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 'excellence'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:03:46 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159199&cid=t_143976_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F25%2Fto-heal-after-an-affair-and-rebuild-the-relationship%2F “For many people, an affair is deeply traumatizing [and] some marriages can’t recover from it,” said Jason Seidel, PsyD, founder and director of The Colorado Center for Clinical Excellence in Denver. But if you decide to work on your relationship post-affair, you must accept a hard truth: Another affair can happen. This is the paradox of healing, Seidel said. Often, partners who’ve been cheated on will demand full access to their spouse’s email, cell phone records, Facebook and other accounts (or they’ll sneak around to get the access), he said. They see this as legitimate and essential to helping reestablish trust in the relationship. A common belief is “How could I ever trust you again unless you give me full access?” While this thinking is understandable, it simply doesn... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159199 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:40:21 +0100 5159199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159205&cid=t_143976_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F22%2Fthe-myth-of-the-one-and-other-relationship-fantasies%2F Psychologist Jason Seidel, Psy.D, has heard partners lament all-too often: “This isn’t the person I married” or “I’m worried this person isn’t perfect for me.” And you know what? They’re probably right. But there’s more to relationships than a partner who remains the perfect fit your entire life. Seidel explains more about the myth of the perfect partner and other relationship fantasies. 1. Myth: Your partner will always be the one. Fact: There is no “once-and-for-all best match,” said Seidel, founder and director of The Colorado Center for Clinical Excellence in Denver. People and relationships rarely remain static. So that once great fit may “become broken, stale or wrong for [you].” In fact, according to Seidel, as you continue to grow in your life, you might ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159205 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:47:51 +0100 5159205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118616&cid=t_143976_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNjfGOgNR6eg%2F By Neal McCluskeyFormer Florida governor Jeb Bush cares about education. He made major education reforms in the Sunshine State, including many centered on private school choice. He has established the Foundation for Excellence in Education, and dedicates much of his time to education reform. Unfortunately, when it comes to national curriculum standards, it seems his genuine caring has led him to avoid—and now attempt to quash—critical debate on both the dubious merits of national standards, and the huge threats to federalism posed by Washington driving the standards train. As I’ve complained on numerous occasions, it’s clear that supporters of national standards have employed a stealth strategy to get their way: back-room drafting of standards, content-free Language ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118616 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:19:38 +0100 5118616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086171&cid=t_143976_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-program-at-usf-health-hopes-to-mold-more-empathetic-physicians%2F2011.08.01 Can we teach empathy to the next generation of physicians?  The University of South Florida Health thinks so and they’re putting it on the line this week with the launch of the SELECT program, a new curriculum intended to “put empathy, communication and creativity back into doctoring.” The SELECT (Scholarly Excellence. Leadership Experiences. Collaborative Training.) program will offer 19 select students unique training in leadership development as well as the scholarly tools needed to become physician leaders and catalysts for change. During their first week on campus, instead of the old-style medical school tradition of heading to the gross anatomy lab, SELECT students are immersed in leadership training centered in empathy and other core principles of patient-centered care. The h... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086171 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:00:15 +0100 5086171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029308&cid=t_143976_180_f&fid=38609&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDavidSeah-BetterLivingThroughNewMedia%2F%7E3%2F31yIthAQ6JE%2F Clicking around the Harvard Business Review website, my eye was caught by the headline Why American Management Rules the World. This was news to me, as I’m used to thinking of American Management in terms of the fall of the domestic auto industry, profit-grubbing financial services, and Dilbert. Of course this isn’t the whole picture, but I’d never really given it as much thought. A group of European researchers, though, have been looking deeper into the question of management competitiveness. They’ve come to this surprising conclusion: After a decade of painstaking research, we have concluded that American firms are on average the best managed in the world. This is not what we — a group of European researchers — expected to find. But while Americans are ba... David Seah - Design, Development, Inspiration, Empowerment blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029308 Sat, 18 Jun 2011 20:17:18 +0100 5029308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4797773&cid=t_143976_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpatient-education-at-its-best-an-example-from-griffin-hospital%2F2011.05.07 A vital aspect of participatory medicine is helping patients learn how to participate. This week I saw a great example of someone who’s doing it right. Here’s the story, including the patient aid for download. We hear a lot about “patient-centered”: patient-centered care, patient-centered thinking, everything. Frankly, a lot of it strikes me as patient-centered paternalism: people mean well, but patients sense that the thinking didn’t happen while standing in patients’ shoes, because the advice, policies, and publications just don’t hit home. It’s like somebody guessed what you want, instead of knowing (because they’re like you). A couple of years ago I learned about Planetree, a terrific, small organization in Connecticut that’s been thinking from the patient’s point... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4797773 Sat, 07 May 2011 20:00:15 +0100 4797773 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775561&cid=t_143976_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F02%2Fu-k-nice-issues-new-clinical-guidelines-re-recognition-initial-management-of-ovarian-cancer%2F On April 27, 2011, the U.K. National Institute For Health and Clinical Excellence issued new clinical guidelines regarding the recognition and initial management of ovarian cancer. On April 27, 2011, the U.K. National Institute For Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued new clinical guidelines regarding the recognition and initial management of ovarian cancer. In the [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775561 Mon, 02 May 2011 21:14:09 +0100 4775561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965730&cid=t_143976_180_f&fid=38608&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLifeDev%2F%7E3%2FdzOkNXaxwY8%2F Chipotle’s famous simple menu. It’s often our nature to want to be the best at everything. If we can do many things well, we should be able to see profits. “Diversify, diversify, diversify”. Yet for whatever reason, sprawling out into multiple markets doesn’t necessarily mean success. It’s only being the best at one thing and refining it daily that wins in the long run. Chipotle has centered around the the simple premise that they were going to serve a very limited menu, without extra things like plates, appetizers, or deserts. Just burritos, tacos and salads with all the same (limited) ingredients. Experts believed that the limited selection would turn customers away. Oops. Ever seen Instapaper? This simple application does one thing: saves online pa... LifeDev blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965730 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:22:48 +0100 3965730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3848955&cid=t_143976_127_f&fid=38263&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdeepesthealth%2FBMCc%2F%7E3%2FDL9rHuXALEE%2F   I’d like to announce a new project here at Deepest Health.  We like projects.  This one is called the Year of Diligent Action, or, YODA. Project motivations It’s not enough to believe that something is true.  It’s not enough to read an oath every morning.  It’s not enough to know what you must to do be what you want to be.  You must act.  Honestly, though, when one is pursuing excellence – even simple action is not enough.  One must develop a regular habit of action in line with principle.  It was Aristotle who said, “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” This project is all about finding the truth in that statement. So what excellence?  What principles?   Since beginning school at NCNM, I have ... Deepest Health: Exploring Classical Chinese Medicine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3848955 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:56:48 +0100 3848955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3595894&cid=t_143976_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FOQTzwXd50pc%2F The UK’s new Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition has proposed moving to a so-called ‘value-based pricing’ model for medicines, which means drugmakers would no longer be free to set prices. At the same time, a reform of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which evaluates cost effectiveness, is also being considered, although details have not yet emerged. The plan comes as other European governments raise drug prices in the face of huge deficits. The UK’s National Health Service, for instance, is predicted to face a shortfall of more than $28 billion, suggesting the willingness to set price controls will add significant pressure on the pharmaceutical industry sooner than later. The notion, however, isn’t news. Back in 2007, the UK Offi... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3595894 Tue, 25 May 2010 12:07:28 +0100 3595894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3592312&cid=t_143976_125_f&fid=36046&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdentistrylibrary.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fera-ranked-journal-list.html The ARC has released the full ERA (Excellence in Research for Australia) 2010 ranked journal list. Subscribe in a reader (Source: DentistryLibrary@Sydney) DentistryLibrary@Sydney blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3592312 Sun, 23 May 2010 23:34:00 +0100 3592312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370719&cid=t_143976_180_f&fid=38606&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAchieveIt%2F%7E3%2F9ulOMJAB4pU%2F Those of you who have followed Tom Peters over the years know how much he’s contributed to the growth of excellence in businesses worldwide.    His book In Search of Excellence he co-authored with Robert Waterman is considered “the greatest business book of all time” by many and indispensable by most. Well, Tom has a new book called The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue EXCELLENCE.  I am thrilled and honored Mr. Peters included of my essays as one of the ways to pursue excellence!   Mine is pursuit #50 starting on page 136 about how you have to show up to move up.  You can read my contribution by downloading the Acrobat pdf of it here (posted with permission):  Show Up! (It’s a Start.) My copy of Little BIG Things arrived last week and it is indeed a BIG ... Persistence Unlimited blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370719 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:00:49 +0100 3370719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473435&cid=t_143976_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1718 Jump to follow-up Peter Dixon is a chiropractor. He is chair of the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). He was also a member of the hotly-disputed NICE low back pain guidance group that endorsed (you guessed it) the use of chiropractic, a decision that has led to enormous criticism of the standards of the National Institute of health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). As a consequence largely of the decision of the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) to sue Simon Singh for defamation, there has been an unprecedented interest taken in the claims made by chiropractors in general. Peter Dixon has a problem because something like 600 individual complaints about unjustified health claims have been sent to the GCC. Even when a web site does not claim to be able to benefit things like asthma and ... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473435 Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:17:33 +0100 2473435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398684&cid=t_143976_93_f&fid=36697&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjeffreyleow.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F25%2Fbeing-a-student-at-a-centre-of-excellence-does-it-make-a-difference%2F Following a retrospective cohort study on over 19,000 patients who have had bariatric surgery in the USA in 2005, Dr. Edward H. Livingston concluded the following: “It has been shown that the minimal annual procedure volume required to be designated as a center of excellence [125 cases per year] does not necessarily result in better outcomes, and that the minimum volume requirement is not evidence-based. Most importantly, this volume criterion significantly restricts access for bariatric surgery care,”  “Designation as a bariatric surgery center of excellence does not ensure better outcomes. Neither does high annual procedure volume. Extra expenses associated with center of excellence designation may not be warranted,” This led me to wonder the question as stated ... monash medical student blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398684 Sat, 25 Apr 2009 01:27:35 +0100 2398684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2367467&cid=t_143976_93_f&fid=36697&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjeffreyleow.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F25%2Fbeing-a-student-at-a-centre-of-excellence-does-it-make-a-difference%2F Following a retrospective cohort study on over 19,000 patients who have had bariatric surgery in the USA in 2005, Dr. Edward H. Livingston concluded the following: “It has been shown that the minimal annual procedure volume required to be designated as a center of excellence [125 cases per year] does not necessarily result in better outcomes, and that the minimum volume requirement is not evidence-based. Most importantly, this volume criterion significantly restricts access for bariatric surgery care,”  “Designation as a bariatric surgery center of excellence does not ensure better outcomes. Neither does high annual procedure volume. Extra expenses associated with center of excellence designation may not be warranted,” This led me to wonder the question as stated ... monash medical student blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2367467 Sat, 25 Apr 2009 01:27:35 +0100 2367467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2356942&cid=t_143976_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fnhs-consultants-secret-pay-rises-brown.html Consultants were busy last week hoping to play their cards right as they filled in their forms to apply for more points. The great and the good were chasing bronze, silver, gold and platinum awards. Points and prizes? What are we talking about? This is what is generally known as "the merit award" system or, to give it its full pompous title, the "clinical excellence awards" as given out by the ACCEA, the Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards. This is the corrupt, scandalous, old-school-tie, old-boy network method that is used to give favoured consultants a back-door pay rise.As Brucie would say, “points make prizes” and there are lots of Brucie bonus prizes available for consultants who do play their cards right. Being male, Anglo-Saxon and working in a main line special... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2356942 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:15:00 +0100 2356942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2086827&cid=t_143976_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F01%2F07%2Fadvisory-committee-on-clinical-excellence-awards-annual-report-covering-the-2008-awards-round%2F The Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards annual report (covering the 2008 awards round) aims to increase the transparency of the Scheme, demonstrate that it operates fairly and explain the evidence that is used to reach recommendations so that the medical profession, employers and the public will be reassured that it is equitable. It analyses the distribution of awards and sets out work that is in hand further develop and refine the scheme and report on the key activities during the year. Posted in Equity, Grey Literature, Medical Staff, NHS, Pay, Quality   Tagged: Clinical excellence Awards, Equity, Grey Literature, Medical Staff, Pay, Quality    (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2086827 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:13:45 +0100 2086827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2011552&cid=t_143976_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F473610926%2F When Bruce Hardy’s kidney cancer spread to his lung, his doctor recommended an expensive new pill from Pfizer. But Hardy is British, and UK health authorities refused to buy the drug. If the Hardys lived in the US or another European country, he would most likely get the drug, although he might have to pay part of the cost, The New York Times writes about the UK controversy over paying for meds. A clinical trial showed the Pfizer pill, called Sutent, delays cancer progression for six months at an estimated treatment cost of $54,000. But at that price, Hardy’s life is not worth prolonging, according to the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which has decided that, except in rare cases, the government can only afford about $22,750 to save six months of a ci... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011552 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:48:07 +0100 2011552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2006400&cid=t_143976_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F471227544%2F A ban on drugs that can give kidney cancer patients many months of extra life is going to be lifted, The Guardian reports. At least two, and possibly all four, of the medicines that had previously been deemed too expensive to prescribe will be approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) early next year. The move is a major victory for campaigners, patients and cancer specialists, who described Nice’s refusal to approve the drugs - which cost up to $100,000 a year per patient - as unfair, inhumane and condemning patients to an unnecessarily early death, the paper writes. Oncologists believe Pfizer’s Sutent, Bayer’s Nexavar, Wyeth’s Torisel and Avastin, sold by Roche and Genentech, could benefit about half of the 7,000 people a year w... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2006400 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:58:02 +0100 2006400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1918201&cid=t_143976_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F434593179%2F Revlimid can extend the lives of patients with an aggressive cancer of the bone marrow by up to three years, but draft guidance from the UK’s National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence has said it is not cost effective and the estimate of three years of extra life was disputed, The Telegraph reports. The med is used to treat Myeloma, an incurable bone marrow cancer that cuts production of red and white blood cells. An estimated 20,000 people in the UK have the disease and each year around 3,800 new cases are diagnosed. The cancer has a high mortality rate, claiming more than 2,400 lives a year. But Revlimid costs $56,400 per patient per year and breaches the cost effectiveness threshold used by NICE more than twice over, the paper writes. Charities are now calling for the... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1918201 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:41:24 +0100 1918201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1863025&cid=t_143976_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F413681568%2F The UK government is pushing for lower initial prices for new drugs and, in return, is saying the National Health Service will pay more later if the meds are proven to offer greater effectiveness, The Financial Times reports. The move is seen by government officials as an answer to whether patients should be allowed to obtain NHS treatment for cancer and other meds that NICE, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, judges to be clinically effective but insufficiently cost-effective for the NHS to pay for, the FT writes. Senior government officials say some drugs will be allowed once a review is completed later this month. But in an attempt to reduce the scale of the problem, weekly negotiations are taking place with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, the trade ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1863025 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:24:08 +0100 1863025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859775&cid=t_143976_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F412744652%2F To get the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to pay for its lung cancer treatment, Roche had to cut the price by about $1,000 in order to bring the cost more in line with Taxotere, an older medication sold by Sanofi-Aventis, Dow Jones tells us. Roche’s offer to cut Tarceva’s price was the latest effort by drugmakers to assuage insurers and health authorities about the high cost of new meds. Last year, J&J’s Janssen-Cilag unit offered to cover the cost of its Velcade cancer med if a patient fails to show adequate process (back story). NICE has stirred controversy with some decisions. Recently, NICE ruled that four drugs used to treat kidney cancer - Roche’s Avastin, Bayer’s Nexavar, Pfizer’s Sutent and Wyeth’s Torise... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859775 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:14:03 +0100 1859775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1786185&cid=t_143976_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F388627599%2F The health-rationing watchdog has come under attack for spending more money on spin than on evaluating drugs which could save patients’ lives, The Daily Mail reports. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which is widely criticized for banning drugs from NHS use over cost, squandered about $9 million on ‘communications’ last year. And this was $2.2 million more than the $6.8 million the controversial organization spent on assessing new meds, the paper writes. The money forked out on press officers, marketing execs and consultants included $50,000 on top public relations firm Weber Shandwick to defend NICE’s ban on Alzheimer’s drugs. It could have paid for 5,000 Alzheimer’s sufferers to get $5-a-day drugs for a year, or funded nearl... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1786185 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:21:47 +0100 1786185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734258&cid=t_143976_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F375157522%2F An unprecedented attack last week on pharmaceutical prices by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence chairman Michael Rawlins, signals a controversial new role for the UK health watchdog in the forthcoming overhaul of drugs pricing, PharmaTimes reports. Rawlins’ comments were in part prompted by the fierce criticism NICE received for failing to approve a batch of new kidney cancer treatments. Some observers, however, say his outspoken attack was prompted by other motives. Joe Collier, an emeritus professor of medicines policy at St George’s, University of London, tells PharmaTimes that Rawlins (pictured above) was “jockeying for a central role in price negotiation” in the forthcoming overhaul of the UK’s Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme. ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734258 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:59:29 +0100 1734258 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1733736&cid=t_143976_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fnhs-meltdown-doctors-withhold.html So now some UK doctors are withholding information from patients about possible cancer treatments due to NHS funding polices. From the story: Cancer patients are being denied information about treatments that could help them live longer by their own doctors, a new survey has disclosed. A quarter of specialists in myeloma, a bone marrow cancer that claims 2,600 lives in the UK each year, admitted keeping their patients in the dark about possible therapies.They believed it was better not to talk about certain treatments not yet approved by the health service's rationing watchdog to avoid raising false hope. Primary care trusts are generally reluctant to pay for drugs not already passed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice).NICE is the Orwellian-named utilitarian... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1733736 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:21:00 +0100 1733736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1714172&cid=t_143976_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F368050480%2F In a scathing critique, the chair of NICE, the UK’s health watchdog, takes pharma to task over ceo pay and marketing costs, which he says prompt drugmakers to overprice their medications. The remarks by Michael Rawlins, who heads the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, came after critics last week accused NICE of ‘barbarism’ for refusing to approve expensive new kidney drugs on the grounds they were not cost effective. Background. In an interview with The Observer, Rawlins warned of ‘perverse incentives’ to hike the prices of new drugs - including linking the pay of pharma ceo’s to stock prices, which in turn relied on keeping profits healthy. “We are told we are being mean all the time, but what nobody mentions is why the drugs... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1714172 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:56:30 +0100 1714172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1546987&cid=t_143976_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F320478251%2F Take Roche. The drugmaker balked at providing the National Institute for Clinical Health and Excellence, or NICE, with cost-effectiveness data for its Avastin cancer med. NICE chairman Michael Rawlins claims Roche “would rather not supply the drug in the UK than risk a negative opinion,” according to The Financial Times. And so NICE has advised the UK National Health Service not to underwrite the med, which is used for first-line lung and breast cancer treatment. But the stand-off is the most high profile instance of growing tensions over the sharply escalating cost of cancer treatments between UK and pharma, which are cutting back on clinical trials in the UK, the FT writes. And Pfizer, Roche and Merck-Serono have all told the paper they have or will reduce the number of patie... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1546987 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:10:59 +0100 1546987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1442696&cid=t_143976_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F05%2Fnhs-meltdown-people-turn-thumbs-down.html A survey of the victims, er ah, the patients served by the NHS in the UK reveals that they know very well how bad things have become. From the story: A big variation in the performance of NHS trusts across England is revealed today in the health inspectorate's annual survey of patients' experiences. In some hospitals more than three-quarters of inpatients said the standard of care was excellent, compared with less than one quarter in others.In the best trusts, staff almost invariably helped frail patients to eat, but in the worst nearly half the people who needed assistance at mealtimes said they did not get it.There was also a wide variation between hospitals in the quality of food, cleanliness, responsiveness to call buttons and the proportion of patients expected to share bathrooms and ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1442696 Wed, 14 May 2008 01:06:00 +0100 1442696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1429289&cid=t_143976_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F286211908%2Fgiving_intelligence_fair_feedb.html   You’ll likely measure our workplace offerings fairly… only if you:1. Look more at evidence of our work … than approaches used to get there.2. Allow for the fact that our brains wire and operate differently from yours.3. Consider multiple intelligences tossed into the mix of our offerings.4. Ask questions that invite genuine solutions or parts of an answer.5. Create more pathways toward creations than trails toward criticisms.6. Expect inventions that could change and improve your workplace world.7. Demonstrate and model the benefits of  tone to the finish line.8. Welcome targets with wings that advance our workplace.9. Capitalize on brainpower based on new research about intelligence.10. Lay out expectations clearly  – with more brain ch... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1429289 Thu, 08 May 2008 17:57:57 +0100 1429289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1413596&cid=t_143976_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F281502191%2F Pharma won a “stunning victory” over the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, or NICE, which a UK Court of Appeal ruled had acted unfairly in refusing to allow Pfizer and Eisai full access to a computer model that was used to assess cost-effectiveness of their Aricept drug for Alzheimer’s, The Times of London reports. NICE had decided that the drug shouldn’t be prescribed on the NHS to patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease, because it wasn’t worth the $5-a-day price tag. But Eisai and Pfizer, which jointly market Aricept, were put at a disadvantage during their appeal because NICE refused access to the data. The ruling doesn’t require NICE to make Aricept more widely available, but the drugmakers will now get full details of the com... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1413596 Thu, 01 May 2008 15:23:08 +0100 1413596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1909208&cid=t_143976_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2F286469499%2Fsurgical-technologists.html Surgical Technologists at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center Surgical technologists, also called surgical technicians, are the unsung heros of the surgical team at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. Patients have little interaction with them except when they are in the operating room. The surgical techs are not easily recognizable behind their surgical masks and during [...] (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1909208 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:44:53 +0100 1909208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1142702&cid=t_143976_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F214579957%2F Patients are getting a poor deal from the NHS because new meds arent being assessed efficiently or fast enough, according to a highly critical report by Members of Parliament, The Telegraph reports. They listed a raft of problems that they said were preventing the efficient workings of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which is responsible for assessing the cost-effectiveness of drugs. The MPs say Nice was trying hard in difficult conditions to decide which drugs were best for use in a health service constrained by limited resources, growing demand and an ever-widening choice of drugs and technologies. But they found serious flaws in its workings, saying its decisions were often not based on empirical evidence nor directly related to the pressures of the NHS... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1142702 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:55:20 +0100 1142702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1101720&cid=t_143976_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F202139949%2F This is part of the drugmaker’s effort to work closely with so-called large customers to find ways to ensure its meds gain approval. In this case, Novartis has made an arrangement with the UK’s medicine advisory agency to jointly design a clinical trial in order to measure cost effectiveness and efficacy of an experimental new drug, according to The Financial Times. Last week, Novartis also disclosed plans to increasingly involve payers in new-drug development by asking for feedback on experimental meds to see what sort of evidence of efficacy and value the payer would need in order to cover the drug. In the US, for instance, this would involve insurers and pharmacy benefit managers. In this deal, the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, or NICE, wi... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1101720 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 11:27:42 +0100 1101720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=830138&cid=t_143976_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F149791867%2F5_opposites_of_jealousy_in_pro.html Observe any workplace where human brains amount to higher profits and you’ll see 5 opposites to jealously that holds lesser firms back. The opposite of jealously in winning workplaces shows you … 1. Strengths rising up from every rank – so that all teach and all learn daily. 2. Talents alive and well so that new organizational developments occur often.3. Excellence rewarded with evidence most employees world support.4. Solutions replacing problems in ways that create new improved processes. 5. Diversity balance in all leadership areas where top decisions are made. To use less brainpower at work is really an invitation for workers to feel jealous of talented people there.  To use more talent is to draw from wider mix of human intelligences through strength, talent, e... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=830138 Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:12:06 +0100 830138