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 'disparities'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:03:46 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130741&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FUsPPCVyvHnQ%2F The following is a guest post by WomanCare Global CEO Saundra Pelletier. Besides serving as the founding CEO of WomanCare Global, Saundra is an international marketing expert, published author, keynote speaker and executive coach. By Saundra Pelletier. In 1965, Griswold v. Connecticut gave a married woman the right to use birth control to prevent or delay pregnancy as she saw fit. This guarantee of a basic human right led to other reforms that allowed millions more American women to decide the direction of their own reproductive lives.  This summer, we are proud to see another key reform go through: starting next year, the Affordable Care Act will allow even more women in the United States to be in charge of their own health by requiring new health plans to provide free birth control with... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130741 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:10:30 +0100 5130741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069421&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F27%2Fthe-beacon-communities-at-one-year-the-mississippi-delta-experience%2F The federal government’s Beacon Program provides funding to 17 communities that have already made inroads in the development of secure, private, and accurate systems of electronic health record (EHR) adoption and health information exchange. This is the fifth in a series of Health Affairs Blog posts in which leaders of several Beacon communities discuss their [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069421 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:59:24 +0100 5069421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008196&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fare-the-benefits-of-smoking-cessation-eclipsed-by-obesity%2F2011.07.07 Obesity is filling in for smoking as a cause of death in working class women, concluded researchers after reviewing mortality rates from a nearly 30-year study in Scotland. In Europe, wealthier people either aren’t starting to smoke or are finding it easier to quit, which accounts for up to 85% of the observed differences in mortality between population groups, researchers noted. Their analysis showed higher rates of being overweight or obese among those who’d never smoked in all occupational classes, with the highest rates in women from lower occupational classes. Almost 70% of the women in the lower occupational classes who had never smoked were overweight or obese, and severe obesity was seven times more prevalent than among smokers in higher social positions. Among women wh... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008196 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:00:00 +0100 5008196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992684&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhhs-recommends-toothless-unfunded-plans-to-reduce-health-disparities-and-promote-disease-prevention%2F2011.07.02 In the 1993 film Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays a TV weatherman who finds himself trapped in a do-loop, covering the numbingly boring display of Punxutawney Phil, over and over again. Forgive those of us who follow news from the Department of Health and Human Services for feeling like Bill Murray in that movie. Last month, HHS released an action plan to reduce racial disparities in health care. The plan called for new care models, more service delivery sites, a beefed-up health and human services workforce, and targeted efforts to reduce cardiovascular disease, childhood obesity and other scourges of minority populations. Remarkably however, the plan came with no funding. Apparently, it was supposed to prompt agencies within HHS to assure that their own internal plans were aligned with t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992684 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 18:00:01 +0100 4992684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992681&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.changehealthcare.com%2Fdownloads%2Fhcti%2FHCTI_Q42010.pdf My mama told me you’d better shop around, as Smokey Robinson also told us. We now know it pays to shop the prices for digital imaging. The price of an MRI of the brain ranges from a low of $825 to a high of $3,600 within the Southeast region of the U.S. In the Northeast, the low is $1,540 and the high, $3,500. There are similar price “spreads” in other regions of the country for the same imaging study, and across other imaging modalities such as PET and CT. The greatest regional variances by service type are for MRI scans of the brain, varying 747% between a low price of $425 in the Southwest to a high of $3,600 in the Southeast, based on an analysis from change: healthcare‘s Q2 2011 Healthcare Transparency Index. USA Today reported on this study on June 30, 2011. Christopher Park... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992681 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:47:47 +0100 4992681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968444&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F23%2Fan-aco-is-born-in-camden-but-can-it-flourish-in-medicaid%2F Across the country, policy experts are heralding accountable care organizations (ACOs) as the way to rethink the delivery of higher quality and more efficient care. Yet Medicaid, which cares for many of the nation’s sickest and highest-cost patients, has been largely absent from the ACO conversation. Now that the June 6 deadline for comments to [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968444 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:41:08 +0100 4968444 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934075&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F13%2Fremembering-barbara-starfield-a-primary-care-champion%2F Barbara Starfield, a seminal figure in the health services research community who made landmark contributions in primary care and other areas, died suddenly on Friday, June 10, of an apparent heart attack. Health Affairs extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Dr. Starfield. To help honor Dr. Starfield’s career, Health Affairs is [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934075 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:02:42 +0100 4934075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921342&cid=t_144288_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F10%2Fat-obos-abortion-access-as-a-health-disparity-the-reel-grrls-take-on-comcast-vermonts-new-law-and-more%2F I haven’t been very good recently about linking from here to my posts at Our Bodies Our Blog, where I write about twice a week. Here are some recent posts there: Access to Abortion as a Health Disparities Issue – Highlighting a recent commentary in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, in which the authors call for not just expanded access to prevention of unwanted pregnancies, but the treatment of them – and access to that treatment through reducing barriers to abortion access. “Reel Grrls” Empowers Young Women to Create Videos, Take on Corporate Giants – a bit about what happens when Comcast picks on a bunch of girls learning media skills Vermont Passes Law Providing for Insurance Coverage of Home Births and Midwives, Birth Certificate Cha... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921342 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 21:12:19 +0100 4921342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872049&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F26%2Fhealth-wonk-review-memorial-day-edition%2F If you’re traveling over the long weekend, you’ll want to take along some reading material. While some might reach for a good novel by John Grisham or Dan Brown, the health policy blogs in this edition of the Health Wonk Review tackle equally compelling mysteries. Was the Medicare Trustees report really that gloomy? If Workers [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872049 Thu, 26 May 2011 13:29:21 +0100 4872049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847957&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-racial-disparities-are-alive-and-well-in-healthcare%2F2011.05.20 It was 1999 when the Federal government first acknowledged our nation had a problem with race and health care. That year, Congress tasked the Institute of Medicine to study the matter, and the resulting report was not good. Minorities were in poor health and receiving inferior care, the report said. They were less likely to receive bypass surgery, kidney transplants and dialysis. If they had diabetes, they were more likely to undergo amputations, meaning their disease had been poorly controlled. And there was a lot more where that came from. The IOM report was a call to action. In subsequent years, lawmakers crafted policies and established goals for improvement. Federal and state governments and numerous foundations set aside billions to fund projects. Health services researchers expanded... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847957 Fri, 20 May 2011 16:00:50 +0100 4847957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841411&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F19%2Fha-studies-focus-on-reducing-costs-reaching-the-underserved%2F The Affordable Care Act of 2010 is expected to extend health coverage to some thirty-two million previously uninsured Americans.  Two of the many challenges faced by both the private sector and the government are getting a handle on rapidly rising medical costs and providing care to the many new enrollees with chronic illnesses who are [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841411 Thu, 19 May 2011 19:36:27 +0100 4841411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803140&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fgender-disparities-in-heart-attack-treatment-women-more-likely-to-die%2F2011.05.09 One-third (33.5%) of female heart attack patients receive surgery or angioplasty compared to nearly half (45.6%) of men, and among heart attack patients receiving an intervention such as coronary bypass surgery or angioplasty, women had a 30% higher death rate compared to men, reports HealthGrades. The findings are based on an analysis of more than 5 million Medicare patient records from 2007 to 2009 and focused on 16 of the most common procedures and diagnoses among women. The most noticeable disparities were in cardiovascular care. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in America, surpassing all forms of cancer combined, the company said in a press release. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803140 Mon, 09 May 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4803140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4759058&cid=t_144288_167_f&fid=38271&url=http%3A%2F%2Frebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F27%2Fwe-need-wellness-policies-to-create-healthy-communities%2F By: Hannah Barker, Dietetic Intern, with assistance from Rebecca This week I participated in a webinar called, “Looking Upstream: How Income, Education and Racial Disparities Shape Health.” Robert Wood Johnson Foundation was the host. The expert panel included: Dr. James Marks from the Health Group at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Paula Braverman from the University of California in San Francisco, David Williams from the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard University, and Steven Woolf from the Virginia Commonwealth University. We Spend a Lot on Healthcare for Such a Sick Country I learned that the United States spends so much on health care, yet ranks poorly in terms of several health indicators, like infant mortality and life expectancy.  However, the cause of the Unite... Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4759058 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:00:44 +0100 4759058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734027&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2F20%2Frequest-for-abstracts-health-care-disparities%2F Health Affairs plans a cluster of papers on the continuing disparities in health care access and outcomes for minority and vulnerable populations in the United States for October, 2011. We hope to include papers that both illuminate past developments and future demographic trends and that also feature new understanding on how to move the disparities [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734027 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:49:34 +0100 4734027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734028&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2F19%2Fhealth-policy-brief-improving-quality%2F A new Health Policy Brief from Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation examines the ongoing need to improve the quality and safety of health care provided in the United States. Despite some progress toward goals set a decade ago following two landmark Institute of Medicine studies, the nation faces considerable challenges in making [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734028 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:24:14 +0100 4734028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664170&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jointcommission.org%2Fassets%2F1%2F6%2FARoadmapforHospitalsfinalversion727.pdf Lee Kirksey Interview by Disruptive Woman Glenna Crooks. Meet vascular surgeon Lee Kirksey, MD, MBA. He is assistant professor at The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, with a surgical practice based in Philadelphia. His concerns transcend those of his own surgical expertise, his own patients and this region, however.  He is an ardent, engaged, articulate spokesman for cultural competence in health care. I think about cultural competence sometimes, but I really ‘got it’ talking with him; for the first time seeing how cultural incompetence impacted my family. Here’s the story: a number of years ago as my Father lay in a coma, the physician in charge of his care refused to speak with my Mother. It required an attorney and intervention of hospital administrators to learn a... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664170 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:30:25 +0100 4664170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653331&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fahrq-healthcare-access-and-racial-disparities-not-improving%2F2011.03.29 According to American Medical News, the U.S. health system is demonstrating better performance on most measures of health care quality, but it’s failing to improve access to care or cut racial and ethnic health disparities, according to two reports released in February by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.  “Quality of care continues to improve, but at a slow rate,” said Ernest Moy, MD, leader of the team at AHRQ that produced the reports.  ”In contrast to that, focusing on issues of access to care, not much has changed.  Focusing on disparities in care, not much changed…Those are bigger problem areas than overall quality of care.”  Measures related to hospital quality are showing the most improvement.  For example, in 2005, just 42% of patients with heart att... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653331 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:00:25 +0100 4653331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4631483&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcdc-americans-are-living-longer-than-ever%2F2011.03.24 The U.S. age-adjusted death rate fell for the tenth consecutive year, to an all-time low of 741 deaths per 100,000 people in 2009, 2.3% lower than 2008, according to preliminary 2009 death statistics released by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. The findings come from “Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2009,” which is based on death certificates from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Life expectancy at birth increased to 78.2 years in 2009, up slightly from 78.0 years in 2008. Life expectancy was up two-tenths of a year for men (75.7 years) and up one-tenth of a year for women (80.6 years). Life expectancy for the U.S. white population increased by two-tenths of a year. Life expectancy for black men (70.9 years) and women (77.4 years) was... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4631483 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:00:00 +0100 4631483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615190&cid=t_144288_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F19%2Fwhat-hurts-your-facebook-friends%2F With Facebook and other social networking websites such an integral part of many people’s lives, you have to wonder — what kinds of things do people do that hurt their social networking “friends?” It’s a brave new world online, where a misstep on a social networking website like Facebook can result in hurt feelings between real friends. A researcher was interested in figuring out (Tokunaga, 2011) which of our online behaviors on social networking websites were more likely to lead to the greatest hurt feelings amongst our online “friends.” He found three specific things a person can do that can lead to hurt feelings on sites such as Facebook and Myspace. Here’s what he found out. The researcher’s sample consisted of 197 undergraduate st... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615190 Sat, 19 Mar 2011 11:51:43 +0100 4615190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540544&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F17%2Ffoundation-blogs-round-up-health-reform-disparities-global-health-obesity-and-more%2F%3Fcat%3Dgrantwatch As my work week draws to a close, I have put together a quick listing of some foundation-related posts that I think you might want to check out. If your foundation has a blog about health care and it is not listed on GrantWatch Blog’s Blogroll, let me know about it! Disparities in Health: “Poll [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540544 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:56:06 +0100 4540544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436726&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F04%2Ffrequent-churning-predicted-between-medicaid-and-exchanges%2F Income fluctuations among people who will become eligible for subsidized health insurance under the Affordable Care Act could disrupt coverage for as many as 28 million adults within the first twelve months, as their eligibility shifts between Medicaid and the new state health insurance exchanges, according to a new study published in the February 2011 [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436726 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:13:19 +0100 4436726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360971&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fyjb0565Vc8k%2F By Robin Strongin. We, as a nation, have made progress and I believe Dr. King would be proud.  But our work is far from complete–particularly where health care is concerned.  Another doctor, Dr. John M. Eisenberg, a physician of tremendous stature whose life was also tragically cut short (not by an assassin’s bullet but by brain cancer) was equally passionate about the dignity of life and justice for all Americans.   Dr. Eisenberg, who among other things, served as the Director of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (as AHRQ was known back in the day), cared deeply about access to and the integrity of health care for all Americans– regardless of skin color. Eleven years ago, on January 14, 2000, Dr. Eisenberg gave what is, in my opinion, a brilliant... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360971 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:56:35 +0100 4360971 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219790&cid=t_144288_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F01%2Fsearching-for-true-meaning-during-the-holiday%2F How would you feel if I were to tell you that there are many children suffering in the world today? How about if I were more specific and told you that over 30,000 children under age 5 are suffering from hunger and preventable diseases? Does this resonate within the depths of your heart? Sweet, innocent babies die every day from a preventable disease in an indigenous country. That number could be considered huge by some, or perhaps quite small, depending on your perspective. If you are referring to population size, however, that is the size of a small city. In regard to time, 30,000 seconds is actually only a little over eight hours. Or 30,000 children could be like 30 large elementary schools disappearing from the face of the earth on Monday … and again on Tuesday … and so on. What&#8... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219790 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:53:16 +0100 4219790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4124979&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2F01%2Fcall-for-papers-on-health-and-the-environment%2F Health Affairs will publish a theme issue on Health and the Environment in May 2011, which will be supported by a grant from the Kresge Foundation. We invite submissions of papers that inform policymakers about environmental dimensions of health and their impact on individual and population health, health disparities, and health care costs. We particularly seek [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4124979 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:53:32 +0100 4124979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4097941&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcares-facebook%2F2010.10.22 [Recently] the Wall Street Journal‘s front page story exposed a significant privacy breech of online personal information via the world’s most popular social networking site, Facebook: Many of the most popular applications, or “apps,” on the social-networking site Facebook Inc. have been transmitting identifying information—in effect, providing access to people’s names and, in some cases, their friends’ names—to dozens of advertising and Internet tracking companies, a Wall Street Journal investigation has found. The issue affects tens of millions of Facebook app users, including people who set their profiles to Facebook’s strictest privacy settings. The practice breaks Facebook’s rules, and renews questions about its ability to keep ident... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4097941 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:00:00 +0100 4097941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036612&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F10%2F06%2Fmore-from-health-affairs-on-comparative-effectiveness%2F Health Affairs this week released a Health Policy Brief and two Web First articles about comparative effectiveness research, to complement the information in its October edition,     The Health Policy Brief, produced in conjunction with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), examines some of the key issues concerning comparative effectiveness research. This area of scientific inquiry, which has been carried out [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036612 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:10:57 +0100 4036612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987026&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F09%2F20%2Fhealth-affairs-briefing-comparative-effectiveness-research%2F A major new national initiative in comparative effectiveness research is under way, thanks to the Affordable Care Act and 2009 stimulus legislation. The research is aimed at giving patients, health care providers and those paying the bill for health care far better information than ever on which to base health care decisions, as well as [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987026 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:13:55 +0100 3987026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872506&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2010%2F08%2Fthe-federal-reserve-wants-to-rebuild-main-street.html By DAVID ERICKSON, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and JAMES S. MARKS, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation We all have a vision of the “Main Street” we would like to live near – tree-lined, friendly and safe. But our “Main... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872506 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3872506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780352&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FAP2Nf2gpfH4%2F By Robin Strongin. It didn’t receive much attention in the context of oil wells being capped and financial services legislation being passed, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a step last week that could make a profound difference for Americans who live in rural parts of the country. The FCC voted unanimously to have the federal government pay a greater share of broadband Internet costs for rural health care providers, and the commission also expressed its intent to subsidize the construction of broadband networks. Why is this important?  Over the past 25 years, according to the Center for Health Transformation, over 500 rural hospitals have shuttered their facilities.  And, while 25 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, only about one in ten doctors ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780352 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:31:39 +0100 3780352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740563&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2F09%2Fcourt-voids-federal-rejection-of-health-benefits-for-same-sex-spouses%2F Portions of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, are unconstitutional, Judge Joseph Tauro of the United States District Court in Boston ruled in two cases yesterday. The cases arose in Massachusetts, which recognizes same-sex marriages, and they revolved around the obstacle DOMA creates when members of [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740563 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:50:51 +0100 3740563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3702912&cid=t_144288_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F27%2Fweekly-news-round-up-new-blog-template-edition%2F Some things that caught my attention this week: A Providence, RI ob/gyn clinic was found to have inserted possibly 400-500 IUDs that are not approved for use in the U.S. and may not be effective. It looks like they’re saying it’s basically the version of the devices approved in Canada, but the investigation is ongoing. Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health has The Abortion Provider’s Declaration of Rights, and is asking for sign-ons. It declares the rights of providers to be free from harassment and violence, to give patients complete and accurate information about the procedure (and not give medically inaccurate politically-motivated information), to perform the procedure after obtaining the patient’s consent without proscribed waiting periods, to choose t... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3702912 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:47:38 +0100 3702912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695527&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2F24%2Fsame-sex-couples-face-inequities-in-access-to-health-coverage%2F Partnered gay men in California are only 42 percent as likely as married heterosexual men to get employer-sponsored dependent health insurance. Partnered lesbians in the state have an even smaller chance (28 percent) of getting that same coverage, compared to married heterosexual women. Those findings are contained in a Web First article released online today by Health Affairs; the study will also appear in the journal’s August issue. The work by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund in Los Angeles is the first to quantify 1) the gap between dependent coverage received by heterosexual employees and coverage received by lesbian and gay employees, and 2) the greater extent to which the dependent partners of l... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695527 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:39:21 +0100 3695527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607494&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fu-4NabepDtc%2F By Joy Burwell. Thanks to this morning’s panelists Gwen Tolbart, Don Mathis, Diana Long, Aimee Smith and Rainey Friedman for their insights. This event would not have been possible without our sponsors The Hill and Candace Littell, so thanks to them as well. If you weren’t able to attend, you’ll want to read this summary post. And stay tuned for the video; we should have that edited and posted next week. Childhood obesity was the subject of today’s Disruptive Women in Health Care’s Monthly Breakfast Series Childhood Obesity: A Big Fat National Challenge. Childhood obesity has received a great deal of media attention with First Lady Michelle Obama making it one of her platforms. As noted by all of this morning’s speakers her “Let’s Move!” campaign is well laid out and has ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607494 Thu, 27 May 2010 21:35:19 +0100 3607494 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3522689&cid=t_144288_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Felderly-and-medications-at-what-cost.html Recently, my elderly mother moved from the Northeastern to the Southeastern United States in order to live closer to my sister. A widow for several years, she is on what would be classified as a fixed income, and her medical insurance premiums and prescription drug plans eat up a great deal of her monthly budget.When it comes to some of the more pedestrian prescription medications, co-pays can range from just several dollars to perhaps $20 or $30 per month. But heaven forbid that an American elder needs a medication that is not quite so generic in nature, and the monthly payments for such drugs can skyrocket through the roof, wreaking havoc with even the most well-planned budget.We have all heard stories of senior citizens having to decide between groceries and medications, or turning off ... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3522689 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:12:00 +0100 3522689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519460&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FtIUflm5Gu3k%2F Many thanks to our speakers, Phyllis Greenberger, Dr. James Simon, and Susan Wysocki, and to Disruptive Women’s Wendy Grossman for the following summary post. Our panel this morning discussed the issues surrounding how the WHI results were interpreted and communicated to women and their health care providers. We recognize that hormones are not appropriate for all women, and look forward to hosting a future panel that highlights alternatives. The speakers have a variety of backgrounds and experiences (and genders), and we aim to promote diversity of voices. This was not normal breakfast conversation. Today was a jolting – and disruptive – talk about what happens to women’s bodies when they age. (Who knew that if you’re menopausal and you don’t take your hormones... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519460 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:05:57 +0100 3519460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342612&cid=t_144288_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F07%2Fsunday-news-round-up-sunny-day-edition%2F It’s 57 degrees in Nashville, and somehow I managed to sleep until noon. Hmph. I’m playing around with Formspring, so, uh, ask me anything? This freely available perspective piece from the New England Journal of Medicine ties in nicely to what Dr. Abraham Verghese said last week about engaging at the patient bedside – Ministry of Touch — Reflections on Disaster Work after the Haitian Earthquake. It includes this line about the approach to women in labor: “We develop a system whereby one of us sits behind the woman and holds her, another rubs her back, and I sit or kneel near her, touching her belly and legs, whispering words of encouragement. I pray, and I watch the woman’s face for clues as the labor progresses.” There is some discussion here in TN a... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342612 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:25:59 +0100 3342612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3159701&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fnof0tZYKkZs%2F As we all know, children can’t speak for themselves, but if they could, they’d probably point out the obvious: they need more attention.    There have been some great strides over the years and some compelling examples such as those shown in Bill and Melinda Gates’ Living Proof project and the Measles Initiative.  In the recent installment of Raj Shah, the new USAID Administrator, he touts the progress that his new agency has already made in preventing unnecessary deaths.  He is pragmatic and encouraging as he also says that much more should be done.  To save more lives, we need to make sure the US investments are there. Look at the numbers: More is needed to ensure two leading childhood killers are addressed.  More global funding is needed for new vaccines such as pneumococca... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3159701 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:28:22 +0100 3159701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3148988&cid=t_144288_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F06%2Fat-our-bodies-our-blog-submit-your-input-on-a-national-plan-to-tackle-health-disparities%2F At Our Bodies Our Blog today I have a post on the Office of Minority Health’s National Plan for Action, which describes the current state of health disparities in the United States and proposes strategies for their elimination; public comments on the plan are being solicited through February 12, 2010. Posted in Access, Rights, & Choice, Government, Health (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3148988 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:18:49 +0100 3148988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3108352&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FennfADD2Zyw%2F The following post by Liz Scherer, Principal of Digital Copy, LLC, is part of Disruptive Women’s “The Value of Health: Creating Economic Security in the Developing World” series. Liz Scherer is a digital copywriter, health reporter, medical writer, marketing and social media consultant, blogger and women’s health advocate. With over 25 years experience in the healthcare arena, Liz has worked in the private and public sectors on behalf of web-based and traditional science publishers, public relations and advertising agencies and non-profits. There’s an elephant in the room: band-aids. Poverty and its relationship to the provision of and access to healthcare is a global problem. This month, esteemed Disruptive Women in Healthcare bloggers and guest posters are writing ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3108352 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:01:26 +0100 3108352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2934641&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2F27%2Fdo-hospitals-treating-the-poor-face-a-digital-divide%2F A new study published yesterday in Health Affairs finds that hospitals that disproportionately care for low-income patients are falling behind in adopting electronic health records (EHRs). This is the first paper to use national data comparing EHR adoption between acute care providers primarily caring for the poor and those serving more general populations. Ashish Jha of the Harvard School of Public Health and coauthors surveyed the 3,747 acute care nonfederal U.S. hospitals with available DSH (Medicare disproportionate-share hospital) indices and received responses from 2,368, a response rate of 63.2 percent. They found that for many of the functions examined, hospitals that served a higher proportion of poor patients had modestly lower levels of adoption of health information technology... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2934641 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:45:57 +0100 2934641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2923261&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FtIc1MZKvMEc%2F As this first full term at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has unraveled, I see how much they were prepping us during summer term.  My days have been filled with work, outside activity, caffeine, and a test of how long I can go without sleep and still be productive—similar to what I imagine the days are like for most of the Disruptive Women in Healthcare!  Classes this term included biostatistics, evolution of infectious diseases, program planning for health behavior change, health policy I, and public health economics seminar.  I chose the more rigorous biostatistics course (and will take others throughout the year) in an effort to become more quantitative and enhance my ability to analyze and conduct cost-effectiveness studies and economic evaluations in particul... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2923261 Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:44:33 +0100 2923261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2883016&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FUtLy76u5QeU%2F It has been estimated that 3 out of 4 people report that they do not take their medications as directed, resulting in hundreds of billions of dollars annually in related medical costs and an enormous number of hospital admissions and readmissions. The reasons for this are complex and varied.  This is a particularly vexing challenge for young, chronically ill patients, for people with mental health diagnoses and for the elderly who may suffer from memory impairment.  Anyone on a complicated drug regimen knows how committed one must be to remain adherent.  For some, cost is an issue while for others side effects can be unpleasant, travelling can compromise the best of intentions as can the need for refrigeration when none is available.  Some patients must take some drugs on an empty... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2883016 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:21:41 +0100 2883016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828137&cid=t_144288_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F23%2Fat-our-bodies-our-blog-health-disparities-infant-and-maternal-health%2F At Our Bodies Our Blog today I have a suggested reading on infant mortality, maternal health, and health disparities, and links to two reports on health disparities (one of which addresses economic effects). Posted in Women's Health (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828137 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:38:39 +0100 2828137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820169&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F09%2Flimited-english-proficiency-shouldnt-mean-limited-health-care.html By CHANIN BALLANCE It’s impossible to know exactly what shape healthcare will take for Americans as Congress and President Obama struggle with reform measures in the coming months. But one thing is certain: Those who have limited English proficiency will... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820169 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2820169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820183&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2F21%2Fdoes-lack-of-insurance-cause-premature-death%2F Truth is not only the first casualty of war, it is also the first casualty of serious public policy debate. Last year, a report by Families USA made the astounding claim that 6 people die every day in Florida because they are uninsured. Seven die every day in Texas, 8 in California, and 25 in New York. How was Families USA able to tally up all that carnage with such pinpoint precision? As Linda Gorman explains, these claims are based on a 15-year cascade of studies — each repeating the errors and misinterpreting or mischaracterizing the findings of the previous one and ultimately relying on data that is 37 years old. It begins with a paper by Peter Franks et al. published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1993, estimating that being uninsured increased the probability... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820183 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:15:38 +0100 2820183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812368&cid=t_144288_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F20%2Fsunday-news-round-up-92009%2F I have to say, I haven’t had time to fully read and digest the Baucus/Senate Finance Committee’s 223-page [PDF] stab at health care reform. Christine had a bit about it at Our Bodies Our Blog on Wednesday, and Raisin Women’s Voices has a list of reasons they believe the bill is not good, especially for women. The New York Times had a piece on the bill “draw[ing] fire on both sides.” Another Times piece indicates that 564 amendments to the bill were filed in the past couple of days. The proposed amendments are currently available here. *** A Harvard public health grad, Mikhaila Richards, has set up a site about health disparities called Sick. It’s relatively new, but looks promising. I particularly liked this Auust piece on patient-clinician communicatio... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812368 Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:55:31 +0100 2812368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2601943&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fjxk2vidKox4%2F The giggles started almost immediately.  Ola. Me llamo Meryl.  I am guessing that it was my remarkably un-Spanish sounding accent.  Ever since my chlidren had taken Spanish in middle school and I had tried to help them study, they had marveled at my attempts to pronounce their Spanish vocabulary words but I could not do so no matter how hard I tried.    But I digress. Ola.   Me llamo Meryl.   We were standing in front of 60+ students ages 7 and 8 in a small village school about 2 hours north of Quito, Ecuador.   We were part of a small group (40+) of Americans who had traveled on “vacation”  to Ecuador on a service/humanitarian trip. Some of us were helping “teach” in the schools; others were helping paint the buildings or construct tables and chairs;... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2601943 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:00:48 +0100 2601943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2572909&cid=t_144288_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F05%2Fsunday-news-round-up%2F Renee of Womanist Musings, has a great post, “The Convenience of ‘Super Crip,’” in which she describes how people treat her like she’s helpless and touch her without invitation when she’s out in her scooter. She also has her weekly links round-up, Drop it Like it’s Hot. Yet another reason why I don’t trust police. Police raided a gay bar in Fort Worth. On the Stonewall anniversary. Somebody left with head injuries, which the cops explain as “fell down, hit head.” They also tried to blame it on those dirty gays and their unwelcome touching (sarcasm, naturally). Dan Savage explains the improbability of the police explanation and vileness of what went down. Via Cara at the Curvature, allegations from female inmates “accusing ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2572909 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:14 +0100 2572909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2553000&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FJvZlJEPNyj8%2F I’ve been tasked with presenting the genetic and rare disease perspective on comparative effectiveness. I’ll dispense with ‘rare’ right away.  If by rare, we mean single gene disorders, then perhaps it is a useful designation. If by rare, we just mean the equivalent of the US definition of orphan disease, i.e., less than 200,000 people in the US, then we should ask a few questions. In the old model of test and drug development, the ‘block buster, body count’, model, rare was a useful designation.  In a system built for BIG, then rare needed a boost.  In the new age of personalized medicine, all conditions are rare. In fact, they are usually an N of 1 after factoring in the myriad of genes involved, epigenetics, environment and so on.  As we enter new... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2553000 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:14:59 +0100 2553000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510202&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FLlDHWQOUAhM%2F My organization, the National Hispanic Medical Association, is committed to improving the health of Hispanics and other underserved. We support policies that will reform public health and medical services to decrease health care disparities and improve the health status of vulnerable groups. The National Disparities Report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that our community has the worst access and quality care compared to non-Hispanics in the nation. Evidence-based public health and medicine strategies are necessary to decrease variation of service delivery that impacts and rations care to Latinos, especially in our poor neighborhoods. Medical treatment should be based on comparative effectiveness value of treatment strategies that produce the greatest benefit for t... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510202 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:32:09 +0100 2510202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464159&cid=t_144288_99_f&fid=35344&url=http%3A%2F%2Fzackarysholemberger.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fevidence-based-lobbying.html Leaders of the medical-industrial complex wonder if the Dartmouth research findings might be a touch overblown. I dunno - maybe. But don't we doctors do a lot else based on much less evidence? What fraction of hallowed medical practice is based on no more than class IIb recommendations?Heck, I'm ready for New York to get less medical money. I don't think the kinds of places I'd rather practice are the ones that are overspending. (Source: Zackary Sholem Berger) Zackary Sholem Berger blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464159 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:47:00 +0100 2464159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2447440&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FwCGv6_l91iM%2F The following guest post is from Alison McCauley, Internet and Social Media Associate at Amplify Public Affairs. The National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) recently stepped up its donor recruitment efforts with two key changes: (1) Renaming its donor registry, and (2) Expanding its online outreach efforts with social media tools. The NMDP donor registry, newly renamed Be The Match (BeTheMatch.org), has a Facebook cause, a YouTube channel, a MySpace profile and group, and it has presences on BlackPlanet, Plaxo, and LinkedIn. The Be The Match website is engaging, it encourages communication among site users, and it facilitates the organization of donor drives, fundraising, and other events.  It even has its own social network - LifeJourneys Transplant Community.  Members, called Champions,... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2447440 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:00:04 +0100 2447440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398561&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FwdeWhjQMKW4%2F Nearly 20 years ago, I had the opportunity to spend a summer working with the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues. Of course, I was absolutely thrilled when they asked me to support the introduction of the Women’s Health Equity Act. However, as I began to research the subject to prepare the fact sheets and advocacy materials to support the legislation, that excitement quickly turned to dismay. As a bright-eyed college intern, I was shocked to learn about the underlying race and gender disparities within clinical trials and health research. I felt that same sense of disappointment when I started examining the race and ethnic disparities that remain in our health care delivery system today. Kaiser Permanente recently ran a series of advertisements that highlighted the fact th... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398561 Fri, 08 May 2009 14:53:58 +0100 2398561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398866&cid=t_144288_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fswine-flu-and-working-poor.html Several times today, the issue came up regarding what a conundrum the working poor face when forced to keep a child with flu-like symptoms out of school for a week.With the CDC recommending seven days of home isolation for any child exhibiting a flu-like illness, we discussed in staff meeting what a difficult scenario this must be for parents who work in low-wage occupations that offer no sick time or personal time to care for their sick children.As Barbara Ehrenreich so deftly illustrated in her seminal book, "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America", the working poor are employed in occupations where not being able to come to work is almost ubiquitously grounds for instant termination.So, when a single mother of three who cleans offices for a non-unionized cleaning company, she ... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398866 Fri, 08 May 2009 01:17:00 +0100 2398866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375801&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F33Nq52mHUKI%2F Today, April 28th, is Blog for Fair Pay Day. In recognition of this important day, our guest post by Lisa Codispoti, Senior Counsel for Health and Reproductive Rights, National Women’s Law Center, relates to health care and equal pay. Between 2000 and 2006, health insurance premiums increased 87.5 percent—4 times more than wages. In addition to the burden of inflated health care costs, women are still paid only 78 cents for every dollar earned by men—with women of color earning even less. In a world where women are earning significantly less than men for comparable work, how can they also afford health care? Pay inequity for women compounds the issues that already exist with our broken health care system. This is a system that makes unfair practices by insurance companies flourish, s... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375801 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:30:54 +0100 2375801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347702&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ama-assn.org%2Fama1%2Fpub%2Fupload%2Fmm%2F368%2Fcompstudy_52006.pdf Debate surrounding health information technology, particularly electronic health records (EHR), has become increasingly dominant among health care-related discussions around the Web. Forbes.com chatted with Geoff Brown, CIO at Inova Health System (a Virginia-based not-for-profit health care service provider system consisting of hospitals and other health care centers), about the significant role health IT could play “in improving medical care, cutting costs and speeding up treatment.” The health-care industry is a study in contrasts. On one hand, it employs the best that medical science has to offer. On the other, it is one of the least automated sectors from an IT standpoint. All of that is about to change, however, spurred as much by the federal government’s push for co... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347702 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:34:09 +0100 2347702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306560&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FlY9LW7gBlqE%2F A friend and colleague of mine recently sent me a copy of a journal entry that his daughter and a friend wrote while traveling in Africa. Liana Sideli and Liza Reynolds, both 22, are recent graduates of Middlebury College. These remarkable young women are independent (not affiliated with any organization) volunteers, spending several weeks at St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Centre in Kenya. It is an incredibly moving description of their experiences in Kenya, including a trip they made to accompany a child who was going to see a group of American doctors in the hopes of having another operation he needed to repair injuries he sustained when he was very young. It is an amazing story and one that I think will help to remind us how fortunate we are to have such readily available access to hea... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306560 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:28:44 +0100 2306560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2285187&cid=t_144288_99_f&fid=35344&url=http%3A%2F%2Fzackarysholemberger.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fmiscellany-or-dead-animals-chinese.html I'm such a Mishnah nerd. Starting a new tractate gives me a rush. And I've never really learned Zevachim before. (Look, Zevachim 1:2 isn't paralleled in the Tosefta at all?!)*Verizon FIOS didn't mean much to me until Celeste figured out that we now have Chinese TV. 很不錯！*What are the factors associated with racial differences in myocardial infarction outcomes? They have more to do with baseline cardiac risk and hospital factors than with treatment received. So disparities - as we all thought, I guess? - are pretty far upstream. To put it crudely but not inaccurately: African-Americans are poorer, and their hearts are sicker, even before the first troponins are drawn. (Source: Zackary Sholem Berger) Zackary Sholem Berger blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2285187 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:39:00 +0100 2285187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2104747&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2F14%2Ftop-20-health-affairs-journal-articles-for-2008%2F We are pleased to announce the “most-read” Health Affairs journal articles published in 2008. The number 1 article has topped 61,000 pageviews to date. The next two articles, which were published in September, analyzed the presidential candidates’ health plans. All articles below are open to all readers for the next 2 weeks—through January 28, 2009. Measuring [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2104747 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:13:56 +0100 2104747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2086920&cid=t_144288_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Freaching-out-to-margins.html Yesterday, I received a call from a young college student with an interest in Public Health who wants to volunteer at our health department. After a telephone conversation and a string of emails, I gleaned that she is from Cape Verde, speaks Cape Verdean Creole (Portuguese married with African dialects) as her first language, and also speaks and understands some Spanish. Thinking quickly, I realized that this is a golden opportunity to utilize this individual's language and cultural knowledge to reach out to the Cape Verdean community in our town. While not as sizeable as our Chinese, Tibetan, Cambodian, and Latino communities, I know for a fact that a pocket of Cape Verdeans are scattered amongst the population, and this young woman may be the key to doing some important outreach to a mar... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2086920 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:44:00 +0100 2086920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2005725&cid=t_144288_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Ftemporarily-joining-ranks.html So, dear Readers, as of 12:01 am today, my wife and I are officially uninsured. Caught in that painfully ubiquitous American conundrum, we are both gainfully employed, both starting new jobs (that, admittedly, don't pay exceedingly well), and our new insurance will not kick in until January 1st. With several chronic illnesses between us and a number of medications we take on a regular basis, this could be cause for concern.Counting our blessings, we indeed realize that, unlike the majority of the other 38 million uninsured Americans waking up this morning, our uninsured status is, in fact, temporary. A month from now, as we ring in the New Year, we will also ring in the renewed security that paying monthly health insurance premiums can bring. Our privilege is not lost on us, but having jus... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2005725 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:26:00 +0100 2005725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1962565&cid=t_144288_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F14%2Fhealthcare-quality-and-healthcare-disparites-reports%2F The 2007 National Healthcare Quality Report and National Healthcare Disparities Report indicate disparities in oral health care quality, access, and utilization for children. Since 2003, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has produced an annual National Healthcare Quality Report and National Healthcare Disparities Report.  These studies are a “report card” on the Nation’s health.  Several [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1962565 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:09:04 +0100 1962565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1922178&cid=t_144288_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F31%2Fada-report-on-medicaid-symposium%2F In June of 2008, the ADA’s Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations (CAPIR) conducted a one-day Medicaid symposium at it’s headquarters in Chicago. The purpose of the symposium was to provide background information for attendees of the Access to Dental Care Summit, which is scheduled for March 2009. The primary goal of the Symposium [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1922178 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:15:39 +0100 1922178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1889387&cid=t_144288_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F20%2Foral-health-the-public-speaks%2F The American Dental Association, in collaboration with Crest and Oral-,B conducted a national public opinion survey on oral health care.  The survey represented  1,000 Americans ages 18 and older, living in the continental United States. The survey focused on the following areas: The public’s perceptions of their oral health care, with a special focus on African [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1889387 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:04:33 +0100 1889387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1838662&cid=t_144288_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F29%2Fmillions-of-children-estimated-to-have-untreated-tooth-decay-new-report%2F On September 22, the Government Accountability Office released a report stating that more than 6.5 million children who are currently enrolled in Medicaid have problems with tooth decay.  Furthermore, children in Medicaid remain at higher risk of dental disease compared to children with private health insurance.  In fact, children in Medicaid were almost twice as [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1838662 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:11:34 +0100 1838662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1830855&cid=t_144288_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F26%2Fcommunity-efforts-to-expand-dental-services-for-low-income-people%2F The Center for Studying Health System Change recently published an issue brief exploring the oral health of low-income people.  The brief identifies key barriers and attempts that are being made to provide dental services to these individuals. The report includes sections on: State Medicaid and SCHIP Policy Affects Dental Access Significant Gaps in the Dental Safety Net Community Efforts [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1830855 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:13:03 +0100 1830855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1830856&cid=t_144288_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F26%2Foral-health-care-for-mom-and-baby%2F The National Maternal and Oral Health Resource Center has published three new documents related to pregnancy and oral health, and oral health for babies. The first, Access to Oral Health Care During the Perinatal Period, is a policy brief that provides an overview of barriers to addressing women’s oral health needs during the perinatal period. Evidence [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1830856 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:55:57 +0100 1830856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512132&cid=t_144288_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fracial-disparities-in-healthcare-follow.html My follow-up article on racial disparities in healthcare can be found over at Nurse LinkUp by clicking here. Thanks in advance for giving it a read. (Source: Digital Doorway) Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512132 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:43:00 +0100 1512132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497663&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2F06%2Fobama-health-adviser-indiana-reform-in-top-10-blog-posts%2F Discussion of health reform also ranked highly, with posts on what’s happening in Indiana, a roundtable on reform and the 2008 election, and more. Sign up for [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497663 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:59:55 +0100 1497663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1454479&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F294370319%2Fdisturbing-prediction-on-cervical.html Today's New York Times has an article summarizing the disturbing results of a new study looking at trends in cervical cancer morbidity and mortality in Latin America. In an era in which most cases... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1454479 Tue, 20 May 2008 16:00:16 +0100 1454479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1450463&cid=t_144288_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F18%2Fengines-of-inequality-class-race-and-family-structure-abstract%2F This article reviews the data on these trends, explores their significance, and assesses social scientists’ recent attempts to explain them. The article concludes that society-wide changes in economic conditions or social expectations cannot account for these patterns. Rather, for reasons that are poorly understood, cultural disparities have emerged by class and race in attitudes and behaviors surrounding family, sexuality, and reproduction. These disparities will likely fuel social and economic inequality and contribute to disparities in children’s life prospects for decades to come. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1450463 Sun, 18 May 2008 15:00:49 +0100 1450463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1419322&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F283351130%2Fthird-tier-in-us-health-care.html It’s a sickening situation. Physicians’ incomes are under attack: think lower reimbursements, higher costs for malpractice premiums and the like, greater business costs, claims processing hassles,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1419322 Sun, 04 May 2008 15:45:06 +0100 1419322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1417952&cid=t_144288_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F02%2Fdiscriminating-mind%2F Amy Wax posted her article, “The Discriminating Mind: Define it, Prove it” (forthcoming 40 Connecticut Law Review (2008)) on SSRN. The abstract is below. * * * Differential group achievements in competitive spheres like business, government, and academia, in conjunction with professed organizational commitments to fairness and equal opportunity, fuel claims that unconscious discrimination operates widely in society today. But attempts to blame disparities by race or sex on inadvertent bias must be approached with caution in the current climate. Many allegations concerning unconscious discrimination do not properly allege category-based treatment at all but rather target the disparate impact, or differential effects, of category-neutral criteria. Such impacts often reflect w... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1417952 Fri, 02 May 2008 22:00:52 +0100 1417952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1385831&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F273781328%2Freal-problem-with-our-health-care.html ... now there's a Women's Bioethics Blog equivalent headline equivalent of those "Free Beer" postings on college campus bulletin boards. I only wish it was as facetious a headline. What am I... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1385831 Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:20:55 +0100 1385831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1334559&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2F28%2Ffoundation-angels-ascending-the-ladder-of-social-determinants%2F As Jacob, one of the three Old Testament patriarchs, flees from his brother Esau, he stops for the night at Bethel, where he dreams of a ladder going from earth to heaven with the angels of God ascending and descending the ladder (Genesis 28:11-19). There is extensive biblical commentary on this dream and particularly on [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1334559 Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:36:11 +0100 1334559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1307837&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2F17%2Fdesigning-p4p-programs-to-reduce-disparities%2F Editor’s Note: This is the last in a series of posts on health and health care disparities that Health Affairs Blog is publishing in conjunction with the new March/April issue of Health Affairs  on Disparities: Expanding The Focus, published with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Brian Smedley, Richard Epstein, Dora Hughes, and Tom Miller contributed [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1307837 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:11:02 +0100 1307837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1307838&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2F17%2Fmeasuring-disparities-improving-health-closing-the-gap%2F Editor’s Note: This is the fourth in a series of posts on health and health care disparities that Health Affairs Blog is publishing in conjunction with the new March/April issue of Health Affairs on Disparities: Expanding The Focus, published with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Brian Smedley, Richard Epstein, and Dora Hughes contributed earlier posts in the series, which [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1307838 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:20:28 +0100 1307838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1303420&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2F14%2Fminority-health-legislation-in-the-110th-congress%2F Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of posts on health and health care disparities that Health Affairs Blog is publishing in conjunction with the new March/April issue of Health Affairs on Disparities: Expanding The Focus, published with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Brian Smedley and Richard Epstein contributed earlier posts in the series, which will [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1303420 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:00:08 +0100 1303420 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1300459&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2F13%2Fhealth-care-disparities-deregulation-first-redistribution-last%2F Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of posts on health and health care disparities that Health Affairs Blog is publishing in conjunction with the new March/April issue of Health Affairs on Disparities: Expanding The Focus, published with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Brian Smedley contributed the first post in the series, which [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1300459 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:51:33 +0100 1300459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1297905&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2F12%2Fhealth-and-health-care-inequality-time-to-act%2F Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of posts on health and health care disparities that Health Affairs Blog is publishing in conjunction with the new March/April issue of Health Affairs on Disparities: Expanding The Focus, published with support from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The series will also feature posts from Richard Epstein, Dora Hughes, Tom Miller, [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1297905 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:38:36 +0100 1297905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1195889&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F227599154%2Ffrom-wbp-book-club.html While I certainly do not call myself an expert on the latest “must read”, here's one I highly recommend. Written from a feminist perspective, Susan Sherwin’s “No Longer Patient: Feminist Ethics... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1195889 Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:51:29 +0100 1195889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1033466&cid=t_144288_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F11%2Ftrouble-in-serbia.html A report released this week by Mental Disability Rights International demonstrates that children and adults in Serbian psychiatric facilities are living in squalid and unhealthy conditions, with patients frequently physically restrained for years at a time, often in their own excrement. With poor sanitation and common communicable diseases inadequately controlled, patients within the Serbian psychiatric healthcare system are suffering in a potentially unparalleled manner. Taking into consideration the extent to which American psychiatric patients and consumers of mental health services feel rightfully disenfranchised within our system here in the US, the atrociousness of care in Serbian facilities is "tantamount to torture" according to the MDRI report.Although the Serbian government was q... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1033466 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 21:51:00 +0100 1033466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=961696&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomensbioethics.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fwomens-health-care-unsatisfactory.html (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=961696 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:43:00 +0100 961696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=926203&cid=t_144288_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fwhen-schips-are-down.html It is a sad day for poor, uninsured children in America. President Bush used his veto powers to veto a bipartisan bill passed by both houses of Congress which would have expanded health insurance for over 10 million uninsured children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance on their own. Bush cited the notion that the expanded program might---gasp!---lead to something akin to soclialized medicine, an event which all Americans know will certainly lead to the fall of Western Civilization as we know it (one can only hope!).According to NPR and their Congressional sources, the President has it all backwards. SCHIP is not at all a government-run health insurance program. Rather, it allows families who earn up to 300 percent of the poverty level to... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=926203 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:22:00 +0100 926203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=861788&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F09%2F11%2Fracial-differences-in-kidney-cancer-outcome%2F This study was conducted by Dr. Sonja I. Berndt from the NCI and was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.Even among black patients who had surgery, the survival rates were lower when compared to whites who had their kidney removed. In contrast, black patients who did not have surgery had better survival rates than white patients who did not have surgery.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments (Source: The Cancer Blog) The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=861788 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 861788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=808625&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F19%2Fdifferences-in-cancer-screening-in-uninsured-latina-women%2F This study showed that exposure to cancer education is a predictor of screening rates among uninsured Latina women. Latin women experience higher mortality for cervical cancer and lower 5-year survival for breast cancer than non-Latina white women.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments (Source: The Cancer Blog) The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=808625 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 808625 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=799239&cid=t_144288_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F14%2Fthe-undiagnosed-men-benefit-most-as-disparity-evens-out%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, ResearchAccording to a RAND Corporation study, fewer and fewer diabetics are going undiagnosed these days. Specifically, the gap has closed dramatically over the last twenty-five years. So much so that Hispanics and African Americans are now no more likely than whites to be undiagnosed. Good news, to be sure. And the news is especially good for men. James P. Smith, who authored the study, says that twenty-five years ago about fifty percent of men with diabetes did not even know they had the disease. Jump forward to 1999-2002, however, and the number drops to about twenty percent.Smith concludes that even though ethnic and gender disparities remain, we are certainly doing a lot better at getting people diagnosed and into treatment. Diabetes programs that target ... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=799239 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 799239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=704423&cid=t_144288_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fgoogle-health-advisory-council-misses.html Google, in its cultural ubiquitousness and desire to touch on every aspect of society, has created a Google Health Advisory Council with a mission, as reported on the Google Blog, to "help us better understand the problems consumers and providers face every day and offer feedback on product ideas and development." The announcement continues: "We have formed an advisory council, made up of healthcare experts from provider organizations, consumer and disease-based groups, physician organizations, research institutions, policy foundations, and other fields."In its infinite wisdom, Google has overlooked many key communities within the broad field of healthcare experts, including nurses. As expected, the Advisory Council is overwhelmingly made up of doctors and executives. With 22 members in al... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=704423 Fri, 29 Jun 2007 12:34:00 +0100 704423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=611812&cid=t_144288_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fcommunities-of-color-and-medical.html Yet another aspect of racial disparity within the medical field has recently come to the fore. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health has launched several initiatives, in partnership with the Baylor College of Medicine, to address the relative lack of access to medical research and clinical trials experienced by communities of color and ethnic minorities. For more information on the EDICT (Eliminating Disparities in Clinical Trials) Study, please visit this site, which is a partnership between Baylor College of Medicine and The Intercultural Cancer Council.The preponderance of participants in clinical trials for new medications and treatments are white, and this uneven racial distribution of participants in clinical trials can skew research data by faili... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=611812 Tue, 08 May 2007 23:41:00 +0100 611812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=599626&cid=t_144288_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fdental-care-and-medicaids-blind-spots.html If a poor African-American child dies from the complications of an untreated dental abscess, will anyone care? Apparently many people do, and a hearing on Capitol Hill may only be the beginning. From NPR to cable news, the story has traveled the wires.Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old from Maryland, died recently from complications of a dental infection for which his mother could not find treatment. The boy's family is insured by Medicaid, and I do not believe the firestorm surrounding his death will be extinguished any time soon. While managed-care bureaucrats argue that plenty of dentists could have treated Deamonte, the health department of Prince George's County lists only 50 dentists willing to treat the approximately 50,000 children with Medicaid in that county alone.Speaking of the sev... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=599626 Mon, 07 May 2007 23:46:00 +0100 599626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=526630&cid=t_144288_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fvulnerable.html . They are a "vulnerable population" and that is why we serve them. Why are they vulnerable, you ask? They are poor. They are mostly people of color. Many of them do not speak English, or speak very little. They suffer inordinately from chronic illness. What illnesses? HIV/AIDS, addiction, Hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal illnesses, autoimmune disorders, chronic pain, mental illness.The vulnerable often live on the fringes of society. They live in public housing projects plagued by poor sanitation, roach infestation, vermin, poor maintenance, shoddy and outdated construction. High-rise apartment buildings with only one elevator which consistently breaks down are the norm. Poor security is de rigeur. Litter and trash are ubiquitous. Drugs and... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=526630 Sat, 07 Apr 2007 01:20:00 +0100 526630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=517599&cid=t_144288_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fto-sleep-perchance-to-dream.html We send an inordinate number of our patients for clinical sleep studies, and many of them return with diagnoses of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Restless Legs Syndrome, and occasionally more esoteric scientific labels of "disordered sleep". It is widely understood that individuals with morbid obesity often suffer from apnea---periods during sleep wherein respiration will temporarily cease---and a considerable cohort of our patients spend their nights tethered to machines which enable them to breathe normally during those hours set aside for nocturnal rest which most of us take for granted.It came to my attention today that some cutting-edge and forward thinking diagnostic sleep centers are beginning to offer sleep studies in hotel rooms rather than the relatively sterile sleep labs generally lo... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=517599 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 00:04:00 +0100 517599 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=498570&cid=t_144288_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fhealthcare-disparities-and-providers.html It was incredibly refreshing and inspiring to attend an open house this evening for a new Infectious Disease (ID) practice in our city of employment. In the last 25 years, the role of the ID provider has greatly expanded, taking center stage in the fight against AIDS. This particular physician, having emigrated from Puerto Rico to attend medical and public health graduate school here in the US, was struck by the disparities being experienced by her own ethnic community. This realization led her to pursue a specialization in infectious diseases, taking up the gauntlet of HIV/AIDS treatment and the stemming of the waters engulfing the Latino community.In her presentation, the director of this organization drove home the point that disparities in healthcare vis-a-vis the care of ethnic minori... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=498570 Sat, 24 Mar 2007 01:48:00 +0100 498570