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 'consumer health care'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:55:47 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181790&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FFSpBgAwfDVs%2F By Mary Grealy. When we talk about people who don’t have access to healthcare, there’s a natural assumption that it’s because they can’t afford it.  A new study shows that’s not necessarily the case. According to the study published in the journal Health Services Research, 21 percent of American adults said they had delayed care for non-financial reasons compared to 19 percent that cited cost as the primary reason for not seeking healthcare. Those non-financial reasons included not being able to get to a doctor’s office during working hours, long commutes to the medical office, or not being able to get an appointment soon enough.  As the study’s lead author said, “In reality, there are all kinds of reasons why people can’t get the care they need when they need it.” Th... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181790 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:16:36 +0100 5181790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158977&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FuWUbQhdO2ls%2F Yesterday, Healthcare IT News reported that a study due out later this month found that the addition of social media tools to online health programs seemed to positively influence the effectiveness of the programs. The study, which is being published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, found that “adding an interactive online community to an Internet-based walking program significantly decreased the number of participants who dropped out.” This is just the latest in eHealth innovations – from mobile health apps to electronic medical records and so, so, so much more – leaving the medical community wondering how eHealth will fare moving forward. How do you feel about health-related social networking? Would you join an online health program? What concerns – privacy, quality... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158977 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:15:49 +0100 5158977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107509&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fstevereads.com%2Fpapers_to_read%2Funcertainty_and_the_welfare_economics_of_medical_care.pdf The following is a post by Dr. Jessie Gruman from the Center for Advancing Health. This blog post was originally published at Prepared Patient Forum: What It Takes Blog. “There is a better way – structural reforms that empower patients with greater choices and increase the role of competition in the health-care marketplace.” Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)August 3, 2011 The highly charged political debates about reforming American health care have provided tempting opportunities to rename the people who receive health services.  But because the impetus for this change has been prompted by cost and quality concerns of health care payers, researchers and policy experts rather than emanating from us out of our own needs, some odd words have been called into service.  Two phrases commonly used ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107509 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:28:10 +0100 5107509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069466&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fkacp3b2MFJc%2F The sky is the limit it seems when it comes to mobile health. Proving once again the myriad possibilities for that smartphone apps present to every facet of the health sector, Orca MD — a company dedicated to producing apps aimed at educating patients and helping them find the most effective treatment for their ailments — just released two new patient education apps – these focusing on cosmetic procedures. The new apps (FaceDecide & BreastDecide) come in addition to their six existing Orthopedic patient education apps — including an orthopedic app called ShoulderDecide, which was recently reviewed by iMedicalApps.com. While these latest apps are obviously less focused on chronic medical conditions than the original six, they do call attention to just how great the ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069466 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 07:05:56 +0100 5069466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050565&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FZZi-5Y7hlwk%2F By Jane Sarasohn-Kahn. Patients who perceive their visit to the doctor was patient-centered, with more communication, receive fewer diagnostic tests and referrals, and yield lower expenses for diagnostic testing. A new study finds that patient-centered care leads to lower spending on health care over one year of care due to fewer specialty care referrals. A contributing factor to lower costs is increased patient participation during the visit, which reduces patients’ anxiety and perceived need for further investigations and referrals. In the milieu of more effective patient-physician communication, physician gets more knowledge about the patient. This brings greater trust between patient and doctor, as described in Patient-Centered Care is Associated with Decreased Health Care Utiliza... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050565 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:11:21 +0100 5050565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028200&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F6Yvhta4ECuk%2F By Hope Ditto. Most of the country is sweltering its way through this week’s heat wave, but there is one thing here in DC rising faster than the mercury in our thermometers – tensions on the Hill as the debt ceiling stalemate continues. Whispers [well, tweeted whispers] of default “what ifs” abound here in the nation’s capital as lawmakers continue to play a high-stakes game of chicken through day after day of floor debates, committee hearings and negotiating sessions. With interest rates, Social Security payments and America’s credit score dangling in the balance, and the clock ticking towards the Aug. 2 deadline, the air is even thicker with panic than it is with humidity (though my frizzy hair would say otherwise). As with April’s narrowly-avoided government shutdown, pun... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028200 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:00:17 +0100 5028200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992681&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.changehealthcare.com%2Fdownloads%2Fhcti%2FHCTI_Q42010.pdf My mama told me you’d better shop around, as Smokey Robinson also told us. We now know it pays to shop the prices for digital imaging. The price of an MRI of the brain ranges from a low of $825 to a high of $3,600 within the Southeast region of the U.S. In the Northeast, the low is $1,540 and the high, $3,500. There are similar price “spreads” in other regions of the country for the same imaging study, and across other imaging modalities such as PET and CT. The greatest regional variances by service type are for MRI scans of the brain, varying 747% between a low price of $425 in the Southwest to a high of $3,600 in the Southeast, based on an analysis from change: healthcare‘s Q2 2011 Healthcare Transparency Index. USA Today reported on this study on June 30, 2011. Christopher Park... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992681 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:47:47 +0100 4992681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984442&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fff8Oq-VAK_A%2F Health is where we live, play, work and pray — and also where we moisturize. Eucerin is working to create a Skin Savvy Nation. Welcome, health consumers, to the Eucerin Skin Health Cost Calculator, a tool that quantifies the financial impacts of skincare habits by estimating the life-cycle costs and benefits those skin health habits would have. The Calculator takes the consumer through a battery of questions together which yield a “skin score.” These include personal health habits such as not smoking, using skin-protecting moisturizer on a daily basis, and staying out of the sun. Eucerin gauges the cost of poor skincare at $400 billion a year in the U.S., about $400 per capita for each American. This is part of Eucerin’s PR campaign called the “Skin First Movement,” in wh... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984442 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:09:26 +0100 4984442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975859&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F-NditOzSIT8%2F Every year on June 27th the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA) organizes National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), in partnership with other national and local groups. They do this to send the message to both those at risk and those already living with HIV that it is critical to know your HIV status. This year marks the 17th NHTD. The CDC estimates approximately 21 percent of the 1.3 million Americans living with HIV are unaware that they have it. Voluntary HIV counseling and testing is the important first step in taking control and responsibility over one’s health, their message for NHTD “Take the Test, Take Control” reflects this. As the HIV epidemic turns thirty it is more important than ever to to heed their message. For More Information: CMS National Coverage Dete... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975859 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:29:26 +0100 4975859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952834&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F-eAzFLBs7og%2F Beginning September 2012, FDA will require larger, more prominent cigarette health warnings on all cigarette packaging and advertisements in the United States.  These warnings mark the first change in cigarette warnings in more than 25 years and are a significant and necessary advancement in communicating the dangers of smoking. The final set of cigarette health warnings contains nine different text warnings and accompanying color graphics to: increase awareness of the specific health risks associated with smoking, such as death, addiction, lung disease, cancer, stroke and heart disease; encourage smokers to quit; and empower youth to say no to tobacco. The above is one of the new warnings; to see more of the new warnings of to learn more about them click here. Watch today’s ann... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952834 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:41:40 +0100 4952834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911474&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FvTd5C6HI4mk%2F The following is a post by Dr. Jessie Gruman from the Center for Advancing Health. This blog post was originally published at Prepared Patient Forum: What It Takes Blog. It was also posted on Better Health. By Jessie Gruman.“The most important thing I learned was that different doctors know different things: I need to ask my internist different questions than I do my oncologist.” This was not some sweet ingénue recounting the early lessons she learned from a recent encounter with health care.  Nope.  It was a 62-year-old woman whose husband has been struggling with multiple myeloma for the last eight years and who herself has chronic back pain, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and was at the time well into treatment for breast cancer. Part of me says “Ahem.  Have you bee... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911474 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:07:06 +0100 4911474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883570&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fay59W2uSotU%2F The following ran on May 26th as a part of CNN Health’s coverage on the empowered patient. It is written by Elizabeth Cohen. By Elizabeth Cohen. As much as she would like to, Dr. Lissa Rankin, a gynecologist, will never forget the woman who planned her wedding while lying naked on her examining table. “Every 15 seconds, her cell phone was going off, and she was answering it!” Rankin recalls. “It was like, ‘That’s not the cake I ordered,’ and, ‘No, it’s the other gown,’ and I said to her, ‘Is this a bad time? Should I come back later?’ ” The bride may have been doing great things for her wedding, but she was sabotaging her own care — and it was a really important visit, as she was newly pregnant. Talking on ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883570 Tue, 31 May 2011 13:26:53 +0100 4883570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848149&cid=t_231800_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FnYI5PNwOxzs%2F A Pennsylvania state court jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $10 million in damages to the family of a 13-year-old girl who suffered skin burns and eye damage after she took Children’s Motrin to treat a fever and cough, Bloomberg News writes. After deliberated for 10 hours over two days, the jury decided that J&J’s McNeil Consumer Products unit was liable for injuries suffered by Brianna Maya, now 13, who was left blind in one eye and suffered burns over 84 percent of her body. The injuries were sustained after she took Motrin in 2000, when she was 3-1/2 years sold. Her lawyer charged J&J didn’t include a warning that year alerting consumers the med can cause Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. J&J companies later warned that ibuprofen, the active ingredient, could ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848149 Fri, 20 May 2011 20:27:29 +0100 4848149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841472&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FQDJmCLnbB54%2F By Jane Sarasohn-Kahn. Americans are opting for Botox and cosmetic procedures more than colonoscopies and cancer tests, according to a story in Reuters. This trend makes companies like Allergan, makers of Botox and the Lap-Band for gastric surgery, very happy indeed. Plastics and gastric bypass surgeries are back up to pre-recession levels as of 2Q11. However, for companies and providers in other segments of the health care and surgery value-chain, prospects for bounceback in 2011 aren’t as promising. Various indices on consumers’ health care sentiment — such as the Thomson-Reuters Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index and the EBRI Health Confidence Survey, show U.S. consumers’ perceptions of their ability to pay for needed health care falling. Health Populi’s Hot Points:  T... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841472 Tue, 17 May 2011 13:30:41 +0100 4841472 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664170&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jointcommission.org%2Fassets%2F1%2F6%2FARoadmapforHospitalsfinalversion727.pdf Lee Kirksey Interview by Disruptive Woman Glenna Crooks. Meet vascular surgeon Lee Kirksey, MD, MBA. He is assistant professor at The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, with a surgical practice based in Philadelphia. His concerns transcend those of his own surgical expertise, his own patients and this region, however.  He is an ardent, engaged, articulate spokesman for cultural competence in health care. I think about cultural competence sometimes, but I really ‘got it’ talking with him; for the first time seeing how cultural incompetence impacted my family. Here’s the story: a number of years ago as my Father lay in a coma, the physician in charge of his care refused to speak with my Mother. It required an attorney and intervention of hospital administrators to learn a... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664170 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:30:25 +0100 4664170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658379&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FNrjsnVepAsI%2F By Archelle Georgiou. At 9:55 am on a Wednesday morning. I was 15 miles from home and making good time getting to my 10:30 meeting until I realized that I’d left the power cord for my Mac computer at home. There was no way I’d have enough battery power to get through my presentation. So, I had a choice: turn around, go home and be late or run by the mall and buy a new power cord at the Apple store.  Since the mall was only ¼ mile away, I could arrive just as the store opened and likely be the first customer. The decision was easy. As expected, the parking lot had a scant number of cars and I got a plum spot by the entrance. Racing past several stores en route to my destination, I noticed employees in the sporting goods store dribbling basketballs waiting for their first customers. Ga... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658379 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:30:58 +0100 4658379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642588&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FeM2gzPgZi_c%2F Women experience differences in their health care services and outcomes. The fact sheet, Healthcare Quality and Disparities in Women: Selected Findings, summarizes key findings from the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports related to health care for women. Related posts:Update From Haiti: Despair Sets In And Women Consider Suicide The Society for Women’s Health Research: A Case Study of Advocacy for Women Disruptive Women on the Radio…with Real Women on Health (Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care) Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642588 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:42:36 +0100 4642588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4626827&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FTrEXv67U4VI%2F A year after President Obama signed health reform into law, the public remains deeply divided over the landmark legislation, with a year of political debate over its merits and the beginning stages of its implementation doing little to alter Americans’ opinions about the law. In March, one year after enactment, 42 percent of Americans hold favorable views of the law while 46 percent view it unfavorably, a basic division that has changed little during the last 12 months. (In April 2010, 46 percent had favorable views and 40 percent unfavorable ones, but both figures have ticked up and down over the last year.) Opinion of the law continues to break sharply along partisan lines, with 71 percent of Democrats backing the law and 82 percent of Republicans opposing it. About half (51%) of Ame... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626827 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:45:14 +0100 4626827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445797&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FeIsknPHxr8M%2F By Glenna Crooks. This is the week many of us will consider – or finally make – Valentine’s Day purchases. Some of us will consider chocolate. Maybe more of us should. I wondered about that as I saw some disparate bits of data over the weekend. An article on Valentine’s Day spending was informative: couples will spend just under $70 on each other and we’ll spend, on average, $5 on pets, $6 on friends, $5 on teachers and $3.50 on co-workers. What will we be buying? In all, about $12.B in treats for the day: $3.5B on jewelry, $1.6B on clothing, $3.4B on dinner, $1.7B on flowers, $1.5B on candy (of which $285M will be on chocolate) and $1.1B on greeting cards. I get interested in items like this when I hear that we ‘can’t afford health care.’ I’ve noticed over the years how ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445797 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:48:38 +0100 4445797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411519&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fpkd6PIGGRnM%2F By Jane Sarasohn-Kahn. While 8 in 10 U.S. adults want a physician to have primary responsibility for the diagnosis and management of their health care, many people are not sure who’s a medical doctor. Surprisingly numbers of health consumers don’t think that orthopaedic surgeons, family practitioners, dermatologists, psychiatrists, and ophthalmologists are MDs. The American Medical Association‘s survey, Truth in Advertising, published in January 2011, follows up the AMA’s 2008 survey which had similar results.  Data based on consumers answering the question, “Is this person a medical doctor,” are organized in the chart. 90% of people say that a physician’s additional years of medical education and training are ‘vital’ to optimal patient care. At the same time, only 51% ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411519 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:29:15 +0100 4411519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399519&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fb7EWJZGcRrU%2F When someone develops an infection at a hospital or other patient care facility that they did not have prior to treatment, this is referred to as a Healthcare-Associated (sometimes hospital-acquired) Infection (HAI). Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are a global crisis affecting both patients and healthcare workers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at any point in time, 1.4 million people worldwide suffer from infections acquired in hospitals. A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report published in March-April 2007 estimated the number of U.S. deaths from healthcare associated infections in 2002 at 98,987. The risk of acquiring Healthcare-Associated Infections in developing countries is 2-20 times higher than in developed countries. Afflicting thousands of patient... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399519 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:18:55 +0100 4399519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322502&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FfJDMBnWLqrc%2F The following is an interview conducted by Hope Ditto of Disruptive Women with Grace Bender. “Take responsibility for your own health care.” That’s the message that Grace, a Disruptive Woman and an experienced patient advocate, wants you to take away from her story. “You have to be your own advocate, but if you can’t, don’t be afraid to ask a family member or friend to step in and speak up on your behalf.” Grace can speak from experience about being an advocate, both for herself and for her loved ones. In fact, Grace created mymedmanager™ , a personal health care and medication organization system, after her experience as an advocate for her mother. (You can read about this in a previous blog post here). While that experience focused primarily on managing medication intake,... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322502 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:29:01 +0100 4322502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4287410&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FtEPigHaEmy0%2F By Casey Quinlan. I have this dream. It’s about how, when I make an appointment to see my doctor – my primary care physician – the process is easy, honors my time as much as it does my doctor’s, and winds up running smoothly for both parties. The dream starts this way: I realize it’s time for my annual physical, or any other usual-suspects periodic visit to my PCP. I open up my browser, point it to my doctor’s website, and log in to the secure patient portal. The one where I can see all my prescriptions, my personal health record, make an appointment (using the handy calendar function), request a prescription refill, ask the nurse or doctor a question via email, or download a PDF of my health record. In my dream, using the handy scheduling function in the portal, I select a dat... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4287410 Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:26:57 +0100 4287410 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214100&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FTJG61_5n1nI%2F In this study, Botox for migraines was only tested in patients with 15 or more days of headaches per month. There was no difference in the number of headaches, but treated patients had 1.4 fewer headache days per month. For effectiveness, each quarterly treatment session requires 31 injections of Botox, and the annual cost is about $4000 per year. Individuals with chronic migraines may get some relief with Botox but it is certainly not a silver bullet or a “cure for migraines.” While Botox can be used off-label for those with less frequent migraines, it has not been studied and it is unlikely to be covered by insurance. Oh, by the way….the new migraine indication for Botox is estimated to add $1 billion to Allergan’s top line within five years. Headline: “New ‘Vacci... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214100 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:24:03 +0100 4214100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4203155&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FK5VDLgfqurY%2F By Alexandra Drane. For three years running now, many of us bloggers have participated in what we’ve called a “blog rally” to promote Engage With Grace – a movement aimed at making sure all of us understand, communicate, and have honored our end-of-life wishes. The rally is timed to coincide with a weekend when most of us are with the very people with whom we should be having these unbelievably important conversations – our closest friends and family. At the heart of Engage With Grace are five questions designed to get the conversation about end-of-life started. We’ve included them at the end of this post.  They’re not easy questions, but they are important – and believe it or not, most people find they actually enjoy discussing their answers with loved ones.  The key is ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4203155 Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:48:22 +0100 4203155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197057&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F_y2xm7AwxKA%2F By Casey Quinlan. I will admit to a bias on the subject of health insurance, and healthcare reform: I’m one of the millions of America’s uninsured. I’m female, over 50 (I told you, now I’ll have to kill you), and I was diagnosed with cancer in December of 2007. The first of those facts – being female – is the biggest dinger of the three when it comes to health insurance premiums. The reasoning there: women use more health services, starting in their teens and 20s and continuing through menopause. The second – my age – could signal a better rate, since women typically tail off in their use of healthcare in their mid-50s. However, the third fact – cancer within the last 10 years – gets me insurance coverage quotes of $2,000 per month, with a deductible between at $3,000 t... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197057 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:21:49 +0100 4197057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190144&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F5Cr9Vx4qI-U%2F By Robin Strongin. What happens when two Disruptive Women get together over coffee? Check out this almost-as-if-you-were-sitting-there-with-them article by Halle Tecco to get a glimpse into her recent conversation with Alexandra Drane. One of the many topics they discussed was this concept called “The Unmentionables.” The idea is based on the fact that over the past decade during which Drane’s company Eliza Corp has interacted with people about their health and health care, certain themes have emerged. It’s not that people don’t want to keep up with their preventive screenings, or maintain a sensible diet and exercise routine – it’s just that life gets in the way. That includes things like consuming debt, a bad marriage, a stressful job, and even a bad sex life. Of course, t... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190144 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:22:41 +0100 4190144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151782&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FKDL8SZQyTIE%2F By Archelle Georgiou. “Maria’s Event” is how the insiders now refer to California’s annual Women’s Conference. They are referring to Maria Shriver who assumed responsibility for the event seven years ago when she became California’s First Lady. Oprah summarized it well when she said that Maria has transformed the event from a small, poorly attended meeting to the “hottest, hippest, highest attended women’s conference in the world.” The overarching goal of the Conference event to inspire women to be “architects of change,” but Maria has also used the conference as a vehicle to work through some of her own challenges—from her reluctance to being a ribbon-cutting First Lady to enduring the sadness of her mother’s death. While she stacks the stage with a star-studded... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151782 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 15:46:40 +0100 4151782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040559&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FnNYdAVoYOwc%2F Do you find yourself a little confused about what happens when with the health care reform law? To help clear up the confusion the Kaiser Family Foundation wrote and produced a short animated video that explains the problems with the current health care system, the changes that are happening now, and the big changes coming in 2014. The video is narrated by Cokie Roberts, a news commentator for ABC News and NPR and a member of Kaiser’s Board of Trustees. View the video. In addition to this video, the Kaiser Family Foundation has great resources/basic information to help you understand the new law. To access this information, click here. Related posts:Health Reform Resources The NHMA Forum on Health Care Reform offers an opportunity to impact health reform legislation Transition and ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040559 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:43:47 +0100 4040559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018174&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fe4m8BjFNwjE%2F You are Invited to a CONFERENCE CALL WITH SURGEON GENERAL REGINA BENJAMIN Date: Friday, October 1, 2010 Time: 11 AM Eastern, 10 AM Central, 9 AM Mountain, 8 AM Pacific Dial in information: 1-888-283-2975 Passcode: 1862596 Join Surgeon General Regina Benjamin on the conference call to learn about two historic opportunities created by the Affordable Care Act: The National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council, chaired by Dr. Benjamin and composed of senior cabinet-level officials across federal agencies, and the development and implementation of the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy. Dr. Benjamin is conducting this outreach call to engage the public and professionals in the  development of the National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy. Join her in ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018174 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:54:54 +0100 4018174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013182&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fpr1ncnZyHDU%2F The following post is by guest blogger Helen Durkin, JD. Helen is the Executive Vice President of Public Policy for the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA)—a not-for-profit trade association representing health and fitness facilities, gyms, spas, sports clubs, and suppliers worldwide. She joined IHRSA in 1989 and developed the health club industry’s first government relations and legal service programs. She has served as the association’s director of public policy since 1999. In this leadership capacity, Durkin has succeeded in aligning IHRSA with the national effort to improve America’s health through healthy lifestyle choices and in promoting public policy that recognizes exercise as a key component of preventive health care. Concerned about... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013182 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:11:01 +0100 4013182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899386&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FUVQc0xWYg74%2F By Trisha Torrey. Once upon a time when we experienced strange symptoms, we went to the doctor, the doctor listened and asked questions, we got the medical tests we needed, were correctly diagnosed and successfully treated, and we could afford all that great care. I say “once upon a time” because today, that scenario is mostly a fantasy.  And sadly, today’s story doesn’t always end with happily-ever-after – for anyone. Providers went to medical school to learn to heal and help. Instead they carry excessive patient loads amidst decreasing reimbursements, spend a small fortune on malpractice insurance, and reject some patients who don’t have the right kinds of payers, or who take up too much time with difficult diseases or comorbidities. They are frustrated with their inability ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899386 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:40:49 +0100 3899386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889079&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fwz84oSPWMfQ%2F   Our series on Patient Advocacy kicks off with today’s post.  Over the next week, we will hear from a variety of women about their personal journeys and professional experiences.  Early in September we will compile these posts, along with our August Man of the Month’s and blog talk radio interviews, into an e-book.  As always, we look forward to your comments.     By Stephanie Mensh. When my husband, Paul Berger suffered his stroke, we were both in our 30′s, established in our careers, and planning for the future. We wanted to continue our active lifestyle, which meant overcoming Paul’s disabilities and pulling services out of many different organizations, each with their own roadblocks. I became Paul’s advocate. Here are my tips for successful advocacy to get... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889079 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:32:28 +0100 3889079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3865261&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F_c5ZHXAawbE%2F By Regina Holliday. On Thursday night in an office space in Georgetown a crowd was forming. It was an after-hours crowd. The room was filling with advocates, artists, professors, and students. There were doctors, IT professionals, authors, and members of the community. There were mothers, fathers, grandparents and children. They had all come to see an exhibit of art. This office was the shared space for Clinovations and Osmosis. The wonderful folks at Clinovations had suggested placing one of my paintings in their space to brighten up the blank white walls. Perhaps one of my paintings would support an even greater awareness of the need for patient-centered care. I thought, why stop with one painting why not many? Why not have an entire show and invite people from every facet of health ca... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3865261 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:00:32 +0100 3865261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845097&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F4T8wLlTFaKs%2F By Robin Strongin. Over the next several weeks Disruptive Women will be blogging about the various aspects of patient advocacy.  To get ready for these posts think about what patient advocacy means to you. Comment on this post to let us know what it means to you, its level of importance in health care and any questions you may have about it. Communication and asking questions are crtical aspects of patient advocacy, so we hope you will join us in this very important dialogue over the coming weeks. Related posts:Calling Patient Advocates–Share Your Story Health Reform: Patient Rights, Patient Reponsibilities Patient Outreach: The (Oft-Neglected) Critical Component of Health Reform (Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care) Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845097 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:45:21 +0100 3845097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776376&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FygmSr1e6BHc%2F By Robin Strongin. When the Obama Administration announced the new regulations expanding preventive care, ensuring that essential screenings and tests would be covered without co-pays for deductibles, my first thought was that this may be one of the most important provisions of health reform in terms of improving the overall health and well-being of the American people. My second thought concerned forests, falling trees and sounds we may or may not hear. The history of health care in the United States is, in large part, defined by sound policies and vital programs that are not accompanied by effective outreach to  the patients and consumers who have the most to gain from these innovations.  Thus, new provisions expanding preventive coverage have the potential to be like the proverbial tr... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776376 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:00:24 +0100 3776376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3761425&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FTPUSPtic6HM%2F By Santi Bhagat, MD.  It seems that children with chronic medical conditions and disabilities (CMCD) just disappear into thin air when they grow up.  No-one tracks these young people, so we have no idea what happens to them.  We don’t know if they have insurance and doctors; are sick and in emergency rooms; go to school and have jobs; and/or live independently and have social lives. It is estimated that 600,000 young people with CMCD enter adulthood every year, into a system devoid of any supports and services, a system that is completely unprepared for them.   To help improve things for children with CMCD as they transition into young adults , Physician-Parent Caregivers (PPC), is launching EMERGE–a new campaign  next week…stay tuned…I will be blogging mor... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3761425 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:51:32 +0100 3761425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746733&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FQgE6UdneLAk%2F By Robin Strongin. I spent part of this past weekend at the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (disclosure-a client of mine) Annual Conference and came back both humbled and inspired.  It is a remarkable experience to talk with people whose lives have been profoundly changed by cancer.  Their grace and strength, their determination to DO something — about research, about curing this disease, about changing laws, about helping others – was inspiring.  The women I met were young and not so young, they had hair, and bald, tatooed heads, they came from all over the country and they were all, in their own way, supporting each other and themselves. Many of them had become advocates. Over the years, I have noticed an exponential increase in the number of professional health adv... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746733 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:10:18 +0100 3746733 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695561&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FYNl6kCYgWcM%2F By Joy Burwell You’re Invited to “Solutions To Scale: Proven Health Care Models for Primetime”  Wednesday, June 30, 2010  9:00 – 11:30 am Breakfast will be served at 8:30 am   Kaiser Family Foundation Barbara Jordan Conference Center 1330 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20004  Raise the Voice, a program of the American Academy of Nursing supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, showcases the work of “Edge Runners” – nurse researchers and experts who have developed proven care models and interventions that demonstrate significantly improved clinical outcomes and cost savings.  The Edge Runners will share their experiences to highlight what does and does not work for consideration by federal and state agencies during health care implementation. Welcome: ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695561 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:04:04 +0100 3695561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3690834&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FROzoJirhUZw%2F Ever since Viagra hit the stores (and bedrooms) drug companies have been searching for a comparable little pink pill. Viagra didn’t seem to do much for girls (we tried it once, we felt nothing). Now there’s a new pink pill that came really close to getting FDA approval, but failed. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Related posts:Poll: The Next President’s Top Priority Poll: Female Attitudes About Appearance Improving Medication Adherence with a Cell Phone (Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care) Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3690834 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:29:24 +0100 3690834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581604&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fl_1Bp7eAERk%2F By Sheryl Flynn.  Earlier this week, the American Heart Association (AHA) announced a new partnership with Nintendo of America.  According to their website (www.activeplaynow.com), the AHA and Nintendo are working together to promote physically active play as a part of a healthy lifestyle. This is the first time that the AHA has partnered with the video game industry to help consumers discover how video games that incorporate movement can be beneficial to health.  According to their “Healthy Lifestyle Tips” they encourage everyone in the house to enjoy active-play video games together and when the weather prevents outdoor activities- they encourage hosting an active-play video game tournament in your living room.   Today, according to AHA’s press release- They are not supporting... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581604 Thu, 20 May 2010 11:00:49 +0100 3581604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560228&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F-GGi7TXY2Dg%2F By Liz Scherer.  A Twitter friend recently asked me about stopping hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It was a question that I hadn’t explored thoroughly although I write about HRT often on my blog. In fact, I had never truly considered the “what now” of the issue, as in, what if you decide to go off hormones or try alternatives after you’ve been on HRT? Interestingly, when I looked into the issue, the answer seemed to be even less clear-cut than the therapy. In fact, there are no guidelines for stopping HRT.  Granted, until the Women’s Health Initiative started to reveal the dangers and risks of HRT, there was no real reason to stop therapy, (although, I’m of the mindset that there’s really no good reason to start HRT). Fortunately, researcher... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560228 Wed, 12 May 2010 17:09:30 +0100 3560228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3549302&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FqbcaGHJpKKY%2F By Stephanie Mensh.  House and Senate Appropriations health subcommittees are in full swing this month. On May 5, the National Institutes of Health Director testified to the Senate subcommittee.  I follow NIH funding because they have a leadership role in understanding and treating cardiovascular and neurological diseases. For example, NIH sponsored the recently-reported landmark CREST study comparing surgery to stenting for patients with carotid artery disease related to stroke, conducted in 117 centers over 9 years.  NIH also sponsored historic research on the clot-buster tPA treatment that reduces morbidity and mortality in acute stroke patients when initiated within three hours of onset.  Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in adults. So,... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3549302 Mon, 10 May 2010 14:37:03 +0100 3549302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494309&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FJcHdoFbgkF8%2F By Robin Strongin.  Breaking News.  Exciting news for Disruptive Women in Health Care.  Recently, I had the opportunity to meet Kelley Connors and Cassie Holm. Kelley is the creator of Real Women on Health and she and Cassie have created an amazing site.  Kelley, Cassie and I have a great deal in common, especially our enthusiasm to talk – to share our knowledge and experiences with other women. Kelley is host of Real Women on Health!,  an Internet radio program that has just made the exciting move to TALK RADIO….and they have invited me to  be the show’s DC Health Correspondent, providing “inside the beltway” health policy updates for the Real Women on Health! talk radio show. Here are the details:  please tune in and join the conversation (call in number ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494309 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:46:49 +0100 3494309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3471784&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F1GLP7dTQLZA%2F By Robin Strongin.  Heads up — the New York Times magazine will be publishing The Estrogen Dilemma this Sunday, April 18th. Just in time for Disruptive Women’s April 29th breakfast: News (Hot) Flash: Sex, Drugs, and Menopause. (you can register here and of course, MEN are more than welcome to attend.)  We will be showing a sneak peak of the soon-to-be-released movie, Hot Flash Havoc. Estrogen and Menopause:  Lots of studies, lots of data, lots of unanswered questions. If you are comfortable, feel free to share your experience with the mother of all hormones. Related posts:Rethinking Hormone Replacement Therapy Video blog roundup: Health care reform debate goes public (Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care) Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3471784 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:37:59 +0100 3471784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3440785&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FmuFLwT4yqTA%2F By Julie Murchinson. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded program, Project HealthDesign, is pursuing the identification, interpretation and integration of observations of daily living (ODLs). As defined by Project HealthDesign, ODLs are sensations, feelings-thoughts-attitudes, and behaviors that occur in the course of everyday life – such as sleep patterns, diet, exercise levels, pain episodes, and mood – that are not typically part of one’s clinical record, but are critical to managing an individual’s health and guiding their treatment. During the recent Project HealthDesign workshop, I was struck by the question of what ODLs have the potential to do to engage patients in their health. Will ODLs be the patient’s true representation of issues they own and manage as part ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3440785 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:00:30 +0100 3440785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3432875&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Ft8RF0ckq3_A%2F By Santi Bhagat, MD, MPH. Health Care Reform is off to a good start.  A couple of days ago, I blogged on the debate between the insurance industry and the administration about the interpretation of this new law.  Hats off to insurers for making the right choice, right away, to heed regulations that are forthcoming from Health and Human Services.   I first heard this through the grapevine at the Disruptive Women Breakfast Series this week from Stephanie Cohen, the expert panelist representing the insurance industry. The law is intended to require insurers to issue policies that provide a full range of benefits for all children with pre-existing conditions starting in September 2010.  That means insurers can no longer refuse to cover children with pre-existing conditions under their par... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3432875 Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:07:29 +0100 3432875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420451&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FsWwQK21VocY%2F Hygeia Note:  On March 30th, Disruptive Women in Health Care launches the first of its monthly in-person breakfasts.  Among our speakers will be Stephanie Cohen.  Her post appears below. By Stephanie Cohen.  This month’s health insurance nightmare: Dad is still paying for his daughter’s insurance — and no one is happy. The situation: I received a call last week from a client whose daughter recently told him she hates her insurance “because it does not cover anything.” He phoned me to see if she had a real gripe, and if I could help him find another policy with better coverage for her. The problem: It turned out that her policy had a $5000 deductible, which did not include coverage for dental or vision doctor visits. Since she has an entry-level position and not a ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420451 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:21:39 +0100 3420451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362390&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fgvehq6g2VsU%2F By Rebecca Camp. AUSTIN, TX– Today’s SXSH <a href=http://sxsh.org>SXSH</a> conference (South By Social Health) saw many successful, multi-disciplinary approaches to weaving together new media and health care. I was bothered, however, by a theme that’s becoming increasingly common in the health care conversation: patients treated as consumers. When a company follows capitalistic principles, the goal is to increase value by offering better services at a lower price. The company strives to improve their bottom line by offering more value than their competitor, in an effort to put their competitor out of business. Offering good customer service complements this strategy. In industries other than health care, the result is a benefit to the consumer: quality products and se... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362390 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:29:31 +0100 3362390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262606&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fu_-MtRoFi4o%2F One-third of Americans say they have received tests, treatment or medications they didn’t need, according to a survey conducted for the Commonwealth Fund of New York.  Are you one of them? Think about it.  We live in a market-driven economy where businesses thrive on getting us to consume more than we need, whether it’s a house that’s too big, a mortgage that’s unaffordable, or an investment that promises more than it can deliver.  Market-driven health care is motivated by the same imperative.  In our highly-caffeinated health care system, the mantra is volume, volume, volume.  That ‘volume’ is you and me, and the people we love. Here’s a story about a colleague, a research scientist, who has a heart condition that she watches very carefully. ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262606 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:21:46 +0100 3262606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3251198&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FtzXSO9n-K_s%2F The following guest post is written by Candace Littell, Health Policy Advisor at Candace Littell, LLC. Candace Littell is a consultant with 30 years experience in healthcare policy and reimbursement. She serves as an advisor to corporate clients, healthcare providers, associations and related organizations. President Obama’s 2011 HHS budget builds on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (AARA) investment in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), providing an additional $290 million for further expansions.  With this increase, the administration estimates that health centers will be able to serve more than 20 million individuals in FY 2011. Combined with other AARA provisions, this is good news for some of our nation’s “safety net” providers, including FQHCs, as well as ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3251198 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:13:56 +0100 3251198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3175869&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FbMPuYqPwMdA%2F Healthcare (insurance) reform has passed in the Senate and final negotiations are happening before it moves on to the President’s desk for signature. While the legislation is not perfect – in fact some would say far from perfect – it is a piece of legislation that is very much in keeping with our American philosophy, our constant pursuit of progress and change. As the late Senator Kennedy’s career on Capitol Hill demonstrated, change is usually incremental, usually negotiated and usually compromised. But at the end of the day, change usually amounts to progress. I see tremendous progress, too, as I look back on a decade’s worth of work to promote access to affordable quality health care using nurse practitioners in the role as primary care providers, thereby a... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3175869 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:22:10 +0100 3175869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3142541&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F4pI2tBvkZXE%2F       Healthy New Year everyone! Like many people I’m starting the year with healthy – and preventive care – intentions. How about you? That put a few items on my holiday ‘to do’ list: Get a pap smear,   Find H1N1 vaccine,   Wrestle the results of a recent bone density scan (Dexa) out of the hands of the medical center and into the hands of my physician, and   Confirm with Morris White, my trainer, that I’d continue workouts. The pap smear was easy – this time. I’d not been able to get one during my late-summer vacation visit to the doctor because the appointment was two weeks prior to the annual date of the prior test. That required another trip. Holiday downtime was a good time to do that. Check that off the list. In doing so, I finally found an H1N1 vaccine do... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3142541 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:00:22 +0100 3142541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3126603&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FITYnQRZXMvU%2F Think you have maternity coverage? Think again. Welcome to the first entry of the book I’ll be publishing in 2010 entitled: You gotta laugh: Life in the trenches of the health insurance business. Because I think Disruptive Women readers will find it useful, each month I’ll post an example of a health insurance problem that is so maddening and frustrating that we just gotta laugh at its absurdity. My goal, however, is to find a way to improve health insurance for beneficiaries and I have some suggestions at the end of this post.                                                                                           This month’s question: What do you do when you have it in writing from your in... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3126603 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:33:12 +0100 3126603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2904871&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fc30deq4ND7g%2F This report is based on an exhaustive review of the published literature on the definitions, measurements, epidemiology, economics and interventions applied to nine chronic conditions and their risk factors. These are asthma, cancer (palliative care), depression, diabetes, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, hypertension, tobacco smoking and tuberculosis. In the intervening years since the WHO issued its report, adherence has become more problematic.  Numerous reports highlight the ongoing challenges, which are especially critical in the mental health arena. A study in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that close to 60% of schizophrenics who were prescribed anti-psychotic drugs did not take the medication as prescribed by their physicians.  “We looked at adherence to anti-psychotic medic... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2904871 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:55:04 +0100 2904871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2898943&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FUSjrjd8FYuQ%2F     (Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care) Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2898943 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:40:23 +0100 2898943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2883016&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FUtLy76u5QeU%2F It has been estimated that 3 out of 4 people report that they do not take their medications as directed, resulting in hundreds of billions of dollars annually in related medical costs and an enormous number of hospital admissions and readmissions. The reasons for this are complex and varied.  This is a particularly vexing challenge for young, chronically ill patients, for people with mental health diagnoses and for the elderly who may suffer from memory impairment.  Anyone on a complicated drug regimen knows how committed one must be to remain adherent.  For some, cost is an issue while for others side effects can be unpleasant, travelling can compromise the best of intentions as can the need for refrigeration when none is available.  Some patients must take some drugs on an empty... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2883016 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:21:41 +0100 2883016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2862481&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Ftk6ZicbvdJY%2F Ever wonder why your physician only spends 5-10 rushed minutes with you during your office visit? You may think it’s because there are simply too many patients vying for her time, but that’s not the real reason. The root cause is that health insurance companies are stealing time from your visit by requiring excessive documentation from your doctor. She can’t give you the time you need, because doing so would put her out of business. In a special report on the administrative burden of healthcare, MedPage Today revealed that PCPs spend about one third of their income on documentation required by health insurers. Because they run a business with thin margins, they must increase the volume of patients they treat in order to cover the salaries of the staff required to manage this “paper... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2862481 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:00:55 +0100 2862481 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2862482&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FVG3-fsE5Gts%2F Perhaps you’ve seen it: the grocery-shopping mom, complaining about a sugar tax, saying it’s hard enough to raise a family in these times. I saw it, and could not believe it. Was this ad actually claiming that families need sugared sodas to make it through tough times? It took watching it on line at http://www.nofoodtaxes.com/ads/ several times to see that yes, indeed, that’s what it claimed. I’ll agree that a soda and other sugared items are a nice occasional treat, but I see no evidence that they’re necessary to keep a family happy – or that there are no alternatives. I’ve begun talking to kids about what they drink. Here is what I got: I used to drink apple juice, now I drink water.  I drink water; that’s good for you.  I drink milk when I eat and water other ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2862482 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:33:21 +0100 2862482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832145&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FgSN0QaVCDss%2F Big news: The FDA is holding a public hearing to discuss online promotion of FDA-regulated medical products – including prescription drugs, prescription biologics, and medical devices. The hearing will be November 12 and 13, 2009 in Washington, DC (registration closes October 9 – see also registration instructions from Eye on FDA), but public comments can be submitted in writing or electronically now through February 28, 2010. View the docket details and full Federal Register notice. A common reaction around the Web has been “Finally!” – with remarks like “This is NOT a Hoax!” and “Just in time for Web 3.0,” the FDA has set a date to start figuring out “how to deal with Web 2.0.” (NPR Health Blog). But after the initial shock and sarcas... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832145 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:24:35 +0100 2832145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814409&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FO9i0oIpfkJ4%2F Several months ago I was attending a funeral.  After being introduced to a relative’s relative, my family member asked me if I knew what had happened to Mr. Smith, pointing to the elderly man walking with a cane.  It was a miracle my family member said.  A miracle I wondered, looking skeptically at him.  Yes, Mr. Smith was having a CAT scan and the results showed that he had pancreatic cancer.  A miracle I asked, why so.   As it turned out the patient, who in his early 80’s went to his doctor complaining of not feeling well.  Abdominal pain. Distention.  General malaise and discomfort.  One thing led to another and CAT scans were ordered.   And as the family story goes, “by mistake” a CAT scan of his pancreas was performed.    And as I understand the ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814409 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:16:14 +0100 2814409 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2793150&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FJIq6B9GXv5w%2F As I check Facebook before going to Program Planning for Health Behavior Change class, I can’t help but look at this pre-class behavior of mine in terms of some of the concepts I am learning in the classroom. We can keep in touch with all of our friends quickly and efficiently with the click of a button and thanks to the Internet, but on the whole we aren’t quite as compulsive about getting the recommended nutrition, exercise or health services upon which our livelihoods depend. Much blame has been put on individuals for not exercising, eating properly, or managing their chronic conditions, thus burdening the healthcare delivery system. Some ask, if we have tons of healthcare literature out there and people know what is the ‘right’ thing to do—eat 3-5 fruits and vegetables a day,... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2793150 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:56:51 +0100 2793150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778411&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FTHXqj_4SR6M%2F Do you ever wonder who the champion advocate for the patient is in the healthcare reform debate? More importantly, is the focus on consumer choice taking a front seat while the issue of how consumers will ultimately respond to those choices is being ignored? Many people, myself included, believe that in aggregate, individuals are best equipped to advocate for themselves. In fact, this hypothesis forms the foundation for a key component of Health 2.0, in which the consumer takes more responsibility for managing his or her healthcare and by default, the delivery of that care becomes more fluid and cost-effective. The rub, however, is that data suggest that most consumers of healthcare rarely if ever speak up. A fascinating report published in the September issue of Milbank Quarterly shows th... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778411 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:05:50 +0100 2778411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2737688&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FJcs61y3LLh8%2F In the midst of furious showdowns on health care reform at town hall meetings, a moment of peace surfaced in Montana when President Obama drew bipartisan applause after calling a mother heroic.  This mother of two had voiced her concern about the Medicaid program she relied on for her child who has multiple chronic conditions.  The president reassured her and went on to discuss how our disease-care system does not proactively manage chronic conditions. Children and young adults with chronic medical conditions and disabilities (CMCD) need proactive management now and for their entire lives.  Our health care system fails to serve the young people who need it the most. Children with CMCD are completely dependent on adults for their health care.  Poor health management negatively affects t... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2737688 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:58:44 +0100 2737688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2709098&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FHwbwZv4liLk%2F Those who have spent their careers in the trenches of healthcare and are now reading the uncertain headlines in the news each day and fearing for the future of healthcare, fear not! There are fresh crops of enthusiastic students, eager to make a difference and keep the ball rolling in the quest to improve healthcare, sprouting up in graduate programs starting across the nation this summer. Having started the Johns Hopkins Masters of Public Health (JHSPH) program in July, it has been a thrilling month and will no doubt be a fast year with many choices to make for classes, volunteer opportunities, and research projects. The plethora of options was described by one former student as “going to the grocery store when you’re hungry.” Not to mention, each student shopping in the... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2709098 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:44:23 +0100 2709098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2705115&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fp5NNDon-iTs%2F EAST COAST.  In and around the DC Beltway, there is a tremendous amount of excitement when it comes to Health Information Technology (HIT).  Lots of mainstream IT vendors, trade associations and HIT gurus are licking their chops.  Policy wonks, legislative aides and administration appointees have been diligently debating the thorny issues of the day: privacy, security, standards, and meaningful use. WEST COAST.  In and around Silicon Valley, there is a tremendous amount of excitement when it comes to Health Information Technology (HIT). Lots of software engineers, health 2.o entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists are licking their chops.  IT experts,  computer intelligensia, and bleeding edge developers have been diligently innovating the thorny issues of the day: privacy, security,... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2705115 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:08:11 +0100 2705115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2683824&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FTveZcs_fC70%2F The day before my daughter Elise’s 15th birthday, the new iPhone went on sale.  My birthday was 4 days later.  So Elise figured out we should buy each other an iPhone to mark our big days.  She planned (and saved) for months.  She spent weeks talking to friends, researching apps on line, planning for such accessories as protective covers, and educating herself on how to maximize her minutes.   When the big day came, we made our way to the Apple store and stood shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of others waiting on a very long line.  Two and a half hours later we were invited, actually escorted, in to the store by an extremely friendly, knowledgeable young man who stayed with us during the entire purchase transaction. He answered tons of questions (mine, not Elise’... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2683824 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:03:18 +0100 2683824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712054&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FbIV4Kz9wWjw%2F EAST COAST.  In and around the DC Beltway, there is a tremendous amount of excitement when it comes to Health Information Technology (HIT).  Lots of mainstream IT vendors, trade associations and HIT gurus are licking their chops.  Policy wonks, legislative aides and administration appointees have been diligently debating the thorny issues of the day: privacy, security, standards, and meaningful use. WEST COAST.  In and around Silicon Valley, there is a tremendous amount of excitement when it comes to Health Information Technology (HIT). Lots of software engineers, health 2.o entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists are licking their chops.  IT experts,  computer intelligensia, and bleeding edge developers have been diligently innovating the thorny issues of the day: privacy, security,... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712054 Sun, 02 Aug 2009 04:08:11 +0100 2712054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2601958&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSM9bMXLDZSw%2F Health care “reformers” (meaning those who want to effectively nationalize America’s medical system) have long understood that their best hope in the new political environment is to ram through legislation with the claim that it is an emergency and won’t wait.  The longer the American people think about the increased cost, decreased choice, and other negative impacts of a a government takeover, the less likely they are to support it. Thankfully, the government health express has slowed noticeably in recent weeks.  Even supporters are coming to doubt that legislation can be approved before Congress goes home in August.  Reports Politico: Health care reform proponents are growing pessimistic that they can meet President Barack Obama’s August target for passing... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2601958 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:44:46 +0100 2601958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2576524&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FCUMEh6hQNJg%2F Should managed care sue patients? We arrive at the dawn of yet-another health reform effort with laws and regulations already in place to protect patients. These arose in past decades when the healer-patient relationship was eroding, presumably at the hands of uncaring clinicians and for-profit medical enterprises.    The list of those rights was extensive and today’s debates are adding to the mix – guaranteed coverage despite pre-existing conditions comes to mind. The discussion of patient rights has always been politically attractive and I won’t denigrate any one of them. I’m not just writing from a policy perspective, but a personal one as well. I’m a patient, too. The discussions of patients’ rights, however, has neglected the flip side of rights—responsibilities on the... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2576524 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:43:58 +0100 2576524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464075&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F5ZJ-3h-zkec%2F Healthy eating is critical to good health. Yet, we seem to make it exceedingly difficult for the average family to eat a healthy diet. I recently had the opportunity to watch an advance screening of Food Inc.. There is a vignette in the film that has stuck with me. It follows a Latino family of four struggling to make good and affordable food choices. They discuss how their school and work schedules leave little time to prepare meals at home. They compare the cost of buying dinner at the drive-thru (cheap) to buying produce at the grocery store (expensive). And most memorably, they share that the costs of prescriptions to treat the father’s diabetes severely limit their food budget. There are no easy solutions to this family’s problems. Nor are their problems unique. A report released ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464075 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:50:24 +0100 2464075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414728&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FO4Y-MN-prmM%2F I wanted to let you all know about an excellent opportunity that has been presented to the National Hispanic Medical Association. NHMA has been invited to participate in the development of health care reform legislation for Senators Kennedy and Baucus, Congressmen Waxman, Rangel, and Miller and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Their respective staff will be introducing and distributing their bills starting in June for public comment. We have been asked to submit our recommendations on reforming the system for inclusion into these bills by June 1st; this gives us a narrow window of three weeks or less to prepare a document for submission to congressional staff. The magnitude of the debate is broad; Congress is asking us for specific strategies that respond to four topics: 1) the expansion... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414728 Fri, 15 May 2009 18:54:36 +0100 2414728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398561&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FwdeWhjQMKW4%2F Nearly 20 years ago, I had the opportunity to spend a summer working with the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues. Of course, I was absolutely thrilled when they asked me to support the introduction of the Women’s Health Equity Act. However, as I began to research the subject to prepare the fact sheets and advocacy materials to support the legislation, that excitement quickly turned to dismay. As a bright-eyed college intern, I was shocked to learn about the underlying race and gender disparities within clinical trials and health research. I felt that same sense of disappointment when I started examining the race and ethnic disparities that remain in our health care delivery system today. Kaiser Permanente recently ran a series of advertisements that highlighted the fact th... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398561 Fri, 08 May 2009 14:53:58 +0100 2398561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2386807&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FGux7uZOTbso%2F According to local news, PETA sent a letter to Penn Health System CEO Ralph Muller urging him to follow the lead of hospitals in England, reducing their carbon footprint and improving patient health by eliminating the availability of meat for patients, visitors and employees. HUP is one of my local hospitals; a place where friends have been treated for cancers, and last month, for heart failure. It’s got a big footprint in this town and I’m glad it was there for my friends. If my hospital got a letter, maybe yours did, too. A hospital spokesperson says they’ve not received the letter, but if CEO Muller wants my reaction – here goes. Please don’t. I have five reasons: Reason #1: Personal experience. I’ve been a vegetarian for nearly 40 years. It was not an easy transition to mak... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2386807 Mon, 04 May 2009 13:53:35 +0100 2386807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375801&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F33Nq52mHUKI%2F Today, April 28th, is Blog for Fair Pay Day. In recognition of this important day, our guest post by Lisa Codispoti, Senior Counsel for Health and Reproductive Rights, National Women’s Law Center, relates to health care and equal pay. Between 2000 and 2006, health insurance premiums increased 87.5 percent—4 times more than wages. In addition to the burden of inflated health care costs, women are still paid only 78 cents for every dollar earned by men—with women of color earning even less. In a world where women are earning significantly less than men for comparable work, how can they also afford health care? Pay inequity for women compounds the issues that already exist with our broken health care system. This is a system that makes unfair practices by insurance companies flourish, s... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375801 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:30:54 +0100 2375801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347699&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FpUrZ8uM3Wq4%2F The following is a two part post (both parts are included so please read all the way through) that calls attention to an exciting and important new effort to engage everyone in health reform. Do you have a “2 minute rant” you’d like to share with the administration? If so, read on… Introducing h20tv! Indu Subaiya, MD, MBA Co-founder, Health 2.0 Blame it on election fever or my move to the filmmaking capital of the world, LA, but I was recently inspired, along with my amazing conference teammates, to create and launch h20tv, a video channel for Health 2.0. It has been apparent for a while now that we’re hearing a lot more from the community than just feedback on new technologies and we wanted a way to surface that. While technology is still what we live and breathe most days, ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347699 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:59:28 +0100 2347699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306556&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FsWvdXfbV87Q%2F On April 2, Julie Connelly reported that “Doctors Are Opting Out of Medicare.1” The article focuses initially on specialists but quickly turns to primary care clinicians as well, noting that 29% of Medicare patients surveyed last year were looking for primary care physicians. Note to my health reform buddies working towards universal coverage… apparently having insurance coverage is not enough. It’s a surprise to me that it took so long for this problem to hit the presses. About five years ago I had the opportunity to travel across the country with a small group of medical and employer leaders, facilitating discussions between physician groups and local employers collaborating to improve access, quality and cost dynamics in their local areas. To prepare, I called local physicians t... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306556 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:23:31 +0100 2306556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284292&cid=t_231800_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FffMEgtrowIM%2F This past New Year’s Eve I was at a dinner party and had my eyes opened wide. After the typical pleasantries of the evening, with the kids all squished onto the couch in the family room patiently waiting for the musical performances to begin on TV, the adults remained at the dinner table engrossed in what became an emotional and heart wrenching discussion about parental anguish and choices when their child(ren) face possible mental illness. I heard how difficult it can be to navigate the fine line between the health care and educational systems and bureaucracies. I heard stories about the information void that parents face once decisions are made to bring their (minor) child(ren) for mental health treatment and/or diagnosis. I learned about the disparate and sometimes utterly contradicto... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284292 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:09:00 +0100 2284292 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=931295&cid=t_231800_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F165892827%2F The California Democrat, who chairs the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in Congress, is asking OTC makers to voluntarily relabel their products with a warning not to give the drugs to anyone under 2 years old, the Associated Press reports. Although Waxman stopped short of asking the FDA to mandate an immediate label change, he did send a letter this week to a trade group representing Novartis, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble, among others, asking for voluntary label revisions. His letter comes not long after the FDA made a nonbinding recommendation that the drugs shouldn’t be taken by very young children. Current labeling directs parents to consult a doctor before administering the drugs to infants and toddlers and many doctors say they are safe to use, ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=931295 Fri, 05 Oct 2007 21:25:58 +0100 931295