NACHI bearings and so on. Our company offers more than 25,000 different kinds of bearing. In addition, we can supply from stock and have 35,000,000 bearings ready for clients.Our products categories mainly include: Deep Groove Ball Bearings, Cylindrical Roller Bearings, Tapered Roller Bearings, Thrust Ball Bearings, Angular Contact Ball Bearings, Spherical Roller Bearings, Needle Roller Bearings, Linear Bearings,Self-aligning Ball Bearings, etc. Our products are exports to countries all over the ... meta-ot blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886779 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:32:51 +0100 2886779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871565&cid=t_112160_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQVk6Rjg9WV4%2F I was glad to see James Pinkerton engage my criticism of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s (R) endorsement of federal price controls for health insurance.  I was even more pleased to see that Pinkerton has his own blog devoted to developing a Serious Medicine Strategy. If I understand Pinkerton, his argument is essentially: it’s all well and good for some unelectable wonk in the “citadel of libertarian thinking” to “uphold ivory-tower free-market purity” by opposing price controls.  But Republicans need “art-of-the-possible solutions” to win elections, and 90 percent of the public support those price controls.  “Everyone has a right to his or her principled position,” Pinkerton writes, “but the majority has rights, too.” Two problems. First, Pinkerton suggests that l... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871565 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:33:48 +0100 2871565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2824187&cid=t_112160_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FdXumzlPNR-c%2F I got a surprising call today from none other than my insurance company. In the past, this has never been good. Our last insurance company used to call repeatedly to find out if we had any other insurance. I would answer that they we didn’t, and then they would fail to mark this down and call us the next week with the same question. If a company can’t even remember what they asked you last, how can they adequately cover you? But this company wanted to know if I had any questions. I had to repeat it back to the lovely woman on the phone. “You want to know if I had any questions?” I had to stop and think. I was floored. She also wanted me to know here I could find more information about doctors and coverage. She gave me a phone to call if I found that I did have any ... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2824187 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:14:57 +0100 2824187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734265&cid=t_112160_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FHzcYL-Z4VuE%2Fmany-turning-to-online-health-insurance.html (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734265 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:36:00 +0100 2734265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2657732&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F07%2F30%2Ffirst-birthday-contest-whats-your-cure%2F CureTogether is 1 year old this month! To celebrate and thank our amazing members and supporters, we’re giving away free T-shirts. Create a video (under 1 minute) on how you cured yourself, how CureTogether has helped you, or any cure-related theme. The best 20 videos get this beautiful T-shirt! To enter, upload your entry to YouTube or any video-sharing site by August 13 and send the link to Alexandra at alexandra@curetogether.com. Good luck! News Update CureTogether was also mentioned in these articles recently - many thanks to the authors and readers who keep encouraging this work! Wired: “Know Thyself: Tracking Every Facet of Life, from Sleep to Mood to Pain, 24/7/365“ Wall Street Journal: “Health Data Proves Contagious on Social Media” Brainandspinalcord... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2657732 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:24:53 +0100 2657732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2653931&cid=t_112160_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fcrohn%25e2%2580%2599s-and-problems-with-doctor%25e2%2580%2599s-offices-and-insurance-companies%2F I have been having issues with my insurance company lately and I thought that I would share my dilemma.   Maybe someone out there has had a similar problem and could give me some advice. I go to a rheumatologist for my Crohn’s disease and for my bones.  I get inflammation in my joints which is linked to my Crohn’s and occasionally they will swell up so bad that I cannot walk. They say that it is like rheumatoid arthritis but is only my Crohn’s pretending to be RA (I don’t really have RA but the Crohn’s will mimic the RA symptoms).   I have osteoporosis from all of the prednisone that I have taken and have been taking Boniva to help build my bones back up. I have Aetna insurance and have up until recently, really liked them.  The co-payments are great (10$ for each visit) an... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2653931 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:03:10 +0100 2653931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2593143&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FqOSjbvAkB40%2F Many people don’t even realize that this website is a blog. The fact is that blogs have become so powerful that you can create an entire website powered by blog software and no one would know the difference. As you can imagine I’m a huge fan of blogs. What readers of this blog don’t realize is that beyond this blog I actually have 3 other major blogs and probably a dozen other minor ones. Blogs have so many benefits that I won’t even begin to list them. However, I still find it amazing that I haven’t spent a penny on marketing this blog (although I did just do my first advertising trade) and yet I’m getting about 5,000 pageviews a day. On some of my other blogs with larger niches I reached over 47,000 pageviews in one day with $0 spent on marketing. It ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2593143 Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:32:50 +0100 2593143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452784&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FB6XbX2mZ430%2F I previously wrote about the reasons EHR companies use to get you to buy an EHR Now. Today I came across a post that’s really similar to my idea. The post is by Evan Steele, CEO SRSsoft and it’s entitled “From EMR Vendors: Fact or Fiction?” I think that Evan does a really good job covering some of the misconceptions/lies that are being spread by overzealous EHR salespeople in regards to the HITECH act’s EHR stimulus money. My favorite one was this: “You must act now—buy an EHR now because in order to get the money from the government, you must be using the EMR by 2011.” As with used-car salesmen, “buy now” is always popular, but you actually have until 2013 to implement and potentially qualify for the lion’s share of the incentives. Even if you do ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452784 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:07:32 +0100 2452784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2447747&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F06%2F01%2Fdaniels-podcast-for-pharma-marketing-blog%2F Last week Daniel did a live podcast interview with John Mack for the Pharma Marketing Blog. He talks about how CureTogether got started and what patients are discovering on the site. Here’s the streaming audio below (about 15 minutes long). . (Source: The Collective Well) The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2447747 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:04:07 +0100 2447747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441853&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2F28%2Fcuretogether-founders-caught-on-video%2F At long last, we’re releasing recent videos of both of us speaking at the Quantified Self meetups. Daniel gives a quick, early overview of CureTogether from December 2008, and Alexandra talks about who to trust for health information in March 2009. Enjoy! . . Alexandra Carmichael on trust and health information sources from Kevin Kelly on Vimeo. (Source: The Collective Well) The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441853 Thu, 28 May 2009 19:32:33 +0100 2441853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441899&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FC5SqP1c13pM%2F Yes, I’ve compared EMR to Marriage and it talks about it being a huge deal to “divorce” your EMR. Yes, I’ve compared EMR Implementation to Pregnancy. Now I bring you what may be my most important comparison of all: Don’t marry an EMR because of money! Sure, the allure of $18 billion of EMR stimulus money is attractive, but don’t choose an EMR because you can get that money. You shouldn’t choose someone to marry because of money and you shouldn’t choose an EMR for the EMR stimulus money as well. Certainly you want to make sure your mate EMR company is financially sound, can provide for your needs, and is going to be around even if times get tough. However, more important than all of that is you want your EMR company to be willing to make you (... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441899 Thu, 28 May 2009 17:11:18 +0100 2441899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414910&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2F15%2Ftim-ferriss-and-kevin-rose-on-open-source-clinical-trials%2F The second video in a series of two famous buddies discussing random things, in the clip below Tim and Kevin talk about music, open source clinical trials, CureTogether (about half way through), and their favorite knives. The open source health discussion is impressive, the rest is good fun. And check out Tim’s shoes! . Random Episode Numero 2 from Glenn McElhose on Vimeo. (Source: The Collective Well) The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414910 Fri, 15 May 2009 21:10:18 +0100 2414910 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405563&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2009%2F05%2F13%2Fkiller-emr-features-according-to-emr-vendors%2F I previously posted a request to hear about the “killer” EMR features that set an EMR vendor’s software apart from the other 400 EMR vendors out there. As expected, some of the people who sent me a message didn’t understand what I mean. However, a few of the responses we’re pretty interesting. I think we’ve barely scratched the surface on EMR features, so please keep submitting your best EMR feature on the contact us page. Here’s a quick look at three of the responses from EMR vendors. I’ve added strikethroughs when it’s not a killer feature and my commentary is in italics. First up is SRSSoft’s killer EMR feature: The SRS hybrid EMR is a killer EMR, with the prime killer feature being “speed.” Speed is built into the hybrid E... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405563 Wed, 13 May 2009 07:41:14 +0100 2405563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398545&cid=t_112160_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F08%2Fmercks-ghostwriters-haunted-papers-and-fake-elsevier-journals%2F What is the purpose of publications? (…) The purpose of data is to support, directly or indirectly, the marketing of our product.” [1, 2] It is well known that studies with significant positive results are easier to find than those with ‘negative’ results. This so called publication bias can arise from the tendency to submit or [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398545 Fri, 08 May 2009 02:41:13 +0100 2398545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2390013&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FPeU4ND_70wk%2F I was thinking about the over 400 EMR vendors I have listed on my site and on the EMR and EHR matrix of companies (shameless plug). With that many EMR vendors, I have to assume that every one of them has a solid reason why they’re better than other EMR vendors. At least it seems logical that they should have at least some “killer feature” that sets their EMR apart from the other 400 choices out there. This got me to thinking that I’d love to hear EMR vendors make the case for their killer feature(s). Let’s hear you make the case for your EMR in the comments or submit it to our Contact Us page. Those features that catch my eye will be featured on this site with a link to your EMR company. I expect that most killer features will need at least a small paragraph t... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2390013 Wed, 06 May 2009 15:06:01 +0100 2390013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2389992&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2F05%2Fhow-to-use-twitter-to-spread-your-message%2F Getting your message out is the biggest challenge in the crowded online space. Using Twitter has helped us at CureTogether (http://twitter.com/accarmichael), and it can help you too. Here’s how. 1. Follow conversations about your cause At http://search.twitter.com, you can search for any keyword and see what everyone on Twitter is saying about it, live. It’s a great way to find people to follow that are interested in the same things you are. 2. Be a real-time presence When you see a conversation about your cause, you can jump right in and be part of it. A live response is a great way to diffuse any negative comments about your organization, give thanks for positive ones, and put a real face and personality to your cause. 3. Build community and momentum Twitter is a great pla... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2389992 Tue, 05 May 2009 19:59:54 +0100 2389992 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2382590&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34695&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicalConnectivityConsulting%2F%7E3%2F3KS-NLZTUds%2F After a breakfast meeting, I caught Brenda Vollmer’s presentation on Improving Safety Through Automation. Grand River Hospital recently installed ConnexALL to integrate WatchMate patient wandering, Siemens fire panels and Delta Controls building automation systems. According to Brenda the implementation of ConnexALL was initiated to better align with their hospital’s patient and staff safety goals.  After installation they were able to consolidate much of the management and interaction of these three event driven systems into an automated and consolidated system using ConnexALL. Specific benefits included, improved reliability, managed group notification, reduction in manual interventions, automatic alarm escalation, increased mobility (no sitting at a workstation or watching ... Medical Connectivity Consulting blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2382590 Sat, 02 May 2009 23:16:01 +0100 2382590 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376277&cid=t_112160_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FIU3iPC7brEg%2F Have you ever taken a pill or other type of medication that just, for whatever reason, has not worked? Yeah, me too. Luckily, most of the time my doctor is able to give me a sample so we can see if it works or not. Sometimes, though, I’ve paid for a whole bottle of pills, taken one, and had it not work. Then I’ve ended up throwing the lot of them out and wasting a bunch of money besides. Now, it appears that some drug makers are trying to “adjust what they charge for their drugs, based on how well the medicines improve patients’ health.” Kind of like a “guaranteed or your money back” type of thing. The first of this type of program is expected to be with Merck. Merck will base the cost of Januvia and Janumet (both for diabetes) based on how well the p... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376277 Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:41:02 +0100 2376277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353916&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34695&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicalConnectivityConsulting%2F%7E3%2FbV5-9EdevmE%2F The second day of GlobeStar’s World Connex user group meeting included more informative end user experiences implementing ConnexALL. Shawn Sicard, CEO of PiiComm in Toronto, Canada lead the customer presentations with a discussion about putting togeter complete solutions.  PiiComm is a systems integrator targeting the health care vertical market, with a long term relationship with GlobeStar. As an event sponsor, PiiComm has an exhibit demonstrating many of the products they support. Sean highlighted the Motorola CA 50 wireless VoIP phone with built-in barcode scanner. Built orignally for Home Depot, the phone has found some interest in health care. The phone has push to talk (PTT), a 1D barcode scanner in a small size (4.37″x 1.81″ x 1″ and about 4 ounces). The CA ... Medical Connectivity Consulting blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353916 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:17:59 +0100 2353916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348776&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34695&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicalConnectivityConsulting%2F%7E3%2F7mcOXQNiQfc%2F I’m at GlobeStar System’s annual user group meeting this week, in Lisbon, Portugal. Attendance is about 150, equivalent to last year’s meeting. The messaging middleware market is transitioning from middleware to an enterprise application. GlobeStar has been in the business just over 10 years. Unlike Emergin, who started in paging messaging,  GlobeStar got their start in the 1990s integrating Austco nurse call and Nortel’s Companion (the first wireless phone system in North America). Over the years, the company (and the market) have evolved from a single nurse call/phone integration to a platform supporting many different systems and devices both on the input and output sides — and incorporating workflow automation through rules, alert initiation, and escalati... Medical Connectivity Consulting blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348776 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:15:08 +0100 2348776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348799&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FgoIxShCuqs0%2F Just sitting back and taking a look at the current EHR and EMR market, I have a strong feeling that we’re going to see a number of EHR vendors close up shop. Many of them may be disguised as purchases by bigger vendors who are trying to gain market share. Others will probably just close their doors completely and users of that EHR system will wonder why their support requests aren’t getting the response from their EHR vendor that they’re use to receiving. I’ve talked previously about how EHR adoption will be slowed by the HITECH act. This slowing of EHR adoption is going to put a number of EHR vendors out of business. I have a feeling that far too many EHR vendors based their burn rate on their previous sales. Now that sales have slowed, they’re going to have ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348799 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 03:28:22 +0100 2348799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2299233&cid=t_112160_136_f&fid=35300&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmetastatic-liver-cancer%2F%7E3%2F4UCZgNY6SXA%2F Merck has no cure available to treat secondary liver cancer, so we recommend to get your support from our metastatic liver cancer survivors.   Why does Google rank Merck first?   Google for "metastatic liver cancer" and the top 2 results points to pharmaceutical company Merck:   Tumors of the liver  Liver Masses and Granulomas   Unfortunately, the information provided by Merck repeats what you will have heard from your doctor:   Metastatic liver cancer treatment   Treatment depends on how far the cancer has spread and what the primary cancer is. Options include the following:   Chemotherapy drugs: These drugs may be used to temporarily shrink the tumor and prolong life, but they do not cure the cancer. Chemotherapy drugs may be injecte... Metastatic liver cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2299233 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 02:28:48 +0100 2299233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2285063&cid=t_112160_97_f&fid=35606&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theangriestpharmacist.com%2F2009%2F03%2F20%2Fdrug-companies-corrupt-no%2F By NO, I mean yes… DRUG COMPANY CORRUPT We all know my thoughts on this, and recently Zyprexa paid out some BIG BUCKS because they pushed off label uses. It is now mega illegal for a drug rep to even utter the words off-label to a physician. Thanks to WILL for sending this to me… -=+=- BONUS: A lady bitch pissed me off today for standing at the register after I told her 15 minutes. After about 2 minutes of standing at the register I said, “Ma’am, it’s gonna be a while. If you wanna have a seat, I’ll hollar at you when we’re done.” Her response? “I don’t have time for that. If I walk away from this counter you all will just lolligag around, and it will never get done. I have to keep my eye on you.” In her honor, we now have t... The Angriest Pharmacist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2285063 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:03:35 +0100 2285063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365180&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2F12%2Ffirst-crowdsourced-book-on-endometriosis-released%2F We are excited to announce today the release of “Endometriosis Heroes: 137 Women Share Their Experiences and Treatments.” . What’s Inside? 137 women share stories, symptoms, and resources Surprising data on co-morbid conditions Detailed comments on treatments by real patients . Please spread the word! Blog or tweet http://www.curetogether.org/EHeroes All proceeds from Endometriosis Heroes go to fund the endometriosis data community at CureTogether.org. A FREE PDF version is available if you invite 19 friends to CureTogether. . What People Are Saying “Congrats - hands together for you and the amazing disruptive women at CureTogether!” — Jen McCabe Gorman (@jenmccabegorman on Twitter) “Health 2.0 in action. CureTogether uses real patient stories to b... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365180 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:22:02 +0100 2365180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2301626&cid=t_112160_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2Foyn69mbs7mw%2Fmerck-co-to-buy-schering-plough.html According to Marketwatch.com, Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., Inc today said it will buy rival Schering-Plough for $41.1 billion in cash and shares to expand its presence in emerging markets and bolster its pipeline of potential new medicines. The two companies, which announced significant job cuts last fall, already are partners on the cholesterol drugs Zetia and Vytorin. But sales of the drugs fell more than 20% in the fourth quarter on concerns about their effectiveness. What do you think of Merck & Co.'s purchase? (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2301626 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:06:00 +0100 2301626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365182&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2F04%2Ftop-10-conditions-at-curetogether-chronic-womens-health%2F What do the 10 most active conditions at CureTogether have in common? As you can see from the chart below, most of them are chronic conditions, and many affect more women than men.* To learn more about what these conditions are, read on below the chart. Vulvodynia saw a big surge in data around the release of the crowdsourced book, Vulvodynia Heroes, compiled by CureTogether with input from 190 women. This chart also only captures a representative portion of the data recorded by people with these conditions. So what are these conditions? While they are all common, some of them are not commonly known, so you may not have heard of them. Here’s a quick run-down: — Vulvodynia Affects: 16% of women at some point in their lives. That’s 48 million women in the US alone. What it... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365182 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:27:11 +0100 2365182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365183&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2F02%2Fpresentation-health-20-as-a-research-vehicle%2F Matthew Holt, of The Health Care Blog, recently presented to the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics. He featured CureTogether as part of the Health 2.0 movement and as a new source of health data for research. Slides from his presentation are below. Health 2.0 as a new data source View more presentations from Matthew Holt. (tags: 2.0 health) (Source: The Collective Well) The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365183 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:54:46 +0100 2365183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365184&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2F25%2Ffirst-crowdsourced-womens-health-book-released%2F We are excited to announce today the release of “Vulvodynia Heroes: 190 Women Share Their Experiences and Treatments.” . What’s Inside? 190 women share stories, symptoms, and triggers Surprising data on co-morbid conditions Detailed comments on treatments by real patients . Please spread the word! Blog or tweet http://www.curetogether.org/VHeroes All proceeds from Vulvodynia Heroes go to fund the vulvodynia data community at CureTogether.org. A FREE PDF version is available if you invite 19 friends to CureTogether. . What People Are Saying “The vulvodynia heroes are pioneers not just in investigating their own condition, but in developing self-cure practices that others can follow.” — Gary Wolf, Contributing Editor of Wired, Blogger at The Quantified... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365184 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:49:58 +0100 2365184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2141336&cid=t_112160_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F01%2F28%2F7-ways-to-cope-with-a-layoff%2F When the economy — or a company’s business — goes south, the quickest way a company can chop its costs is by laying off its employees. It’s never popular and often companies will try other cost-cutting measures long before they have to cut workers, but if you’re among those who get the pink slip, you don’t really care. You just lost your job. For many, being laid off is something that will be unexpected and shocking. Unless you work in a seasonal industry where layoffs occur with annual regularity, a layoff is akin to having the wind knocked out of you. You become a powerless pawn in a company’s efforts to cut costs. And while it’s never about a single employee, it doesn’t make it feel any less personal. A layoff is out of your contro... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2141336 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:00:14 +0100 2141336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2132560&cid=t_112160_97_f&fid=35606&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theangriestpharmacist.com%2F2009%2F01%2F25%2Fanother-rule-or-two-to-circumvent%2F I’m excited. We’ve got more rules to break or circumvent. Are you? http://tinyurl.com/NoMorePens — News Article http://tinyurl.com/BigPharma — Members of PhRMA As you all may have heard, certain pharmaceutical companies have recently adopted a new “ETHICS POLICY” banning all gift-giving to prescribers. They are still allowed, however, to disperse “EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL” as well as meals for “office-based lessons.” [I read this as "LOTION" for "HANDJOBS" or "BREASTS" for "GAWKING' AT" -- with the lotion being slapped with a FORTAMET sticker, of course!] We all know that this is horseshit (what Pharma said — what I said is right on the money). While they cannot give away pens, clocks, stress balls, calendars, scissors, stapler... The Angriest Pharmacist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2132560 Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:00:29 +0100 2132560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2116515&cid=t_112160_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F517237108%2F How do you know when something is fast moving towards a Gladwellian tipping point? When health insurance companies and public policy makers launch significant initiatives. For example, the government of Ontario recently announced a $10 million investment with Baycrest Research Centre who will partner with MaRS Venture Group to develop and commercialise brain fitness technologies. The investment was matched by an additional $10 million from private sources. Another important development was the $18 million agreement between the Australian-based Brain Resource Company (ASX:BRC) and OptumHealth in the US. This will allow for the provision of web-based cognitive assessments as part of a clinician’s decision support systems. These are some initiatives covered in a webinar Top Ten Cognitive Fi... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2116515 Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:32:32 +0100 2116515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074630&cid=t_112160_97_f&fid=35606&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theangriestpharmacist.com%2F2008%2F12%2F29%2Fzolpi-whaaaat%2F I got a note from The Ole Apothecary about a new drug he got wind of after reading my old post, Removing the Wool. TaestP, I can’t remember if you were the one who was blogging about ripoff prescription drugs such as Treximet or Solodyn. How about adding Zolpimist to the list? http://www.novadel.com/pipeline/zolpimist.htm I’ll just let you ponder this one. I’m glad he brought this to my attention. This is yet another product that serves no purpose other than to milk the public dry. It’s ridiculous how a company could do this and continue to remain a respected corporate citizen. It just doesn’t make any sense. “Faster absorption - quicker to reach steady state.” What a crock a shit! So, you take an Ambien - you fall asleep in 45 minutes. You spray s... The Angriest Pharmacist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074630 Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:00:06 +0100 2074630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1969286&cid=t_112160_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fnot-intended-to-diagnose-or-treat.html Andrew Yates at ThinkGene comments on something that I have not been able to effectively explain. We trust health assets like “medical advice” to exist. That is, we trust that public medical information describes reality such that it may be applied to measurably improve health. This is a challenge because medical advice, especially preventative medical advice like genomics, is a trust asset: an abstract idea with value applied to the indefinite future. This is a very precise explanation. We pay for medical advice.......which may include diagnosis or treatment.......We trust trained health professionals to give that advice. We trust that they are capable of giving that advice......Why?Well, we have a licensing system in this country that helps us assure that quality. In addition to that... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1969286 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:45:00 +0100 1969286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1951812&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34695&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicalconnectivity.com%2F2008%2F11%2F11%2Fhospira-acquires-endotool%2F On Oct. 13, 2008 Hospira announced that it had acquired the EndoTool business from MD Scientific. (Press release) The EndoTool glucose management system is software used to determine optimal insulin dosages to help  establish and maintain glycemic control. Target markets for the product include critical care and surgery, as well as lower acuity areas on hospitals. Hospitals are also considering use EndoTool in Labor and Delivery. The product was launched 18 months ago by MD Scientific, and seen increadible adoption (60 hospitals currently). The product won’t be “relaunched” under the Hospira brand. You can read the publicly available FDA 510k stuff here. Software designed to support the application of clinical protocols has been in the works from various vendors. ... Medical Connectivity Consulting blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1951812 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:38:04 +0100 1951812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1939661&cid=t_112160_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fgenetic-test-or-family-history-which.html Conclusion:Positive family history of disease generated greater concern about parents’ own risk of inheriteddisease than did genetic test results.The Sherpa's Conclusion? People don't know what the hell they are doing when analyzing genetic risk. Nor do they know what the hell they are doing analyzing multifactorial disease risk in pedigrees....So I ask you....."Should we expect them to?" Isn't this the exact reason why we have geneticists and genetic counselors? Our job is to interpret family histories and genetic test results....in the doctors' case they interpret full medical history, perform physical examination and review of systems and evaluate other lab values oh, and medication history too.......Why should we expect patients to know or understand these concepts? Oh, I know why...... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1939661 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:12:00 +0100 1939661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1892347&cid=t_112160_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F427061680%2F Just saw a very interesting press release regarding computer-based neurocognitive assessments - a critical part of the brain fitness puzzle. How long will it take before consumers can have access to a reliable and credible annual "mental check-up"/ cognitive baseline? HeadMinder Cognitive Stability Index: Computerized Neurocognitive ... (Press release) - "The HeadMinder web-based Cognitive Stability Index (CSI) has proven more useful for blast-concussion detection than the ANAM computerized test battery the DoD currently employs. The CSI provides an immediate solution to clear the backlog of 400,000 IED-exposed service members in less than two years." - "The CSI is a 30-minute, Internet-based, computerized test that provides automated, objective measures of attenti... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1892347 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:39:12 +0100 1892347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1860077&cid=t_112160_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F414499048%2F Over the next weeks we are going to be sharing the Executive Summary of our market report The State of the Brain Fitness Software Market 2008 with members and clients of several partner organizations (the British Columbia Seniors Living Association, where I will be speaking this Thursday, Neurotech Reports, where I will speak on October 24th, and the Health 2.0 conference, where we are sponsoring a panel on gaming for health), so it is only fair that we first share it with our own readers. Executive Summary A spate of recent global news coverage on brain fitness and brain training reflects a growing interest in natural, non drug-based interventions to keep our brains sharp as we age. This interest is very timely, given an aging population, increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s rates, ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1860077 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:17:34 +0100 1860077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1840955&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34695&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicalconnectivity.com%2F2008%2F09%2F30%2Fge-healthcare-acquires-agility-healthcare%2F A unit of GE Healthcare’s global Diagnostic Imaging Services business acquired Agility Healthcare Solutions today for an undisclosed sum. This is the same group that did the deal with Anywhere several years ago, and most recently signed a distribution deal with CenTrak, which was announced at HIMSS 2008 (press release). What started as a straight on asset management strategy has grown in scope. “Any hospital administrator knows about the daily headaches caused by the logistical coordination of providing patient care. For each and every patient interaction, patient, clinician, staff, space, assets & supplies must come together at the same time. Agility’s visualization system is the one tool we’ve found that lets us visualize these interactions to predict and... Medical Connectivity Consulting blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1840955 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:50:54 +0100 1840955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837112&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34695&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicalconnectivity.com%2F2008%2F09%2F29%2Fcardinal-to-spin-off-medical-device-business%2F According to Modern Healthcare’s daily IT e-newsletter today, Cardinal Health announced it will, “spin off its clinical and medical products business into a separate, publicly traded company.” In what looks like a tussle between Cardinal’s traditional supply chain services business and the young upstart CTS (clinical technologies and services) the two groups have decided to go their own way. With the retirement of Cardinal chair and CEO, Kerry Clark, the two vice chairs, George Barrett for supply chain services and David Schlotterbeck for CTS, are going separate ways. Barrett will take Clark’s position and Schlotterbeck will head the $4 billion global company to be headquartered in San Diego. The new business’ offerings will include product lines in the ... Medical Connectivity Consulting blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837112 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:10:48 +0100 1837112 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1773188&cid=t_112160_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2F07%2Fdid-eli-lilly-downplay-zyprexas-health-risks%2F A New York City federal judge ordered drug company Eli Lilly to unseal confidential documents concerning the popular antipsychotic drug Zyprexa (Olanzapine) this past Friday, after a lengthy legal dispute. Yesterday’s New York Times reports: The decision by Judge Jack B. Weinstein of Federal District Court came as part of a ruling that gave class-action status to a case brought by insurance companies, pension funds and unions that want Lilly to repay them billions of dollars they spent on the drug. They contend that Lilly hid the side effects of the drug and marketed it for unapproved uses. The confidential documents were produced by Lilly in response to a related lawsuit filed by patients who said that Zyprexa had caused excessive weight gain and diabetes. The papers were placed under... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1773188 Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:35:26 +0100 1773188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739273&cid=t_112160_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fmore-exposure-of-trouble-at-fda.html No doubt, you have read about the brew ha ha over the type 2 diabetes medicine Byetta being linked to pancreatitis which lead to the death of a few (I believe around 6 cases at the last count, out of over a million prescriptions worldwide). In fact, last night at 5:00 PM, Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly and Company (who jointly market Byetta, known generically as exenatide) held a conference call intended to do damage control on the issue. Lilly, in particular, depends heavily on Amylin's Byetta to fuel its sagging diabetes business. The company continues to lose market share in insulin to rivals Novo Nordisk and Sanofi Aventis largely because Lilly is the only one of the big 3 insulin makers who offers only a rapid-acting insulin analogue, but in order to win business from insurers a... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739273 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:50:00 +0100 1739273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1700805&cid=t_112160_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fare-amylins-days-really-numbered.html This isn't exactly new news, but back in June, the Indianapolis Star reported that corporate raider Carl Icahn had acquired a $200 million stake in Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the San Diego-based biotechnology company perhaps best known for its stake in the blockbuster type 2 diabetes drug Byetta. Amylin is also responsible for the company's namesake drug sold under the brand-name Symlin, which is less a drug and more a biosynthtic analogue of the hormone amylin, a hormone which is completely absent in patients with type 1 diabetes.The long story short is patients have no need to be concerned about Icahn's intentions anyway, as even if Icahn forces Amylin, Inc. into the arms of partner Eli Lilly and Company, their product line will most certainly not disappear. Should investors in Amylin... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1700805 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:15:00 +0100 1700805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1686326&cid=t_112160_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fnovo-nordisk-also-pursues-autoimmunity.html Back in November 2007, I featured a post in which I said that there were signs that pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company was reconsidering the company's type 1 diabetes strategy, particularly given their partnership with MacroGenics, Inc. to develop and commercialize teplizumab, which is a humanized anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody. In effect, that biotechnology medicine could address a persistent problem in people with type 1 diabetes which few drug companies have really pursued ... until recently. We know the body continues to make new insulin-producing beta cells even in longstanding people with type 1 diabetes, but the darn immune system keeps destroying them. At present, there is no company who makes a similar product, although research has shown positive results in clinical trials ... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1686326 Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:45:00 +0100 1686326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1618035&cid=t_112160_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2F13%2Famerican-psychiatric-association-under-scrutiny%2F Last night I watched Good Night, And Good Luck, a compelling drama about Edward R. Murrow’s out-on-a-ledge decision to ask questions about Joe McCarthy. Joe McCarthy, if you remember your U.S. history, was the junior senator from Wisconsin who somehow managed to get himself appointed to lead a Senate committee investigating the spread of Communism in the U.S. It led to the infamous McCarthy hearings, where innuendo and hearsay were all the evidence needed to convict people in the media. It was a chilling reminder that government can sometimes turn a legitimate investigation into corruption or scandal and simply take it one step too far. As we now fight our “war on terrorism,” U.S. citizens are reminded of this every time government imposes another restriction on its peop... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1618035 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:52:32 +0100 1618035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1544539&cid=t_112160_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F319104093%2F A few colleagues referred me over the weekend to a very nice article at business publication Portfolio. While the article does an excellent job at introducing the reader to the concept and promise of computerized cognitive assessments, it also contributes to the mythology of "Brain Age". Let's first take a look at the article How Smart Are You: The business of assessing cognition and memory is moving from testing brain-impaired patients to assessing healthy peoples' brains online. A couple of quotes:  - "Cognitive Drug Research is one a handful of businesses, most of them outside of the U.S., that work with pharmaceutical companies to test how new drugs for everything from nicotine addiction to Alzheimer’s disease affect the mind’s ability to remember things, make deci... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1544539 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:15:14 +0100 1544539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1543906&cid=t_112160_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fburrill-reportdecoded.html Consumers are worried about developing genetic based diseases, but remain reluctant to use genetic tests that will provide early warning signs.That is the lead statement in the executive summary from the Burrill and Company Personalized Medicine and Wellness report issued last week. Many may ask "What's this report have to do with me?" many have even doubted the validity of the report in favor of the blogosphere......In the arena of Genomic Medicine, I would say the blogosphere is pretty one sided.....IN fact, that is why the Sherpa is popular. Until I started blogging, this place was pretty much a mutual admiration society. Further proven by the backlash I received when I said that governmental regulation was coming and then came.So let's go back to the poll.....Second LineCompanies need ... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1543906 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:00:00 +0100 1543906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1508559&cid=t_112160_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fada-scientific-sessions-mixed-messages.html This past weekend, the American Diabetes Association's 68th Annual Scientific Sessions began in San Francisco and today (Weds., June 10, 2008) they end. The press releases and reporters were on overdrive, largely releasing the same, recycled stories containing tidbits from the ill-fated type 2 studies which also investigated cardiovascular disease -- even though that news came out months ago. Nevertheless, there were a handful of interesting findings revealed in these sessions, although I previewed the extracts about a month ago and decided that this year's event wasn't really worth a trip cross-country to be inundated with more of the same. A fair proportion (if not the majority) of the findings presented at this year's meeting weren't truly "new" findings, but those already published in ... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1508559 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:00:00 +0100 1508559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1499876&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34695&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicalconnectivity.com%2F2008%2F06%2F06%2Fcisco-changing-to-support-health-care%2F Many things have changed at Cisco since they were visited by the FDA in 2006. Awhile back Kent Gray, global lead for Healthcare Solutions at Cisco, explained to me that the FDA was responding to a brochure produced by Cisco that included a photo of a 7921 handset displaying a patient monitor alarm and associated waveform. The FDA observed that the photo represented labeling of a Class III medical device for which Cisco did not have regulatory approval. Thus began a crash course in the health care school of hard knocks for Cisco. To Cisco’s credit they have since made many substantive changes to their traditional approach to vertical market marketing in response to the special requirements of health care. During the AAMI conference this week in San Jose, I had a chance to meet with Er... Medical Connectivity Consulting blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1499876 Sat, 07 Jun 2008 04:55:48 +0100 1499876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1488889&cid=t_112160_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F06%2F02%2Fthe-unseen-behavioral-influence-of-company-logos%2F Situationist contributor Grainne Fitzsimons and her research on the effects of popular company logos on human behavior are the subject of an interesting article by Joseph Brean of the National Post. We excerpt portions of his article below. * * * The personality of corporate brands, such as the creativity of Apple or the honesty of Disney, is so psychologically powerful that the mere sight of their logos, even subliminally flashed on a screen, is enough to make people behave more creatively or honestly, according to new research. In the current issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, University of Waterloo social psychologist Grainne Fitzsimons writes that the psychological effect of brands might “extend to behaviours unrelated to the products the brand represents…. If a con... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1488889 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:39:25 +0100 1488889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2513376&cid=t_112160_158_f&fid=36024&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fcaregiver-jeff%2Fnot-another-inspirational-book-for-caregivers%2F There’s quite a lot of literature growing up around caregiving these days. One of the latest and best entries is a compilation of caregiving essays titled, for some obscure reason, “An Uncertain Inheritance: Writers on Caring for Family.” I picked it off the shelf at the local library, and I am not done reading it yet, but I’m going to go ahead and recommend it, particularly to caregivers who may be operating “in a vacuum.” By that, I mean they do not belong to a caregiver support group or know other caregivers or even subscribe to a caregiver listserv, and therefore don’t have anyone with whom to share their caregiving experiences and emotions. For such people, “An Uncertain Inheritance” provides the welcome reassurance that they are not the only caregive... Caregiver Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2513376 Thu, 22 May 2008 22:10:39 +0100 2513376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1459144&cid=t_112160_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F294743841%2F In recent years, most professionals in aging have become aware of the growing scientific evidence showing that human brains retain the ability to generate neurons and change over a lifetime, discoveries that have broken the scientific paradigm prevalent during the 20th century. Furthermore, neuroimaging and cognitive training studies are showing how well-directed exercise presents people major opportunities for healthy brain aging. How can people use emerging technologies to keep their brains healthy and productive as long as possible? An emerging market for brain health-- $225 million market in 2007, in the United States alone, of which consumers account for $80 million--is trying to address that question in a way that complements other important more traditional pillars (and multi-billio... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1459144 Wed, 21 May 2008 03:29:03 +0100 1459144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1434598&cid=t_112160_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fworkmans-compensation-stereotypes-and.html Have you ever had back pain? Almost everyone has. Who has sciatica?Sciatica a very common condition accounts for a significant amount of lost work days, medical costs and psychologic stress. Treatment failures are not uncommon, are often related to posttraumatic or work-related injuries, and may result in litigation. Although most people experience back pain during their lifetime, only a fraction experience lumbar radiculopathy or sciatica as a consequence of root compression or irritation. Almost 5% of males and 2.5% of females experience sciatica at some time in their lifetime. It is so costly to society and common that in Sweden they did a cost-benefit analysis and found the surgery to be cost effective. Although studies casting doubt on its effectiveness are now in the mainstream.Becau... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1434598 Sun, 11 May 2008 01:01:00 +0100 1434598 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1414900&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34695&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicalconnectivity.com%2F2008%2F05%2F01%2Fhospira-acquires-sculptor%2F Today Hospira announced they have acquired Sculptor Developmental Technologies (press release). A subsidiary of St. Clair Health Corporation, Sculptor was a software engineering company formed by St. Clair Hospital in 1993 to create solutions that St. Clair couldn’t buy from vendors. Sculptor’s solutions include a barcode meds administration system, an enterprise report print management application, advanced printing for Eclipsys, fax distribution software and similar tools. Sculptor has an installed base of more than 125 hospitals in North America. The deal includes St. Clair Hospital serving as a development and test site for Hospira medication management products. Obligatory chest thumping: “This acquisition brings together two leaders in healthcare IT — Hospira ... Medical Connectivity Consulting blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1414900 Fri, 02 May 2008 03:33:08 +0100 1414900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1407059&cid=t_112160_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Flifting-curtain-on-insulin.html Have you ever wanted to take a peek inside a factory that makes insulin? It might be an interesting tour, but Factory Tours USA does not list such a tour among those people can visit.In fact, even visitors to Eli Lilly and Company's corporate headquarters in Indianapolis don't really get a look inside the manufacturing facilities (that's because the FDA does not permit it, and for very good reasons), although the company occasionally gives guided tours of Lilly's Parenteral Packaging (which means "injectable") facility. AmyT described her visit a while back, with a photo provided here):This is known, in industry parlance, as a "fill and finish" facility (I wrote in January that Biodel, Inc. had built just such a facility in Danbury, Connecticut).A while back, when I first started this post... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1407059 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:45:00 +0100 1407059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1396204&cid=t_112160_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E3%2F276947932%2F This is my second post in a series of updates of exciting new media technology I saw at the 2008 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) meeting just finishing up in Las Vegas. My intro to the meeting can be found here. In this post I want to review the most exciting new display technology I saw on multiple fronts at the meeting- and share with you my predictions of how it will be used in medicine in the future. This technology is OLED OLED represents the next step in the future of video display technology. I have previously written about what the technology is and how it works here. The technology was introduced commercially by Sony at the 2007 CES meeting also in Vegas (the home of all new media conventions). Currently flat panel technology is dominated by LCD’s and plasma displ... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1396204 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:31:52 +0100 1396204