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 'general hospital'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:06:48 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159312&cid=t_353605_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fsharp-focus-roundup I've been thinking about the Strategic Health IT Advance Research Projects (SHARP) Program lately and plan to give an update soon on some of the progress being made. SHARP has four major efforts underway at major collaborative efforts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Texas at Houston, Harvard University, the Mayo Clinic of Medicine, and Massachusetts General Hospital. The websites for each of these projects are: read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159312 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:27:50 +0100 5159312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029207&cid=t_353605_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FmeIeLnrcOiY%2F Earlier this month, three prominent psychiatrists from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital were sanctioned for violating conflict of interest rules. The trio received grant money from various drugmakers while studying their meds, but failed to report some of the outside income to the institutions while also receiving grants from the National Institutes of Health (see this). The move followed a long-running controversy over the interplay between academia and pharma, which was prompted by a high-profile US Senate Finance Committee probe over concerns that such undisclosed relationships may unduly influence medical research and practice. For their sins, the trio issued a mea culpa. The most prominent among them is Joseph Biederman, a psychiatrist with a national profile ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029207 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:36:22 +0100 5029207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992989&cid=t_353605_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fl9r_qs2CrEo%2F Three years after they were fingered in a US Senate probe into the interplay between academics who receive grant money from both pharma and the National Institutes of Health, three prominent psychiatrists from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital have been sanctioned for violating conflict of interest rules and failing to report the extent of their payments. In a mea culpa addressed to their colleagues, Joseph Biederman, Thomas Spencer and Timothy Wilens wrote that “we want to offer our sincere apologies to HMS and MGH communities…We always believed we were complying in good faith with the institutional polices and our mistakes were honest ones. We now recognize that we should have devoted more time and attention to the detailed requirements of these polici... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992989 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 14:04:29 +0100 4992989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975793&cid=t_353605_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fbabys-death-spotlights-safety-risks.html Two tragic cases.Case #1. See Baby's death spotlights safety risks linked to computerized systems by Judith Graham and Cynthia Dizikes in the Chicago Tribune.A baby died at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital due to an intravenous solution containing a massive overdose of sodium chloride — more than 60 times the amount ordered by the physician. The authors write:Although a series of other errors contributed to the tragedy, its origin — a piece of data entered inaccurately into a computer program — throws a spotlight on safety risks associated with medicine's advance into the information age, a trend being pushed aggressively under health reform.One wonders - what happened to the alerting features, for the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars the hospital spent on health IT?I've als... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975793 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:26:00 +0100 4975793 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968489&cid=t_353605_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffda-approved-drugs-are-not-always-effective-the-benefits-of-alternative-medicine%2F2011.06.25 On Saturday, while thousands of Boston Bruins fans gathered at Government Center to celebrate the team’s recent Stanley Cup victory, a hundred or so true die-hards met a few blocks away at a Massachusetts General Hospital conference to talk about complementary and alternative medicine for psychiatric disorders. While I hated to miss the Bruins parade, I’m glad I attended the MGH conference. I’ve always been a bit of a skeptic about so-called natural therapies for one simple reason: they don’t have to go through the same rigorous testing in clinical trials that medications do. At the same time, I realize that FDA-approved drugs don’t work for everyone. One in three adults with major depression, for example, can’t completely improve their mood and other symptoms even after trying... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968489 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:00:31 +0100 4968489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902368&cid=t_353605_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fdrug-shown-prevent-breast-cancer%2F A recent study, published by Dr. Paul Goss of Massachusetts General Hospital, has shown that taking the currently available drug Aromasin (exemestane) prevented the onset of cancer by 65% in study participants. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902368 Sun, 05 Jun 2011 12:47:27 +0100 4902368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642915&cid=t_353605_136_f&fid=36162&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myelomablog.com%2F2011%2F03%2F27%2Fferraro-developed-pneumonia%2F This is from the AP. Other reports mentioned only “complications,” which we now know to be pneumonia. It’s very common for myeloma patients to develop pneumonia. Ferraro died at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she had gone Monday for a procedure to relieve back pain caused by a fracture. Such fractures are common in people with her type of blood cancer, multiple myeloma, because of the thinning of their bones, said Dr. Noopur Raje, the Mass General doctor who treated her. Ferraro, however, developed pneumonia, which made it impossible to perform the procedure, and it soon became clear she didn’t have long to live, Raje said. Since she was too ill to return to New York, her family went to Boston. Raje said it seemed Ferraro held out until her husband and three ... beth's myeloma blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642915 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 13:20:46 +0100 4642915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4554587&cid=t_353605_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fdr-chad-gordon-develops-patientdoctor-communications-app%2F Prominent plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Chad Gordon has developed a new electronic, HIPAA-compliant physician-patient communication tool dubbed MDconnectME. Gordon is now on staff at Massachusetts General Hospital. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4554587 Sun, 06 Mar 2011 14:37:47 +0100 4554587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4545166&cid=t_353605_136_f&fid=39027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancerlifeandme.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fbusting-out%2F Well… last night was restful. I went to bed at midnight, and slept calmly. Until 3am, at least. That’s when my bedside neighbor arrived. A poor old fogie, with tubes and pipes coming out of him from almost every opening he has. For me, this meant my sleep ended. The old man was obviously in much worse Continue reading Busting out (Source: Cancer, life, and me) Cancer, life, and me blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4545166 Sat, 05 Feb 2011 20:22:51 +0100 4545166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419138&cid=t_353605_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmeditation-how-it-may-change-the-brain%2F2011.01.31 Meditation sounds like a great idea from the perspective of a psychiatrist: Anything that calms and focuses the mind is a good thing (and without pharmaceuticals, even better). Personally, I tried transcendental meditation as a kid (more to do with my mother than with me) and found it to be boring. I have trouble keeping my thoughts still. They wander to what I want for dinner, and should I write about this on Shrink Rap, and will Clink and Victor ever eat crabcakes with me again, and did I remember to give my last patient informed consent, and a zillion other things. Holding my thoughts still is work. The New York Times Well blog has an article on meditation and brain changes. In “How Meditation May Change the Brain,” Sindya N. Bhanoo writes: The researchers report that those ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419138 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:00:00 +0100 4419138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399523&cid=t_353605_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fprevention-magazine-pushes-non-evidence-based-heart-screening%2F2011.01.26 The February issue of Prevention magazine has an article entitled “Surprising Faces of Heart Attack” profiling “three women (who) didn’t think they were at high risk. Their stories are proof that you could be in danger without even knowing it.” No, their stories are not proof of that. The story is about three women in their 40s. The story varyingly states that the three should have had the following screening tests: – Advanced cholesterol test, carotid intimal medial thickness test ( CIMT) – Advanced cholesterol test and stress echocardiography – Cardiac calcium scoring and CIMT  There’s an accompanying piece: ”7 Tests You’re Not Having That Could Save Your Life.” I asked one of our HealthNewsReview.org medical edit... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399523 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:00:11 +0100 4399523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309820&cid=t_353605_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F04%2Flab-on-a-chip-veridex-mgh-collaborate-on-next-generation-circulating-tumor-cell-test%2F Veridex, LLC announces a collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital to develop and commercialize a next-generation circulating tumor cell technology for capturing, counting and characterizing tumor cells found in patients’ blood. Yesterday, Veridex, LLC (Veridex) announced a collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to develop and commercialize a next-generation circulating tumor cell (CTC) technology for capturing, counting and characterizing tumor [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309820 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:52:21 +0100 4309820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309542&cid=t_353605_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fblood-test-developed-detect-cancer%2F Massachusetts General Hospital and the Veridex subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson are developing a new blood test that might be able to detect a single cancer cell in a person’s body. The hope is to have the test available for general population use within five years. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309542 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:33:05 +0100 4309542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4305106&cid=t_353605_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FIFTJm_-1GXw%2F Hello, everyone. Nice to see you again. We hope you had a pleasant respite and feel refreshed after the holiday break. Now, of course, the time has come to resume the routine, which means gearing up for those meetings and deadlines. As always, we have gathered a few items to help you along. Meanwhile, please join us for a much-needed cup of stimulation. Hope your day goes well… Inspire Pharma’s Cystic Fibrosis Drug Fails (Reuters) Elder Pharma Gets Japanese Approval For API Facility (Business Standard) J&J And MassGen Strike Deal For Testing Cancer Cells (Boston Globe) UK’s NICE May Back Avastin For Macular Degeneration (The Guardian) Roche Buys Marcadia And Its Obesity Compounds (BioWorld Today) Indian Pharmas Had Most ANDA Approvals (Business Standard) AstraZeneca&... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4305106 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:02:30 +0100 4305106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4155198&cid=t_353605_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fsurgeon-dr-david-ring-public-performing-wrongsite-surgery%2F Surgeon Dr. David C. Ring has published a 7 page description of his medical error in performing wrong-site surgery on a woman at Massachusetts General Hospital. Despite his public apology, waiving of all fees, and performing the correct surgery the patient, who is Spanish-speaking only, has said through her son that she has lost all confidence in Dr. Ring. Although several non-surgeon physician safety experts have applauded Dr. Ring’s admission, it is unclear at this time whether a malpractice suit will be filed over the incident. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4155198 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 03:21:34 +0100 4155198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889149&cid=t_353605_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fwhat-to-do-if-you-feel-your-doctor-is.html The feeling of helplessness is never stronger than when you’re ill or incapacitated by disease –you are physically challenged and short of energy, not to mention the fact that you’re unable to go about your daily routine as usual. You depend on your doctor or healthcare practitioner to provide a solution, both temporary (to eliminate the symptoms) and permanent (to get you back to normal). However, if you feel your doctor is incompetent and less than efficient, the feeling of inadequacy is compounded a hundred times or more.Some doctors are incompetent because they may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol; others may just be preoccupied with their own problems instead of paying attention to you and your illness; and yet others are just not capable enough. If you feel your docto... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889149 Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:47:00 +0100 3889149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3632319&cid=t_353605_109_f&fid=38951&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarlatpsychiatry.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fmass-general-hospital-provides-great.html This is a brief note to respond to some understandable misinterpretations of both my New York Times Magazine article and my book, Unhinged.My psychotherapy training at Mass General Hospital was excellent. As two young faculty members wrote in a recent letter to the Times in response to my article, MGH's psychiatry residency includes "three years of intensive, individual supervision in psychotherapy." That was true in the early 1990s as well. I saw a lot of therapy patients and received great supervision from such skilled psychiatrists/psychotherapists as Robert Abernathy, Paul Hamburg, Chris Gordon, and many others. Not to mention superlative psychopharmacology supervision from such consummate clinicians as Andrew Nierenberg and Carey Gross.I also agree with Drs. Roffman and Levy (the auth... The Carlat Psychiatry Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3632319 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:14:00 +0100 3632319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3614492&cid=t_353605_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fscottish-scottish-medical-authorities-concerned-retained-foreign-bodies-surgery%2F Using a freedom of information filing, the Press Association in Scotland has uncovered a significant number of patients who had surgical instruments and other foreign bodies left in them during surgery. A partial list of the hospitals involved include Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Southern General Hospital, Stobhill Hospital, Victoria Infirmary, and Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3614492 Mon, 31 May 2010 03:56:05 +0100 3614492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560174&cid=t_353605_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fmore-fat-bigots-in-leader-of.html I am amplifying a post by Roy Poses entitled "Why Pretend An Advertising Executive and Chamber of Commerce Leader Are Public Health Experts?".In that post, Dr. Poses noted a lack of relevant professional credentials in executives making profoundly misinformed and indeed cruel statements about the obese:Obesity as a public health problem has been the subject of considerable discussion. So that luminaries from the prestigious Partners Healthcare system and Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield would weigh in on the issue at a public meeting should surprise no one. But see this report by the Boston Herald:When asked about rising health-care costs, Jack Connors - chairman of the Partners chain, which includes Mass. General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals - said yesterday, 'Taking care of yo... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560174 Wed, 12 May 2010 11:54:00 +0100 3560174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556036&cid=t_353605_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fmore-fat-bigots-in-leader-of.html I am amplifying a post by Roy Poses entitled "Why Pretend An Advertising Executive and Chamber of Commerce Leader Are Public Health Experts?".In that post, Dr. Poses noted a lack of relevant professional credentials in executives making profoundly misinformed and indeed cruel statements about the obese:Obesity as a public health problem has been the subject of considerable discussion. So that luminaries from the prestigious Partners Healthcare system and Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield would weigh in on the issue at a public meeting should surprise no one. But see this report by the Boston Herald:When asked about rising health-care costs, Jack Connors - chairman of the Partners chain, which includes Mass. General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals - said yesterday, 'Taking care of yo... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556036 Wed, 12 May 2010 11:54:00 +0100 3556036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3448958&cid=t_353605_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Ftop-5-hipaa-5010-icd-10-hurdles It's no secret that the government mandated dynamic duo - that being HIPAA 5010 and ICD-10 - requires changes enormous in both number and scope. What's not as well understood is all the challenges they present. HIPAA 5010 carries at least 1331 modifications spanning all 9 standard electronic transactions, while ICD-10 adds five times as many codes. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3448958 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:17:47 +0100 3448958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3111373&cid=t_353605_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F12%2Fspun-silly-academic-medical-center.html Over the weekend, the New York Times reported on how prestigious academic medical centers advertise cancer care.  Here are some examples,Prostate Cancer Surgery at Mount SinaiA print advertisement for prostate cancer surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan is typical of the way many elite research and teaching hospitals sell hope to the public. 'Our newest prostate specialist, Dr. David Samadi, has pioneered a minimally invasive approach that allows him to retain the highest cancer cure rates with the lowest risk of side effects,' says the ad.Highest cure rates. Lowest risk. What evidence does the medical center have to back up such superlatives?The ad’s claims are based on the successful results of Dr. Samadi’s operations and testimonials from his patients, said Jane Z... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3111373 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:49:00 +0100 3111373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012477&cid=t_353605_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fstudy-shows-ehrs-make-little-difference-cost-quality (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012477 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:42:32 +0100 3012477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2727354&cid=t_353605_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FdyVQIWg1i1g%2F Adult autism is bound to become a huge topic in coming years, and several institutions are moving to anticipate the need. Massachusetts General Hospital is creating a program to provide specialized medical care to adults with autism. The hospital expects to receive $29 million to help add “a major adult component to its pediatric autism program,” allowing the the hospital to expand services for children with autism. The hospital notes, not that many parents of the adult autistic needed to hear it, that some doctors are hesitant or unsure how to talk to and examine adult autistic patients. *   *    * Photo courtesy of gadgetdude (flickr.com) Arizona State University has added a master’s program in special education. Officials at the school claim that one of the motiv... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2727354 Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:58:06 +0100 2727354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398872&cid=t_353605_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhealth-it-stimulus-and-fqhcs-dont-forget-about-us There is a critical element in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that targets funds for Federally-Qualified Community Health Centers (FQHCs).  (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398872 Fri, 08 May 2009 15:48:31 +0100 2398872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2268016&cid=t_353605_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F14%2Fmassachusetts-general-hospital-cancer-center-to-genetically-profile-all-patient-tumors%2F “The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center has recently opened a new Translational Research Laboratory that will uncover the genetic codes and gene mutations from almost all of its cancer patients. … By embarking on such an ambitious approach, Cancer Center pathologists and oncologists hope to gather specific information about tumor properties that will lead to [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2268016 Sun, 15 Mar 2009 02:59:44 +0100 2268016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2101768&cid=t_353605_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F509873499%2F "Fortunately, our field has moved beyond partisan, and sometimes political, preference and now asks, What treatment is most effective for which patients in what context?" - Raymon A. Levy and J. Stuart Ablon, clinical director and director of the psychotherapy research program in the department of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. Yesterday's New York Times Book Review included some Letters to the Editor that were even better that the original book review of American Therapy. We are seeing a growing number of research-based tools and techniques (including cognitive therapy, reviewed in the article) to measure and help maintain cognitive and emotional health, both technology-based and technology-free. Now, none of them is a general solution (in the same way that no sin... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2101768 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:06:33 +0100 2101768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2065452&cid=t_353605_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FUajFO5533U8%2F   The research on lung transplants being developed in Toronto CA. is one of the most exciting developments in transplant research in years. Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, and his colleagues at the Toronto General Hospital created a bubble to place damaged lungs in. The lungs can keep breathing for 12 to 18 hours at normal body temperature. The older method of working on the lungs, while they were still in the body  had to be completed within 6 hours, or the lungs would die. The new method also gives hope for patients waiting for transplants such as livers, kidneys or heart. Currently, only 10 to 15 per cent of donated lungs are suitable for transplants. Keshavjee estimated the new technique could allow up to 60 per cent of lungs to be repaired and used. The world’s first successful... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2065452 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:34:52 +0100 2065452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021725&cid=t_353605_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F478854343%2F The Boston psychiatrist, who is being investigated by the US Senate Finance Committee for allegedly failing to fully disclose payments from drugmakers, defended himself against conflict-of-interest charges in a letter to The Boston Globe. Biederman was responding to reports that newly disclosed court documents indicated he sought funds from Johnson & Johnson to create an institute at Massachusetts General Hospital would help promote the use of antipsychotic drugs for youngsters diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the paper writes (back story here and here). In one internal 2002 e-mail, execs at J&J’s Janssen Pharmaceutica, which sells Risperdal, discuss Biederman’s repeated proposals for the drugmaker to help fund a center on pediatric bipolar disorder. “The ratio... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021725 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:20:35 +0100 2021725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996248&cid=t_353605_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fwhat-me-worry-academic-leaders.html A few weeks ago, the Boston Globe published an investigative report on differences in reimbursements insurers and managed care organizations provide to different hospitals and hospital systems. One major bullet point was that the Partners HealthCare system, whose flagship hospitals include the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Brigham and Womens Hospital, received higher reimbursement rates than other well-known hospital and health care systems. A second was by some measures of quality, the major Partners teaching hospitals did not do better than other Boston hospitals.In the resulting debate in the blogsphere (for example, see these posts and accompanying comments, on the Running a Hospital blog, and on the Movin' Meat blog,) some argued perhaps Partners really did deserve the extra ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996248 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:38:00 +0100 1996248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=936754&cid=t_353605_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F10%2F9%2Fsorry-theres-no-room-at-the-inn-in-other-words-we-are-not-ta.html Margaret Cary, MD MBA MPHRecently a friend mentioned that her sister had just moved to Boston, was looking for a doctor and asked for a recommendation."Let me contact my friend. He is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and at MIT. I bet he will know the best doctors."Just like old times, right? When you need medical care, you ask a local doctor you trust.His answer? "Big problem.""There are no PCPs (primary care physicians) taking new patients at either MGH (Massachusetts General Hospital) or BWH (Boston Women’s Hospital). It is virtually impossible for someone to choose his internist anymore. Everyone's practice is closed. You can go to a practice where a junior person will be building up a panel. Those practices are either institution based, e.g., Hea... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=936754 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 02:00:19 +0100 936754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=835505&cid=t_353605_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Famerican-cancer-societys-effort-could.html Can the American Cancer Society's marketing efforts benefit people with diabetes? We may find out next year. In what was arguably one of the biggest news stories in the nonprofit arena recently, The New York Times is reporting that next year, the American Cancer Society announced plans to devote its entire $15 million advertising budget to the consequences of inadequate health coverage.Two 60-second television commercials that form the bulk of the campaign make that point readily apparent. One features images of uninsured cancer patients, appearing hollow and fearful. "This is what a health care crisis looks like to the American Cancer Society," the narrator begins. "We're making progress, but it's not enough if people don’t have access to the care that could save their lives."While its ... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=835505 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:30:00 +0100 835505