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 'eric'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:57:21 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158996&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffab-antivenom-found-to-cause-fewer-allergic-reactions-than-previously-thought%2F2011.08.24 The current standard of care with regard to using antivenom for pit viper snakes (e.g., rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths) in North America is to use Crotalidae polyvalent immune Fab antivenom (CroFab;FabAV). This antivenom is created using a process that obtains antibodies “raised” by immunizing sheep and then harvesting and purifying the product. One of the major benefits of using this product is to take advantage of a lesser incidence of allergic reactions (than have traditionally been observed with previous products). It appears that the situation regarding the incidence of allergic reactions may be better than previously thought. In the article, “Short Term Outcomes After Fab Antivenom Therapy for Severe Crotaline Snakebite,” Eric Lavonas, MD and colleagues (Ann Emerg Me... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158996 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:00:00 +0100 5158996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139733&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbook-review-food-truths-food-lies%2F2011.08.18 Food Truths, Food Lies, written by family physician Eric Marcotte, M.D., may be the most refreshingly evidence-based diet book of the decade. You will not find a single mention of super-foods, magical berries, or supplement “must-haves” in the entire book. What you will find is the cold, hard truth about why many Americans are overweight, and what it takes to become a healthy eater. Marcotte writes for the average American – his simple language, matter-of-fact tone, and regular reminders of what the reader has learned, make for a quick and memorable read.  Although it’s clear that Marcotte has carefully distilled his dietary advice from the scientific literature, he refrains from burdening the reader with too many footnotes and references. Instead, he has created ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139733 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:00:45 +0100 5139733 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077868&cid=t_172636_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FbVs7OP1xH_I%2F In recent years, we have witnessed the beginnings of a revolution in education.  Technology has fundamentally altered the way we do many things in daily life, but it is just starting to make headway in changing the way we teach.  Just as television shows like Sesame Street enhanced the passive learning of information for kids by teaching in a fun format, electronic games offer to greatly enhance the way kids and adults are taught by actively engaging them in the process. The Entertainment Software Association estimates that sixty-seven percent of American households play video or computer games [1].  They are especially popular among young males, with a recent study of teenagers by researchers at Yale reporting that 76.3% of male (and 29.2% of female) teens play video games [2].  These... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077868 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:36:31 +0100 5077868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029209&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FIeHKxZD7Sj0%2F And so another working week is about to draw to a close. This is, of course, our signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda includes another installment in the ‘Let’s-See-Them-Before-They-Die‘ concert series, hanging with the short people and catching up on some sleep. And you? Perhaps this is a chance to mow the lawn or read an e-Book? Maybe you want to ponder the future without a debt deal in Washington? Whatever you do, have a great time and be safe. Catch you soon… Valeant Pharma To Buy Janssen Dermatology Portfolio (Associated Press) FDA Questions Safety of Experimental Bristol & Astra Diabetes Drug (Reuters) Eric Cantor And PhRMA Fight Drug Discounts In Debt Deal (Politico) Novartis To Cut 550 Manufacturing Jobs In The UK (The Argus) Obama Camp M... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029209 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:16:02 +0100 5029209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960329&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fdzqbvzs1qj4%2F Two years ago, a study found that nearly 53 percent of academic researchers have some form of relationship with the pharmaceutical industry, especially consulting, and faculty with industry research support were more productive than faculty without support. For instance, faculty with industry relationships published significantly more and published at a greater rate in the past three years. In an update of the findings, which first appeared in Health Affairs (read the abstract), the researchers explored conflict of interest policies at universities that have been under increasing pressure to scrutinize and disclose financial ties between faculty and drugmakers. The attention is an outgrowth over concerns that medical practice may be unduly influenced by industry (see here). What did the l... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960329 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:13:27 +0100 4960329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4876388&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftop-health-quotes-of-the-week%2F2011.05.28 “The combined profits of the Fortune 500 increased by 81% this year, the third largest gain in history. Compare that to the unemployment rate, which fell by just 8% over the past 12 months.” Ezra Klein, while analyzing last week’s jobs report by the Federal Government. “Why would I listen to ‘lub dub’ when I can see everything?” Eric Topol, a cardiologist in San Diego who carries a portable ultrasound device with him in lieu of a stethoscope. The device lets him and his patient see the heart muscle and valves, and blood flow into and out of the organ. “There probably is not a whole lot that we can do at the pipeline level to dramatically improve the number of students choosing primary care. Where the money is, is where the money is.” Mark Schwartz, an associate profes... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4876388 Sat, 28 May 2011 12:00:58 +0100 4876388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872479&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FhNw94LQfrRg%2F Meet Eric Dezenhall. An experienced public relations consultant who once worked briefly in the Reagan White House, he has generated a controversial profile as a crisis management counselor by adopting an aggressive posture toward the media. Among his high-profile assignments - he has reportedly represented former Enron ceo Jeff Skilling and Dow Chemical, which led to a nasty skirmish with Greenpeace USA over messy allegations of dumpster diving and stolen documents (see here and here). A New Jersey native, Dezenhall detailed his philosophy in a book entitled ‘Nail ‘Em!: Confronting High-Profile Attacks on Celebrities and Businesses.’ Bill Moyers, a noted journalist who sparred with the Dezenhall firm over a 2001 documentary about the chemicals industry, told BusinessWeek:... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872479 Thu, 26 May 2011 14:18:05 +0100 4872479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4821100&cid=t_172636_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F13%2Fova1-blood-test-detects-ovarian-cancer-in-women-with-a-known-ovarian-mass-more-accurately-than-ca-125%2F A study published online in Obstetrics & Gynecology reports that the OVA1 blood test detects ovarian cancer in women with a previously discovered ovarian mass more accurately than the CA-125 blood test. The study also considers OVA1′s place in future surgical referral guidelines. A study published online ahead of print in the June 2011 edition of [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4821100 Fri, 13 May 2011 15:11:11 +0100 4821100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813248&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FjvfxlWlE_Rw%2F By Gene HealyOver at the American Conservative, I have a review of Eric Posner and Adrian Vermuele’s new book Executive Unbound: After the Madisonian Republic. Funny enough, the working title for my book on presidential power was “Executive Unbound,” but P&V have a very different take on the dangers of concentrating power in the executive (they coin the term “tyrannophobia,” for irrational fear of executive abuse). From the review’s intro: The New York Times book editors assigned their review to the Straussian political philosopher Harvey Mansfield, the self-styled expert on “manliness” who’s as rabid a supporter of the imperial presidency as you’re likely to find. In the late Bush era, Mansfield wrote a 3,000-word Wall Street Journal op-ed, ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813248 Wed, 11 May 2011 16:30:24 +0100 4813248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813379&cid=t_172636_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F11%2Fholder-on-the-situation-of-violence%2F In 2010, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the launch of the “Defending Childhood” initiative to help prevent children’s and young people’s exposure to violence, mitigate its effects and put an end to cycles of violence that undermine the public’s health. During this webcast, he described his vision for this initiative and its progress so far. Related Situationist posts: 25 Mil­lion Years of Us vs. Them “Michael McCullough on the Situation of Revenge and Forgiveness,” The Power of Suggestion The Situation of Psychopaths The Situation of Hate Crimes Obesity and Bullying The Cruelty of Children Examining the Bullying Situation The Situation of Bullying The Situation of Gang Rape The Situation of Hazing, Torture, Gender, and Tears “New Study ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813379 Wed, 11 May 2011 04:01:51 +0100 4813379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789219&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F104kfJkYcBE%2F By Jim HarperLast week, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) wrote a letter to the House clerk calling for new data standards that will make Congress more open and accountable. Spot on. The THOMAS legislative database was a huge improvement when it came online in 1995 at the behest of the new Republican Congress, but the Internet has moved on. Today, publishing text or PDF documents is inadequate transparency. It’s more important to make available the data that represent various documents and activities in the legislative process. “Web 2.0″ will use that data various ways to deliver public oversight. I’ll have much more to say in the near future, but here are the kinds of things get to full transparency, which the House leaders&#8... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789219 Wed, 04 May 2011 18:51:33 +0100 4789219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747716&cid=t_172636_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2Fkdi-W-DpTW8%2F If you saw my presentation to Meharry Medical College earlier this month either live or on video, you know I referenced Dr. Eric Topol’s talk at TEDMED 2009, in which the Scripps Health cardiologist predicted the demise of the stethoscope by the 2016, the 200th anniversary of that old standby. If you were curious, there is video available of Topol’s session. In fact, it’s right here. Related posts:Edward M. Kennedy, 1932-2009 State of mobile and wireless healthcare More on mobile (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747716 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:26:07 +0100 4747716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734274&cid=t_172636_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Finterview-louis-burns-ceo-care-innovations Louis Burns is CEO of Care Innovations, the joint venture between Intel and GE that’s aiming to change the world of home care and patient to clinician connectivity. Clearly there’s been lots of money and effort invested — but what are they doing and where are they going? And what new products and services can we expect (beyond the ones Eric Dishman told me about last Fall)? No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734274 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:19:16 +0100 4734274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684276&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgEBqscRwQUU%2F By Tim LynchYesterday, Obama's attorney general, Eric Holder, held a press conference and announced that Khalid Shaik Mohammed (KSM) would be prosecuted for war crimes before a military tribunal.   It's probably fair to say, as some newspapers have noted, that the idea of bringing KSM to New York City to be tried in civilian court for the 9/11 atrocity was Holder's "signature" decision since becoming attorney general--and that that idea is now dead.    However, Obama and Holder conceded a place for tribunals more than a year ago and they could never really offer a good explanation as to why some persons would go to civilian court and why others would go before tribunals.  Like Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld, Obama and his people would just sorta decide case-by-case. Conservatives are ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684276 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:12:23 +0100 4684276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670174&cid=t_172636_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F02%2Fpreference-principle-casuistry%2F From our sister blog, Law & Mind, here is an excellent post by Harvard Law LL.M. candidate David Simon. Simon summarizes a fascinating chapter by Situationist Contributors Eric Knowles and Peter Ditto (forthcoming in “Ideology, Psychology, and Law” (Jon Hanson, ed., 2011). * * * [T]he attribution of principle or its absence is more than an evaluative stance; it is also a lay-psychological hypothesis concerning the causes of another’s behavior. - Eric D. Knowles & Peter H. Ditto, Preference , Principle, & Casuistry We often value people who act on their principles  more than those who act solely on their preferences. In other words, we value behavior that is justified by reasons rather than emotions. This shouldn’t be much of a surprise to... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670174 Sat, 02 Apr 2011 18:00:50 +0100 4670174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575097&cid=t_172636_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F11%2Fstressed-out-working-from-home-join-the-club%2F I love it when I read a study that confirms what I’ve been feeling or thinking. Psych Central’s Senior New Editor Rick Nauert discussed a few days ago a new study in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior that says women find it especially stressful to receive work-related communication at home, even when the phone calls or emails are within the working hours they defined. Much more so than men. Meaning, if the boss emails or calls a guy, even if it’s outside normal working hours, the typical male doesn’t think much of it, takes care of it, no problem. A woman? Even it happens within 9 to 5, she frets a little. Why? Think long and hard, even if you aren’t Catholic… Guilt. And here it is again … Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Boy do I know that feeling. B... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575097 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:22:26 +0100 4575097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4566336&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FDmJ2p7BJIyA%2F Earlier today, President Obama nominated US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to be the next US ambassador to China and former Pfizer ceo Jeff Kindler is among the names being mentioned as a possible successor, according to Bloomberg News, citing unnamed sources. The 55-year-old Kindler, you may recall, spent four years as the Pfizer ceo before unexpectedly resigning last December amid ongoing tension with some board members (see here and here). And there has long been speculation that he would next look to Washington, DC, whenever he left the drugmaker. Last July, in fact, Kindler was named by Obama as a member of a presidential advisory board devoted to increasing US exports. And the portly one had already angled to become a Democratic mover and shaker. Three years ago, for instance, he part... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4566336 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:30:45 +0100 4566336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489760&cid=t_172636_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FucJCVg9Q3nE%2F In a recent Healthcare IT News article, they wrote about a KLAS research study that found that the speech recognition market is ready to grow. Here’s a small portion of the article: Providers report a demonstrable return on their speech recognition dollars, according to a new report from KLAS. Participants of the study indicated benefits of speech recognition such as staff reductions, improved report turnaround times and increased physician satisfaction. “The speech recognition market is ripe for healthy growth,” said Ben Brown, author of the report. “Currently, less than one in four hospitals use the technology, however, in light of meaningful use and the benefits providers point out in this study, we expect it will assume a more prominent place in the role of clin... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489760 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:44:23 +0100 4489760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450522&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FE_7jnYJDPXs%2F Nearly a year ago, the FDA wrote US Senator Chuck Grassley that criteria had been developed to determine which cases should be selected for prosecuting individual executives (read the letter). The move came after growing criticism that drugmakers paid huge fines to settle allegations of fraud, but higher ups were never held responsible and the payouts were seen as a cost of doing business. Since then, FDA deputy chief for litigation Eric Blumberg gave a speech reiterating agency interest in targeting pharma execs (back story). These moves also come as the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General pushes for measures to make it possible to ban pharma execs from doing business with federal health programs, if their companies have been convicted of fraud. The FDA plan, though, ha... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450522 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 13:08:54 +0100 4450522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343097&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fgoogle-ceo-eric-schmidt-on-healthcare.html At the Jan. 11, 2011 WSJ health blog, in an article entitled "JP Morgan Healthcare: Google’s Schmidt on Open Source and Health IT", Google CEO Eric Schmidt is cited as saying:... One solution to the problem may be to take the electronic-medical record architecture out of the hands of the corporate world, suggested Google CEO Eric Schmidt at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference last night. “If I were not doing what I’m doing and I wanted to do something in health care … I would go to all of the research universities and would try to figure out where the best, interesting IT software is that can be open-sourced,” he said at a health-IT panel discussion. “My guess is that a platform like that would be remarkably different from the platforms that we are using today,” he said. Firs... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343097 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:14:00 +0100 4343097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318311&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdCAQMHXCqlY%2F By Chris EdwardsA top agenda item for the incoming House Republicans is to immediately start cutting spending. The GOP promised to reduce “nondefense” (or alternatively “nonsecurity”) spending for 2011 to the 2008 level, representing a $100 billion cut. GOP leaders are now being accused of backsliding on that promise, so let’s take a look at the numbers. The idea is to reduce fiscal 2011 “budget authority” to the level it was in fiscal 2008. The chart shows the growth in nondefense budget authority since 2000. The spike in 2009 is from $265 billion in discretionary spending authorized in the “stimulus” bill. Congress currently has a “continuing resolution” in place that keeps 2011 spending at about the same level as 2010, as shown in the chart. Thus, the House GOP wi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318311 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:33:55 +0100 4318311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258841&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIQ7J2n-QcAc%2F By Julian SanchezLate last week, Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT) in which he agreed to implement an array of policies designed to check abuse of USA PATRIOT Act powers. These include more thorough record keeping and more disclosures to Congress, prompt notification of telecommunications companies when gag orders have expired, and updated retention and dissemination procedures to govern the vast quantities of information obtained using National Security Letters. In itself, this is all to the good. But civil libertarians should pause before popping the champagne corks. Last year, the fight over the reauthorization of several expiring PATRIOT provisions opened the door to the comprehensive reform that sweeping legislation so... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258841 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:13:57 +0100 4258841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4237829&cid=t_172636_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fexnfl-players-raise-awareness-head-traumamental-illness-link%2F Ex-NFL players Eric Hipple and Mark Kelso are traveling around the country in an attempt to raise awareness of the link between head trauma and mental illness. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4237829 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 21:55:44 +0100 4237829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219678&cid=t_172636_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fdr-eric-demaria-charged-embezzlement%2F Former Duke University bariatric surgeon Dr. Eric DeMaria and former Duke employment John Cotton have been charged with embezzling more than $250,000 from the University. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219678 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 04:38:19 +0100 4219678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119078&cid=t_172636_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F29%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-october-29-2010%2F You know what I’ve been thinking about lately? The ghosts of Halloween’s past. The heat from a plastic Strawberry Shortcake mask, the discomfort of being herded with groups of children, the shame of begging for sweets and the sickening feeling from eating too much candy. Funny how recalling those memories actually make me happy. Watching mom dig through my winnings, tasting what seemed like every single one, made me feel comforted. And even though walking around in a costume felt silly and uncomfortable, there was something exciting about dressing up and being anonymous for one night. When did Halloween get so complicated? Yep, there are rules now about age limitations for Halloween and questions about what kids should and should not wear. But at least for me, I’d love to... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119078 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:43:29 +0100 4119078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118891&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FVKePJI-GApg%2F By Tad DeHavenHouse Republican Whip Eric Cantor’s “YouCut” project has released a new video that attempts to visually underscore the impropriety of sticking future taxpayers with a mountain of federal debt. The video begins with a voice saying “You wouldn’t do this to your child’s piggy bank” followed by visuals of a child’s piggy bank being smashed with a hammer. The voice then says: But Democrat controlled Washington is leaving a $13 trillion debt for your children and future generations. It’s time Washington got its fiscal house in order. Start changing the culture of spending in Washington by voting on YouCut today. That’s a wee bit disingenuous considering that Republicans and Democrats alike are responsible for the massive federal debt. More frustrating is the fac... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118891 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:04:47 +0100 4118891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082003&cid=t_172636_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F10%2Frutgers-football-player-eric-legrand-remains-paralyzed%2F Rutgers University football player Eric LeGrand remains hospitalized in Hackensack University Medical Center after suffering a severe spinal cord injury during a tackle. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082003 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 20:27:23 +0100 4082003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082163&cid=t_172636_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2010%2F10%2F13%2Femr-vanity-metrics%2F I’m still mulling over my post on EMR and EHR about EMR market share. Add in my mulling over my post about creating an EMR pricing comparison website and my mind is kind of overwhelmed with ways to try and get providers better information. One of my hobbies is learning about internet startup companies. In fact, I’m starting one of my own. In my reading about internet startup companies I found this really provocative post by Eric Ries about entrepreneur speakers lying on stage. Here’s the money quote for me: This is the same issue we see with vanity metrics: companies are giving the appearance of sharing information while actually engaging in spin or outright deception. I call this the vanity ratio: the amount of apparently interesting information given divided by the amou... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082163 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:52:55 +0100 4082163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4061077&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FpsGHxoA_0cE%2F File this under a touch of irony. Early last year, Stephen Ondra headed spine surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and was successfully touted by Medtronic for a position in the Obama administration. Among his attributes: consulting for the device maker, previous efforts on behalf of the Obama team and his work on physician-industry relationships and transparency, according to various emails between Medtronic execs (look here). Within a few days, however, Ondra objected to the proposed nomination of another spine surgeon, Charles Rosen, as US Surgeon General. Why? As founder of the Association of Medical Ethics, Rosen publicly questioned consulting ties between doctors and device makers and, for his trouble, allegedly suffered retaliation by members of the American Academy... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4061077 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:23:05 +0100 4061077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4025620&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Feat-more-calcium-to-prevent-calcium-containing-kidney-stones%2F2010.10.02 Over the years I have had a number of patients with painful kidney stones and once they have passed (or been removed) I have felt at a loss to helping them prevent them. ”Stay hydrated” somehow didn’t seem adequate, although we know fluid intake can help stave off recurrent kidney stone attacks. Some textbooks said “avoid calcium” since most stones are made of calcium oxylate. High oxylate levels can be found in some fruits and vegetables, as well as in nuts and chocolate. Yet there was no real scientific evidence that these foods caused stones. The evidence for who got kidney stones was all over the ballpark and for a physician, that means no prevention advice is really proven. A new study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Neph... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4025620 Sat, 02 Oct 2010 15:00:00 +0100 4025620 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3976557&cid=t_172636_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fgoogle-hits-reset-button-google-health Google Health has seemingly been stuck in neutral almost from the start. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3976557 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:58:28 +0100 3976557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3790702&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-cancer-letter-reveals-rhodes-scholar-falsification-by-duke-cancer-researcher%2F2010.07.26 This is not good. Not good at all. Recently Paul Goldberg of The Cancer Letter reported on an investigation into Duke cancer researcher Anil Potti, M.D., and claims made that he was a Rhodes Scholar in Australia. The misrepresentation was made on grant applications to National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Cancer Society (ACS). The Cancer Letter, a $375 per year go-to newsletter on cancer research, funding, and drug development, has made this issue free at this PDF link. News & Observer higher education reporter Eric Ferreri has a nice overview of the situation. Potti has been placed on administrative leave by Duke, and the ACS has suspended payments on his grant and initiated their own investigation. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Terr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3790702 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:00:07 +0100 3790702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3724422&cid=t_172636_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F07%2Flong-island-man-loses-arm-fireworks-mishap%2F In an event distressingly too common for trauma surgeons Eric Smith, 36, lost an arm after he was struck a fireworks accident when he was illegally trying to ignite the device in his back yard. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3724422 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 18:18:42 +0100 3724422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3679766&cid=t_172636_93_f&fid=35707&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHemodynamics%2F%7E3%2FANi20KA73j4%2Feric-balderas-is-free-for-little-while.html Eric Balderas, a Harvard College sophomore studying molecular and cell biology, was recently granted a stay of deportation. Eric was picked up by immigration authorities after trying to use a Harvard ID card to get on a plane. His story is one of many arguments for the DREAM Act, which would enable undocumented young people, brought to the United States as children, to earn citizenship if they met a specific set of conditions (earning a high school diploma, college degree, or serving in the military). This would transform the lives of many members of our society, including some who matter very much to my family and me.Around these parts, Harvard actually has a significant number of students in this situation, in part because it can offer full financial aid to young people who are not citiz... hemodynamics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3679766 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:23:00 +0100 3679766 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3652347&cid=t_172636_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fdrs-eric-christianson-jeff-livingston-discuss-social-networking-practice-medicine%2F Dr. Eric Christianson, assistant medical director of the emergency room at University of Minnesota, Fairview and Dr. Jeff Livingston, an obstetrician/gynecologists in the Dallas area discuss how they use social networking sites and telemedicine to give better care to their patients. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3652347 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:31:04 +0100 3652347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629759&cid=t_172636_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FEeOiY-hfJhk%2F This is the first post in what will be a repeating feature (column) at Deepest Health, written by yours truly, Eric Grey.  For now, we’ll call the column “Chinese medicine and Western philosophy” because I can’t think of anything better.  An improved name will come to me in a dream, I hope.  The idea is to release the column weekly. As I’ve discussed before, my first academic love is Philosophy.  I was trained in a mostly analytic Western philosophy tradition at Oregon State University.  I completed most of the work for my Masters in Applied Ethics at the same institution.  As an undergraduate, I didn’t focus very much and I do have some regrets about how seriously I took the opportunities that lay before me.  Ultimately, the same goes for my grad... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629759 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:55:51 +0100 3629759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3566609&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYA1n_WKaT0A%2F By Chris EdwardsHouse Republicans unveiled a bold strategy to cut 0.017 percent from the $3.7 trillion federal budget this week. Republican Whip Eric Cantor unveiled the GOP’s “YouCut” website, which includes five possible spending cuts for citizens to vote on. Mr. Cantor promised to take the favored cut to the House floor next week for members to consider. The basic idea of YouCut is a good one — getting citizens actively involved in solving the government’s giant deficit problem and focusing congressional attention on cutting the bloated budget. But the GOP leadership make themselves look silly by offering such small cuts. The suggested cuts on the new website average just $638 million in annual savings, which is just 0.017 percent of total federal spending. Put another way, it... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3566609 Fri, 14 May 2010 16:23:01 +0100 3566609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560192&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwomens-rights-what-happens-in-prison%2F photo: Thinkstock Everyone knows prison isn’t the nicest place in the world – we’ve all caught a minute or two of Lockdown on MSNBC or Locked Up Abroad on NatGeo. One would hope that those governing the prisons would be principled individuals; after all, inmates are in prison for committing a crime, and you’d think the guards would set an example. If that sounds a little too Hollywood, it is. According to a recent Mother Jones article, inmates at the Ohio Reformatory for Women who complained of abuse by guards were thrown into the hole (solitary confinement). As Just Detention International (formerly Stop Prisoner Rape) points out, the process of banishing prisoners to solitary confinement after reporting an incident discourages them from reporting abuse – and encoura... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560192 Wed, 12 May 2010 18:42:38 +0100 3560192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3511586&cid=t_172636_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F28%2Fastrazeneca-settles-case-for-520-million%2F AstraZeneca agreed to a $520 million dollar settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and a consortium of state Medicaid agencies without admitting any wrongdoing in its marketing of the atypical antipsychotic drug, Seroquel. “AstraZeneca paid kickbacks to doctors as part of an illegal scheme to market drugs for unapproved uses,” Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services, said at the event in Washington. She said the company promoted drugs for unapproved uses by children, the elderly, veterans and prisoners. Glenn Engelmann, AstraZeneca’s U.S. general counsel, released a statement saying the company denies the allegations but settled the investigation with the payment. The government said the company also paid for ghostwritten journal articles, and marketed the... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3511586 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:25:06 +0100 3511586 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3467739&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FeP19lQcwsuU%2F By Julian SanchezAs I explain in yesterday’s BloggingHeads dialogue with Eli Lake, I’m chary of relying too much on legislative “sunset” provisions to check abuse of power, especially in the shadowy world of intelligence. (For the fleshed-out version of the argument, see Chris Mooney’s 2004 piece in Legal Affairs.) After all, in January, the Office of the Inspector General had released an absolutely damning report showing that for years, FBI agents systematically manipulated their incredibly broad National Security Letter authorities to get information about Americans telephone usage without following any legitimate legal process at all. To cover those abuses, officials compounded their crimes by lying to federal courts and refusing to use an auditable compute... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3467739 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 21:04:02 +0100 3467739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3416323&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FL5JLqz1QWAQ%2F File this under fabulous marketing. The recently launched Multaq drug for atrial fibrillation received some unusual treatment from the American College of Cardiology and the Heart Rhythm Society, which teamed to launch a new web site devoted to treating atrial fibrillation. As noted by CardioBrief, the Sanofi-Aventis logo appears in the lower right hand corner under “site sponsors” and no other companies are listed, but there is no specific mention of sponsorship, or the role of the sponsor. Here’s where it gets interesting. Last week, the site featured a “Learn From The Experts” lecture by Eric Prystowsky who showed slides on managing atrial fibrillation and made a case for off-label and off-guideline use of Multaq, CardioBrief writes. He “relies on subgroup a... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3416323 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:47:50 +0100 3416323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3398873&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Ftodays-poll-leading-ladies-and-their-leaving-men%2F Unless you live under a rock, recently you’ve probably seen headlines involving the “Oscar Curse.” What kind of gossip are the tabloids spreading now? Let’s walk with the Ghost of Best Actress Past. We’ll start today, just over two weeks following Sandra Bullock’s Oscar win for The Blind Side, and less than a week after Jesse James, her husband of five years, issued a public apology for cheating. Simultaneously, Kate Winslet and husband Sam Mendes publicly announced their split, a year after she collected her BA statue from the Academy for The Reader. This is a tough road, but let’s keep going. Reese Witherspoon was named best actress in 2005 (Walk the Line); she finalized her divorce with Ryan Phillipe in October 2006. Hillary Sw. was on top in 20... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3398873 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:07:49 +0100 3398873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362371&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Flifetime-movies-we-love-and-make-fun-of%2F Eric McCormack and Sherry Stringfield in "Who Is Clark Rockefeller?" (photo: mylifetime.com) We’re staying in this Saturday night. Why? Because “Who Is Clark Rockefeller?” premieres March 13 (9 p.m. ET) on myLifetime, that’s why. (Remember the con-man who pretended to be a Rockefeller, duped his wife, and kidnapped his own daughter?) That’s the one. Blisstree simply cannot get enough of these so-bad-they’re-good-based-on-a-true-story-melodramas that likely star the girl from “Growing Pains,”or “Hello, Larry,” or, in this case, Eric McCormack (he’ll always be “Will” to our Grace) and Sherry Stringfield. (there is life after “ER”!) Lifetime movie addicts, rejoice. Hopefully, the movie’s ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362371 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:46:29 +0100 3362371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3288018&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FGM7yGlc5NZ4%2F A New York State bill that would allow healthcare practitioners to vaccinate children (not just girls) under 18 against HPV without parental consent appears to be on hold for now. The language in a Senate bill is being clarified and no other legislative action is currently under way, according to an email from New York State Senator Eric Schneiderman to Diane Harper, who was a researcher for Merck’s Gardasil vaccine and has called for more complete warnings for parents (some background). The disclosure concerning the bill comes after some hoopla over the initiative, which would dovetail with an assembly bill requiring vaccinations before children would be allowed to attend school. The overall effort drew some protest in light of the ongoing debate, in some quarters, over the safety ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3288018 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:03:36 +0100 3288018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3231458&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZlRzM88K57g%2F By Roger PilonToday, Politico Arena asks: Terror trials: Is it time for the administration to retreat and rethink? Is it generally mishandling the terrorism issue? My response: On no issue is President Obama getting acquainted with reality more clearly than terrorism, or so it seems.  He blazed into office, guns holstered, as the anti-Bush, putting Eric Holder’s Justice Department in charge, not of the War on Terror, a phrase he banished from his administration’s lexicon, but of “bringing those who planned and plotted the [9/11] attacks to justice,” as Holder put it in November when he announced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others would be given civilian trials in downtown Manhattan.  But as the manifold costs of such a trail became increasingly apparent,... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3231458 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:37:34 +0100 3231458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3167216&cid=t_172636_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F13%2Fa-new-situationist-eric-d-knowles%2F We are thrilled to introduce a new Situationist Contributor, Eric D. Knowles. Since 2006, Eric D. Knowles has been an assistant professor of psychology and social behavior at the University of California, Irvine. He researches how individuals perceive and react to social inequities, focusing specifically on the role of motivations (e.g., to bolster the hierarchy, to see oneself as a good and deserving person) in leading people to deny the existence of inequity, dis-identify with their ingroup, or form attitudes likely to reduce intergroup disparities. He is also interested in political psychology, including how implicit intergroup biases shape perceptions of politicians and their policies. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3167216 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:01:51 +0100 3167216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3082591&cid=t_172636_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2FDXOrMZfPLYg%2Ftesticular-cancer If a guy I was sexually active with were missing a ball it would take me a while to figure it out.  Seriously.  For me, they’re not the main attraction down there nor do they have a gigantic space in between like breasts, which allow you to focus so specifically on the left or right. If both balls were missing it would be much more apparent.  I’ve never been in this situation, so I can only speculate, but I don’t think it would change my sex life much if my guy were missing one or both balls.  Sure, I’d have to get used to their absence, but it wouldn’t change my level of attraction or satisfaction if they were missing.  (Apologies in advance to my husband for whom this might be a weird post to read!) I got a great comment from a testicular cancer patient on my post about mi... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3082591 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:58:10 +0100 3082591 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3075475&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_BaInbbZYyM%2F By David BoazIn a report on Attorney General Eric Holder’s approach to seeking the death penalty, NPR reports: A few months after Holder made that statement, he authorized a capital prosecution in Vermont, a state that does not have the death penalty. When Ashcroft brought a federal death penalty case in Vermont seven years ago, the mayor of Burlington called it “an affront to states’ rights” and “not consistent with the values of a majority of Vermonters.” But this time, there was hardly any outcry. So the former antiwar movement doesn’t complain about President Obama’s expansion of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And opponents of capital punishment don’t protest the Obama administration’s seeking the death penalty in liberal... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3075475 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:05:12 +0100 3075475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3008076&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyrRVc_fGGUU%2F The Council on Foreign Relations’ Steven Simon makes a difficult case, and he makes it well, regarding the Justice Department’s decision to try Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in a civilian court in New York City. I agree with his bottom line: no trial can provide closure for the traumas of that day. But a judgment in New York, where the greatest suffering was inflicted, will remind us both of the narrow viciousness of the terrorists’ cause and of the enduring strength of our own values. I say again, this is not an easy case to make, and not just because of the emotions involved. Most people have already made up their mind that 1) KSM is undeserving of such treatment (the same could be said of most mass murderers); 2) that the risks posed to national security by a public trial (incl... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3008076 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:25:23 +0100 3008076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2992658&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fuu8R-UMQ78U%2F Today, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that he plans to move five prisoners from Guantanamo to New York for a civilian trial.  Holder says the prisoners masterminded the 9/11 attacks and will now face the death penalty.  Some journalists and commentators are calling this move a wholesale repudiation of the Bush policy.  Actually, no.  Holder also announced that five other Gitmo prisoners will soon be put on trial before a military commission.  Thus, the Bush framework essentially remains in place.  The Executive will decide on a case-by-case basis who will be held prisoner (overseas, Gitmo, here in the USA), and who will be tried in civilian court, and who will be tried before a military commission. By way of background, these prisoner controversies (habeas corpus, waterboar... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2992658 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:27:01 +0100 2992658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2981033&cid=t_172636_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F10%2Ffinding-skin-disease-pictures-on-the-web%2F Guest author: Eric Rumsey (@ericrumsey on Twitter) Librarian and Web Developer at University of Iowa Creater and Keeper of Hardin MD ——————————————————————————————- When looking for skin disease pictures on the Web, the first step is to search for the specific disease terms of interest in Google Image Search. You will likely find something, but don’t assume that it [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2981033 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:32:51 +0100 2981033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2967285&cid=t_172636_88_f&fid=35612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheknifeman.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fsupergroup-guitars.html Currently, mulling over Hendrix, Clapton, Mick Taylor and Chuck Berry...I think there are simply too many legendary guitar players out there.Mick Taylor on show from about 2:50 (Source: The KnifeMan) The KnifeMan blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2967285 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:42:00 +0100 2967285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2934659&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6e7y8qitCgw%2F This, finally, is too much: Eric Holder, Attorney General of the United States, walked up to former DC Councilman Kevin Chavous at an event and told him to pull an ad criticizing the administration for its opposition to the DC school voucher program. The Attorney General of the United States! This is as outrageous and shameful as it is consistent with other administration hostilities toward free speech (see also here) and freedom of the press. There is a deep revulsion to such behavior in this country. It is not a Republican or a Democratic revulsion, it is an American one. Obama administration officials seem not to understand that, but voters will help them get the message the next time they go to the polls. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2934659 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:29:16 +0100 2934659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2927289&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fv4NwTDrOfkc%2F This report from USA Today tells the story of several patients who were harassed and threatened by federal agents. Excerpt:  ”In August 2002, federal agents seized six plants from [Diane] Monson’s home and destroyed them.” This report from the San Francisco Chronicle tells the story of Bryan Epis and Ed Rosenthal.  Both men, in separate incidents, were raided, arrested, and prosecuted by federal officials.  The feds called them “drug dealers.”  When the cases came to trial, both men were eager to inform their juries about the actual circumstances surrounding their cases–but they were not allowed to convey those circumstances to jurors.  Federal prosecutors insisted that information concerning the medical aspect of marijuana was “irrele... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2927289 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:32:07 +0100 2927289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912164&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6G5ixTDG44M%2F That’s today’s Arena question over at Politico. My response: This morning, both Bret Stephens, in the Wall Street Journal, and Mona Charen, at Real Clear Politics, catalogue Obama’s silence on human rights — China, Tibet, Sudan, Iran, Burma, Honduras — and his backpedaling from his campaign rhetoric. Meanwhile, Eric Posner, at the Volokh Conspiracy, rightly credits Obama for, among other things, not backing the Goldstone Report and pressuring Spain to water down its undemocratic “universal jurisdiction” statute, even as he condemns the administration, again rightly, for its decision to join “the comically named U.N. Human Rights Council,” bastion of some of the world’s worst human rights abusers. What’s missing, it seems, is... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912164 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:46:44 +0100 2912164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2883060&cid=t_172636_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2F12%2F6-steps-to-quiet-the-mind%2F I was all set to interview Eric Swanson, coauthor (with Yongey Mingur Rinpoche) of “Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Find Freedom,” when I realized that my main question — Can you give me some concrete steps to quiet the mind? — was already addressed in his book! So he and Harmony Books graciously gave me permission to reprint parts of chapter seven on “Attention.” Here, then, is the step-by-step approach to mindfulness or meditation — the basic practices of quieting the mind — provided in “Joyful Wisdom”: Step One: Objectless Attention The most basic approach to attention is referred to as “objectless”–not focusing on any specific “scene” or aspect of experience, but just looking and marveling a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2883060 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:05:01 +0100 2883060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2858622&cid=t_172636_88_f&fid=35612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheknifeman.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Flight-relief.html LBF's in Wales, and I'm at work. The very definition of a modern relationship.I have some grim tales to share, but the talk of the Department this week is definitely the discovery in bay 10, of a very drunk woman attempting to relieve the chest pain of her, equally drunk, husband in an unusual way...More to follow but till then:And to think, some say he was the 3rd best guitarist in the Yardbirds (Source: The KnifeMan) The KnifeMan blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2858622 Sun, 04 Oct 2009 04:57:00 +0100 2858622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828186&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgT-ocop5HCg%2F Despite Barack Obama’s frequent paeans to the value of transparency during the presidential campaign, his Justice Department has incensed civil liberties advocates by parroting the Bush administration’s broad invocations of the “state secrets privilege” in an effort to torpedo lawsuits challenging controversial interrogation and surveillance policies. Though in many cases the underlying facts have already been widely reported, DOJ lawyers implausibly claimed, not merely that particular classified information should not be aired in open court, but that any discussion of the CIA’s “extraordinary rendition” of detainees to torture-friendly regimes, or of the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping, would imperil national security. That may—emphasis on m... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828186 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:51:30 +0100 2828186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2761970&cid=t_172636_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FY7farDYSsig%2F I think that too often only those unsatisfied EHR users get highlighted. This is probably true, because they’re the loudest. In fact, the reason I haven’t started an EHR vendor review site is because review sites tend to only be those that are really unsatisfied with the product or those who are asked to review by the vendor. The reality is that there’s the whole gamut of EHR satisfaction. On that note, I thought it worth highlighting a comment I received from Eric R. Ashby, MD, FACS talking about his implementation of the PatientNOW EMR that’s designed specifically for cosmetic surgery, reconstructive surgery and medical spas. I am quite happy with the software and the transition from paper to EMR, and we have just scratched the surface. Patients are so impressed ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2761970 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:26:42 +0100 2761970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2691574&cid=t_172636_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fgoogle-ceo-eyes-national-ehr-database Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, warned members at a Thursday meeting of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology that the Obama administration's health IT plan relies too heavily on outdated database technology. The current plan stifles innovation and encourages the use of proprietary, copyrighted databases that cannot easily duplicate or share information, according to Schmidt. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2691574 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:24:43 +0100 2691574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452380&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQqeN183F-9U%2F  The current Attorney General, Eric Holder, left DC’s Covington and Burling to return to the Justice Department, where he held a senior post during the Clinton years.  Holder’s mission is to supposedly ”rein in the free market excesses of the last eight years.”  Bush’s people are done with their own crackdown and are now returning to DC’s big law firms to warn their client business firms about the coming crackdown by Holder’s prosecutors.  This is sorta like the GOP legislators who are now trying to lodge complaints about Obama’s spending.  Despite the rhetoric, both sides aggrandize federal power and then enrich themselves (pdf) while advising businesspeople on how to comply with myriad regulations  from the alphabet agencies. F... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452380 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:38:51 +0100 2452380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416831&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fusing-twitter-to-help-get-a-heart%2F What do you do when someone you love is in need of a heart and healthcare red tape is getting in the way? Well, if you are former CNN reporter Veronica De La Cruz,  you use Twitter and other social media networks to get the word out. Veronica’s brother Eric is suffering from severe cardiomyopathy (a disease that enlarges the heart and makes it incapable of pumping blood effectively) and  desperately needs a heart transplant. But because he registered for Medicaid in a state (Nevada) that has no transplant center, authorities will not put him on a list for a heart transplant in another state. It’s bureaucratic red tape at it’s worst and highlights America’s flawed healthcare system. The irony of it all is if Eric was living in another state -one that had a transplant center - he w... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416831 Tue, 19 May 2009 07:42:15 +0100 2416831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2326699&cid=t_172636_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2FB_YXlFIKaTY%2F The past couple of months have been for me a time of great reflection and remembrance. This is all due to my impending and as-yet unnumbered high school class reunion, and the organizing thereof on Facebook. I can’t begin, for one thing, to believe that we all felt like we were the outsiders. Well, I can’t begin to do so, but I have done so nevertheless. I am the same person I was, but completely different. I don’t think that Aristotle, whom my father idealized, would have allowed a thing to be both itself and not-itself, but I always found him boring anyway (Aristotle, not Dad). Anyway, enjoy some music. Now playing on iTunes: Hideaway from the album “Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton (Remastered)” by Eric Clapton, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers Copyright... white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2326699 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:37:40 +0100 2326699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313779&cid=t_172636_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FL93Ol-eOOf8%2F Professional golf takes stamina and training to get to the top of the sport. While it might not be as rough and tumble as other sports, to be able to walk a good pace for several days running, to hit those balls far and with great accuracy, and to keep the mental fitness to stay on track - these are all part of being an athlete. So, what does a pro golfer do if he finds that he’s not quite so strong anymore, he can’t walk as far and he can’t hit the ball as hard - and he’s only 28 years old? This is what happened to Erik Compton, former University of Georgia and Nationwide Tour golfer. He’s not only a heart transplant recipient - he has had two heart transplants. Erik had his first heart transplant when he was 12 years old. He went on to become a pro golfer an... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313779 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:44:06 +0100 2313779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2294604&cid=t_172636_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdeepesthealth.com%2Fpodpress_trac%2Ffeed%2F583%2F0%2Ffugkfc.mp3 Hello everyone, I have big plans for the Deepest Health podcast.  I really enjoyed doing my clinical updates, but they proved a little too time intensive for my current workload.  In the future, I’ll be providing all kinds of information in audio format.  Despite this planned diversification, let it be known that I enjoy doing interviews more than I enjoy doing any other kind of podcast.  Perhaps it’s the nascent journalist within me? When I contacted Mark Silver, founder of the Heart of Business and Portland local, I was hoping to entice him to come and speak to students at NCNM.  I succeeded in that, with the additional bonus that he was kind enough to offer to do a podcast interview with me for Deepest Health!  Score!  After a few fits and starts, we managed to make o... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2294604 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:34:45 +0100 2294604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284346&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBxOoV0GA-nE%2F Sen. Chuck Grassley, who can always be counted on to stick the federal government’s nose where it doesn’t belong, is criticizing Attorney General Eric Holder’s teeny-tiny steps toward a less oppressive enforcement of drug prohibition. Holder said on Wednesday “that federal agents will target marijuana distributors only when they violate both federal and state law. This is a departure from policy under the Bush administration, which targeted dispensaries under federal law even if they complied with the state’s law allowing sales of medical marijuana.” Grassley says that marijuana is a “gateway” drug to the use of harder drugs and that Holder “is not doing health care reform any good.” As Tim Lynch and I wrote in the Cato Handbook f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284346 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:11:34 +0100 2284346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284355&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNoT-w7ex4VU%2F Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement that the federal government will end raids on medical marijuana distributors is terrific news. The Bush administration’s scorched-earth approach to the enforcement of federal marijuana laws was a grotesque misallocation of law enforcement resources. The U.S. government has a limited number of law enforcement personnel, and when a unit is assigned to conduct surveillance on a California hospice, that unit is necessarily neglecting leads in other cases that possibly involve more violent criminal elements. This shift in policy is also more mindful of the constitutional principle of federalism by allowing the states to try different policy approaches, and it is more respectful of the division of opinion within the medical community about ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284355 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:43:15 +0100 2284355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2259850&cid=t_172636_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdeepesthealth.com%2Fpodpress_trac%2Ffeed%2F583%2F0%2Fdeepesthealthpodcast13.mp3 Hello everyone, I have big plans for the Deepest Health podcast.  I really enjoyed doing my clinical updates, but they proved a little too time intensive for my current workload.  In the future, I’ll be providing all kinds of information in audio format.  Despite this planned diversification, let it be known that I enjoy doing interviews more than I enjoy doing any other kind of podcast.  Perhaps it’s the nascent journalist within me? When I contacted Mark Silver, founder of the Heart of Business and Portland local, I was hoping to entice him to come and speak to students at NCNM.  I succeeded in that, with the additional bonus that he was kind enough to offer to do a podcast interview with me for Deepest Health!  Score!  After a few fits and starts, we managed to make o... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2259850 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:27:28 +0100 2259850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2249701&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FzMIFdxay2UA%2F Attorney General Eric Holder said recently that in order to quell the violence spilling over from the drug war in Mexico he will push to reinstate the ban on “assault weapons” in the United States. But, says Legal Policy Analyst David Rittgers in today’s Cato Daily Podcast, a policy like that won’t do much to quell violence. The [drug] cartels have access to lots and lots of money because of our prohibitionist policies in the US. And because of this money they can get these weapons whether we have them legal or illegal…and they’ll have access to the black market to get fully automatic machine guns if they want them. … If you like the war on drugs, you’re going to love the war on guns. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2249701 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:59:56 +0100 2249701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2249705&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYME3h3x6VAQ%2F As I said earlier this week, Eric Holder’s push for an “assault weapons” ban is a misguided policy that will not have any serious impact on Mexican drug cartels.  It really ought to be called a “ban on semi-automatic firearms with politically incorrect cosmetic features,” but that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.  I am pleased to see that CNN is providing coverage of this that notes (1) the difference between semi-automatic sporting arms and machine guns and (2) that Mexican authorities are not releasing the serial numbers of firearms seized from the gangsters.  This is probably because many of these guns are coming from the Mexican government, not American gun stores.  The drug cartels are putting up billboards to recruit soldiers and policemen ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2249705 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:54:31 +0100 2249705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2234427&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLvSfP3wCOiw%2F Attorney General Eric Holder recently announced that the Obama administration will seek a new federal “assault weapons” ban.  This is an ill-advised policy that defies common sense. The ban would be a revival of a law passed in the early years of the Clinton administration that expired in 2004.  The law prohibited the sale of newly-manufactured magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition and having two of five cosmetic features on semi-automatic rifles.  If you had a pistol grip and a detachable magazine, you couldn’t have a bayonet lug.  More recent proposals have attempted to ban “barrel shrouds,” which the rest of the world calls “handguards” - the place you put your hand (instead of on a hot barrel) to prevent burning it while firi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2234427 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:27:29 +0100 2234427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2097760&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2009%2F01%2Feric-novack-has.html By Eric Novack 1. In California, where the SEIU is attempting to forcefully merge with the United Healthcare Workers, I can’t seem to find the focus on, you know, health care. “What it does is allows them to have the... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2097760 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2097760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2060524&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2008%2F12%2Fan-ehr-we-can-a.html By Eric Novack This is a modified post from one I wrote in Nov of 2007. I report this as a part owner of a small business whose costs are increasing every year while revenues are decreasing. Therefore, I present... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2060524 Tue, 23 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2060524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1798010&cid=t_172636_106_f&fid=34805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FAwfulPlasticSurgery%2F%7E3%2F394049702%2F 80s singer Eric Carmen was... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit MyWebsite.com for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Awful Plastic Surgery) Awful Plastic Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1798010 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:41:51 +0100 1798010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1794797&cid=t_172636_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F16%2Fthe-interior-situation-of-complex-human-feelings%2F Michael Craig Miller, M.D. has a helpful article, “Sad Brain, Happy Brain,” in this week’s Newsweek.  Here are some excerpts. * * * The brain is the mind is the brain. One hundred billion nerve cells, give or take, none of which individually has the capacity to feel or to reason, yet together generating consciousness. For about 400 years, following the ideas of French philosopher René Descartes, those who thought about its nature considered the mind related to the body, but separate from it. In this model—often called “dualism” or the mind-body problem—the mind was “immaterial,” not anchored in anything physical. Today neuroscientists are finding abundant evidence . . . that separating mind from brain makes no sense. Nobel Prize-winning psyc... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1794797 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:35:53 +0100 1794797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1728304&cid=t_172636_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2008%2F08%2F07%2Fdateline-our-town-1938%2F Jerry Orbach (left) in The Fantasticks (1960) New York City, 1960. That’s where I would go if I had a time machine. At the off-Broadway Sullivan Street Playhouse I would buy a ticket to see a young, charistmatic Jerry Orbach play El Gallo and, of course, sing “Try to Remember.” I’d go back again in 1943. The world is at war, but at the St. James Theatre, men are performing a ballet in cowboy boots. The play is Oklahoma! and it would make theater history, running a record 2,212 performances. Imagine seeing Agnes de Mille’s brilliant choreography in the context of 1943, before Oklahoma! had become canned corn. No matter who does the directing and acting, Oklahoma! can’t resonate today. It’s a joke. A beloved joke, but still a joke. In my time mac... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1728304 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:16:11 +0100 1728304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1728309&cid=t_172636_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2008%2F07%2F29%2Fmfa-pyramid-ponzi-or-paradise%2F Are Master of Fine Arts programs pyramids that enrich a few at the top and embitter those at the bottom?  Are they Ponzi schemes that ultimately collapse on themselves? Or are they heavens on earth for those who practice the secular religion of writing? This debate has been raging for decades. Years ago I read an article — I believe it was in Poets & Writers. (Edited to add: I think it’s this article, “Why Is American Fiction in Its Current Dismal State,” by Anis Shivani. Thank you conepuppet.) Open up any current leading journal, and the typical story starts off with these phrasal bits: “My mother…my father…I was in the sixth grade…my friend Ellie…in the backseat of my parents’ car…” The author’s point... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1728309 Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:20:46 +0100 1728309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1640481&cid=t_172636_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F340936244%2F As promised in my previous post (10 Brain Training Tips To Teach and Learn), here are some of the resources that inform my understanding of the brain: books, conferences, and websites. BOOKS There are a multitude of books about the brain. For educators, the best of these are books that demystify the language of neuroscience while providing information applicable to the teaching/learning process. Among the more prolific or well-known authors of this type include Jeb Schenck, Robert Sylwester, Barbara Givens, Robert Marzano, Marilee Sprenger, and Eric Jensen. I have found books by Sprenger and Jensen to be immensely helpful. Both write about the brain in understandable terms, provide practical suggestions, discuss sensible ideas, and include innumerable references to supportive research. Thr... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1640481 Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:43:03 +0100 1640481 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1625834&cid=t_172636_136_f&fid=36051&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FCancerCommentary%2F%7E3%2F336935569%2F Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau (age 24) has recently announced that he has testicular cancer but is delaying his testicular cancer surgery until after he’s done competing in Beijing. According to media reports, Shanteau noticed a testicular abnormality but didn’t see a doctor until his girlfriend urged him to do so. Shanteau got the testicular cancer diagnosis a week before the Olympic trials. Shanteau’s doctors recommended surgery as soon as possible but saw no signs that the cancer had spread. After weighing his options and risks — and his life’s work to get to the Olympics — Shanteau decided to delay treatment until after the Olympics. He’ll be closely monitored during the games and will drop out if there is any sign his cancer is spreading. What... Cancer Commentary blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1625834 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:00:31 +0100 1625834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1561298&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F324104221%2F Last week, the Senate Finance Committee targeted yet another academic for failing to fully disclose potential conflicts involving research funding provided by drugmakers and other financial holdings. The example, which singled out Stanford University’s Alan Schatzberg, is part of a larger investigation into academics who receive funding from both the NIH and pharma for possible violations of federal regulations. At issue are whether universities and NIH are adequately policing disclosures in an effort to maintain scientific integrity and objectivity. In response to the probe, the NIH disclosed it would tighten oversight, but the story is just beginning. Eric Campbell, an associate professor at the Institute for Health Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School,... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1561298 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:36:45 +0100 1561298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512091&cid=t_172636_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Fflapsblog.com%2F2008%2F06%2F12%2Fbarack-obama-watch-another-obama-vp-mistake-eric-holder%2F Former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder and Pardon Attorney Roger Adams testify on the pardon that former President Clinton gave to Marc Rich during a Senate Judiciary Hearing February 14, 2001 in Washington DC Now that James Johnson has resigned as a member of Barack Obama’s Vice President search committee, Flap wonders why a character like Eric Holder continues to serve in the same capacity? In a new book about Bill Clinton, Clinton in Exile by Chicago author Carol Felsenthal, Holder — then the No. 2 man in the Clinton Justice Department, with responsibility for pardons — was seen as “so ambitious to be attorney general in the expected Gore administration” that he “played ball” with a Gore confidant, Jack Quinn, who was Rich’s lawyer. Fe... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512091 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:13:46 +0100 1512091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1432936&cid=t_172636_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F09%2Finterview-of-eric-kandel%2F Here is a twenty-one minute interview of Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel, discussing memory, free will, the history of science, Freud, and his work with pharmaceutical companies among other things. This video comes from Science Blogs. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1432936 Fri, 09 May 2008 16:00:51 +0100 1432936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1422710&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2008%2F05%2Fmn-lawmakers-pa.html By Eric Novack Perhaps this should be applied to groceries, utility bills, clothing, and, of course, housing… Oh, wait, that is what the mortgage lending industry was doing for several years. (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1422710 Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1422710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1409769&cid=t_172636_132_f&fid=35011&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fmndoci%2F%7E3%2F280709573%2F A quick report on Day 2 of Bio-IT World. The day started with a keynote by Josh Boger, founder and CEO of Vertex. His talk spanned several real world examples and some food for thought. Highlights Vertex has made active use of a MedChem ELN, which has been extended to their entire MedChem community, including external partners. In his own words the goal was “enabling the virtual research organization” Metric of success was user adoption and there were some good analytics supporting uptake He spoke at length about the HCV program, where they have used extensive predictive modeling and simulation Clinical data has backed up their predictive modeling (they’re in Phase III now) They have avoided some experiments (carried out by competitors in one case) that their models sug... business|bytes|genes|molecules blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1409769 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:43:39 +0100 1409769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1397683&cid=t_172636_132_f&fid=35011&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fmndoci%2F%7E3%2F277364755%2F Last evening, I had a chance to attend an interesing panel discussion on The Personal Genome. The Symposium featured Eric Lander, George Church, Leena Peltonen and Bill Gates and was moderated by Maynard Olson. My take away from the discussion, which was fueled by questions submitted by the audience and via the web, was that there is so much uncertainty at this time. We know so much, yet so little. At some level, we do not understand the implications of what we know, ethical and medical, at the same time, we underestimate the ability of our own genetics to withstand changes. Perhaps one of the things that jumped out at me was the general popular bbelief (which is hardly surprising) that it is a gene or a few genes that can be altered or fixed to address a “problem”. We’r... business|bytes|genes|molecules blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1397683 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:36:19 +0100 1397683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1374042&cid=t_172636_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F270917874%2F Today HDNet™ is reshowing an episode of Dan Rather Reports called “Mind Science.” It is an excellent review of neuroplasticity. It includes interviews with several leading scientists in the field. I especially enjoyed seeing Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel talk about his work with memory. (I talked about Kandel’s work on the Brain Science Podcast in Episode 3 and Episode 12.) “Mind Science” also features the Dalai Llama and scientist Richard Davidson talking about the evidence that meditation can change the brain. Rather interviews Sharon Begely about her book Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves (which I discussed in detail in Episode 10 of the Brain Science Podcast). Other scientists fe... the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1374042 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:02:20 +0100 1374042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1373837&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F270681667%2F With little fanfare, a small number of prominent academic scientists have decided to stop accepting payments from drug and device makers for speaking at meetings or for sitting on advisory boards. And while they maintain that it’s important for for knowledgeable scientists to help companies draw up and interpret studies, any work they do will be pro bono, The New York Times writes. As an example, the paper cites Peter Libby, chief of cardiovascular medicine at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who began receiving offers from drugmakers 25 years ago. And it seemed like a natural reflection of his growing reputation. He never owned stock in companies that he consulted for and always disclosed his consulting and speaking. So he thought he was protected from accusations of favo... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1373837 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:35:22 +0100 1373837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1368061&cid=t_172636_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F268681727%2F Last December we launched  our stimulating Author Speaks Series to provide a platform for leading scientists and experts writing high-quality brain-related books to share their insights with SharpBrains readers. Participants so far include (in order of appearance):      Larry McCleary, M.D, former acting Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Denver Children's Hospital, and author of The Brain Trust Program: A Scientifically Based Three-Part Plan to Improve Memory (Perigee Trade, 2007) presents a thoughtful post on Brain Evolution and Health.  Joanne Jacobs, education blogger and author of Our School: The Inspiring Story of Two Teachers, One Big Idea, and the School That Beat the Odds, writes an excellent article on why The First Step Is Failure.  Daniel Goleman, author of ma... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1368061 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:47:04 +0100 1368061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1328953&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2008%2F03%2Fthcb-readers-wi.html Cancer patients covered only by Medicare face problems getting chemotherapy ... Massachusetts Health Plan underfunded (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1328953 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1328953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1325474&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F257784986%2F Since the moment Heparin became a household word, Baxter International has been vulnerable. With nearly 800 serious adverse events and 19 deaths attributed to its blood thinner, the healthcare company has what attorneys call exposure. Of course, this should not come as a surprise in this litigous world. Still, the contaminated ingredient was introduced in China, where a Baxter supplier co-owns a plant. How much liability, then, does Baxter really face? We spoke with Eric Turkewitz, a personal injury attorney in New York and blogger, who has previously dueled with drugmakers, although he says he does not presently have any Heparin cases. This is an excerpt… Pharmalot: So how much trouble is Baxter in? Turkewitz: Enough. Assuming the reports are true. Baxter sold a counterfeit drug, wh... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1325474 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:18:43 +0100 1325474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1313958&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2008%2F03%2Fa-different-rig.html Given Matthew's quite visceral response to some complaints that broad-based, government-encouraged (mandated, I suspect), electronic medical records I am interested in both his and THCB readers' thoughts on the Bangor Daily News editorial staff's approach to health care reform. They... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1313958 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1313958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1294838&cid=t_172636_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fskin-cancer-what-we-can-learn-from-greys-anatomy-star-eric-mcsteamy-dane%2F Skin cancer is far and away the most common type of cancer. Fortunately, the cure rate is so high that it makes skin cancer distinctly different from nearly all other forms of cancer - so distinct, in fact, that when you hear about cancer statistics like the most common types of cancer, they are not even considering or including skin cancer. Typically, we hear that lung, breast, prostate and colon cancers are the most common types, but you should be aware that this means “excluding skin cancer.” There are three types of skin cancer, each named for the type of skin cell from which it originates. The two most common types are called squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma, and the third is melanoma. Squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas together are often called non-melanoma skin cancer... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1294838 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:42:35 +0100 1294838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1289177&cid=t_172636_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F248130069%2F We have planned a number of fun posts, starting tomorrow, to celebrate Brain Awareness Week (March 10-16th). We hope you will enjoy them. Let me share a taste of a few articles you will find here during the week: - Dr. Adrian Preda, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UC Irvine School of Medicine, will help us exercise our brains by challenging us to exercise more...our bodies. - We will release our report The State of the Brain Fitness Software Market 2008 on Tuesday March 11th, sharing its 10 Highlights. This is a project where we have spent many many energies over the last 9 months...so we are happy to finally be able to deliver it! - An article by UCSF's Gregory Kellet (who wrote this great article on why managing stress is important for our brains) helping us identify ways to precise... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1289177 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 03:16:11 +0100 1289177 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1283405&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fdestroying-oxford-and-cambridge.html They can afford University feesThree weeks ago, Wat Tyler got himself into hot water by pointing out the number of immigrants coming in to this country over the last ten years and observing that certain groups of those immigrants have more children than others. Dr Crippen is going to take a similar hot bath having read the latest bit of Marxist-Leninist crap emanating from the government.Oxbridge cash is cut over failure to widen accessAlexandra Frean and David ThorleyThe Universities of Oxford and Cambridge will see a drop in government funding next year for failing to attract students from working class backgrounds. Cambridge’s grant will fall by 39 per cent from £608,355 to £371,445, while Oxford’s will fall by 37 per cent from £671,846 to £425,733.Last year 56 per cent of stu... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1283405 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:33:00 +0100 1283405 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1283448&cid=t_172636_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F03%2F06%2Feric-schmidt-at-himss-on-google-health%2F Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google, gave the keynote speech at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference in Orlando, on February 28, 2008. The topic? Google’s health initiative called Google Health. In talking about this initiative, he builds the case for Google’s entry into the personal health record (PHR) space. He describes the dozens of different things people do everyday to improve their own health, from Googling health symptoms, to joining an online support group. At approximately 10:20 into the video, he mentions the great support groups we have at Psych Central! Wow, I never thought we’d make it into an Eric Schmidt keynote speech…! The whole speech is about 50 minutes long and if you’re interested in this top... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1283448 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:25:27 +0100 1283448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1281236&cid=t_172636_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F246351191%2F A few updates and announcements: - 1) My apologies for slow blogging, due to travel. I participated yesterday in a fun panel discussion at ETech on Use Your Head- The Future of Mind Hacks. You can read some take-aways (in Italian, so this may be good brain exercise) here. - 2) We will release our report The State of the Brain Fitness Software Market 2008 next Monday, to coincide with Brain Awareness Week. Make sure to visit our blog next Monday if you want to learn more. - 3) The National Museum of Health and Medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center is planning some great activities during Brain Awareness Week (Thank you, Tim). Learn more about their "Partners in Education" activities for students in the Washington DC area. - 4) The Dana Foundation has released a great researc... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1281236 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:50:00 +0100 1281236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1268300&cid=t_172636_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emrandhipaa.com%2Femr-and-hipaa%2F2008%2F02%2F28%2Fgoogle-health-announced-kind-of%2F Well, my prediction that Eric Schmidt would announce Google Health at the HIMSS08 conference were pretty close. From what I’ve read so far, that’s all he really talked about. I’m still waiting to see my contact that was able to attend HIMSS to see his thoughts on what was said. Sounds like he mostly reiterated what we already knew. A few interesting points: -Google Health will not contain ads (although I bet that won’t stop them from using the information to target the ads it shows you other places) -Eric Schmidt repeatedly said no data would be shared without the consumer’s consent (unless of course some hacker finds a way around Google’s security measures) -1,370 volunteers at the Cleveland Clinic are beta testing the application -Portability is the ke... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1268300 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:33:28 +0100 1268300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1239158&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2008%2F02%2Fwhere-will-all.html A quick question: With calls for a substantial increase in government involvement in health care by so many—and, among the major justifications is the claim of high administrative overhead in the private sector relative to government—what do the proposals plan... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1239158 Mon, 18 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1239158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1213371&cid=t_172636_136_f&fid=36051&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FCancerCommentary%2F%7E3%2F230826612%2F Grey’s Anatomy’s Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan, Eric Dane himself has his own real life story to tell about a scary brush with skin cancer. Dane opens up to OK! Magazine about his battle with skin cancer: The actor first noticed a problem while looking in the mirror, at what he first thought were chapped lips. “I went to my dermatologist. He said it was malignant tissue caused by sun damage,” Dane told OK! magazine. He underwent a treatment procedure that uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the cancer tissue. He was then given a cream for his lips to use following the treatment, to which he had a severe reaction. “My skin is very sensitive and my lip was traumatized by the procedure I had to go through,” said Dane. The actor’s lip complications from the cream m... Cancer Commentary blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1213371 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:02:01 +0100 1213371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1196582&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2008%2F02%2Fhealth-care-tha.html We haven't heard from our favorite orthopedic surgeon in a while but Eric Novack is back to change the world...or at least express his annoyance at some people in it! I suspect that we'll be hearing lots of arguments like... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1196582 Sat, 02 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1196582 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1196581&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2008%2F02%2Fbill-would-make.html Really. From USA Today: Three legislators want to make it illegal for restaurants to serve obese customers in Mississippi. House Bill No. 282, which was introduced this month, says: Any food establishment to which this section applies shall not be... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1196581 Sat, 02 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1196581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1170699&cid=t_172636_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F221136346%2F Starting this week, you will start seeing a growing number of Expert Contributors writing in our blog and website, so that we can collectively discuss the latest research and trends on cognitive and emotional training, brain fitness and health, and the implications of brain research in general for our everyday lives. All of it, spiced up by stimulating brain teasers. So, if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter (above) and our RSS feed (on the right). Let me introduce, In alphabetical order, the Expert Contributors who will share their knowledge with us in January and February. - Wes Carroll, SB in Computer Science and Engineering from MIT, and Puzzle Master for Ask a Scientist lecture series. - Simon Evans, PhD., and Paul Burghardt, PhD., who collaborate in the ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1170699 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:12:37 +0100 1170699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1159684&cid=t_172636_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F218530685%2F As you may have noticed, we just changed a few things in our site, including preparing a more solid Resources section. Please take a look at the navigation bar at the top. One of the new pages, that we will update often, is an expanded Books page. Here are the books that we are recommending now. Fascinating books on neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to rewire itself through experience): Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves - by Sharon Begley.   The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science - by Norman Doidge.   Great popular science books by our Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Advisor: The Executive Brain: Frontal Lobes and the Civilized Mind - by Elkhono... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1159684 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:26:09 +0100 1159684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1133913&cid=t_172636_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F212737757%2F Exposure to thimerosal, a preservative that contains ethylmercury, during childhood is not a primary cause of autism. This is the conclusion of a study published in the January Archives of General Psychiatry (Vol. 65, no. 1) by Robert Schechter, MD, MSc, Immunization Branch and California Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Research and Epidemiology, and Judith K. Grether, PhD, Environmental Health Investigations Branch, of the California Department of Public Health, Richmond. Schechter’s and Grether’s article is entitled Continuing Increases in Autism Reported to California’s Developmental Services System: Mercury in Retrograde. By studying time trends in the (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1133913 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:01:02 +0100 1133913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1067902&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F194624375%2F A new national survey finds that US docs believe that incompetence and mistakes among their peers should be reported. But when confronting these problems, nearly one-half fail to do so, according to the study, which is published in Dec. 4 issue of The Annals of Internal Medicine. Of more than 1,600 docs, 45 percent with direct knowledge of impaired or incompetent colleagues in their practice didn’t always report them, and 46 percent who knew of a serious medical error didn’t report it to authorities at least once, according to The Institute on Medicine as a Profession’s Survey on Medical Professionalism. (IMAP, which is affiliated with Columbia University and promotes medical professionalism, supported the research). “There is a measurable disconnect between what physic... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1067902 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:08:41 +0100 1067902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1030970&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2007%2F11%2Fdevice-makers-s.html I am frankly a bit surprised at the lack of comment at THCB on the recent orthopedic device manufacturers’ settlement with the government for concerns about illegal payments to physicians. I would have expected Matthew or Maggie, at least, to... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1030970 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1030970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1015092&cid=t_172636_158_f&fid=36018&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaregiversbeacon.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fcandles-of-care-for-alzheimers.html The Alzheimer's Foundation of America sponsors the National Commemorative Candle Lighting that will be held today. People will be united with inspirational thoughts, hopes for a cure, prayers, and memories of loved ones whose lives have been affected by Alzheimer's.Our local site for the ceremony is The Central Coast Seniors Center, Oceano, California. During the lighting of candles we are going to join hands and think of the Candles of Care being lit everywhere for Alzheimer's. Our thoughts, words and prayers will be with all those whose lives have been touched by Alzheimer’s or related illnesses, and we will join together with our hopes for a cure.Locally we will also have a Candle of Care for Alzheimer's burning at an Expo for Seniors that is being held today, and there will be a gath... The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1015092 Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:14:00 +0100 1015092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=948072&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F169366983%2F A federal judge refused to grant the agency’s request to delay turning Vioxx documents that were requested by a lawyer who reps about 300 people, who claim they were harmed by Merck’s withdrawn painkiller, according to The Injury Board blog. In a ruling yesterday, US District Court Judge Faith Hochberg decided to appoint a mediator to create a process for deciding which documents can be turned over to Eric Weinberg. Last April, he filed a lawsuit against the FDA after the agency failed to provide documents or offered incomplete files in response to 11 Freedom of Information requests he made between October 2004 and August 2006. Weinberg, who accused the FDA of unreasonable delays, is seeking Vioxx media ads, the personal calender and other info from former FDA chief counsel Dan... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=948072 Sat, 13 Oct 2007 12:34:39 +0100 948072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=894332&cid=t_172636_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F160594879%2F The FDA is pleading for more time to produce documents requested by a lawyer for use in hundreds of Vioxx lawsuits. Eric Weinberg last April filed a lawsuit against the FDA after the agency failed to provide documents or offered incomplete files in response to 11 Freedom of Information requests he made between October 2004 and August 2006, Health Law 360 reports (subscription required). Weinberg, who accused the FDA of unreasonable delays, is seeking Vioxx media ads, the personal calender and other info from former FDA chief counsel Dan Troy, and communications between the agency and Merck. As the newsletter notes, the FDA is supposed to respond to FOIA requests within 20 days, but there are exceptions. The FDA, typically, cites an extraordinary volume of requests, some of which are more c... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=894332 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:52:58 +0100 894332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=835577&cid=t_172636_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F150559400%2Fdemocratize_innovation_and_rew.html Look closer at most workplace policies and you’ll see huge improvement needs. Or pick up most tools you use ... and you’ll find an entrepreneur asking …”How could this be improved? It doesn’t need to be that way, and a new movement is already afoot. It’s called user centered innovation … and it could create a major shift for managers and policymakers who adapt more creations to fit your best work into an Internet era. It changes how we look at change!  According to Eric von Hippel, Head of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Group at the MIT, innovation is rapidly becoming democratized. Think of the advantages where you work…. The process of user-centered innovation can benefit both users and manufacturers. Its emergence will bri... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=835577 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:45:08 +0100 835577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=785799&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2007%2F08%2Fpolicy-market-f.html A tiny step, but what if more of healthcare was freed from excessive regulation? Of course, this is being done purely because the Medicare Part D program is driving small pharmacies out of existence …... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=785799 Tue, 07 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 785799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=742504&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2007%2F07%2Findustry-medica.html For those who remember the endless headlines of 50% of All Bankruptcies Due to Medical Debt, and particularly for those who have based many calls for national, single-payer health care, on that paper by Single-payer zealot David Himmelstein, here is... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=742504 Wed, 18 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 742504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=628565&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2007%2F05%2Fpolicy_eric_nov.html Here is a fundamental problem with the debate that Matthew is having with Amy Ridenour and David Hogberg: Matthew (and single payer advocates generally) focuses his attacks on the general ‘injustice’ that might exist in the healthcare system. In the... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=628565 Mon, 21 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 628565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=612149&cid=t_172636_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fusual-hiring-practices.html Another phony crony is revealed;The former head of the federal agency overseeing family planning programs misled the public about his qualifications and background, a RAW STORY investigation has found. Appointed by President George W. Bush in late 2006 as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Eric J. Keroack resigned unexpectedly in March of this year after Massachusetts officials launched a formal investigation into allegations of Medicaid fraud during his tenure in private practice. The Raw Story | Heckuva job? Bush Administration vaunted bogus credentials for birth control czar, records showAnother HHS spokesperson, Rebecca Ayer, said that HHS had never had an official biography for Dr. Keroack, but provided assurances ... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=612149 Wed, 16 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 612149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=610517&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2007%2F05%2Fpolicy.html Proponents of Sheila Kuehl’s ‘Single Payer’ health plan for California like to lead with the argument that ‘Everybody in, nobody out’ is a good thing. Of course, many of the same interest groups (ie. powerful lobbying organizations in California) are... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=610517 Fri, 11 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 610517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=610516&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2007%2F05%2Fpolicy_debating.html The many commenters and contributors to THCB who have been touting the VA as the pinnacle of US health care—and basing their conclusion that what we need is not ‘Medicare for All’, but rather ‘VA Care for All’—have some explaining... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=610516 Fri, 11 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 610516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=513210&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2007%2F03%2Fpolicy_is_healt.html Food for thought for the weekend… and beyond. Should the immoral in the rest of the business world be trumped by the needs of some people? Would it be ethical for an employer to require overtime and not pay employees... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=513210 Sat, 31 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 513210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=503376&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2007%2F03%2Fpolicy_massachu_1.html I must admit when I am wrong.My repeated claims that the Massachusetts Health Plan would be on life support—with a likely ‘pulling of the plug’—by early 2008 have been proven wrong.It has happened already.... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=503376 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 503376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=438925&cid=t_172636_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2007%2F02%2Fpolicy_underfun.html Governors from around the country are in Washington D.C.this week for the annual meeting of the National Governors Association. One of the main bones of contention at this years' meetings has been the expansion of federal funding for state SCHIP... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=438925 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100 438925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=552288&cid=t_172636_140_f&fid=35465&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychlaws.blogspot.com%2F2006%2F04%2Fwrapup-on-supreme-court-case.html SCOTUS blog on the arguments in today’s insanity defense case Clark v. Arizona …More: NPR story TAC’s brief to the Court AP story on the Clark caseThe Treatment Advocacy Center (www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org) is a national nonprofit dedicated to eliminating barriers to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental illnesses. TAC promotes laws, policies, and practices for the delivery of psychiatric care and supports the development of innovative treatments for and research into the causes of severe and persistent psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. (Source: Treatment Advocacy Center) Treatment Advocacy Center blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=552288 Wed, 19 Apr 2006 20:34:00 +0100 552288