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 'devices'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:53:32 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182312&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F09%2Fpharma-walks-devices-balk-when-it-comes.html (Source: Pharma Marketing Blog) Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182312 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:24:00 +0100 5182312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181745&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FyTvDE7iBcpA%2F Tracking Implants: An FDA official said silicone breast implants made by Johnson & Johnson’s Mentor and Allergan will stay on the market, and that the agency will work with the companies to increase participation in post-approval studies, Dow Jones Newswires reports. Companies have struggled to maintain follow-up on the 80,000-plus women originally included in those studies, originally planned to last a decade, with Allergan tracking about 60.5% of them for two years and Mentor following 21% for three years. If more women aren’t tracked, the studies won’t be able to detect possible long-term health issues. Evaluating CPR: Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that performing CPR for a longer period prior to gauging a patient’s heart rhythms ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181745 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:56:23 +0100 5181745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181748&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fq0z63xpaB8o%2F Linking Financial and Physical Health: New research published by the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests higher foreclosure rates are associated with increased ER visits and hospitalizations for hypertension, diabetes and anxiety among 20- to 49-year-olds in several states, the WSJ reports. It’s unclear whether foreclosure itself is responsible for an increase in stress-related health problems or whether the underlying problem is financial duress or something else, the paper says. Tracking Implants: An FDA advisory panel continues to meet today to figure out how better to conduct safety studies of silicone breast implants, WebMD reports. Companies making the implants had planned to follow 82,000 women with the implants for a decade, but Johnson & Johnson’s Mentor has lo... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181748 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:58:09 +0100 5181748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158993&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcardiac-devices-causing-more-infections-whats-the-cause%2F2011.08.25 A new report published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and reported in theHeart.org and elsewhere, suggests the infection rate of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CEID’s) between 1993 and 2008 has greatly increased from 1.53% in 2004 to 2.41% in 2008 (p < 0.001) with a dramatic rise in 2005: Click image to enlarge The authors explain this sudden increase on the basis of comorbities: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158993 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:00:00 +0100 5158993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158934&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FzMYls8wdiwU%2F Men and Women, Sleeping: Men and women sleep differently, with women experiencing deeper sleep, waking up fewer times during the night, and tolerating a lack of shut-eye better than men — even as men report greater overall satisfaction with their sleeping patterns, the WSJ reports. Research into gender and sleep differences may help explain the generally better health status of women compared to men, the paper says. Hip Problems: Complaints about metal-on-metal hip implants have risen by more than 5,000 since January as some patients have experienced problems with the devices and had them removed, the New York Times reports. The implants can release small fragments of metal that can damage tissue and cause pain in some people, the paper says. Raising Good Cholesterol: Roche reported p... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158934 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:26:44 +0100 5158934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139732&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-difficulties-of-managing-implanted-medical-devices%2F2011.08.18 With the explosion of medical devices to treat various medical ailments in medicine, we have seen significant improvements in quality and quantity of life. An underappreciated consequence of all of these electronic device therapies, however, has been the manpower and expertise required to manage these implanted electronic medical devices long-term. Problems with electromagnetic interference (EMI) with medical devices are real. Innovations in medicine have come from various portions of the electromagnetic spectrum including analog and digital wireless technology, diagnostic and therapeutic radiation therapy and magnetic resonance imaging. The effects of these technologies on implanted electronic medical devices can vary and specialty physicians, ancillary health care providers, and medical ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139732 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:17:00 +0100 5139732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130744&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffda-approves-ges-newest-ct-scanner%2F2011.08.15 GE Healthcare has received the FDA OK for its Optima CT660 computed tomography (CT) system. The CT660, which is already available in Europe, Latin America and Asia, distinguishes itself by its compact footprint combined with a modular design and low dose imaging. In addition, it is also one of the most energy efficient CT scanners available and has an “environmental design” that eases refurbishment and end-of-life recycling. The scanner itself is scalable from 32 to 128 slices through purchasable options and features automatic table positioning and a color 12-inch integrated gantry display monitor. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130744 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:05:47 +0100 5130744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130752&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-this-diabetic-isnt-concerned-about-her-insulin-pump-being-hacked%2F2011.08.14 Jay Radcliffe is a fellow type 1 diabetic, and I remember reading his diabetes blog way back in the day, when I first started blogging.  We read and commented on each other’s posts, and we were both part of the blogosphere when the DOC first started to grow.  I knew he was married, had children, and did the day-to-day diabetes stuff that I did. Which is why when I read the mainstream media’s take on his pump-hacking research (this article, Insulin Pumps Vulnerable to Hacking, for example), I reached out to him immediately.  “Can I just tell you that my mother sent me this article about your research?  Do you have time to talk?” Jay was out in Las Vegas this morning, attending the Black Hat security conference, but he and I had a chance to hash it out over the ph... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130752 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 14:00:57 +0100 5130752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107517&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fanonymous-blogger-reviews-the-lack-of-evidence-for-robotic-surgery%2F2011.08.08 The surgeon who blogs as Skeptical Scalpel writes that he (she?) is unable to contain him(her)self any longer and then lunges into a review of evidence (or lack thereof) for robotic surgery. You may disagree with Skeptical Scalpel’s decision to be anonymous, but he/she explains: “I’ve been a surgeon for almost 40 years and a surgical department chairman for over 23 of those years. During much of that time, conforming to the norms, rules and regulations of government agencies, accrediting bodies, hospitals, societies, and social convention was necessary for survival. I was always somewhat outspoken but in a controlled way most of the time. I now have a purely clinical surgery practice with no meetings, site visits or administrative hassles. I am free to speak my mind about... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107517 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:00:07 +0100 5107517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103417&cid=t_106059_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FJHmtHLDAHmk%2F This is a guest post from Rick Lifsitz, a colleague of mine from MedPharma Partners and a serial entrepreneur . On July 29 an expert panel assembled by the Institute of Medicine found that the current regulatory framework for “substantially equivalent” devices (known as the FDA 510K process) was flawed and called for it to be replaced with a system better designed to protect the public’s health.  The findings have some merit, but the recommendations have the potential to substantially decrease innovation at a time when more, rather than less, innovation is required to increase the quality and reduce the cost of health care in the US. It should be noted that the current 510K system is for “moderate risk” devices only.  The creation of an artificial kidney, for instance, would be... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103417 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:17:48 +0100 5103417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096158&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FqLLArYGAJPM%2F A heart pump for kids awaiting a transplant appears headed for approval at the FDA, as the WSJ reports. It would help fill a void for lot of children hit by diseases usually associated with adults: the lack of kid-friendly devices to help in their care. The Berlin Heart can help keep kids’ hearts beating for several months if necessary until a donor organ can be found, much longer than a last-ditch heart-lung machine called ECMO that doctors sometimes use in such circumstances. The Berlin, which won unanimous recommendation from an FDA advisory panel last month, has been on the market in Europe since 1996 and available in the U.S. under a compassionate use protocol since 2000. A clinical trial presented at the FDA panel provided evidence of substantial benefit despite a risk of stroke. A ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096158 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 20:13:16 +0100 5096158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086489&cid=t_106059_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fmore-on-medical-devices.html I've written about this before. If you get a medical device implanted in you and it doesn't work, how do you give it back and get a new one? Hmmm... That's right up there with trying to uncook overcooked food.Some geniuses (and I use the term loosely) commissioned a report to review the process by which medical devices are approved and regulated. They are now amazed to find out the process needs complete review because it does not look at safety and effectiveness of the devices.How can a process approve and regulate something if they don't look at safety and effectiveness? And if they are so smart in the first place, why did they have to review the process in the first place? Let me guess, they thought they were perfect and couldn't be wrong and requested the review to prove they were righ... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086489 Sat, 30 Jul 2011 10:58:00 +0100 5086489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077646&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FT11jkuMcbRE%2F Medical-device regulation is a tricky balancing act. Consumer advocates say the current process doesn’t ensure the safety and efficacy of devices on the market, while the device industry says the FDA’s process is inefficient and expensive and keeps products from reaching patients in need. Today, as the WSJ reports, the Institute of Medicine weighed in with its own much-anticipated report on device regulation. Notably, an 11-member committee recommends scrapping entirely the streamlined approval pathway known as 510(k), under which a device such as a joint replacement or heart defibrillator can be approved more quickly, without studies in humans, if it’s considered “substantially equivalent” to devices already on the market. A major flaw in the process, the rep... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077646 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:38:57 +0100 5077646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077650&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FcO9evJrVuvA%2F Choosing a Spinoff: Pfizer is more likely to spin off its animal health division than to sell it, the WSJ reports, citing people familiar with the matter. The pharma company is still likely to entertain offers for the business, which could be worth as much as $15 billion, but tax and antitrust considerations make it unlikely it will opt for a sale and will instead prepare to spin it off, the paper says. Preemptive Strike: An Institute of Medicine report on the medical-device approval pathway known as 510K isn’t due out until tomorrow, but already industry supporters are gearing up to challenge the report and the panel that authored it, the New York Times reports. The Washington Legal Foundation, for example, claims the panel is biased because it lacks representation from industry, in... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077650 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:48:04 +0100 5077650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062240&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhich-generation-of-physicians-uses-the-most-mobile-technology%2F2011.07.25 Smartphones and tablets have reached 80% of physicians across all practice types, locations and years in practice, and 25% of users are “Super Mobile” physicians who use both types of mobile devices. This is far beyond the general population’s 50% adoption of smartphones and 5% adoption of tablets. QuantiaMd, a free, online learning collaborative, released survey results that showed 44% of physicians who do not yet have a mobile device intend to buy one this year. While younger physicians have higher adoption rates than older ones, current use of mobile devices by physicians longest in practice is above 60%, the survey showed. Among physicians with 30 years or more of practice, almost 20% already use a tablet device for work, and another 25% say they are extremely likely ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062240 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:00:00 +0100 5062240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057722&cid=t_106059_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=5057816&cid=t_106059_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FDYuAl-lK9Hg%2F FDA is proposing regulation for mobile medical applications. Not a bad idea. But I have some concerns about what it will mean for clinical diagnostics software. Here’s the definitional passage: Mobile apps that allow the user to input patient-specific information and – using formulae or processing algorithms – output a patient-specific result, diagnosis, or treatment recommendation to be used in clinical practice or to assist in making clinical decisions. Examples include mobile apps that provide a questionnaire for collecting patient-specific lab results and compute the prognosis of a particular condition or disease, perform calculations that result in an index or score, calculate dosage for a specific medication or radiation treatment, or provide recommendations that ai... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057816 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 23:13:44 +0100 5057816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050577&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fresearch-investigates-a-percutaneous-option-for-aortic-valve-replacement%2F2011.07.21 To ensure rational and responsible dissemination of this new technology (transcatheter aortic valve replacement [TAVR]), government, industry and medicine will need to work in harmony.” - David R. Holmes, Jr., MD, FACC President, American College of Cardiology Today, Edwards Lifesciences’ will request pre-market approval of its SAPIEN Transcatheter Heart Valve from the FDA’s Circulatory Systems Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. And for the first time, the groundwork for our complicated new era of health care rationing will be exposed. To win an expensive technology on behalf of patients these days, there will have to be “harmony” between doctors and their professional organizations and government regulators. If not, patients lose. At issue is a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050577 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:00:00 +0100 5050577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051232&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Ffda-issues-long-awaited-guidance-for.html (Source: Pharma Marketing Blog) Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051232 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:38:00 +0100 5051232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050827&cid=t_106059_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2F4-ways-digital-hospital-signage-improves-hospital-experience Hospital signage benefits are most easily seen through the enhanced navigation experience provided for patients, but benefits also come with a multitude of other factors. From bolstering brand identity to reducing administration costs, hospital signage is a growing industry with a continuous supply of new and sophisticated tools that spread hospital communication. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050827 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:10:12 +0100 5050827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029213&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F6XBjWtF_Yrw%2F The growing use of digital devices by doctors is presumed to hasten the demise of the sales rep. Novartis, for instance, recently crowed that using a new wad of Apple iPADS will greatly enhance efficiency (back story) not long after letting go 1,400 reps. In fact, the drugmaker yesterday laid off 75 oncology reps. But are docs really showing reps the door in favor of a hand-held device? Not yet. A new survey finds that 10 percent no longer see reps and, in general, 78 percent use their computers, iPADS and other mobile devices to gather info about drugs and devices. However, 56 percent of the majority say these gadgets do not influence the time they spend with reps. The a survey, which was conducted by Sermo, the online site that offers docs a place to dish, and FiercePharma, queried 98 ph... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029213 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:15:58 +0100 5029213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008378&cid=t_106059_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fdo-ehrs-leave-out-your-personal-story-social-media-response The idea of a nationwide electronic health record system is brilliant. Patients could use their own personal health record to request prescription refills, schedule future appointments and evaluate their own test results. The record could live on thumb drives, mobile devices, personal computers, or in the cloud. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008378 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:42:45 +0100 5008378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008475&cid=t_106059_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Findependence-day-and-ms%2F I’ll admit a bit of an odd feeling as I post a blog about America’s Independence Day weekend from the wilds of Western Ireland! It seems a fitting topic, however, as the word “independence” means such a different thing to me now that I live with multiple sclerosis than it did before. Independence doesn’t mean doing everything for/by/of myself any longer. Independence is not all Trevis all the time. Independence is a relative state and I cannot think of a better place to be thinking this than the Republic of Ireland which experienced a varying levels and lack of independence (cum tyranny) over the centuries. A cane may seem to be a “dependence” to some but it offers me the independence to walk further than I might without and conserve the excess energy which would have been sp... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008475 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:00:09 +0100 5008475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984685&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FfPQN1FrNG4Y%2F In the ongoing war between device makers and the FDA, the Minnesota Congressional delegation has sent a terse letter to the agency over what they maintain is a slow-as-molasses approval process. This comes less than three months after a Congressional hearing in which FDA procedures were hotly debated and included testimony from patients who claimed tougher agency reviews would have prevented injuries. At issue is the simmering tension between the agency, which embraces a get-tough policy on safety matters while lamenting a lack of sufficient funding, and an industry that wants to grow its bottom line but is also under a microscope - largely thanks to the ongoing Medtronic scandal over repudiated research and unseemly ties to physicians. However, the Minnesota pols - a group that includes ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984685 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:46:08 +0100 4984685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968637&cid=t_106059_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FzTUN8EsDiwM%2F I’m in New York City this week for the second Mobile Health Expo, which wrapped up Thursday afternoon. You may have seen the story I wrote for InformationWeek based on one session related to the security of networked medical devices. Since I just do news and not commentary for InformationWeek, I figured EMR and HIPAA—specifically, the HIPAA part— was the perfect forum to discuss a small controversy that I may have stirred up with that story. The two presenters from Indianapolis-based security firm eProtex talked about how connected medical devices have recently been popping up all over the place. “As little as two years ago, we checked some hospitals and found that there was less than one networked clinical device per bed,” eProtex Executive Director Earl Reber said. ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968637 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 04:37:18 +0100 4968637 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960328&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FBKp9JbQ2S5I%2F Good morning, everyone. How are you today? Getting ready for those meetings and deadlines? We relate. There is much to do here on the Pharmalot corporate campus - reading, writing, chasing down interesting people. To prepare, we are brewing that reliable cup of stimulation - our flavor today is Rain Forest Nut. Feel free to join us. And to get things started, here are some tidbits. Have a good one and stay in touch… Bristol And Astra Diabetes Pill Faces Safety Hurdles (Bloomberg News) Biotechs Want Faster Drug Approvals (Boston Globe) Lilly CEO Blames Tax Laws And Immigration For Slower Innovation (Bloomberg News) Glaxo Ordered To Give Plaintiff Lists To United Health (Legal Intelligencer) Too Many UK Patients Are Prescribed Risky Drugs (Pharma Times) Abbott Labs Plant Closure Delaye... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960328 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:54:26 +0100 4960328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934095&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F9FKcbVKIg40%2F Inadvisable Use?: Pricey heart devices used in cardiac resynchronization therapy may not help 38% of the patients for whom they’re currently indicated, the WSJ reports, citing a study published online by the Archives of Internal Medicine. The devices — whose makers include Medtronic, St. Jude and Boston Scientific — help synchronize the contraction of the left and right ventricles, but a subset of patients don’t seem to receive any benefit. The president of the Heart Rhythm Society says the study isn’t enough to change current practice guidelines. Humira Suit: A man who took Abbott’s Humira for rheumatoid arthritis has sued the company, saying it failed to warn him about the risk of the serious fungal infection he developed, Bloomberg News reports. The s... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934095 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:26:45 +0100 4934095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934449&cid=t_106059_113_f&fid=34695&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicalconnectivity.com%2F2011%2F06%2F11%2Fconsumer-connectivity-issues%2F From time to time, patients or family members leave comments about problems they’ve had. This is not a consumer oriented site, and most patient’s are not in a position to avail themselves of assistance from me or another industry consultants. But I do welcome and respond to consumer oriented inquiries. Unfortunately, these situations rarely result in simple straight forward replies that solve the problems. Here’s a query I received this week: I have been reading about connectivity of medical devices, of which I know nothing, because I am a teacher and am having signal issues, while at work, with my wireless Omnipod Insulin Pump. The alarm sounds and it stops delivering insulin.  The support team at Insulet Corp. says that there is some sort of “fluck” going o... Medical Connectivity Consulting blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934449 Sat, 11 Jun 2011 20:59:45 +0100 4934449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036365&cid=t_106059_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FSWTbiTjclQA%2F Drug companies have struggled to bring innovative new molecules to market, and that drought does not seem likely to end soon. Many of the new products in recent years are combination products or drug/device combinations such as injection pens, auto-injectors and insulin pumps. Turns out the usability of such products has a major impact on patient adherence. Not only that, a new survey from Cambridge Consultants suggests patients are willing to pay a premium for more usable devices and that lifestyle concerns such as discretion and portability are important factors. The drug and device industries are starting to realize that this is an important are of opportunity. To be fair, this is not an entirely new phenomenon. For example, Johnson & Johnson was very successful in establishing mark... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036365 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:59:39 +0100 5036365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4842017&cid=t_106059_160_f&fid=36187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cellulitetreatment.md%2F%3Fp%3D45 Using “untextured” images obtained with a VECTRA three-dimensional camera, a study has found that the SmoothShapes device is effective in reducing the appearance of cellulite. This finding is important because most past evaluations of various cellulite treatments have relied on traditional flash photography, which can “flatten” the surface texture of the area being treated. For the study, researchers treated 20 women with mild to moderate cellulite on their lateral thighs. Participants received two SmoothShapes treatments (15 minutes per thigh) each week for 4 weeks. SmoothShapes uses a combination of light and laser energy to liquefy engorged fat cells. Pre- and post-treatment assessments included the participants’ weight, body mass index, and body fat percenta... Cellulite Treatment Forum blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4842017 Thu, 19 May 2011 22:36:42 +0100 4842017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4821144&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Ffda-targets-genetic-testing-services.html FDA recently  (May 11, 2011) sent letters to two DNA testing services concerning their Direct to Consumer (DTC) advertising. The companies are Precision Quality DNA (see letter here) and Lumigenix Inc (see letter here).Precision Quality DNA, offers a service intended to help individuals "understand the analysis of their DNA sequence while focusing on main target genes, such as BRCA1/BRCA2, to determine that individual’s main risk factors or likely response to a particular drug." FDA claims that the service "appears to meet the definition of a device as that term is defined in section 201(h) of the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act."Section 201(h) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defines a medical device as:“... an instrument, apparatus, implement, machine, contrivance,... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4821144 Fri, 13 May 2011 21:05:00 +0100 4821144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820857&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-industry-largesse-is-a-necessary-part-of-good-healthcare%2F2011.05.12 Largesse: (Form thefreedictionary.com): 1. a. Liberality in bestowing gifts, especially in a lofty or condescending manner. b. Money or gifts bestowed. 2. Generosity of spirit or attitude. Two days into last week’s Heart Rhythm Society meeting, Propublica, an independent online investigative journalism-in-the-public-interest endeavor published a series of high profile articles as part of their Dollars for Docs series. Their marquee piece, published prominently in the USA Today, chronicled the strong financial ties (the ‘largesse’) that bind medical societies to industry. Reporters Charlie Ornstein and Tracy Weber highlighted the meeting’s ‘mansion’-sized exhibits, intense advertising, and the fact that most of the opinion leaders, officers of medical societies and guideline wri... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820857 Thu, 12 May 2011 15:30:02 +0100 4820857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820806&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F8wbChKAvWC0%2F The Profit Motive: With the health-care overhaul law requiring insurers to spend more on medical care, companies are pushing into new lines of business in pursuit of profits, the WSJ reports. Aetna, Humana and WellPoint are looking at health-care IT, partnerships allowing them to employ physicians and participation in the accountable care organizations encouraged by the health law, the paper says. Stem-Cell Finding: Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests the existence of lung stem cells with the potential to develop into the different elements of the organ, the Boston Globe reports. The finding is likely to be controversial and must be replicated; it’s nevertheless expected to “energize” this field of research, an editorial accompanying the stu... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820806 Thu, 12 May 2011 12:31:26 +0100 4820806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813238&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F1pmZyMIBQTE%2F Less than two years ago, in a move analysts called “surprising” and “abrupt,” Boston Scientific said Ray Elliott would take over as CEO. Today Elliott again surprised investors — by announcing his plans to retire at the end of the year. Boston Scientific shares fell on the news, and were down more than 9% to $6.99 in late trading. As the WSJ reports, hopes for the company’s turnaround — and improved earnings — were largely lodged with Elliott. (He was seen as a seasoned hand, having previously led Zimmer Holdings.) Jefferies analyst Raj Denjoy said his departure means that “the possibility of the upside materializing is decidedly lower.” J.P. Morgan’s Michael Weinstein called the news “a major disappointment for invest... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813238 Tue, 10 May 2011 19:57:48 +0100 4813238 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4795053&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fpharma-tracks-docs-at-medical-meetings.html Although the pharmaceutical industry is dragging its feet implementing RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology to keep track of drug supplies, some companies are currently using the technology to track physicians' movements at scientific conferences."Dr. Wes" (Westby G. Fisher, MD, FACC) called this "Physician Tag and Release" (see "The Implications of Physician Tag and Release"). The photo on the left shows the back of Dr. Wes's badge at the recent American College of Cardiology Conference held 2-5 April 2011 in New Orleans, LA.The technology is also being used at the Heart Rhythm Society conference going on right now. Propublica and USA Today co-published a story about how doctors are being bombarded with pitches for drugs and medical devices (see "Financial Ties Bind Medical So... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4795053 Fri, 06 May 2011 11:42:00 +0100 4795053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789252&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffluphone-tracks-super-spreaders-of-disease%2F2011.05.04 “Are you a super-spreader?” That’s the catchphrase for a new study out of the University of Cambridge. However, if you answered “yes”, you may want to stay home and cover your mouth, because the study was designed to track the spread of influenza using cellular phone technology. The study (and accompanying app) is called FluPhone, and it uses cell phones to collect information on social encounters within the study sample of participants in Cambridge. A phone’s Bluetooth antenna detects encounters with other participants and also records the proximity to each other. The built-in GPS chip tracks each user’s location, but this feature was disabled due to recent ethical concerns. Finally, the phone’s 3G/GPRS antenna sends all the proximity data a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789252 Wed, 04 May 2011 16:00:55 +0100 4789252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758730&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fs34fv92EM2w%2F Johnson & Johnson, which has grown into a health-care powerhouse by acquiring small firms, is no stranger to making deals. But it’s never done anything as big as the one announced today, for device-maker Synthes. That could make digesting the new business thorny, even for a company as adept as J&J. The $21.3 billion takeover of the surgical-device maker will be J&J’s biggest, eclipsing its $16.6 billion purchase of Pfizer’s consumer business in 2006. J&J  likes to allow its acquisitions to operate relatively independently. In swallowing Synthes, however, J&J will put the business in its DePuy Orthopedics unit, J&J CEO William Weldon told the Health Blog in an interview. That means two different cultures will have to be melded. One key difference, ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758730 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:28:46 +0100 4758730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753629&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Frucing-about-conflicts-of-interest.html Since 2007, we have been writing about the secretive RUC (RBRVS Update Committee), the private AMA committee that somehow has managed to get effective control over how Medicare pays physicians. The RUC has been accused of setting up incentives that strongly favor invasive, high technology procedures while disfavoring primary care and other "cognitive medicine." Despite the central role of (perverse) incentives in raising health care costs while limiting access and degrading quality, there was surprisingly little discussion about the pivotal role played by the RUC until the formation of the "Replace the RUC" movement (see post here).  Recently, the leaders of Replace the RUC scored a journalistic coup by putting the current list of RUC members publicly on-line.  As we have di... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753629 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:26:00 +0100 4753629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734273&cid=t_106059_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fmobile-applications-medical-education Every year in April, we survey the HMS medical students about their use of mobile devices. At HMS, we encourage students to buy the device of their choice - iPhone/iPod/iPad, Android, Blackberry, Kindle etc. We then support these devices with software licenses and controlled hosted applications.   No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734273 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:28:45 +0100 4734273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734267&cid=t_106059_113_f&fid=34695&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicalconnectivity.com%2F2011%2F04%2F19%2Fsmartphone-regulatory-uncertainty%2F Uncertainty abounds regarding the potential regulation of smartphone apps by FDA and other international regulatory bodies. For this discussion we’ll divide uncertainty into two categories, uncertainty due to a lack of knowledge about the potential regulations on the part of manufacturers and uncertainty about just what various regulatory agencies are doing – or going to do – about new and innovative products that meet the definition of a medical device. What is a Medical Device? Let’s start with the first category; there is an astounding amount of misinformation and just plain wrong-headedness on the part of many vendors (and providers) who are outside the ranks of traditional medical device manufacturers. The first issue we need to address is the question, &#8220... Medical Connectivity Consulting blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734267 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 18:09:45 +0100 4734267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734041&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FJJ_Z7eOXrqc%2F Medical-technology company Synthes has confirmed it’s in talks with Johnson & Johnson about being taken over by the U.S.-based health-care behemoth. (Sources tell the WSJ the deal could be worth at about $20 billion.) But J&J had little to say on the topic today. There was nothing about those discussions in its first-quarter earnings results (which, by the way, exceeded analysts’ expectations and in doing so helped lead the market higher this morning.) On a conference call with analysts, J&J wouldn’t comment directly on that issue and would speak only generally about acquisition strategy. According to a transcript from Thomson Reuters, in response to a question about the company’s “latest thinking about cash use and the order of acquisitions or sha... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734041 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:15:28 +0100 4734041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723785&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Ff0o5sbk1xdw%2F Deal Talk: Johnson & Johnson is conducting due diligence of Synthes as the companies discuss a deal that could be worth $20 billion and would give a needed boost to J&J’s orthopedic device business, the WSJ reports. Synthes — which makes plates and screws used in surgery to repair broken bones — has confirmed that it’s in talks with J&J, while J&J tells the paper it doesn’t comment on speculation. Sex Commentary Scandal: The president-elect of the American College of Surgeons has quit following a brouhaha over a controversial Valentine’s Day commentary that he authored, Retraction Watch reports. The commentary, on the topic of sexual reproduction in animals and humans, included the notion that semen has “major salutary effects for t... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723785 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:48:58 +0100 4723785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709423&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F-1ZYMxX-gyQ%2F Is the FDA failing to properly oversee medical devices? That’s the take-away message from a new report by the US Government Accountability Office, which says the FDA failed to strengthen its approval and recall procedures, despite a 2009 GAO recommendation that “expeditious steps” should be taken to issue regulations for high-risk devices are approved under the 510K process. This is used to determine if a device is substantially equivalent to another marketed device. Since the last GAO report (read here), the FDA has issued a final rule, but for only one type of device. As of April 1, in fact, agency action on the remaining 26 types of devices is incomplete, according to the GAO. As a result, such devices - including automated external defibrillators and implantable hip d... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709423 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:17:39 +0100 4709423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709186&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FiwuloKT0rhg%2F FDA Panel Votes: Kidney-cancer drugs made by Pfizer and Novartis have received a thumbs-up from an FDA advisory panel, bolstering their chances of gaining approval to also treat rare advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, the WSJ reports. The panel voted 10-0 on the question of whether the benefits of Novartis’s Afinitor outweighed the risks, and voted 8-2 on a similar question about using Pfizer’s Sutent for tumors that cannot be removed surgically. We have to say it: the agency often but not always follows the advice of its outside panels. Error Prevention: The Obama administration yesterday announced a private-public partnership intended to reduce the number of preventable hospital-acquired conditions by 40% over the next three years and hospital readmissions by 20%, the... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709186 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:25:07 +0100 4709186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696974&cid=t_106059_180_f&fid=38607&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fsuccessbeginstoday%2FBHWQ%2F%7E3%2FnjbQv9hX4pM%2F As I was flying back from Miami last week, I was on a very full second leg flight from Houston to San Diego. I ended up in a center seat on a 737, with two lawyers on either side. (There is probably a joke here somewhere!) The guy to the right of me had a new Kindle with a deluxe case and night light. The guy to my left was reading a paperback book and had an iPhone. I had my trusty new iPad 2 on my lap. That’s when the comparisons started. I started up a conversation with the guy with the Kindle. He showed me how the e-ink screen worked and showed me the pop out night light. The case was leather and was about the size of a 6×9 inch book. When I took a look at the unit, the side window of the airplane was open, and the black and white screen was easy to read. It looked like a g... Success Begins Today blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696974 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:34:09 +0100 4696974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036410&cid=t_106059_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FlLlvUaQ9al0%2F In a darkly hilarious scene at the end of the movie Dr. Strangelove, the world is coming to an end as a Soviet Doomsday Device triggers the Apocalypse. Just then, Peter Sellers (who plays Strangelove) rises from his wheelchair and shouts to the US President, “Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!” I was reminded of this scene when I read a more serious and encouraging article about ReWalk, an Israeli exo-skeletal device that allows paraplegics to walk. The inventor, Amit Goffer designed the device for himself after suffering an accident in 1997. The idea is pretty simple: strap a set of padded, motorized struts on the legs and waist, and connect them to sensors and controllers that allow the wearer to get around. The device lets people walk, ascend and descend stairs, and generally get back toward... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036410 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:33:20 +0100 5036410 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642736&cid=t_106059_113_f&fid=34695&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicalconnectivity.com%2F2011%2F03%2F27%2Fwhy-medical-device-makers-lovehate-wi-fi%2F In this post we’re going to lift the window shade a bit on why many manufactuers love Wi-Fi, and why they also hate it with equal passion. You see, I’m often asked by manufacturers about alternatives to Wi-Fi for wireless medical devices. And I’ve done a number of wireless technology surveys for manufacturers, looking for attractive alternatives. There are no attractive alternatives, at least for most medical device applications at this point in time. Before we dive into this sordid tale of passion and betrayal, let’s frame the discussion. The wireless application I’m referring to is the connection between a portable or mobile medical device and the enterprise wired network. While the examples in this post come from hospitals, there is much here that is applic... Medical Connectivity Consulting blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642736 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 03:07:55 +0100 4642736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4631459&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FhbKM4mw-wmU%2F Johnson & Johnson announced another recall today, this time pulling about 360,000 products sold in the U.S. for use draining surgical wounds, Dow Jones Newswires reports. J&J’s Ethicon unit, which makes the Blake Silicone Drains, J-VAC reservoirs and other withdrawn products, says it hasn’t received any reports of side effects. The company said it decided to recall the devices after customers complained the sterile packaging could be compromised. The company blamed the problem on an unidentified contract manufacturer. Here’s the company’s letter to patients. We’ve been keeping tabs on J&J’s string of recalls, which cost it about $900 million in sales last year. Here’s a running list: J&J’s Animas unit recalled earlier this mo... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4631459 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:13:48 +0100 4631459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4631485&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fare-urologists-being-seduced-by-robots%2F2011.03.24 Maggie Mahar’s Health Beat blog tipped me off about a Bloomberg opinion piece by an Oregon urologist that begins by stating: “The decision to opt for medical care that relies on the most costly technology is often based on blind faith that newer, elaborate and expensive must be better.” Later, he focuses specifically on robotic surgery devices: “They are costly and require significant re-training for surgeons. Yet consumers hungrily seek out surgeons versed in their use. If a surgeon recommends an older, less expensive technology, many patients will shop for a surgeon willing to use the newest and costliest devices, even if the added benefits are unproven and the risks may be greater. Hospitals do nothing to discourage this and engage in the kind of tawdry marketing... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4631485 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:00:59 +0100 4631485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4610789&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FNmOOk8WNI0g%2F One Candle: A year ago next Wednesday President Barack Obama signed the health-care overhaul bill. And, as the WSJ reports, the Obama administration will deploy cabinet secretaries around the country to promote the benefits of the bill that have already kicked in, including rebate checks to cover the Medicare prescription-drug benefit “doughnut hole” and coverage for dependents up to age 26. Most of the law’s significant changes take effect in 2014. Says WHO: The World Health Organization said that so far, measures taken by Japan to protect the public from radiation exposure are appropriate, Reuters reports. The WHO issued guidelines yesterday on how to minimize exposure to potentially dangerous radiation, including information on decontamination procedures. Brain-Device ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4610789 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:28:46 +0100 4610789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600669&cid=t_106059_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2F9-LshjJamHM%2F I’ve taken a lot of grief in the past for my prediction that robots will play a key role in nursing over the long term. There will still be jobs for nurses but we have little to fear from the ominous predictions of giant workforce shortages. Robots will be useful in many areas. Among those areas will be in extending the mobility of people who otherwise can’t get around on their own. I was impressed with the concept behind the Independence Enhancing Wheelchair currently under development by Adept MobileRobots with help from Mt. Holyoke College students. The robot can find its way around on its own, which means that people with cerebral palsy, MS and other conditions will have more freedom, independence and privacy. They can also avoid some of the dangers inherent in wheelchairs ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600669 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:42:54 +0100 4600669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540741&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fx62YBPV-DcA%2F You can be forgiven for losing count. The latest stain on the once-venerable health care giant is a recall of 585,000 surgical sutures in the UK due to a risk the products are not sterile. Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit actually issued a notice to healthcare providers in December, but the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency issued an alert earlier today. The sutures are marketed under various brand names - Ethilon, Ethibond, Mersilene and Mersilk - and are used to close surgical incisions and wounds. Some of the products in the 140 lots that were recalled may not have been sealed properly, posing a risk that they could become infected, according to the notice, which you can read here. J&J tells the Associated Press that the problem was caused by... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540741 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:02:20 +0100 4540741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525031&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoes-cell-phone-use-stimulate-brain-activity%2F2011.02.26 We all know that using a cell phone can stimulate the brain to work a bit harder. “Mr. Skerrett? This is Dr. LeWine’s office. Do you have a minute to talk about your test results?” or “Dad, a bunch of kids are going to Casey’s house after the dance. Can I go?” But a new study published in JAMA is making me wonder what the energy emitted by the phone itself — not just the information it delivers — is doing to my brain. Here’s the study in a nutshell. Dr. Nora Volkow and her colleagues recruited 47 volunteers to have their brain activity measured twice by a PET scanner. Both times the volunteer had a cell phone strapped to each ear. During one measurement, both phones were turned off. During the other, one phone was turned on but muted so the volunteer didn’t know... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525031 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 22:00:29 +0100 4525031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522288&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F9JI7t-4bhHU%2F Last month, FDA device chief Jeff Shuren committed a diplomatic faux pas. While speaking with reporters about varying approval standards and safety issues in the US and Europe, he quoted a surgeon who supposedly said “under the EU system, the public are being used as guinea pigs.” And then he added his own two cents by saying that “we don’t use our people as guinea pigs in the US.” Not surprisingly, someone in Europe has taken exception - Paola Testori Coggi, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Consumers, wrote a letter to FDA commish Margaret Hamburg to complain. “I am deeply concerned that a senior official of the FDA should publicly discredit the regulatory system in Europe in this way,” Coggi wrote in the Feb. 18 ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522288 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:56:19 +0100 4522288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4512614&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FTrLJNSnlxMg%2F Trolling for patients who may have been harmed by a drug or device is hardly new. Product recalls and safety warnings can trigger a barrage of ads and the media, including highway billboards, are regularly brimming with solicitations from law firms that are seeking new business. Of course, this also generates a lot of work for law firms that specialize in defending these companies. But one medical device maker, Zimmer, is fighting back by suing three law firms in hopes of sending a message. In its complaint, which was filed recently in federal court in Indiana, Zimmer claims the firms created web sites that allegedly depicted details of a 2010 recall of its NexGen knee replacement device inaccurately; infringed on trademarks, and sent “false and misleading” letters to healthca... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4512614 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:54:40 +0100 4512614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495203&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmri-safe-pacemakers-available-in-u-s-hospitals-soon-what-it-means-for-heart-patients%2F2011.02.18 This was the Guest Blog at Scientific American on February 16th, 2011. New wave of MRI-safe pacemakers set to ship to hospitals This week Medtronic will begin shipping to hospitals in the United States the first pacemaker approved by the FDA as safe for most MRI scans. For consumers, it is a significant step in what is expected to be a wave of new MRI-compatible implanted cardiac devices. But this is an example of one technology chasing another and the one being chased, the MRI scanner, is changing and is a step ahead of the new line of pacemakers. The pacemaker approved for U.S. distribution is Medtronic’s first-generation pacemaker with certain limitations, while its second-generation MRI-compatible pacemaker is already in use in Europe where approval for medical devices is not as dem... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495203 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 21:00:00 +0100 4495203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4498264&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FWC7bSX8V5iU%2F Debating Devices: Johnson & Johnson is appealing the FDA’s rejection of a sedation device directly to the agency’s commissioner, a rare move that comes amidst a debate over whether the device-approval process is overly burdensome or not stringent enough, the WSJ reports. In 2009 56% of new-device applications were approved with no delays, vs. 74% in 2004, the paper says. Pocket Guide to Cuts: State governments in budget distress want to trim their Medicaid programs, and Bloomberg Businessweek has a quick guide to the changes planned by eight states. California, for example, wants to reduce payments to providers to help reach $1.7 billion in annual savings, plus boost co-pays for beneficiaries. Please Explain: The Justice Department wants the judge who last month ruled the h... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4498264 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:44:01 +0100 4498264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4498268&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fy5wGxQiOe6Q%2F More Potential Lap-Band Users: The FDA has cleared Allergan’s lap-band weight-loss device for use in patients who are less obese, the WSJ reports. Now the band, used in surgery aimed at shrinking stomach capacity, will be available to those with a body mass index of 30 and higher and an obesity-related health problem such as diabetes. Seroquel Settlements: AstraZeneca will pay $150 million to settle about 6,000 cases alleging the company knew its anti-psychotic Seroquel can cause diabetes but didn’t issue sufficient warnings, Bloomberg News reports, citing two people familiar with the settlements. Astra has now paid about $350 million to settle Seroquel cases, BN says. An Astra spokesman wouldn’t comment to BN on the settlements. Better, Cheaper: Roche’s anti-cancer... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4498268 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:39:03 +0100 4498268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489676&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftreating-depression-the-shock-value-of-electroconvulsive-therapy%2F2011.02.16 Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered to be a highly effective treatment for depression. The story goes that roughly 90 percent of patients respond. The downside is that it requires general anesthesia with all its attendant risks, and patients may suffer from headaches and memory loss. The memory loss is often mild, but there are cases where it is profound and very troubling. As with any psychiatric treatment — or so it seems — there are those who say it saved them and those who say it destroyed them. Because the risks aren’t minor, the procedure is expensive and often done on an inpatient unit, and people generally don’t like the idea of having an IV line placed, being put under, then shocked through their brain until they seize, only to wake up groggy and... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489676 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:00:00 +0100 4489676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482973&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fgx4rI8ShUso%2F File this under Catch 22. A study released this week found that only a fraction of the devices recalled by the FDA had been approved under the more stringent pre-market approval, or PMA process, which requires clinical tests and inspections. The PMA is usually reserved for higher risk devices, as opposed to the less stringent 510K standard for other devices. The findings were bleak: Of 113 devices recalled between 2005 and 2009, only 21 had been approved through PMA, while 80 were cleared by the 510K process (the remaining eight were exempt from FDA review). The upshot: most devices that were recalled for life-threatening or very serious problems were originally cleared by the lower standard, suggesting a “reform” of the review process is needed. However, the findings, which we... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482973 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:04:18 +0100 4482973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4478153&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FKK8q2dVz_qI%2F Drugmakers may be notoriously gun shy about embracing some forms of social media, but more money is being invested to create smart phone applications designed to help patients track such things as vaccination schedules, manage infusions and locate clinical trials. Between 2006 and 2009, 16 percent of new tech initiatives targeted phone apps and, last year, this category accounted for 41 percent of such projects, according to a report by Ernst & Young. Overall, the pharmaceutical industry launched 220 initiatives in phone apps, web sites, social media platforms and related activities during that period, although 44 percent were begun last year. And the 97 projects initiated in 2010 represented a 78 percent increase over the year before. Ernst & Young compiled its data by scouring... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4478153 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:07:30 +0100 4478153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4478155&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FxQAoxKq3qM0%2F Rise and shine, everyone. Another day is on the way. Here on the chilly Pharmalot corporate campus, we are, once again, hustling the short people off to the school houses. Speaking of challenging routines, meetings and deadlines are also beckoning. We assume you can relate. By the way, we would like to remind you that we are co-sponsoring a patient adherence conference and hope you can join us. Meanwhile, the time has come for another cup of stimulation. Hope your day goes well and stay in touch… Oncology Investigators Needed To Maintain Patient Recruitment (Outsourcing Pharma) EU Taken To Court Over Secrecy In India Trade Talks (Reuters) Tachi Yamada Steps Down As Gates Foundation Health Leader (Xconomy) FDA Approves Medical Devices Too Easily: Study (CBS News) Watson Pharma Earning... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4478155 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:16:41 +0100 4478155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411501&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F5k14xt5aYOk%2F A new report shows that a slower regulatory process in the U.S. doesn't result in fewer device recalls. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411501 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:28:48 +0100 4411501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394418&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F-AEJ3D-OC7o%2F Also: HHS announces fraud figures; Sanofi and Genzyme, still talking; an FDA panel weighs electroshock therapy. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394418 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:09:16 +0100 4394418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382763&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fvision-development-the-impact-of-3-d-video-games-on-kids-eyes%2F2011.01.21 Last week, Nintendo became the latest consumer electronics maker to warn that kids shouldn’t use their three-dimensional image-based gaming devices because they may have a negative impact on development of the human visual system. The warning came just a month before the company’s much anticipated release of the 3DS, which is just such a device that features a 3.5-inch screen which can create 3-D images without the need for special glasses. The 3DS is Nintendo’s most anticipated new product since it released the iconic Wii gaming device in 2006. Sony’s PlayStation3, a similar product that requires glasses to create the 3-D effect, already carries a similar warning, as do 3-D TV sets made by Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic. Nintendo’s warning applies to kids that are six years old... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382763 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:00:28 +0100 4382763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377754&cid=t_106059_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Flook-out-change-ahead.html First - mental note to self - it may look like water on the road but it could be ice, which is slippery and will cause you to fall on your butt and cause bruises later on.We have change ahead and of course there are protests - even though the changes should prove good in the long term. The FDA wants to change the way medical devices are approved. The current system was started in 1976. Times have changed since then. Any system based on information that is 35 years old probably does need a tune/upgrade/replacement. Think of it this way, if your kitchen was 35 years old with no upgrades in the meantime, you might need some new appliances and a coat of paint to say.But of course the big drug companies are protesting the change. Their lobbying group said: 'they would make device reviews longer... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377754 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:00:00 +0100 4377754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360944&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FTl89mgQEJNU%2F The PwC report says that med tech innovators are increasingly going outside the U.S. "to seek clinical data, new-product registration and first revenue." (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360944 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 22:12:16 +0100 4360944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4326900&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-patdown-diabetes-at-the-airport%2F2011.01.09 Last week we were at the airport to travel to Marco Island for the CWD Family Weekend. And we were NOT traveling light, by any stretch. Chris and I had our suitcases, our laptops, and my diabetes supplies (infusion sets, insulin, test strips, glucose tabs, etc.) stashed in a carry on. Oh, and we also had that giggly baby BSparl, plenty of clothes for her to spit up on, formula, bottles, wipes, diapers, water for mixing the formula, toys, Happy Baby puffs for snacks, her car seat, the car seat base, and the stroller. (Phew.) In addition to all the junk we were carrying, I was also wearing my Animas Ping and my Dexcom sensor (and carrying the receiver) — which made me a prime candidate for the airport opt-out search from a TSA employee, thanks to the fact that these devices are bett... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4326900 Sun, 09 Jan 2011 23:00:05 +0100 4326900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318291&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fwhy-would-directors-of-health-care.html We recently posted about 36 well-paid top executives in the University of California system, including leaders of medical schools, academic medical centers, and public health, who threatened a lawsuit if their pensions were not increased according to what they claim was a promise made to them in 1999.Riddle me this: why would a group of directors of for-profit corporations that provide health care goods and services. plus a director of a leading biotechnology trade group, and the director of a leading mutual fund family band together to support this demand, thus to push for bigger pensions for these top managers of the University of California system?Here is a list of the directors, and their corporations:-  Mark R Laret, director of Varian Medical Systems and Nuance Communicatio... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318291 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:35:00 +0100 4318291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4298613&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FVULPWtaBtTE%2F Also: looking into radiosurgery equipment; Pepsi's new snack; salmonella hits sprouts, cilantro and parsley. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4298613 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:51:22 +0100 4298613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281281&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fexactech-settles-its-regional-sales.html The march of legal settlements by health care organizations continues.  Here is a curious story in two parts.  The first part was reported in the most detail by the Gainesville (FL) Sun:Gainesville-based Exactech must pay $3 million and submit to a year of federal monitoring under a settlement to avoid prosecution on charges that resulted from an investigation into whether orthopedic implant manufacturers were paying kickbacks to surgeons to use their products.The company announced the deferred prosecution agreement Tuesday after three years of an expanded federal probe.The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey agrees not to prosecute charges of conspiracy to violate federal anti-kickback laws if the company avoids any violations for a year. What did Exactech do t... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281281 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:29:00 +0100 4281281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281296&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FCAeEaaWOZU0%2F Medicare Investigation: The WSJ takes a look at a Florida doctor (dressed like a punk rocker) who took in $1.2 million from Medicare in 2008, much of it from a sophisticated form of physical therapy. The doctor hasn't been accused of wrongdoing. But last year he was placed on heightened watch and sold his business. But not until he got $2.6 million in payments between 2007 and 2009, according to a person familiar with the matter cited by the WSJ.... (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281296 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 13:07:04 +0100 4281296 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277799&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fblogscan-medtronics-multi-million.html Starting in 2007, we discussed the huge payments made by four medical device companies to orthopedic surgeons and medical organizations related to the use of hip and knee prostheses.  (See post here with links backward.)  Payments, in the millions of dollars per year range, went to surgeons including noted academics, and leaders of the main orthopedic physicians' society.  Payments went to medical schools, teaching hospitals, and professional societies.  Many of these financial relationships were not disclosed, and the disclosures that were made rarely indicated the amounts involved.Now the Wall Street Journal reports millions being paid to spine surgeons by Medtronic in connection with devices used in spinal fusion.  See Dr Howard Brody's discu... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277799 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:10:00 +0100 4277799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272279&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fy3yXxsKhjXE%2F Spine surgeons in Louisville, Ky., are national leaders in spinal fusion surgery. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272279 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:23:40 +0100 4272279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265667&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F7VjEG0Q0YPw%2F Also: new Pfizer CEO's compensation; St. Jude Medical phases out cables; a bone-marrow registry is scrutinized. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265667 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:35:33 +0100 4265667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265740&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdefibrillators-on-the-top-10-health-technology-hazards-list%2F2010.12.16 In a desperate attempt to reach an even number it seems, hospital defibrillators were added to ECRI.org’s “Top 10 Health Technology Hazards” list of devices that threaten to kill or maim patients: The Top 10 Health Technology Hazards list is updated each year based upon the prevalence and severity of incidents reported to ECRI Institute by healthcare facilities nationwide; information found in the Institute’s medical device problem reporting databases; and the judgment, analysis, and expertise of the organization’s multidisciplinary staff. Many of the items on this year’s list are well-recognized hazards with numerous reported incidents over the years. If one honestly looks at the number of lives saved versus the number of deaths from defibrillators, I wonder how m... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265740 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4265740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4241699&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FmMQ83UJcEtQ%2F Radiation-therapy dose errors are the top tech health hazard, according to ECRI Institute. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4241699 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 23:15:03 +0100 4241699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4238003&cid=t_106059_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FLM0HVXKyx_c%2F There’s a lot of buzz this week about an unflattering report from the Senate Finance Committee (Staff Reports on Cardiac Stent Usage at St. Joseph’s Medical Center). I don’t think this incident is as big a deal as it’s being made out to be, but it does provide an opportunity to discuss the broader issues. The Committee highlighted the following points: Stent maker Abbott Labs hired cardiologist Mark Midei as a consultant even after he was barred from St. Joseph Medical Center near Baltimore for overuse of stents Abbott paid for social events at Dr. Midei’s home After allegations against Midei were publicized, stent volume fell across the overall Baltimore region An Abbott employee, angry at a Baltimore Sun article about the situation, wrote an email asking if... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4238003 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 01:52:01 +0100 4238003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4237848&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fboards-who-ought-to-be-accountable-for.html I recently posted about the multiple conflicts of interest affecting a university health sciences leader.  While he was supposed to be running a medical school and an academic medical center, he was also responsible for the stewardship, as a board member, of three health major health care corporations, and a food and beverage corporation (whose products have bearing on nutrition and public health.)  .This one case suggested how pervasive are conflicts of interest affecting the people at the top of health care leadership in the US, and also how such conflicts may be associated with problems for all the organizations involved.  The story originally came to my attention because students were demonstrating against the lavish compensation given the health sciences leade... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4237848 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:44:00 +0100 4237848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233154&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FuZVeI4bgUT4%2F Also: federal health-claims database questioned; Senate report details device allegations; Hodgkin's lymphoma drug shows promise. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233154 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:42:49 +0100 4233154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214064&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FK8EyKWi9sLM%2F Some 38% of 50 life-sciences companies surveyed said their overall working relationship with the FDA had improved in the last two years. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214064 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 20:36:21 +0100 4214064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197023&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F_2FLZPSyAwA%2F Boston Scientific has said the market could someday be as big as $5 billion. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197023 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:34:22 +0100 4197023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197025&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fb3eE47-wKF4%2F Also: radiation concerns over dental CT scanners; gap in oversight on medical device manufacturing; STD rates. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197025 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:42:57 +0100 4197025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183275&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FEw-_KCS3v84%2F An industry-funded study finds devices were available in the U.S. "an average of two full years later" than in other countries. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183275 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:33:29 +0100 4183275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179297&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FI1mDklpOYPg%2F The company has a briefing at the Plaza Hotel in New York City tomorrow, but media are asked to stay away. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179297 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:06:48 +0100 4179297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151702&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fela-medical-now-sorin-group-settles.html And we return to the parade of legal settlements, which is still marching along.  The next entrant to the parade was described by the Miami Herald:In a four-year-old case with nationwide implications, Ela Medical has agreed to pay $9.2 million to settle a whistle-blower case brought by a former Miami technician who charged the company used several schemes to pay kickbacks to South Florida doctors.The details of the allegations were:In the Miami case, brought by May and Ben Kuehne, Lee alleged that Ela gave money to doctors for questionable studies, had Ela techs do work on patients that doctors later billed Medicare for, gave doctors free trips and helped doctors get monitoring equipment that to led to more Medicare billing.The moves were made by the company to boost sales in the mult... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151702 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 22:35:00 +0100 4151702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4125254&cid=t_106059_147_f&fid=39273&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FD8wkRCBwZMk%2Fmedical-devices-allowing-new-mediums.html Many times on this blog, we write about what the iPad and similar technologies can do for doctors to help their patients. But recently in the New York Times, they featured the story of Owen Cain, who suffers from motor-neuron disease. The iPad is the only device that allows Owen to interact with the world, providing a platform for him to read and express himself on his own. Can the right use of iPads create better patient experiences for patients? Have you seen any more examples like the one above? (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4125254 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:53:00 +0100 4125254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4086229&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Ftoxic-and-dangerous-watchdog-vs.html An odd story that appeared earlier this month linked several people we have discussed on Health Care Renewal.On one hand, we posted about how Dr David Polly, a spine surgeon at the University of Minnesota, testified before the US Congress in support of research on treatments of bone injuries afflicting US soldiers.  He did not then reveal that he had been paid more than one million dollars for consulting by Medtronic, the manufacturer of a bone growth product used to treat such injuries, also the source of payments of his expenses for the trip to Washington.  At the time, we suggested this case was a reminder to be skeptical about academics who are really stealth health policy advocates for industry.On the other hand, in a post about renewed payments... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4086229 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:23:00 +0100 4086229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082058&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FHIOUuv4rJ4s%2F University of Pennsylvania orthopedic surgeon John D. Kelly tells the Health Blog he wishes ReGen’s Menaflex didn't have to be yanked. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082058 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:43:13 +0100 4082058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074017&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F1m9MVbXe4JE%2F Also: UnitedHealth proposes Medicare/Medicaid cost-saving measures; a ReGen knee implant approval is rescinded; Fresh Express has a new way to wash salad greens. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074017 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 12:48:39 +0100 4074017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060548&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fsynthes-and-its-subsidiary-plead-guilty.html In December, 2009, we updated the story of Swiss-based medical device company Synthes and the marketing by its Norian division of a bone cement.  At that time, US authorities charged the company with use of an unapproved product in about 200 patients, three of whom suffered untimely deaths.  At that point, four US based Synthes executives had pleaded guilty to charges related to this affair.  Last week, another shoe dropped.  As reported by the Associated Press,A medical devices company will admit criminality and pay the maximum $23 million fine for illegally testing bone cement on about 200 spinal patients, three of whom died in surgery, U.S. prosecutors said Monday.Norian Corp. trained surgeons to conduct unapproved clinical tests of its bone cement from 2002 to 2004,... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060548 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:52:00 +0100 4060548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031186&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fwright-medical-settles-but-wait-there.html Everyone loves a parade, and so the parade of legal settlements by prominent health care organizations continues.  The latest to march into view is Wright Medical Group, as reported by Bloomberg:Wright Medical Technology Inc. agreed to pay $7.9 million to resolve U.S. criminal and civil investigations into whether it paid kickbacks to induce doctors to use its hip and knee devices.Prosecutors in Newark, New Jersey, today charged Wright with conspiring to violate a federal anti-kickback statue through consulting contracts with orthopedic surgeons. The U.S. agreed to drop the case in 12 months if a monitor agrees that Wright has reformed the way it hires consultants.Wright, based in Arlington, Tennessee, also agreed to a $7.9 million civil settlement with the Justice Department and insp... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031186 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 19:51:00 +0100 4031186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119289&cid=t_106059_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2Foj0qz9_yN4I%2F A PR person representing leading orthopedics maker Smith & Nephew sent me an email entitled, “Do Your Readers Need a Knee Replacement?” It contained five questions designed to help consumers figure out if they need a new knee. (See below.) Medical device companies are following the pharmaceutical company model of direct to consumer advertising. If Smith & Nephew’s approach is typical, the industry has a long way to go. This particular questionnaire struck me as a ham-handed approach that’s likely to be dismissed by prospective patients as patently self-serving. I think the company would do better to drop questions 2 through 4 and expand question 1 to ask people to rate their pain level and describe different aspects of it. Patients could then speak to their ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119289 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 20:15:45 +0100 4119289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4022914&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftech-nitis-new-overuse-injuries-from-too-much-personal-technology%2F2010.10.01 It’s not surprising to people that I’m a “techy” type of guy. Reading tech stories about the latest gadgets is a nice occasional escape from work. One of the ways that medicine and tech intersect is in some “overuse injuries” that I’ve seen and talked with people about. When the Nintendo Wii first came out, there were many stories of “Wii-itis” and tendonitis-related injuries. Last week American Medical News interviewed me for a story posted on their site [on September 27th] called “New Personal Technology Creating New Ailments.” The article opens like this: When Mike Sevilla, MD, sees young patients at his Salem, Ohio, family practice, he often finds them text messaging or listening to music on portable media players. The... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4022914 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0100 4022914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4002980&cid=t_106059_113_f&fid=34831&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDocinthemachine%2F%7E5%2FgknsHz4Aupo%2Fmoogaloop.swf have just returned from the Maker Faire and have seen the future of medical device innovation, invention, and design– Self-design and rapid home prototyping.  For those unfamiliar with the jargon basically technology now exists that can allow the creation of a working prototype of a device from idea to an actual working hand-held version in a physician-inventor’s own home.  This has the potential to democratize the process and eliminate previous massive cost and technological barriers that kept the process inaccessible except to large industry or those with substantial capital resources. One person I spoke with was calling this the Next Industrial Revolution.  To me this is clearly the inevitable technological evolution of design and device innovation following in the exact ... docinthemachine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4002980 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 06:29:17 +0100 4002980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4002883&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpre-heart-attack-screening%2F2010.09.26 Imagine: There you are sitting outside on a warm, sunny day having a leisurely picnic with your family. You hear an ambulance in the distance getting closer. You’re not on call. Suddenly, the paramedics hop from the vehicle’s cabin and pronounce: “Excuse me sir, your heart’s not getting enough oxygen and you might develop a heart attack. Please, come with us.” Sound far fetched? Well, maybe not. A new device is being tested that might detect “silent” ischemia and notify a patient (or even call 911) that he or she is showing signs of heart ischemia on the wire installed in his or her chest. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4002883 Sun, 26 Sep 2010 18:00:00 +0100 4002883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3994350&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FqZjGyYzIH8o%2Flatest-mhealth-research-revealed-at.html PricewaterhouseCoopers recently conducted a survey which concluded that three in ten Americans are willing to use their mobile phone to monitor and track their health. 40 percent stated that they would be willing to send their health data directly to their physician through a remote monitoring device. What’s more, they would be willing to pay for this device out of pocket.To explore these findings further and understand how your organization fits into this emerging marketplace, join us at VITAL - The Consumer Digital Health Event next month.VITAL, (Vision, Innovation, Technology, Adoption, Living) - The Consumer Digital Health Event, taking place Wednesday, October 6, 2010, is a one-day interactive think tank designed to bring together the key players in the consumer health technology ma... ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3994350 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:00:00 +0100 3994350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3983382&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fshould-president-of-university-of.html We first started to discuss the intense conflicts of interest generated when leaders of academic medicine are also members of boards of directors of for-profit health care corporations in 2006.The issue really made the big time in 2010 when the New York Times published a front page article in its Sunday Business section about whether university presidents who also were corporate directors were part of an "academic-industrial complex."University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman as a Director of Johnson and JohnsonOne such director we discussed this year is Mary Sue Coleman, President of the University of Michigan, and hence leader of a prestigious medical school and academic medical center, who is also Director of the large health care conglomerate, Johnson and Johnson. This... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3983382 Sun, 19 Sep 2010 22:33:00 +0100 3983382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3973071&cid=t_106059_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FlGJ2r1fkrEE%2Fadverse-events.php Having worked at a medical device manufacturer several years back, I know all too well about adverse events involving their complicated and sophisticated equipment used in the operating room.   Hardly a week went by when such an event was reported from a hospital or outpatient surgery center, typically a malfunction with no harm to the patient or user error that needed to be clarified, though more serious incidents were certainly also seen on a more infrequent basis.  The manufacturer had a specific plan in place to monitor these post-market adverse events and report to the FDA as required - even in case of possible user error.   It got me thinking.  The online diabetes community is everywhere - blogs, Facebook, Twitter, forums - you name it.  Hardly a week ... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3973071 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:28:00 +0100 3973071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3968990&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FQn27fTM_ebQ%2F Even when a physician receiving at least $1 million from industry had a prominent authorship role of a research paper, 46% of the papers didn't disclose the information. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3968990 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:44:14 +0100 3968990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3961797&cid=t_106059_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F12%2Fsunday-news-round-up-catching-up-edition%2F I haven’t done one of these in a couple of weeks; here are some things that have caught my attention recently. Movin’ Meat is the blog of an emergency physician – it’s hard to succinctly explain what happened as described in this recent post without giving it away, but let’s just say it involves sex and a nitroglycerin patch. Birthing Beautiful Ideas has 30 things about pregnancy and childbirth she never wants to hear again. Someecards, my absolute favorite place to find funny (if sometimes inappropriate) ecards, has an editor’s pick on abortion. I wish I could embed it, but it reads “I bet you one unplanned pregnancy that you are secretly pro-choice.” The Independent has a round-up of some online communities for patients, including Patie... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3961797 Sun, 12 Sep 2010 15:46:42 +0100 3961797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3914930&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Ftrouble-coming-every-day-as-discussed.html With apologies to the late Frank Zappa... even though we are going through the dog days of summer, the parade of health care troubles in the news is never ending, so I thought I would recap some of the more interesting issues discussed by some of my fellow health care skeptic bloggers.We have discussed the ongoing decline of primary care. On DB's Medical Rants, Dr Robert Centor takes on the topic: "The system has, without consciously meaning to, held primary care in contempt." The result is a "quiet rebellion: of primary doctors.We have discussed whether the currently fashionable idea of "accountable care organizations" (ACOs) might turn out to be a cover for health care oligopolies. See what Paul Levy, CEO of the Beth Israel/ Deaconess Medical Center said about them in his blog, Runn... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3914930 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:58:00 +0100 3914930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3903127&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fds8ZYN-00ko%2F An interesting battle is taking place between a group of companies and the FDA over E-cigarettes. Never heard of them? These are battery-powered tubes that turn nicotine-laced liquid into a vapor mist. The marketers say their items are safer than cigarettes because there no toxins and some consumers seem to love them as they try to quit smoking. They even have a club (look here or watch the video). The cost is $40 to $120 for a starter kit, and then pay smaller amounts for liquid refills, according to The Wall Street Journal. However, as the paper notes, the FDA is fighting to regulate the products as drug-delivery devices, similar to the way nicotine gums, patches or other nicotine-replacement products are regulated. Of course, this would subject e-cigarettes to lengthy and expensive tria... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3903127 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:27:47 +0100 3903127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3902878&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FfcQGz1FliXA%2F Also: AARP reports on brand-name drug prices; Medtronic gives grim view of medical device demand; report says millions of older Americans may need to switch Medicare drug plans in 2011. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3902878 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:47:18 +0100 3902878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082192&cid=t_106059_117_f&fid=34696&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.straightfromthedoc.com%2F50226711%2Fbuy_medical_supplies_for_africa.php © freegazaorgIn the United States, there are a lot of unused medical supplies that are being discarded every year. Hospitals are forced to discard any unused medical supplies in an opened outer package even if the remaining items are individually wrapped and sterile because of U.S. government regulations. On top of that, thousands of tons of medical supplies are discarded every day in the United States due to overproduction and procedural excess. Non-government organizations such as the Doc to Dock program collect such ... (Source: Straightfromthedoc) Straightfromthedoc blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082192 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:26:40 +0100 4082192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872510&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007410.html Biocompatible, nanometer-scaled transistors: obviously what we all need and have been waiting for. Researchers at Harvard University have made biocompatible, nanometer-scaled transistors that can be used to take highly precise electrical and chemical readings inside cells. The bioprobes are much more sensitive than the passive electrodes that have been used to make intracellular measurements in the past. These scientists are also working with tissue engineers toward the goal of interfacing these nanowires to prosthetic devices. This would help amputees control artificial limbs. One can also imagine using such nanowires to jump over damaged sections of spinal cords that leave people paralyzed. If one can control an artificial limb why not use the same technology to reestablish control over ... FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872510 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3872510 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3854505&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FhunyTwffNHk%2F Also: former head of WellPoint unit speaks out; cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease; diagnosing Alzheimer's early. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3854505 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:47:33 +0100 3854505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119337&cid=t_106059_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBusinessBlog%2F%7E3%2FfsEHUZp3ihA%2F Contact lenses under development are designed to use tiny sensors to monitor the biochemistry of the eye surface and provide readings on measurements such as blood glucose levels, cholesterol, temperature, inflammation, infection or fatigue. Amazingly, the results would be displayed right on the lens for the wearer to see. See Contact Lens Monitors Health: “The surface of the human eye has a wealth of information about the human body,” Parviz said. “In a very noninvasive way, you can monitor what’s going on inside the body without going inside.” Don’t want it displayed on your contact? Theoretically, the information could be beamed to your cell phone and e-mailed to you, Parviz said. So far, researchers have been able to build contacts with tiny antenna... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119337 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:36:51 +0100 4119337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3822872&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fge-dont-know-much-about-radiation.html Don't know much about historyDon't know much biologyDon't know much about a science bookDon't know much about the french I took.(Wonderful World, sung by Sam Cook)This is becoming the theme song for executives of health care corporations.  We have posted about a series of cases in which major health care corporations suddenly seemed unable to carry out their core business functions, a phenomenon I am going to start calling "core business incompetence."  Some recent examples:-  Baxter International apparently failed to check the purity of heparin it bought from a foreign supplier; the contaminated heparin resulted in approximately 81 deaths. (See post here.)-  A major Genzyme manufacturing facility had multiple quality problems, resulting in the production of a very expe... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3822872 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:41:00 +0100 3822872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3761413&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F5Qe6xhwHPuU%2F Also: bad nurses traveling; Boston Scientific's founders sell shares; research on a universal flu vaccine. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3761413 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:28:56 +0100 3761413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3754079&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FFvzsBN83Vls%2Fcan-mobile-health-lead-to-medicaid.html Heath Care at MSNBC recently looked at the work Dr. Richard Katz is doing in Washington, DC, to work with inner city individuals to monitor their diabetes daily. By using cell phones as medical devices, they are hoping to take daily readings of blood sugar and send reports back to the doctors. Then, if numbers are incorrect, the doctors can communicate with the patients as to what they need to do to get their blood sugar back to normal. Then upon normal doctors visits, all of the information is recorded at NoMoreClipboard.com. Thus, encouraging individuals to consistently monitor their health on a daily basis before conditions worsen. Read the full article here. As this experiment is focused in inner-city Washington, DC, the daily healthcare will contribute to Medicare saving.What do you t... ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3754079 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:16:00 +0100 3754079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753791&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FfwetVFFMCqQ%2F Also: a new head for PhRMA; Maine wants out, temporarily, of one health-overhaul requirement; a union's suit against Pfizer. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753791 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:08:24 +0100 3753791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683599&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FxeJChNpiWSI%2F Starting this fall, FDA recall data will be posted online in tabular and XML form. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683599 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:59:40 +0100 3683599 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3676646&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FPR4Ksa1GD34%2F Also: the FDA approves a new treatment for prostate cancer, and one of the agency's advisory committees recommends a post-sex contraceptive pill. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3676646 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:22:13 +0100 3676646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671636&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fdeferred-prosecution-agreements-end-so.html Starting in 2007, we posted (here, here, here, here and here) about the payments, often huge, that five manufacturers of prosthetic joints (Biomet, DePuy Orthopaedics (a unit of Johnson & Johnson), Stryker Orthopedics,a unit of Stryker Inc, Zimmer Holdings, and Smith & Nephew) revealed they made to orthopedic surgeons and various academic and other organizations. These revelations were the results of deferred prosecution agreements made in 2007 between four of the companies and the US Department of Justice after the latter charged Biomet, DePuy, Zimmer, and Smith and Nephew with giving surgeons kickbacks, disguised as consulting fees, to promote their products.  Stryker entered into a voluntary compliance agreement (see post here).  We also noted that some of th... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671636 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:31:00 +0100 3671636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3652408&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedical-devices-spell-stromuhr-win-the-spelling-championship%2F2010.06.10 They seem to like medical devices in the high stakes world of spelling championships. Anamika Veeramani, from Cleveland, Ohio, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee this weekend by spelling “stromuhr,” a rheometer designed to measure the amount and speed of blood flow through an artery. Don’t feel bad — we’d never heard of it before either, and we’re supposed to be experts in this stuff. Education never ends… Merriam-Webster: Stromuhr London Science Museum: Ludwig-type stromuhr, London, England, 1920-1940 Press release: National Spelling Bee: A Spawning Ground for Future Physicians and Obscure Diseases *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3652408 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:00:01 +0100 3652408 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635707&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fsequenom-executive-pleads-guilty-banned.html This report from Bloomberg describes a case in which a health care corporation was accused of lying to investors about the performance of a product which it hoped to market. The product was a diagnostic test, and so exaggerating its performance could have affected medical decisions, and hence patients' outcomes, as well as affecting investors' finances. Note how this case was handled.Elizabeth A. Dragon, former senior vice president of research and development at Sequenom Inc., pleaded guilty today in federal court to conspiracy to commit securities fraud for lying to investors about the company’s prenatal test for Down syndrome, U.S. officials said.Dragon admitted to making false claims to investors and analysts about the effectiveness of the San Diego-based company’s test as well as ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635707 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 19:32:00 +0100 3635707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635708&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fst-jude-medical-settles.html We could not let more than a week go by without discussing another legal settlement by a major health care organization.  From the Pioneer Press, Little Canada-based St. Jude Medical will pay $3.7 million to resolve allegations the medical device company provided kickbacks to hospitals in Kentucky and Ohio to secure sales of heart devices, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.The government alleged that St. Jude Medical provided rebates that were retroactive and paid based on a hospital's previous purchases of heart device equipment from the company. Prosecutors also charged that St. Jude Medical paid rebates for purchases of heart-device equipment sold by its competitors to induce purchases of similar equipment from St. Jude Medical in the future. As I understand it, the i... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635708 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:48:00 +0100 3635708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3632250&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fsunscreen-smarts-daily-health-quiz%2F How much do you really know about your health? You may think you know all the ins and outs of staying well, but our daily Health Smarts Quiz will test your knowledge on the spot. Answer our question, below, and check back tomorrow for the correct answer and your next pop quiz. photo: Thinkstock Today’s Question: When planning for a weekend in the sun, you definitely don’t want to forget your favorite natural sunscreen. But can you just slap on some SPF right before heading into the heat? How long before sun exposure should you apply sunscreen so your skin effectively absorbs it? #MicroPollDiv_259339 { width: 250px; margin: 0px auto; } Answer to Yesterday’s Question: Usually, the success of birth control pills is not changed by dietary or herbal supplements, but in a few ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3632250 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:56:49 +0100 3632250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3617817&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FV3lSZirhZr8%2F Also: more money for bone scans in the health-care overhaul bill; a drug for premature ejaculation; the consequences of obesity. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3617817 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:50:10 +0100 3617817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3611964&cid=t_106059_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2F9VO3695NGhU%2F Coo-ee!  Guess who.  It’s Pandora, your multiply-diagnosed neighbourhood insomniac, very excited to be here for one week only (unless Z decides to indulge my megolamania again in the future) to feed you your regular dose of TWIM.  For the record, as well as blogs that you’re probably very familiar with, I’m bringing in a few that I read regularly that have not (to my knowledge) been featured here before.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  Most of all I hope that no one here in the madosphere is typing on that most pointless of devices, the Apple iPad (or iTampon, as it became affectionately known on Twitter).  What in the name of God is the function of a giant iPhone without a phone? Perhaps more pertinently, can something as silly as the iPad cope with the ... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3611964 Sat, 29 May 2010 10:35:08 +0100 3611964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3573650&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Finside-story-10-more-things-we-stick-up-our-vaginas%2F In a follow-up to our recent girly post Vagina Monologue: 10 Things We Shove All Up In There, we present 10 more foreign objects that often become intimate with our lady parts – and things are getting pretty crowded downstairs. 1.    NuvaRing® Once-a-Month Birth Control – Wait, did Esther Williams wear one? We don’t get it. And funny how a contraceptive device with a giant hole in it can stop us from getting preggers. 2.    Lady Care Vaginal Weights – We don’t care what they are or what they do. We just like having an excuse to say: “Lady Care Vaginal Weights.” ($62.95 from Medgo) Lady Care Vaginal Weights 3. The Pelvic Locator (a.k.a. Pelvic Educator) – Um, no. We’ll find our pelvis without teaching tools, thanks. But if you can’t, ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3573650 Tue, 18 May 2010 15:00:01 +0100 3573650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3573718&cid=t_106059_105_f&fid=38964&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrwes.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fhow-weve-killed-clinical-research.html "I have always relied on the company of strangers."- Blanche DuBois in Tennessee William's play, A Streetcar Named DesireYears ago when I began my medical training, I recall enrolling patients for clinical research. In cardiology, there were a myriad of questions that needed to be answered, especially in the area of defining which medications were best to limit the damage caused by a heart attack. Patients routinely participated in large, multi-center prospective randomized trials to answer these questions. It was routine for them not to charged for participating in the trial: the drug(s) and additional testing would be funded by the company whose drug was being studied. Patients enrolled willingly, eager to help advance science and perhaps, in some small way, their fellow man.It never daw... Dr. Wes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3573718 Tue, 18 May 2010 10:14:00 +0100 3573718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556052&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fbirth-control-scare-do-women-really-have-the-power%2F photo: Thinkstock With the 50th birthday of The Pill last weekend, stories about birth control are everywhere we look. Women have never been so empowered about having control over their own bodies. But, of course, many people don’t believe that a woman should be in control of her own body. Anya Alvarez, a college senior, posted on Facebook about a recent terrifying experience she had. She was having sex with a guy when she realized that not only had he taken off the condom, but he had also removed her Nuva Ring. She confronted him, bolted, and later sent him an email explaining how blatantly disrespectful his actions were. The guy replied with an apology, and a shocking confession – it was something he had done many times before. Alvarez hasn’t been able to find a lawyer who&... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556052 Wed, 12 May 2010 13:52:21 +0100 3556052 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556065&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FsXoYV30ziP0%2F The company held its annual meeting at the Bank of America Auditorium in Boston, but told a Dow Jones Newswires reporter that media weren’t allowed to attend. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556065 Tue, 11 May 2010 17:47:24 +0100 3556065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552421&cid=t_106059_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D3388 I was unhappy with the Wall Street Journal’s coverage of the Da Vinci surgical robot last week. I’m happy to see the Journal print three letters on the subject that are right on the money. As I wrote (Robot as scapegoat) the reporter unfairly blamed the robot and its marketers for sins that would have been more appropriately pinned on others. There were examples of surgeries where the robot was used and caused injury. But that’s more of a reason to avoid small, inexperienced hospitals in general. It has little to do with the use of robots per se. And the article told us nothing of the error or complications rate with non-robotic surgeries at the same hospital. The article took issue with the way the robot was marketed: as a money maker and market share gaining tool for h... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552421 Mon, 10 May 2010 23:46:55 +0100 3552421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542721&cid=t_106059_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D3382 A front page Wall Street Journal article (Surgical Robot Examined In Injuries) raises safety concerns about the Da Vinci surgical robot and questions the appropriateness of its manufacturer’s marketing practice. I think they are throwing stones at the wrong targets. Here’s what the Journal says… By way of background… The da Vinci has been billed as a breakthrough in the quest to make surgery less invasive. With its four remote-controlled arms and sophisticated camera, it enables surgeons to operate through small incisions with greater precision and visibility. …regarding its safety… At Wentworth-Douglass [a Dover, NH hospital using the robot], however, the robot has been used in several surgeries where injuries occurred. One patient… was so badly ... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542721 Fri, 07 May 2010 03:42:12 +0100 3542721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3549272&cid=t_106059_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F04%2Fjournal-of-the-american-medical-association-2010-vol-303-no-14%2F This article examines whether any evidence exists regarding the risks distracted drivers pose and how to avert them, and what are the respective responsibilities of government, industry and drivers? 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, E-Journals, Journals Tagged: Distracted Drivers, Driving, Electronic Devices, Mobile Phones, Road Accidents (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3549272 Tue, 04 May 2010 20:43:34 +0100 3549272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3534107&cid=t_106059_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F8xdsIfTLwRo%2F Transparency is the new religion in the health care world and two trade groups - AdvaMed and Eucomed, which represent medical device makers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean - released a statement today in which they have agreed to urge their members to adhere their respective ethics codes for guiding interactions with doctors and other health care professionals [UPDATE: We wrote earlier that the two groups are adopting the same code]. The effort to adhere to an ethics code has been a work in progress. Both groups had previously adopted guidelines. Eucomed, for instance, approved rules two years ago and issued a framework earlier this year before releasing a final version today. And AdvaMed issued its own code last summer. The codes cover the usual gamut of issues - continuing medical ed... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3534107 Tue, 04 May 2010 16:59:41 +0100 3534107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3529960&cid=t_106059_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fsizing-up-the-solo.html Show and Tell today, Friends! I received my demo kit of the Solo tubeless insulin pumping system the other day. That’s the would-be competitor to OmniPod which was acquired by Roche Diabetes last month. It’s not yet on the market — in fact, not slated to be available until 2012, but you can order a free sample [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3529960 Tue, 04 May 2010 13:00:13 +0100 3529960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706911&cid=t_106059_147_f&fid=39211&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.insighthealthcaresolutions.com%2Ffiles%2Fsafety_needles.php%23unique-entry-id-86 I was speaking to someone recently about safety engineered needle technology, and how much has it entered the medical device market. Safety needles are medical devices that retract or protect the needle after use, so that needlestick injuries can be prevented. The consequences of these type injuries are multifold: spread of blood-borne pathogens such as hepatitis, HIV and other viruses and bacteria, lost productivity of the healthcare worker after injury, and economic and psychological costs of prophylactic treatments or, in a worst case scenario, chronic treatments. In response to both healthcare workers, industry and politicians, several US Federal and State Agencies began to push for adoption of safety needle products by hospitals and other healthcare settings, mostly from late 199... Medical Products Insight RSS Feed blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706911 Mon, 03 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3706911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519643&cid=t_106059_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F04%2F2010-diabetesmine-design-challenge-closing-for-entries-tonight.html The 2010 DiabetesMine Design Challenge closes for entries at midnight tonight!  What? You didn’t expect me to post about anything else today, did you? I’m afraid I can’t really think about anything else right about now.  Too excited to see what happens when the clock strikes twelve… So at the risk of sounding repetitive — in [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519643 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:00:52 +0100 3519643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3505084&cid=t_106059_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fdiabetesmine-design-challenge-enter-by-this-friday.html There are exactly five days left to enter the 2010 DiabetesMine Design Challenge, the web’s premiere open innovation competition to improve life with diabetes (nice tagline, ay? I just made that up) We’ve already received several-dozen entries this year, and garnered some great media coverage too, including: The Huffington Post (thank you, Riva!) Diabetes Forecast magazine – online [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3505084 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:00:05 +0100 3505084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490718&cid=t_106059_113_f&fid=36671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fopen.medicdrive.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2F21%2Fipad-and-its-impact-on-medicine%2F This is the second part of the series on Technology enablers in Health. The current stats show that Ipad is a runaway hit among consumers. There are many reasons for this phenomenon, primarily it is the big brother of the popular Iphone.Secondly the applications which work on Iphone and Itouch are enabled for Ipad. One of the [...] (Source: Constructive Medicine 2.0) Constructive Medicine 2.0 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490718 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 01:02:48 +0100 3490718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487211&cid=t_106059_118_f&fid=34850&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthbusinessblog.com%2F%3Fp%3D3323 As written, the New England Journal of Medicine article (Robot-Assisted Therapy for Long-Term Upper-Limb Impairment after Stroke) claims quite modest results for robot therapy. Between the lines, though, lie powerful hints of the impending robot revolution. (The article is free and I encourage you to read it.) Researchers recruited Veterans Administration (VA) patients who’d suffered strokes an average of 5 years earlier. Volunteers were randomized to 12 weeks of robot-assisted therapy, intensive comparison therapy, or usual care (medical management and some rehabilitation services available to all patients).  The primary outcome was change in motor function at 12 weeks as measured by the Fugl-Meyer score. Patients were also evaluated after 6, 24 and 36 weeks. Results showed that ro... Health Business Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487211 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:09:30 +0100 3487211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3483063&cid=t_106059_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fwhats-new-in-diabetes-goods-reader-tips.html Thankfully, many readers send me emails when they hear about something newsworthy/ different/ fun/ controversial/ or quirky in the world of diabetes. Thank you! And keep those tips coming, pahhhleeese, People. Today, from the mailbag, three items that I simply had to share: New OneTouch Delica Lancing Device This one’s so new it doesn’t even appear on the [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3483063 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:00:06 +0100 3483063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3448806&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fwhat-me-worry-leaders-prosper-despite.html There were two examples in the recent news about how the leaders of health care organizations seem to prosper no matter what questions are raised about their organizations' ethics or performance.WellPointIt seemed that anger over a rate increase by a subsidiary of the huge insurance company/ managed care organization WellPoint was one reason for the revival of efforts in the US to enact some sort of health care reform legislation.  In our comment on this controversy, we noted that questions about the ethics of WellPoint's actions have appeared again and again.  Wellpoint...settled a RICO (racketeer influenced corrupt organization) law-suit in California over its alleged systematic attempts to withhold payments from physicians (see post here).subsidiary New York Empire Blue Cross ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3448806 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:19:00 +0100 3448806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3449079&cid=t_106059_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fdesign-challenge-and-now-a-word-from-our-sponsor.html Actually, we have Veenu Aulakh to thank for putting the DiabetesMine Design Challenge on the map. She heard me give a keynote speech at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Project HealthDesign event a few years ago, calling for more patient involved in medical device design, and it seems that a light bulb went on: the [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3449079 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:00:41 +0100 3449079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3443645&cid=t_106059_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fwho-guards-guardians-case-of-boston.html The fallout from the case of the faulty implantable cardiac defibrillators continues.  To summarize the story thus far,We started posting about Boston Scientific's travails in 2005, starting with allegations that Guidant, which is now a Boston Scientific subsidiary, hid information about defects in the implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) the company manufactured. As we noted in early 2005 here, Guidant executives allegedly knew that ICDs made from 2000-2002 were at risk for short-circuiting and failing, thus making them unable to deliver potentially life saving electrical shocks meant to prevent cardiac arrests, but the company only revealed the problem in 2005. By failing to notify physicians and the public, Guidant executives let expensive and profitable, but po... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3443645 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:28:00 +0100 3443645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3432999&cid=t_106059_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fmobile-devices-online-communities-and-cost-cutting Healthcare systems around the world have been scrambling to come up with ways to leverage mobile technologies in order to reduce healthcare costs, especially those stemming from chronic disease management. Now, the Australia-based International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations has outlined an approach in which online communities could easily be used to offer people with chronic illnesses wireless healthcare services via mobile phones and the internet. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3432999 Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:16:15 +0100 3432999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429227&cid=t_106059_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F01%2Fmental-illness-cured%2F After working on these issues for the past 150 years, Psych Central is pleased to announce a final, simple cure for mental illness. “Yes, it’s been a long-time in the making, but we finally figured out how to cure mental illness,” said Founder and CEO of Psych Central, Dr. John Grohol. “The final push came 6 months ago, when we realized we had not only discovered the single mental illness gene, but how to deactivate it with simple products found in most people’s homes.” The cure comes on the heels of over 150 years of mental illness being recognized as something needing treatment. Serious mental disorders — things such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety and panic, ADHD — have long had a significant, negative impact in peo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429227 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:55:36 +0100 3429227