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 'consumerism'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:59:26 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182343&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F09%2Fnurses-and-physicians-as-exercise-role-models-for-patients.html Everyone seems to be in agreement that most Americans lead lives that are far too sedentary. The solution to this problem, and many of the problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle, is exercise. However, motivating people to pursue a more active life is enormously challenging. Perhaps a good place to start is understanding that nurses (and also physicians) often function as role models for patients. A recent article raises this issue (see: Calling Nurses to Exercise as Role Models for their Patients). Below is an excerpt from it: Nurses, just like many of their patients, struggle to find time and motivation to exercise. But a new study may give these all-important caregivers some additional pressure and responsibility: nurses’ attitudes can influence whether their patients commit to... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182343 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:15:56 +0100 5182343 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182344&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F08%2Fproject-costs-of-obesity-to-crush-us-and-uk-health-systems.html A recent article in Lancet discussed how the global obesity epidemic would "crush" the U.S. and U.K. health systems with its associated increased long-term, disease-associated costs (see: Obesity to crush health care systems globally: study). Although the use of the word "crush" may seem overly dramatic, I think that it's appropriate in this context. Below is a brief summary of the article: Rising prevalence of obesity is a worldwide health concern because excess weight gain within populations forecasts an increased burden from several diseases, most notably cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancers....These trends project 65 million more obese adults in the USA and 11 million more obese adults in the UK by 2030, consequently accruing an additional 6—8·5 mil... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182344 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:53:20 +0100 5182344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159273&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FZjs4PeBLyJ4%2F You know a topic has arrived in healthcare or medicine when there’s a peer-reviewed journal for it. Now officially here is the field of gaming as a tool for healthcare, legitimized by the presence of a new journal, Games for Health, from well-known publisher Mary Ann Liebert Inc. The bimonthly journal launched in July, and the first issue is due out this fall. According to Liebert’s press release: “Games are rapidly becoming an important tool for improving health behaviors ranging from healthy lifestyle habits and behavior modification to self-management of illnesses and chronic conditions to motivating and supporting physical activity. Commonly used applications include mobile phone-delivered games that track daily exercise and ‘exergames’ that require physic... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159273 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 05:21:41 +0100 5159273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159866&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F08%2Fuse-of-facebook-pages-by-big-pharma.html For some companies and hospitals, creating Facebook pages might seem too good to be true. This type of social media provides a soft-sell opportunity for products and services and also a means to create a closer relationship with customers and patients (see: Why and How Hospitals Should Market Themselves to Consumers on the Web; Should Hospitals Set Up Private Social Networks for Their Patients?). The appeal of Facebook has not been lost on Big Pharma companies that have been setting up their own pages. However, Facebook management is now forcing these companies to enable commenting and this is causing problems (see: Facebook Forces Pharma to Show Comments). Below is an excerpt from the article: Facebook [has] enabled commenting on some drug companies pages..., a move that is forcing some t... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159866 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:56:23 +0100 5159866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118744&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FHw9Eqbe3jNk%2F I definitely ruffled a few feathers with my commentary last month in MobiHealthNews about the arrogance of Silicon Valley when it comes to healthcare and health IT. More importantly, I seem to have provoked exactly the kind of discussion I had hoped for, most notably in the Wireless Health group on LinkedIn. (It’s an open group, so please join if you haven’t already). To date, a link to my story has elicited 53 comments. Some of my favorites: “Whatever the opinion on how Neil chose to wrote the piece he does appear to have started a real conversation. And that my friends is one thing that’s been missing for years. If I had to pick one thing to contribute as someone who’s been at it for over a decade it’s to reiterate there has been a lot of wasted inves... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118744 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 20:01:50 +0100 5118744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5097116&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F08%2Fgenes-and-not-lifestyle-major-contributor-to-long-life.html All of your have certainly seen articles in which a centenarian is interviewed by a reporter, usually on his or her birthday, and asked for the secret elixir of long life. The usual response is something like "a shot of whiskey a day" or even vigorous daily walks. I have always had a hunch that the secret to long life was mainly in the genes. A recent article addressed the topic of longevity and genes (see: Genes, Not Healthy Living, Get Most to Age 100) New research suggests that your life choices might not be the crucial factor in determining whether you make it to 95 or beyond; it finds that many extremely old people appear to have been as bad as everyone else at indulging in poor health habits during their younger years. Of course, don't take this as an excuse to blow off... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5097116 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:14:00 +0100 5097116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5097119&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F08%2Fsome-interesting-insights-into-the-use-of-generic-drugs.html We are obviously in an era in which most drug prescriptions will default to a generic product when available. A recent article discussed how drug prices are about to plummet on the basis of expiring pharmaceutical company patents. Most, if not all, of these patent-protected drugs will be replaced by generic equivalents (see: Drug prices to plummet in wave of expiring patents). Included in the article were some fascinating facts about generic drugs. Below is an excerpt from it: The cost of prescription medicines used by millions of people every day is about to plummet. The next 14 months will bring generic versions of seven of the world's 20 best-selling drugs, including the top two: cholesterol fighter Lipitor and blood thinner Plavix....Between now and 2016, blockbusters with about $2... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5097119 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:31:50 +0100 5097119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5078059&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fcancer-survivorship-and-the-role-of-pcps.html I have posted a number of previous notes about cancer survivorship (see: Cancer Survivorship, an Emerging Subdiscipline in Oncology; "Chemo Brain" Can Persist for Three to Five Years; Exercise Can Help Reverse; New Research Casts Spotlight on "Chemo Brain"). However, I have not given much thought to exactly which physicians would administer long-term care to cancer survivors. A recent article addressed this topic (see: Study: Doctors differ in how best to care for America's 12 million cancer survivors). Below is an excerpt from it: There are major differences between oncologists and primary care physicians regarding knowledge, attitudes, and practices required to care for American's 12 million cancer survivors. That is the key finding of the first national... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5078059 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 19:00:12 +0100 5078059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051260&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fclinical-trials-for-early-detection-of-alzheimers-disease-planned.html From a diagnostic perspective, one of the hottest current issues is the early detection of Alzheimer's disease. The volume of testing for Alzheimer's will undoubtedly be large so that the commercial market for a lab test will be attractive (see: Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease with Imaging and Biomarkers). Also, obtaining a population of patients with documented early disease is critical in the development of clinical trials for early drug treatment. Below is an excerpt from an article about early testing for three gene mutations (see: Clinical trials to detect Alzheimer’s 20 years before dementia onset planned): Inherited forms of Alzheimer’s disease may be detectable as many as 20 years before problems with memory and thinking develop....Identifying Alzheimer’s in its ea... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051260 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:51:44 +0100 5051260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051261&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fsmartphone-app-ecosystems-thrive.html I firmly believe that the iPhone "changed everything" by introducing us to what is now referred to as the smartphone app ecosystem (see: New Definition for "Apps": The Smartphone Market for Medical Software). Think about the rules of this ecosystem and how they differ from what we were accustomed to when using only PCs: (1) we shop for new apps online and many of the best ones are free; (2) we are promptly notified about operating system and app upgrades when they become available and can make these changes quickly and online; (3) the device easily fits in our pocket, giving us ready access to all of our apps including a rapidly improving camera and video recorder; and (4) most of the available apps are easy to learn and useful. A recent article discussed this iPhone ef... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051261 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:38:08 +0100 5051261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050794&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FwbRRoA18ohw%2F In case you were still of the opinion that Google and Microsoft were the major players and groundbreaking pioneers of personal health records, here’s a partial list of other companies that have been at it for at least as long. I believe CapMed goes back as far as 1991. Some have been bought by larger firms, but many are still independent. Clip and save, or pass on to your favorite tech journalist that got snookered by the Google PR machine. Access Strategies CapMed ActiveHealth Management MEDecision HealthCapable MyMedLab NoMoreClipboard.com Carefx Good Health Network iPHER MedicalDrive.com MediKeeper Applied Research Works In any case, I remain unconvinced that the direct-to-consumer, “untethered” model—no connection to an electronic medical record unless the patient s... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050794 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:43:06 +0100 5050794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036311&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FiOwGujYEzao%2F Remember back in February when I cut my face open at the HIMSS conference and needed medical assistance while 1,000 miles from home? I blogged then about how I used Google Maps to find an urgent care clinic close to the convention center instead of riding to a hospital emergency room in an ambulance? I’m guessing that course of action saved me at least $1,500, money that would have come out of my pocket because, as a self-employed individual, I was only able to qualify for an afford an insurance policy with a high deductible. Though most Americans still aren’t engaged as consumers when they seek healthcare services, there are tens of millions of uninsured people and a smaller number of people like me with high-deductible plans that would face the same conundrum when they have a... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036311 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:05:14 +0100 5036311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028535&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FEmhQCEJbBwg%2F Consumerism hasn’t completely caught on in healthcare, but it has gained a bit of a toehold. Consider these two slides shown Monday at the Healthcare Unbound conference in San Diego: Look at the bottom of each slide, starting with the second one. According to GreatCall, maker of the Jitterbug phone for seniors, 35 percent of consumers plan to buy “wellness electronics” in the next year. That’s great news and a great opportunity for people in health IT to make sure such devices connect to larger networks to data collected will be usable. In the upper slide, Kaiser Permanente cites numbers showing one reason why healthcare is in such a crisis. Again, look at the bottom. Just 2 percent of current residents in internal medicine will end up in primary care. That&#821... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028535 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:11:08 +0100 5028535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029242&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fffighting-obesity-the-reastaurant-angle.html Eating out frequently, and particularly at fast food joints (see: What Americans Eat; More Calories and Increased Restaurant Food Consumption), can pose a threat to your health. A recent article quantified this threat in a way that I had never seen before (see: Fighting Obesity: The Restaurant Angle). Here it is the article unedited: Guess what? Eating out leads to weight gain. In fact, the USDA calculated that for each weekly meal outside the home, we gain 2 pounds of body weight annually. Here are two more interesting facts: About 30% of our total calories are consumed outside the home This is double what it was just 30 years ago. Why is eating out so hazardous to our waistline? Mostly because portion sizes are much bigger today than in the past. Restaurant owners know that consumers... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029242 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:27:37 +0100 5029242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029243&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fcancer-diagnostic-scandal-at-duke-more-regulation-of-ldts-1.html I have posted a number of previous notes about those diagnostic tests consisting of a set of biomarkers plus an computer algorithm used to interpret the results. This type of lab test was previously referred to as in-vitro diagnostic multivariate indexed assays (IVDMIAs) by the FDA. More recently, they have been called laboratory developed tests (LDTs). Historically, this type of test was also referred to informally in the industry as home-brew. A simple definition for an LDT is that the test reagents are developed by a single lab and all of the testing is performed by that lab. IVDMIAs/LDTs can be used for various purposes including the detection of the presence of a neoplasm in a diagnostic workup using serum. A second purpose has been to analyze the antigens present on a patient's t... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029243 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:57:43 +0100 5029243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008682&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fshould-diagnostic-test-scheduling-be-personalized.html I have posted previous notes about the need for periodic mammograms including the frequency of routine screening based on age (see: Shift to Digital Mammography Results in Increased Patient Recalls; Confusion Caused by Conflating "False Positive" and "Overdiagnosis" in Breast Cancer). Now comes news of research suggesting that mammogram screening should be personalized (see: Mammogram scheduling should be personalized, not based on age alone: study). The article caught my attention because of the use of the term personalized. Here is an excerpt from the article: Mammograms should not be done on a one-size fits all basis, but instead should be personalized based on a woman’s age, the density of her breasts, her family history of breast cancer and other factors includin... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008682 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:12:55 +0100 5008682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008683&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fstakes-escalate-for-employees-who-smoke.html I keep thinking that the lives of cigarette smokers couldn't get much worse but I always seem to be wrong The spots where you can grab a smoke at work keep getting smaller and at a greater distance from one's desk. It's also getting tougher for smokers to even secure a job (see: Health Systems Use Their Regional Dominance to Muscle Insurance Companies; Cleveland Clinic no-smoking policy has locals talking). Employers are now adding surcharges to smokers' health insurance coverage to offset their higher rate of health problems and expenditures (see: Companies Get Tougher with Employees Who Smoke). Such charges, of course, are in addition to the ever-increasing cost of cigarettes including taxes. States are trying to balance their budgets, in part, on the basis of higher sin ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008683 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:10:30 +0100 5008683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008684&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F07%2Fa-very-bad-idea-health-insurer-to-purchase-troubled-health-system.html We are rapidly transitioning to an era of Big Medicine characterized by most significant decisions being made in concert by Big Payers (insurance companies and the federal government), Big Insurance Companies, and Big Pharma (see: Physician Private Practice Declines; the Last Barrier to Emergence of "Big Medicine"). This trend is accelerating due to the fact that more than half of young doctors are taking salaried positions with health systems (see: Hospitals Use Their Medical Schools, Residencies for Later Physician Recruitment). Small private physician practices will no longer be part of this mix. Now comes the news that, at least in the Pittsburgh area, there are plans for an insurance company to purchase a large health system (see: Health care in the balance: Highmark to buy ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008684 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:42:33 +0100 5008684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992789&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FEm4rJk2IfV0%2F Every time I hear a story about consumer empowerment in healthcare, I get optimistic that consumers really can make a difference in containing runaway healthcare costs. Then something comes along to make me think that it’s a pipe dream. I just had one such occurrence. Trending on Twitter right now is the meme “#pricesthatshockyou.” Just for fun, I clicked. Right near the top I saw this: #bbpBox_86598503140294656 a { text-decoration:none; color:#009e9e; }#bbpBox_86598503140294656 a:hover { text-decoration:underline; }Honestly, i don't know why the american gov't makes the people pay so much for medical bills. Its not always their fault #pricesthatshockyouabout 1 hour ago via webReplyRetweetFavorite@jadedheartsxoDαnαit Uh, the American government doesn’t set... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992789 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 02:12:19 +0100 4992789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984704&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Flower-blood-tranfusion-rates-as-a-metric-for-high-quality-care.html Generally speaking, I think that the amount of blood transfused to a patient can and should be used as a metric for the quality of care delivered by physicians, particularly surgeons. I have long been aware of differences in transfusion rates by hospitals or by regions of the country. Much of this can be explained by local customs and norms rather than well defined standards of care. When I was a blood banker back in the 1970's, one of the hospital cardiac surgeons would frequently transfuse six units of blood for a CABG when type-and-screen was the common blood order for the same procedure at the Cleveland Clinic. Once again, or perhaps still, the amount of blood being transfused is in the news. (see: Too many blood transfusions? New standards urged). Below is an excerpt from a recent... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984704 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:03:47 +0100 4984704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976216&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Fon-the-demise-of-google-health.html I am an unabashed fan of Google. However, if the company suffers from anything, it's a corporate sense of hubris. The founders think that almost any problem can be solved by their engineering mentality and their "search" business model. It turns out that launching a personal health record product was not that easy a nut to crack so the company is now withdrawing from the business (see: Google Shuts Down Medical Records And Health Data Platform). Here's Mr. HIStalk's take on the demise of Google Health (see: Monday Morning Update 6/27/11): Google predictably did what its know-it-all technology company predecessors have done over the years: dipped an arrogant and half-assed toe into the health IT waters; roused a loud rabble of shrieking fanboy bloggers and reporters...... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976216 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:33:50 +0100 4976216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968631&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FvWWzxxstVzo%2F It’s official, Google is in fact walking away from Google Health, the way overhyped, way underused personal health record platform. In a posting on the Google Blog today, Aaron Brown, Google Health’s senior product manager, said the company would “retire” Google Health Jan. 1, 2012. (Data will be available to download until Jan. 1, 2013.) Google also decided to wind down another experiment, Google PowerMeter. From the post: When we launched Google Health, our goal was to create a service that would give people access to their personal health and wellness information. We wanted to translate our successful consumer-centered approach from other domains to healthcare and have a real impact on the day-to-day health experiences of millions of our users. Now, with a few ye... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968631 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:59:23 +0100 4968631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953041&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FnWMJGlMU1wU%2F While people continue to demonize CMS Administrator Dr. Donald Berwick and President Obama essentially throws Berwick under the political bus, far too many are missing the message. Wouldn’t “radical communist thugs” like one commenter on this YouTube page labeled the Obama administration really want to dehumanize patient care? Watch this short video of Berwick speaking in Berlin in 2009 (yes, socialist Europe). He talks about how patient care already has been dehumanized and how healthcare professionals and organizations routinely ignore the wishes of patients. Speaking of a friend who couldn’t get mammogram results over the phone, Berwick said, “Their choice trumps her choice. Period. And that’s what scares me. It scares me to be made helpless before my... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953041 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 04:52:26 +0100 4953041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921764&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Fmore-on-chemo-brain.html I continue to be interested in the topic of "chemo brain" (see: New Research Casts Spotlight on "Chemo Brain"). I have this vision of cancer patients complaining of foggy thinking but their physicians struggling to understand the nature of the problem and design suitable treatment (see: Cancer survivors can't shake pain, fatigue, insomnia, foggy brain). Here an excerpt from another article about it: When people finish treatment for cancer, they want to bounce back to their former vital selves as quickly as possible. But a new Northwestern Medicine study -- one of the largest survivor studies ever conducted – shows many survivors still suffer moderate to severe problems with pain, fatigue, sleep, memory and concentration three to five years after treatment has ende... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921764 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:48:33 +0100 4921764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921765&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Fa-new-take-on-personalized-medicine.html The overarching definition for personalized medicine has always been the following: the right drug for the right patient at the right time (see: Further Consideration of the Definition for Personalized Medicine; Term "Personalized Medicine" More About Business than Healthcare Delivery). Implicit in this definition has been the idea that the "right drug" will exploit the biologic weaknesses of a patient's tumor. The classic example has been the use of the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab, marketed as Herceptin, for breast tumors that overexpress the HER2/neu protein. A recent article discusses a subtle but interesting paradigm shift relating to personalised medicine and the workflow of cancer care (see: Personalized Medicine Redefines How Docs Treat Cancer). Below is ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921765 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:17:43 +0100 4921765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902700&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F06%2Fweb-vido-chats-as-an-important-component-of-patient-care.html This article instead emphasizes the need for a "more equal dialogue between patient and clinician and improve the nature of the relationship."  Some patients tend to get overwhelmed in a formal medical setting and may not address all of their problems with  the physician. They may also think that "the doctor is too busy to bother with my petty complaints." With video chat, the patient remains on his or her home turf and hence the discussion may be conducted on a more equal footing. (Source: Lab Soft News) Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902700 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 18:47:23 +0100 4902700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902511&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F25pNHaf_PnQ%2F You may have heard news of Google essentially putting its Google Health PHR platform in cold storage. Whether it’s true or not, the “untethered” PHR—one not connected to a health system’s EHR—has been a non-starter for years. I’ve been particularly critical of the undeserved attention Google Health and Microsoft HealthVault have received, when many smaller companies have been working on PHRs for much longer. The original head of the Google Health project, Adam Bosworth, left the company in 2007 under suspicious circumstances—did he quit or was fired?—prior to the way overhyped 2008 introduction of this vaporware. Bosworth has gone on to start a new company, Keas, that produces a PHR that incorporates care plans. Keas got some undeserved hype itself, in... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902511 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:11:18 +0100 4902511 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883915&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F05%2Fus-south-poses-greatest-risk-of-cognitive-decline.html A tier of U.S. Southern states is commonly referred to as the "stroke belt" because of its high prevalence of this condition (see: Drop Me Off at the ER as Soon as I Finish My Fried Fish Dinner). Now comes evidence that people in the this same area  also have a higher risk of cognitive decline as a component of this neurologic spectrum (see: U.S. South Has Higher Risk of Cognitive Decline). Below is an excerpt from the article U.S. South Has Higher Risk of Cognitive Decline For decades public health researchers have known that individuals living in the American South displayed an increased risk of stroke and other forms of cardiovascular disease. A new study finds that individuals living in this region also have a greater incidence of cognitive decline compared to other reg... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883915 Tue, 31 May 2011 11:58:46 +0100 4883915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872495&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F05%2Fincidentalomas-revisited-revisited.html I recently posted a note about so-called incidentalomas, lesions often "accidentally" discovered during CT scans that have been ordered on the basis of other diagnostic concerns. You may want to refer to it to refresh your memory about the topic (see: How to Avoid the Risks of a CT Incidentaloma). Dr. Mark Pool who blogs over at The Daily Sign Out has posted a a well-thought-out note that extends this discussion in some interesting ways (see: Incidentalomas revisited). Below is an excerpt from it: Dr. Bruce Friedman posted a thoughtful blog on Lab Soft News recently concerning "incidentalomas" ....This post happened to coincide with a new working committee at my hospital commissioned with developing a virtual clinic for following patients who have incidental lung nodule... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872495 Thu, 26 May 2011 23:24:39 +0100 4872495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862797&cid=t_100179_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F_Y2rkzi__MA%2F Now that Oprah‘s show is drawing to a close, I can’t help but reflect on the many ways that she changed the face of daytime television, and people’s lives. When The Oprah Winfrey Show hit the airwaves 25 years ago, it followed the same formats as Phil Donahue and Sally Jessie Raphael, in that it portrayed sensationalist every-man stories about family gossip, medical wonders, and relationship blunders. Then in the mid-90s, Oprah switched gears and decided her show was going to help people’s self-esteem, self-worth, and self-confidence. Segments like “Remembering Your Spirit,” “Oprah’s Book Club,” “Live Your Best Life,” and “Favorite Things” popped up, cataloging different items people could purchase to enhance the... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862797 Wed, 25 May 2011 14:14:34 +0100 4862797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862948&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F05%2Fshould-hospitals-set-up-private-social-networks-to-server-their-patients.html A recent article about how Toyota is setting up a private social network for its customers stimulated my thinking about how this idea might apply to hospitals and their patients (see: Toyota Owners To Get a Private Social Network). Below is an excerpt from it: Toyota has teamed up with Salesforce.com to create Toyota Friend, a private social network for owners of Toyota cars. The network will be accessible through PCs, tablets and smartphones, giving Toyota customers the ability to connect with their dealerships, cars and Toyota itself. For example, your car could send you an alert when its battery needs recharging, and you would be able to connect to your dealership to get maintenance tips and service information. Toyota Friend will primarily be a private network for Toyota car owners, bu... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862948 Tue, 24 May 2011 13:57:59 +0100 4862948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4853239&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F05%2Fsee-single-psa-before-age-50-stratifies-men-at-risk-the-long-term-risk-for-prostate-cancer-can-be-predicted-from-a-1-time.html This study shows whom we really need to focus on," he added. The young men in this "top 10%" need "aggressive follow-up," such as reminder phone calls for doctors' appointments, and should have either annual or biennial PSA tests, he said...."Currently, a lot of these men would be told: 'You're fine'," he said. And they are fine, to a large extent. Their absolute risk of dying from prostate cancer is low, said Dr. Vickers. I don't know if this research will be validated in subsequent studies but it's fascinating in terms of its simplicity. The majority of men who receive periodic physicals will have at least one PSA in their 40's. Patients whose result is "above 1.5 ng/mL between the ages of 45 and 49 years" need to b... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4853239 Mon, 23 May 2011 13:46:32 +0100 4853239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4842000&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F05%2Fsteps-to-prevent-the-progression-of-prediabetes-to-diabetes.html Prediabetes is a common condition in the U.S. as is, of course, the disease itself (see: The Staggering Cost of Treating Diabetes). The so-called metabolic syndrome is one specific form of prediabetes (see: Metabolic Syndrome: The Problem You May Never Have Heard About). Below is an excerpt from an article that discusses prediabetes in a clear fashion (see: Prediabetes: 7 Steps to Take Now): If you’ve just learned you have prediabetes, you’re not alone. According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 79 million people in the U.S. who have elevated blood sugars, but who don’t yet qualify for a diagnosis of diabetes. About 11% of people with prediabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes within three years. The same factors that cause prediabetes also cause diabetes. That inclu... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4842000 Wed, 18 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100 4842000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4842001&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F05%2Foveruse-of-colonoscopy-in-medicare-cohort.html It probably will not come as a surprise to veteran observers of our healthcare delivery system that colonoscopies are overordered. This particular procedure is a major source of revenue for gastroenterologists and many healthcare consumers understand the advantages of preventive medicine. The key question, then, revolves around the question of how often to perform the procedure by age group. A recent article addresses this overutilization topic (see: 'Large' Overuse of Screening Colonoscopy in Medicare Cohort), Below is an excerpt from it: About half of a sample of 24,071 Medicare patients who had a negative screening colonoscopy were rescreened again in less than 7 years — well before the recommended interval of 10 years, according to a new study. And nearly half of the retested... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4842001 Tue, 17 May 2011 13:09:01 +0100 4842001 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813682&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F05%2Fchemo-brain.html I have heard the term "chemo brain" used in casual conversation for at least a couple of years. However, it turns out that there is a solid scientific basis for the condition (see: Chemo Brain May Last 5 Years or More). This makes sense given the broad, multiorgan effects of many chemotherapeutic agents. Below is an excerpt from a recent article on this topic: “Chemo brain,” the foggy thinking and forgetfulness that cancer patients often complain about after treatment, may last for five years or more for a sizable percentage of patients, new research shows. The findings, based on a study of 92 cancer patients at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, suggest that the cognitive losses that seem to follow many cancer treatments are far more pronounced and longer-las... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813682 Tue, 10 May 2011 17:28:50 +0100 4813682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803549&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F05%2Fguest-blog-note-heterotopic-calcification.html While having lunch with Dr. Bruce Friedman, my friend, colleague, and technology mentor recently, we continued our conversation about heterotopic ossifications A Radiologist Comments on Heterotopic Ossification).  He asked me if there were other similar lesions that, based on imaging, should not be biopsied.  I responded that there are, in fact, a number of co-called “don’t touch” lesions that fall into this group.  He then invited me to write a guest blog describing what is meant by a “don’t touch” lesion. --Dr. Brian Sabb It is my understanding that the term "don't touch lesion" was first coined by Dr. Clyde Helms (see: "Don't Touch" Lesions).  He is a well-respected and prolific musculoskeletal radiologist who currently ser... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803549 Mon, 09 May 2011 12:32:50 +0100 4803549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4795066&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F05%2Fmarketing.html In previous notes, I argued that it was largely useless to complain about the loss of privacy and confidentiality in this digital era because the horse was already out of the barn (see: On the Privacy of Health Information: The Horse Is Already Out of the Barn; Despite HIPAA, the Privacy of Our Health Records Is Largely a Myth). Instead, one needs to help prevent further erosion of our rights. A recent article reinforced this idea. It showed how life insurance companies are now using readily available marketing data about individuals to assess their health status and therefore risk (see: Insurers Test Data Profiles to Identify Risky Clients). This approach will be in lieu of, or in addition to, the lab testing and health questionnaire that the companies have used for many years. Below is a... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4795066 Fri, 06 May 2011 14:41:00 +0100 4795066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789649&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F05%2Fsurveillance-of-older-men-with-low-grade-cancer-of-the-prostate.html A gnarly problem for patients with a low-risk cancer of the prostate is whether to opt for surgery and also what constitutes adequate monitoring if they do not undergo surgery (see: Solid Advice for Older Men Regarding PSA Screening for Prostate Cancer). A recent article address this issue in a very clear fashion (see: Closely Monitoring Low-Risk Prostate Cancer, With Biopsy, Does Not Raise Risk Of Death And Discourages Overtreatment). Below is an excerpt from it: A Johns Hopkins study of 769 men from across the United States recently diagnosed with low-grade prostate cancer shows that forgoing immediate surgery to remove the tumor or radiation poses no added risk of death.  Delaying treatment is fine, the results show, so long as the cancer’s progression and tumor growth are close... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789649 Wed, 04 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100 4789649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775612&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F05%2Fdangers-of-the-ct-incidentaloma.html Pathologists use the suffix -oma to designate a tumor. Hence, a so-called incidentaloma is a lesion discovered by a radiologist during a CT exam. Here's a common scenario that patients may encounter. The treating physician is trying to diagnose lesion A. The radiologist discovers lesion B while seeking to confirm lesion A. Lesion B is perhaps a small lung mass that may be clinically significant (e.g., an early cancer) but may also be benign and better off undiscovered. Once discovered, the physician treating the patient may react "defensively" and seek to pin down the diagnosis. This new diagnostic goal may be associated with its own set of morbidities and even mortalities. A recent article discussed the dangers of incidentalomas (see: Dangers of the Incidentaloma: Why to Thi... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775612 Mon, 02 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100 4775612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4744819&cid=t_100179_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcartoon-characters-influence-childrens-cereal-preferences%2F2011.04.23 Based on their experience during countless schleps to the market, moms know that kids pick cereals whose boxes have cartoon characters on them. Previous research by Yale scientists explained the phenomenon: kids say that the stuff poured from such boxes tastes better than the same stuff when poured from a cartoon-less box. The same thing happens when kids pick graham crackers, carrots and gummy fruit snacks. Pictures of Shrek, Dora the Explorer, Scooby Doo and their kin make just about anything taste yummier, it seems. Can this observation be leveraged to encourage kids to select healthier foods? Yes, it turns out. But the story isn’t as straightforward as you’d think. To study the impact of licensed media spokescharacters and other nutrition cues on kids’ taste assessment of food... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4744819 Sat, 23 Apr 2011 16:00:07 +0100 4744819 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742491&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FIfPULHEeSYs%2F Since I’m starting to write a lot of daily/breaking news, I’m going to try something new today that might become a regular Friday feature: posting my week in review. It will consist of a quick rundown of stories I’ve written this week. Here goes: Monday “Patient Safety Initiative To Leverage Health IT: The $1 billion federal Partnership for Patients initiative aims to cut $35 billion in healthcare costs, save 60,000 lives, and decrease hospital-acquired conditions by 40% by 2013.” (InformationWeek) Tuesday “Medicare Opens EHR ‘Meaningful Use’ Attestation” (InformationWeek) “How mobile health can abide by HIPAA” (MobiHealthNews) “State of mobile and wireless healthcare” (video/slides of my recent presentation to M... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742491 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:21:52 +0100 4742491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742492&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FekbeQ5dblLM%2F I’ve just written my first post for the well-established EMR and HIPAA blog, one of the flagship sites for the Healthcare Scene network. (This site belongs to Healthcare Scene as well.) My post is a commentary about public perceptions of clinical decision support and a critique of failures by health IT developers, the healthcare industry and the media to design easy-to-use technology and communicate the purpose of CDS to the public. I’ll be writing weekly for that site, usually on Thursdays. I quote Dr. Larry Weed in that post. If you want more on this pioneer in health informatics and healthcare quality, check out some of my previous posts and stories about him: A must-read from Dr. Weed (April 2009) ‘Isabel’ as a verb? (February 2007) “Realizing the Vision for IT i... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742492 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:46:02 +0100 4742492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734681&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F04%2Fexactly-who-are-served-by-medical-professional-societies.html As a result of the political flap around Dr. Lazar Greenfield and the American College of Surgeons (ACS), he has resigned as the incoming president of the society. Here's an excerpt from the latest article (see: Head of Surgeons Group Resigns Over Article Viewed as Offensive to Women): The president-elect of the American College of Surgeons resigned his position Sunday after weeks of controversy surrounding a Valentine’s Day editorial he wrote touting the mood-enhancing effects of semen on women during unprotected sex....Dr. Greenfield, 78, was the editor in chief of Surgery News when the editorial was published but resigned that position in the wake of the controversy; the entire issue of the newspaper was withdrawn. He is an emeritus professor of surgery at the University of Michig... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734681 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:54:48 +0100 4734681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4724275&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F04%2Fthe-value-of-self-management-for-many-chronic-diseases.html Participatory healthcare is one of the so-called "Four P's" of modern medicine -- the other three are preventive, predictive, and personalized (see: The Future of Healthcare and the Four P's: Preventive, Predictive, Personalized, Participatory). This approach to healthcare was covered in a recent article that referred to it as self-management of chronic diseases (see: Moving to Self-Management for Arthritis — and Other Chronic Diseases). The reason that patient participation in chronic diseases is so appealing is that it reduces costs and, more importantly, requires patient buy-in to the process. This inevitably results in more effective care. Here's an excerpt from the article: With obesity, sports injuries and the aging of the baby boomers all driving an increase ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4724275 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:39:28 +0100 4724275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704967&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F04%2Ftighter-integration-of-cvs-minuteclinic-with-chicagos-advocate-health-care.html There has always been some challenges associated with the business model for walk-in clinics located in retail pharmacy chain stores. Commonly staffed by nurses, they were only prepared to deal with minor health problems and routine procedures. This approach often did not generate enough business. Therefore, some began to place physicians in these clinics who were then able to treat more significant health problems. Once some of these clinics started in this direction, it made sense to contract with local hospital systems to both provide physicians and also to integrate the clinic records with those of the health system. This provided a referral network for the more seriously ill patients who were being turned away from the nurse-staffed clinics. The Cleveland Clinic was an early participa... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704967 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:08:34 +0100 4704967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696963&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F04%2Fmedicare-billing-rife-with-fraud-need-open-access-to-claims-database.html How badly do we want to reduce the cost of Medicare? For me, one of the most important steps will be to provide public access to the Medicare claims database and use it to root out fraud. This is the goal of two senators who have introduced some new legislation (see: Senators Push to Open Database on Medicare). Below is an excerpt from the Wall Street Journal article about this topic: Two senators have introduced legislation to overturn a 1979 court injunction that bars the government from revealing what individual physicians earn from Medicare. That information is stored in the Medicare-claims database, widely considered one of the best tools for finding fraud and abuse in the $500 billion federal health-insurance program for the elderly and disabled. Soaring Medicare costs threaten to ov... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696963 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:03:48 +0100 4696963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696712&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FnZFN64nSeww%2F It’s been a full decade since the Institute of Medicine published the second volume in its landmark series on patient safety and quality of care, Crossing the Quality Chasm. We appear to be not much closer to achieving a high-quality health system as we were 10 years ago. Last week, as you may have already heard, a paper in Health Affairs from researchers at the University of Utah concluded that adverse events may be 10 times more prevalent than previously believed and that errors may occur in an astounding one-third of all hospital admissions. The research team, which included such luminaries as Dr. David Classen, Dr. Brent James and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement‘s Frank Federico, also said that there estimates probably were on the conservative side. Patient-safety ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696712 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 21:07:53 +0100 4696712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693354&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftraffic.libsyn.com%2Fnversel%2FPeter_Waegemann.mp3 In 2009, after 25 years of moving “Toward an Electronic Patient Record” (TEPR), the Medical Records Institute disbanded and its founder, Peter Waegemann, shifted his focus to mobile healthcare by creating the mHealth Initiative. TEPR had grown into a rather substantial event, peaking at 3,800 attendees in 2004, when newly appointed national health IT coordinator Dr. David Brailer was the featured speaker. But attendance and vendor square footage rapidly declined after that, as much of the action in the realm of EMRs either moved to medical specialty societies or the huge HIMSS conference. Taking a more content-driven than vendor-driven approach, the mHealth Initiative has tried its hand at conferences since last year. (I spoke and served on a panel at the organization’s 2nd m... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693354 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:17:23 +0100 4693354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684772&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F04%2Fwsome-types-of-cancer-more-prevalent-among-the-wealthier-australians.html Frequently, but now always, cancer strikes people in the lower socioeconomic groups. The development of cancer can be related to poverty or lifestyle issues including poor nutrition, smoking, alcohol abuse, obesity, and access to care. A recent article took a difference tack and discussed cancers that are more prevalent among the wealthy in Australia (see: Some cancers more prevalent in the wealthy), Below is an excerpt from it: A new report has shown that Australians living in wealthy areas are more likely to get breast, prostate and skin cancers than those living in poorer zones. The report from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare...also shows that those living in disadvantaged parts of the country are more likely to have bowel, cervical and lung cancers. Not so much with bowel ca... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684772 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:23:52 +0100 4684772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4643005&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F03%2Ffwhy-and-how-hospitals-should-market-themselves.html For the most part and in my opinion, hospitals don't don't do a very job of marketing themselves. This is not surprising given that most of them are non-profit and most such organizations do not seem to be proficient in this area. However, the use of social media for marketing is free of cost and relatively simple to engage for this purpose. According to a recent study, even here most hospitals don't always get their message out (see: Study: Hospitals' Facebook use is poor). Below is an excerpt from the article: U.S. hospitals are not taking advantage of the opportunities Facebook creates to better engage patients, build healthcare communities or develop their hospital brands, according to a new study....According to the study, only a few hospitals across the the country ar... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4643005 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:04:31 +0100 4643005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549943&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F03%2Fmost-physicians-inept-when-dealing-wiht-overweight-patients.html Although obesity is one of our major public health problems, we have not yet developed a comprehensive and integrated strategy for addressing it. A recent article highlighted for me the inability of most physicians to effectively treat obese and even overweight patients (see: Too few docs tell patients they're overweight). Below is an excerpt from it: Many people who are overweight and obese either don't realize it or are in denial -- and too few doctors are setting them straight, according to a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine....If a doctor did comment on a patient's weight, it seemed to make an impression. Nearly 20% of obese people whose doctors hadn't brought up their weight described themselves as "not overweight," compared with just 3% of thos... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549943 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:48:33 +0100 4549943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4545030&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FyENL-jmhHiI%2F The first Health Wonk Review since last week’s HIMSS conference is up, courtesy of Jared M. Rhoads of the Lucidicus Project. While I’m no fan of organization’s ideological bent (it seems to think CMS Administrator Don Berwick is more interested in socialism than in improving healthcare), I’m happy to say this roundup has more IT than normal. For one thing, Rhoads mentions my post detailing my injury at HIMSS and the consumerism and EMR use that played into the care I received at a walk-in clinic in Orlando, Fla. I’m happy to report that I got the stitches out on Tuesday and the deep laceration is healing well. There’s a good chance that the resulting scar might kind of blend into my eyebrow, so I’m hoping it won’t be too conspicuous. Four oth... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4545030 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:58:59 +0100 4545030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540610&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FI8GaLiSK2gU%2F If you follow my Twitter feed, you know I had a little accident early Wednesday morning during the just-concluded HIMSS conference. I stumbled into the bathroom in my Orlando, Fla., hotel room in the dark about 6:30 a.m., did my business, then turned to my left to use the sink. Unfortunately, the sink was not to my left. I fell down and hit my face against the edge of the bathtub and immediately started gushing blood. It took a while, but I mostly got the bleeding stopped with the help of some towels (I’m sure the cleaning The result of my clumsiness staff wondered if I had murdered someone), ice and, courtesy of the front desk, moist towelettes, antibiotic ointment, gauze pads and surgical tape. The clerk at the front desk offered to call an ambulance to get me to an ER. I have a hi... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540610 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 23:59:55 +0100 4540610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4512622&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F02%2Fnew-app-open-science.html I was not familiar with the term "open science" until I came across an article discussing how a cancer survivor was using the concept to break down knowledge barriers about melanoma (see: Cancer survivor aims to raze treatment, research barriers with an app to enable collaboration). Below is an excerpt from it: [Cancer survivor and e-commerce entrepreneur Marty] Tenenbaum is one of a growing number of supporters of the so-called open science movement, which calls for greater sharing of research and the lowering of institutional, financial, legal and geographical barriers to bringing the best minds and data together to solve science's toughest problems. In its fledgling form, the Cancer Commons app integrates the existing data on different forms of melanoma and the most promis... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4512622 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:32:06 +0100 4512622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540613&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FB_GaJoDmWgM%2F Since last summer, various government agencies, notably the Department of Veterans Affairs, have been touting the Blue Button Initiative as an easy way of  sharing electronic data with patients. Just click the blue button in the patient EHR portal and download data into a personal health record or a printout. Sounds simple enough. Late yesterday, my successor at a publication I was the primary writer of until late last year, cited the importance of the Blue Button, particularly when coupled with Microsoft’s HealthVault PHR platform. (If I turned in my story as late as 4:52 p.m. for that client, I would have been docked at least $150, but that’s neither here nor there.) The fact that HealthVault and other “untethered” PHRs are non-starters when it comes to the publi... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540613 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:39:50 +0100 4540613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507593&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F02%2Ftutype-of-breast-biopsy-often-determined-by-physician-speciality.html All women should keep this fact in mind. If they have a suspicious breast mass and they are referred to a breast surgeon, they will be more likely to have an unnecessary open biopsy as opposed to a needle biopsy, which is much less invasive. The background for this assertion was provided in a recent article (see: Study of Breast Biopsies Finds Surgery Used Too Extensively), Below is an excerpt from it: Too many women with abnormal mammograms or other breast problems are undergoing surgical biopsies when they should be having needle biopsies, which are safer, less invasive and cheaper, new research shows....A study in Florida found that 30 percent of the breast biopsies there from 2003 to 2008 were surgical. The rate should be 10 percent or less, according to medical guidelines....Many of t... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507593 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:31:28 +0100 4507593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540615&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F3sJs3NGMVVU%2F Valentine’s Day came and went, but the love lingers with Health Wonk Review. Louise and Jay Norris have the Valentine’s Week edition of HWR at the Colorado Long Term Care Insider blog. They’ve included my recent podcast with Evan Steele of SRSsoft, and there’s plenty of other news about health insurance reform, Accountable Care Organizations and shared decision-making between patients and providers. Check it out. (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540615 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 15:00:07 +0100 4540615 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495444&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F02%2Fobesity-harmful-to-heart-independent-of-other-risk-factors.html Obesity constitute ones of the greatest public health threats facing the country. The problem is comparable to other chronic, highly prevalent diseases such as adult-onset diabetes and cardiac disease and also tightly linked to both of them (see: Obesity as a Cause of Death Recorded on Death Certificates; Rising Rate of Esophageal Cancer in the U.K.; Relationship to Obesity; Obesity, Nutrigenomics, and the Clinical Laboratory). However, evidence continues to mount that obesity has a toxic effect on the heart independent of other common risk factors (see: Obesity is heart disease killer in its own right, irrespective of other risk factors). Below are the details: Increasing weight is associated with a higher prevalence of known risk factors for coronary artery disease, such as diabetes, hig... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495444 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:47:37 +0100 4495444 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489739&cid=t_100179_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fsweetening-of-america.html These days, it seems like sweeteners have made their sneaky way into almost everything. From soup to nuts, it's apparent that there can be no enlightened trip to the grocery store---or even the health food store---without the very careful reading of ingredient labels. Manufacturers are simply practicing the wholesale sweetening of America, and whether we like it or not, our food supply is increasingly infiltrated with useless calories and unnecessary sweeteners.What's most maddening to me personally is my utter disappointment when shopping at the health food stores where I am dedicated to spending my money. The manufacturers of so-called "health food"---including companies that have always been at the forefront of the healthy eating movement---have jumped on the sweetener bandwagon in rece... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489739 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:40:00 +0100 4489739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4478169&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F02%2Ftobacco-free-hiring-take-hold-is-this-fair.html Hiring practices in hospitals and medical businesses are now moving from "no smoking" to "no smokers." Details about this change were presented in a recent article (see: Tobacco-Free Hiring in Workplaces). Below is an excerpt from it: More hospitals and other medical businesses in many states are adopting strict policies that make smoking a reason to turn away job applicants, saying they want to increase worker productivity, reduce health care costs and encourage healthier living. The policies reflect a frustration that softer efforts — like banning smoking on company grounds, offering cessation programs and increasing health care premiums for smokers — have not been powerful-enough incentives to quit. The new rules essentially treat cigarettes like an illegal narco... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4478169 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:12:38 +0100 4478169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459961&cid=t_100179_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-it-yourself-lab-testing%2F2011.02.10 Traditionally, people get blood tests when their doctor recommends it, an event that usually occurs at the conclusion of an office visit. But nowadays, patients are deciding to get lab tests on their own. Their reasons vary. Some want to keep track of cholesterol or hemoglobin A1C levels. Others want to assure their blood will test negative prior to a job search, to test for the presence of a disease like hepatitis C or AIDS, or obtain a chemistry panel that provides a broad picture of their overall health. The biggest reason for consumer-directed lab testing however, is an economic one. Growing numbers of uninsured people, and those with high-deductible insurance plans find it cheaper to do-it-themselves, since it avoids the cost of an office visit. The savings can add up. A lipid pro... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459961 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:00:25 +0100 4459961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4446042&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F02%2Ffive-simple-fitness-rules.html Lots of people decide to turn over a new leaf come with new year and begin to patronize a fitness center or gym. Unfortunately, many of them do not achieve the anticipated results in weight loss or fitness, become discouraged, and quit. A recent, useful article discussed why we don't see results despite our best efforts at the gym and how to reboot your fitness routine (see: Why you're not seeing fitness results this year): Listed below is an excerpt from the article with a list of the mistakes that are commonly made: You're not changing what you eat....This means fewer calories, or at least better-quality nutrition. Eat foods like an apple or cottage cheese that take more energy for your body to digest, [an expert suggests]....The bottom-line diet: Eat less. You're not ha... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4446042 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:19:03 +0100 4446042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436948&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F02%2Fbehavioral-economics-and-the-clinical-labs.html Financial incentives for the pursuit of wellness or adherence to medical regimens can occur in various forms (see: Paying Patients to Stay Healthy; Discrimination Against the Poor?; A Lottery to Improve Patient Adherence to Warfarin Therapy). One type of such incentive is for employers to offer two kinds of health insurance: a "regular" type and a second that requires qualification on the basis of certain health parameters or goals such as BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol level, and periodic physical exams. A recent note in Dark Daily referred to such programs as being based on behavioral economics, a new perspective for me (see: Behavioral Economics Likely to Push Up Utilization of Clinical Pathology Laboratory Tests). Below is an excerpt from it: Pathologists and clinical labor... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436948 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:24:10 +0100 4436948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4424487&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F02%2Ftelerehab-after-total-knee-replacement.html One of the challenges of telemedicine for the past several decades has been the tendency for its supporters to align it with some health services without a natural fit. This is to say, those requiring one-on-one, live physician and nurse interactions. I have now come across one type of service, post-operative physical therapy, that seems to be a natural for telemedicine. A recent article discusses an example of a successful telerehab program (see: Telerehab Works After Knee Surgery) In a noninferiority trial, telerehabilitation fared at least as well as conventional therapy on all study outcomes after six weeks, including the primary outcome...according [a reesearcher in the field]. In fact, telerehabilitation resulted in greater improvement on the WOMAC stiffness subscale and the Patient-... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4424487 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:26:30 +0100 4424487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4406041&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F01%2F23andme-builds-online-sarcoma-research-community.html Here's an interesting development. 23andMe, the online, consumer-oriented genomic testing site, is developing a sarcoma research community (see: 23andMe Achieves Milestone in Building Sarcoma Research Community). This strikes me a very novel idea that may serve as a forerunner to similar online projects. Below is an excerpt from the article explaining the concept in more detail: 23andMe’s sarcoma research efforts are well underway with collection of both phenotypic and genetic data from 500 individuals diagnosed with sarcoma already completed. The company is half way towards its goal of building a sarcoma research community of more than 1,000 individuals.... Sarcomas are a rare group of cancers that arise in connective tissues ...or in bone. It is estimated that there are approximate... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4406041 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:10:41 +0100 4406041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394757&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F01%2Fmthe-overdiagnosis-problem-in-our-health-system.html One of the "hazards" in our country with its sophisticated healthcare delivery system and well trained physicians is overdiagnosis. This is a logical consequence of broad health insurance coverage, a multitude of physicians (particularly in urban areas), and physician training oriented to the identification of disease. I have previously referred to this latter phenomenon as the disease model (see: Wellness, Preventive Medicine, and the Classic Disease Model; Predisposition to Disease and Pre-Disease on the Health Continuum). It turns out that one physician-author has studied this problem (see: Health Blog Q&A: H. Gilbert Welch, Author of ‘Overdiagnosed’). Below is an excerpt from a blog note about him and his ideas: At the beginning of his new book, “Overdiagnosed,” D... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394757 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:16:18 +0100 4394757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382956&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F01%2Fhow-healthy-is-e-health.html Here's a definition for e-health from Canada: {A]n overarching term used to describe the application of information and communications technologies in the health sector. It encompasses a range of purposes from purely administrative through to health care delivery. This definition seems to me to provide a good start but, in my opinion, is insufficient. It doesn't touch on the notion of health information acquisition by consumers via the web, which is one of the most far-reaching aspects of e-health. This pursuit of knowledge by healthcare consumers is critical because it it allows them to educate themselves and prepares them to take more responsibility for their own health. Keeping all of this in mind, I now want to turn to a recent article that raises the issue of the "health&... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382956 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:43:39 +0100 4382956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372253&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F01%2Fus-supreme-court-to-review-prescription-privacy-laws.html The days of the "detailing" of physicians by sales personnel from the pharmacy companies are numbered (see: How E-Detailing May Lead to Greater Knowledge by Physicians about Drugs; E-Sampling: Another Blow to the Future of Pharma Sales Reps). Nevertheless, an important case is now before the U.S. Supreme Court relating to access by pharmacy reps of the prescribing history of the physicians whom they call on (see: Prescription Privacy Laws Get U.S. High Court Scrutiny). Below is an excerpt from the story: The U.S. Supreme Court accepted a case that pits medical privacy interests against speech rights, agreeing to consider whether states can limit how drugmakers use data about the prescription-writing practices of doctors. The justices ...will review a Vermont law being challenged ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372253 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:20:18 +0100 4372253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361314&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F01%2Fhealthy-days-per-month-as-a-measure.html A recent article about racial health disparities in the New York Times using CDC data was fascinating and I recommend it for anyone interested in general health issues (see: Broad Racial Disparities Seen in Americans’ Ills). To whet your interest, here are three short statements extracted from it: Babies born to black women are up to three times as likely to die in infancy as those born to women of other races. American Indians and Alaska Natives are twice as likely to die in car crashes as any other group. More than 80 percent of all suicides are committed by whites, but young American Indian adults have the highest suicide rates by far — 25 per 100,000 population at age 21, compared with 14 for whites, 10 for blacks and 8 for Asians and Hispanics. Compared with whites, blacks have d... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361314 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:35:11 +0100 4361314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4338271&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F01%2Fwfewer-hospital-admissions-for-health-failure-among-better-educated.html I have long been interested in the correlation between good health and level of education (see: Correlation of Sociodemographic Status with Personal Engagement in Cancer Screening Programs). Here's a quote from an article in the NYT that succinctly summarizes this issue (see: A Surprising Secret to a Long Life: Stay in School): James Smith, a health economist at the RAND Corporation, has heard a variety of hypotheses about what it takes to live a long life — money, lack of stress, a loving family, lots of friends....But what, he asks, is cause and what is effect? And how can they be disentangled? He is venturing, of course, into one of the prevailing mysteries of aging, the persistent differences seen in the life spans of large groups....But the questions for researchers like Dr. Smi... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4338271 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:29:39 +0100 4338271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314223&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F01%2Fdrop-me-off-at-the-hospital-as-soon-as-i-finish-this-fish-sandwich.html Fried fish may be one of the causes of the poor cardiovascular health in the stroke belt of the U.S., roughly defined as eight Southern states (see: Diet: Fried Fish Is Seen as a ‘Stroke Belt’ Culprit).  This can't be good news for the Long John Silver fast-food chain. Here are some of the details in an excerpt from the article: A wide swath of the South has long been known as the "stroke belt" because it has higher rates of stroke and other cardiovascular illnesses than the rest of the country. Now researchers are suggesting one culprit: fried fish. Fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce the risk for stroke, and the American Heart Association recommends at least two fish meals per week. But deep-fat frying destroys these natural fatty acids and replace... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314223 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:34:38 +0100 4314223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309862&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F01%2Fwho-among-older-patients-thrives-after-surgery.html As our population ages, a question that arises more frequently is whether to perform surgery on octogenarians and nonagenarians.Which among them are robust enough to withstand the stress of the procedure? I found that a recent article offered practical advice about this issue. (see: Who Thrives After Surgery?). Below is an excerpt from it: Martin A. Makary, a surgeon and public health researcher at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, had a long talk with a patient last week. The man had a tumor in his pancreas that was probably benign but might not be. Should Dr. Makary remove it? Or should the man have regular scans to see whether it grew?....[T]his patient was 89....Surgeons eyeball their patients all the time to try to evaluate whether they can recover well from the stress of an operat... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309862 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:15:12 +0100 4309862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4305114&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2011%2F01%2Fdelaying-ellective-surgery-after-hospital-admission.html It's not an uncommon occurrence for a scheduled elective surgery to be delayed because the case gets crowded-out by emergency procedures or unexpected longer cases. This can be uncomfortable for the patient in question who has gotten ready psychologically for the surgery. But what can you do -- just wait your turn? It turns out that there are even more serious consequences of delayed elective surgery on the basis of recent research (see: Delaying elective surgery raises risks, costs: new study). Below is an excerpt from an item I recently came across: Delaying elective surgical procedures after a patient has been admitted to the hospital significantly increases the risk of infectious complications and raises hospital costs....The occurrence of infection following surgical procedures co... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4305114 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:53:06 +0100 4305114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294633&cid=t_100179_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fabout-scar-prevention-and-treatment%2F2010.12.27 I saw a Scarguard product on sale at a drugstore locally. The claims on the packaging were over the top as usual: 1. “Guards against new scars forming” – Difficult to prove. 2. “Flattens and shrinks old scars” – Not really. 3. “Scarguard is the #1 choice of plastic surgeons” – Really? Nobody asked me. Scar treatment is pretty simple. Avoid wounding if you can. If you have plastic surgery, seek a skilled surgeon who will spend the time to do the best. After surgery avoid sunlight and smoking, and consider scar massage as directed by your surgeon. This “Scarguard” product is not going to make a bad scar much better unless it is applied early, and even then the results are debatable. - John Di Saia, M.D. *This blog post was originally published at Trut... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294633 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 15:00:30 +0100 4294633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281554&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F12%2Fhealth-insurance-companies-jump-into-healthcare-software.html Mr. HIStalk comments below on the recent acquisition of Medicity by the health insurance company Aetna (see: Healthcare IT From the Investor’s Chair 12/9/10). Medicity is an HIE (health information exchange) company. Speaking from my usual perch in the peanut gallery (as I’ve done work for neither company), I’m fairly astounded by the price [of Medicity’s acquisition by Aetna]. Rumor has it that $500 million (twice what Ingenix paid for Axolotl) is approaching 8x revenues, a princely multiple that dwarfs, say, Allscripts’ purchase of Eclipsys for 2x revs or even Ingenix’s purchase of Picis for 3x revs. Medicity appears to be the leader in its space, with over 750 hospitals and 125,000 physicians using its system. Still, it’s a huge bet on the HIE market that’s not quite eme... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281554 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0100 4281554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277822&cid=t_100179_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBTOgsNmhiWI%2F By David BoazAdjacent articles in the latest New Yorker deplore “consumerism” among the American revolutionaries and the modern Chinese. You wonder how a magazine so concerned about manifestations of consumer desire would support itself. Surely it struggles along on a shoestring, preaching the message of austerity and simplicity to sincere but poor readers. In fact, however, these laments about consumerism in societies vastly poorer than our own are sandwiched between lush full-page advertisements for Chanel watches, Samsung home entertainment centers, single malt Scotch, Grey Goose vodka, Cristal champagne, David Yurman jewelry, German automobiles, and Norwegian Cruise Lines. The articles themselves appear on pages lined with small, elegant ads for Jay-Z’s book-ebook-a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277822 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:43:37 +0100 4277822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272651&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F12%2Ffive-cancer-prevention-strategies-to-adopt-for-the-new-year.html Cancer, like other diseases such as diabetes and coronary heart disease, has a connection to one's lifestyle. It follows logically, then, that some forms of cancer can be avoided or ameliorated by changes in one's eating, drinking, and exercise habits. A recent article spelled out clearly which lifestyle changes are necessary, perhaps in the new year, to help yourself. Below is an excerpt from it (see: Five holiday resolutions for cancer prevention strategies): Resolve to stop smoking. Lung cancer kills more people than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined and tobacco use is the No. 1 cause of this form of cancer. This is a particularly important gift to your children, as ‘secondhand’ smoke is also a strong risk factor, and children of parents who smoke are more likely ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272651 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0100 4272651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266285&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F12%2Fe-sampling-by-pfizer.html If I were a sales rep working for a pharmaceutical company, I would be dusting off my resume and scanning the help-wanted ads. A great salesperson can always make a very comfortable living. I envision that most of the sales efforts of these companies will be moving to the web. I have covered this transition in a number of previous notes (see: How E-Detailing May Lead to Greater Knowledge by Physicians about Drugs; Effectiveness of "Direct-to-Consumer" Drug Advertisements; Growth of Online CME Interpreted as Bad News for Pharma Marketers; Pharma-Free CME Activities: Is This the Right Approach?). Below is an excerpt from an article discussing this new facet of this trend -- e-sampling  (see: Pfizer Joins the E-Sampling Crowd: How it Assuaged Sales Reps’ Concerns): Big pharm... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266285 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:26:33 +0100 4266285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266286&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F12%2Fdifference-between-software-born-in-the-cloud-and-software-moved-to-the-cloud.html I have posted a number of notes about cloud computing but have not paid particular attention to differences between applications born in the cloud as opposed to those that are moved to the cloud. Luckily, the Forbes blog Quicker, Better, Tech has reprinted a column on this topic by Aaron Levie who is the co-founder and CEO of Box.net. Below is an excerpt from his musings (see: The Open Social Enterprise). Read the whole thing if you have time. It's worth the effort. When Steve Ballmer declared that Microsoft was “betting the company” on cloud computing earlier this year, he cautioned that “the goal can’t be to throw out all the world’s software and start again.” Microsoft and the other enterprise technology behemoths may be embracing the cloud, but in many cases they’re d... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266286 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:07:04 +0100 4266286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266287&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F12%2Fwmajor-shifts-in-use-medical-imaging-in-emergency-departments.html It will come as a no surprise to readers of this blog that the practice of medicine is changing radically, particularly the use of CT scans and other diagnostic studies. Part of the shift is due to the fact that younger physicians are losing their ability to diagnose at the bedside. Part is due to the increasing sophistication of imaging technology itself. Certainly part is due to the pressure to practice defensive medicine. A recent article puts some real numbers to this shift in the use of CT scans in hospital emergency departments (see: Use of CT Scans in Emergency Departments 'Skyrocketing'). Below is an excerpt from the article: The use of computed tomography (CT) scans in emergency departments (EDs) throughout the United States has increased dramatically in recent years, and ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266287 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:10:55 +0100 4266287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4259217&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F12%2Fhospitals-said-to-withhold-clinical-data-from-phrs.html It may strike you as sour grapes that the president of a personal health record (PHR) company, is griping about hospital CEOs holding hostage the clinical data that they control. Mr. HIStalk recently published the following tidbit, quoting Colin Evans of Dossia (see: News 12/8/10): Colin Evans, president and CEO of PHR vendor Dossia says ...HHS and the FTC need to make big providers and health plans stop holding the medical information of their patients hostage and using liability or privacy concerns as an excuse. He says they refuse to share patient information even when patients request it, hoping to forestall competition based on service, price, and quality. He also points out that lots of them are selling the data of their patients anyway or are using PHR information to display targete... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4259217 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:13:24 +0100 4259217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253464&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F12%2Fmcounty-medical-society-launches-direct-access-testing-web-site.html Direct access testing (DAT) has been a special interest of mine over the past many months. In general, it provides a way for healthcare consumers to obtain lab tests at a reasonable price by ordering them on the web. Mr. HIStalk alerts us to one such site launched by a physician in Ohio and using his county medical society web site as the test ordering vehicle (see: News 12/10/10). His goal was to provide such testing for uninsured patients but anyone can use it. Here's the initial report: An Ohio doctor, angry that his uninsured patients can’t afford the lab tests they need, strikes a deal with LabCorp and an online lab test marketer to offer his patients discounted tests (example: a $148 lipid panel costs his patients $18). The patients simply order their tests from the county medi... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253464 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 13:38:00 +0100 4253464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233431&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F12%2Flapband-surgery-proposed-for-the-less-obese.html I have a serious concern that bariatric surgery, particularly the use of the Lap-Band, is becoming the preferred alternative to gradual weight loss programs for the obese. Many patients prefer this quick-fix surgical approach as do hospital execs because of its revenue-generating potential. Allergan, the manufacturer of the device, recently proposed to the FDA that the use of the device be allowed for the less obese. Here is an excerpt from the first article about this topic (see: Obesity Surgery May Become Option for Many More): An advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration will consider...a request by Allergan, the pharmaceutical company, to significantly lower how obese someone must be to qualify for surgery using the company’s Lap-Band device, which restricts intake to th... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233431 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:03:33 +0100 4233431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225676&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F12%2Fmore-information-about-googles-chrome-os.html In a previous note, I began to address the Chrome browser/operating system (see: The Decline of Microsoft: The Clues Seem to Be Obvious). A recent NYT article begins to fill in some of the white space concerning this product (see: For Google, the Browser Does It All). Below is an excerpt from it: ....Chrome stores everything that people have on their computers — like documents, photos and e-mail — online, or in tech parlance, in the cloud. In Google’s vision of a world where all computers run on its Chrome OS, anyone can walk up to any computer with an Internet connection and gain access to all their information....It is all the more confusing because Google already has a Web browser named Chrome. And Google already has an operating system, called Android. Google says it will become ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225676 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:42:46 +0100 4225676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4205977&cid=t_100179_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F27%2F7-quick-tips-to-avoid-a-meltdown%2F When you feel like strangling the guy in front of you at Target, read these 7 Quick Ways to Calm Down, I laughed at the art that went with it because, well, I sort of looked like that the other day. I needed a reminder of them, and I thought maybe you could use one too. 1. Walk Away Know your triggers. If a conversation about global warming, consumerism, or the trash crisis in the U.S. is overwhelming you, simply excuse yourself. If you’re noise-sensitive and the scene at Toys-R-Us makes you want to throw whistling Elmo and his buddies across the store, tell your kids you need a time-out. (Bring along your husband or a friend so you can leave them safely, if need be.) My great-aunt Gigi knew her trigger points, and if a conversation or setting was getting close to them, she sim... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4205977 Sat, 27 Nov 2010 15:30:52 +0100 4205977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190533&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F11%2Frisks-for-consumers-as-healthcare-providers-consolidate.html At a social event in Ann Arbor two nights ago, much of the talk centered about how a regional health system had just announced the purchase of a large physician cardiology group just a few months after the purchase of an even larger private group of internists. The rationale apparently was to provide the hospital system with more expertise in ambulatory care and also because the CMS is ratcheting down reimbursement for outpatient visits.The physician groups think that their revenue will be increasingly squeezed. Here are some other similar announcements (see: Kentucky's Louisville Cardiology Group Joins Baptist Hospital East; Chicago-Area Cardiology Group Joins NorthShore University Health System). I have previously commented about the emergence of "big medicine" which consis... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190533 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:24:30 +0100 4190533 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294756&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FYKpwdB06cQs%2Fmy-take-on-e-patients.html This story appears this month in various editions of MDNG: "E-patients: What You Need to Know and How You Can Help Them." Yes, I did interview Dave deBronkart, among others. (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294756 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:50:58 +0100 4294756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119739&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F10%2Fthipad-as-the-owner-manual-for-hyundai.html I picked up, by chance, on a recent reference to the fact that a "free" iPad is delivered with each Hyundai Equus, substituting for the normal hardcopy user manual for the vehicle. Here is an excerpt from the article (see: A Week In The High-Tech Hyundai Equus Super Sedan): There’s enough technology within the driver’s (and backseat passenger’s) reach to require a few trips to the manual, which just so happens to be an app on the included iPad. Yep, this is the car that comes with an iPad as the user manual. It makes sense, too. Instead of following a series of step-by-step instructions to, say, change the audio settings, you can just refer to the app for a quick demonstration. It’s genius from a user experience and marketing standpoint. OK, OK! This is a car with a $96,0... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119739 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:45:25 +0100 4119739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098477&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F10%2Fonocology-concession-under-attack-by-health-insurance-companies.html The oncology concession is the percentage of the cost of chemotherapy (i.e., the drug markup) that is retained by the oncology group for prescribing the drug (see: Academic Oncology and the "Chemotherapy Concession"). These are a number of problems associated with such a payment not the least of which are the following: (1) there is an incentive for an oncologist to treat the patient with advanced disease with little hope of significant amelioration of it; and (2) there is an incentive to treat the patient with newer, non-standard biotech drugs that are frequently more expensive. Health insurers are now evaluating new oncology payment systems in order to remove these perverse incentives (see: Insurers Test New Cancer Pay Systems). Below is an excerpt from the article: The insurer... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098477 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:40:50 +0100 4098477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098478&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F10%2Fbreaking-up-the-health-insurance-cartel.html The "retail prices" that hospitals charge for inpatient care are largely made-up numbers. They are set purposely high so that the discounted rates that are then negotiated with the health insurance companies are sufficient to cover costs and possibly earn a profit (see: Why the Prices Charged by Hospital for Inpatient Care Are Irrelevant). These higher prices are only paid by the unfortunate minority who require care, lack health insurance, and have some assets. Some states like Oregon are launching web sites to provide some transparency regarding the substantial differences in the cost of an inpatient stay by hospital depending, in part, on the extent of competition in the local market (see: Comparing the Details of Hospital Charges in the State of Oregon). Here's a quote fr... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098478 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:21:05 +0100 4098478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082338&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F10%2Fhealthy-food-role-manufacturers-role.html One of the key goals in preventive medicine is educating people to eat healthier. This is much more complicated than it seems because the process involves the interplay of an individual's food preferences, cooking skills, the cost of food, and the type and quality of foods available to the consumer in his or her neighborhood. To gain some understanding of this last question, here's an excerpt from an article discussing the manufacture of food and attempts to make it more healthy (see: Making healthy food is easy. Making people eat it is not): A serving of Kraft’s Ranch dressing boasts 370 mg of sodium and 12g of fat. That is what nutritionists would describe as “far too much” and consumers would describe as “yummy”. The Kraft food company has brilliant scientists, of cour... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082338 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:01:36 +0100 4082338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045401&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F10%2Fimproved-survival-from-simpler-cpr.html Here is some important health information that will be very important to disseminate. A new study found that people who suffered cardiac arrest and received chest compressions from bystanders had higher survival rates than those given standard resuscitation that included mouth-to-mouth breathing (see: Study Backs Simpler CPR for Patients).  Below is an excerpt from the article: About 300,000 people in the U.S. collapse each year from cardiac arrest, which can be brought on by a heart attack or other reasons, and fewer than one-third get CPR from bystanders, according to American Heart Association estimates. The breathing part of CPR is a big barrier for many people, the AHA says. Growing evidence has suggested that skipping the mouth-to-mouth breathing in favor of rapid, chest-only c... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045401 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:26:25 +0100 4045401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040798&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F10%2Fwhy-some-orgeon-hospitals-charge-three-times-as-much-as-others.html Here's the standard dogma. Some hospitals charge much more than others in a city for similar services because we have a market economy, they are allowed to set their charges at whatever level they like, and most patients don't foot the bill themselves so don't seek the lowest cost provider. I came across an interesting article on the topic of hospital billings in Oregon (see: Why some Oregon hospitals charge three times more than others). It's chock-full of interesting tidbits so take a look at the excerpt below: When Oregon began disclosing details of hospital billing three years ago, officials hoped to spur competition that would hold back costs and reduce the huge variations in rates from hospital to hospital. The latest data from 2009 suggest that little has changed. Ho... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040798 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:25:43 +0100 4040798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036953&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F10%2Fproper-care-and-feeding-of-consultants.html I have been writing about hospitalists for about three years. These are physicians from a number of different specialities who are full-time hospital employees and who manage hospital inpatients, taking over this responsibility from community physicians. This is in contract to the older model where these latter physicians managed their own patients when hospitalized. I frequently browse the on-line publication Today's Hospitalist to get a feeling of physician attitudes and mode of practice in this rapidly growing sector of healthcare. Here's a sample of an article focusing on the "care and feeding" of consultants by hospitalists (see: Consultants: their proper care and feeding). To get you oriented, the article is written by a hospitalist and discussing issues pertaining ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036953 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:38:31 +0100 4036953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4023144&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F10%2Fmobile-phr-not-the-answer.html I came across an article recently about the relationship between mobile devices such as smart phones and healthcare and the word conflation immediately came to mind (see: Deloitte Report Finds Major Role for Mobile Devices in Health Care). It can be defined in the following way: conflation occurs when the identities of two or more individuals, concepts, or places, sharing some characteristics of one another, become confused until there seems to be only a single identity — the differences appear to become lost. Read the extract below and see if you agree with me: The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions has released a report showing how mobile technology can improve people's health and reduce health-care costs....Considering that treating chronic disease accounts for more than 70 perc... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4023144 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:14:31 +0100 4023144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013589&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F09%2Fhealth-insurance-companies-try-financial-incentives-with-insured-patients.html The idea that health insurance companies should pay or reward their customers to lead healthier lives poses a set of moral conundrums. Those opposed to such a policy correctly state that a health insurance company should not need to pay individuals to improve their own health. Are not such benefits so appealing in and of themselves that no additional incentives are required? Supporters of such plans will often respond in the following way: Use whatever means that work because the end justifies the means in terms of cost savings and the pursuit of wellness. Here is an excerpt from an article on this topic as it relates to medication compliance (see: Insurers Try Incentives to Improve Medication Adherence): The poor compliance not only affects quality—nonadherent patients have higher hospi... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013589 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:51:26 +0100 4013589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4023007&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=36694&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.crossoverhealth.com%2F2010%2F09%2F29%2Fday-40-through-day-5-its-all-a-blur%2F Blur (blûr) v. To make indistinct and hazy in outline or appearance; obscure. To smear or stain; smudge. To lessen the perception of As those who follow this blog know, we have been counting down from the 90 day mark toward our grand opening. The actual countdown has been expanded by the time-space continuum in that as you approach the speed of light time actually slows down. Crossover Health Showroom feature wall and self check in area. Crossover is all about a simple, affordable, and efficient health care experience. However, the last 35 days have zoomed by without me providing the regular updates so here you go: Finished buildout Finished finish work Completed cement work in Showroom Build out of furniture (we did it all at Ikea!) Worked out workflow issues with new software, n... Crossover Healthcare blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4023007 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 06:48:53 +0100 4023007 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013590&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F09%2Fwwho-gets-genetic-testing-for-cancer.html This study may validate the need for specific strategies to eliminate barriers to these tests –- whether they are knowledge-based, culturally-based, or access-based –- and help improve the health outcomes among high-risk poor or minority women.”  Although the over-utilization of lab tests has received the most attention over the past decades, more attention is now being paid to the under-utilization of lab tests. I very much like the phrase used in the article above: the need for specific strategies to eliminate knowledge-based, culturally-based, and access-based barriers to lab testing. In my opinion, we know the least about the cultural factors that lead to both over and under-utilization of lab tests. Here's an interesting quote from a recent article about "omics&qu... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013590 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:30:07 +0100 4013590 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3925097&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F09%2Fclarification-of-comments-about-the-uc-berkeley-genetic-testing-program.html The objective of the CLIA program is to ensure quality laboratory testing.So, here are the salient take-home points: Research labs are not required to be CLIA certified, presumably because they are not pursuing the diagnosis of disease in humans. Some research labs obviously do perform tests on humans, as in the case of drug trials, but these tests are part of a project and the results are not released to the subjects. CLIA regulations are quality-driven and apply to those labs performing tests on humans for the diagnosis of disease. Physicians order their tests from such labs. As emphasized by Joe above, there are a set of states where individuals can directly order lab tests and receive lab results. California is not one of them. The ASCP has determined that direct-access-testing (DAT) i... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3925097 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:25:48 +0100 3925097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3907792&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F08%2Fp4-medicine.html I have posted a number of previous notes on the topics of preventive, predictive, personalized, and participatory medicine (see: Preventive and Predictive Medicine as Components of the Healthcare Continuum; Some Encouraging News About New Federal Funding for Preventive Medicine Initiatives; Wellness, Preventive Medicine, and the Classic Disease Model; The Need for a Preventive Medicine Infrastructure in the U.S.; A Key Link Between Predictive and Preventive Medicine; Further Consideration of the Definition for Personalized Medicine; Recruiting Office Patients into a Participatory Model of Healthcare Delivery; "Participatory Medicine" and Its Relationship to Clinical Lab Testing). There are more but you get the idea.Putting it all together, they together constitute a blueprint for... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3907792 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:54:35 +0100 3907792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3903139&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F08%2Fbariatric-surgery-may-reduce-need-for-diabetes-treatment-.html Three years ago, I discussed early reports that bariatric surgery can cure adult-onset diabetes through a mechanism not solely related to weight loss (see: "Curing" Diabetes with Bariatric Surgery). Now comes more information confirming these initial observations (see: Study: Surgery May Reduce Diabetics' Need for Drugs; subscription required). Below is an excerpt from the articleThe majority of people with diabetes who had bariatric surgery to lose weight were able to stop taking their diabetes medications, which led to a significant decline in health-care costs, according to a [recent] study....Researchers at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, looked at 2,235 adults who had the stomach-reducing surgery and who also had Type 2 diabetes, a common form of the disease often associated... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3903139 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:48:11 +0100 3903139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3885550&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F08%2Fpharmacists-flu-shots.html Pharmacies and pharmacists seem to be evolving into neighborhood healthcare centers. I have posted previous notes about this phenomenon (see: Local Pharmacies Emerge as Centers for Care of Diabetics; Pharmacist-Staffed Coagulation Clinics in a Large Health System). I have also discussed the deployment of retail, walk-in clinics staffed by physicians and nurses in retail pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens (see: Cleveland Clinic Partners with Minute Clinic in Retail Health Services; Growth of Walk-In Clinics Slows Down; Study of Patients Patronizing Walk-In Retail Clinics). However, I have not been tracking the extent to which pharmacists have been trained to administer flu shots. Some details about the trend were revealed in a recent article (see: Suntan Lotion, Flip-Flops... and Flu Sh... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3885550 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:32:31 +0100 3885550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816778&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F08%2Fshould-patients-be-allowed-to-read-their-medical-records.html First of all, let me dismiss the idea that there is much room for debate about whether patients should be allowed to review their own medical records. HIPAA gave them the right to read, and even amend, these records years ago. Whether this is a good idea is being addressed in an ongoing study (see: Should Patients Read the Doctor’s Notes?). Regardless of whether it's a good idea, I don't think that the law will be reversed on the basis of one or more current studies. Below is an excerpt from a recent article discussing this topic:In 1996, despite ...concerns [about patient access to their own medical records], the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, gave all patients the legal right to read and even amend [these documents]. At the time, a group of nat... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816778 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:41:02 +0100 3816778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776623&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F07%2Fbyomd-bring-your-own-md-to-the-hospital.html As a physician, I have often been drawn into situations by family and friends in which I have served as an informal medical consultant about care and treatment issues. This has usually involved only telephone calls but, for immediate members of the family, hospital visits were commonly involved. On some occasions, I engaged in discussions with the treating physicians. On a small number of occasions, some of these conversations grew heated regarding the type and quality of care being given. One incident in particular stands out in my mind when a family member was clearly expressing a choice which was ignored by the treating physician who was interested. and insistent, on performing a procedure. He backed off reluctantly when I told him that my family member did not want the procedure and ha... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776623 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:44:42 +0100 3776623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767331&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F07%2Fiphone-and-the-walled-garden.html App phones (see: Does the Smartphone/App Phone Provide More Functionality Than the PC?), also commonly referred to as smart phones, have rapidly become a critical tool for professionals of various types but particularly for physicians. Think of the devices as mobile computers. Then combine this concept with the increasing accessibility of on-line medical records as well as the complete medical literature and medical textbooks. Newer cell phones can support video conferencing, enabling on-line visits with patients from anywhere in the world. The cell phone was quickly adopted by most physicians and the next-gen app phone will enjoy even greater success.Most people will concede that the iPhone was the first and best app phone. However, Apple has established a significant barrier to new app a... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767331 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:03:46 +0100 3767331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3761642&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F07%2Ffreporting-of-impaired-colleagues-by-physicians.html A recent JAMA article reported on the extent to which physicians were willing to report their colleagues to the appropriate authorities when affected by mental illness, substance abuse, or just plain old incompetence (see: Survey: 36% of Docs Don’t Believe in Reporting Impaired Colleagues). Below is an excerpt from the article:Physicians have an ethical obligation to notify authorities in those cases, but 36% of respondents in a newly published study said they didn’t agree they should always do so. The study, by researchers from the Mongan Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital, reflects the responses of 1,891 doctors in various specialties....Most of the respondents — 69% — said they felt prepared to deal with colleagues who were significantly impaired, and ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3761642 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:46:14 +0100 3761642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750127&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=36694&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.crossoverhealth.com%2F2010%2F07%2F13%2Flearning-from-amex-membership-has-its-privileges%2F * This is a guest post by Stephen Gaines, our Director of Membership Experience at Crossover Health. He will be talking about his role, what he does, and how everything we do is focused around how the Crossover brand can consistent deliver an exceptional experience in future posts In 1958, American Express redefined the “Charge Card,” by introducing the American Express Card.  The card was a far cry from today’s modern Credit Cards.  It was made of paper and had the card members name typed on it.  The membership fee was $6 a year and required the member to pay the balance in-full each month.  What made membership so popular was the worldwide network of offices, travel agents and associated banks that were available to card members.  Before it’s release date of October 1, 1958,... Crossover Healthcare blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750127 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:40:31 +0100 3750127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740845&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F07%2Fpatterning-your-heatlh-habits-after-those-of-the-doctors-themselves.html There is an old adage that applies to both physicians as well as other professionals to whom we turn for advice and support. Watch what they do and not what they say. This was topic of a recent article that revealed how physicians take care of themselves (see: Checking Up on the Doctor: What Patients Can Learn From the Ways Physicians Take Care of Themselves; subscription required). Although admittedly not foolproof, such an approach does reveal some interesting facts. Below is an excerpt from the article.Doctors readily dispense prescriptions and advice, but what do they do themselves? A number of surveys, polls and questionnaires provide some clues—and some surprises. Physicians as a group are leaner, fitter and live longer than average Americans. Male physicians keep their cholesterol... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740845 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:36:12 +0100 3740845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733305&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F07%2Fwdatadriven-conideration-of-joint-replacement-options.html Various types of medical registries (e.g., cancer, drug, prosthesis) are becoming critical elements for assessing the quality of healthcare. This applies to physicians and patients alike (see: Saving Lives with Web-Based Patient Registries for Patients with Chronic Diseases). Part of the conversation with one's orthopedic surgeon should involve the type of prosthetic device that he or she recommends. Of great interest is that an artificial joint registry will soon be available on the web that gathers data directly from U.S. hospitals about these devices. Similar data is already available from other countries. Presumably, healthcare consumers will have access to this new U.S. registry after it is created. You can refer to a recent article for many more details about how to "get it ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733305 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:46:25 +0100 3733305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718713&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F07%2Fincreased-demand-for-outpatient-surgery-as-driver-for-outbound-medical-tourism.html I recently came across a report by Deloitte focusing on medical tourism (see: Medical Tourism: Updates and Implications). This is a topic that has been of great interest to me in the past. One section of it lists the most important growth drivers for outbound medical tourism, defined in the report as U.S. citizens traveling to other countries for medical care. It describes the increased demand for outpatient surgery as one such driver. Below are more details copied from the report:The number of outpatient surgical procedures performed in the United States has tripled from 1996 to 2006. In 2006 alone, almost 35 million patients had outpatient surgery. This growth has been due, in part, to enhanced technology that allows many patients to go home just several hours after a procedure, rather t... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718713 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:24:22 +0100 3718713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683902&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F06%2Fred-cross-fined-again-for-unsafe-bloood-practices.html I posted a note in September, 2006. about the American Red Cross being fined $4.2M by the FDA under the terms of a 2003 court settlement on top of a previous fine of $5.7M (see: Red Cross Blood Program Fined $4.2 Million by the FDA). The relationship between the two organizations doesn't appear to have not gotten any better since then -- this time a whopping fine $16M is being levied against the ARC (see: FDA Again Fines American Red Cross for Blood Safety Lapses; This Time $16 Million). The FDA's web site provides additional official details. Below is an excerpt from the first story:The American Red Cross will have to pay $16.18 million in federal fines because of a failure to comply with safe practices dealing with collection and manufacturing of blood products, including red cel... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683902 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:12:10 +0100 3683902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683903&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F06%2Fpatient-navigators.html I have been developing a list of of new types of healthcare professionals who interact directly with patients. Here's how it currently stands: coach, counselor, telephone booster, and nurse-information-triage(ist) (see: The Emerging and Expanding Role of Counselors in Healthcare; Telephone Calls and Emails as Key Components of Primary Care). To this list, we can now add patient navigator (see: Patient Navigators: A Different Viewpoint), Quoted below is an opinion piece by an oncologist, Dr. Barbara McAneny, who reacts to a previous article in the Journal of Oncology Practice that advocated the use of patient navigators in physician office settings:The authors suggested that patient navigators would be a valuable addition to any practice and described their use in several settings. If w... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683903 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:49:12 +0100 3683903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3676905&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F06%2Fpatient-navigators.html I have been developing a list of of new types of healthcare professionals who interact directly with patients. Here's how it currently stands: coach, counselor, telephone booster, and nurse-information-triage(ist) (see: The Emerging and Expanding Role of Counselors in Healthcare; Telephone Calls and Emails as Key Components of Primary Care). To this list, we can now add patient navigator (see: Patient Navigators: A Different Viewpoint), Quoted below is an opinion piece by an oncologist, Dr. Barbara McAneny, who reacts to a previous article in the Journal of Oncology Practice that advocated the use of patient navigators in physician office settings:The authors suggested that patient navigators would be a valuable addition to any practice and described their use in several settings. If w... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3676905 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:49:12 +0100 3676905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3672066&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F06%2Fpreventive-medicine-number-of-deaths.html We need to place greater emphasis on wellness and preventive medicine in our lives and healthcare system (see: Wellness, Preventive Medicine, and the Classic Disease Model). The goal of such an approach is to prevent diseases before they strike and thus both improve the quality of life of Americans and also reduce our healthcare costs. Luckily, the recent healthcare reform legislation funds various preventive medicine initiatives (see: Some Encouraging News About New Federal Funding for Preventive Medicine Initiatives).It is commonly stated that we are in the midst of a chronic disease epidemic (see: Seeking Solutions to the Chronic Disease Epidemic) with increasing incidence of obesity (see: Obesity as a Cause of Death Recorded on Death Certificates) and diabetes (see: The Staggering Cost... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3672066 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:57:35 +0100 3672066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3666239&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F06%2Ftufda-cracks-down-on-genetic-testing-web-sites.html The FDA has been stewing for many months about genomic/genetic testing companies with a direct-to-consumer orientation. The agency seems to be particularly exercised about the availability of such testing on the web. Recent articles document its most recent decision, declaring such testing to be a "medical device" (see: F.D.A. Faults Companies on Unapproved Genetic Tests; FDA to monitor genetic testing). Below is an excerpt from from the first of these articles:The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on 23andMe and other companies that sell genetic tests directly to consumers. The F.D.A. sent letters this week to five companies involved in that business, saying their tests are medical devices that must receive regulatory approval before they can be marketed....The lett... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3666239 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:36:33 +0100 3666239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3652705&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F06%2Flung-cancer-in-women-on-the-rise-is-estrogen-the-culprit.html It had seemed to me on an anecdotal basis that cases of lung cancer in non-smoking patients were more common in women. It now turns out that this may be true with estrogen suggested as the culprit (see: Lung Cancer in Women on the Rise; subscription required), Below is an excerpt from the article:As doctors have substantially brought down the rate of lung cancer in men over the past three decades, they face a stubborn riddle: Why does it continue to grow among women? A new study offers an intriguing possibility that the answer may involve estrogen. Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of both women and men. And overall, it still kills more men than women: Some 71,000 deaths are projected in women and 86,000 in men in 2010. That's a much higher casualty rate than the No. 2 killer, b... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3652705 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:01:06 +0100 3652705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294774&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FgnRuZ1QzM44%2Fyou-want-solutions-for-consumer.html Monday in FierceHealthIT, I wrote a commentary about a new study from the California HealthCare Foundation that found that consumers still equate more care with better care. The study, published in Health Affairs, concluded that evidence-based medicine is a foreign concept among the general public.In my commentary, I derided the whole premise of the report. I mean, many people in healthcare aren't completely clear about what evidence-based medicine is. I also criticized mass media for not doing a good job educating the public about quality of care, particularly in the sham of a debate over health reform in the last year or so. It's not the first time I've said something to this effect.Within three hours of my commentary being posted, one anonymous coward posted the following comment on the... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294774 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:02:30 +0100 4294774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641022&cid=t_100179_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-reform-motivating-self-responsibility-in-patients%2F2010.06.07 Last week I heard a lecture about Accountable Care Organizations by a physician leader working for one of the major hospital systems. His discussion made me realize that large physician organizations and hospitals are spending lots of time solving problems of quality medical care. In my opinion quality medical care has not been adequately defined. A working definition right now is to decrease hospital stays, efficient medical care for a disease at lower cost, avoidance of medical errors in the hospital, and avoidance of hospital acquired infections. These are important goals. They must be attached to monetary incentives. Many of these problems can be solved now. The solution demands the development of processes of care. An important question is how much money will process improvement save?... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641022 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:00:05 +0100 3641022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3632268&cid=t_100179_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedical-conventions-more-focus-on-patients-needed%2F2010.06.04 Andrew Schorr, host and founder of Patient Power, discusses the hope of changing the focus from products to patients at medical conventions. Shifting the Focus to Patients at Medical Conventions from Patient Power® on Vimeo. *This blog post was originally published at Andrew's Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3632268 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:00:55 +0100 3632268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3621970&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F06%2Fuse-of-a-telephone-booster-to-promote-enhanced-public-health-outcomes.html Patients or healthcare consumers with chronic diseases such as diabetes or conditions like obesity frequently need ongoing personal or network support and encouragement. Such support can be provided in the form of a health coach (see: "Cancer Coaches" Start to Play Significant Role in Cancer Care). Also proved effective have been city-by-city "biggest loser" wight loss competitions (see: Richfield, Minn. 'Biggest Loser' contestants pay it forward). The common element here is mentorship, group support, and personal interactions in the pursuit of successful outcomes in disease/condition management. I did not have a good label for the telephone support process for health goals until I came across a report of an article in the Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare (s... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3621970 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:17:25 +0100 3621970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3618104&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F06%2Fit-as-a-critical-component-of-participatory-medicine.html Participatory medicine is defined in the following way:  a model of medical care in which the active role of the patient is emphasized. The term participatory medicine has been used...to mean one or more of four interrelated ideas: A group of people who suffer from a chronic disease form a community (often an online community, a support group) to share information and mutually support each other. Members of a patient community (or members of a community disproportionately affected by a disease) play important roles in community health decision-making. Patients [are required to] play a role as part of collaborative "treatment teams" addressing their diseases. A patient is "mindfully" involved in treatment, by making behavioral changes, meditating, or similar acts. ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3618104 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:08:30 +0100 3618104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607837&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F05%2Fminimum-prices-on-alcoholic-beverages-in-uk-as-curb-for-binge-drinking.html One of the identified causes of binge drinking in the U.K. is the ready availability of cheap alcoholic beverages in supermarkets (see: Binge Drinking in Wales; Trends in Alcohol Consumption Across OECD Countries). Some efforts are now underway to try to correct this problem (see: Tesco Supports U.K. Alcohol Rules; subscription required). Below is an excerpt from the story:Britain's biggest supermarket said it supports the U.K. government's plan to ban the sale of alcohol at prices below cost, in response to proposals designed to curb binge drinking and rowdy behavior. Tesco,...the country's biggest retailer by market share, also said it would support any government move to set minimum prices on beer, wine, alcoholic cider and spirits—a measure that has been much-debated in t... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607837 Fri, 28 May 2010 11:05:43 +0100 3607837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607626&cid=t_100179_113_f&fid=36694&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.crossoverhealth.com%2F2010%2F05%2F27%2Fday-65-proof-is-in-the-passion-crossover-explained%2F Passion Tonight I attended an awesome charity event called Savannah’s Organic Ranch. Savannah was a beautiful girl stricken with cancer whose last wish was to pass along her love of organic farming. The spark that was her life and encapsulated in her last wish has fueled a community wide passion for spreading representative organic “ranches” at local schools and in our community. I was impressed with the passion of this young girl, and how it has inspired equally vibrant passion for those who wish to keep her memory alive for a great cause. I believe passion is an integral part of life and anyone’s life’s work. At several forks in my professional journey, I have chosen to pursue my passion instead of settling for a more secure road. It has been a defining char... Crossover Healthcare blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607626 Thu, 27 May 2010 10:15:37 +0100 3607626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560515&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F05%2Fa-recent-article-in-the-wall-street-journal-about-childhood-obesity-and-federal-initiatives-to-combat-it-contained-a-fascinat.html A recent article in the Wall Street Journal focusing on childhood obesity and federal initiatives to combat the problem included a very interesting chart that I present below (see: White House Obesity Plan Mixes Carrots With Sticks). In a very succinct fashion, it presents data that explains some of the major problems in the diets of Americans. Significant changes need to be made in order to address our obesity epidemic. From 1978 to 2006, the average caloric intake of Americans has increase from 1,826 per day to 2,157, an increase of 331 calories (18%). I'm sure that during this same interval, the daily activity level of most U.S. adults has declined as they moved from jobs requiring physical activity to desk positions. In other words, decreased caloric burn and greater food consu... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560515 Thu, 13 May 2010 10:59:57 +0100 3560515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552245&cid=t_100179_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-creating-healthcare-consumers-wont-work%2F2010.05.10 I [recently] gave a speech at the Midwest Business Group on Health’s (MBGH) 30th Annual Conference. The MBGH is one of the country’s leading organizations on healthcare, and its members include the leading innovators and thought leaders on healthcare in America. It was a privilege to present to them. I spoke about why healthcare just isn’t a consumer business in spite of all of the effort to turn people into healthcare “consumers.” At Best Doctors, we have a closeup view of what happens to people when they try to find their way through the healthcare system. It’s not a pleasant picture. Healthcare consumers –- if you can call them that –- are often lost, confused, frustrated, alone. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at See First Blog* (Sourc... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552245 Mon, 10 May 2010 22:00:43 +0100 3552245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542899&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F05%2Fnewly-described-virus-xmrv-may-threaten-the-blood-supply.html A virus discovered in 2006 may pose a potential threat to our blood supply. Details about XMRV were revealed in as recent article (see: Potential Risk to Blood Supply Probed; subscription required). Below is an excerpt from it:An infectious virus linked to two diseases is drawing the attention of public-health officials, who are investigating the potential threat to the nation's blood supply. It isn't clear if the virus, known as XMRV, poses a danger, and public-health officials say there isn't evidence of spreading infection. But because of concern over the potential for widespread infection and preliminary evidence that XMRV is transmitted similarly to HIV, officials are quickly trying to determine if action is needed to protect the blood supply. XMRV was discovered in 2006 w... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542899 Fri, 07 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3542899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3534126&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F05%2Fsome-encouraging-signs-about-funding-for-preventive-medicine.html For me, preventive medicine is one of the key elements in reducing health care costs by avoiding or ameliorating some chronic diseases (see: Seeking Solutions to the Chronic Disease Epidemic; Preventive and Predictive Medicine as Components of the Healthcare Continuum; Wellness, Preventive Medicine, and the Classic Disease Model). In addition and obviously, preventive medicine results in huge personal benefits for the individuals themselves. A recent article described how some aspects of preventive medicine may be promoted by the recent healthcare reform legislation (see: New Health Initiatives Put Spotlight on Prevention). Below is an excerpt from the article:Amid all the rancor leading up to passage of the new health care law, Congress with little fanfare approved a set of wide-ranging p... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3534126 Wed, 05 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3534126 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3526965&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F05%2Fthe-secret-to-maintaining-a-healthy-weight-for-older-adults.html Generally speaking, it can be hard for older adults to maintain a desirable body weight but it's one of the key elements underlying good health. As everyone knows, exercise plays an important rule in this process. A recent article goes into great detail about the relationship between exercise and weight, citing some of the newer literature on this topic (see: Weighing the Evidence on Exercise). Below is an excerpt from it:In a study published late last month in The Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers from Harvard University looked at the weight-change histories of more than 34,000 participants in a women’s health study. The women began the study middle-aged (at an average of about 54 years) and were followed for 13 years. During that time, the women gained, on av... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526965 Mon, 03 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3526965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3511798&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F04%2Fbridging-the-information-gap-between-physicians-and-patients.html John Moore, who blogs over at Chilmark Research, has recently discussed the iPad and its potential healthcare applications. In a recent note, he says the following about what he perceptively describes as the information gap between physicians and patients (see: iPad in Healthcare: A Game Changer?):One of those local healthcare institutions [attempting to close the information gap] appears to be Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center...where an ER doc has provided his own iPad review, based on actual use during a shift.  Particularly like his comment about using it for patient education.  Might the iPad truly bridge the information gap between patient and clinician?  One thing is for certain, it will make it much easier for patient and clinician to confer over a given diagno... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3511798 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3511798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3505148&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F04%2Fwwcancer-survivorship-a-growing-subdiscipline-within-oncology.html The special challenges of caring for cancer survivors is spawning a new subdiscipline in oncology, survivorship. There are various resources now available focusing on aspects of this new field. One of them is a site providing links to 14 articles presented at the Fourth Biennial Cancer Survivorship Research Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, in June 2008 (Cancer Survivorship Research: Mapping the New Challenges Supplement). Here is a brief summary of some of the general topics covered in these articles: Health-related outcomes and care Beliefs and survival Quality of life Patterns of adaption to the disease Protective buffering of cancer survivors by family and friends Partner-assisted emotional disclosure Impact of cancer on spousal labor earnings Time costs of informal care-giving It sho... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3505148 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3505148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499245&cid=t_100179_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FXW_pRW2Io3s%2F Annie Leonard, author of the book and video The Story of Stuff, discusses the cycle of American consumption on ABC’s Good Morning America: Post from: BlissTree You Know You're Unwell If… Your Life Looks Like "The Story of Stuff" (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499245 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:00:13 +0100 3499245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487386&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F04%2Funiversity-of-michigan-health-system-to-provide-video-profiles-of-its-physicians.html I just received notice that the Office of Planning and Marketing of the University of Michigan Health System will be offering "video vignettes" to supplement faculty profiles on its web site. Here's a description of the program:The Department of Public Relations and Marketing Communications [of the University of Michigan Health System] is implementing a new consumer Web site, named UofMHealth.org. The site will focus solely on the potential patient and be a patient acquisition site for the many clinical services and other products that UMHS (university of Michigan Health System] provides. Phase I strategic tactics: Overhauling Find a Physician, integrating and syndicating content about UMHS products and services and overhauling search. Target Audience: The potential patien... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487386 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3487386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3472060&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F04%2Fthmore-discussion-about-the-fdamedwatch-billboard.html In a recent note, I discussed a billboard apparently placed by FDA's MedWatch in some unspecified urban site soliciting feedback about "shoddy" electronic records (see: MedWatch Billboard Spotted Requesting Reports about "Shoddy" EMRs). In my note, I commented on what I perceived to be the ineffectiveness of such a local approach when reaching out to patients. Dr. Federico Monzon responded with the following comment:The ad doesn't specify that it is directed to patients. Health professionals could be the target of the billboard. As you mention, healthcare workers would be more likely to know about "shoddy" EMRs but they might not know where to complain if they think the EMR could be potentially impacting patient care.Federico has a good point. I s... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3472060 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:41:00 +0100 3472060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463869&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F04%2Fbinge-drinking-in-wales-trends-in-alcohol-consumption.html The Wall Street Journal recently ran a fascinating article on the increase in binge drinking with special attention to Cardiff, Wales (see: U.K. Drinking Problem Gets Political; subscription required). One of the take-home lesson in it was that much of the excessive drinking by the youth in the U.K. was related to cheap alcoholic beverages offered in supermarkets, causing the pubs compete by lowering their prices. Contained in the article was a fascinating chart tracking alcohol consumption in OECD countries. I present it here for your review.   Spend a little time examining these data. Here are just a few of my own observations and questions: Note the decline in alcohol consumption in Turkey as the country has moved from a secular political orientation to broader adoption of Islam. ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463869 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:14:39 +0100 3463869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3454218&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F04%2Fteaching-patients-to-say-no-to-diagnostics-and-therapeutic-suggestions.html I believe that the formula for improving the health of our population and reducing healthcare costs is two-fold: firstly, encouraging patients to take more ownership of their own health and secondly, encouraging them to initially say "no" to diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations from their physicians. The latter part of this approach was discussed in a recent New York Times column by David Leonhardt (see: In Medicine, the Power of No). Below is an excerpt from it. Read the whole column if you can -- I only quote a very small part of it. The federal government is now starting to build the institutions that will try to reduce the soaring growth of health care costs. There will be a group to compare the effectiveness of different treatments, a so-called Medicare innovation cen... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3454218 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:42:10 +0100 3454218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3444000&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F04%2Fbillboard-request-patient-input-regarding-faulty-electronic-medical-records.html Below is an image originally posted by Mr. HIStalk and submitted to the blog by one of his readers. It's a sign in an unknown city requesting reports of "shoddy" hospital electronic medical record systems to FDA's MedWatch. The only part of this story that gave me pause is the use of the term shoddy in the sign. This does not seem like a word that would be used by the government bureau tasked with the regulation of medical devices. To make sure that it was legitimate, I called the 800 number and did get a recorded FDA announcement. So there we have it! FDA is seeking patient or consumer reports about shoddy medical record systems. Here is how MedWatch describes its mission on its web home page: Your FDA gateway for finding clinically important safety information and r... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3444000 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 11:36:30 +0100 3444000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3404164&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F03%2Fct.html The point is frequently made in the media that the cost of imaging studies is a significant and growing percentage of the total cost of healthcare. It's useful to put some numbers to this assertion. A recent blog note by KevinMD raised the issue (see: How CTs and MRIs drive health care spending). Here's his note in its entirety:It’s well known that the use of imaging scans, like CTs, MRIs and PET scans, have been growing at an alarming rate. But a recent study provides some stark numbers (see: MRIs, other scans quadrupled in recent years). According to a recent CDC report, “MRI, CT or PET scans were done or ordered in 14 percent of ER visits in 2007, the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. That’s four times as often as in 1996.” Although a phys... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3404164 Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:49:15 +0100 3404164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3391011&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F03%2Fhospital-systems-use-regional-dominance-to-extract-more-revenue-from-insurance-carriers.html Our healthcare reimbursement system is broken and evidence for this keeps accumulating (see: Why the Prices Charged by Hospital for Inpatient Care Are Irrelevant). I am not sure that healthcare reform will do anything to remedy this situation. The amount of money that insurance companies reimburse hospitals for services is determined by high-level yearly negotiations. These discussions are far removed from the cost of the set of services that are delivered to individual patients. If you don't have insurance and are required to pay the fictional posted list prices, you may be forced into bankruptcy. A recent article raises a new and interesting point about these negotiations (see: Health Insurers Toughen Stance in Disputes Over Hospital Rates). Below is an excerpt form it:Health insurer... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3391011 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:36:14 +0100 3391011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3374401&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F03%2Ftax-on-soda-pop-for-better-health-gains-momentum.html Excise taxes on unhealthy foods or substances like tobacco have an irresistible appeal to state and national politicians. They help to correct budget deficits, particularly in hard economic times. They can also be said to improve consumers' health status. For many, however, they represent an unwarranted intrusion of public policy into our lives. Others reply, in response, that the benefits of such taxes outweigh the harm. I have written previously about this same topic (see: Federal Tax on Soda Pop Proposed: Can This Be Justified?). Below is an excerpt from a recent article that summarized recent activity in this area (see: Health officials ready to make push for statewide soda tax):Health officials are ready to make the final push for a statewide tax on sugary drinks [in the state of ... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3374401 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:41:51 +0100 3374401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370698&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F03%2Fhow-edetailing-may-change-the-relationship-of-physicians-to-big-pharma.html The pharmaceutical industry has been undergoing major changes lately including the transfer of a portion of its basic research effort to contract research organizations (CROs) (see: CROs Continue to Prosper; Benefits of Big Pharma Outsourcing) and greater emphasis on marketing including growing expenditures on direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements (see: Drug Company Emphasis on Marketing an Unfavorable Shift for Consumers; Effectiveness of "Direct-to-Consumer" Drug Advertisements; Why Drug Companies Want to Sell You Foot Powder). Another significant change for pharmaceutical marketing has been the greater emphasis on e-detailing and less support for CME (see: Growth of Online CME Interpreted as Bad News for Pharma Marketers; Pharma-Free CME Activities: Is This the Right Approac... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370698 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3370698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350605&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F03%2Fmarijuana-use-by-seniors-increases.html There's no surprise in this news. People who began to use marijuana as their recreational drug of choice in the 1960's and 1970's have continued this habit as they age. This has lead to an emerging "drug problem" for seniors (see: Marijuana use by seniors goes up as boomers age). I use quotes here because I am not sure that a problem actually exists, but read on. Below is an excerpt from the article:The number of people aged 50 and older reporting marijuana use in the prior year went up from 1.9 percent to 2.9 percent from 2002 to 2008, according to surveys from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The rise was most dramatic among 55- to 59-year-olds, whose reported marijuana use more than tripled from 1.6 percent in 2002 to 5.1 percent. Obse... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350605 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:17:30 +0100 3350605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342921&cid=t_100179_155_f&fid=34629&url=http%3A%2F%2Flabsoftnews.typepad.com%2Flab_soft_news%2F2010%2F03%2Fcorrelation-of-socioeconomic-status-and-engagement-in-cancer-screening-programs.html Of great interest to me is the strong correlation of good health and long life with one's level of education. It's a much stronger correlation than even wealth and socio-economic status. On the face of it and in order to explain this finding, one might surmise that more educated people have a better understanding about how to preserve their health or seek therapy when sick. There is also an interesting parallel theory that educated people have invested time and money over many years in themselves, postponing their high-earning years to later in life. A conclusion, based on this scenario, is that their concern for better health results from a desire to extend their careers and earning power later in life. A recent article about sociodemographic status and cancer screening provides a... Lab Soft News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342921 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:31:48 +0100 3342921