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 'europe'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:48:26 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181769&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FO8JYkfthuh4%2F By Steve H. HankeOn August 29th, I penned “Lagarde Confused, Again.” In it, I argued that Christine Lagarde, the new managing director of the International Monetary Fund, misdiagnosed Europe’s banking crisis. Ms. Lagarde’s assertion that Europe’s banks “need urgent recapitalization” is based on faulty economics. While the higher capital-asset ratios that Ms. Lagarde extols are intended to strengthen banks (and economies), higher ratios destroy money and are “deflationary.” This is not what a struggling Europe needs. Indeed, higher capital-asset ratios imposed on Europe’s banks at this juncture would virtually ensure that Euroland would take another dive. In consequence, some of the banks that were made “safer” by Ms. L... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181769 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:45:32 +0100 5181769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158999&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fare-patients-considering-the-idea-of-medical-tourism-to-receive-health-care%2F2011.08.24 I must confess that I have a weakness for medical tourism. Patients have always been ready to go on a pilgrimage to find the world’s leading expert (we call it ‘key opinon leader’ now) hoping to find a cure. As long as traditional leaders in the field of Medicine have been the Germans, the French and the English -with some occasional Austrian and Spanish name in the mix- traffic of wealthy patients across Europe is nothing new. Since we entered the antibiotics era, these leaders started to be located mainly in the United States, the cradle of modern, technology-driven Medicine. Thus hi-tech centers got ready to welcome foreign patients, building strong International Customer Support departments. A random example -by no means the only one- would be the Mayo Clinic. On their website y... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158999 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:00:07 +0100 5158999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069441&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-ptqhNzL54Q%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI testified before the House Ways & Means Committee yesterday. As always, my trip inside the belly of the beast was an interesting adventure. The tax-writing committee was holding a hearing on the value-added tax. I was on a panel with five other witnesses, and all of the other people testifying were sympathetic to a VAT. But since I had truth on my side, that made it a fair fight (though it did cross my mind that it’s not a good sign when a Republican-controlled committee stacks the witnesses in favor of a European-style tax system). I made two points. First, a VAT is less destructive than the current income tax. As such, if we somehow repealed the 16th Amendment and replaced it with something ironclad that would prevent the income tax from ever again haunti... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069441 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:35:13 +0100 5069441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069445&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0-ABiphPEf0%2F By Gene HealyMy Washington Examiner column this week looks at the rush to score partisan points over the horrific slaughter in Norway last Friday. In it, I argue that blaming Al Gore for the Unabomber, Sarah Palin for Jared Loughner, or Bruce Bawer for Anders Breivik makes about as much sense as blaming Martin Scorcese and Jodie Foster for the actions of John Hinckley. In general, “invoking the ideological meanderings of psychopaths is a stalking horse for narrowing permissible dissent.” And right on cue, here’s today’s New York Times editorial on Breivik, decrying “inflammatory political rhetoric” about Muslim immigration in Europe: Individuals are responsible for their actions. But they are influenced by public debate and the extent to which that debat... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069445 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:01:43 +0100 5069445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062244&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsome-young-europeans-are-starting-to-eat-like-americans%2F2011.07.24 For years I have touted the health benefits of the “Mediterranean Diet” and encouraged patients to eat like the Europeans.   Fresh farm vegetables, olive oil, fish and red wine have been linked with longevity and good health.  I just read in NPR news that young Italians are forgoing the eating patterns of their elders and are imitating the “U.S. diet”.  The result is soaring obesity, just like in the United States. According the the article, young Italians ages 6-12 are sitting in front of the TV and are eating fast foods and soda.  In just three generations, the eating habits and activity of kids has changed from their healthy grandparents.  Italian health officials say obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. Part of the diet changes are a result of (more&#... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062244 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 21:00:00 +0100 5062244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050914&cid=t_96100_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FO712DJOvAhQ%2F Very interesting new data reinforcing two main themes we have been analyzing for a while: 1) We better start paying serious attention (and R&D dollars) to lifestyle-based and non-invasive cognitive and emotional health interventions, which are mostly ignored in favor of invasive, drug-based options 2) Interventions will need to be personalized. The study below analyzes data at the country level, but the same logic applies to the individual level Many fear Alzheimer’s, want to be tested: survey (Reuters): - “The telephone survey of 2,678 adults aged 18 and older in the United States, France, Germany, Spain and Poland was conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Alzheimer Europe, with funding by Bayer AG” - “When asked to identify the most feared disea... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050914 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:26:15 +0100 5050914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050501&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F20%2Fwere-only-human-behavioral-economics-and-british-policy-part-2%2F Editor’s Note: This is the second part of a two-part post discussing behavioral economics and how it is being used by British policymakers. Part 1 focused mostly on the development and general principles of behavioral economics. Part 2 below discusses some of the ways British policymakers are seeking to use insights from behavioral economics. Behavioural [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050501 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:22:24 +0100 5050501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050504&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2F19%2Fwere-only-human-behavioral-economics-and-british-policy-part-1%2F Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part post discussing behavioral economics and how it is being used by British policymakers. Part 1 below focuses mostly on the development and general principles of behavioral economics. Part 2, which discusses some of the ways British policymakers are seeking to use insights from behavioral economics, will [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050504 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:14:26 +0100 5050504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008135&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FE2fY8CBciNM%2F By Daniel J. MitchellIt’s hard to imagine how we would get through life without necessities like bacon and duct tape. But have you ever thought about how the free market gives you so much for so little? Here’s a video that should be mandatory viewing in Washington. Too bad politicians didn’t watch it before imposing government-run health care. And since we’re contemplating the big-picture issue of whether markets are better than statism, here’s some very sobering polling data from EurActiv: A recent survey has found deep pessimism among European Commission staff on a wide range of issues, including the course of European integration over the past decade and the likelihood of success of the EU’s strategy for economic growth. Some 63% partially or totally agreed that “the Euro... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008135 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:05:32 +0100 5008135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008155&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZM20phiwWic%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI’m not a big fan of the rating agencies. I’ve warned in TV interviews that they generally wait too long before downgrading profligate governments. So when the rating agencies finally catch up to everyone else and lower their outlook for failing welfare states such as Greece and Portugal, one would think that this would be seen as a useful – albeit late – warning sign. But European politicians are not very happy about this development. At the risk of mixing metaphors, they want everyone to keep their heads buried in the sand and to continue complimenting the emperor on his new clothes. Here are some excerpts from a BBC report. The European Commission has strongly criticised international credit ratings agencies following the downgrade of Portugal by Moody�... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008155 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:29:15 +0100 5008155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953363&cid=t_96100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FFwKeDNIjZs4%2F Top of the morning to you. A shiny day is unfolding here on the Pharmalot corporate campus, where we are hustling assorted short people off to their last moments at the local school houses. This is cause for celebration. So please join us for a cup or two of stimulation. And we hope you will check out our 2 pm EDT webinar today on Social Media. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits from around the big, old world. Have a great day… European Union Approves Lilly Bydureon Diabetes Drug (Associated Press) Dentsply In Talks To Buy AstraZeneca Unit (Reuters) EMA Proposes Waiving Inspections Of US Plants Sometimes (InPharma Technologist) Calpers Taps CVS/Caremark To Manage Benefits (San Francisco Business Times) Abbott Hit By $4M Diagnostic Theft In Kentucky (Securing Pharma) Roche And Curis Ski... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953363 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:04:52 +0100 4953363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934302&cid=t_96100_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fsharing-on-the-global-scale.html There are obvious differences in quality of life in terms of food availability, access to fresh water, disease prevalence and medicine across many parts of the world. Until recently, the notion of the Third World had a far greater poignancy than the politically correct term “developing world”. While labelling the poorer nations as somehow separate from the West (the First World) and the old communist bloc (Second World) may have somehow eased the consciences of some, the term developing belies the true nature of life across the globe for billions of people. For those of us in Europe, the potential for surplus food production (cucumbers and bean sprouts aside), compared with current production and trade volumes as well as our well-off society ‘s desire to use land for non-... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934302 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:00:21 +0100 4934302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893416&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fq1zQ76_4GJo%2F By David BoazA study on anti-Semitism in Germany offers the disturbing finding that “communities that murdered their Jewish populations during the 14th-century Black Death pogroms were more likely to demonstrate a violent hatred of Jews nearly 600 years later,” during the Nazi era. But cities with more of an outward orientation—in particular, cities that were a part of the Hanseatic League of Northern Europe, which brought outside influence via commerce and trade—showed almost no correlation between medieval and modern pogroms. The same was true for cities with high rates of population growth—with sufficient in-migration, the newcomers may have changed the attitudes of the local culture. Free trade helps lead to peace, prosperity, and the erosion of prejudice. Sweet Com... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893416 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:47:24 +0100 4893416 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862516&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOPScn72xeE0%2F By Daniel J. MitchellOne of the biggest threats against global prosperity is the anti-tax competition project of a Paris-based international bureaucracy known as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The OECD, acting at the behest of the European welfare states that dominate its membership, wants the power to tell nations (including the United States!) what is acceptable tax policy. I’ve previously explained why the OECD is a problematic institution – especially since American taxpayers are forced to squander about $100 million per year to support the parasitic bureaucracy. For all intents and purposes, high-tax nations want to create a global tax cartel, sort of an “OPEC for politicians.” This issue is increasingly important since politicians f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862516 Tue, 24 May 2011 13:06:06 +0100 4862516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852844&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTwPlOqQeK_0%2F By Doug BandowIn the midst of difficult domestic political battles, Barack Obama begins a lengthy European trip today.  He should encourage the continent to increase its defense capabilities and take on greater regional security responsibilities. Presidential visits typically result in little of substance.  President Obama’s latest trip will be no different if he reinforces the status quo.  His policy mantra once was “change.”  No where is “change” more necessary than in America’s foreign policy, especially towards Europe. Despite obvious differences spanning the Atlantic, the U.S. and European relationship remains extraordinarily important.  The administration should press for increased economic integration, with lower trade barriers and streamlined regulations to encoura... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852844 Mon, 23 May 2011 14:10:00 +0100 4852844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605809&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCMScOf5gXHM%2F By Tad DeHavenThe U.S. Postal Service is in financial trouble. Undermined by advances in electronic communication, weighed down by excessive labor costs and operationally straitjacketed by Congress, the government’s mail monopoly is running on fumes and faces large unfunded liabilities. Socialism apparently has its limits. While the Europeans continue to shift away from government-run postal monopolies toward market liberalization, policymakers in the United States still have their heads stuck in the twentieth century. That means looking for an easy way out, which in Washington usually means a bailout. Self-interested parties – including the postal unions, mailers, and postal management – have coalesced around the notion that the U.S. Treasury owes the USPS somewhere around $50-$75 b... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605809 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:48:34 +0100 4605809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532196&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F7OFg_GMW4ik%2F By Daniel J. MitchellSooner or later, there will be a giant battle in Washington over the value-added tax. The people who want bigger government (and the people who are willing to surrender to big government) understand that a new source of tax revenue is needed to turn the United States into a European-style social welfare state. But that's exactly why the VAT is a terrible idea. I explain why in a column for Reuters. The entire thing is worth reading, but here's an excerpt of some key points. Many Washington insiders are claiming that America needs a value-added tax (VAT) to get rid of red ink. ...And President Obama says that a VAT is “something that has worked for other countries.” Every single one of these assertions is demonstrably false. ...One of the many problems with a VAT is... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532196 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:49:20 +0100 4532196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532572&cid=t_96100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FJhdgNC8Xh6E%2F The European Medicines Agency is being criticized for not objecting to a pharma industry consulting gig taken by its former executive director, Thomas Lonngren, who left at the end of the December. However, he only told the EMA board of his intention to pursue consulting in a December 28 letter - and his new consulting job was to begin on January 1. Instead of asking questions, the EMA chair, Pat O’Mahony, responded that the agency had no objections to Lonngren’s new position, according to consumer advocacy groups, which wrote a letter to the EMA to complain about its decision (here are the letters between Lonngren and O’Mahony, although the Lonngren letter is misdated). The groups charge in their own letter that the EMA board did not request details from Lönngren about his cons... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532572 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:43:18 +0100 4532572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489643&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fn2z-AbtOIDs%2F By Daniel J. MitchellForget the Magna Carta and the Constitution. Don't pay attention to the end of slavery. Ignore the defeat of the Nazis or the collapse of the Soviet Empire. If you want a real victory for humanity, European courts have ruled that people have the right to free soccer games on TV. Apparently, people are now "entitled" to anything that is "of major importance" to society. Isn't that just peachy? Europe is slowly collapsing under the weight of the welfare state. Nations such as Greece and Portugal already have reached the point of fiscal collapse. But rather than address these problems, the political elites at the European institutions have decided on a modern-day version of bread and circuses for the masses. Here's a blurb from the Financial Times. European countries are ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489643 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:52:05 +0100 4489643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436733&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_IBCGNIDkJU%2F By Christopher PrebleA just-released Rasmussen survey finds that nearly half of all American voters would withdraw troops from Europe and Japan, but fewer than one in three favor leaving U.S. forces on the Korean peninsula. This portion of the survey is attracting most of the attention, but the survey as a whole reveals some modest public support for a strategy of restraint, one in which the U.S. military focuses primarily on defending U.S. security and core interests, and calls on other countries to play a larger role in their own defense. For example, when asked "Should the U.S. military strategy be to focus narrowly on defending the United States and U.S. interests, or should the U.S. military strategy seek to maintain worldwide stability and peace?" a solid majority of likely voter... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436733 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:31:17 +0100 4436733 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265696&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FX5Wl5PN0vJM%2F By Daniel J. MitchellSometimes it’s not a good idea to be at the top of a list. And now that Japan has announced a five-percentage point reduction in its corporate tax rate, the United States will have the dubious honor of imposing the developed world’s highest corporate tax rate. Here’s an excerpt from the report in the New York Times. Japan will cut its corporate income tax rate by 5 percentage points in a bid to shore up its sluggish economy, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said here Monday evening. Companies have urged the government to lower the country’s effective corporate tax rate — which now stands at 40 percent, around the same rate as that in the United States — to stimulate investment in Japan and to encourage businesses to create more jobs. Lowering the corpor... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265696 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:26:48 +0100 4265696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225222&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fi2k8vsZwsD0%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe fiscal disintegration of Europe is bad news, though I confess to a bit of malicious glee every time I read about welfare states such as Greece and Portugal getting to the point where they no longer have the ability to borrow enough money to finance their bloated public sectors (I have mixed feelings about Ireland since that nation at least has been a good example of low tax corporate tax rates, but I still think they should get punished for over-spending and bailouts). This I-told-you-so attitude is not very mature on my part, but one hopes that American politicians will learn the right lessons and something good will come from this mess. I have not written much about the topic in recent months, in part because I don’t have much to add to my original post a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225222 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:51:28 +0100 4225222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151732&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2F10%2Fare-u-s-health-reform-values-from-mars-and-global-values-from-venus%2F Editor’s Note: This week, senior health policy experts and emerging health care leaders from around the world have gathered in Salzburg, Austria, to discuss how different health care systems are seeking to control costs and improve care. Health Affairs Deputy Editor Parmeeth Atwal is attending the conference as a Knight Fellow and will provide periodic blog posts on the proceedings. [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151732 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:31:42 +0100 4151732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4077230&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4hxWmZF24Rk%2F By Ian VasquezPresident Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic has just given an important speech in Prague on Central and Eastern Europe and on the IMF. Among other lessons of the global financial crisis he points to the growing menace of the IMF: I consider the IMF a barbaric relic from the Keynesian and fixed-exchange rate era. I know it is a harsh verdict but Keynes himself repeatedly used similar strong statements about his colleagues which justifies my using such a terminology.   I am convinced the IMF should be dismantled or radically restructured as soon as possible. To do the opposite, to increase its role as it happened as a result of the last year’s G20 decision in the middle of the panic connected with the then looming crisis or to speculate about creating similar institutions ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4077230 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:19:05 +0100 4077230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040539&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F10%2F07%2Fhealth-spending-and-survival-rates-how-does-america-compare%2F It is widely known that Americans spend more on health care per capita than many wealthier nations. It is also known that fewer of us are living as long as our international counterparts.  A recent study, authored by Peter Muennig and Sherry Glied and funded by the Commonwealth Fund, shines a new light on this situation.  [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040539 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:48:26 +0100 4040539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3890501&cid=t_96100_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F21%2Fethical-best-practice-in-an-evidence-based-age%2F There were 2 presentations at this year’s annual American Psychological Association convention, which were important to psychotherapists in particular. With the ever-growing challenge to prove efficacy of each and every treatment, healthcare providers and consumers alike face some confusion as to how much information is enough, or too much. Does every therapists need to give a long presentation about the relative proven efficacy of low-dose medication combined with verbal therapy — and 2 hours gardening per week? (I made up the last part, but hiking and fresh air were a popular cure for quite a long time in 19th Century Europe.) Physicians are acutely aware of the need to know the research, and most ethical codes demand informed consent. Both health and mental health professionals ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3890501 Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:20:35 +0100 3890501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3880848&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fp5bmoVU2B2s%2F China is now officially the world’s second largest economy, overtaking Japan in the quarter that ended in June and likely for all of 2010. While the story has been widely reported (more than 1,500 articles on Google News this morning), it is less significant than it first appears. The news will probably ruffle the feathers of the China hawks, who will see in it a threat to America’s influence in the world, but China’s rise to no. 2 is really another sign of the world returning to normal. China is home, after all, to one-fifth of mankind. Its population of 1,330 million is more than 10 times that of Japan (127 million) and more than four times that of the United States (310 million), according to the CIA Factbook. So even though China’s gross domestic product is now larger than Japa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880848 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:24:11 +0100 3880848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3865232&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2F13%2Fhealth-affairs-interview-understanding-the-swiss-health-system%2F Switzerland has been “rediscovered” as a source of inspiration for the American health care system – which is somewhat ironic, since, as former Swiss health minister Thomas Zeltner tells Tsung-Mei Cheng in an August 2010 Health Affairs interview, Switzerland’s model of “managed competition” among private health insurance plans is rooted in the work of longtime Health Affairs contributor Allan [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3865232 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:13:51 +0100 3865232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858121&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2F11%2Fspain-world-cup-champs-and-a-health-care-success-story%2F The August issue of Health Affairs is titled “Lessons From Around The World.” One of the countries examined is Spain. In her editor’s note, Health Affairs Editor-in-Chief Susan Dentzer writes that Spain emerged from the Franco dictatorship in 1975 socially and economically behind much of the rest of Europe. But the demise of the old [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858121 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:46:13 +0100 3858121 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3854207&cid=t_96100_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fsleep-apnea-in-europe.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3854207 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:09:00 +0100 3854207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746720&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyCGmWkRbIYY%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI like poking fun at French politicians for being hopeless statists, and I always assumed that French voters shared their collectivist sympathies. But according to new polling data reported by the Financial Times, there may be a Tea Party revolt brewing in France. Among major European nations, the French are most in favor of smaller government. Sacre Bleu! European governments have solid public support, at least for now, for the spending cuts they are making in an effort to boost economic recovery, according to the latest Financial Times/Harris opinion poll. …The poll’s results point to a fiscal conservatism among the European public that contrasts with the eagerness with which most governments ran up high deficits to protect jobs and living standards as the c... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746720 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:06:21 +0100 3746720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718382&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FsPvhQSrvB5M%2F By Daniel J. MitchellMany people assume that Europe is the land of high-tax welfare states and America is an outpost of laissez-faire capitalism. We should be so lucky. The burden of government in America is still lower than it is in the average European nation, but the United States is a lot closer to France than it is to Hong Kong — and the trend is not comforting. We recently endured the embarrassing spectacle of President Obama arguing with Europeans that they should increase the burden of government spending. Now we have a new report from the European Commission indicating that the average corporate tax rate in member nations of the European Union has plummeted to just 23.5 percent while the corporate tax rate in the U.S. has stagnated at 35 percent. In the past dozen years a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718382 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:10:33 +0100 3718382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699476&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgvS3WnBFqk8%2F By Justin LoganJosef Joffe famously referred to the U.S. presence in Western Europe as “Europe’s pacifier.” The idea was that you stick the American pacifier in there and the *cough* recurring problem emanating from Europe goes away.  After the Cold War ended, and the official reason for the NATO alliance blew away as if in the wind, we never considered letting the alliance go with it.  That tells you something.  Instead of coming home, we pushed NATO “out of area” rather than allowing it to go “out of business.”  Christopher Layne argues that this was all by design.  U.S. policymakers never intended to allow Europe to establish its autonomy and worked diligently to ensure that efforts at autonomous European defense would fail.  They succeede... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699476 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:38:04 +0100 3699476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699478&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FrCtgUIFqPFQ%2F By Daniel J. MitchellBarack Obama and Angela Merkel are the two main characters in what is being portrayed as a fight between American “stimulus” and European “austerity” at the G-20 summit meeting in Canada. My immediate instinct is to cheer for the Europeans. After all, “austerity” presumably means cutting back on wasteful government spending. Obama’s definition of “stimulus,” by contrast, is borrowing money from China and distributing it to various Democratic-leaning special-interest groups.   But appearances can be deceiving. Austerity, in the European context, means budget balance rather than spending reduction. As such, David Cameron’s proposal to boost the U.K.’s value-added tax from 17.5 percent to 20 percent is su... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699478 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:46:59 +0100 3699478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683881&cid=t_96100_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Faa-uk-web-portal%2F This Web Site is created and maintained by The General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous (Great Britain) Ltd., through The General Service Office of Great Britain. The General Service Office is the national office serving A.A. in the United Kingdom and English speaking meetings in continental Europe. Go to; AA UK Web Portal Sections include; Problems with drinking? General Information Media Information Professional Information Members Area Meetings Lists in UK & English Speaking European Meetings Alcoholics Anonymous (The Big Book online) Region & Local Websites National UK Helpline: 0845 769 7555. Calls charged at local rate See also; 12th Step Works Are Families Affected by Alcoholism? Effects of Gambling Addiction Physical effects of alcohol on women Science of Addiction ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683881 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:56:01 +0100 3683881 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3658934&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fexclusive-mediabistro-com-founder-laurel-touby-on-making-millions-marriage-and-moving-forward%2F Laurel Touby and husband Jon Fine at the Webutante Ball in NYC, June 8, 2010 A former freelance writer, Laurel Touby came up with the idea for her influential media company, Mediabistro.com, in 1994, and in 2007, sold it for a cool $23 million. (She didn’t pocket all of that, though.) Just back from an eight-month international sabbatical, Laurel took some time out to answer our 11 questions about marriage, making more money than her husband, and moving on after major success. Long before you sold Mediabistro (the company you founded) for many millions of dollars, did you care who made more money, you or your then-boyfriend? I would love to say that it didn’t matter, because I’m an emancipated woman who went to Smith College. But, it was nice to know that he could pay his part of... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3658934 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:30:40 +0100 3658934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640989&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Feco-friendly-travel-europes-trashiest-hotel-literally%2F photo from Inhabitat You’ve probably stayed in some pretty seedy places in your lifetime. A Bates-esque motel off of the highway with roaches? Perhaps a gem in the middle of nowhere that reeked of B.O.? No matter how disgusting your travel accommodations have been, we guarantee you’ve never stayed anywhere as trashy as the eco-friendly Save the Beach Hotel in Europe. This Rome hotel is made from 12,000 kilograms (about 2,645 pounds) of garbage that was collected from Europe’s beaches. It’s part of a campaign from an environmental group called Save the Beach, and it’s trying to give beach-goers a look at what their shores will soon look like if they don’t stop littering on them. While we don’t plan on booking a room anytime soon, we do love the ide... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640989 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:53:14 +0100 3640989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629866&cid=t_96100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FaPuErsvrxto%2F The World Health Organization denied that the pharmaceutical industry influenced its planning for a flu pandemic, but new documents suggest that several key scientists who advised the agency had done paid work for the drugmakers - Roche and GlaxoSmithKline - that stood to profit from their guidance, BMJ reports. And while the WHO’s decisions led numerous governments to stockpile billions of dollars of antivirals, the agency failed to provide any details about conflict of interests involving the experts who were consulted and if any action was taken “despite repeated requests.” 
 The disclosure come just as a report was released today by the Council of Europe, which harshly criticized the lack of transparency around the handling of the swine flu pandemic. The WHO’s act... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629866 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:49:47 +0100 3629866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629622&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FlozD2SQ86hs%2F By Christopher PrebleOver at National Journal’s National Security Experts blog, this week’s question revolves around the health of the U.S. economy, and its relationship to U.S. power.  The editors ask:  How serious a threat is the mounting debt to the nation’s standing as the world’s only superpower? Can the U.S. continue to spend more than all other countries combined on its military forces given burdensome debt levels? In what other ways does the mounting debt undermine the country’s strategic position? [...] My response: Our long-term fiscal imbalance, which increasingly amounts to a massive intergenerational wealth transfer, is clearly a sign of our decline. But it is a decline that has been a long time coming. (I first wrote about the insolvency of t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629622 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:51:45 +0100 3629622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581836&cid=t_96100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fx3xcHLRFS7Y%2F The French Competition Authority is investigating allegations made by Teva Sante, a unit of Teva Pharmaceuticals, that Sanofi-Aventis disparaged generic versions of its best-selling Plavix bloodthinner, and deliberately attempted to restrict generic access to the marketplace. In its November 2009 complaint, Teva charged that Sanofi’s communications with doctors and pharmacists emphasized differences between Plavix and generics, including Teva’s 75mg version, without revealing the differences. However, Sanofi failed to say the differences have no therapeutic significance or effect on safety or efficacy (see the statement). Sanofi’s communications with scientists and practitioners emphasised differences between Plavix and competing generics, including Teva’s clopidogrel 7... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581836 Thu, 20 May 2010 15:22:58 +0100 3581836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585836&cid=t_96100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fx3xcHLRFS7Y%2F The French Competition Authority is investigating allegations made by Teva Sante, a unit of Teva Pharmaceuticals, that Sanofi-Aventis disparaged generic versions of its best-selling Plavix bloodthinner, and deliberately attempted to restrict generic access to the marketplace. In its November 2009 complaint, Teva charged that Sanofi’s communications with doctors and pharmacists emphasized differences between Plavix and generics, including Teva’s 75mg version, without revealing the differences. However, Sanofi failed to say the differences have no therapeutic significance or effect on safety or efficacy (see the statement). Sanofi’s communications with scientists and practitioners emphasised differences between Plavix and competing generics, including Teva’s clopidogrel 7... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585836 Thu, 20 May 2010 15:22:03 +0100 3585836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577387&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FujmJbuTcRf4%2F By Alan ReynoldsWhat does the Greco-Euro currency/debt crisis mean for the U.S. economy? Nearly everyone except the uniquely wise economist John Cochrane assumes very bad “contagion” effects –on U.S. banks, exports and particularly U.S. manufacturing. This echoes identical anxieties while the world went through a far more dramatic Asian currency crisis after  July 1997,  and a Russian debt crisis the following May. The most widely ignored effect of that crisis, however, was to depress foreign demand for oil, and thus slash oil prices to U.S. buyers from $25 a barrel in early 1997 to $11 by the end of 1998. Oil is a major input into the manufacturing process (e.g., chemicals and plastics), and a major cost of distribution (trucks, trains and airplanes).  It is also a major dete... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577387 Tue, 18 May 2010 18:33:14 +0100 3577387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552225&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtM60BMEHS_c%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI’m semi-impressed with the Europeans for choosing the hog-wild approach to bailouts. Not because it is good policy, but rather because it will be a useful demonstration of the old rule that bad policy begets more bad policy (which begets God knows what, but it won’t be pretty). The background is that many European nations have been over-spending, over-taxing, and over-regulating. This has created a poisonous combination of weak economies, pervasive dependency, and political corruption, with Greece being the nation farthest down the path to Krugman-topia. Europe’s political elite at first thought they could paper over the problems with a $140 billion Greek bailout. The ostensible motives were to stop contagion and to demonstrate “solidarity,&#82... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552225 Mon, 10 May 2010 18:52:30 +0100 3552225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3526742&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-and-life-insurance-companies-invested-in-fast-food%2F2010.05.03 A new article published in the American Journal of Public Health shows that U.S., Canadian, and European insurance firms hold $1.88 billion of investments in fast food companies like Jack in the Box, McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s/Arby’s Groups. Both health insurers and life insurers have substantial holdings in these companies. A person just needs to read “Fast Food Nation” or watch the documentary “Food, Inc.” to understand the negative impact of processed foods on the health of our country. The evidence is so compelling that the new health reform legislation is requiring fast food and chain restaurants to disclose calorie counts on their menus. Ironically, the new legislation will also add millions of customers to the health insurers. (mo... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526742 Mon, 03 May 2010 14:00:00 +0100 3526742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3515334&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNStlES3-I08%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI arrived in Madrid yesterday for a speech to the annual Convention of Independent Financial Advisors, and it is somehow fitting that Spain was downgraded by Standard and Poor’s as I entered the country. I’m not a fan of the bond-rating agencies, and the fact that it has taken so long for Spain to be downgraded simply reinforces my skepticism about their value. So let’s focus instead on identifying the sources of Spain’s fiscal crisis. If you look at the OECD’s fiscal database, you will see that Spain’s short-run problem is solely the result of a growth in the burden of government spending. Over the past seven years, the budget in Spain has skyrocketed from 38.4 percent of GDP to 47.2 percent of GDP. And since tax revenues have staye... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3515334 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:52:43 +0100 3515334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3453877&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36069&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrankiespeakingfrankly.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fhealth-20-paris-my-conclusions.html It's been a long time since I posted to my blog, and I realise there are some people checking me out now that the Health 2.0 conference in Paris is over, so I thought I better post some relevant content.I have to admit I missed many of the presentations at the conference, since I spent most of the whole time discussing possibilities with some very interesting people outside the main hall. However, I caught the tail ends of many of the sessions and had checked out most of the sites beforehand so I did have a grip on what was being discussed and I think the topics and many of the presentations came up in discussion with the people I met.So here's a few of my observations from the scene, from a European perspective:Companies in Europe will have to be (and are being) much more creative in deve... Frankie Speaking Frankly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3453877 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:47:00 +0100 3453877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3408356&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTE1FZr8ft2I%2F By Daniel J. MitchellGreece is in trouble for a combination of reasons. Government spending is far too excessive, diverting resources from more efficient uses. The bureaucracy is too large and paid too much, resulting in a misallocation of labor. And tax rates are too high, further hindering the productive sector of the economy. Europe’s political class wants to bail out Greece’s profligate government. The official reason for a bailout, to protect the euro currency, makes no sense. After all, if Illinois or California default, that would not affect the strength (or lack thereof) of the dollar. To understand what is really happening in Europe, it is always wise to look at what politicians are doing and ignore what they are saying. Political union is the religion of Europe’... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3408356 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:06:32 +0100 3408356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3398891&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FjRIfgHvCGxE%2F By Daniel J. MitchellGreece’s fiscal disarray is a visible manifestation of Europe’s future, but the most appropriate symbol of what’s wrong with the continent comes from Brussels, where there are three “presidents” fighting over the right to represent Europe at international gatherings. The contestants include the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council, and the European Union President (which rotates every six months among different national leaders). While these three personalities fight over who gets to sit where and shake hands first, the real problem is that they all agree that government should be bigger, taxes should be higher, and power should be more centralized as part of the effort to create a superstate in Bruss... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3398891 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:47:22 +0100 3398891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362379&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpVOquD3weiw%2F By Christopher PrebleThe question at National Journal’s Security Experts blog concerning NATO and the future of Europe has stimulated quite a spirited debate. I decided to take another bite at the apple. My response: Gordon Adams objects to the framing of the question, arguing that Europe is more important than ever because European governments have chosen to invest in civilians, not men and women at arms. In this context, Europe’s military weakness is a feature, not a bug. Dan Serwer agrees, saying that the “Europeans are on to something,” that their civilian capabilities are vast, that they’ve been deployed in 22 different operations, and are involved in a dozen currently. But even if they have such capabilities, all the soft power in the world isn’t w... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362379 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:47:53 +0100 3362379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346447&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWSFHS9C0PS8%2F By Christopher PreblePaul Starobin at the National Journal’s Security Experts Blog has kicked off a spirited debate surrounding Europe’s military capabilities (or lack thereof). The jumping off point in the discussion is Robert Gates’s speech to NATO officers last month, in which Gates lamented that: “The demilitarization of Europe — where large swaths of the general public and political class are averse to military force and the risks that go with it — has gone from a blessing in the 20th century to an impediment to achieving real security and lasting peace in the 21st.” [Justin Logan blogged about this here.] Starobin asks: “Can America Count On Europe Anymore?” Is Gates right? What exactly does “the demilitarization of Europe&#... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346447 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:23:24 +0100 3346447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311651&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHwgUGor18ZI%2F By Daniel J. MitchellSince many of the politicians in Washington want America to be more like Europe (including complete government-run health care instead of the partially government-run health care system we have now), it’s worth contemplating what that would mean for the economy. America today is richer than Western Europe. Indeed, per-capita living standards are about 30 percent higher in the United States — and that’s according to the statists at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (see page 6 of this report). And we have been growing faster, which presumably should not be the case according to convergence theory (see Annex Table No. 1 of this OECD database). It also seems that Europe’s economy is more likely to endure a double-di... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311651 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:51:28 +0100 3311651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294548&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=34470&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehealthcareblog.com%2Fthe_health_care_blog%2F2010%2F02%2Fhealth-on-the-net-foundation-goes-web-20.html By Denise Silber The subject of the quality of healthcare information on the Internet is rich and recurring. The main question we hear regularly is whether or not Internet users are finding quality health information. But it’s not the only... (Source: The Health Care Blog) The Health Care Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294548 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3294548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239589&cid=t_96100_105_f&fid=36987&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FIvorKovicMd%2F%7E3%2FYDZs7IjV63Q%2F Today, journalist Alain Ochoa (@alainochoa) conducted an interview on Twitter with me for Diario Médico (@diariomedico), Spain’s leading medium for health professionals. We mainly talked about mobile technology and its use in medicine. Follow the link to read the whole tweeterview titled Mobile health from Croatia. Tweet This Post (Source: Ivor Kovic, M.D.) Ivor Kovic, M.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239589 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:19:19 +0100 3239589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3193697&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FX0t9lgDap4g%2F By Daniel J. MitchellAmerica may have dodged the bullet of Obamacare thanks to voters in Massachusetts, but even if the left ultimately succeeds in expanding government’s control of health care, the United States will still have more freedom than Europe. It seems that the European Union’s governing entities, the European Commission and the semi-ceremonial European Parliament, combine the worst features of statism and collectivism from the entire continent. The Euro-crats make lots of noises about subsidiarity and other policies to leave decision making in the hands of national and local governments, but virtually every policy coming from Brussels is a new power grab for unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats. The latest example is possible EU-wide driving laws for the purposes... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3193697 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:59:50 +0100 3193697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3193819&cid=t_96100_113_f&fid=38058&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdifferance-engine.net%2Fkrew%2F%3Fp%3D145 Peter is at the OpenHealth conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland today, and will be doing some blogging and tweeting (search for #openhealth on Twitter). Information on the event is at www.openisland.net It is being held at the Spires Centre and the Europa Hotel today, and tomorrow’s linked event will be at the University of Ulster Jordanstown Campus. Today’s event is  a one day free conference on open and connected technologies / services solutions for healthcare and the issues surrounding them, and also includes the official launch of BCS Health Northern Ireland - a new forum for knowledge sharing in Health Informatics & Connected Health in Northern Ireland. The current interim committee for BCS Health NI also includes Jonathan as secretary, and Paul Comac as Treasurer... hi-blogs.info - the blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3193819 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:22:04 +0100 3193819 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3175851&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FAG5SanZOiTM%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe blogosphere has been buzzing with a debate on whether America or Europe is more prosperous. A partial list of contestants includes Jim Manzi, Paul Krugman, Matt Welch, Megan McArdle, Matthew Yglesias,  and Tino (don’t know who he is, but his blog has lots of good info). I’ve addressed this issue in the past, with detailed comparisons in my Cato study on the Nordic Model, as well as a paper for the Heritage Foundation looking at Fiscal Policy Lessons from Europe. I’m frankly shocked when people claim Europe is as rich as the United States, for the simple reason that the data showing otherwise is so abundant. The following charts, both from presumably impeccable sources, should be more than enough to end the argument. The first one is from OECD... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3175851 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:15:29 +0100 3175851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171882&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F421zmODqqbw%2F By Sallie JamesThe nominee for EU Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht has taken the brave step of opposing carbon tariffs, called for by many European politicians (including, notably, French President Nicolas Sarkozy). In the first day of his confirmation hearings, Mr. de Gucht expressed concern that carbon tariffs were a possible first step in a “trade war” and implied that they were in any event inconsistent with current trade law. (I agree.) He also called for abolishing tariffs on goods beneficial to the environment as a trade-friendly way to reduce greenhouse gases, and expressed support for the Doha round of multilateral trade talks. (More here.) While the Trade Commissioner’s influence over actual trade policy in the EU is arguably limited, it is good to have some... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171882 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:45:08 +0100 3171882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3167456&cid=t_96100_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FO7CDC4PxysY%2F This Web Site is created and maintained by The General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous (Great Britain) Ltd., through The General Service Office of Great Britain. The General Service Office is the national office serving A.A. in the United Kingdom and English speaking meetings in continental Europe. Go to; AA UK Web Portal Sections include; Problems with drinking? General Information Media [...] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3167456 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:48:16 +0100 3167456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3139027&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5cnr37D9Ntk%2F By Daniel J. MitchellWhile American politicians are experts when it comes to squandering money, they may not be the world’s most profligate group of lawmakers. To be sure, American politicians sometimes give big piles of other people’s money to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the politicians at the European Commission in Brussels engage in similar forms of corporate welfare with their Emissions Trading Scheme. The overall burden of government is heavier in Europe, so that certainly suggests that there are greater opportunities to waste money, but what makes the European Commission special is that it is insulated from democratic accountability and there is no system of checks and balances. So even though the actual amount of money spent by Brussels is small compared to ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3139027 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:15:22 +0100 3139027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3139244&cid=t_96100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FBhRTdzgW53Y%2F That’s the contention by more than a dozen members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which reportedly plans to conduct an inquiry into the influence that drugmakers may have had on the World Health Organization, scientists and governments. A resolution was introduced last month by Wolfgang Wodarg, a member of Germany’s Social Democratic Party who chairs the PACE health committee, and it reads: “In order to promote their patented drugs and vaccines against flu, pharmaceutical companies have influenced scientists and official agencies, responsible for public health standards, to alarm governments worldwide. They have made them squander tight health care resources for inefficient vaccine strategies and needlessly exposed millions of healthy people to th... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3139244 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:09:04 +0100 3139244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3048399&cid=t_96100_167_f&fid=36991&url=http%3A%2F%2Fefoodalert.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Frecall-roulette-europe-must-improve-its.html Today, or tomorrow, or next week – it will happen!Somewhere in France, or in Spain, or in Portugal – it will happen!An unsuspecting Mama or Papa will prepare an organic cereal for Bébé – and, in so doing, will feed Salmonella or Enterobacter sakazakii to a helpless victim.How do I know this? Because on November 27, 2009, Spain notified member countries of the European Union (EU) that "seven organic grains baby food" – manufactured in Spain and distributed in Spain, Portugal and France – was contaminated with Salmonella and Enterobacter sakazakii and should be destroyed.What brands of baby food are involved? No one has said.What production dates are contaminated? No one has said.Where was the baby food sold? In grocery stores? Over the Internet? No one has said.In fact, no one h... eFoodAlert.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3048399 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:35:00 +0100 3048399 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012367&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fa0maiZnSIE0%2F European Union to install its first president. How delayed economic reform in India killed 14.5 million children. More details, here. It always starts with “good intentions:” How urban planners destroyed the small-town atmosphere in Portland, Oregon and made congestion even worse. Lots of talk but little action from the Obama administration on education. Podcast: If the Obama administration was serious about job creation in the stimulus plan, why weren’t dollars targeted at states with higher unemployment? (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012367 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:22:51 +0100 3012367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2977270&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9odL-hGEr5w%2F In a way, I always knew it would happen. I knew that, come November 9, the left-leaning NYT would publish an article focusing on the supposed crisis of capitalism rather than the end of communist dictatorship. Still, I was not prepared for Slavoj Zizek’s op-ed entitled “20 Years of Collapse.” First, a few words about the author — a Marxist philosopher from Slovenia. Generally ignored or ridiculed in Slovenia, Zizek is considered (by some) to be the new messiah of leftist thought in the West. Why did the NYT chose to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the collapse of communism with Zizek’s call for “socialism with a human face,” rather than an op-ed by someone like Vladimir Bukovsky, a former Soviet political prisoner tormented for years by the communists, is anyone... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2977270 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:19:31 +0100 2977270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2970184&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2F06%2Fu-s-lags-behind-other-countries-in-primary-care%2F This study was supported by The Commonwealth Fund. Copyright © 2009 Health Affairs Blog. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. All material published on Health Affairs blog, excluding links, is covered under a Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial - No Derivs 2.5 license.Plugin by Taragana (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2970184 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:54:24 +0100 2970184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2958826&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKSc5dQ-GdcM%2F In this new video, Eline van den Broek of the Netherlands needs only about four minutes to explain why government-run healthcare in Europe is a mistake and why the problems in the U.S. healthcare system are the result of too much government, not too little. The only thing I don’t like about this video is that I fear people may no longer want to watch the ones I narrate. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2958826 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:10:54 +0100 2958826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2943767&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fzl4m-1AWJD0%2F Bastien François, a professor of political science at the Sorbonne, writes that “The French political system is incomprehensible to the rest of the world… In France we call it a republican monarchy. That phrase says it all.” Indeed, according to the press, a £250,000 ($413,000) shower with air conditioning and radio surround sound that was “built to the exact specifications of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy” was paid for by the EU taxpayer during the French Presidency of the European Union in July 2008.  It was “disposed of soon afterwards, unused, together with most of the equipment bought for the £16million ($26 million) conference.” The press also reported “other expenses included £1million ($1.65 million) spent on the opening dinner alone – more... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2943767 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:42:21 +0100 2943767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2939239&cid=t_96100_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F29%2Fhealth-service-journal-2009-29th-october%2F Fade Fade: DH to challenge Europe on overseas treatment Fade Skinny: The Department of Health is preparing itself for a challenge through the European Court of Justice on the rights of UK citizens to be treated abroad at the NHS’s expense. (Print subscription held at Fade Library Posted in Current Awareness, Journals Tagged: Current Awareness, Europe, Journals, Treatment (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2939239 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:50 +0100 2939239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2939449&cid=t_96100_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fworking-from-home-with-chronic-illness%2F It is such a shame that working from home has such a bad stigma associated with it.  Managers feel like if they don’t see their employees sitting at their desk busily chugging away, then they are not working.  For me, sometimes I am a lot less efficient at work than if I just stayed home and worked – especially if it is a really bad day.  I read an article a while back about how workers who work from home really aren’t working, but instead are goofing off without being seen by the boss.  I got upset by this article because of all of the people (like me) who actually work when working from home and hate that it takes just a few losers to spoil things for those who really need it. When I worked in Europe, I was very fortunate to have a boss who didn’t care where I worked as long ... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2939449 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:59:58 +0100 2939449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2927286&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fif4t3FNSEEc%2F A handful of guilt-ridden wealthy Germans are asking to pay more tax according to a BBC report. They could just give their money to the state, of course, but they want to impose their self-loathing policies on all successful Germans. The amusing part of the story is that these dilettantes were puzzled that so few people showed up to their protest. Maybe next time they could do some real redistribution and announce that they will be tossing real banknotes in the air: A group of rich Germans has launched a petition calling for the government to make wealthy people pay higher taxes. The group say they have more money than they need, and the extra revenue could fund economic and social programmes… Simply donating money to deal with the problems is not enough, they want a change in the wh... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2927286 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:08:00 +0100 2927286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2904861&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4H5mOxtcHT4%2F The Berlin Wall fell 20 years ago.  A hideous symbol of the suppression of liberty, it should remind us of the ever-present threat to our freedoms.  Even two decades later the legacy of repression continues to afflict many people in Eastern Europe.  For instance, those in countries formerly behind the Iron Curtain still struggle with the knowledge that their friends and neighbors routinely spied on them. Reports the Associated Press: Stelian Tanase found out when he asked to see the thick file that Romania’s communist-era secret police had kept on him. The revelation nearly knocked the wind out of him: His closest pal was an informer who regularly told agents what Tanase was up to. “In a way, I haven’t even recovered today,” said Tanase, a novelist who was place... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2904861 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:45:40 +0100 2904861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2857396&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fjh7W_QCtAME%2F Bush-era surveillance powers are set to expire at the end of this year. Julian Sanchez explores the efforts to revise the PATRIOT Act. More on the medical professionals who aided in acts of torture. Doug Bandow: Ireland is holding a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty on Friday. If the Irish say yes, the European Union will be stronger. But will anyone notice? How urban planners caused the housing bubble. The aftermath of  “Cash for Clunkers” hits automakers. Looks like it just might have been the “dumbest program ever” after all. Podcast: “Three Felonies a Day“ (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2857396 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:35:11 +0100 2857396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2823953&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMivduSGu4d0%2F Should more troops be sent to Afghanistan? Cato’s Malou Innocent weighs in alongside the policymakers. What does the end of the missile defense system in Central Europe means for U.S.-Russian relations? Signals indicate that the market just might be on the rebound. That’s great,  but it’s important not to get ahead of ourselves, says Johan Norberg.  “We must never forget that the light at the end of the tunnel can be an approaching train.” A few thoughts on the new rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and what it means for Pakistan and India. Michael Cannon continues his debate in the LA Times: The dirty little secret is that “Obama-care” isn’t about reducing health care costs or making coverage more secure. It’s about robbing... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2823953 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:02:52 +0100 2823953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796404&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMnTbUMdIUGo%2F The burden of government spending has skyrocketed during the Bush-Obama years. Many politicians claim that all this new spending represents necessary “investments” to boost economic growth. But as this new video explains, both cross-country comparisons and empirical analysis suggest government is far too big — not only in Europe, but also in America. This is the second of a two-part series. The first installment, which focuses on eight theoretical reasons why excessive government undermines growth, can be viewed here. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796404 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:41:17 +0100 2796404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744049&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FM7rUTJ2Rhbk%2F Nearly 30 European countries have agreed to end their government mail monopolies in the next five years. The U.S. Postal Service has estimated losses of $7 billion this year. It’s time to privatize. If you are curious about how President Barack Obama’s health plan would affect your health care, look no further than Massachusetts. You might not like what you find. How the outcome of the health care debate will affect our greatest liberty — life. Keep an eye on the troubling voting procedures in Europe. Podcast: The Age of Reagan (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744049 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:09:03 +0100 2744049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2719675&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FsmW9JJc_KgI%2F New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof cites the Cato report about Decriminalization of Drugs in Portugal by Glenn Greenwald.  Here’s an excerpt: Above all, it’s time for a rethink of our drug policy. The point is not to surrender to narcotics, but to learn from our approach to both tobacco and alcohol. Over time, we have developed public health strategies that have been quite successful in reducing the harm from smoking and drinking. If we want to try a public health approach to drugs, we could learn from Portugal. In 2001, it decriminalized the possession of all drugs for personal use. Ordinary drug users can still be required to participate in a treatment program, but they are no longer dispatched to jail. “Decriminalization has had no adverse effect on drug usage rates i... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2719675 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:34:48 +0100 2719675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2605949&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FY1Mxw-9cV5w%2F There may be no more vicious epithet from neoconservatives these days than “isolationist.”  One would think the term would mean something like xenophobic no-nothings who want to have nothing to do with the rest of the world.  No trade or immigration.  Little or no cultural exchange and political cooperation.  Autarchy all around. But no.  ”Isolationist” apparently means something quite different.  Never mind your views of the merits of international engagement.  If you don’t want to kill lots of foreigners in lots of foreign wars you are automatically considered to be an isolationist. President Bill Clinton called Republican legislators “isolationists” for not wanting to insert the U.S. military into the middle of a complex but strategic... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2605949 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:58:46 +0100 2605949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2561208&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Frk5rlbNLXNk%2F The European Union has helped create a continental European market and knock down protectionist barriers, which is good.  But it also has created another opportunity for meddling bureaucrats to interfere with people’s lives.  Now consumer protests have led to at least one victory for liberty.  Reports London’s Sun newspaper: Now the European Commission has finally scrapped the 20-year ban on 26 types of fruit and veg including asparagus, celery and aubergines. They ruled they can now be sold - as long as they are labelled as “intended for processing”. Sainbury’s spokeswoman Lucy Maclennan said: “We are delighted to have played a part in winning the wonky veg war against these bonkers EU regulations.” Tesco spokesman Adam Fisher said: “It&#... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2561208 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:48:02 +0100 2561208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556077&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9TTMpQ8BT-I%2F The Obama administration has just carried out one of its standard rituals — choosing a new commander of NATO.  But why are we still in NATO? Reports the New York Times: When Adm. James G. Stavridis took over the military’s Southern Command in late 2006, his French was excellent but he spoke no Spanish. Not content to rely on interpreters, he put himself on a crash course to learn the language. Over the next three years, his fluency was measured not only in the high-level meetings he conducted in the native tongue of his military hosts. He also read the novels of Gabriel García Márquez, the Nobel laureate from Colombia, in the original rich and lyrical Spanish. Now Admiral Stavridis’s boss, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, has given him a new assignment, which starts Tuesday.... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556077 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:51:11 +0100 2556077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2513149&cid=t_96100_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEPharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FNA3r1Vbq5G0%2Fhealthdatarights-looks-to-help-patients.html (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2513149 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:13:00 +0100 2513149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2453003&cid=t_96100_133_f&fid=35124&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspergerwoman%2F%7E3%2F0AruN7Y12VA%2Felections-vote-for-singles.html As one of the first countries, Holland has today the chance to vote for a new European Parlement. There are many issues that count for me, although The European Parlement seems to be far far away. Well that is an understatement for all political organizations I guess.Many people with autism are singles. By choice or not the single life can sometimes be a lonely experience. Singles are often discriminated, e.g. the supplement one has to pay for a single room. It is good there are organisations like the Dutch C.I.S.A. (Centre for Individual and Society. Last year C.I.S.A. celebrated her 20th anniversary with a conference. One of the speakers that day was Mr.Alexander Pechtold, political leader of D'(emocrats) 66, one of the countries fast growing political parties. C.I.S.A. and D'66 have fou... The Art of Being Asperger Woman blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2453003 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:15:00 +0100 2453003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276483&cid=t_96100_134_f&fid=36052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wandalust.com%2F50226711%2Fberlins_beer_gardens_and_parks.php GridSkipper did a double take on Berlin earlier this month. Looking at the city's beer gardens and parks. Munich is the beer capital of Germany, but Berlin has its own supply of beer gardens. Th... (Source: Daily Diabetic) Daily Diabetic blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276483 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:43:36 +0100 2276483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2282010&cid=t_96100_167_f&fid=36991&url=http%3A%2F%2Fefoodalert.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Frecall-roundup-march-18-2009.html (Source: eFoodAlert.com) eFoodAlert.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2282010 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:50:00 +0100 2282010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2033848&cid=t_96100_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fa-cure-without-access-is-not-a-cure%2F I read an article the other day stating that by 2010, cancer will overcome heart disease as the leading killer in the world. I believe that by 2010 we will have a cure for many types of cancer, but no one will be able to afford it. Oh, Canadians and most Europeans will be Ok, as will Australia and other countries that offer universal access to healthcare, but the United States of America and most third world countries will still see many of their people die from cancer because people cannot afford the healthcare to get treatment. In our battle against cancer, access to diagnosis and treatment is key! This is why there is a whole division of the American Cancer Society that is working to promote universal healthcare for all Americans. What good is a cure if not everyone can receive it? I co... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2033848 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 22:29:45 +0100 2033848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1960709&cid=t_96100_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Flillys-40-over-40-erectile-dysfunction.html According to an article in the London Financial Times:"Eli Lilly is to be reprimanded by the UK pharmaceutical industry watchdog for 'unbalanced' promotion of its anti-erectile dysfunction drug Cialis, in violation of ethical rules."The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority has ruled that the US-based company 'brought discredit' on the industry through a marketing campaign on television, the internet and in brochures in GP surgeries in the UK."The Lilly campaign that is the focus of this reprimand is the so-call “40 over 40” campaign, which claims that "40 per cent of men aged over 40 had problems with erectile dysfunction."It's interesting that the UK "watchdog" focused on the failure of the campaign "to cite the side-effects or risks, and in a way that would have encourag... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960709 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:10:00 +0100 1960709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1962906&cid=t_96100_117_f&fid=38158&url=http%3A%2F%2Famericanacupuncture.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Feurope-relaxes-drug-rules.html EUROPE  RELAXING  DRUG  RULES. Europe is going to allow objective and unbiased information about drugs in print and online.  It will prohibit outright advertising from drug company’s messages to protect the consumers.  The Europeans are becoming more involved in their treatment and demand more information.  They think the drug makers should supply the information in a no promotional way.  Europe has a Medicines Agency that regulates drugs. The drug companies have pushed hard for these changes.  It will allow the companies to set up Web sites about their drugs and even circulate brochures at pharmacies, things they can’t do today.  They promise it won’t start U.S. style advertising to patients.  They will accept a reasonable oversight of the information given.  All they wan... Dr. Needles Medical Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1962906 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:01:00 +0100 1962906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1883567&cid=t_96100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F421640095%2F The drugmaker has decided against pursuing European approval for its depression pill after consulting with the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, which raised concerns about the med. Earlier this year, you may recall, Wyeth withdrew its application in Europe to have Pristiq approved to treat menopausal hot flashes. Wyeth is counting on Pristiq to help offset impending generic competition to its Effexor blockbuster (Pristiq is actually a version of this drug, by the way). Although already available in the US for treating depression, Wall Street has been skeptical about Wyeth’s ability to distinguish Pristiq from other antidepressants. And the FDA has yet to approve Pristiq to treat hot flashes caused by menopause. Despite the setback, Wyeth execs are not, well, gloomy. &#... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1883567 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:26:56 +0100 1883567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852740&cid=t_96100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F410212798%2F The proposal was endorsed by the European Union’s Pharmaceutical Forum as part of an effort to provide more reliable medical advice at a time when the Internet allows widespread dissemination of questionable info, even as companies that develop drugs are prevented from circulating data. However, the recommendation weakens current EU restrictions on contacts between drugmakers and patients, including a strict ban on US-style direct-to-consumer advertising, which critics say encourages the inappropriate use of medicines, The Financial Times writes. The forum statement echoes draft legislation set to be published this month by Gunther Verheugen, the EU’s enterprise and industry commissioner, which would ease marketing rules and allow drugmakers to communicate to the general public in ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852740 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:33:32 +0100 1852740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1834608&cid=t_96100_109_f&fid=35044&url=http%3A%2F%2Fadultaddstrengths.com%2F2008%2F09%2F27%2Fis-the-whey-based-protein-powderbardrink-you-eat-made-with-chinese-contaminated-milk-protein-aka-melamine%2F Do you know if it is? Do you know if it’s not? Most protein powders, protein bars and protein drinks are made with whey protein, which is made from milk. Is your government checking and letting you know if the whey protein products that you’re eating or drinking safe to consume? Especially since the whole Chinese baby milk scandal was because the biggest dairy companies in China where watering down there milk to make more money and using melamine to hide that since adding melamine increases the protein content in such poisoned milk products so the milk doesn’t look like it’s watered down. Melamine is a metabolite of cyromazine, a pesticide… Ingestion of melamine may lead to reproductive damage, or bladder or kidney stones, which can lead to bladder cancer In A... Adult ADD Strengths blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1834608 Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:36:26 +0100 1834608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1827272&cid=t_96100_113_f&fid=38058&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdifferance-engine.net%2Fkrew%2F%3Fp%3D142 We had an excellent gala conference dinner at the New Connaught Rooms on Wednesday evening. Due to trying to get things to work properly on the BCS wireless and Ethernet networks, I was not able to take notes on the session by Celia Boyer and Petra Wilson on ‘Trustworthiness in the age of Web 2.0′; however, they covered the Health on the Net code and related issues , and generated discussion of how we might ‘kitemark’ reliable websites that are Web 2.0-based and on which content might be changing rapidly.   Matic Meglic, from Slovenia, talked about ‘Care Management using BPM: Case of depression’. He began by addressing the context of future healthcare, with the development of increasing health information and tools to enable patients to take care of... hi-blogs.info - the blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1827272 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:23:54 +0100 1827272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1827273&cid=t_96100_113_f&fid=38058&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdifferance-engine.net%2Fkrew%2F%3Fp%3D141 In sessions addressing the general theme of ‘health records’, several speakers gave varying perspectives based in their personal experiences of using and/or developing open source health record systems.  Firstly, Rolf Englebrecht covered his experience of free and open source electronic health records. He looked first at Mycare2x (http://www.hccgmbh.com/), based on Care2x, which was developed as a supposed open source solution. Designed for hospitals with specialised units, it is adaptable to ambulatory care – the requirements are defined by user cases (scenarios). But he and colleagues encountered problems in relation to its use, and did not believe it was fully open source.   He then looked to FreeMed (http://www.freemed.org/) - developed for multiple languages, and w... hi-blogs.info - the blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1827273 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:07:58 +0100 1827273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1827274&cid=t_96100_113_f&fid=38058&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdifferance-engine.net%2Fkrew%2F%3Fp%3D140 This is the first of several belated posts summarising the EFMI STC 2008, held in London on 9-11 September, 2008 (see event website). The reasons for the lack of ‘live’ blogging have been covered in the preceding post; I can only use the excuse of being too busy to address the further delay. These posts cover my interpretations of some of what was said in some of the sessions; I have not covered everything, but if any participants wish to add anything in comments, please feel free to do so.   The day was opened and participants welcomed by David Clarke, Chief Executive of the British Computer Society (BCS), by Jacob Hofdijk, EFMI President, and by Graham Wright on behalf of the Local Organising and Scientific Programme Committees. Glyn Moody (opendotdotdot.blogspot.com) wa... hi-blogs.info - the blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1827274 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:41:52 +0100 1827274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1811692&cid=t_96100_113_f&fid=38058&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdifferance-engine.net%2Fkrew%2F%3Fp%3D137 The EFMI Special Topic Conference (STC) 2008 took place earlier this week. I don’t think I was going to be able to do too much ‘live blogging’ of the event, due to having to present, chair sessions, and generally be involved as one of the organisers. However, I took some notes and will upload them as a couple of posts.   However, blogging the event proved to be even more challenging than anticipated. For some reason, the network (ethernet and wireless in the venue, the British Computer Society offices in London) caused a lot of problems; I was not able to save draft blog posts, not able to send an attachment to a Gmail, and had several other problems; as I can do all of these from home and did some on the train last night, I conclude it must be the BCS network that c... hi-blogs.info - the blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1811692 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:53:41 +0100 1811692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1764697&cid=t_96100_167_f&fid=36991&url=http%3A%2F%2Fefoodalert.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F09%2Flisteria-monocytogenes-in-french.html The European Union maintains a "Rapid Alert" program to notify member countries of food contamination issues. This week's list included French cheeses from two different manufacturers. In both cases, the recalls were triggered by the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the cheeses in excess of levels permitted by the EU. The contamination was detected during testing carried out by the manufacturers.Fromagerie de la Houssaye has recalled four varieties of cheese after finding 520 Listeria monocytogenes per gram. The recalled products include lot numbers 140-210 of Livarot AOC, Pont l'évêque, pavé d'Auge and Deauville cheeses. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland advises that two of the cheeses – Livarot and Pont l'évêque – were distributed in the Republic of Ireland in small i... eFoodAlert.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1764697 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:34:00 +0100 1764697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1755137&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2F02%2Fmost-read-blog-posts-for-july-august%2F Over the summer, Health Affairs Blog posts on the Medicare Advantage debate in Congress claimed top spots on the most-read list for July and August. A late August post by Henry Aaron looked at how Obama and McCain would cover the uninsured. Another late August post by Len Nichols on calculating the cost of covering [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1755137 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:04:25 +0100 1755137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1657537&cid=t_96100_167_f&fid=36991&url=http%3A%2F%2Fefoodalert.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2Flisteria-stages-european-comeback.html Listeria monocytogenes, an old friend which appears to have taken a nap in North America, has been staging a comeback in Europe.Dr. Véronique Goulet sounded the alarm in an article published this past week in the "Bulletin épidémiologique hebdomadaire" (Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin). The English abstract of the article reads:From 1987 through 2001, the incidence of listeriosis in France declined spectacularly, then stabilised until 2005 to around 3.5 cases/million inhabitants. This trend changed suddenly in 2006 with an incidence increase of 4.6 cases/million inhabitants, which continued until 2007 to reach 5.0 cases/million inhabitants. This increase has occurred mainly among persons >60 years of age and immunosuppressive patients, regardless of their age. No increase has occurred i... eFoodAlert.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1657537 Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:05:00 +0100 1657537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1560845&cid=t_96100_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2F40over40-lillys-dtc-ed-awareness.html For those of you who believe there's no such thing as direct to consumer (DTC) "advertising" outside the US, let me offer this: "Lilly launches television campaign for ED awareness."Although this campaign is technically "direct to consumer" it does not qualify as "advertising" under European law because it is unbranded, which means that no drug trade name is mentioned and there is no direct inducement to buy a product. Such unbranded DTC disease awareness advertising is also common in the US (see, for example, Pfizer's recent battered woman fibromyalgia disease awareness ad campaign described here).The Lilly campaign, dubbed '40over40', is said to be "groundbreaking" being the "first time a UK-targeted campaign of this kind has appeared on British television.""The campaign aims to dispel t... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1560845 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:46:00 +0100 1560845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1527816&cid=t_96100_167_f&fid=36991&url=http%3A%2F%2Fefoodalert.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fexploring-outdoor-markets-in-france_18.html Visiting France again this spring, we spent a few days in Cannes – arriving the last day of the film festival.While exploring the center of town, we discovered that Cannes has several outdoor market areas. These markets, each of which fill a city block, are open six days a week. We spent a couple of hours browsing through one of the markets, just a block from the rue d'Antibes, Cannes' main shopping street.The first market stall we encountered offered a variety of vegetables, including some luscious tomatoes that were still on the vine. "La vendeuse" was proud of her selection of grapes, cherries and strawberries. We purchased some grapes and strawberries to take back to our room for a snack.This customer examined the produce with great care before finally making her selection.The market... eFoodAlert.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1527816 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:00:00 +0100 1527816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1527817&cid=t_96100_167_f&fid=36991&url=http%3A%2F%2Fefoodalert.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fexploring-outdoor-markets-in-france.html One of the joys of visiting France is not knowing when or where one will stumble over an outdoor market. On our first visit to Paris, in May 2000, we were strolling along boulevard Raspail on the Left Bank. To our amazement, there was a flourishing outdoor food market – complete with produce and cheese, beef and pork, fish and fowl – right in the middle of the boulevard's park-like center island. Unfortunately, the only thing missing was our camera.In September 2006, we treated ourselves to a few days in Provence at the end of a month-long car trip through central and eastern Europe. In Vaison-la-Romaine, one of our overnight stops, we lucked into the town's weekly market. This time, we had camera in hand.Of course, no day in France is complete without bread. This was one of several bo... eFoodAlert.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1527817 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:05:00 +0100 1527817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1494219&cid=t_96100_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fpan-european-common-emergency-phone.html (Source: Informaticopia) Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1494219 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:24:00 +0100 1494219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446371&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F05%2F15%2Fa-look-at-hollands-reforms-featured-in-new-health-affairs%2F The Netherlands, which combines mandatory universal health insurance with competition among private health insurers, has been frequently cited as a possible model for reform in the United States. You can read Wynand van de Ven and Frederik Schut’s examination of the Dutch experience (free access until May 27) in the May/June issue of Health Affairs, a thematic [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446371 Thu, 15 May 2008 20:04:38 +0100 1446371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1376857&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F04%2F16%2Funiversal-coverage%25e2%2580%2599s-mixed-picture%2F In interviews with Health Affairs, government ministers in Germany and the Netherlands talk up market-oriented refinements to their universal health insurance systems for the future. But the news from Europe isn’t all happy: an unsettling survey in the United Kingdom finds that some physicians believe that the market will unravel the government-owned and -operated National [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1376857 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:06:42 +0100 1376857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1276080&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2F03%2Ftop-10-health-affairs-blog-posts-for-jan-feb%2F Comparing health systems, the growth of U.S. health spending, and proposals to fix Medicare physician payment topped the January-February 2008 most-read list for the Health Affairs Blog. Sign up for email or RSS feed alerts to stay on top of new postings. Additional commenting always welcome. U.S. Worst At Beating Death From Treatable Illness by Jane Hiebert-White HEALTH [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1276080 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:49:27 +0100 1276080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1237108&cid=t_96100_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Finternational-official-alcoholics-anonymous-websites%2F Argentina   www.sinectis.com.ar/u/aa_osg Australia   www.aa.org.au Austria   www.anonyme-alkoholiker.at Belguim  www.aavlaanderen.org Britain; www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk Canada; www.aacanada.com Chile    www.alcoholicosanonimoschile.cl Denmark   www.anonyme-alkoholikere.dk Ecuador   www.aae.org.ec Europe; www.aa-europe.net/ Finland  www.aa.fi France   www.alcooliques-anonymes.fr Grapevine; www.aagrapevine.org/ Guatemala   www.aa.com.gt Hungary   www.anonimalkoholistak.hu Iceland   www.aa.is India    www.aagsoindia.org Ireland; www.alcoholicsanonymous.ie Italy    www.alcolisti-anonimi.it Japan    www.cam.hi-ho.ne.jp/aa-jso/ Korea    www.aakorea.co.... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1237108 Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:48:19 +0100 1237108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1187225&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F01%2F29%2Fhealth-care-at-the-movies-the-diving-bell-and-the-butterfly%2F Does the fact that The Diving Bell and The Butterfly won the Golden Globe award for the best foreign movie tell us anything about French health care? Or does it tell us more about movies about health care, the artistic French vs. “The Ugly American”? For the upcoming Academy Awards, Michael Moore’s health care movie, SiCKO, [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1187225 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:30:13 +0100 1187225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1142604&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F01%2F10%2Fus-worst-at-beating-death-from-preventable-illness%2F In a comparison of 18 countries, the United States ranked at the bottom for number of deaths that could have been prevented by timely and effective health care. Not only were U.S. rates among the worst, the rate of improvement from 1997-98 to 2002-03 was the smallest. Ellen Nolte and Martin McKee, of the London School [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1142604 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:52:28 +0100 1142604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1076926&cid=t_96100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F196623139%2F Several associations have accused the European Commission of supporting pharma companies in trying to make direct-to-consumer advertising for medicinal products legal. Four groups representing complementary health insurers, independent medical bulletins and patient advocates have issued a joint press release claiming: “The European Commission is supportive of the industry’s moves: its ‘consultations’ are little more than an attempt to sway public opinion.” The press release was issued on Wednesday by the International Society of Drug Bulletins (ISDB), the Medicines in Europe Forum, Health Action International (HAI) and the Association internationale de la mutualité (AIM) and charge that the EC is trying to overlook the “underlying risks to health”... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1076926 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:55:41 +0100 1076926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1060130&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2007%2F11%2F29%2Flearning-from-abroad-promise-and-pitfalls%2F Editor’s Note: This post was written by the 2007-08 Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellows. The lead authors are Andreas Gerber and Rhema Vaithianathan. Additional authors include Kalipso Chalkidou, Richard Gleave, Peter Hockey, Geraint Lewis, Ruth McDonald, Neil MacKinnon, Peter McNair, Claudia Sanmartin, and Stephanie Stock. While policymakers in the U.S. have long recognized the benefits of looking overseas for useful lessons about health system reform, there now appears to be a wider interest in international comparisons. As a group of Harkness Fellows in Health Care Policy and Practice from Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, we are aware that learning from other health care systems has great value, but it needs to be undertaken with care and sensitivi... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1060130 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:27:14 +0100 1060130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1017794&cid=t_96100_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F182233460%2F10_steps_to_serotonin_support.html You've likely heard that encouragement spikes  serotonin chemicals in your brain. But have you found and unleashed that jolt of adrenalin support … when you most need it? Lunckily, some people seem to pack serotonin to spare. Have you seen it?Check out leaders boosting business support out there today … and you’ll likely find somebody who’s got your back too: 1. BurstBlog encourages you to shrink those wordy blogs - to prevent the extra work a brain needs to do … since computer screen refreshes 72 times per second.2. Don’t Mess with Taxes tossed out the idea of staying thankful as a way of revitalizing a difficult day. Check out the moving story of a wounded friend’s support.3. WorkinProperty buoys up aesthetic jewel... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1017794 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:16:18 +0100 1017794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=982594&cid=t_96100_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F175416715%2F Autism = “isolation”? I think this is the meaning implied in Avoiding Moral Autism, an article by Ambassador Marc Franco, the head of the delegation of the European Commission to Russia: One of the biggest challenges for a European diplomat stationed in Moscow is to make sense of the discrepancy that exists between, on the one hand, the feel-good factor prevailing among ordinary Russians and, on the other hand, the gloomy image of Russia spreading among many EU citizens back home. In a sense, this is a classic dilemma faced by every diplomat, who has the dual task of trying both to understand “the other,” while at the same time defending one’s own values. If the diplomat’s efforts to understand the other side are too successful, he ends up “going n... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=982594 Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:41:35 +0100 982594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=742686&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2007%2F07%2F18%2Fobesity-is-britains-fat-tax-a-good-idea%2F The rising prevalence of obesity is said to be threatening to drown the health care system under a wave of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. So some policymakers have suggested taxing foods high in saturated fats as a way to steer consumers clear of snacks that are bad for them and perhaps offset coming health care costs. Good idea? Not so fast, say some British public health scholars. The researchers from the University of Oxford, Queen’s Medical Center, Nottingham, and the South East Public Health Observatory modeled the outcomes of three different approaches to extending Britain’s 17.5 percent value-added tax to a wider array of foods to discourage consumption of unhealthy food. They found that simply extending that tax to the main sources of dietary saturated fats–whole mi... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=742686 Wed, 18 Jul 2007 22:24:06 +0100 742686 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=721470&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2007%2F07%2F09%2Fbriefing-financing-and-improving-global-health-care%2F What role should the U.S. government play in confronting global health challenges? What are Congress’s priorities for the reauthorization of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and how much should be invested in research to help stem the AIDS pandemic? How can we protect 150 million people globally from suffering financial catastrophe each year because of medical bills? On Monday, July 16, these questions will be addressed at a National Press Club briefing where Health Affairs will release its July-August issue, a thematic issue on global health financing. The 9:30-11:30 am briefing will feature Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and coauthor of the original PEPFAR legislation. Economist and Health Affairs deputy editor Philip M... Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=721470 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:08:46 +0100 721470 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=589133&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F05%2F04%2Fbreast-cancer-drug-herceptin-approved-in-europe%2F Filed under: Breast Cancer, Drug, Clinical Trials, Research, Daily newsBreast cancer drug Herceptin has been approved in Europe for use with hormonal therapy for postmenopausal patients with HER2 and hormone receptor positive metastatic disease.Herceptin, made by Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG, is already approved in Europe for early and metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. This new approval is based on data from an international late stage clinical trial showing the combination of Herceptin with hormonal therapy doubled the median progression-free survival time.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments (Source: The Cancer Blog) The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=589133 Fri, 04 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 589133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=587912&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=34866&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecardioblog.com%2F2007%2F05%2F02%2Fthe-flu-linked-to-some-heart-attack-cases%2F Filed under: Prevention, ResearchFlu season just got a little more serious. Aside from running the risk of catching the debilitating sickness and finding yourself bedridden for several days, there may be more serious, heart-related consequences of influenza. An estimated 10 to 20-percent of people living in the US catch the flu each year. On top of that, only about 60-percent of people who should get the flu vaccine actually get it (and even less people get it in Europe). Personally, I haven't had a flu shot administered since my junior year of college, so I'm not faring any better in that regard. But, maybe we should all think again about getting one next year. It turns out that the flu may be a trigger of some sort for heart attack. Recent research, published in the European Heart Journa... The Cardio Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=587912 Wed, 02 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 587912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=525457&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F04%2F06%2Fthought-for-the-day-drug-dispensing-teeth-a-real-possibility%2F Filed under: All Cancers, Clinical Trials, Products, Daily news, Thought for the DayI never would have predicted it -- that a tooth could become a tool for dispensing medication. But the refinement of such a creation is actually in the works and before long, you may be asking not for a gold or decorative tooth but for one capable of doling out your drugs in the exact doses and at the right times.Think about this:Researchers from Europe and Israel are working right now on a tiny dispensing system called IntelliDrug. Their goal is to create parts small enough they can fit into a false tooth placed in the back of the mouth. The device will release a specific amount of medication at certain intervals so patients receive the proper dosage right on schedule.This invention, crafted by an Israeli ... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=525457 Fri, 06 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 525457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=511188&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F03%2F30%2Feuropean-bmi-on-the-rise%2F Filed under: Type 2, DietAlthough the United States clearly takes the cake (and devours every last piece of it) as the fattest country in the world, there are many European nations who also seem to be indulging a bit too much these days. With cases of type 2 diabetes being diagnosed concurrently with rising obesity rates, this is clearly an issue that deserves worldwide attention. Tipping the scales with an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28 is -- well, that's us here in the good ol' U.S. of A. Not far behind, however, are the following nations: ~ Italy: 24.3 (The pasta diet - "I never walk pasta good meal!") ~ France: 24.5 (These 'Francy' eaters are also reaching for their namesake fries and toast) ~ Poland: 24.8 (Sausages Warsaw being eaten by the dozen) ~ Netherlands: 24.9 ("Hollandais... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=511188 Fri, 30 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 511188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=485336&cid=t_96100_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F03%2F20%2Fsmoking-responsible-for-most-laryngeal-cancers%2F Filed under: Prevention, Research, Head and Neck cancerAccording to an article published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, smoking is responsible for the majority of laryngeal cancer in Central Europe. The majority of head and neck cancers are cancers of the larynx, or voice box. Central Europe has some of the highest incidence rates of laryngeal cancer in the world. Researchers are continuing to evaluate potential links between smoking and other environmental variables and the risk of laryngeal cancer. Researchers from Europe recently conducted a clinical study to evaluate the potential role of both tobacco and alcohol in the development of this disease. The study found: Approximately 87 percent of laryngeal cancer is attributed to the use of tobacco 75 percent of laryngeal c... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=485336 Tue, 20 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 485336