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 'diagnostic tests'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:29:48 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372047&cid=t_118510_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fshould-doctors-be-allowed-to-self-refer%2F2011.01.19 Federal law generally prohibits physicians from referring their own patients to a diagnostic facility in which they have an ownership issue — a practice called “self-referral” — unless the facility is located in their own practice. This exemption exists to allow patients with access to a laboratory test, X-ray, or other imaging test at the same time and place as when patients are seeing their physician for an office visit. Less inconvenience and speeder diagnosis and treatment — what could be wrong with that? Much, say the critics, if it leads to overutilization and higher costs and doesn’t really represent a convenience to patients. This is the gist of two studies by staff employed by the American College of Radiology, published in the December issue of Health Affa... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372047 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4372047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031305&cid=t_118510_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F04%2Fits-all-in-your-head-living-with-chronic-illness%2F Somewhere I read that properly diagnosing a chronic illness can take from two to three years. Many of you wait even longer. In the meantime, while the doctors scratch their heads, we’re expected to be happy we’re alive. And that’s if they don’t write us off with “It’s psychological.” It took a year and three doctors before I was diagnosed with scleroderma. Just remembering what I went through during that year-from-hell gets my blood boiling and I know I was one of the lucky ones. If you are experiencing symptoms but don’t have a diagnosis yet, here are some tips that I hope will help you get through this trying time a little easier. Trust yourself. You are not crazy. Physicians have referred many people to me before they had a diagnosis, even... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031305 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 23:11:56 +0100 4031305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635707&cid=t_118510_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=3552246&cid=t_118510_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffaith-in-healthcare-is-falling%2F2010.05.10 A newly-created index of consumer healthcare confidence has fallen steadily this year, reports The Thomson Reuters Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index. Consumers report declining confidence in their ability to access, use, and pay for healthcare. The index, set at a baseline of 100 in December 2009, is now at 97. More consumers reported difficulty paying for services and insurance, or reported a reduction or cancellation of their insurance. More delayed or failed to fill a prescription in the past three months or canceled a diagnostic test (such as blood work, X-ray or mammogram). Further, consumers expect the situation to worsen in the next three months, including putting off elective surgery. Thomson will report figures monthly and has published their methodology online. *This bl... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552246 Mon, 10 May 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3552246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2584276&cid=t_118510_123_f&fid=37052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fv%2FqfyNjVAC2U8%26amp%3Bhl%3Den%26amp%3Bfs%3D1%26amp%3B The latest 5th edition of the pocket guide to diagnostic tests is now available from Unbound Medicine for all mobile platforms. Here’s an iPod Touch example: Here’s a Windows Mobile example: The cost is $39.99 for all versions here is a list of links; Buy it for the iPhone in App Store here Buy it for the other platforms from Unbound Medicine here Buy the paper back book from Amazon here This is one of the rare occasions where we see an Unbound Medicine title that can be directly purchased in App Store rather than a free template to be filled by the contents when we subscribe. The new edition has several updates of the contents but no new sections seen. Of note, is that the free copy that comes with Merck Medicus is not updated [Merck Medicus told me that it's not likely in... The Pediatric PDA Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2584276 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:30:03 +0100 2584276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1625835&cid=t_118510_136_f&fid=36051&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FCancerCommentary%2F%7E3%2F336705341%2F This report said that the practice has actually did more harm than good: However, a review of recent studies says there is no evidence that self-exams actually reduce breast cancer deaths. Instead, the practice may be doing more harm than good, since it led to almost twice as many biopsies that turned up no cancer in women who performed the self-exams, compared to women who did not do the exams. Jan Peter Kosters, Ph.D., and Peter Gotzsche, Ph.D., of the Nordic Cochrane Centre, conclude in the review: “At present, screening by breast self-examination or physical examination [by a trained health worker] cannot be recommended.” Indeed it is tricky what diagnostic tool to pursue in our hope to catch breast cancer (or any other cancer for that matter) at the earliest possible stage... Cancer Commentary blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1625835 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:38:57 +0100 1625835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1437151&cid=t_118510_136_f&fid=36051&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FCancerCommentary%2F%7E3%2F288556249%2F In a separate post, I already mentioned The Pathwork® Tissue of Origin Test. It is interesting to know that Stanford University School of Medicine is investigating an investigational study of the this genomics-based diagnostic test for hard-to-identify tumors — The Pathwork® Tissue of Origin Test. The new test uses advanced genomics-based technology to help physicians determine a tumor’s origin in order to optimize cancer-specific treatment. The study will evaluate the test’s ability to impact diagnosis for cancer patients with hard-to-identify tumors, with test samples processed at the Stanford University School of Medicine’s laboratory. According to Dr. Iris Schrijver, Director of Molecular Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine: “Hard-to-identify tumors are ... Cancer Commentary blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1437151 Mon, 12 May 2008 09:09:03 +0100 1437151