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 'decision'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:50:36 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181908&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F26991622%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7ESales-Secret-The-Best-Time-to-Close.htm Want to close a sale? When choosing a time to meet with your customer, don’t just take the first appointment time offered to you. A recent study looked at decisions by judges, and revealed startling differences in outcomes at different times of day. Researchers at Columbia University and Ben Gurion University examined the decisions made [...] CommentsI don't doubt that a tipsy customer could be more pliable and ... by Roger Dooley“I’m not gonna suggest that we liquor a customer up and ... by Aman Basanti | Age of MarketingPlus 5 more...Related StoriesWhat’s Better Than an Excited Customer?Prediction Power: Asking Gets ResultsTime to Get Touchy? (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181908 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:03:28 +0100 5181908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181909&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F26967248%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EThe-Rivalry-in-Your-Customers-Brain.htm Decisions aren't linear conclusions - they are often a battle of competing interests in the consumer's brain. Marketers need to identify some of these rivals and back a winner with their advertising. CommentsThanks Roger! Neuromarketing has definitely given us a greater ... by Joy LevinInteresting insight, nalts. One could argue that the “save ... by Roger DooleyPlus 3 more...Related StoriesIncognito by David EaglemanSales Secret: The Best Time to CloseWhat’s Better Than an Excited Customer? (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181909 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:49:37 +0100 5181909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181911&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34786&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrmichelletempest.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fdrinking-and-surroundings.html Winkielman, Berridge and Wilbarger (2005) found that by subliminally presenting happy or angry faces, with no subjective change in affect, influenced peoples drinking behaviour. Subjects placed more value on beverages, and consumed more beverages, after subliminally being presented with happy faces. Whereas, beverage value and consumption decreased after subliminally being presented angry faces. The conclusion is that nonconscious stimuli can influnce judgment and behaviour without consciously being aware of it. (Source: The Psychiatrist Blog) The Psychiatrist Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181911 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:15:00 +0100 5181911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182067&cid=t_100621_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F83QTuZxBx3c%2F Obesity linked to Cognition (HealthCanal): - “Obese people tend to perform worse than healthy people at cognitive tasks like planning ahead, a literature review has found, concluding that psychological techniques used to treat anorexics could help obese people too.” - “According to a review of 38 studies on cognitive function and obesity by researchers from the University of NSW, obese people have a tendency toward “reduced executive function”, meaning planning, goal-oriented behaviour and decision-making.” - “Obesity may both cause and be caused by the reduced executive function, said review lead author Dr Evelyn Smith, from UNSW’s School of Psychiatry.” To read article: click Here. To access study: Click on A review of the association between obesity and cognitive fun... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182067 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:09:46 +0100 5182067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169611&cid=t_100621_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F83QTuZxBx3c%2F Obesity linked to Cognition (HealthCanal): - “Obese people tend to perform worse than healthy people at cognitive tasks like planning ahead, a literature review has found, concluding that psychological techniques used to treat anorexics could help obese people too.” - “According to a review of 38 studies on cognitive function and obesity by researchers from the University of NSW, obese people have a tendency toward “reduced executive function”, meaning planning, goal-oriented behaviour and decision-making.” - “Obesity may both cause and be caused by the reduced executive function, said review lead author Dr Evelyn Smith, from UNSW’s School of Psychiatry.” To read article: click Here. To access study: Click on A review of the association between obesity and cognitive fun... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169611 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:09:46 +0100 5169611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158990&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcan-decision-fatigue-lead-to-medical-errors%2F2011.08.26 This article adds to that understanding: Our decision-making abilities appear to be powerfully affected by the demands of repeated decision making as they interact with depleted blood glucose levels. That fatigue mounts over a day of making decisions and as blood glucose levels fall between meals. In response, we tend to either make increasingly impulsive decisions without considering the consequences or to make no decisions at all. Tierney describes a study analyzing 1,100 parole decisions by judges over the course of a year:  “Prisoners who appeared early in the morning received parole about 70 percent of the time, while those who appeared late in the day were paroled less than 10 percent of the time.” The effects reported in the article were (more…) *This blog post ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158990 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:00:44 +0100 5158990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139876&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F18%2Fwhy-you-cant-make-a-good-decision-at-500-pm-decision-fatigue%2F We live in the most prosperous society on Earth at this moment. You can walk into any Gap or Target store and choose from more than 2 dozen different types of jeans (and in some cases, more than 3 dozen). All of that choice comes at a price, however. It’s called “decision fatigue” and its full impact is only starting to be fully understood by psychologists and researchers. Our brains can suffer from “mental fatigue,” just as our bodies can become physically fatigued after a long workout. What is so surprising about this phenomenon is just how little people appreciate the importance of mental fatigue and its resulting decision fatigue — even when making decisions that can be life-changing. John Tierney in The New York Times has the lengthy story (5,350 w... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139876 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:17:30 +0100 5139876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139934&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FMRIneOML2vQ%2F As I heard at AHIMA’s Legal EHR Summit earlier this week, clinical decision support isn’t a perfect science. (Check InformationWeek Healthcare for coverage on Thursday or Friday.) This is especially true when doctors rely too much on Google and don’t actually verify what they find on the Internet. This may sound hard to believe, but not everything posted online is true. Now, the notion that doctors guess with Google has made its way onto the funny pages, specifically in the cartoon Sherman’s Lagoon. To wit:     Hopefully, your own doctor is more qualified than Hawthorne. Related posts:Tasteless joke, but kind of on the mark How doctors use Twitter RIP, Google Health, doomed to fail from the start (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139934 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 05:41:54 +0100 5139934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140020&cid=t_100621_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FG3_SB0nhgiw%2F Charting Brain Growth in Humans and Chimps (New York Times): – “Although baby humans and baby chimpanzees both start out with undeveloped forebrains, a new study reports that the human brain increases in volume much more rapidly early on.“ – “The growth is in a region of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex and is part of what makes humans cognitively advanced compared with other animals, including the chimpanzee, our closest relative. The prefrontal cortex plays a major role in decision-making, self-awareness and creative thinking.” –> To learn more about study Differential Prefrontal White Matter Development in Chimpanzees and Humans: click Here (requires subscription). –> To explore what may have happened otherwise, you may want to watch the new movie Rise of ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140020 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:59:35 +0100 5140020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130646&cid=t_100621_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F15%2Fsafe-effective-service-improvement-delivering-the-safety-and-productivity-agenda-in-healthcare-using-a-lean-approach%2F Title: Safe & Effective Service Improvement: Delivering the safety and productivity agenda in healthcare using a Lean approach Scan to download Safe and Effective Service Improvement: Delivering the safety and productivity agenda in healthcare using a Lean approach. The Skinny: Guide for those with a responsibility for safety and productivity working in healthcare organisations, introducing the concept that Lean can, and already is, being used to tackle both of these important agendas. Aims to show that an absence of “Lean Thinking” inside healthcare organisations can lead to increased patient safety risks. Tackling patient safety incidents in all their many forms, from near misses through to events that cause severe harm or even death, is a priority for healthcare organisations. I... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130646 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:21:41 +0100 5130646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077685&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftake-an-active-role-in-your-own-health-it-can-save-more-than-just-your-life%2F2011.07.29 Sometimes you need a published study to tell you what should be obvious in the first place. This time, researchers have discovered that: When physicians have more personalized discussions with their patients and encourage them to take a more active role in their health, both doctor and patient have more confidence that they reached a correct diagnosis and a good strategy to improve the patient’s health. Really? But wait, there’s more. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at See First Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077685 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:00:07 +0100 5077685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069534&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FsjrXBlug4Do%2F URL: http://www.psychdomain.com/Welcome to PsychDomain! The goal of this website is to provide psychology students and faculty with up-to-date, relevant, and informative psychology related links, videos, interactions and images. Use the Content by Area navigation on the left to search for content by psychology area. Alternatively, use the the Tag Cloud below to browse the content. For: Anyone, Consumers, ResearchersTopics: Abnormal, Academia, Attachment, Behaviour Management, Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, Common Factors, Depression, Life, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Social SupportFeatures: Articles, Collaborative News, Community and Social Networking, Information, Links, e-learningWelcome to PsychDomain! The goal of this website is to provide psychol... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069534 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:00:38 +0100 5069534 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062297&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F26505947%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7ENudge-by-Thaler-and-Sunstein.htm Nudge is all about choice architecture, a discipline which structures choices in a way that produces the most beneficial outcome. I don't have to tell Neuromarketing readers that humans often behave in conflict with the traditional economist's view of rational decision-making. Thaler and Sunstein not only provide plenty of evidence of irrationality, but they show how to avoid some of the problems it causes. CommentsCommentsRelated StoriesSecrets of the Moneylab by Kay-Yut ChenScary Thought: A Treatment for Impulse BuyingThe Upside of Irrationality by Dan Ariely (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062297 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:07:54 +0100 5062297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057722&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-new-details-about-the-fda-regulation-of-mhealth-apps%2F2011.07.23 Since the beginning of this year, there have been clues that the FDA will be heading toward clarification of the complex regulatory issues posed by mobile health devices and software. We have previously reported on testimony and public comments by Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the  FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) alluding to coming guidelines. Today, the FDA finally released a detailed draft guidance of how it intends to regulate this rapidly exploding sector of mobile medical devices and software. This is what the Emergo group, regulatory compliance consultants, has gleaned from today’s FDA press release: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at iMedicalApps* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057722 Sat, 23 Jul 2011 16:00:04 +0100 5057722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051013&cid=t_100621_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FMNSoUxiGIB4%2F They may call it ‘retail therapy,’ but shopping while in a bad mood is more likely to do you harm than good—and research confirms it: A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests shoppers don’t make the most “efficient assessments” when feeling blue. Instead, we tend only to consider the positive sides of something we want. Makes sense: Part of the reason so many people like to shop when they’re down is that buying something you want triggers a momentary rush of pleasure. It’s easy to see how you might over-exaggerate the benefits you’ll derive from buying that dress or juicer or pint of ice cream when feeling otherwise unhappy—and downplay any nagging thoughts about what it will do to your bank account or girlish figure (or your manly physique; I should add... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051013 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:56:13 +0100 5051013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036228&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fconfusing-compliance-with-engagement-in-our-health-care%2F2011.07.17 Twenty percent of people who leave their doctors’ offices with a new prescription don’t fill it. Up to one-half of those who do fill their prescriptions don’t take the drugs as recommended. These individuals are considered non-compliant. But does that mean they are not engaged in their health care? Engagement and compliance are not synonyms. I am compliant if I do what my doctor tells me to do. I am engaged, on the other hand, when I actively participate in the process of solving my health problems. This new prescription is an element in that process. If I am engaged in my care, I might want to learn about this medication. Such as:  what it can and cannot do to ease my pain or slow the progress of my disease; what side effects it might produce and what I should do about them; how l... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036228 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:00:40 +0100 5036228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028455&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F13%2Fwishy-washy-help-in-making-good-decisions%2F Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I’m a tad indecisive, not about everything, but most things. Here’s a typical experience: I’m at a restaurant, perusing (i.e., studying) the menu and pondering. I ask what everyone else is having, and ponder some more. Then I chat with the server. If I’m wavering between two dishes, I ask what’s the better option. If I just have one meal in mind, I focus my questions on that dish. After I get the answer, sometimes, I think some more. Aside from being a super fun dinner date (fortunately, my boyfriend and friends just laugh it off now…most of the time), I clearly have decision issues. So what’s my problem — and yours if making simple daily decisions feels like you’re gearing up for the choice of a lifetime? An articl... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028455 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:15:03 +0100 5028455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008448&cid=t_100621_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2Fhed47dbhD2g%2Fdavid-eagleman-on-the-secret-lives-of-the-brain-bsp-75.html In his new book Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain neuroscientist David Eagleman describes consciousness as "the smallest player in the operations of the brain" (page 5) because most of what the brain does is outside conscious awareness (and control). In a recent interview (BSP 75) Dr. Eagleman reviews some of the evidence for this startling position as well as the implications both for the average person and for social policy.   Listen to Episode 75 Episode Transcript (Download PDF) References: Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman Eagleman, D. "The Brain on Trial," the Atlantic Monthy; July/Aug 2011 ONLINE See Transcript for additional references Related Episodes of BSP: BSP 13: Our first discussion of unconscious decisions BSP 15: Interview with Read ... the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008448 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:01:01 +0100 5008448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984498&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F29%2Fthe-illusion-of-confidence%2F We often overestimate our abilities, and overestimate the abilities of others who exude confidence.  Are we correct in thinking the athlete who radiates confidence must be competent in her/his sport?  The salesman who speaks with extensive knowledge and confidence must know what they are talking about, right? These scenarios are often manifestations of the illusion of confidence. Confidence is often considered a “true” signal of the extent of one’s memory, knowledge, skill, and ability.  However, confidence is often misleading and not congruent with ability.  This type of unwarranted confidence leads to “epistemic irrationality,” or more commonly known as simply delusion and self-deception. The illusion of confidence has two distinct but related aspects.  Fi... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984498 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:12:36 +0100 4984498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968465&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fhnvycmv5Hts%2F By Walter OlsonMonday’s high court decision in Wal-Mart v. Dukes has predictably drawn a strong reaction from legal academia, much of it critical of the Court. Of particular interest are the comments of Richard Primus (Michigan) at the New York Times‘s “Room for Debate” and Alexandra Lahav (Connecticut) at Mass Tort Litigation Blog. According to Primus and Lahav, the decision is the latest sign that the current Supreme Court leans toward a principle of “individualism” in applying the rules of civil litigation. Lahav in particular appears to view this as a shame, since “a more collectivist view” would carry with it more “potential for social reform.” What does a term like “individualism” mean in the context of litigati... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968465 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:35:46 +0100 4968465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960202&cid=t_100621_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FKL0ko4TEcXU%2F A couple of very interesting recent announcements show (in a military context) how well-targeted brain training can complement and augment existing approaches, both to help “normal” and “clinical” populations, in ways that silo-based, rear-mirror thinking often misses: U.S. Department of Defense Awards $2 Million to Brain Plasticity Inc. to Study Impact of Brain Training for Traumatic Brain Injuries (press release): “Brain Plasticity Inc. (BPI), a technology incubator dedicated to the discovery and development of novel technologies that harness the basic principles of brain plasticity to improve the lives of people with neurological and psychiatric disorders, was recently awarded a $2 million grant from the United States Department of Defense.” “The grant will fund a two-year... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960202 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:21:27 +0100 4960202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934335&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F14%2Fwhen-our-intuition-leads-us-to-bad-decisions%2F Six years ago, Malcolm Gladwell released a book entitled Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. In his usual style, Gladwell weaves stories in-between descriptions of scientific research the support his hypothesis that our intuition can be surprisingly accurate and right. One year ago, authors Daniel J. Simons and Christopher F. Chabris, writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education not only had some choice words for Gladwell’s cherry-picking of the research, but also showed how intuition probably only works best in certain situations, where there is no clear science or logical decision-making process to arrive at the “right” answer. For instance, when choosing which ice cream is “best.” Reasoned analysis, however, works best in virtually every other si... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934335 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:39:28 +0100 4934335 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921557&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2011%2F06%2F05%2Femr-and-hipaa-quote-of-the-sunday%2F Lately I’ve been posting a number of tweets in a sort of Sunday Tweet roundup. I think it’s been fun to highlight some short Healthcare IT and EMR related tweets that people might find interesting. With a little bit of commentary of my own (let me know if you disagree). Today, I decided I’d just go with a small quote from a comment that Chris Paton made over on Neil Versel’s Meaningful Healthcare IT News. Here it is: We’re a long way from getting rid of doctors but they might find their role changes from being repository of all knowledge to being a trusted communicator and carer. I’d been trying to summarize this position in a coherent way and I think Chris hit it on the head. Not only the part about being a long way from getting rid of doctors, but his desc... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921557 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 06:59:22 +0100 4921557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893605&cid=t_100621_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=4921559&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fneil%2F2011%2F06%2F02%2F4742%2F I’m beginning to see a pattern here. Two weeks ago, I wrote about clinical decision support in context of Dr. Larry Weed’s new book. Two weeks before that, I commented about physicians worrying that patients would perceive them as being incompetent if they relied on CDS. Today, I’m back to the same topic. Deny the obvious all you want, physicians, but clinical decision support is coming, and once it’s here, it’s not going away. I just got back back from the new IBM Healthcare Innovation Lab in downtown Chicago, the company’s third such center in the U.S. and eighth worldwide. While kickoff included a “healthcare leadership exchange” with such thought leaders as HIMSS CEO Steve Lieber and Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Chief Innovation Office... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921559 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:10:40 +0100 4921559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862665&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FJa0I4VDCMDE%2F I’m sure like many of you, I was completely intrigued by the demonstration of the Watson computer competing against the best Jeopardy! stars. It was amazing to watch not only how Watson was able to come up with the answer, but also how quickly it was able to reach the correct answer. The hype at the IBM booth at HIMSS was really strong since it had been announced that healthcare was one of the first places that IBM wanted to work on implementing the “Watson” technology (read more about the Watson Technology in Healthcare in this AP article). Although, I found the most interesting conversation about Watson in the Nuance booth when I was talking to Dr. Nick Van Terheyden. The idea of combining the Watson technology with the voice recognition and natural language processing ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862665 Wed, 25 May 2011 15:59:50 +0100 4862665 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862545&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-physicians-have-to-say-no-does-patient-satisfaction-suffer%2F2011.05.25 The short answer: No. At least not in the context of a strong physician-patient relationship. Many physicians have legitimate concerns about the prospects of having their salary or level reimbursement linked to patient satisfaction. I would too given the way most health care providers go about measuring and interpreting patient satisfaction data. A major concern of physicians is the issue of patient requests – particularly the impact of unfulfilled (and unreasonable) requests upon patient satisfaction. According to researchers, explicit patient requests for medications, diagnostic tests and specialty referrals occur in between 25% to 40% of primary care visits. This figure is much higher when requests for information are factored in. (more…) *This blog post was originall... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862545 Wed, 25 May 2011 14:00:01 +0100 4862545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848022&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F2dCY8-XWSbI%2F It’s Friday afternoon, and I realize it’s been days since I’ve posted here. (Make sure you catch my posts on EMR and HIPAA every Thursday, including my latest on Dr. Larry Weed and his critiques of current health IT systems.) I think it’s time for a rundown of some interesting developments this week. Weed apparently is not the only one who’s disappointed in the pace of change in healthcare. Dr. Bill Crounse, senior director of worldwide health for Microsoft, was at the World of Health IT conference in Budapest, Hungary, to deliver some scathing remarks at about North American health IT. According to Canadian Healthcare Technology, Crounse called the U.S. and Canada the “worst of the worst in the industrialized world in the use of IT in healthcare.”... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848022 Fri, 20 May 2011 19:32:13 +0100 4848022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848003&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F20%2Fmyths-about-rationality%2F Rationality has been a popular topic of discussion for many years.  There is a huge body of literature, popular and scholarly, that addresses rational thinking skills.  It seems as if everyone has an opinion on rationality.  Rationality is often misunderstood, and the word loses its importance when it is defined in terms so broad or ambiguous that it can mean virtually anything.  This confusion has contributed to myths concerning rationality. In a recent interview I asked cognitive scientist Keith Stanovich: What are the two most common myths about rationality? I am aware there are more than a few, but if you were limited to discussing two, what would they be and how do we combat these erroneous thoughts? Here is Dr. Stanovich’s answer: I discuss many of these in all my books, ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848003 Fri, 20 May 2011 16:33:15 +0100 4848003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848026&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F_97v-o6BSOE%2F Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. Last month, in my very first post for EMR and HIPAA, I mentioned Dr. Larry Weed in my commentary about the general public’s perception of clinical decision support. I referred to a 2007 study in the journal Medical Decision Making, which said, “Patients may surmise that a physician who uses a [decision support system] is not as capable as a physician who makes the diagnosis with no assistance from a DSS.” I then noted that Weed has been saying for more than 50 years that physicians shouldn’t have to rely on their memory to make clinical decisions when computers can help them process an increasingly voluminous knowledge base. As it turns out, Weed read my commentary. (I’m guessing that a computer, i.e., Google Aler... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848026 Thu, 19 May 2011 21:24:27 +0100 4848026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813404&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FWNwZU_GkVps%2F Oh man, I’ve been busy. I filled in as writer of the Midwest edition of Payers and Providers the last two weeks because regular editor Duncan Moore, a former colleague, had been hospitalized. (Get well soon, Duncan.) I’ve been at the Institute for Health Technology Transformation health IT summit in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., since yesterday, and I’ve also had my regular deadlines for InformationWeek and MobiHealthNews. I moderated two IHT2 conference sessions yesterday, on how health IT underpins Accountable Care Organizations and how business intelligence can create a framework for health information exchange. I haven’t had time to blog about those, but several people seem to have tweeted during those sessions. I therefore present a rundown via Twitter. @narmi91 #iHT2... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813404 Thu, 12 May 2011 00:13:28 +0100 4813404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794927&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FK8wwkSlT1Zg%2F Neils’ article about Unrealistic Expectations about Clinical Decision Support made me think of how important the ability to know where to find the information can be in so many different situations. In fact, memorization of where to search might be more valuable and useful than strict memorization of everything. The core point is that with very rare exception, the human mind can only store and recall so much information. However, if you only have to remember where to find a certain piece of information, it’s much easier to remember. For example, many of my readers probably don’t realize that I have a network of TV blogs. I get a lot of credit on those websites for listing out the music for those shows. Funny thing is that I’m not all that good at identifying songs. ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794927 Fri, 06 May 2011 17:43:44 +0100 4794927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758704&cid=t_100621_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F27%2Fjournal-of-the-american-medical-association-2011-vol-305-no-10%2F This article recommends a general framework for evaluating driver fitness relies on a functional evaluation of multiple domains (cognitive, motor, perceptual, and psychiatric) that are important for safe driving and can be applied across many disorders, including conditions that have rarely been studied with respect to driving, and in patients with multiple conditions and medications. Neurocognitive tests, driving simulation, and road tests provide complementary sources of evidence to evaluate driver safety. No single test is sufficient to determine who should drive and who should not. An NHS Athens password is required to access this article online, alternatively contact the Library for a copy of the article. Filed under: Current Awareness Tagged: Accidents, Aging, Atrial Fibrillation, Co... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758704 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 11:32:57 +0100 4758704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753798&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F0KFMueXj3ss%2F CPOE (Computerized Provider Order Entry), is the direct entering of orders into a computer (or mobile device), so that the order is documented in a digital, structured, and computable format. Meaningful Use Core Measure: CPOE More than 30% of unique patients with at least one medication in their medication list seen by the EP have at least one medication order entered using CPOE. Exclusion: providers who write fewer than 100 prescriptions during the reporting period. CPOE is one of the measures that elicited quite an animated response from the provider community. When initially proposed, this measure required 80% of all orders to be directly entered by the provider. To overcome objections to the scope of the requirement and the burden it would impose, CMS ultimately limited the measure to ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753798 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:41:02 +0100 4753798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742491&cid=t_100621_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_100621_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=4747723&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Fneil%2F2011%2F04%2F21%2Fmore-unrealistic-expectations-from-the-public-this-time-involving-cds%2F Yet again, someone needs to educate the general public about healthcare in general and health IT in particular. HealthLeaders last week asked the question, “Does Decision Support Make Docs Look Dumb?” The story, apparently based on a 2007 study (not 2008, as HealthLeaders reported) in the journal Medical Decision Making, says: “Most clinicians would agree that evidence-based decision support tools have the potential to improve clinical quality. But patients’ perception of the tools—and the physicians who use them—might be yet another barrier to their adoption. The problem is twofold: Some patients are skeptical of docs who need a computer to help them make a diagnosis. And some physicians don’t want to be seen as being too reliant on technology.” We’ve... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747723 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:05:53 +0100 4747723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723803&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fevidence-that-doctors-make-bad-patients%2F2011.04.18 Physicians recommend treatments with higher survival rates for their patients, but they make more mental mistakes when they are the patient and have to choose for themselves. Psychologists know that when people make decisions for others, they are dispassionate enough to be less swayed by extraneous factors. Even toddlers make less impulsive decisions for others than they do for themselves. Researchers surveyed general internists and family medicine specialists about two scenarios, each with two treatment alternatives. Both outcomes involved a choice between surviving a fatal illness but with sometimes crippling outcomes. Physicians were randomized to groups in which they imagined themselves as the patient facing the decision, or in which they were recommending an option to a patient. (more... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723803 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:00:00 +0100 4723803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719932&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FvA8fH867OTY%2F Search by alphabetic or category listings of a myriad of test titles. You will find included in Buros’s Institute of Mental Measurements free information on 3,500 commercially available assessments. For: Clinicians, ResearchersTopics: Academia, Behaviour Management, Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, Clinical Tool Development, Psycho-education, PsychometricsFeatures: Assessment Instruments, Databases, Information, e-learningSearch by alphabetic or category listings of a myriad of test titles.  You will find included in Buros’s Institute of Mental Measurements free information on 3,500 commercially available assessments. Over 2,500 of these same assessments have been critically reviewed by the Buros Institute.  The reviews can be purchased for 15 $ a review. (Sourc... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719932 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:00:56 +0100 4719932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696693&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34958&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.counsellingresource.com%2F%7Er%2Fpsychology-philosophy%2F%7E3%2F1gzX2KlCXbk%2F Buying into a particular life script -- a sequence of life stages that define what we do and when we do it -- is easy to do without full consideration. Are we living old, inadequate scripts or are we adapting to new times and circumstances?Tags: decision making, independence, marketing, school and studies, society, work-life (Source: Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life) Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696693 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:02:10 +0100 4696693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696636&cid=t_100621_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emergencyweb.net%2Flibrary%2Fmp3.php%3Ff%3Deits_ep038_disaster_help.mp3 The LITFL Review is your regular and reliable source for the highest highlights, sneakiest sneak peaks and loudest shout-outs from the webbed world of emergency medicine and critical care (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696636 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:16:03 +0100 4696636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670109&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoes-your-doctor-trust-you%2F2011.04.02 Members of the  American public are frequently surveyed about their trust in various professionals.  Doctors and nurses usually wind up near the top of the list, especially when compared to lawyers, hairdressers and politicians.  Trust in professionals is important to us: they possess expertise we lack but need, to solve problems ranging from the serious (illness) to the relatively trivial (appearance). How much professionals trust us seems irrelevant: our reciprocity is expressed in the form of payment for services rendered or promised, our recommendations to friends and families and repeat appearances. So I was surprised to read an article in the Annals of Family Medicine describing a new scale to measure doctors’ trust in their patients.  This scale, based on input from focus grou... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670109 Sat, 02 Apr 2011 18:00:08 +0100 4670109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658416&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FfJnd2T4XH_8%2F URL: http://www.brunswik.org/The Brunswik Society is an informal association of researchers who are interested in understanding and improving human judgment and decision making. For: Clinicians, ResearchersTopics: Academia, Behaviour Management, Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, General Psychology, History of Psychology, Research Methods, TeachingFeatures: Articles, Author Lists, Collaborative News, Conferences, Information, Links, Research, Societal or Organizational Membership, e-learning The Brunswik Society is an informal association of researchers who are interested in understanding and improving human judgment and decision making. Members of the Society share an appreciation of the work of the psychologist Egon Brunswik. The Society has no dues. Its primary activitie... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658416 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:00:15 +0100 4658416 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658385&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-salzberg-statement-patients-must-be-involved-in-healthcare-decisions%2F2011.03.30 Last Thursday at the headquarters of the British Medical Journal in London, an important announcement will be made about patients’ rights to be actively involved in decisions about their treatment. Below is the press release about it. The subject is shared decision making, which we’ve been posting about recently (series here; initial post here.) Developed by the participants in a Salzburg Global Seminar last December, the document is called the Salzburg Statement. The pivotal distinction here is the difference between informed consent, in which the physician assesses the options and selects one, and gets your consent to do it; and informed choice, in which clinicians tell you the options, with all the pros and cons, and let you choose, based on your preferences. Click the image to do... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658385 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:00:46 +0100 4658385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642726&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FB0_WsC3JVZ8%2F Just a reminder, the $3 million Heritage Health Prize competition will kick off on April 4. Sponsored by the Heritage Provider Network in Southern and Central California, the competition is meant to promote innovation in predictive modeling and clinical decision support, with the goal of helping physicians develop care plans to keep high-risk patients healthy and out of the hospital. In a story I wrote for Inside Healthcare IT (formerly Inside Healthcare Computing) in January, I explained that HPN will provide contestants with three years worth of de-identified claims data on 100,000 patients, from which they are expected to develop algorithms to identify high-risk patients. “We’re looking for an algorithm to allow us to predict, based on a person’s history, the likelihood of a perso... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642726 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 02:29:54 +0100 4642726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4626886&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FuP93TL-iZGE%2F The slams on Dr. Donald Berwick, frankly, are getting pathetic. Today, Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel dismissed Berwick as a “basically a policy wonk” who “hasn’t really practiced since 1989.” Siegel tried to score points with sound bites. “This guy has more quotes than Yogi Berra, and let me tell you something, these quotes are an indictment on people that want clinicians to make decisions,” Siegel said on Fox this afternoon. Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com According to Siegel, comparative effectiveness “doesn’t work in the real world.” Well, sure, that’s the point of clinical decision support. Best practices are for common conditions, and clinical decision support is to help physicians either foll... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626886 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:11:49 +0100 4626886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615096&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftracking-medical-practice-variation-is-the-treatment-necessary%2F2011.03.21 It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. Sherlock Holmes, in Scandal in Bohemia I’ve been reading Jack Wennberg’s new book Tracking Medicine, which is about his lifetime of work in understanding the reality of how medicine is practiced, as a route to helping us achieve the best care possible for each of us. My first post about this was three months ago, en route to a seminar on SDM (shared decision making); my first post after the seminar was shortly after. The whole subject has bent my thinking about healthcare so severely that it’s taken me this long to decide what to say next. Key findings: Your doctors, with the best of intentions and the best of training, may unwittingly... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615096 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:00:58 +0100 4615096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615191&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FfK9AWVu0SF4%2F URL: http://www.apsa.org/The American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA), the oldest national psychoanalytic organization in the nation, was founded in 1911. APsaA, as a professional organization for psychoanalysts, focuses on education, research and membership development. For: Clinicians, Researchers, StudentsTopics: Academia, Behaviour Management, Clinical Decision Making, Common Factors, General Psychology, Psychodynamic, PsychotherapyFeatures: Articles, Careers, Collaborative News, Community and Social Networking, Conferences, Information, Journals, Links, Networking, Research, Resources, Societal or Organizational Membership, TrainingThe American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA), the oldest national psychoanalytic organization in the nation, was founded in 1911. APsaA, as a profess... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615191 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 17:00:40 +0100 4615191 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575058&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbad-medical-marketing-an-ad-the-fda-should-pull%2F2011.03.11 If ever a medical device company crossed a line with their marketing, this one has. Essure, which makes a sterilization device for women, is trying to scare men away from vasectomy in order to drive women to use their device. “We made men watch footage of an actual vasectomy,” says the female voiceover — and then they proceed to show men’s reactions to watching a surgical procedure, with “That’s frickin’ gross, man” being the most memorable quote. The final tagline: “You can only wait so long for him to man up.” Yeah, and to be sure he doesn’t, they’ve created this ad. The ad is slimy, harmful, obnoxious, and just plain stupid. A couple’s decision as to which sterilization procedure is best for them should be one informed by real information, not f... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575058 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:00:26 +0100 4575058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4565906&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbreast-reconstruction-after-mastectomy-are-patients-making-good-decisions%2F2011.03.09 The objective of the study was to “measure women’s knowledge about reconstruction and to evaluate the degree to which treatments reflected patients’ goals and preferences.” Their conclusion (bold emphasis is mine): Women treated with mastectomy in this study were not well-informed about breast reconstruction. Treatments were associated with patients’ goals and concerns, however, and patients were highly involved in their decisions. Knowledge deficits suggest that breast cancer patients would benefit from interventions to support their decision making. Granted the study was small, but it left me wondering if we the medical community fails to educate these women.   The study involved a cross-sectional survey of early-stage breast cancer survivors from four university ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4565906 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:30:00 +0100 4565906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4554606&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoctors-and-thought-control%2F2011.03.06 Here’s my column in the March issue of Emergency Medicine News. Second Opinion: Be Smarter Than Your Brain “Everyone is a drug seeker. Why does everyone want to be on disability? I’m so tired of lies. Great, another lousy shift. I wonder who will die tonight? I’m so sick of suffering. I’m so weary of misery and loss. I hope this never happens to my family. I’ll probably get sued. Being sued nearly drove me crazy. This job never gets easier, only harder. I have to find something else to do; I can’t go on this way. I think I’m going crazy. I don’t have any more compassion. People hate me now.” These are only a few of the wonderful thoughts that float through the minds of emergency physicians these days. Sure, not every physician has them. But I know our specialty... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4554606 Sun, 06 Mar 2011 20:00:57 +0100 4554606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549755&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F03%2F04%2Fthe-press-conference-about-the-u-s-supreme-courts-bruesewitz-decision%2F Thursday, March 3, 2011, just may be a high water mark in vaccine advocacy issues. Numerous vaccine safety advocates assembled on the apron of the massive front steps to the U.S. Supreme Court on First Street, NE, in Washington, DC, to let the court—and the world—know that the highest court in the land got it wrong and did not act to protect an individual’s right to be compensated when damaged by a medical product: vaccines. The court’s February 22, 2011, decision ‘amputated’ tort law while setting a legal precedent that just may scare many more parents from having their children vaccinated. Hannah Bruesewitz’s father spoke as did Emily Tersell, whose 21-year-old daughter died after her third Gardasil® injection, as did Attorney Rolf Hazlehurst explain how his son, Yates, wa... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549755 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:49:35 +0100 4549755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536151&cid=t_100621_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fwhat-ever-you-say-doctor.html At the end of a consultation, I usually ask my patients - So what have you decided ? What would you like to do next ? After all, IVF is an elective treatment; and infertile couples have many choices. These are very personal decisions, which are best made by the couple themselves, rather than the doctor.Often, many patients will answer - Whatever you say, doctor !While it may seem very flattering that they are willing to allow me to make the decision for them, this is actually not a good answer , and I am unhappy when I hear this !I'd much rather have a patient who took the time and trouble to understand their options, so they could make the decision for themselves . The best decision is one you make yourselfI will not let them make the wrong decision - but when there are choices, patients ... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536151 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 03:30:00 +0100 4536151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517168&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffaces-of-medical-error-the-story-of-michael-skolnik%2F2011.02.24 I was very sad and quite angry after watching a powerful video this weekend entitled ”The Faces of Medical Error: From Tears to Transparency.” It’s the story of Michael Skolnik. His mother, Patty, gave me the video when I met her recently. Michael had what may have been unnecessary brain surgery in 2001 and died three years later. The Skolniks worked on this video as part of an educational campaign on medical error, and they created an organization now named Citizens for Patient Safety. Here’s a trailer to the video: You can also watch a Today Show segment that profiled the Skolniks from a few years ago: While much of the message is about medical errors and malpractice, the Skolniks also promote a message of the “critical need for shared decision-making.&#... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517168 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:00:53 +0100 4517168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517169&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbook-review-tabloid-medicine-how-the-internet-is-being-used-to-hijack-medical-science-for-fear-and-profit%2F2011.02.24 This was the Guest Blog at Scientific American on February 23rd, 2011.  In his new book, “Tabloid Medicine: How The Internet Is Being Used to Hijack Medical Science for Fear and Profit,” Robert Goldberg, PhD, explains why the Internet is a double-edged sword when it comes to health information. On the one hand, the Web can empower people with quality medical information that can help them make informed decisions. On the other hand, the Web is an unfiltered breeding ground for urban legends, fear-mongering and snake oil salesmen. Goldberg uses case studies to expose the sinister side of health misinformation. Perhaps the most compelling example of a medical “manufactroversy” (defined as a manufactured controversy that is motivated by profit or extreme ideology to in... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517169 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:00:01 +0100 4517169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507280&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fselecting-targeted-therapies-online-the-future-of-personalized-cancer-treatment%2F2011.02.22 The word cancer comes from the greek word for crab “karkinos,” so named by Hippocrates who visualized the tumor and its surrounding vessels looking like a crab, dug stubbornly into the sand with its legs. We know far more about cancer today than the ancient Greeks, but the vision of an entrenched opponent, almost impossible to extract whole, appears to be vividly prescient. What we have realized over the last half century is that removal of the visible tumor is not enough. Even as we learned how to do bigger and more destructive surgeries, the cancer still managed to sneak back in, growing later at different locations. The crab’s legs are still embedded in the patient. Thus the discovery that certain chemicals could extinguish these rogue cells opened the modern era of cancer therapy... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507280 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:00:25 +0100 4507280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445803&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-doctors-brain-the-most-important-piece-of-healthcare-technology%2F2011.02.07 Some people may tell you that healthcare IT will solve many of the quality and cost problems in healthcare. I don’t believe them. I know a 70-year old man named Carlos (not his real name) who was hospitalized following a bout of hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is a build-up of fluid in the skull, which affects the brain. Among other things, people with hydrocephalus can be confused, irritable, and nauseous. Carlos had all of these symptoms. Carlos’ problem was fixable by inserting a special kind of drain in his head called a “shunt.” This kind of shunt is, essentially, a series of catheters that runs from the brain into the abdomen, and which drain the excess fluid. You can’t see it from the outside, so it’s meant to stay inside of you for a very long time. For a week after Ca... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445803 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:00:08 +0100 4445803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445805&cid=t_100621_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2Fc2ECFg2qEN8%2F The LITFL Review is your regular and reliable source for the highest highlights, sneakiest sneak peaks and loudest shout-outs from the webbed world of emergency medicine and critical care (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445805 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:38:09 +0100 4445805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433138&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FahyWG7Pa2zQ%2F URL: http://www.hsl.virginia.edu/historical/eugenics/index.cfmFrom psychcentral.com/blog which is highly recommended of course, if you haven’t read them, come many different and various blogs dealing with many facets of psychology. I recently read a blog by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., on the psychcentral blog World of Psychology discussing Eugenics and Carrie Buck, who was a woman who was sterilized in 1927 in the State of Virginia because some viewed her and her family as imbeciles and that they should not reproduce. Horrendous as this is, considering no one knows how a person will turn out, regardless of his or her environment or hereditary issues–many “higher ups” in society considered eugenics to be the right thing to do. Read more about eugenics on this websit... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433138 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:00:05 +0100 4433138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399623&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34958&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.counsellingresource.com%2F%7Er%2Fpsychology-philosophy%2F%7E3%2FfqFzfxE0PuE%2F The latest crop of reality TV tells stories of people suffering because their homes are filled with useless junk and filth. But how many of us treat our time as badly as these people treat their spaces? You may be a "time hoarder" and not even know it.Tags: applying psychology, decision making, denial, OCD, positive psychology, work-life (Source: Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life) Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399623 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:16:16 +0100 4399623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399646&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2011%2F01%2F25%2Fdo-emrs-improve-the-quality-of-healthcare%2F In conclusion, the editorial writers from the National Library of Medicine state, “Only when EHRs carry rich repositories can we expect EHRs to reach their promise and CDS to have measurable effects on a broad range of quality measures at the national level.” My conclusion is that the use of clinical decision support within EMRs can impact quality on a national level but that early implementation of EMRs may take time to demonstrate this impact. (Source: eHealth) eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399646 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:22:52 +0100 4399646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399620&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F23800187%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7ESecrets-of-the-Moneylab.htm Book Review: Secrets of the Moneylab: How Behavioral Economics Can Impact Your Business by Kay Yut Chen with Marina Krakovsky Economics can be dry stuff – remember “macro,” “micro,” and supply/demand curves? Fortunately, Secrets of the Moneylab is a lot more fun than Econ 101 because it focuses not on theory but on how people [...] Comments[...] described in Secrets of the Moneylab by Kay-Yut Chen and ... by It Really DOES Pay to Schmooze | NeuromarketingOur take away is that the scientific method works. Test ... by Rich and Co.[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Graham Hill, Roger ... by Tweets that mention Secrets of the Moneylab by Kay-Yut Chen | Neuromarketing -- Topsy.comRelated StoriesScary Thought: A Treatment for Impulse BuyingT... Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399620 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:28:54 +0100 4399620 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394531&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F23800187%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7ESecrets-of-the-Moneylab-by-KayYut-Chen.htm Book Review: Secrets of the Moneylab: How Behavioral Economics Can Impact Your Business by Kay Yut Chen with Marina Krakovzky Economics can be dry stuff – remember “macro,” “micro,” and supply/demand curves? Fortunately, Secrets of the Moneylab is a lot more fun than Econ 101 because it focuses not on theory but on how people [...] CommentsCommentsRelated StoriesScary Thought: A Treatment for Impulse BuyingThe Price of Everything by Eduardo PorterNeuromarketing on WebProNews (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394531 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:28:54 +0100 4394531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355716&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-patients-have-clinical-judgment%2F2011.01.16 I used to think they didn’t, but they do. Clinical judgment is the application of individual experience to the variables of a patient’s medical presentation. It’s the hard-worn skill of knowing what to do and how far to go in a particular situation. It’s having the confidence to do nothing. Clinical judgment is learned from seeing lots of sick people. Good clinical judgment is when the gifted capacity of reasoning intersects with experience. Some doctors have better judgment than others. Aristotle called this phronesis – or practical judgment. Patients have practical judgment. We often can tell when something’s amiss with our own body. Things feel different or look different. Taking action on these observations is how we exercise judgment as patients. Parents of chi... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355716 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:00:49 +0100 4355716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4298622&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbecoming-a-savvy-healthcare-consumer-a-difficult-science%2F2010.12.29 Dr. Kent Bottles is in the midst of a very thoughtful multi-part blog post under the heading, “The Difficult Science Behind Becoming a Savvy Healthcare Consumer.” Part I examined “the limitations of science in helping us make wise choices and decisions about our health.” Part II explores “how we all have to change if we are to live wisely in a time of rapid transformation of the American healthcare system that everyone agrees needs to decrease per-capita cost and increase quality.” Both parts so far have addressed important issues about news media coverage of healthcare. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4298622 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:00:30 +0100 4298622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277820&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FlzMi7K3F1hg%2F By Chris EdwardsFormer President George W. Bush’s book Decision Points is apparently selling quite well. The book includes a defense of the president’s fiscal record, and a table on page 447 compares Bush to prior presidents on spending and debt (you can see the table on Amazon’s search inside feature). One problem with the table is that Bush claims credit for the low spending and debt of President Clinton’s last year, fiscal 2001. The first budget Bush crafted was for fiscal 2002. Here are the data reported by Bush, and data recalculated to better reflect the budgets that each president had some control over. Figures are averages over the fiscal year periods, measured as a share of GDP: Decision Points Comparison: Clinton (1993-2000) 19.8%, Bush (2001-2008) 19.6%... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277820 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:03:18 +0100 4277820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253206&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34958&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.counsellingresource.com%2F%7Er%2Fpsychology-philosophy%2F%7E3%2FMNwp8dfbgb8%2F Feeling that your freedom of choice has been taken away can be deeply frustrating, but even in very restrictive circumstances, we can still choose how to respond to what is going on in our lives -- by recognising the limitations of our ability to exercise control and then making our choices within them.Tags: addiction, decision making, mindful awareness, motivation, work-life, writing (Source: Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life) Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253206 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:19:02 +0100 4253206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4249144&cid=t_100621_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FxAEgL8C2KQY%2F The frontal lobes of the brain (in gray here) have been compared to an orchestra conductor, ­influencing, directing, and moderating many other brain functions. Indeed, the frontal lobes support the so-called executive functions: decision-making, problem-solving, planning, inhibiting, as well as other high-level functions (social behavior, emotional control, working memory, etc.). Ready for an executive workout? The functions of the frontal lobes are crucial for work and life in general. How can we preserve and enhance these functions? Research tells us that cognitive or brain reserve (i.e., the brain’s resilience to pathology) can be increased by mental exercise. Mental exercise has to be challenging (to trigger the formation of new synapses and neurons) and repeated (a single teaser wi... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4249144 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:48:25 +0100 4249144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233185&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-privatizing-medicare-is-highly-explosive%2F2010.12.06 In response to my recent post where I averred that the cigarette companies were treated as scapegoats, I have had several cyber and actual conversations about personal responsibility. I believe that folks should realize the consequences and the benefits of freely-made decisions. While we want American society to be compassionate, we do not want to punish success and reward failure. Our goal is to do all that we can to maximize everyone’s success. We should be ready to assist those who need and deserve our private and governmental assistance, but personal effort and responsibility are necessary elements of these interventions. In our gastrroenterology practice, when we see patients who are in financial difficulty, my physician partners and staff will do all that we can to help them. While... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233185 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 17:00:00 +0100 4233185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225451&cid=t_100621_122_f&fid=34756&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrainethics.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F03%2Fsex-and-money-common-or-different-currencies%2F How are values computed in the brain? Rewards can be as many things: the expectation when having just ordered your favourite dish; the child’s joy at Christmas Eve; the enjoyment of good music or the wonderful taste of strawberries. But how does the brain process these many different kinds of rewards? Does it treat all types of rewards equally or does the brain distinguish between different kinds of rewards? Rewards can come in many different forms: from sex, social recognition, food when you’re hungry, or money. But it is still an open question whether the brain processes such rewards in different ways, or whether there is a “common currency” in the brain for all types of rewards. Guillaume Sescousse and his colleagues in Lyon recently reported a study on how t... BRAINETHICS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225451 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 07:48:52 +0100 4225451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214108&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Funderstanding-treatment-the-communication-disconnect-between-doctors-and-patients%2F2010.11.30 Over the long week­end I caught up on some read­ing. One arti­cle* stands out. It’s on informed con­sent, and the stun­ning dis­con­nect between physi­cians’ and patients’ under­stand­ing of a procedure’s value. The study, pub­lished in the Sept 7th Annals of Inter­nal Med­i­cine, used sur­vey meth­ods to eval­u­ate 153 car­di­ol­ogy patients’ under­stand­ing of the poten­tial ben­e­fit of per­cu­ta­neous coro­nary inter­ven­tion (PCI or angio­plasty). The inves­ti­ga­tors, at Baystate Med­ical Cen­ter in Mass­a­chu­setts, com­pared patients’ responses to those of car­di­ol­o­gists who obtained con­sent and who per­formed the pro­ce­dure. As out­lined in the article’s intro­duc­tion, PCI reduces heart attacks in patients wi... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214108 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:00:42 +0100 4214108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179548&cid=t_100621_180_f&fid=38619&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FALifeCoachsBlog%2F%7E3%2F2EOFifjcVKQ%2F A couple of weeks ago on evening after eating dinner my wife asked me if I wanted to try out one of her fancy new tooth picks. In the great scheme of things toothpicks are not the kind of thing to get me fired up and as I was likely to be flossing later on, the spinach could stay where it was and I politely declined. She didn’t want to let it lie though and kept pestering me to check them out. Finally and obviously exasperated by my lack of compliance she said; “Well, Zoe Ball raves over them” “Oh, ok I’ll give them a go then” I replied. I pulled the top off one and started to play about with it was surprised just how good it was. It was more like a mini-toothbrush than a toothpick. It had little brushes on the end to really clean in between the gaps and it felt surprisingly pl... Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone : blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179548 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:56:19 +0100 4179548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4167956&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-decision-making-and-don-berwicks-leaders-with-plans%2F2010.11.15 From a recent post of the Retired Doc’s Thoughts blog entitled “What Are the Plans Of Don Berwick’s ‘Leaders With Plans?’“: “I wonder which is worse: A medical leader recommending price controls out of ignorance of basic economics or being aware of the likely outcomes and mak[ing] that recommendation anyway?” Wow. I’m speechless. Thanks to Retired Doc for getting this out in a cogent summary. *This blog post was originally published at GruntDoc* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167956 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 23:00:55 +0100 4167956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4142749&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-the-elderly-benefit-from-the-fury-of-american-medicine%2F2010.11.07 I don’t consider myself a right-wing healthcare fear monger, but if I were this study would be worthy of amplification. As reported concisely in the New York Times, from the journal Demography (not previously known to me), population researchers reported that even though elderly Americans have more medical problems than their peers in Britain, older Americans live longer once they make it to 70. Why would this be? Is it because Americans who reach 70 are “heartier” than Britons, as Columbia University PhD (but now on leave and working at HHS) Sherry Giled says. Or is better survival of the American elderly one of the benefits of the “fury of American medicine?” (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Dr John M* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4142749 Sun, 07 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0100 4142749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4142807&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F07%2F7-things-ive-learned-in-7-years-of-marriage%2F A little while ago, my wife and I celebrated seven years of marriage. While ours is a good, healthy relationship, it’s also had its share of ups and downs like any other. With half of all marriages seemingly doomed to failure, here are seven things I’ve learned so far from being married. It may help to know that neither of us have been married previously, and we both entered into our marriage with an understanding about the commitment that a marriage — for it to last — takes. So all of the things I’ve learned are based upon the belief that marriage is a serious, long-lasting commitment — not a reason to throw a party, or to “try on” new relationships for awhile. Many of the tips below work not just for marriage, but any long-term, committed r... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4142807 Sun, 07 Nov 2010 14:55:58 +0100 4142807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098062&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FVT5lekdzgnM%2F URL: http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=368Family Caregiver Alliance is a public voice for caregivers, illuminating the daily challenges they face, offering them the assistance they so desperately need and deserve, and championing their cause through many means. For: Anyone, ConsumersTopics: ADHD, Anxiety, Aspergers, Behaviour Management, Child and Adolescent, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Eating Disorders, Emotional Health, General Psychology, Life, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Personality disorders, Attachment, Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Fitness, Common Factors, Developmental, Health and Social Services, Life, Lifestyle, Quality of Life, RelationshipsFeatures... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098062 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:00:35 +0100 4098062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098063&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FnufKesuz-Xo%2F URL: http://www.growthhouse.org/Growth House, Inc., gives you free access to over 4,000 pages of high-quality education materials about end-of-life care, palliative medicine, and hospice care, including the full text of several books. We provide education both for the general public and for health care professionals. For: Anyone, Consumers, ConsumersTopics: ADHD, Anxiety, Aspergers, Behaviour Management, Child and Adolescent, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Eating Disorders, Emotional Health, General Psychology, Life, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Personality disorders, Attachment, Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Fitness, Common Factors, Developmental, Health and Social Services, Life, Lifestyle,... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098063 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:00:32 +0100 4098063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074151&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FALMZDWdiudg%2F URL: http://www.trich.org/index.html?FC=5935453Most humans pull, pluck, and pick at their hair, skin and nails in small amounts. But when these behaviors become excessive, they are considered disorders and can cause a lot of suffering. For: Anyone, ConsumersTopics: Behaviour Management, Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Depression, Diagnosis, Educational Psychology, Emotional Health, General Psychology, General Science, Life, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Self-helpFeatures: Articles, Clinical Tools, Collaborative News, Conferences, Group Management, Information, Links, Research, Societal or Organizational Membership, e-learning Most humans pull, pluck, and pick at their hair, skin and nails in small amounts. But when these behaviors become excessiv... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074151 Sat, 16 Oct 2010 17:00:32 +0100 4074151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040617&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F21224594%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EScary-Thought-A-Treatment-for-Impulse-Buying.htm Here’s a thought that would terrify many marketers… what if consumers prone to impulsive behavior decided to take a pill to quiet those impulses? While clearly lack of impulse control is a serious issue for some individuals and can lead to extreme behavior, marketers of everything from checkout lane mints to Porsches depend to some [...] CommentsThis will have to happen: - These self-harming behaviors are ... by Rich and Co.Ramon, I agree that the world would certainly be a different ... by Roger DooleyI think in the long run it will be better for us humans. ... by RamonRelated StoriesBit Pickles & Fuzzy OlivesPaper Beats Digital For EmotionNeuromarketing Standards Battle Ahead? (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040617 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:43:14 +0100 4040617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031313&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34958&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.counsellingresource.com%2F%7Er%2Fpsychology-philosophy%2F%7E3%2F12U0RFbqcUk%2F Confusion can be a big part of the process of change. It is often unavoidable, but here are four things we can do to make a time of confusion easier to get through.Tags: decision making, relationships (Source: Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life) Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031313 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:04:49 +0100 4031313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3976498&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpersonalizing-your-health-an-interview-with-thomas-goetz%2F2010.09.16 As an invited media guest at Mayo Clinic’s Transform 2010 symposium earlier this week, I had the pleasure of interviewing presenter Thomas Goetz, Executive Editor of Wired Magazine and author of the new book The Decision Tree: Taking Control of Your Health in the New Era of Personalized Medicine. Thomas writes about science, health, and medicine and believes that engaging people in their health and involving them as participants and decision makers leads to improving their behavior and their health outcomes. He knows there’s a technology emergence of cheaper, better tools that have the ability to offer people a way “in” — from self-tracking gadgets to online disease communities and beyond. Thomas is intrigued by the confluence of ideas and technology that ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3976498 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 19:44:29 +0100 3976498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3935855&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F09%2F06%2Fcuretogether-honored-with-amgenashoka-changemakers-award%2F We are so excited! CureTogether’s entry into the Ashoka Changemakers patient empowerment competition won the Early Entry Prize for best idea entered by the early deadline! From the competition website: The Amgen Foundation is supporting the Patients| Choices| Empowerment competition with Ashoka’s Changemakers to answer the question of how we can elevate patients’ voices to improve health outcomes globally. Submit your solutions, or nominate a project, in this challenge that empowers patients to make decisions with confidence and clarity, in concert with people who care and can help. Congratulations to the Early Entry Prize winner: CureTogether – Crowdsourced Patient Experience. Learn how they are working to empower patients HERE. Prizes: Enter before the competition dea... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3935855 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:31:12 +0100 3935855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3935825&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FhmDWyIEvhcM%2F URL: http://www.quackwatch.com/Quackwatch has grown considerably. To help visitors with special areas of interest, we maintain 22 additional sites for autism, chiropractic, dentistry, multilevel marketing, and many other hot topics. For: AnyoneTopics: Academia, Behaviour Management, Bipolar, Chronic Disease, Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, Counselling, Depression, Diagnosis, General Psychology, General Science, Health Promotion, Health and Social Services, Life, Lifestyle, Medicine, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Self-helpFeatures: Articles, Case Studies, Clinical Tools, Collaborative News, Community and Social Networking, Group Management, Information, Links, Networking, Newsletter, Research, Research Tools, ResourcesQuackwatch has grown considerably. To help visit... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3935825 Sun, 05 Sep 2010 17:00:04 +0100 3935825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3914997&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fspinal-fusion-device-from-revolutionary-advance-to-public-health-alert%2F2010.08.30 There are many stories journalists could report on about conflicts of interest and questions about evidence in the treatment of low back pain, perhaps especially with spinal fusion. We talked about many of these with journalists from the American Society of News Editors in a workshop at the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making in Boston in May. John Fauber of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel hammers one of these issues, looking at how Medtronic’s Infuse product “went from revolutionary advance to public health alert.” Here’s his story on MedPageToday: “Spinal Fusion Device: A Bone of Contention for FDA.”  His entire series entitled “Side Effects: Money, Medicine and Patients” is indexed on the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel website. Th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3914997 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:00:22 +0100 3914997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3885390&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2F_pQ9YNflSJc%2F URL: http://www.iam1inamillion.net/Most people keep mental disorders like Major Depression, PTSD, and Social Phobia a secret, because they fear being— • Rejected by family & friends • Harassed • Fired or not hired • Denied child custody So far, attempts to end this discrimination and fear have been led by a few strong individuals. But strength also comes in numbers. Every year, 50 million U.S. adults have a mental disorder—if just one out of every 50 admits this, without shame or embarrassment— • Others will learn that mental disorders don’t come from personal weakness, and don’t make people violent or unpredictable. • More people will feel comfortable seeking treatment. Two thirds of people who need treatment don’t ask for it. • We will help each other stand... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3885390 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:00:24 +0100 3885390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3812978&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-error-free-is-your-doctors-care%2F2010.08.02 According to the Annals of Internal Medicine, doctors make the wrong medical decisions surprisingly often. Using a “mystery patient” technique –- in which actors pretended to be patients –- researchers found that doctors made errors in complicated cases in 60 percent to 90 percent of cases. Sixty to ninety percent. In uncomplicated cases, they made errors in nearly 30 percent of cases. As one study participant put it, “I was shocked.” The study took place over three years, and included more than 100 doctors in six Chicago-area hospitals. The doctors had agreed to participate in a study on medical decision making, but had no idea that they might see a patient who was actually an actor. The actors recorded their conversations with the doctors. (more…) *This bl... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3812978 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:00:06 +0100 3812978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018283&cid=t_100621_118_f&fid=39279&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ffoxepractice%2F%7E3%2FpK3k33aQXnQ%2F Have you ever wanted to see a movie, but first asked your friends about it? If they’ve seen it and what they thought about it? I often do and what I usually hear are very conflicting reviews of the movie. One friend will tell me they love it, and another will in detail tell me how much they dislike it. As a result I find myself in a passive mode. My heart wants to listen to my friend who loved it, but the my other friend’s description of why they disliked it keeps showing up in my mind–effectively putting my decision on hold or causing me to consider another movie. Fortunately, I can go online and search for some actual facts. From the movie’s own website or from another trusted source, I can read more about the plot, characters and actors. This creates a more balanced... Fox ePractice blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018283 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:19:48 +0100 4018283 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718492&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fmoney-flowing-all-things-ehr The National Institutes of Health has awarded a research grant to a HealthPartners Research Foundation team to build and deploy an EHR-based clinical decision support system intended to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke in patients. The team will use the $3.7 million grant over five years to study "Prioritized Clinical Decision Support to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk." (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718492 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:51:48 +0100 3718492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3690806&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fthe-busy-trap-why-youre-not-getting-any-work-done%2F photo: Thinkstock Have you ever had a day at work when your planned course of action was interrupted in some way? You plan to finish working on a file, but then you get an email, and it seems easy to answer it right away. Then you finish the email, and your boss comes over to chat. Then you get thirsty, make a trip to the water cooler, and realize that an hour’s passed without getting any work done on your file. That’s what productivity experts call the “busy trap”. It’s when we react to whatever’s in our face at the moment instead of doing what’s most important. The key to avoiding it? Making decisions early and often about what the priorities for the day are. You have to decide what to do before you do it, and make sure that you always have a br... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3690806 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:21:45 +0100 3690806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641116&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-needs-be-done-tandem-ehr-adoption In an opinion piece in the Baltimore Sun last week, Ritu Agarwal related her personal experiences about the problems with paper-based patient records and in a very convincing way made a case for EHR adoption. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641116 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:38:33 +0100 3641116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641042&cid=t_100621_99_f&fid=35344&url=http%3A%2F%2Fzackarysholemberger.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fauthentic-values-and-real-interests.html These are very brief notes from a talk I attended at the Osler Center Day this past Friday.Sulmasy presented what he calls the traditional tripartite view of EOL decision making, each part of which suffers from significant defects. The top of the pyramid, the optimum, is customarily held to be the living will (LW). However, living wills are both too vague ("no heroic measures") and too specific ("CPR but no counterpulsation"), involve interpretation of texts, and aren't done by most people anyway (current living-will rates are about 15%, per Sulmasy).The next best choice is held to be substituted judgment (SJ). Sulmasy pointed out that SJ (a) places significant psychological pressure on families, with attendant sequelae; (b) is difficult to instruct family members in, because its meaning i... Zackary Sholem Berger blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641042 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 02:15:00 +0100 3641042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599492&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F25%2Fdoc-am-i-normal-yes%2F In conclusion, if you are experiencing any of these things, hang in there, it is a normal part of the human experience. If these things become more severe or difficult to cope with, or you want to learn how to master your individual experience with them, then counseling can be a great help. PS: I am back! - Will Meek, PhD (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599492 Tue, 25 May 2010 23:14:31 +0100 3599492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3595667&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F05%2F25%2Fgender-differences-in-frontal-lobes%2F Frontal lobes is the shorthand for the prefrontal cortex. It’s an important part of the human brain, the conductor of the large orchestra called the brain. It’s the seat of our executive functioning. Executive function relates to abilities to differentiate among conflicting thoughts, determine good and bad, better and best, same and different, future consequences of current activities, working toward a defined goal, prediction of outcomes, expectation based on actions, and social “control” (the ability to suppress urges that, if not suppressed, could lead to socially-unacceptable outcomes). Before, I wrote about gender difference in empathy and other neurobiological subjects. Mark the word difference, not superior or inferior, not better of worse, just different. Re... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3595667 Tue, 25 May 2010 06:01:40 +0100 3595667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3595712&cid=t_100621_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=3567943&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FYmBrQTxSCc0%2F URL: http://www.dsm5.org/pages/default.aspxPublication of the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in May 2013 will mark one the most anticipated events in the mental health field. As part of the development process, the preliminary draft revisions to the current diagnostic criteria for psychiatric diagnoses are now available for public review. For: Clinicians, ResearchersTopics: Academia, Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, Clinical Tool Development, Common Factors, Diagnosis, General Psychology, General ScienceFeatures: Assessment Instruments, Clinical Tools, Databases, Information, Research, Research Tools, Resources Publication of the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in May 2013 will ... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3567943 Sat, 15 May 2010 17:00:44 +0100 3567943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3546895&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2Fhz9x6QSfukk%2F URL: https://www.giveanhour.org/skins/gah/home.aspx?mode=userGive an Hour™ is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), founded in September 2005 by Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a psychologist in the Washington, D.C., area. The organization’s mission is to develop national networks of volunteers capable of responding to both acute and chronic conditions that arise within our society. For: Anyone, Clinicians, ConsumersTopics: Behaviour Management, Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, General Psychology, General Science, Health and Social Services, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Military, Online ConsultationFeatures: Collaborative News, Community and Social Networking, Databases, Information, Links, Networking, Online Counselling Give an Hour™ is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), founde... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3546895 Sat, 08 May 2010 17:00:24 +0100 3546895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499183&cid=t_100621_118_f&fid=36984&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthManagementRx%2F%7E3%2FFXd9pki_FVM%2Fproblem-every-behavior-change-platform.html Interesting - after using the brilliant #getupandmove for 4 months, running is so integrated into my life that I no longer need the app #qs via facebook.com To build something so useful at providing social support and helping motivate behavior change that - YOUR. USERS. OUTGROW. YOU. Wow, this is a first. The good news: #getupandmove is WORKING. The bad news: most of us fall off the wagon after a bit (cough cough Susannah, self). (Notice I do not believe the bad news is people stop wanting to #getupandmove, or stop wanting to use our platform). Unfortunately, the bad news is that behavior change maintained over time takes anywhere from 18-260+ days, depending on your personality, environmental variables, and a whole host of factors we don't currently know how to track and then optimize. R... Health Management Rx blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499183 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 02:15:00 +0100 3499183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494350&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2Fm_xJej3jods%2F URL: http://www.icsahome.com/Founded in 1979, the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) is a global network of people concerned about psychological manipulation and abuse in cultic groups, alternative movements, and other environments. ICSA is tax-exempt, supports civil liberties, and is not affiliated with any religious or commercial organizations. For: AnyoneTopics: Abnormal, Academia, Behaviour Management, Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Depression, General Psychology, Life, Lifestyle, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Self-harm and suicide, Social Psychology, Social Support, TraumaFeatures: Advertising, Articles, Author Lists, Clinical Tools, Collaborative News, Community and Social Networking, Conferences, Databases, Infor... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494350 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:00:13 +0100 3494350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479740&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F17%2Fembodied-rationality%2F Barbara Spellman and  Simone Schnall recently posted their fascinating paper, Embodied Rationality, on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * In the last decade, many cognitive and social psychology researchers have been inspired by the notion of “embodied cognition” – that cognition is grounded in actual bodily states, and that cognition takes place in the service of action. Consider two examples: (1) when wearing a backpack people perceive hills to be steeper than when not wearing one; (2) when holding a cup containing a hot drink people rate another person as more warm and friendly than when holding a cup containing a cold drink. Findings such as these suggest that behavioral law and economics’s emphasis on “irrationality” in decision making could bene... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479740 Sat, 17 Apr 2010 04:20:27 +0100 3479740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3471888&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2F15%2Fannouncing-the-curetogether-guide-to-depression%2F You are a part of this, too. Just like for Anxiety, this crowdsourced guide to depression is based on input from 1000 CureTogether members with Depression. Inside the book are insights about how to find out if you’re depressed, getting diagnosed, how to find a treatment that is most likely to work for you, running self-experiments, understanding cognitive bias in decision-making, and the latest discoveries from both patients and scientists around the world. The CureTogether Guide will help you navigate your way through Depression. Download your copy here. We hope it helps! (Source: The Collective Well) The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3471888 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:47:40 +0100 3471888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463585&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D451 Here’s a peek at the conversation in Australia regarding the pros and cons of private and public cord blood banking. It’s so interesting how different parts of the world are in different places when it comes to this conversation. In the US, there’s legislation pending requiring OBGYNs to advise patients of the availablility of cord blood storage; in Australia, patients who are exploring it may feel ostracized. http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/australian-news/7052267/opinions-divided-over-umbilical-cord-blood-bank/ (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463585 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:10:00 +0100 3463585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463563&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fhow-to-stop-procrastinating-today-not-tomorrow%2F Do you procrastinate about everything in your life, from projects at work to making a decision on new living room furniture? Here are four tips to help you stop thinking “after all, tomorrow is another day”. Tackle Tough Tasks Early Mid-morning is when you have the most energy and focus. So it’s the best time to do difficult or unpleasant tasks. If there’s something that you keep putting off, schedule it in the morning and give yourself a set time limit to get it done. Once it’s off your “to-do” list, the rest of your day will be a breeze. Molehills Aren’t Mountains The reason you put things off day after day is because you’re making them bigger than they need to be. Stop exaggerating the situation in your own mind and look at your task... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463563 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:55:22 +0100 3463563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060656&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2Fthe_essence_of_the_human_experience_what_is_normal.php This is the fifth in a series of articles on Emotional Intelligence for Personal Growth. Probably all of us have asked our self from time to time if our thoughts, feelings, or behavior at any single moment is "normal". Actually, there are different answers for each one of these. Normal behavior is, like it or not, defined by our legal, community (family, neighborhood, social group) and religious institutions. The law is enforced by our local police, and sanctioned by our courts. Religious values might be said to be collectively defined by our church going population and it's leadership. If we are observed behaving outside of legal boundaries, we may find ourselves in a court room facing a judge. If we stretch our community or religious values, we might be ostracized, and separated from t... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060656 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:49:27 +0100 4060656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3432932&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FpwXAYfn_IJk%2F URL: http://www.glitse.com/Free resources and information for GLBT communities. For: Anyone, Clinicians, ConsumersTopics: Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, Family Therapy, Mental Health, Mental Health Promotion, Psychiatry, Psychology and the Media, Psychotherapy, Quality of Life, RelationshipsFeatures: Advertising, Databases, Information, Links, Resources, Societal or Organizational Membership, Therapist DirectoryFree resources and information for GLBT communities. GLITSE works to educate the public in order to fight the fear and hatred that are often the results of ignorance and misinformation. We offer a wealth of resources to help. Through support, education and advocacy GLITSE promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their fa... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3432932 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:13:12 +0100 3432932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420577&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34623&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthnex.typepad.com%2Fweb_log%2F2010%2F03%2Fthe-analytics-virtual-center.html Over the course of 2009, IBM opened centers in Berlin, Beijing, London, New York, Tokyo and Washington D.C.  to advance the frontier of analytics: namely turning big data into new intelligence, predictive capabilities and insight. Healthcare is one area where analytics holds great promise. To support those physical solution centers we launched the Analytics Virtual Center (AVC) at the start of 2010, and welcome you to visit it, especially as we come up on the one year anniversary of the launch of our business analytics initiative. The AVC underscores a central tenet of Smarter Planet — how digital and physical worlds — databases and drydocks,  petabytes and powerplants — are weaving themselves together. Through it, people can extend their physical presence,... HealthNex blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420577 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:06:43 +0100 3420577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3404079&cid=t_100621_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fdesign-challenge-a-chat-with-our-professor-of-health-design.html Peter Jones may have a common name, but he’s a rare animal. He’s one of the few academic design experts focusing specifically on the user experience in healthcare. And we are delighted to welcome him this year as one of our expert judges for the 2010 DiabetesMine Design Challenge! FYI, Peter has a PhD in Design [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3404079 Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:00:16 +0100 3404079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3403981&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2F24%2Fjust-released-the-curetogether-guide-to-anxiety%2F . You are a part of this. It’s a new kind of health book that puts real-world data before authority, and teaches you how to make better decisions for your health. Inside, you’ll find 7 insight-filled sections to help you navigate your way through Anxiety. Download your copy here, or read on for the juicy details. . The Story Health books are usually written by experts who offer authoritative information about conditions, symptoms and treatments – people who usually don’t live with the condition themselves, but nevertheless tell you what you should do because they know best. This book is different. It’s based on the real-world experiences of patients. Our approach is not to tell you what to do, but to give you the hard data and the education to help you make yo... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3403981 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:57:33 +0100 3403981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395182&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2F23%2Fwhy-psychologists-shouldnt-prescribe%2F Beware psychiatrists bearing gifts. If psychology wants to remain a science based upon the understanding of human behavior — both normal and abnormal — and helping those with the “abnormal” components, it would do well to avoid going down the road of prescription privileges. But perhaps it’s already too late. We first noted this disturbing trend in 2006, how they were shot down 9 out of 9 times trying to gain prescription privileges in 2007, and why prescription privileges for psychologists will eventually drive psychiatrists out of a job. We also noted that one of the programs setup to help psychologists get prescription training wasn’t a “college” at all. The fundamental problem with psychologists gaining prescription privileges is the inev... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395182 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 09:54:19 +0100 3395182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3390724&cid=t_100621_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fwho-was-at-fault-here-uk-woman-left-to.html Who was at fault here? Those who modified the fall height parameters, those who designed the decision support system such that it could override life threatening problems based on a single parameter, endusers, their managers, or all?Or was the problem the syndrome of inappropriate confidence in computers (SICC syndrome)?I opine all of the above, in this cautionary tale:Woman left to die after 999 ambulance blunderBy Laura Donnelly, Health CorrespondentTelegraph.co.ukPublished: 9:00AM GMT 21 Mar 2010An investigation into a woman’s death has exposed a catastrophic decision by ambulance chiefs which may have cost hundreds of lives.The blunder arose when call centre staff were not warned of flaws with a computer system that prioritises emergencies before dispatching ambulances.Bonnie Mason, ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3390724 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 23:09:00 +0100 3390724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378572&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34623&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthnex.typepad.com%2Fweb_log%2F2010%2F03%2Fenabling-smarter-healthcare.html . The following is a guest post from Lonne Jaffe, Director, Public Sector Solutions, IBM Software This Smarter Health video describes some of the benefits of connecting electronic medical record systems with each other and with other healthcare software systems. Technology like the IBM Health Integration Framework that brings all these systems together can enable a better patient experience, improve treatments, lower costs, and allow scientists to confidentially use data for disease research. That’s health information working together. As healthcare software becomes more sophisticated, security and privacy remain a priority. IBM helps protect patient information and helps healthcare organizations comply with government privacy regulations while achieving the extraordinary benef... HealthNex blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378572 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:24:46 +0100 3378572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370526&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2F15%2Fare-you-biased-how-to-make-the-right-decisions%2F Would you make this choice? (photo credit: notsogoodphotography) “Bias is the worst disease from which the society of our nation suffers” – Albert Einstein . What is bias and how does it affect your health? Well, it turns out human brains have a number of cognitive biases that can interfere with good decision making (and delay your progress toward feeling better). For example, people tend to worry about the risk of taking a new treatment, while underestimating the baseline risk of doing nothing about their suffering. Here are a few of the colorful biases we have as humans: . 1. Bandwagon bias – the tendency to do things because other people are doing them. “Everyone else is on the Atkins diet, so I’ll try it too.” . 2. Confirmation bias – the tendency to search... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370526 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:48:09 +0100 3370526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362454&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fclinical-decision-support-and.html Before I forget, here's a link to a feature story I wrote for the March issue of CMIO. It's about how to decide on which rules to build clinical decision support for when going for meaningful use. (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362454 Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:43:00 +0100 3362454 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354422&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2F10%2Ffeel-better-how-to-find-a-treatment-that-works%2F Traditional Chinese Medicine of Bamboo Cupping (photo by johey24) . Fall seven times, stand up eight. – Japanese proverb You’ve received a diagnosis. A mix of emotions sets in – relief, panic, confusion. What do you do next? The menu of treatment options can seem overwhelming. . Here are 3 simple principles to get you started: 1. Ask your doctor. Chances are your doctor has a good handle on your history, the context of your condition, any other prescriptions or supplements you are taking that can interact, etc. See what her recommendation is, then do your homework looking it up online. Wikipedia and PubMed are good places to go for reliable information. . 2. See what the crowd has to say. Have a look at the stats at CureTogether as another piece of information that can h... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354422 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:48:20 +0100 3354422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331398&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2F03%2Fhave-you-built-your-health-decision-tree%2F The first step in building your decision tree. I’m going to my first book launch party tomorrow. I’m a bit nervous. It’s for Thomas Goetz’s book The Decision Tree, which was just released. His book and blog carry great insight into the future of health – personalization, quantification, and smarter choices. He even created a nifty app on Wired’s website where you can build your own decision tree. Why am I nervous? Well, the book includes my own personal decision tree (see below), based on my 10-year battle with chronic pain. So now everyone who reads it will know my story. Which is scary but also fantastic, because I think hearing people’s stories is such an important part of healing ourselves that is often missing in traditional doctor-patient hea... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331398 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:11:40 +0100 3331398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3335441&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2010%2F03%2F01%2Fmedispan-clinical-expands-cds-offerings-by-wolters-kluwer-health%2F Since I know I have a number of EMR vendors that read this blog, I know they’ll be interested to learn the news coming out of Wolters Kluwer Health about a new clinical decision support (CDS) offering called Medi-Span Clinical. Here’s a part of the press release announcement: Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information for healthcare professionals and students, today unveiled Medi-Span® Clinical, a robust clinical decision support (CDS) platform that delivers the functionality, interoperability and medication-related CDS necessary to advance the practice of evidence-based medicine and to achieve meaningful use of health IT. From the looks of their website page about Medi-Span Clinical, this looks like it’s the announcement of the features that they ha... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3335441 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:33:34 +0100 3335441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298524&cid=t_100621_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fgrowing-your-own-decision-tree.html To what degree is the state of our health really in our own hands? According to author Thomas Goetz, it very largely is. In his new book The Decision Tree, published last week, Thomas argues that since we live in a world where data on anything, including personal health, is abundant, [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298524 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:00:04 +0100 3298524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3259058&cid=t_100621_113_f&fid=34695&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicalConnectivityConsulting%2F%7E3%2FHtmJrB59o78%2F The Recovery Act that initiated the process of providing incentive payments for the adoption and use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) included the provision that such systems support “meaningful use” if they are to be certified and funded. Of course if you have to have meaningful use, then meaningful use has to be defined, and them measured. After a round or two of proposals and comments, CMS issued an Interim Final Rule on December 30, 2009. (The idea that a Final Rule can be Interim is itself a masterwork of government speak.) The governments discussion of this process is available here. The Interim Final Rule itself (which runs over 30 pages) is entitled “Health Information Technology: Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteri... Medical Connectivity Consulting blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3259058 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:31:26 +0100 3259058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3246851&cid=t_100621_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F06%2Fa-liberal-dose-health-and-wellbeing-the-role-of-the-state%2F This report: sets out evidence for what the public think about this question; explores the key issues at stake and clarifies principles for state intervention; suggests a new framework to guide decision making; and proposes a new narrative for future state intervention. Publisher: DH Size of Publication: 51p. Published: 01/02/2010 Filed under: Grey Literature, NHS Tagged: Decision Making, Grey Literature, Health, NHS, Public Opinion, Wellbeing (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3246851 Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:15:07 +0100 3246851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243843&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FaftDEWWgZgI%2F URL: http://www.ragingalcoholic.com/I assume alcoholism or problem drinking is affecting you in someway. A way you really aren’t happy about. We’re here to give you information and access to resources. For: AnyoneTopics: Abnormal, Addiction, Anger, Behaviour Management, Chronic Disease, Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Depression, Emotional Health, Family Therapy, Fatherhood, General Psychology, General Science, Health Psychology, Health and Social Services, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Trauma, Treatment PlanningFeatures: Articles, Assessment Instruments, Case Studies, Clinical Tools, Collaborative News, Databases, Information, Links, Self Monitoring, Self-quizzes, e-learning I assume alcoholism or problem drinking is affecting you in... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243843 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:00:21 +0100 3243843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3189091&cid=t_100621_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F20%2Farchives-of-surgery-2009-vol-145-no-1%2F contents page Fade Fave: Decision Modeling to Estimate the Impact of Gastric Bypass Surgery on Life Expectancy for the Treatment of Morbid Obesity Fade Skinny: Aims to create a decision analytic model to estimate the balance between treatment risks and benefits for patients with morbid obesity.  Finds that for the average morbidly obese patient, gastric bypass improves life expectancy. (NHS Athens is required to access this article online) Posted in Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals Tagged: Athens Password, Bariatric Surgery, Current Awareness, Decision Making, E-Journals, Models (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3189091 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:54:02 +0100 3189091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060662&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34859&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.davemsw.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2Fselfawareness_emotional_intelligence_for_personal.php This is the third in a series of articles on emotional intelligence for personal growth. Self-awareness is one of the most important benefits we get from spending time in a mindful state. The longer we are able to stay mindful, the more we learn about our selves. We come to recognize the ebb and flow of our thoughts, moods, emotions and impulses. We begin to see relationships between our thoughts and feelings and external events.One thing we notice is that our thoughts and feelings often contradict each other. Our emotional selves and our rational selves often have conflicting memories, perspectives, and motivations. On the surface, positive emotions seem helpful, and negative emotions seem to be destructive. There is an old Cherokee folk tale called the "Wolves Within". "An old Grandfat... Ψ Dare To Dream... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060662 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 21:12:51 +0100 4060662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3129536&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34752&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPsychsplash%2F%7E3%2FupenHYnlzXw%2F URL: http://www.understandingprejudice.org/Welcome to UnderstandingPrejudice.org, a web site for students, teachers, and others interested in the causes and consequences of prejudice. For: AnyoneTopics: Abnormal, Academia, Behaviour Management, Clinical Decision Making, Clinical Psychology, Common Factors, Educational Psychology, Emotional Health, General Psychology, Life, LifestyleFeatures: Welcome to UnderstandingPrejudice.org, a web site for students, teachers, and others interested in the causes and consequences of prejudice. In these pages you will find more than 2,000 links to prejudice-related resources, as well as searchable databases with hundreds of prejudice researchers and social justice organizations. To the right, you’ll also find a variety of interactive exercises... PsychSplash blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3129536 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:00:47 +0100 3129536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220569&cid=t_100621_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F3976290%2F11incp%2Fneuromarketing%7EYou-Are-What-You-Choose.htm Based on the title and cover art, which shows a head stuffed with objects, I anticipated that You Are What You Choose would be chock full of decision-making insights based on neuroscience and behavioral research. Instead, de Marchi and Hamilton mostly talk about their TRAITS system for categorizing individuals and then predicting subsequent behavior. CommentsI wonder if what you choose is not sometimes made by yourself, ... by reactorr (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220569 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:54:41 +0100 3220569