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 'dave'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:55:30 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118757&cid=t_115498_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fdoes-nationwide-ehr-lower-healthcare-costs-social-media-reactions A little over a month ago, I asked our Healthcare IT News social media followers if they believed a nation-wide transition to EHRs for doctors would lower healthcare costs. From Twitter to Facebook, there was a wide range of opinions. Some said that it would help lower administrative costs, while others were pessimistic about the approach at the time because of the debt crisis deadline. Over the course of the month many health IT professionals and onlookers shared their stories with us. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118757 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:37:26 +0100 5118757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975825&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fs2-Usb210eI%2F By Sallie JamesSen. Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee,  Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and the White House have just announced that they have made a deal to extend Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA, the program that extends extra unemployment and health care benefits to workers who lose their jobs because of globalization) until 2013, as part of a broader deal that would see passage of the three outstanding preferential trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. The extension of TAA would be included in the legislation to implement the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement, “improved” (i.e., made less liberalizing) by the administration in December. Interestingly and alarmingly, because implementing the FTAs... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975825 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:17:38 +0100 4975825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960180&cid=t_115498_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fwho-owns-patient-data If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it. Its peculiar character, too, is that no one possesses the less, because every other possesses the whole of it. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960180 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:34:57 +0100 4960180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921422&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftreatment-success-depends-largely-on-patient-participation%2F2011.06.10 Ten days ago a post here mentioned the 14th ICSI / IHI Colloquium. I said the Society for Participatory Medicine was well represented, including: Jessie Gruman, four time cancer patient and founding co-editor of our journal, gave an important breakout session, about which I’ll be writing soon. (Jessie is founder and president of the excellent Center For Advancing Health.) Jessie’s talk was so good it had me going nuts on Twitter – I couldn’t keep up with all the “tweet-worthy” things that came out of her mouth. Well, I’ve just re-read her text, and it brought back why I went nuts. I was going to write about it, but I’m just going to post the full text. For those who don’t know, last fall Jessie underwent surgery for her fourth cancer; she has some experience. (more&#8... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921422 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:00:53 +0100 4921422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893605&cid=t_115498_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F0g_GyIRAV-M%2F In just the last few hours, I’ve seen a huge wave of pushback and doubt about Watson, the IBM supercomputer, being used for clinical decision support. Yesterday, I covered a “healthcare leadership exchange” at IBM’s new Healthcare Innovation Lab in downtown Chicago. I posted some of my observations on the EMR and HIPAA blog, and made the case for diagnostic decision support. I also wrote a story for InformationWeek, but that hasn’t run. Instead of posting my story, InformationWeek healthcare editor Paul Cerrato wrote a column about Watson already being “beaten in the medical diagnostics race” by Isabel Healthcare, a diagnostic decision support tool that’s been available for years. I have to admit, he’s right. I first interviewed Isabel ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893605 Sat, 04 Jun 2011 00:37:50 +0100 4893605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742388&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthings-you-can-learn-from-a-bad-nurse%2F2011.04.21 My husband had a screening colonoscopy last Friday.  His nurse in the recovery is the only one I had issues with.  I, not my husband. All went well, but let me tell you he is not an ePatient Dave.  He did not read his instructions about when to quit eating and the prep.  I did.  I then reminded him along the way:  “Only clear liquids today.”  “You must take the Ducolax at 3 pm.  Do you want me to text you a reminder?” Sometimes the instructions we give patients are clear, but not always read. The staff at the front desk were very kind and organized.  Calls had been made the day before and I had insured the insurance information they had was correct.   I did not tell anyone I was a doctor.  I’m not sure if my husband did later or not. ….. When I was called back by th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742388 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4742388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575059&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-e-patients-find-answers-and-each-other-online%2F2011.03.11 [Recently] NPR’s popular program “Talk of the Nation” covered something we discuss often: How e-patients find information and find each other online. Featured guests were Pat Furlong, mother of two boys with a rare disease who started an online community, and Susannah Fox of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, a frequent contributor here. The audio is here. It’s a good combination: Pat speaks from the heart about her own experience and her passion for community, and Susannah, as usual, speaks as an “internet geologist” — as she once put it, “A geologist doesn’t have opinions about the rocks, she just observes and describes them.” Susannah spoke about her newly-released report “Peer-To-Peer Healthcare,” about which she recently wrote here. L... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575059 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:00:52 +0100 4575059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532207&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fyou-are-the-biggest-wasted-resource-in-health-care%2F2011.03.01 ABCNews.com has posted a great new piece by Dr. Roni Zeiger entitled, “The Biggest Wasted Resource in Health Care? You.” Subtitle: “How Your Internet Research Can Help Your Relationship With Your Doctor.” It’s well reasoned and clearly written, and continues the trend we cited a month ago, when Time posted Dr. Zack Meisel’s article saying that patients who Google can help doctors. Related notes: – Dr. Zeiger’s article title parallels what Dr. Charles Safran told the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health in 2004: Patients are “the most under-utilitized resource.” He was talking about health IT, quoting his colleague Dr. Warner Slack, who had said it many years earlier. I often quote it in my speeches for the Society for Participatory Medicine, assert... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532207 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:00:16 +0100 4532207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4527981&cid=t_115498_147_f&fid=39266&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCreationInteractive%2F%7E3%2Fc5veIxZafxo%2F In conclusion, an empowered patient is somebody who speaks up and takes action in general and patient engagement is about being in a partnership, being a stakeholder in this “participatory medicine”. To conclude, I’ll give you a review of the key insights on the future of the patient: The patient will play an active role in healthcare The future is to change the culture of the patient and the culture of healthcare professionals Participatory medicine will be the norm Think achievement more than adherence. Words are important. Envision your communication as a partnership (a two-way conversation valuable to both) Use the digital environment to achieve great outcomes (Source: Creation Interactive) Creation Interactive blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4527981 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:38:35 +0100 4527981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477859&cid=t_115498_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FjE0h7Xrkccg%2Fblumenthal-will-return-to-harvard-in.html According to former U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger (R-Minn.), national health IT coordinator Dr. David Blumenthal will return to Harvard in April, and Blumenthal, as has been widely rumored, is leaving to keep his tenure.So far, Blumenthal and HHS have been saying he would leave his current post at an unspecified point in the spring. But, as Durenberger writes in his weekly commentary about health policy, "David told me he was planning an April return to Harvard when his two year leave to serve the new administration is up. ... David's departure to keep his tenure at Harvard apparently came as a surprise in D.C. where he'd become widely respected for aligning the Office of National Coordinator with the 'meaningful use' of health IT."Durenberger also notes that Blumenthal is the brother of Sen.... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477859 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:46:41 +0100 4477859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4424233&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fe-patient-goes-mainstream%2F2011.02.01 I have a Google alert for “e-patient,” and sometimes I’m surprised what it catches. [Recently] it was this: 3 Reasons Steve Jobs Will Be The Ultimate e-Patient Steve Jobs’ medical leave sets the stage for the upcoming revolution in the production and delivery of medical information at time of diagnosis. 3 things you need to know. So I’m thinking: “Oh, wow: Is the term ‘e-patient’ going mainstream?” That would be a hoot, because indeed the Society for Participatory Medicine is engaged in spreading the word. *This blog post was originally published at e-Patients.net* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4424233 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:00:04 +0100 4424233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419083&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fhitech-and-funding-cuts-battle-begins.html At "US House of Representatives Proposes to Defund Largest Non-Consented Medical Experiment in U.S. History: HITECH" I predicted this:... I have no financial conflicts of interest regarding HITECH or health IT to weep about. Others do, and it's not hard to predict their financial interests will push them to oppose repeal "by any means necessary."The next few months should be an interesting time in the politics of healthcare IT.A replacement HITECH act that's "HI" on research and caution, but not so "HIGH" on stealth, coercion and euphoria (i.e., as on mind altering substances) would be welcomed.The battle's already begun. At "Meaningful Use incentives jeopardized by GOP bill", Jan. 28, 2011 by at Dan Bowman at FierceHealthIT.com, views exactly as I expected have begun being proffered by th... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419083 Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:10:00 +0100 4419083 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382762&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Frealistic-medicine-the-kind-of-thinking-to-look-for%2F2011.01.21 There are several stages in becoming an empowered, engaged, activated patient — a capable, responsible partner in getting good care for yourself, your family, whoever you’re caring for. One ingredient is to know what to expect, so you can tell when things seem right and when they don’t. Researching a project today, I came across an article* published in 2006: ”Key Learning from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s 10-Year Patient Safety Journey.” This table shows the attitude you’ll find in an organization that has realized the challenges of medicine and is dealing with them realistically: “Errors are everywhere.” “Great care in a high-risk environment.” What kind of attitude is that? It’s accurate. This work began after the death of Boston Globe healt... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382762 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:00:29 +0100 4382762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355717&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedical-errors-should-doctors-always-fess-up%2F2011.01.16 From the Medscape Medical Ethics article entitled “‘Some Worms Are Best Left In The Can’: Should You Hide Medical Errors?“: Consequences aside, from a strictly ethical perspective, if a patient doesn’t realize that his physician made a mistake, should the physician fess up? Before you jump to conclusions (as I did), look at the article’s three parts. It’s about a survey. The title is on the inflammatory side; the article is a window into physicians’ views. The introduction continues: Evidence of the complex prisms through which physicians view these issues was apparent in the replies to four questions asked in Medscape’s exclusive ethics survey. More than 10,000 physicians responded to the survey in 2010. Subheads: – Mistakes that don’t harm p... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355717 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 20:00:12 +0100 4355717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331016&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffirst-report-from-the-society-of-participatory-medicines-newly-appointed-public-policy-committee-chair-david-harlow%2F2011.01.10 In December, the Society for Participatory Medicine’s executive committee appointed health law attorney David Harlow to represent the Society in public policy matters. Regular readers of HealthBlawg::David Harlow’s Health Care Law Blog know what a patient-centered, participatory thinker David is. This is his first report. I am delighted to offer my first report as Public Policy Committee Chair for the Society of Participatory Medicine. I encourage all of you who are not yet Society members to join, and I encourage new and old members to consider volunteering to help with the wide range of public policy issues facing us today. Over the past couple of months, the Public Policy Committee has gotten its sea legs. We are beginning to add the Society’s voice to the national discourse on p... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331016 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:00:15 +0100 4331016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4302124&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpractice-variation-essential-to-e-patient-awareness%2F2010.12.31 This is the first of the follow-up posts I hope to write from participating in the Salzburg Global Seminar titled “The Greatest Untapped Resource in Healthcare? Informing and Involving Patients in Decisions about Their Medical Care.” One of our purposes on this site is to help people develop e-patient skills, so they can be more effectively engaged in their care. One aspect is shared decision making, which we wrote about in September. A related topic, from August, is understanding the challenges of pathology and diagnosis. Both posts teach about being better informed partners for our healthcare professionals. I’ve recently learned of an another topic, which I’m sure many of you know: Practice variation. This is a big subject, and I’ll have several posts about it. It’s complex, ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4302124 Fri, 31 Dec 2010 18:00:02 +0100 4302124 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277832&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchronic-illness-and-%25e2%2580%259cthe-spoon-theory%25e2%2580%259d%2F2010.12.21 If you don’t truly understand how draining it can be to live with chronic illness, including chronic pain, go read The Spoon Theory right now. In five minutes it forever changed my own awareness of my wife’s arthritis and bone pain. On Twitter I saw “spoonies” raving about this months ago, but I finally took time to read it: 2,100 words and worth every second. Also, on Twitter follow @bydls – “But you don’t look sick!” – and explore their smart website, where they’re wisely selling posters of the story for doctors’ waiting rooms, and everything else imaginable in modern outreach through social media. These are smart people, and this is a powerful piece of writing. *This blog post was originally published at e-Patients.net* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277832 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:00:16 +0100 4277832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272591&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fazs-brennan-speaks-pass-me-bucket-of.html Bucket storyThe Seroquel storyQuestion 1. How much did Dave Brennan know about "The Seroquel Issue" at the time?http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/2009/10/astrazeneca-to-pay-520-million-to.htmlThe pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said Thursday (29/Oct/09) that it had reached a $520 million agreement to settle two federal investigations and two whistle-blower lawsuits over the sale and marketing of its blockbuster psychiatric drug Seroquel.One of the investigations related to “selected physicians who participated in clinical trials involving Seroquel,” AstraZeneca disclosed in a government filing. The other case related to off-label promotion of the drug.H. Waxman's letter:http://oversight.house.gov/Documents/20070305175741-03469.pdfThe Zoladex issue:http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2003/J... PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272591 Sun, 19 Dec 2010 21:14:00 +0100 4272591 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233158&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FXA8f49g743U%2F By Jim HarperThere is a natural appeal to “trusted traveler” programs. We all see ourselves as trustworthy, and getting into such a program might improve our experience at the airport. This video captures the notion—and some of the difficulties—entertainingly. I would fly on a plane even knowing that Jimmy Johnson had brought a machete on board. But what level of trust should attach to a Super Bowl ring? Dave Meggett helped the New York Giants win Super Bowl XXV. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison last month after being convicted of criminal sexual misconduct and burglary. Super Bowl MVP Ray Lewis was charged with murder in 2000, avoiding trial by agreeing to testify against others. The point is not to beat up on the NFL, but to beat up on the idea that you can... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233158 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 20:46:25 +0100 4233158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4230157&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpatient-centered-outcomes-research-will-patients-be-involved%2F2010.12.05 A year ago Gangadhar Sulkunte shared his story here about how he and his wife became e-patients of necessity, and succeeded, resolving a significant issue through empowered, engaged research. As today’s guest post shows, he’s now actively engaged in thinking about healthcare at the level of national policy, as well – and he calls for all patients to speak up about this new issue. – Dave I recently came across a Pauline Chen piece in the New York Times, “Listening to Patients Living With Illness.” It refers to a paper by Dr. Wu et al, ”Adding The Patient Perspective To Comparative Effectiveness Research.” According to the paper and the NY Times article, Dr. Wu and his co-authors propose: Making patient-reported outcomes a more routine part of clinical studi... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230157 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 19:00:34 +0100 4230157 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294756&cid=t_115498_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=4172061&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Famia-board-%25e2%2580%259chold-harmless%25e2%2580%259d-clause-in-emr-contracts-is-unethical%2F2010.11.16 Last Friday the board of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) published a position paper in its journal saying that the “hold harmless” clause is unethical. One of the paper’s authors is Dr. Danny Sands, currently President of the Society for Participatory Medicine. I hope to write more about it this week, after attending the AMIA conference in DC, but here’s the basic issue: – For ages, makers of electronic medical record systems (EMR) have insisted on a “hold harmless” clause in the contracts a system buyer must sign. It says, in essence, that if any harm comes to anyone because of a system problem, the buyer (the hospital) will hold the manufacturer harmless. – In other words, if anything goes wrong with the system and someone gets hurt, it’s not... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172061 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:00:17 +0100 4172061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105668&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-lies-of-medical-science-whats-an-e-patient-to-do%2F2010.10.25 There’s an extraordinary new article in The Atlantic entitled “Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science.” It echos an excellent article in our Journal of Participatory Medicine (JoPM) a year ago by Richard W. Smith, 25-year editor of the British Medical Journal, entitled ”In Search Of an Optimal Peer Review System.” JoPM, Oct 21, 2009: “….most of what appears in peer-reviewed journals is scientifically weak.” The Atlantic, Oct. 16, 2010: “Much of what medical researchers conclude in their studies is misleading, exaggerated, or flat-out wrong.” JoPM 2009: “Yet peer review remains sacred, worshiped by scientists and central to the processes of science — awarding grants, publishing, and dishing out prizes.” The Atlantic 2010: “So why are doctors — to... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105668 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:00:09 +0100 4105668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4055713&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fshould-patient-engagement-be-regulated%2F2010.10.11 Last month in Cambridge I met Twitter friend Bryan Vartabedian, M.D. (Twitter @Doctor_V) at a meeting at Vertex Pharmaceuticals. We’ll cross paths this fall on the conference speaking circuit. [Recently] on his blog he raised a rowdy, rough, but valid point: As e-patients (obviously including me) get into the business, should they/we be regulated? He said: Will industry be required to publicly list monies used for sponsorship, travel and swag support of high profile patients in the social sphere? Should high visibility patients who serve as stewards and advocates disavow themselves of contact with pharma just as many academic medical centers have begun? As is often the case, I don’t have an answer. I’m just raising the questions. Smart questions. My short answer: Fine with me if ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4055713 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:00:46 +0100 4055713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3998987&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdeceptive-health-websites-are-all-too-plentiful%2F2010.09.24 By Lisa Neal Gualtieri. (Her earlier much-commented post on this subject is here.) The Boston Globe reported this month on the sentencing of a former US Airways Express pilot, Stephen Sharp, “for selling a powdered drink mix over the Internet that he claimed was ‘100 percent’ effective in helping drug-using truck drivers, pilots, and train engineers pass federally mandated drug tests.” The ungrammatically-named “yourintheclear.com” no longer seems to exist. Mindful of ongoing debate by Gilles Frydman and others about indicators of health website credibility, I searched for other sites selling similar products (there is no shortage) and looked on sites like Craigslist where people post questions about how to pass drug tests and how to detoxify. Based on a quick perusal, I found ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3998987 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:00:42 +0100 3998987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3980830&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2F3-things-that-make-a-better-doctor%2F2010.09.17 On Monday, NPR’s Scott Hensley posted: “Between the Internet and all the data insurance companies and the government collect on doctors, you’d think it would be a lot easier than it used to be to find a good one. But it’s not.” Sound familiar around here? See his thoughts: “3 Tips For Picking A Slightly Better Doctor.” (Thanks to friend Cindy Johnson for the tip.) *This blog post was originally published at e-Patients.net* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3980830 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:00:10 +0100 3980830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3957915&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdealing-with-medical-error-together%2F2010.09.10 The “Running A Hospital” blog has another discussion of dealing with medical error. This time, the hospital has opened up an error of its own (a “wrong side” surgery) for examination by the Open School of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Sample comments: – From IHI’s Jim Conway: “Our systems are too complex to expect merely extraordinary people to perform perfectly 100 percent of the time. We as leaders must put in place systems that support great practice by people who suffer from being human and will make mistakes.” – From a patient who had two surgical errors in ten months: “After years of suffering through our incredibly brutal tort(ure) system I finally had the chance to talk to the surgeon. The most meaningful words he spoke ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3957915 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:00:01 +0100 3957915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3920839&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpatient-safety-%25e2%2580%259care-you-safe%25e2%2580%259d-awareness-video%2F2010.08.31 Today [Aug 28] I’m participating in the workshop “Engaging Minority Communities in Safer Healthcare” organized by MITSS (Medically Induced Trauma Support Services), a Boston non-profit I’ve written about before. The current speaker is Lisa O’Connor, VP of Nursing at Boston Medical Center. She just showed this four-minute safety awareness video, produced by Quantros. Much of its content will be familiar to our readers here (the frequency of medical errors and hospital acquired infections), but I’m posting it because of its good, concrete, specific actions every patient should know. The part with specific actions for patients starts around 2:30. (My highlights are below.) (more…) *This blog post was originally published at e-Patients.net* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3920839 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:00:51 +0100 3920839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3762883&cid=t_115498_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fprofile-dallas-neurosurgeon-dr-dave-donohue%2F Dallas pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Dave Donohue is profiled as he goes through his day at Cook Children’s Hospital. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3762883 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 05:51:39 +0100 3762883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3757939&cid=t_115498_109_f&fid=38951&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarlatpsychiatry.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fcarlat-on-nprs-fresh-air.html For those who are interested in topics dwelt on in this blog and in my book Unhinged, please check out my interview on the NPR show Fresh Air, which was aired on Tuesday July 13, and is available on the NPR website here. Give it a listen. Hopefully I was fairly articulate, although it's hard to know when you are sitting alone in a studio with a giant microphone staring you in the face and an engineer cheering you on behind a window in the control room!I found the host, Dave Davies (who was filling in for Terry Gross), extremely informed and I am perpetually impressed by the quality of programming on NPR. Today I was on another NPR show called Radio Boston, hosted by Meghna Chakrabarti (listen to it here) and again was amazed at the production quality and the intelligence of the questioning... The Carlat Psychiatry Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3757939 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:49:00 +0100 3757939 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733085&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vimeo.com%2Fmoogaloop.swf%3Fclip_id%3D10444174%26amp%3Bserver%3Dwww.vimeo.com%26amp%3Bfullscreen%3D1%26amp%3Bshow_title%3D1%26amp%3Bshow_byline%3D0%26amp%3Bshow_portrait%3D0%26amp%3Bcolor%3D01AAEA ePatient Dave, who shared his story (video below) with my students in the “Internet in Medicine” course this semester, is about to publish his own book: “Laugh, Sing, and Eat Like a Pig: How an Empowered Patient Beat Stage IV Cancer.” Now three of his friends have written essays about this important issue: We who’ve worked on it hope it will provoke thought about how healthcare is changing because of what e-patients can contribute, empowered as individuals and enabled by the Internet. To start that process, we’re publishing the introduction. Three friends and mentors generously offered introductory essays. These essays they have little to do with my story, and everything to do with how e-patients can help heal healthcare: Part 1, by Dr. Danny Sands: Putting Informatio... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733085 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:00:37 +0100 3733085 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3730100&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FuZDndQLG01Y%2Fepharma-summit-value-add-beyond-pill.html ePharma Summit 2010 took place this past February in Philadelphia. If you were unable to make it, we will no be presenting a weekly video series featuring all of the sessions from our event. This week we will continue with presentation from SBrian O'Donnell, Executive Vice President, Interactive Services, Klick Pharma and guest speaker Dave deBronkart, "ePatient Dave", Spokesperson and Advocate for Patient Empowerment presenting "Value-Add Beyond the Pill - The Digital Opportunity to Generate Patient Advocacy and Build Meaningful Differentiation with HCPs."Click here to watch the video. The video is under the "video" portion of the interactive player on the ePharma Summit webpage. (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3730100 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:33:00 +0100 3730100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3729878&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-cancer-journey-take-control-of-your-illness-and-treatment%2F2010.07.06 I love this – a website that could’ve ONLY been created by cancer patients. From ThinkAboutYourLife.org: Find empowerment: Anything you can do to feel like you are taking control of your illness and treatment will help you. Think About Your Life was developed by cancer survivors. We have used the tools on this website in our own experiences, and we hope to inspire you do the same. This website provides easy-to-use tools for each stage of the cancer journey to help you: Process your thoughts and feelings: Elizabeth shared the “Good Day, Bad Day” tool with her family to tell them how they could help her throughout treatment. Take control and make decisions: Amanda used her “One Page Profile” with her doctor to discuss the impact of treatment on her life... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3729878 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3729878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706647&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Flarry-smith-of-smith-magazine-shares-more-feelings-about-wife-piper-kermans-prison-sentence-video-exclusive%2F Larry Smith of SMITH Magazine returns! Lately we’ve heard a lot from Piper Kerman, author of the new memoir, Orange Is the New Black, about her trials during her 13-month prison sentence and the challenges of re-entry into society after her release, but today we continue our video interrogation of Piper’s husband, Larry, about his side of the story. Check out the 2nd and 3rd installments of our exclusive video chat with Larry, below, where he ‘fesses up about how angry he was at Piper for the mistakes she made, and for hiding those mistakes from him during the beginning of their relationship. (To watch our first chat with Larry about surviving prison on the outside, click here.) At 34, Piper Kerman was sent to federal prison on a ten-year-old drug smuggling and mone... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706647 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:42:47 +0100 3706647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658933&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fexclusive-piper-kerman-author-of-orange-is-the-new-black-reads-a-prison-letter-to-her-then-fiance-on-video%2F Watch last week’s exclusive video chat with Piper Kerman, where she opens up about how she sustained her relationship with her then-boyfriend/fiance throughout her six-year pre-prison limbo period, and later during her actual 13-month incarceration. When Piper Kerman was 34, she was sent to federal prison for a ten-year-old drug smuggling and money laundering offense. She spent 13 months in a minimum-security correctional facility for women in Danbury, CT, which isn’t necessarily what you’d expect from a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Smith graduate and Red Sox fan from a nice, New England family. Piper’s excellent memoir about her prison experience, Orange Is the New Black, was just published by Random House – with back cover blurbs by Dave Eggers and Elizabeth... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658933 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:00:25 +0100 3658933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3644743&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fkeeping-your-boyfriend-while-in-prison-piper-kerman-author-of-orange-is-the-new-black-opens-up%2F Watch the previous installment of our exclusive video chat with Piper Kerman, where she opens up about spending six years in limbo before she was locked up in prison. When Piper Kerman was 34, she was sent to federal prison for a ten-year-old drug smuggling and money laundering offense. She spent 13 months in a minimum-security correctional facility for women in Danbury, CT, which isn’t necessarily what you’d expect from a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Smith graduate and Red Sox fan from a nice, New England family. Piper’s excellent memoir about her prison experience, Orange Is the New Black, was just published by Random House – with back cover blurbs by Dave Eggers and Elizabeth Gilbert (not too shabby for a first-time writer). Piper sat down with Blisstree for the af... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3644743 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:42:58 +0100 3644743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3632247&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F6-years-in-limbo-before-prison-exclusive-video-of-piper-kerman-author-of-orange-is-the-new-black%2F Check out more of our exclusive video chat with Piper Kerman, where she talks about why she never sought therapy throughout her prison ordeal. When Piper Kerman was 34, she was sent to federal prison for a ten-year-old drug smuggling and money laundering offense. She spent 13 months in a minimum-security correctional facility for women in Danbury, CT, which isn’t necessarily what you’d expect from a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Smith graduate and Red Sox fan from a nice, New England family. Piper’s excellent memoir about her prison experience, Orange Is the New Black, was just published by Random House – with back cover blurbs by Dave Eggers and Elizabeth Gilbert (not too shabby for a first-time writer). Piper sat down with Blisstree for the afternoon to discuss all asp... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3632247 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:11:17 +0100 3632247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3621681&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-journalism-gems-you-shouldnt-miss%2F2010.06.02 A couple of health journalism gems you shouldn’t miss just because they were published over the holiday weekend: Natasha Singer of the New York Times had an important piece, “When Patients Meet Online, Are There Side Effects?,” about privacy concerns when social networking sites like CureTogether.com and PatientsLikeMe.com offer online communities for patients and collect members’ health data for research purposes. John Fauber of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel published another in his “Side Effects” series on conflicts of interest in healthcare. This one was about doctors vouching for the drug Multaq for treating atrial fibrillation without ever having seen all of the data. The Minneapolis Star Tribune began a “Too Much Medicine” series. Heal... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3621681 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:00:47 +0100 3621681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3621632&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fpiper-kerman-author-of-orange-is-the-new-black-on-therapy-after-prison-more-exclusive-video%2F Check out more of our exclusive video chat with Piper Kerman, where she talks about the surprising and unexpected friendships she developed while in prison. At age 34, Piper Kerman was sent to federal prison for a ten-year-old drug smuggling and money laundering offense. She spent 13 months in a minimum-security correctional facility for women in Danbury, CT, which isn’t necessarily what you’d expect from a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Smith graduate and Red Sox fan from a nice, New England family. Piper’s excellent memoir about her prison experience, Orange Is the New Black, was just published by Random House – with back cover blurbs by Dave Eggers and Elizabeth Gilbert (not bad for a first-time writer). Piper sat down with Blisstree for the afternoon to discuss all aspec... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3621632 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:00:47 +0100 3621632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3614520&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-readings-on-combat-medicine-and-battle-zone-care%2F2010.05.31 When Americans think about wartime medicine, “MASH” reruns and the comic antics of Hot Lips Houlihan and Hawkeye Pierce are likely to come to mind. A decidedly more authentic view can be found in “Paradise General” and “The Nightingale of Mosul,” books by a real-life Army surgeon, Dr. Dave Hnida, and an Army nurse, Col. Susan Luz. Both authors served in Iraq during some of the bloodiest days of the war in 2006 and 2007. At an age when people often retire from the military, 48-year-old Dr. Hnida, a family physician in Littleton, Colo., volunteered for service, answering the Army’s call for doctors. Col. Luz was a 56-year-old Army reservist—her previous tours had included delivering babies for military families stationed in Germany and bringing humanitarian aid to South A... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3614520 Mon, 31 May 2010 12:00:58 +0100 3614520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3603551&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Ffriendships-in-prison-more-exclusive-video-of-piper-kerman-author-of-orange-is-the-new-black%2F See more of our exclusive video chat with Piper Kerman, where she talks about the guilt and shame that resulted from her prison ordeal. At age 34, Piper Kerman went to federal prison for a ten-year-old drug smuggling and money laundering offense. She spent 13 months in a minimum-security correctional facility for women in Danbury, CT, which isn’t necessarily what you’d expect from a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Smith graduate and Red Sox fan from a nice, New England family. Piper’s excellent memoir about her prison experience, Orange Is the New Black, was just published by Random House – with back cover blurbs by Dave Eggers and Elizabeth Gilbert (not bad for a first-time writer). Piper sat down with Blisstree for the afternoon to discuss all aspects of her time in the clink,... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3603551 Thu, 27 May 2010 14:00:02 +0100 3603551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599345&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fmore-exclusive-video-piper-kerman-author-of-orange-is-the-new-black-on-guilt-forgiveness-and-redemption%2F Check out more of our exclusive video chat with Piper Kerman here, where she talks about staying fit behind bars. At age 34, Piper Kerman went to federal prison for a ten-year-old drug smuggling and money laundering offense. She spent 13 months in a minimum-security correctional facility for women in Danbury, CT, which isn’t necessarily what you’d expect from a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Smith graduate and Red Sox fan from a nice, New England family. Piper’s excellent memoir about her prison experience, Orange Is the New Black, was just published by Random House – with back cover blurbs by Dave Eggers and Elizabeth Gilbert (not bad for a first-time writer). Piper sat down with Blisstree for the afternoon to discuss all aspects of her time in the clink, from skincare in prison... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599345 Tue, 25 May 2010 17:32:40 +0100 3599345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3595712&cid=t_115498_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FT38ThbcsgI0%2F Please join us in congratulating USA Hockey, Allstate, and Nationwide, for reaching the podium of the 2010 Brain Fitness Innovation Awards, unveiled today. The podium’s top position went to USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP), a full-time development program aimed at preparing student-athletes for participation on the US National Under-18 and Under-17 Teams, for its innovative cognitive training system designed with the help of Applied Cognitive Engineering (ACE) and the BIRD Foundation to help hockey players develop perception and decision-making skills. More than two years in the making and $2 million to produce, the Hockey IntelliGym offers players a video-game-like training environment to enhance ‘hockey-sense’-the information gathered from surrounding... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3595712 Mon, 24 May 2010 19:59:55 +0100 3595712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3592188&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fyoga-and-fitness-behind-bars-personal-insights-from-piper-kerman-author-of-orange-is-the-new-black-%25e2%2580%2593-video-exclusive%2F Find more of our exclusive video conversation with Piper Kerman here. At age 34, Piper Kerman went to federal prison for a ten-year-old drug smuggling and money laundering offense. She spent 13 months in a minimum-security correctional facility for women in Danbury, CT, which isn’t necessarily what you’d expect from a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Smith graduate and Red Sox fan from a nice, New England family. Piper’s excellent memoir about her prison experience, Orange Is the New Black, was just published by Random House – with back cover blurbs by Dave Eggers and Elizabeth Gilbert (not bad for a first-time writer). Piper sat down with Blisstree for the afternoon to discuss all aspects of her time in the clink, from prison beauty products, physical activity, and friendships to the tor... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3592188 Mon, 24 May 2010 15:21:34 +0100 3592188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3588855&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fvideo-exclusive-piper-kerman-author-of-orange-is-the-new-black-talks-to-us-about-food-and-nutrition-in-prison%2F Check out our previous video conversation with Piper here. At age 34, Piper Kerman went to federal prison for a ten-year-old drug smuggling and money laundering offense. She spent 13 months in a minimum-security correctional facility for women in Danbury, CT, which isn’t necessarily what you’d expect from a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Smith graduate and Red Sox fan from a nice, New England family. Piper’s excellent memoir about her prison experience, Orange Is the New Black, was just published by Random House – with back cover blurbs by Dave Eggers and Elizabeth Gilbert (not bad for a first-time writer). Piper sat down with Blisstree for the afternoon to discuss all aspects of her time locked up, from prison beauty products, fitness routines, and friendships to the torturous six years... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3588855 Fri, 21 May 2010 19:32:35 +0100 3588855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581698&cid=t_115498_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fpayers-downshifting-icd-10-efforts-innovative-pragmatic As many of the front-of-the-pack payers steer from ICD-10 assessment into remediation, they are finding the transition to be more challenging and even more resource-intensive than they thought. And that realization is forcing payers to take a more pragmatic – and less strategic – approach to the conversion. The general consensus has been that health plans gained the ICD-10 pole position and jumped out ahead of providers, but healthcare companies of all ilks have a lot on their plates right now. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581698 Thu, 20 May 2010 12:44:08 +0100 3581698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581580&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fexclusive-video-our-conversation-with-piper-kerman-author-of-orange-is-the-new-black%2F At age 34, Piper Kerman went to prison for a ten-year-old drug smuggling and money laundering offense. She spent 13 months in a minimum-security correctional facility for women in Danbury, CT, which isn’t necessarily what you’d expect from a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Smith graduate and Red Sox fan from a nice, New England family. Piper’s excellent memoir of her prison experience, Orange Is the New Black, was just published by Random House – with back cover blurbs by Dave Eggers and Elizabeth Gilbert (not bad for a first-time writer). Piper sat down with Blisstree for the afternoon to discuss all aspects of her time locked up, from food quality, fitness routines, and friendships to the torturous six years she and her now-husband spent in limbo between her conviction and t... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581580 Wed, 19 May 2010 19:59:08 +0100 3581580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3563964&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-value-of-social-media-for-patients-doctors-and-nurses%2F2010.05.13 A patient apologized to me for asking so many questions. “There’s no need to apologize,” I said to the patient, “It’s wonderful that you have so many questions concerning your healthcare.” I mentioned to her that she is an “empowered and engaged patient,” and that’s a good thing. It’s no secret that health consumers are turning to the Internet for health information. In a recent article from MediaPost News, Gavin O’Malley writes that, according to new a study by Epsilon Strategic & Analytic Consulting Group, “40% of online consumers use social media for health information — reading or posting content — while the frequency of engagement varies widely. According to the study, individuals who use healthcare social media fall into two br... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3563964 Thu, 13 May 2010 16:00:53 +0100 3563964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545584&cid=t_115498_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FO_KPWGTj6dM%2Fmagical-meet-ups.php It has been about three days since I dropped George off at the airport.  I have been thinking about how to write about it ever since.  You know what?  There is no way I can do the visit justice.  It is literally impossible to describe how great it was.  George and I have a weird/special connection that goes beyond blogging and diabetes.  It is more like twin brothers separated at birth.  For example, when we were visiting my dad, my kids noticed George's watch and commented about how cool it is.  I looked at his watch, and it is a "Relic" brand watch.  Guess what brand of watch my wife just bought me a month ago...  That's just one of a hundred similar "coincidences" between us.   We have many of the same habits, many of the same ... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545584 Fri, 07 May 2010 18:39:57 +0100 3545584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3534140&cid=t_115498_180_f&fid=38604&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmakeitgreat%2F%7E3%2FTBMpGMm1tRk%2F I just got back from a fantastic weekend at Business School for Bloggers and other social media  types in Chicago, Illinois. While the keynotes were dynamite, the panel discussions lively, and the mastermind groups extremely helpful, I’m not writing about any of those today. I’m writing instead of what happened Saturday night at the Blue Frog in downtown Chicago. I’m writing about Karaoke! For those unfamiliar with karaoke, it’s where someone gets up to sing the words to a song by a famous artist. It’s popular in lots of places, and I learned Saturday it is WAY popular in social media circles. Now I know why. What follows are the lessons I learned Saturday, and the way I’ll be applying them to my business. If you use them, they’ll help you too! Get your friends involve... Phil Gerbyshak blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3534140 Wed, 05 May 2010 13:11:00 +0100 3534140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3411088&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLox5rixfciM%2F By Michael F. CannonAs Dave Barry would say, I swear I am not making this up. Yesterday, the Associated Press reported that the world’s last unreconstructed communist dictator endorsed President Obama’s new health care law: HAVANA (AP) — It perhaps was not the endorsement President Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress were looking for. Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on Thursday declared passage of American health care reform “a miracle” and a major victory for Obama’s presidency, but couldn’t help chide the United States for taking so long to enact what communist Cuba achieved decades ago. “We consider health reform to have been an important battle and a success of his (Obama’s) government,” Castro wrote in an essay pub... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3411088 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:55:53 +0100 3411088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3259267&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FzwX8oUo1kOk%2Fepharma-summit-2010-value-add-beyond.html (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3259267 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:14:00 +0100 3259267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3133760&cid=t_115498_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fa-good-slide-into-2010.html In Germany, people wish each other a “Guten Rutsch” (or a “good slide”) into the new year. Here’s a little visual that might help with that expression Today, from the bottom of my diabetic heart — and my family’s — wishing you all a great slide into 2010. I did not get around to compiling a [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3133760 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:15:51 +0100 3133760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3115280&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Flolpharma-contd-i-think-we-know-answer.html Ed at Pharmalot has the story (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3115280 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:58:00 +0100 3115280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2992841&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fphrmas-last-two-chairman.html Story (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2992841 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:02:00 +0100 2992841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2992843&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fglimpse-inside-mind-of-astrazenecas-ceo.html Story 1Story 2 (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2992843 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:43:00 +0100 2992843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2985026&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fastrazeneca-seroquel-fao-marketing-and.html Stephany has some questions!HereInsider has one more question to add: given the recent Stryker indictment which named company individuals guilty of wrongdoing, who should be named in The Seroquel Scandal?Time to come clean!MorePS - update: looks like Archer Pharmaceuticals and Geoff Birkett may have parted company. Certainly his photo and profile have gone from the website, but this was still there on another page: (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2985026 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:46:00 +0100 2985026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2995737&cid=t_115498_88_f&fid=35612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheknifeman.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fsupergroup-sax.html One, or both, from two.King CurtisDavid Sanborn (Source: The KnifeMan) The KnifeMan blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2995737 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:06:00 +0100 2995737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2963237&cid=t_115498_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fspeaking-of-november-how-is-your-ms-today%2F I love the folk song January Man by Dave Goulder.  The first time I heard the song was in a version sung by Christy Moore while driving a back road of County Kerry, in Ireland. In this song, each month is represented by a man.  “The poor November Man” as the song goes, “Sees fire and wind and mist and rain and winter air.” Good Grief…the November Man has MS! Each month we take time in the first week to allow for an ongoing discussion of how your multiple sclerosis is treating you.  This is a popular spot for comments and an open exchange of ideas and issues. I love to go back and read the comments throughout the month. As you may have gathered from my last few postings, my MS has been making itself known even more than most days.  I’m battling, these days.  My legs are hea... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2963237 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:27:19 +0100 2963237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2944087&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fastrazeneca-seorquel-lets-not-forget.html NYT (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2944087 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:02:00 +0100 2944087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2939272&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBMrmshKjlMk%2F One of the perennial tropes of the network neutrality debate has been the tendency of the pro-regulation side to paint it as a David-and-Goliath struggle between big, evil corporations and the little guy. Way back in 2006, James Gattuso pointed out how silly this is: in fact, the push for network neutrality is backed by some of the largest companies in Silicon Valley. Julian points out a particularly lazy example of this kind of ad hominum that happens to target Cato: It seems that we’re one of the “15 greatest enemies of net neutrality.” And that along with CEI, Cato “seems to draw its funding from a smattering of every major corporation ever to fund lobbyists.” As Julian points out, if “VoIP News” had done its homework, it might have discovered that Cato... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2939272 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:46:51 +0100 2939272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2571114&cid=t_115498_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F05%2Fthe-message-trumps-any-of-my-disagreements-with-the-messenger%2F The text of the Prime Minister’s remarks at the funeral of Member of Parliament Dave Batters in Regina Saturday. Denise, members of the Batters family, ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered together today to remember Dave, to lament his passing, and to comfort each other. Dave held a place in all our hearts. To his wife and family, [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2571114 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:40:17 +0100 2571114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2571314&cid=t_115498_180_f&fid=38609&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDavidSeah-BetterLivingThroughNewMedia%2F%7E3%2Fs9dgdgNsF8Q%2F A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Jun Loayza via Skype Video for the Viralogy blog, which is a kind of a "best blogs" social media aggregator. This was the first time I'd ever been interviewed on video, so I was all over the place with my responses. Jun, however, took out all those parts and produced a tightly edited video covering responses to these questions: Before starting the blog, did you have the same philosophy of productivity and transparency? How does your blog stand out from all of the other productivity blogs? Do you have a system to your productivity? What are some common misconceptions that people have about productivity and simplicity? Tell me a bit about yourself outside of the blogging world What makes you super passionate and excited? What advi... David Seah - Design, Development, Inspiration, Empowerment blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2571314 Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:21:49 +0100 2571314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348490&cid=t_115498_109_f&fid=35044&url=http%3A%2F%2Fadultaddstrengths.com%2F2009%2F04%2F17%2Fmy-cfax-victoria-radio-station-adult-adhd-interview%2F Post from: Adult ADD Strengths My CFAX Victoria Radio Station Adult ADHD Interview I was interviewed on Victoria BC’s CFAX 1070 radio station on adult ADHD monday April 13th. The host was Dave Dixson and I really enjoyed it. Hope to have the audio from the show sometime next week, and will upload it when I do. Tweet This Post  (Source: Adult ADD Strengths) Adult ADD Strengths blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348490 Sat, 18 Apr 2009 05:56:03 +0100 2348490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258276&cid=t_115498_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fforward-forever-forward The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act doubles the size of the healthcare IT industry. The details of the work ahead, how we'll organize to accomplish the work and who will do the work are still being developed. In the meantime, I'm getting involved in every discussion, debate, and brainstorming opportunity that I can to move the work forward. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258276 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:13:45 +0100 2258276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222544&cid=t_115498_135_f&fid=35250&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.poz.com%2Fshawn%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2Fshawns_tool_aca.html I love VH1's reality show, Tool Academy, which began with a great swerve. A group of guys thought they were competing on a TV show to discover "America's Top Alpha Male- AKA- Mr. Awesome", but they'd really been nominated by their girlfriends for the Tool Academy. Ouch. Gwenn and I can't stop watching. The guys get little tool badges when they pass tests and make the inevitable cut at the inevitable "ceremony" at the end of each show. Formulaic? Sure, but it's must-see TV... speaking of tools, did you hear about the senator from Colorado, Dave Schultheis? He voted against a bill that would require pregnant women to be tested for HIV. See, mother-to-child transmission of the virus can be reduced dramatically if a woman knows she has HIV, and can take HIV medications during her last trim... Shawn's HIV Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222544 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:05:32 +0100 2222544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2131316&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fastrazenecas-dave-buckets-o-money.html "Not for widows and orphans" (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2131316 Sun, 25 Jan 2009 05:11:00 +0100 2131316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2087020&cid=t_115498_134_f&fid=35193&url=http%3A%2F%2Fannetics.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fdave-shack-ironman-extraordinaire.html Triabetes team member Dave Shack was featured in an article in the New York Times today. Check it out here and be sure to listen to the audio on the left side. It has been great getting to know Dave and his family over the past year. It took me many years of running and a couple years of triathlon to get the courage to sign up for my first Ironman; Dave tackled it all in one year of training. Congrat's, Dave! (Source: Annetics) Annetics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2087020 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:06:00 +0100 2087020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2022734&cid=t_115498_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsandnsurf.medbrains.net%2F2008%2F12%2Fmyth-conceptions-of-er-overcrowding%2F Major Myth-conceptions of ED overcrowding Creation myths:  An ED problem due to GP type patients and  inefficient EDs Outcomes / management myth:  Poor patient outcomes are rare Poor outcomes have minimal consequences Therefore - ERs are good places to store excess admitted patients Solution myths: Access block is inevitable and insoluble AND / OR Access block can be sorted out by GP clinics, telephone lines or [...] (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2022734 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:19:37 +0100 2022734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1870680&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=34768&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmagossip.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fazs-ceo-has-moment-of-zen.html "The rising tide and the falling tide lift the boats and drop the boats in the same way."LOL (Source: PharmaGossip) PharmaGossip blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1870680 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:59:00 +0100 1870680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833696&cid=t_115498_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F403898522%2F Playing the Blame Game -- Video games stand accused of causing obesity, violence, and lousy grades. But new research paints a surprisingly complicated and positive picture, reports Greater Good Magazine's Jeremy Adam Smith. Cheryl Olson had seen her teenage son play video games. But like many parents, she didn't know much about them. Then in 2004 the U.S. Department of Justice asked Olson and her husband, Lawrence Kutner, to run a federally funded study of how video games affect adolescents. Olson and Kutner are the co-founders and directors of the Harvard Medical School's Center for Mental Health and Media. Olson, a public health researcher, had studied the effects of media on behavior but had never examined video games, either in her research or in her personal life. And so the first thi... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833696 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:05:04 +0100 1833696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696301&cid=t_115498_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2F362353281%2Fdave-matthews-giving-it-your-all.php I took my mom to the Dave Matthews Band concert at Alpine Valley last night. As a fan with t1 diabetes, it started off rough since we couldn't bring my OJ in (for hypos) or any food, since we didn't... (Source: Diabetes Daily) Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696301 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:58:43 +0100 1696301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1433947&cid=t_115498_136_f&fid=36051&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FCancerCommentary%2F%7E3%2F287315783%2F What: The Dave Matthews Band to perform as part of the inaugural Stand Up For A Cure concert series When: September 10, 2008 Where: Madison Square Garden, New York The Stand Up For A Cure concert series are designed to raise funds and awareness for lung cancer research at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. A limited number of tickets for the Dave Matthews Band concert at the Garden are available to the band’s fan club members via its fan club Web site, The Warehouse through May 16. Source: Reuters ————————- Wait! Don’t forget to join this blog’s “Take the Test” HPV Awareness Bracelet Contest. Tags: Stand Up For A Cure concert series, The Dave Matthews BandShare This (Source: Cancer Commentary... Cancer Commentary blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1433947 Sat, 10 May 2008 05:46:02 +0100 1433947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1207274&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fhow-do-you-turn-psychiatric-nurse-into.html You probably will not believe this. Even cynical Dr Crippen was taken aback. It was sent to me today by a Consultant Psychiatrist in a well known London Teaching Hospital. He sounds close to despair. Dr Crippen has told you about the CMHT, those well meaning but unqualified amateurs armed with their protocols and the Dorling Kindersly "Pop-up book of lunatics". And I have told you about Hospital at Night, where Sue and Dave are "team building".The most dangerous place in the UK to get a physical illness used to be in a psychiatric ward. Worry no more. You can be mad and ill in safety. There may be no psychiatrists there. There may be no doctors there. But who needs them? The mental health nurses have been"upskilled". They have been on a course. They are doctors now. The CMHT has amalgamate... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1207274 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:11:00 +0100 1207274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1046798&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F189338149%2F The media loves to create lists because these often get people talking, even without any legitimate purpose. And so The Telegraph, one of the big UK daily newspapers, has compiled a ranking of the most influential Americans in the UK. The top 50 includes a wide variety of people - actor Kevin Spacey; Madonna; Joel Glazer, who runs the Manchester United Football Club; Marjorie Scardino, who heads Pearson, owner of The Financial Times and other media, and author Bill Bryson. Showing up at No. 11 is AZ’s ceo Dave Brennan, whose biography is given the de rigeur thumbnail biographical sketch. The affable Brennan is chosen, of course, because AZ is one of the biggest drugmakers and he’s done the reverse of what Glaxo’s JP Garnier has done - setting up shop in the UK as opposed ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1046798 Fri, 23 Nov 2007 13:57:42 +0100 1046798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=894334&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F160572419%2F If Jeff Kindler can do it, Dave Brennan can do it. The AstraZeneca ceo is reportedly poised to hire an outsider as cfo in hopes of finding someone with “fresh management ideas,” The Financial Times writes. Pfizer, you may recall, recently hired a veteran cfo of the shrinking telecom wars, Frank D’Amelio, as cfo in a clear nod to the need for a sharpened pencil who can simultaneously cut fat with one hand while rubbing Wall Street’s back with the other. And AstraZeneca finds itself in a similar position - recently lab failures, a quick need for new meds and big cutbacks. So Brennan et al have been working with SpencerStuart, the brand-name headhunting firm, to find candidates beyond the wide world of pharma. AstraZeneca executives have conducted several interviews wi... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=894334 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:25:30 +0100 894334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=888777&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F159179152%2F Not even AstraZeneca execs seem certain. But the drugmaker hopes to run MedImmune separately - yet at the same time, coordinate research so there’s no duplication, The Wall Street Journal writes (subscription required). And AZ execs will also get involved in marketing strategy early on with the drugs that MedImmune is developing. This hardly sounds like independence. As the paper points out: The AZ “approach differs from what, until now, has been the industry’s standard model - Roche’s control of Genentech, which operates as an entirely separate entity.” AZ has created an executive R&D committee to coordinate work and encourage rank-and-file scientists on both sides to swap info regularly. Jan Lundberg, AZ’s executive vp of discovery research, tells... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=888777 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:01:17 +0100 888777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=845906&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F152928103%2F The drugmaker has sold $6.9 billion in bonds, which makes the sale the largest US debt offering in more than five years. And, of course, AstraZeneca will use the proceeds to repay commercial paper that financed its $15.2 billion acquisition of MedImmune earlier this summer. The offering ranks as the biggest since March 2002, when General Electric sold $11 billion of fixed- and floating-rate debt. Investors snapped up the bonds in part because drugmakers have been relatively untouched by losses on subprime home loans that have extended to banks and mortgage lenders. “There’s still cash out there for investment-grade offerings,” Sabur Moini, a portfolio manager at Payden & Rygel, tells Bloomberg News. “It helps that it’s not a bank or financial institution... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=845906 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:27:18 +0100 845906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=839136&cid=t_115498_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F152012452%2F Interestingly, Dave Brennan makes this assertion while speaking in China, where the drugmaker announced the opening of its first clinical pharmacology unit in that country. But the ceo insists there are no plans to shift operations out of India in response to the recent patent ruling against Novartis. That decision, which involved patent protection for the Gleevec cancer med, prompted Novartis ceo Dan Vasella to say investment in India would be slashed, although he insisted the move wasn’t punishment. “I think that will set some tone for how people operate, but it hasn’t caused us to go back and take a major shift of our operations there,” Brennan tells Reuters. “I think over time that they’ll continue to get challenged on it a bit, but it hasn’t c... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=839136 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:14:06 +0100 839136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=573709&cid=t_115498_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F04%2F27%2Fedmonton-protocol-on-hold%2F Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Drugs, Research, Daily News, EventsThe Edmonton Protocol has been temporarily put on hold due to fears the human form of mad cow disease might infect patients. The source of an enzyme used in transplants was reported to derive from cow brains. Transplants of these treated islets have been put on hold until a source for this enzyme can be found that doesn't use cow brains. Dr. James Shapiro, the surgeon who developed the Edmontol Protocol said, "we just decided to put the program on hold". Shapiro and his team transplant healthy islet cells into the pancreas of people with Type 1 diabetes. The healthy cells allow recipients to again begin producing insulin crucial to the body's ability to regulate sugar digestion. The National Institutes of Health was creati... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=573709 Fri, 27 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 573709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=463938&cid=t_115498_85_f&fid=34692&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpolitedissent.com%2Farchives%2F1584 I’ve noticed that whenever House features a special guest star, the episode always seems to suffer for it. Tonight’s episode, guest starring Dave Matthews, was no exception. The episode seemed sloppy and was missing that certain “bite” that accompanies the best episodes of House. I thought Matthews did a good job in his role. Also excellent in an understated role was Kurtwood Smith. With this appearance, he becomes the first person to be featured in two TV shows each featuring an Eric Foreman. Patrick is a thirty-five year old man who suffered a severe brain injury in a bus accident at the age of twelve. Since then, he has only been functioning at the level of a four year old, except that after the accident he has somehow become a musical genius. The episode starts... Polite Dissent blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=463938 Sun, 11 Mar 2007 16:00:03 +0100 463938