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 'directed'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:26:26 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181799&cid=t_263117_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fimproving-doctor-patient-communication-to-provide-patient-centered-care%2F2011.09.01 The first experience patients are likely to have with your hospital is not in an ER visit or inpatient stay.  A patient’s first experience will most likely be in one of your primary-care physician offices.  That because a person is 10 times more likely during a year to end up in the physician’s office for a routine visit than they are to require an overnight hospital stay. As a hospital marketer or patient experience officer this should raise an interesting question. How well do your physicians–particularly your primary-care physicians–represent your brand? Take “patient-centeredness.” Lots of hospitals these days are promoting themselves as providing patient-centered care.  You know … when the hospital and its staff try where possible to be sensitive to and honor the wish... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181799 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:00:05 +0100 5181799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181810&cid=t_263117_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FsuwvoByosDQ%2F Do you work in an emergency department? Or maybe in an ICU? Or perhaps the prehospital environment? Regardless, of where you look after critically ill patients you MUST click on this LINK now! What will you find there? Two things: The first part of a talk by ‘Early Goal Directed Therapy’ legend Dr Manny Rivers on [...] (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181810 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:38:31 +0100 5181810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028632&cid=t_263117_114_f&fid=34648&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBlawg%2F%7E3%2Fj1wDO3_RgCk%2Fhealthcare-associated-infections-what-is-the-message-and-what-can-we-do-about-them.html   The good people at GE and JESS3 have come up with an HAI infographic.  It's pretty, and it conveys the horrible information that many of us already know -- healthcare associated infections kill about 100,000 people a year, and add $35 billion a year to our collective health care bill (here in the US of A); 5% of hospital inpatients end up with an HAI. So what do we expect the world to do with this infographic?  The FDA has rolled out new cigarette package warnings, including graphic photos, that are presumably intended to so sicken potential purchasers of cigarettes that they drop the pack of cigarettes and run screaming from the counter.  In more measured terms, the FDA says: The introduction of these warnings is expected to have a significant public health impact by decreasing... HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028632 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:18:39 +0100 5028632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008415&cid=t_263117_114_f&fid=34648&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthblawg.typepad.com%2Ffiles%2Fregina-herzlinger-on-healthblawg-w-david-harlow-07-2011.mp3 I spoke with Harvard Business School professor Regina Herzlinger this week about health reform – the good, the bad and the ugly – touching on ACOs and demonstration projects under the Affordable Care Act; innovations coming down the pike in the private sector either because of the law or because of market forces; social media in health care; and two key fixes to the ACA that she believes are absolutely necessary in order to make it work, or work as best it can. First of all, she expressed her delight at the passage of a federal law nudging us ever closer to universal coverage, combined with dismay at its failure to address rising costs (noting that we're looking at policies yielding an accumulated Medicare deficit of $90 trillion, as compared to an annual GDP of $12-14 trillion) and a... HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008415 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:39:44 +0100 5008415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653335&cid=t_263117_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fshould-home-allergy-shots-be-permitted%2F2011.03.28 DISCLAIMER: This post is not meant to condone or promote allergy shots to be given at home. It is meant to promote discussion and make patients aware of the issues involved. Allergy shots, unlike medications like claritin and flonase, offer patients with significant allergies a way to potentially be cured of their misery without the need for daily medication use. However, there is a small, but substantial risk for anaphylaxis and even death with allergy shot administration. After all, a patient is being injected with the very substances that cause their allergies. As such, many allergists will allow allergy shots to be administered ONLY within a medical setting. Also, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) specifically forbids allergy shots to be administered at home... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653335 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4653335 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119163&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2010%2F10%2F28%2Fhealth-care-is-coming-home%2F In the New England Journal Journal of Medicine this week, a perspective article by a Cleveland Clinic physician, promotes the future of home care. Dr. Landers notes five major forces driving healthcare to the home. 1. Aging of the population 2. Epidemics of chronic disease 3. Technological advances 4. Health care consumerism 5. Escalating health care costs In the conclusion of the article, he notes this as a long term trend perhaps taking decades. My view as a technology optimist, is that the combination of these forces will result in a faster pace of change with high tech home care being an integral part of the medical home. (Source: eHealth) eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119163 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 02:45:49 +0100 4119163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105816&cid=t_263117_114_f&fid=34648&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBlawg%2F%7E3%2FoWmt5JQ5BeI%2Fconnected-health-symposium-2010.html I attended the Connected Health Symposium last week in Boston. I enjoyed many of the sessions (sometimes wished I could have attended two simultaneously, though the livetweeting helped on that front), and as usual enjoyed the hallway and exhibit floor conversations too.  As is often the case at conferences these days, I had the opportunity to meet several on-line connections in real life for the first time.  (I will not attempt to give a comprehensive report of the symposium here; please see the livetweeting archive linked to above and other reports to get a sense of the rest of the event.) This year's exhibit floor included a diverse mix of distance health tools.  Most striking from my perspective was the fact that most of these tools do one of two things: Enable patient-clinician vi... HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105816 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:41:01 +0100 4105816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4027241&cid=t_263117_114_f&fid=34648&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthBlawg%2F%7E3%2FK2wx9VttOGM%2Fmhealth-markets-and-cold-hard-cash.html Last month, PricewaterhouseCoopers issued a report, Healthcare Unwired, examining the market for mobile health monitoring devices, reminder services, etc. among both health care providers and the general public.  One of the big take-away points seems to be that 40% of the general public would be willing to pay for mobile health, or mHealth, devices or services ranging from reminders to data uploads; and the reaction by insiders is either joy (40% is good) or dismay (40% is not enough).  PwC estimated the mHealth market to be worth somewhere between $7.7 billion and $43 billion per year, based on consumers' expressed willingness to pay. Deloitte recently issued a report on mPHRs, as well -- and there is tremendous interest in this space, as discussed in John Moore's recent post over at Ch... HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4027241 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 15:46:27 +0100 4027241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2789000&cid=t_263117_105_f&fid=36987&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FIvorKovicMd%2F%7E3%2FNJtP1ennEzQ%2F The New England Journal of Medicine, one of the best medical journals in the World, has just started an innovative new series on their website, Interactive Medical Cases. These interactive cases, so far just one, allow you to virtually manage an actual patient’s case, from presentation to outcome. The first case is just fantastic and I am really looking forward to new ones in the future. You absolutely have to try this unique combination of videos, animations, quizzes and other interactive content. Here are some screen shots to get you excited: Tweet This (Source: Ivor Kovic, M.D.) Ivor Kovic, M.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2789000 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:45:26 +0100 2789000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570868&cid=t_263117_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fzimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use%2Fmaking-sense-of-headlines-on-acetaminophen-pain-relievers%2F Depending on which headlines you’ve seen recently, you may think that some pain relievers are being recalled because they’re dangerous and you might be wondering if you need to clean out the medicine cabinet and throw out any number of these products. I’m going to try to explain this highly complex situation, but the bottom line is that when taken as directed, all of the pain relievers currently on the market, be they prescription or over the counter (OTC), are still considered to be safe and effective and you don’t need to throw them away (and nothing is being recalled at the moment either). The bottom line problem, however, is that when it comes to pain relievers many people don’t follow directions and wind up taking far more pills than they should. And when... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570868 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:56:36 +0100 2570868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2055810&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2008%2F12%2F20%2Fpatientcentered-care--let-citizens-manage-their-health.aspx%3Fref%3Drss In a well-written post about the problem with healthcare, Dr. Kenneth H. Cohn talks about his recent personal experience with a medical problem while he was between PCPs. Sounds like a nightmare but that's what too much of healthcare is today. Specifically, he identifies these problems as presented by the Health Finance Forum:• The (non)-system does not encourage social benefit, such as access to care. • It does not reward wellness or high-quality care. • It creates financial instability by adding cost and complexity to health administration, rewarding high-cost practices and focusing on expensive sickness-focused interventions rather than wellness.He suggests some solutions:• Stop the insurance company micromanagement; it adds not only cost and complexity • Let citizens mana... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2055810 Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:14:46 +0100 2055810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1783369&cid=t_263117_118_f&fid=36984&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthManagementRx%2F%7E3%2F388738739%2Fhealth-20-around-blogosphere.html There's a lot of buzz surrounding Health 2.0 'the movement,' and quite a bit of froth and churn in the young consumer-centric HIT sector. (Blogger's Note: I work with Matthew Holt and Indu Subaiya of the Health 2.0 conference as speaker liaison, volunteer manager, and ranger).To keep up with news as we ramp up for Health 2.0 in San Francisco next month, I've created Google Alerts for the following terms:consumer-centric careHealth 2.0patient-directed careHealth 3.0Although you have to spend a bit of time reading the Google summaries for each link to separate the wheat from the chaff, it's well worth it to set up an alert for your company name, competitors, and areas of the sector that interest you, like Health 2.0.Here are some links my Health 2.0 Google Alert recently turned up (as in, th... Health Management Rx blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1783369 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:21:00 +0100 1783369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1686889&cid=t_263117_118_f&fid=36984&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthManagementRx%2F%7E3%2F357609904%2Fthis-summers-blockbuster-mission.html NYTimes Quotation of the Day (8.6.08): "How could they take away this beautiful, this most perfect thing from us, the one thing that separated our sport from the others?" - Bela Karolyi, a longtime coach, on the dropping of 10.0 as the top score in Olympic gymnasticsFirst, a disclaimer. I've been watching entirely too many superhero movies this summer, and all the Olympic coverage has me sickly preconditioned to break out into spontaneous cheering at any time (ahh, but do I cheer for the Netherlands, the US, or both?!)Luckily, the healthcare industry is in such desperate need of a global makeover that you can cross-pollinate creative metaphors for change from just about anywhere. So away we go.Maxims and metrics that hold true for one industry often hold true for others.You can't get a per... Health Management Rx blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1686889 Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:26:00 +0100 1686889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1680116&cid=t_263117_118_f&fid=36984&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthManagementRx%2F%7E3%2F355565218%2Fthis-is-hello-health.html Welcome to Williamsburg Jay, Sean, Devlyn & Co! May you live long and prosper.The Hello Health launch party on Thursday was perfect timing - it's easy to feel cynical about where 'primary' healthcare in the US is headed.Then you perch on the edge of the Hello Health exam table in an office streamlined to provide the best in patient-directed, consumer-centric care, backed by Myca's custom software apps, and a little bubble of hope expands at the base of your throat. Five days later, the bubble's still there.If you live in Williamsburg - do yourself and your health a favor (especially if you're a freelancer/creative type who's currently un/underinsured) - check out Hello Health.A few quick questions for the Hello Health crew (which I didn't ask in person - too busy running around snappin... Health Management Rx blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1680116 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:53:00 +0100 1680116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1665190&cid=t_263117_118_f&fid=36984&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthManagementRx%2F%7E3%2F349609829%2Ftake-look-at-whats-possible-when-youre.html This is what it's like to be an e-patient, uncut.Click here to see the latest in Maarten's "Patient 2.0 Journey," including a video interview.Maarten also shares scans showing Theo (his tumor) has shrunk 50% after the second round of chemo (Yeehaw and giddyup little doggy!), and in we find Mr. Maarten and family also has a snazzy new lime green swimming pool.Maarten, one question - when's the e-patient pool party? :) Do you have to be bald to get in? (I'm not beyond it, but don't think it would be as flattering a look for me...best of luck with going in for your next round! (Source: Health Management Rx) Health Management Rx blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1665190 Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:32:00 +0100 1665190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1575965&cid=t_263117_118_f&fid=36984&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthManagementRx%2F%7E3%2F325858346%2Fopen-dhs-workshop-july-7th-tackling.html Discussion2:10 – 2:30 pm Q&A, Linda Avey, Co-founder, 23andMe, Inc., Esther Dyson, EDventure Holdings, Rebecca Fisher, MLIS, Patient Advocate, Matthew Holt, Co-founder Health 2.0 Conference2:30 – 2:45 pm Break2:45 – 4:00 pm Panel 2: Is the testing process reliable, and is the information’s privacy maintained?2:45 – 3:25 pm Panel Discussion3:25 – 4:00 pm Q&A, Deven McGraw, JD, MPH, Director, Health Privacy Project, Center for Democracy and Technology, Ryan Phelan, Founder and CEO, DNA Direct, Kari Stefansson, MD, Dr. Med President, CEO, and Director, deCODE genetics, Reed Tuckson, MD, FACP, Executive Vice President and Chief of Medical Affairs, UnitedHealth Group4:00 – 5:15 pm Panel 3: What is currently useful to consumers, and what can they expect in the future?4:00 �... Health Management Rx blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1575965 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:21:00 +0100 1575965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1455477&cid=t_263117_118_f&fid=36984&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthManagementRx%2F%7E3%2F289792508%2Fconfession-why-i-believe-in-consumer.html From a comment posted in response to this article in the Wall Street Journal Health Blog re: Georgia's 5.2M partnership with IBM to create a consumer-friendly website: "What in the blazes is this dopey thing going to do? I will choose a doctor based on a website? Give me a break!"-William DeDonis, May 12, 2008William - funny, some younger readers perusing the comments section may be thinking: "How else would I choose a doctor?" I had a different plan for today's blog post, a very neutral academic take (read: boring but beneficial) on sustainability and long-term value creation in healthcare.That can wait.Instead, I have a confession to make.I am an e-patient.I believe, 1,000%, in the benefits of a consumer-centric system.I am living proof that a consumer-centric orientation works, one ... Health Management Rx blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1455477 Tue, 13 May 2008 09:04:00 +0100 1455477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1428952&cid=t_263117_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F05%2F07%2Fshould-raw-medicare-provider-data-stay-private%2F The move towards cost transparency is generally something I support. But there is an argument I will buy that such should be prospective. That’s the line I’m buying with the current lawsuit over Medicare provider data that some consumer groups are waging. In an unusual statement, the Health and Human Services Department endorsed the objectives of [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1428952 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:26:48 +0100 1428952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1353927&cid=t_263117_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F04%2F06%2Fcan-market-forces-solve-any-of-our-health-care-woes%2F It’s no surprise that I’m not a fan of Paul Krugman. His dismissal of the potential for market forces to help reform health care is chief amongst my disagreements with his positions. In his most recent column, “Voodoo Health Economics,” he’s up to it again. His starting point is this claim, Elizabeth Edwards has cancer. John [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1353927 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:33:50 +0100 1353927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1243430&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2008%2F02%2F19%2Fa-new-way-to-promote-patient-safety--talk-to-your-doctor.aspx The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality  has posted a video about this novel approach - talk to your doctor. It has certainly become an issue for many patients and physicians in the rushed clinical setting. Time to slow down and really talk. Here are some of the suggestions:What the barriers are to good communication between patient and doctor.What steps you can take to make sure you understand everything your doctor is saying.What questions you should ask your doctor about medical tests, diagnosis, and medicines.How you can ask your doctor about alternative therapies.How you can become more comfortable asking your doctor about sensitive topics.Besides Carolyn Clancy of the AHRQ, the other two speakers are from AARP and AAFP. Good choices. This video would be appropriate to lin... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1243430 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:01:32 +0100 1243430 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1204632&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2008%2F02%2F04%2Fshopping-for-care-packages.aspx Another start up is moving into the consumer-directed healthcare space with an offering of shopping for carepackages. Carol.com offers a wide range of services but currently only in Minnesota. What is a care package? It is the packaging of healthcare services into bundles, such as, evaluation for asthma, laser  vision correction,  health and wellness classes and  any service a  consumer is willing to pay cash for. Will it  catch on? I think it certainly will, maybe gradually at first but it will go national. Consumers will likely adopt this friendly term and be on the lookout for a health care shopping mall like this.Technorati: consumer-directed healthcare (Source: eHealth) eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1204632 Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:35:14 +0100 1204632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1184652&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2008%2F01%2F28%2Fthe-empowered-and-imperiled-health-care-consumer-in-the-age-of-internet-medicine.aspx This new report by Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, raises a strong alarm for consumers and health care websites on the lack of attention to detail by consumers. The report labels these consumers "Insta-Americans" with short attention spans and poor attention to the source of the medical information they are reading.In one sense, the web has encouraged quick scanning of information which may be fine if you are scanning on eBay or a social networking site. But when it comes to life and death or even health and wellness, different rules should apply.The 34 page report details four specific case studies of mis-information: Crestor, Avandia, teen suicide and SSRIs and autism and vaccines. The bottom line is that through websites promoting drugs, anti-phamacuetical activist, class-ac... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1184652 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:20:04 +0100 1184652 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1179079&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2008%2F01%2F26%2Fone-of-the-best-interviews-on-consumers-and-online-health.aspx From iHealthbeat, there is an interview on " Consumer Demand Fueling Online Health Care Market" which is an interview with Val Jones of Revolution Health. It is noted that on their site, the only generation gap is on medical topics but not on the level of interaction or use of tools. This is significant and debunks myths about the older generation's lower participation in the web. Also, the Time article by Dr. Haig is cited and his quote that, "the role of the expert is to know what to ignore" contrasted with the consumer who may not know what health information to ignore. How would we go about educating consumers on what to ignore, other than the usual buyer beware from snake oil salesman?They also note that regarding physician blogs, "Very few medical bloggers write specifically for cons... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1179079 Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:43:07 +0100 1179079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1129358&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2008%2F01%2F03%2Fconsumerism-in-health-care--future-directions.aspx In doing some digging on this topic, I found an article from Health Affairs from 2005 which calls for a new direction. "Consumerism appeals to the widespread and legitimate desire for a more transparent, flexible, and personal system and provides a salutary counterbalance to the organizational hypertrophy and opaque administrative mechanisms of the managed care era." The article goes on to recommend marrying the best of supply-side and demand side competition in health care to produce a new model. "Different consumer-centric benefit designs and provider-centric network designs will be appropriate for different health services, depending on whether utilization is strongly consumer preference–sensitive, provider supply–sensitive, both, or neither.""Different forms of organization may off... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1129358 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:37:47 +0100 1129358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1091308&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2007%2F12%2F12%2Fthe-future-consumer-health-information-technology.aspx This is the title of a conference held by the National Cancer Institute at which Bill Crounse of Microsoft and Adam Boswoth presented. Crounse gave a vision of the future including wireless, seamless medical consultation while decrying underinvestment by US healthcare in IT. Bosworth sees impeded growth of research and evidence-based medicine as a result of not leveraging health IT to its fullest potential. Unfortunately, I could not find any report of this meeting on the NCI website.Both also spoke at the World Health Care Congress. Crounse, in his blog, cites from the editor of WIRED magazine while  Bosworth  preached giving  consumers control of  their data.  Steve Case also spoke predicting more innovation in consumer health including personalization, more emph... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1091308 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 23:41:29 +0100 1091308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1070449&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=36670&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fmsdn%2Fhealthblog%2F%7E3%2F195199280%2Fmore-evidence-the-healthcare-world-is-flat.aspx I'm writing this on my flight back to Seattle from the Consumer Health World Conference in Washington, D.C.  The conference is actually just getting underway.  My stay was abbreviated due to the fact that I have a mid-week speaking engagement in California followed by a return trip to D.C. at week's end to speak at the World Healthcare Innovation and IT Congress.  My brief stay at Consumer Health World was to facilitate a faculty leadership summit.  I've done this the past three years and always find it interesting.  This year we debated the fate of employer paid health insurance, the rise of medical tourism, and the future of primary care.  While all of the topics generated lively debate, I was perhaps most impressed by the rapid expansion of the overseas hea... HealthBlog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1070449 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:32:10 +0100 1070449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1017613&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2007%2F11%2F09%2Fconsumercentric-health-care-congress.aspx     Video interviews are available from this congress being held in Washington, DC. One of the most interesting is Bridget Duffy, MD, who acknowledges the need to appeal to consumers who have the ability and initiative to shop for healthcare and how healthcare providers need to be transparent about outcomes. Techorati: consumer-directed healthcare (Source: eHealth) eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1017613 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:32:50 +0100 1017613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=756667&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2007%2F07%2F24%2Fpatient-advocate-blog.aspx     A recently lauched blog by George Van Antwerp, focuses on consumer-directed health care and process improvement in healthcare. His perspective is from a consultant from the pharmaceutical industry but his thoughts are broad and deep. The most recent post is a summary of a Wired article on healthcare costs noting that the average family spent "$1,361 (3%) on health insurance and $405 (1%) on prescription drugs".Technorati: consumer-directed health care (Source: eHealth) eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=756667 Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:34:04 +0100 756667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=674849&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2007%2F06%2F06%2Fpatient-as-driver.aspx     Wayne A. Sensor is CEO of Alegent Health, Omaha, Neb. has written an article on the Most Wired website on "Taking the Wheel: Empowering Users to Make Informed Health Care Choices."  He utilizes the concept of patient as driver to draw attention to what he calls the last frontier for consumers, healthcare. "We must surround consumers with the information they need to complete the value equation: price plus quality equals value."  Adam Bosworth could not have said it better. Alegent has on their homepage two key tools which he would describe as patient empowerment toolsMyCost - to help consumers understand their deductable and other out-of-pocket costsQuality Reports - detailed scorecard by diseaseEvery health system and hospital will be following leads like this... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=674849 Thu, 07 Jun 2007 02:54:00 +0100 674849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=611578&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2007%2F05%2F08%2Ftwo-perspectives-on-consumer-directed-healthcare.aspx     Dr. Bill Crounse of Microsoft writes about If Wal-Mart did Healthcare to compliment his recent post on If Disney did. He draws a senario of no insurance coverage for medical costs under $5000 - "healthcare would behave like other industries were it not for the perverse effects of traditional insurance programs on the supply side of the business."On the other side is e-Care Management quoting a study that shows that those with chronic conditions do worse on CDHP, not surprising, since skipping appointments or medication to save money could easily result in a hospitalization. No simple answers here - healthcare may act like a business and may need to change incentives, but incentives should move toward the best outcomes, not just market forces.Technorati: Consumer-Dir... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=611578 Wed, 09 May 2007 02:40:00 +0100 611578 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=592930&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2007%2F04%2F30%2Fquicken-health-offered-to-cigna-members.aspx     The San Jose Business Journal reports that Cigna will offer their members Quicken Health from Intuit at no charge. Similar to the personal finance version of Quicken, it allows the member to download claims information and organize medical expenses. Quicken already has thier Medical Expense Manager in version 2.0 but the website indicates that Quicken Health is coming soon. Oriented toward Health Savings Account customers, the product will also allow downloading and organizing of medical records. Will this mean some kind of connection to the major EHR/PHR vendors?  Quicken Health will also be offered by United Healthcare and others.Techorati: Consumer-directed healthcare (Source: eHealth) eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=592930 Tue, 01 May 2007 01:49:00 +0100 592930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=558275&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2007%2F04%2F19%2Fcuring-the-trust-crisis-in-health-care.aspx     Daniel A. Shore from the Harvard School of Public Health speaks on this topic at the Cato Institute tomorrow (4/20/2007). He has editted a new book on the topic as well, The Trust Crisis in Health Care. Here are some of the main points:"- systemic conditions that lead to medical errors, and remedies for promoting quality of care. - outdated modes of doctor-patient communication that hinder compliance. - novel modes of interaction to improve satisfaction. - patient-centered care and metrics to evaluate its presence or absence. - media communication and miscommunication, and new standards for medical reporting. - clinical insights applied to the use of human subjects in biomedical research. - recommendations for revising medical school curricula and strengthening the peer-... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=558275 Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:06:00 +0100 558275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=510647&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2007%2F03%2F29%2Fgetting-the-best-care--adam-bosworth.aspx     In the Official Google Blog yesterday, Adam Bosworth, CEO of Google, wrote at length about "How do you know you are getting the best care possible." He addresses several important questions and admits to some of the limitations of Google's current search results:How do I know if the information is trustworthy and reliable?Am I getting the best standard of care?Who is the best doctor or institution for you?On the first point, he states, "we can do better at making this kind of labeling noticeable and your ideas on how we could make it clear to you that a site is medically reliable or trustworthy."The best standard of care issue is his real passion - he notes that even finding guidelines for treating a specific condition is a challenge but is essential to good care.Address... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=510647 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 22:03:00 +0100 510647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=492148&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2007%2F03%2F22%2Fhealth-care-hustle.aspx     The website of the organization Working America has launched the Health Care Hustle  - an opportunity to share stories online by health care consumers who feel the impact of the broken health care system here. Many of the stories are submitted anonymously by the uninsured or underinsured and low income.  As you might expect, these are stories of high deductables, expenses driving people to bankruptcy and relying on emergency room care. The site also gives the user the opportunity to write one of the Hustlers - big pharma, insurance industry, greedy corporations, and Bush and company generating a standard letter email promoting the groups issues.Unlike other consumer websites which encourage rating doctors and hospitals as good or bad, this site is focused exclu... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=492148 Thu, 22 Mar 2007 21:06:00 +0100 492148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=463703&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2007%2F03%2F07%2Fliberation-from-health-insurance-companies.aspx     Although this article from VentureBeat is from January, it is still timely. In addition to focusing on Revolution Health, he cites other players such as, MedBillManager and also an article from Business Week in Nov. 2006 which gives a good summary of the PHR business. TauMed which is a medical advise site and the startups in the health search field are also mentioned (Kosmix and Healthline). He notes that "Revolution Health will offer telephone-consulting and digital-record services free for a year, to those who sign up within 90 days. The company says it eventually will charge $100 or so a year for a subscription to premium services." WebMD's plan for a PHR are also noted.Sounds like a crowded field which will need to sort itself out. Like the many players in the dot-co... eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=463703 Wed, 07 Mar 2007 22:54:00 +0100 463703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=463712&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2007%2F02%2F22%2Fnamed-as-one-of-twenty-blogs-thematically-related-to-patient-destiny.aspx     On the Patient Destiny blog, The Path to Patient Empowerment, my blog was named of one of the top 20 blogs related to this theme. Kevin Leonard, of Toronto, has established this blog to bring into focus the empowerment issues and is citing some of the blogs which address this theme regularly. He is also promoting the Improve-IT Institute which includes conferences, books and other resources. A nice find.Technorati: Patient Empowerment (Source: eHealth) eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=463712 Thu, 22 Feb 2007 22:04:00 +0100 463712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=463713&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2007%2F02%2F21%2Fsteve--case-on-good-morning-america.aspx     On his blog, Steve comments on his appearance on this mainstream morning show. He seems irritated with Tim Johnson's old school approach. A video of the interview is posted on YouTube. He believes in a mix of stardard medical information from trusted sources (Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic) and social networking. Some sketicism of the interviewers on personal health records brought him back to his comsumer advocacy stance - he wants the consumer to be in charge of their health information. He really wants to jumpstart change in health care, and his is one of the strongest Web 2.0 approaches in health care yet.Technorati: Web 2.0 (Source: eHealth) eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=463713 Wed, 21 Feb 2007 22:18:00 +0100 463713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=463718&cid=t_263117_113_f&fid=34631&url=http%3A%2F%2Fehealth.johnwsharp.com%2F2007%2F02%2F14%2Fpublic-reporting-and-transparency.aspx     In a new report from the Commonwealth Group, the lack of transparency in health care is  addressed in detail. They note that public reporting of outcomes will: inject competition in health carehelp providers benchmark against each otherencouarge insurors to reward quality and efficiencyhelp consumers make informed choices.They also note that public reporting adds value but must be designed carefully.I might add that consumers need education on how to interpret health outcomes since there are currently many ways to report outcomes.Overall, I recommend reading at least the executive summary.Technorati: consumer-directed healthcare (Source: eHealth) eHealth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=463718 Wed, 14 Feb 2007 22:55:00 +0100 463718