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 'global'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:51:21 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181798&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-features-of-a-bundled-payment-for-care-improvement-project%2F2011.09.01 Many health care provider organizations have not been overly eager to jump onto the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) bandwagon, citing high startup costs and uncertain returns on investment given the complexity of the program.  Well, recently, the CMS Center for Innovation has announced the Bundled Payment for Care Improvement initiative.  This initiative incorporates elements of earlier CMS demonstration projects — the gainsharing demos and ACE (acute care episode) bundled payments demonstrations which the HealthBlawger has helped a number of clients around the country qualify for in the past — and builds on the broad authority granted to the CMS Center for Innovation under health reform. The advantages to proceeding with a Bundled Payment for Care Improvement project inc... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181798 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 21:00:08 +0100 5181798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159833&cid=t_101571_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FSUw2xkpf29g%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is our regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Astellas US named Percival Barretto-Ko as senior vp of corporate strategy and government affairs. Before that, he was executive director, corporate strategy and communications at Astellas Pharma Europe. Prior to joining Astellas, he held senior... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159833 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:11:26 +0100 5159833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130741&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FUsPPCVyvHnQ%2F The following is a guest post by WomanCare Global CEO Saundra Pelletier. Besides serving as the founding CEO of WomanCare Global, Saundra is an international marketing expert, published author, keynote speaker and executive coach. By Saundra Pelletier. In 1965, Griswold v. Connecticut gave a married woman the right to use birth control to prevent or delay pregnancy as she saw fit. This guarantee of a basic human right led to other reforms that allowed millions more American women to decide the direction of their own reproductive lives.  This summer, we are proud to see another key reform go through: starting next year, the Affordable Care Act will allow even more women in the United States to be in charge of their own health by requiring new health plans to provide free birth control with... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130741 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:10:30 +0100 5130741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118594&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2Fu-s-abortion-restrictions-on-humanitarian-aid-violate-geneva-convention-campaign-underway-to-petition-president-obama Guest post by Sarah Morison It was not until I started working at the Global Justice Center that I learned that due to U.S. policy (not law, policy), it is almost impossible for a victim of war rape who becomes impregnated to have the option of abortion. That is because all humanitarian aid that the United States gives in areas of armed conflict to either governments or humanitarian organizations contains a blanket prohibition on any monies being used to provide abortions — or even information about abortion. Yet under the Geneva Conventions, to which the United States has been a party for over 60 years, “wounded and sick” civilian victims of armed conflict are absolutely guaranteed the right to “comprehensive and non-discriminatory” medical care. The Global ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118594 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:39:37 +0100 5118594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107508&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FrhiqkVxpRhI%2F Women for a Healthy Future Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), commonly known as chronic diseases, cause two out of three deaths worldwide, and are the leading cause of death for women around the world. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tackle NCDs, considered to be one of the 21st century’s greatest health and development challenges. In September, world leaders will gather at the United Nations (UN) for a historic summit on NCDs. The decisions they make will impact the lives of millions. NCDs threaten women’s lives and our children’s future. Yet, we know that 80% of cardiovascular disease and diabetes and 40% of cancers can be prevented by avoiding tobacco, increasing physical activity and eating healthy foods. It’s going to take strong commitments from th... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107508 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:28:40 +0100 5107508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096209&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Feven-with-insurance-childbirth-is-an-expensive-undertaking%2F2011.08.03 Childbirth hospital costs these days aren’t cheap. Some studies suggest the cost of raising a child exceeds $200,000, not including education expenses.   Most insurance companies charge women of childbearing age more for their insurance because the actuarial tables say so.  Mrs  Happy and I now have a 3 month old Zachary in our wings.  He is a cute little peanut.  His two brothers, Marty and Cooper adore him. Forty-two days after his April 21st, 2011 delivery, we still had not received our explanation of benefits from Blue Cross Blue Shield for the midwife charge.  I had previously received a statement from them saying the charge was under review.  Perhaps they believed that delivering Zachary was not medically necessary.  I can’t explain it. When I called to ask them w... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096209 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:00:00 +0100 5096209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086114&cid=t_101571_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F31%2Fsunday-news-round-up-attack-kitty-edition%2F I haven’t done one of these in a while, having been distracted by the heat, the carless situation, dad’s cancer, mom’s hip replacement re-replacement, work, leveling my first character in Warcraft (now a level 71 undead frost mage – I don’t want to duel you!), and life in general. Tonight, though, I’m at my parents’ house (sitting with mom after said re-replacement), in a town with <30 thousand people that gets really, truly dark at night, World of Warcraft won't run on this computer, and I think I've reached the end of the internet. Might as well do something. The FDA has issued a warning not to use emergency contraception labeled as Evital. The agency says, These products may be counterfeit versions of the “morning after pill” ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086114 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:40:55 +0100 5086114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050563&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FYB3H-7Y6N_Y%2F By Archelle Georgiou. “So, how was China?” We recently returned from China and Vietnam and have been asked this question many times by curious friends, family, and colleagues.  Recognizing that we live in a world of soundbites and that no one really wants to hear every detail about our fourteen day trip, I’ve responded by focusing on the experiences and observations that had a lasting impact on how I think.  There were three: one is personal, one is political, and one is professional. Personal: While “Made in China” is present on everything from chatchkas to clothing labels to housewares, and although China’s thriving economy is a frequent topic in the business world…I simply wasn’t expecting to see their ultra-modern infrastructure.  I w... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050563 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:15:31 +0100 5050563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050513&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FcqXOz0DR0kw%2F PBM Deal: Express Scripts announced it will buy rival pharmacy-benefit manager Medco Health Solutions for $29.1 billion in cash and stock, or $71.36 per share — a 28% premium to yesterday’s closing price –the WSJ reports. Express Scripts CEO George Paz will lead the combined company, which will be based in St. Louis, the paper says. Genetics of Infertility: A study published in Science Translational Medicine finds men with two flawed copies of a certain gene can’t make a sperm-coating protein that seems to play a role in fertility, the New York Times reports. Researchers say it’s too early to tell whether, or to what degree, the common defect delays or prevents couples from conceiving, the paper says. More Earnings: Pharma earnings continue to roll in, with Ro... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050513 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:23:32 +0100 5050513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008449&cid=t_101571_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fq6v6sBUFKL4%2F Thinking globally to improve mental health: NIH announces international research initiative (press release): - “The Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health Initiative, led by the National Institutes of Health and the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, has identified the top 40 barriers to better mental health around the world. Similar to past grand challenges, which focused on infectious diseases and chronic, noncommunicable diseases, this initiative seeks to build a community of funders dedicated to supporting research that will significantly improve the lives of people living with MNS disorders within the next 10 years.“ – “Participating in global mental health research is an enormous opportunity, a means to accelerate advances in mental health care for the diverse U.S. popul... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008449 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:53:39 +0100 5008449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008117&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2Fquick-hits-un-report-on-justice-for-women-a-new-maternity-blog-and-more From dorms at USF to justice for women around the world, here are a few items of interest: The United Nations’s UN Women group released a report, “Progress of the World’s Women: In Pursuit of Justice,” which looks at the legal rights of women around the world, barriers to accessing and navigating the justice system, and the impact of war/conflict on women, among other issues. It also includes ten recommendations for making justice systems work for women. The University of South Florida has begun offering students gender-neutral housing options in response to a transgender student who reported hostility and harassment in campus housing. The school is going to offer several housing options and allow students to indicate male, female, or transitioning on their campus housing appli... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008117 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:49:01 +0100 5008117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008200&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-massachusetts-experiment-analyzed-provider-payments-based-on-their-negotiating-strength-not-quality-of-care%2F2011.07.06 Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley released her office’s second annual report, An Examination of Health Care Cost Trends and Drivers (PDF; see also press release), which contains a wealth of critical data analysis — and also highlights how little we know about certain things — providing some important context for the discussion of the proposed Part III of Massachusetts health reform, a bill filed by Governor Patrick which would create all-payor ACOs and a system of global payments. At this late date, few would argue against a move a way from fee-for-service reimbursement for health care, or adding quality metrics to the mix, and tying financial rewards to providers to their performance measured against these metrics.  (Consider the Massachusetts Blue Cross Blu... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008200 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 23:00:08 +0100 5008200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008119&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2Ftonight-the-consequences-of-choosing-boys-over-girls Boston area readers may be interested in an event happening tonight at the Cambridge Hospital: Mara Hvistendahl, author of “Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls and the Consequences of a World Full of Men” will be speaking about her new book. Mara will be joined by OBOS executive director Judy Norsigian, who will be highlighting some of the reproductive rights-related work of OBOS’ global partners and speaking about the forthcoming edition of “Our Bodies, Ourselves.” The event begins at 8 p.m. and will take place at the Learning Center A/B on the 3rd floor of The Cambridge Hospital, 1493 Cambridge Street. Hope to see some of you there! (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008119 Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:21:26 +0100 5008119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984688&cid=t_101571_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F00EJHTbmsSw%2F Three years after the FDA linked the Heparin scandal to contaminated supplies from China, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is expanding a probe into the episode and wrote 10 drugmakers, manufacturer reps and ingredients suppliers for documents, because the agency has indicated they have info about the Chinese heparin industry and supply chains. The move comes after the committee has twice lashed out at the FDA for failing to find those responsible for the scandal, which was linked to 81 deaths in 2007 and 2008 and traced to heparin sold by Baxter International (back story). The fatalities provoked harsh criticism of the FDA for not conducting greater oversight of foreign facilities - particularly those in China that make medicines or supply active pharmaceutical ingredients. Baxter... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984688 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:55:31 +0100 4984688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968761&cid=t_101571_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FT0Ftzoyx8Z8%2F As soda and potato chips spread through the world, so does diabetes. An international study published today in The Lancet found that as of 2008, 347 million adults have diabetes; far more than previously thought (other studies have placed estimates around 285 million), and more than double the number of adults with diabetes in 1980. The study, which was funded by the World Health Organization and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, also found that average blood pressure and cholesterol levels actually dropped during the same time period, things that researchers say would actually be much easier to manage than diabetes. In 1980, data indicates that 153 million adults had diabetes; today’s numbers indicate a global epidemic. While they attribute 70% of the rise in diabetes rates to ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968761 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 15:33:31 +0100 4968761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960062&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FY5B4F8flwpk%2F By Lois Privor-Dumm. We’ve heard the anecdote that you can find Coke in just about any village in Africa, but not always essential medicines.  Is that really true?  Well, our team at the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at Johns Hopkins set out to find out.  It’s actually not as easy as you might think to test the hypothesis, as Hopkins PhD candidate Kyla Hayford found out.  We did, however, get enough data to say comfortably that the anecdote is true as you will find in our new IVAC report, Improving Access of Essential Medicines through Public-Private Partnerships. Photo credit: Tielman Nieuwoudt First, we found an astonishing lack of available data about stock outs, wastage and other measures that indicate whether essential medicines are available.  Our report compare... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960062 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:26:42 +0100 4960062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952778&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FZRXlyIX7UPk%2F What are the biggest perceived sources of wasted health-care spending? Like opinions of Jerry Lewis’s movies and David Hasselhoff’s singing ability, answers vary by country — at least according to Deloitte’s latest survey of health-care consumers in different nations. The overall survey covered 15,735 consumers in a dozen countries. People in ten countries (all but Brazil and China) were asked about sources of waste. Most Canadians and UK-ers say the top dollar/pound-waster is lack of responsibility by individuals for their own health. Consumers in the U.S. and six other countries put redundant paperwork at the top of the list. Those two options were also cited by most countries as the second-most wasteful source of spending — except that Belgians ranked unnec... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952778 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:24:00 +0100 4952778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953347&cid=t_101571_147_f&fid=39266&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCreationInteractive%2F%7E3%2F0XnTvwegfbM%2F In recent years, global digital engagement strategies have become critical for pharmaceutical companies operating all around the world. Global strategies need to fit each company’s culture, vision and purpose as well as their specific brands’ characteristics. And whilst digital channels have changed much about the dynamics of communication, digital engagement must be aligned with how the company already interacts with their stakeholders and its overall brand values. Local insights for global success Global strategies mean global challenges. I will not cover all of them in this article but I will take a brief look at two keys: language and culture. To make sure that your global strategy will successfully connect with local markets, you need to understand both the culture of these market... Creation Interactive blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953347 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:42:34 +0100 4953347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952782&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FOM9kp_wLMG0%2F Border and port inspections alone aren’t sufficient to make sure the imported food and drugs consumed by U.S. residents are safe. That’s the word from the FDA, which today laid out a plan to monitor the rising tide of goods from abroad. It includes planned partnerships with counterpart regulators in other countries and better data-sharing between those regulators. The scope and scale of food and drug imports has increased dramatically, growing to 24 million shipments to the U.S. this year from 6 million shipments a decade ago, the report says. Imports of FDA-regulated products are growing at an estimated 15% annual rate. The agency has stepped up overseas inspections — there are now three FDA locations in China, for example — formed some alliances with other regulat... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952782 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:34:59 +0100 4952782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952803&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbC4DuEg6ftg%2F By Ilya ShapiroIn the important global warming case decided today, American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court unanimously reached the correct result but one that still leaves room for plenty of mischievous litigation.  While it’s clearly true that, as the Court said, the Clean Air Act and the EPA exist to deal with the claims the plaintiffs made here—that the defendants’ carbon dioxide emissions are pollutants that cause global warming—the Court left open the possibility of claims on state common-law grounds such as nuisance.  And it unfortunately said nothing about whether any such disputes, whether challenging EPA action or suing under state law, are properly “cases and controversies” ripe for judicial resolution. The judiciary was not meant to be the sol... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952803 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:58:18 +0100 4952803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934148&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FlOT_ePtRBng%2F This article is a perfect example of why he is our Man of the Month for June. Broadening Our Global Health Vision Over the past few decades, global health research has primarily focused on the “big three” diseases: AIDS, TB and malaria. And, thanks in large part to biomedical innovation, we today have better ways to treat these dreaded, infectious diseases and lower the risk of transmission — advances that have saved millions of lives and promise to save countless more. However, the job of biomedical research is far from over. Given the changing nature of the global health landscape, we must act now to broaden our vision even further. First, we need to apply the power of scientific innovation to more health problems. Secondly, we need to recognize that developed nations a... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934148 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:21:26 +0100 4934148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934302&cid=t_101571_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=4934090&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F-7i9wcCMThs%2F How does U.S. life expectancy stack up against that of other countries? If you’re a woman living in Collier County, Fla., you’re doing pretty well, statistically speaking. According to a new study from researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and Imperial College London, girls born in 2007 can expect to live to about 86 — better than in France, Spain and Switzerland, among other countries. Men in Fairfax County, Va., are also sitting fairly pretty, with a 2007 life expectancy at birth of 81.1 years, better than their counterparts in Japan and Australia. In general, residents of the northern Plains states, Eastern seaboard and Pacific coast live longer than average. Go south, though, and life expectancies tend to do th... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934090 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:23:38 +0100 4934090 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934091&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FjuDL-L6LwsI%2F Cookie Plant Warning: The FDA says it found potentially harmful bacteria and unsanitary conditions at a Kellogg plant in Augusta, Ga., including pooling water and flies near surfaces that come into contact with food, the WSJ reports. The FDA said that while cookies made in the plant may not support the growth of the listeria bacteria, conditions “demonstrate a failure of cleaning and sanitation operations that may allow for contamination of foods with filth or pathogens.” Kellogg tells the WSJ it is taking “aggressive actions” to fix the problems and that the company has “confidence in the safety of our food.” FDA Warns Philips: The FDA has also issued a warning letter to Royal Philips Electronics, saying inspectors found process violations at a plant in... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934091 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:40:26 +0100 4934091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934149&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FsAVKosrZ1Iw%2F By Jane Sarasohn-Kahn. Over 85% of the world’s population is covered by wireless phone signals. The global proliferation of wireless phones provides a technology platform to move health services to people — broadly referred to as ”mobile health” or “mhealth.” mHealth: New Horizons for health through mobile technologies, the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) second report on mobile health, summarizes a survey of mobile health developments around the world, published in June 2011 based on survey data from 2009 collected in 114 nations. WHO learned that mHealth is most easily deployed into health applications where voice communication via traditional phone networks has been used. Thus, in important applications like surveillance and decision support, mHealth is less like... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934149 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:28:24 +0100 4934149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934074&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F14%2Fthe-decade-of-vaccines-promise-and-challenge%2F Vaccinating children around the world against infectious diseases has saved the lives of millions over the past several decades. Now new opportunities exist to overcome remaining challenges, according to articles in the June 2011 issue of Health Affairs, Strategies For The Global ‘Decade Of Vaccines, published June 9. The new Health Affairs volume explores the [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934074 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:31:17 +0100 4934074 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921371&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F09%2Fin-new-health-affairs-measuring-the-benefits-of-boosting-childhood-vaccines%2F Two new studies published today in the June issue of Health Affairs project huge benefits from a major ramp-up of vaccine development and delivery over the next 10 years in 72 countries. The studies, both from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, find that boosting vaccine coverage could prevent the deaths of 6.4 million children, [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921371 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 11:12:44 +0100 4921371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911439&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F08%2Fha-vaccine-briefing-tomorrow-available-live-on-web%2F Tomorrow, Thursday June 9, at 8:30 AM at the W Hotel in Washington DC, Health Affairs will hold a briefing in conjunction with the release of its June 2011 issue, “Strategies For The ’Decade of Vaccines.’” A complete line-up of speakers and other details are available here. If you want to attend the briefing, you can RSVP [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911439 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:17:12 +0100 4911439 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911440&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F07%2Fhealth-affairs-briefing-reminder-strategies-for-the-global-decade-of-vaccines%2F Immunizing the world’s children against infectious diseases has dramatically cut childhood death and suffering in recent decades.  In 2010, philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates called for a new “Decade of Vaccines” to vault the progress dramatically forward. The June 2011 issue of Health Affairs, sponsored by the Gates Foundation, examines the strategies that will be [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911440 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:00:53 +0100 4911440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893393&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOZ9e91N17Gw%2F By Neal McCluskeyToday the Washington Post has a big story on efforts by the coal industry to get public schools to teach positive things about — you guessed it — coal. The impetus for the article is no doubt a recent kerfuffle over education mega-publisher Scholastic sending schools free copies of the industry-funded lesson plan “The United States of Energy.” Many parents and environmentalists were upset over businesses putting stealthy moves on kids, and Scholastic eventually promised to cease publication of the plan. Loaded curricula designed to coerce specific sympathies from children, however, hardly come just from industry, as the Post story notes. Indeed, as I write in the new Cato book Climate Coup: Global Warming’s Invasion of Our Government and Our Live... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893393 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:21:54 +0100 4893393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893380&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FxszvO1XVIkU%2F We now know that the strain of E. coli implicated in a European outbreak that has sickened more than 1,600 people, many severely, is both rare and very virulent. (That’s the genetic code of the rare strain of the bacteria at right.) But we still don’t know the source of contamination. As the WSJ reports, fresh produce is still the chief culprit, so authorities in Europe are warning against eating raw lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Almost everyone who has fallen ill either lived in or recently traveled to Germany. It’s not likely any contaminated produce would reach the U.S. (no shipments of those products have been imported from Germany since January, an FDA official tells the WSJ), but the agency is still increasing its inspections of produce imported from European cou... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893380 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:49:05 +0100 4893380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893374&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2F01%2Fa-way-forward-for-the-global-fund%2F The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria has saved millions of lives, but now it is in crisis.  A string of revelations about the misuse of its grants to governments in developing countries, culminating in the recent news of the theft of $2.5 million worth of malaria drugs, has led some backers of [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893374 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:51:41 +0100 4893374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893443&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FK5l3NJPioEk%2F By Jane Sarasohn-Kahn. By 2050, the demand for long-term care (LTC) workers will more than double in the developed world, from Norway and New Zealand to Japan and the U.S. Aging populations with growing incidence of disabilities, looser family ties, and more women in the labor force are driving this reality. This is a multi-dimensional problem which requires looking beyond the issue of the simple aging demographic. Help Wanted? is an apt title for the report from The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), subtitled, “providing and paying for long-term care.” The report details the complex forces exacerbating the LTC carer shortage, focusing on the fact that current policies to address this future are fragmented and piecemeal. Instead, OECD argues, policymakers m... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893443 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:34:18 +0100 4893443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883548&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2F31%2Fhealth-affairs-briefing-strategies-for-the-global-decade-of-vaccines%2F Immunizing the world’s children against infectious diseases has dramatically cut childhood death and suffering in recent decades.  In 2010, philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates called for a new “Decade of Vaccines” to vault the progress dramatically forward. The June 2011 issue of Health Affairs, sponsored by the Gates Foundation, examines the strategies that will be [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883548 Tue, 31 May 2011 18:14:31 +0100 4883548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872473&cid=t_101571_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FliBV1h4EAXA%2F File this under sticking point. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations is coming under fire because a large vaccine maker that provides most of its income is about to become a pharma representative on its board. The move is prompting concerns about conflicts of interest amid demands for lower vaccine prices, The Financial Times writes. In July, Johnson & Johnson’s recently acquired Crucell unit will replace GlaxoSmithKline on the GAVI board (see this), which next month meets in London in hopes of raising $3.7 billion. But some non-governmental organizations say GAVI, which last year sent $825 million in donor funds to vaccination programs in poor countries, is not doing enough to lower prices paid for vaccines. “We think some conflicts are too big to manage,”... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872473 Fri, 27 May 2011 13:02:26 +0100 4872473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862497&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FiSWjRayMWTM%2F Gout Drug on Track: According to Novartis, late-stage data shows that the company’s experimental drug for gout, Ilaris, better reduces pain and the incidence of new attacks compared to an injectable steroid, the WSJ reports. Novartis has filed for regulatory approval in the U.S., European Union and elsewhere, and analysts say if approved the drug’s use could be expanded to other forms of arthritis as well as other diseases, the paper says. Sterility Threat?: A new study suggests that Medtronic’s bone-growth protein Infuse may be tied to temporary or permanent sterility in some men whose vertebrae are fused using the product, the New York Times reports. A Stanford surgeon posted the results of his 240-case analysis on a website he edits, The Spine Journal, the paper says. ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862497 Wed, 25 May 2011 12:36:06 +0100 4862497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862515&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fhu_TAotJGc0%2F By George Scoville “Vouchers and tax credits differ from one another in important ways, and Pennsylvanians deserve to have their representatives consider them one at a time.” “So, if the Supreme Court’s precedents defer to Congress’ assessments of its powers, but Congress is relying for ‘constitutional authority’ on the Supreme Court’s precedents, then NO ONE is actually looking at the Constitution itself to see if a bill is within Congress’ enumerated powers.” “Carbon dioxide, thought to be a significant cause of the warming of surface temperature since the mid-1970s, is currently the respiration of the world’s economic civilization. Getting rid of it isn’t as simple as banning CFCs and switching to another refrigerant.... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862515 Tue, 24 May 2011 15:23:20 +0100 4862515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847920&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Frunning-away-from-problem-of-health.html Despite its likely importance, the very concept of health care corruption remains highly anechoic.  Last week's Lancet, however, actually mentioned it, albeit indirectly and ironically.(1)  The context was Richard Horton's discussion of a press conference on the final report of the UN Secretary-General's Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's Health. It appears that accountability, which we consistently advocate, was central to the report:The big conclusion is that a huge accountability gap exists - we have incredibly weak mechanisms to make sure that the billions spent on women's and children's health are delivering the results we expect.The report listed "ten commandments of women's and children's health, [which] aim to fill that accountability ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847920 Fri, 20 May 2011 16:11:00 +0100 4847920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847951&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FwO2_l_PCpZI%2F By Lois Privor-Dumm. We’ve all heard these words: “There is tremendous need here at home,” or “money in Africa has been wasted for so long.”   This is why this simple video from the ONE campaign struck me. Through a public health lens it is a no-brainer: of course you want to spend on cost–effective interventions that will save lives.  For others, while they admit that it is an admirable goal, the connection is not made.  In times of financial uncertainty, we have to be more careful with our money, don’t we? One of the best and prudent ways to invest though, is in future generations.  In the US, we provide all of our children the best chance at life, with fewer worries about preventable, devastating disease.  Imagine what that kind of security could do for a family in A... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847951 Fri, 20 May 2011 13:27:50 +0100 4847951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828815&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fglobal-fund-will-not-suppress.html Some good news to discuss, for a change....We previously discussed losses from corruption reported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, and by the Health Alliance International here.  At the time, we noted that some experts in health care corruption praised the Global Fund for being transparent about the effects of corruption.However, last week there was concern that some elements within the Global Fund thought that the best response to losses due to corruption would be hiding them.  As reported by the AP (via CBS):  A global health fund championed by celebrities and world leaders is considering scaling back its groundbreaking philosophy of full transparency about how it spends billions of dollars in health care in poor countries. Its d... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828815 Mon, 16 May 2011 19:40:00 +0100 4828815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794855&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FtWoXjvNiV74%2F Imagine life without your mother. For many around the world this is a reality.  Every 90 seconds a mother dies during pregnancy or childbirth, and 99% of these deaths take place in developing countries where a lack of access to basic medicines and services is taking mothers from their children. VSI is trying to end this. VSI is a California-based nonprofit organization committed to improving women’s health in developing countries by creating access to life-saving and affordable health solutions for all. Their largest safe motherhood program brings life-saving generic tablets to rural women for management of excessive bleeding after childbirth, or postpartum hemorrhage. VSI has assisted 17 developing countries in the integration of life-saving maternal health solutions, trained over ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794855 Fri, 06 May 2011 13:11:00 +0100 4794855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780285&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2Fput-on-your-walking-shoes-walk-for-maternal-health-on-may-5 The International Confederation of Midwives is asking member associations, midwives and their supporters to take to the streets on May 5 — International Day of the Midwife — to raise the profile of maternal mortality and access to midwifery care before, during and after childbirth. From the ICM: “Over 340,000 women die each year, with millions more suffering infection and disability as a result of preventable maternal causes. The ICM, alongside UN agencies, WHO and a range of other international partners, is committed to addressing maternal mortality and morbidity through greater access to essential midwifery care worldwide, particularly in developing countries where 90% of maternal deaths occur.” The walk is the first stage of the Road to Durban, where midwives fro... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780285 Tue, 03 May 2011 19:25:49 +0100 4780285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780298&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbPmt1oEIodw%2F By Daniel GriswoldAdvocates of the U.S. sugar program like to claim they are protecting our “food security.” It turns out that trade barriers deliver higher prices for consumers while making our food supplies LESS secure. According to a story in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, titled “Sugar Squeeze in U.S.,” bad weather has curbed the amount of sugar cane produced in Florida and sugar beets in the Midwest. When combined with restrictive import quotas that virtually guarantee U.S. producers 85 percent of the domestic market, domestic sugar prices could soon spike upward. Americans currently pay more than 36 cents for a pound of sugar, more than 50 percent above the world price. The sugar program not only imposes extra costs on American consumers but also hurts U.S. small business... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780298 Tue, 03 May 2011 12:48:14 +0100 4780298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4767974&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fj-Gjwpb3DUI%2F At the start of this year, Merck indicated it might be sell off the consumer health products business it acquired as part of its takeover of Schering-Plough. “We have to look at it to see what role it could play longer term in a portfolio. Can it be a significant contributor to a company of our size?” Merck CEO Ken Frazier told investors attending the Goldman Sachs Healthcare CEO’s conference. The pharma giant’s consumer business sells products like Coppertone suntan lotion, Dr. Scholl’s shoe inserts and Claritin over-the-counter allergy medicine. That’s not necessarily a good fit for a company specializing in prescription drugs and animal vaccines. Consumer health made up just $517 million of Merck’s $11.6 billion in sales during the first quarter... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4767974 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:42:20 +0100 4767974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747639&cid=t_101571_107_f&fid=38268&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hippokranet.eu%2F%3Fp%3D461 Watch this AMNH Bio Bulletin and NYT Slideshow to learn more about the Census of Marine Life. (Source: blog.hippokranet.eu) blog.hippokranet.eu blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747639 Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:06:04 +0100 4747639 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734053&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FaZoSG5ocmyE%2F By Walter OlsonYesterday the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in American Electric Power v. Connecticut, the massive greenhouse-gas suit. Like the other “big” global warming/climate change suits, this one suffers from a basic and incurable defect: it seeks to undermine the separation of powers established under the U.S. Constitution by inviting the courts to address “political questions” of a sort properly resolved by other branches of government. As Cato’s amicus brief by Ilya Shapiro and Evan Turgeon explained in the case of Comer v. Murphy Oil: “[W]hile it executes firmly all the judicial powers intrusted to it, the court will carefully abstain from exercising any power that is not strictly judicial in its character, and which is not clearly confi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734053 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:35:14 +0100 4734053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4733993&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fkhadafys-academic-mercenaries-health.html We just discussed Henry Kissinger as an early example of the intellectual mercenary, and recent striking examples of academic mercenaries,particularly the Harvard University-derived Monitor Group's academically disguised public relations work for Libyan tyrant Moammar Khadafy.We concluded that academic mercenaries help foster the corporate culture in which health care is now immersed.  However, it also appears they may have direct influence on health care.  Monitor Group LeadershipConsider for example the main figure in the Monitor Group - Khadafy scandal.  According to a Boston Globe article, Michael Porter developed the Monitor-Khadafy connection: Monitor’s work in Libya began when Michael Porter, a Harvard Business School professor who is a... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4733993 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:54:00 +0100 4733993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734034&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2Fcoercive-sterilization-program-tries-to-expand-to-south-africa Project Prevention, a program formerly known as C.R.A.C.K. that seeks to bribe/coerce women with drug addictions into be sterilized or accepting long-term birth control (that may not be medically appropriate) through financial incentives, started out in the United States by advertising quick cash for addicted women who surrendered their reproductive options and control. The program often targeted communities of color. Needless to say, the program is vile and racist — founder Barbara Harris has been widely quoted comparing women to dogs and their children to unwanted animals, saying, “We don’t allow dogs to breed. We spay them. We neuter them. We try to keep them from having unwanted puppies, and yet these women are literally having litters of children.” The program has ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734034 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:24:37 +0100 4734034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734484&cid=t_101571_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2011%2F04%2F18%2Fdisappointing-results-prompt-early-end-to-fem-prep-study-of-pill-based-prep-in-african-women%2F The recent success of the iPrEx study has raised hopes that pill-based pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) will become an important new tool for preventing HIV transmission.  However, because the iPrEx study included only men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women, many HIV researchers and advocates have been awaiting the results of other studies to see whether pill-based PrEP can also reduce the risk of HIV infection in other groups, including mixed-HIV-status couples, heterosexual women, and injection drug users. The hopes that pill-based PrEP might be a widely applicable prevention tool suffered a major setback on April 18, when Family Health International (FHI) announced its decision to end the FEM-PrEP study due to disappointing early results.  After reviewing the study’s i... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734484 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:25:37 +0100 4734484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723958&cid=t_101571_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F17%2Fthe-psychological-situation-of-climate-change%2F Situationist friend, Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology, describes the psychological impulses that make it difficult for humans to confront the threat of global warming. Related Situationist posts: Dan Gilbert on Why the Brain Scares Itself “Dan Gilbert To Speak at Harvard Law School,” “Dan Gilbert on the Situation of Our Decisions,” “Dan Gilbert on the Situation of Psychology,” “The Situation of Climate Change,” “The Heat is On,” “The Situation of Happiness,” and “Conversation with Dan Gilbert.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723958 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:54:35 +0100 4723958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714693&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fthird-rail-that-no-one-wishes-to.html DiscussionWhile the data from this case-study were limited, they do suggest that major private foundations that support global health, and by extension, health care, services, and policy research may have institutional conflicts of interest, and their leaders may have personal conflicts of interest. It is possible that these conflicts have steered global health policy to favor vested interests, particularly towards approaches that depend on drugs and devices, perhaps instead of more effective ones using less technology.Furthermore, it is possible that that these conflicts of interest have helped create the anechoic effect.  Conflicts of interest could have pushed the foundations in directions that favored specific vested interests, and away from... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714693 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:11:00 +0100 4714693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714726&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fnj_4KnPBahk%2F By George Scoville One thing is clear after President Obama’s speech yesterday: He envisions a smaller national debt, but a much bigger government. One percent is better than nothing, but it’s still pretty close to nothing. One thing is clear about climate change: it’s causing a rising tide of red ink in Washington. See the forthcoming book Climate Coup: Global Warming’s Invasion of Our Government and Our Lives and join us for the accompanying book forum, featuring MIT meteorologist Richard Lindzen and American Meteorological Society fellow Bob Ryan, on Wednesday, May 4 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Complimentary registration is required of all attendees by 12:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, May 3. If you cannot join us in person, we hope you’ll watch live online. One can... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714726 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:23:25 +0100 4714726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704651&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FreTdy8O9WJ8%2F  The following is a guest post by Nalini Saligram, Founder and CEO, Arogya World. The key priority of the UN Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) is to ensure it lives up to its promise of being a genuinely transformative moment in world health. The good news is that momentum is building. Until just a few months ago, the very word NCDs was unknown. Now thanks to the UN Summit, the foundational work of the WHO and of the NCD Alliance and the Global Health Council, NGOs, academic centers, individuals in key corporations, and civil society, an NCD community is beginning to gel. We are debating the definition of NCDs, issuing Declarations articulating the “asks” from the UN Summit, attending conferences and meetings to discuss how we can address NCDs the world over, and encouraging... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704651 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:15:45 +0100 4704651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693282&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FURP9aLb3Cgc%2F Women Deliver and Vestergaard Frandsen Announce Competition for Women Bloggers “Women Bloggers Deliver” will award two female bloggers with a trip to Kenya to learn about clean water and women in development 6 April 2011, New York – Women Deliver, in partnership with Vestergaard Frandsen, announced today the launch of “Women Bloggers Deliver,” a competition that will send two female bloggers on a trip to Kakamega, Kenya to observe a unique public health campaign with a climate change component that will provide millions of girls and women with access to safe and clean drinking water. The winning bloggers will accompany community workers as they distribute LifeStraw® Family water filters to almost a million households, and watch as families and communities are transformed by this... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693282 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:41:23 +0100 4693282 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693263&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FoeEkZBoauPY%2F Even though measles has been officially wiped out in the U.S., every year a handful of Americans head overseas and come back with the virus as a not-so-pleasant souvenir. And some of those travelers are young kids — particularly scary, since they’re at greater risk for a severe bout with the disease or serious complications. The CDC today reports on seven such pediatric cases in the first two months of this year alone, of a total of 13 “imported” cases in U.S. residents in that time period. The kids were aged 6 to 23 months, and all of them traveled internationally. None had been vaccinated.  Four had to be hospitalized. The CDC is using the case reports to highlight a policy recommendation that parents (and even their doctors) may not know about: while routine mea... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693263 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:16:52 +0100 4693263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684253&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FzmqgnbSWy7E%2F Call to Battle: Bacteria containing a gene that confers resistance to many antibiotics have now been found outside the hospital environment in Delhi, India, the WSJ reports. WHO is calling for collective action to develop new antibiotics to combat bacteria incorporating the NDM-1 gene and other so-called “superbugs,” the paper says. Product Seizure: At the FDA’s behest, U.S. marshals yesterday seized $6 million worth of antiseptic products, wipes and medications sold under the Triad Group and private label brands, MSNBC reports. Products made by Triad and H&P Industries have been linked to infections and death; the FDA said in a statement that the seizure was intended to “stop Triad from continuing to distribute products, which may pose a risk to public health.&... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684253 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:54:21 +0100 4684253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684256&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FJUbmvvWC0Ew%2F Food Safety: Federal public-health officials said yesterday that the safety of the U.S. food supply isn’t threatened by the Japanese nuclear power plant disaster, the WSJ reports. While fish with higher-than-normal radiation levels have been discovered in Japan, there are no contaminated fish in the U.S. or in U.S. waters, and officials from the FDA, CDC and EPA said a monitoring system was in place to detect any such contamination in domestic and imported fish. Trying for a Relaunch: Novartis is trying to bring back its Prexige pain medication in Europe, four years after the drug was pulled over concerns about liver damage, Bloomberg News reports. The pharma company is asking the E.U. to approve the drug under a new name, Joicela, BN says, adding that Novartis had once also planned ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684256 Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:32:54 +0100 4684256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684259&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FjOIAlZXRaUU%2F Capsugel Sale: Pfizer is selling its drug capsule-making unit, Capsugel, to private-equity firm KKR for $2.38 billion in cash, the WSJ reports. The drug maker is reviewing all its business units, and an analyst report released last month said the company might spin off enough businesses to reduce its annual revenue base to about $35 billion or $40 billion from about $67 billion. Health-Care Proposals: Under a budget proposal by House Republicans, Medicaid would be changed to a block-grant program giving states more discretion in how to run the program that funds health care for the poor, while future Medicare beneficiaries would receive help paying private insurance premiums rather than having their care paid for by the government, the New York Times reports. The WSJ’s Washington Wir... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684259 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:31:55 +0100 4684259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670171&cid=t_101571_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F02%2Fgoogle-science-fair-2011%2F I’m pleased to help spread the word today about the world’s first online global science competition, the Google Science Fair! Google has partnered with CERN, LEGO, National Geographic and Scientific American to create a new kind of online science competition that is more global, open and inclusive than ever before. Students aged 13 – 18 from around the world are invited to enter and compete for awesome once-in-a-lifetime experiences, scholarships and real-life work opportunities. Click continue to see the Rube Goldberg-inspired video and learn how to sign-up. Who doesn’t like a good science fair? It gives kids the opportunity to join in a new kind of online science competition that is more global, open and inclusive than ever before. Best yet, it offers full-time... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670171 Sat, 02 Apr 2011 16:00:21 +0100 4670171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664134&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2Freport-now-available-from-unfpa-strengthening-midwifery-symposium Last June, prior to the Women Delivery conference in Washington, D.C., UNFPA (the United Nations Population Fund) held a symposium on Strengthening Midwifery. A report from that conference (PDF) is now available. It reports on speakers, presentations and issues from the event, including sessions on the role of midwives in addressing Millennium Development Goals on maternal and newborn deaths and HIV in pregnant women, topics in global midwifery education, midwifery regulation and standards of care, policy development, and other issues. The report includes a call to action for governments to strengthen the midwifery workforce, build capacity for evidence-based training, ensure and regulate standards of practice, and support the creation of professional associations. Pledges for action from ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664134 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:23:39 +0100 4664134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658385&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-salzberg-statement-patients-must-be-involved-in-healthcare-decisions%2F2011.03.30 Last Thursday at the headquarters of the British Medical Journal in London, an important announcement will be made about patients’ rights to be actively involved in decisions about their treatment. Below is the press release about it. The subject is shared decision making, which we’ve been posting about recently (series here; initial post here.) Developed by the participants in a Salzburg Global Seminar last December, the document is called the Salzburg Statement. The pivotal distinction here is the difference between informed consent, in which the physician assesses the options and selects one, and gets your consent to do it; and informed choice, in which clinicians tell you the options, with all the pros and cons, and let you choose, based on your preferences. Click the image to do... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658385 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:00:46 +0100 4658385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653331&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fahrq-healthcare-access-and-racial-disparities-not-improving%2F2011.03.29 According to American Medical News, the U.S. health system is demonstrating better performance on most measures of health care quality, but it’s failing to improve access to care or cut racial and ethnic health disparities, according to two reports released in February by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.  “Quality of care continues to improve, but at a slow rate,” said Ernest Moy, MD, leader of the team at AHRQ that produced the reports.  ”In contrast to that, focusing on issues of access to care, not much has changed.  Focusing on disparities in care, not much changed…Those are bigger problem areas than overall quality of care.”  Measures related to hospital quality are showing the most improvement.  For example, in 2005, just 42% of patients with heart att... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653331 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:00:25 +0100 4653331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4626786&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FLhSAkZ5g7ng%2F Radiation Detection: Parents in Tokyo are being warned not to give their infants tap water following the discovery of elevated levels of radioactive iodine in the water, the WSJ reports. The levels are still considered safe for adults. The same warning applies in areas closer to the nuclear power plant, the WSJ reports separately. Meantime, the FDA has banned imports of milk, milk products and fresh fruits and vegetables from the area around the plant, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Sniff Test: The Supreme Court yesterday ruled that the maker of the Zicam cold remedy products was liable for securities fraud when it didn’t disclose reports in 2004 that the product might harm users’ sense of smell — even though those reports didn’t amount to a statistically signif... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626786 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:31:34 +0100 4626786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622219&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F22%2Fremembering-philip-musgrove%2F Health Affairs journal announced today that Deputy Editor Philip A. Musgrove, 70, an economist and leading expert in global health and a cherished colleague, died in a tragic boating accident at Iguazu Falls in Argentina on Monday, March 21, 2011.  He is survived by his wife, Rosa Amalia Viana Musgrove; two children, Anthony Gordan Viana [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622219 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:25:01 +0100 4622219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622224&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FLyzc_2f2pRo%2F The FDA is going to monitor pharmaceuticals made in Japan — as well as food products — for any signs of elevated radiation levels, a spokeswoman for the agency tells us. On Thursday we reported that the FDA would monitor future imports of fish, other food products and raw materials that originate or pass through Japan in transit to the U.S.  Pharmaceutical products will also be monitored, the spokeswoman says. Imports from Japan make up only a small fraction of the roughly $300 billion the U.S. spends on prescription drugs every year. Internally, Japan is halting some food shipments after detecting higher-than-normal levels of radiation in spinach, rapeseed and milk. The government also found abnormally high radiation in tap water in certain areas. Levels aren’t enough t... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622224 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:48:24 +0100 4622224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615078&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHvwUQ0pSe-Q%2F By Daniel GriswoldAs President Obama flies from Brazil to Chile today and then on to El Salvador later this week, trade and jobs have been a major theme of his trip. So far the tour has been a public relations success, but it also highlights the contradictions in the president’s trade policy toward our Latin American neighbors. One contradiction is that the president says nice things about trade agreements in the abstract, but he has so far refused to show leadership when it really matters. In an op-ed in USAToday on Friday, as he was about to depart for Brazil, the president wrote: Thanks in part to our trade agreements across the region, we now export three times as much to Latin America as we do to China, and our exports to the region — which are growing faster than our exports to t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615078 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:20:12 +0100 4615078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605802&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FQ4zLIdMy7Y0%2F Any danger to the food supply posed by the ongoing Japanese nuclear power plant crisis would primarily affect people living in that country, since they consume the bulk of local products, the WSJ reports today. (And there is so far no evidence of contamination, the paper says.) Still, regulators in other countries are testing food imported from Japan for signs of radiation. The FDA will monitor future imports of fish, other food products and raw materials that originate in or pass through Japan in transit, an agency spokeswoman tells the Health Blog. Right now the FDA isn’t concerned about Japanese food products that are already being distributed here. (Seafood, snack foods and processed fruits and veggies are the most common imports from Japan, which make up less than 4% of food imp... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605802 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:11:20 +0100 4605802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600513&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FT1PiniVqcOY%2F Radiation Risk: The existence and extent of the radiation risk to human health in Japan will hinge on whether the nuclear reactors experience a full or partial meltdown and whether the wind blows radiation out to sea or inland, the WSJ reports. Yesterday there was a temporary spike in radiation levels in Tokyo, though the absolute levels were still very small. At this point the workers struggling to cool the reactors are the people most likely to be exposed to harmful radiation, the WSJ reports, though at current levels of exposure and the usual precautions they aren’t expected to get radiation poisoning. Pushing for a Change: Though state insurance commissioners have already said health-insurance brokers’ commissions should be counted as administrative costs for insurers, brok... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600513 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:43:39 +0100 4600513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592354&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FnzyBf3ZkMAA%2F Even as the situation worsened at a Japanese nuclear-power complex, levels of radiation in the area eased off from their weekend highs, the WSJ reports. And so far, the immediate health risks of the radiation appear minimal, the WSJ reports. Radiation levels outside the plant have so far remained at safe levels, an expert tells the paper. But the situation is volatile, and a full meltdown could produce a range of health problems, including birth defects, thyroid and other cancers and immune-system damage. The danger stems particularly from inhaling, ingesting or absorbing through the skin radioactive chemical elements including iodine-131, strontium-90 and cesium-137, the WSJ explains. One precaution: iodine pills, which prevent the thyroid from taking up the radioactive iodine that’... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592354 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:15:38 +0100 4592354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575246&cid=t_101571_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FDiD_H2Gzp3I%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is our regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that MCS Healthcare Public Relations promoted Brian Thompson to senior vp, which means he will also join the agency’s executive committee. For the past five years, he has worked with several drugmakers to promote meds in various therapeutic areas,... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575246 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:39:14 +0100 4575246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570522&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPc_OKJPdstk%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsThe Current Wisdom is a series of monthly posts in which Senior Fellow Patrick J. Michaels reviews interesting items on global warming in the scientific literature that may not have received the media attention that they deserved, or have been misinterpreted in the popular press. The Current Wisdom only comments on science appearing in the refereed, peer-reviewed literature, or that has been peer-screened prior to presentation at a scientific congress. **********  The recent publication of two articles in Nature magazine proclaiming a link to rainfall extremes (and flooding) to global warming, added to the heat in Russia and the floods in Pakistan in the summer of 2010, and the back-to-back cold and snowy winters in the eastern U.S. and western Europe, have gotten a ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570522 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:26:05 +0100 4570522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4566337&cid=t_101571_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FLVl3LDBcoDM%2F The Massachussets Secretary of the Commonwealth has filed a complaint that accuses a hedge fund of making profits on two pharmaceuticals stock by using insider information. Specifically, Risk Reward Capital Management was charged with using a so-called expert consultant to obtain advance info about an Ariad Pharmaceuticals clinical trial and a forthcoming abstract about a med sold by Questor Pharmaceuticals. According to the complaint, Risk Reward principal investment advisor James Silverman* retained Guidepoint Global for an $80,000 annual fee in exchange for obtaining alleged insider info. He hired the firm in early 2008, after his fund lost 16.9 percent in 2007, which was his first year of operation. Ultimately, Guidepoint arranged for him to meet with 225 experts, about 60 percent of ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4566337 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:11:53 +0100 4566337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560224&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F07%2Fthe-global-fund-a-model-for-corruption-fighting%2F Recently there has been a spate of articles attacking and supporting the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.  The issue has been corruption and whether the Global Fund has been lax in preventing diversion of drugs, fraud and misappropriation of funds. However well intentioned, the articles offer an example of how not to [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560224 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:59:30 +0100 4560224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544932&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2F03%2Fha-blog-polio-posts-featured-in-health-wonk-review%2F Jared Rhoads at the Lucidicus Project presents the latest edition of the Health Wonk Review. Among the health policy blogging Jared features are Health Affairs Blog posts by Scott Barrett and Judith Kaufmann looking at the potential rewards and risks of the new push to eradicate polio. Copyright © 2011 Health Affairs Blog. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. All [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544932 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 22:00:58 +0100 4544932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544938&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F3huZJMH5SQI%2F A child is vaccinated against polio in Democratic Republic of Congo in 2001. The effort to wipe out polio began some 20 years ago and continues today. Eradicating a virus is tough; this century, there has been only one success — smallpox — out of six attempts, according to Bruce Aylward, head of the World Health Organization’s Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Certain aspects of polio make it more difficult to eliminate than smallpox, said Aylward during a talk at the TED2011 conference. The talk was moderated by Bill Gates, whose foundation has pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to the polio-eradication effort. For one, Aylward said, the polio virus has been found in locations impacting as many as 4 billion people, whereas smallpox was contained in pockets that aff... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544938 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:44:03 +0100 4544938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536040&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fc_0HV81_ZgE%2F A lemon always tastes sour, doesn’t it? It doesn’t have to, according to Homaro Cantu and Ben Roche, two chefs who spoke late yesterday at this year’s TED conference. (TED describes itself as a gathering of “the world’s leading thinkers and doers.” This year’s theme is “the rediscovery of wonder.”) Cantu and Roche work on creating “flavor transformations” in their kitchen-based science lab to create products like edible pictures, foods that look like inedible objects (such as a Cuban sandwich in the shape of a Cuban cigar) and familiar food items turned upside-down taste-wise (i.e. a plate of “nachos” that’s really meant to be dessert, in which what looks like ground beef is really chocolate). The body can be tricked into... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536040 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:20:07 +0100 4536040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540544&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F17%2Ffoundation-blogs-round-up-health-reform-disparities-global-health-obesity-and-more%2F%3Fcat%3Dgrantwatch As my work week draws to a close, I have put together a quick listing of some foundation-related posts that I think you might want to check out. If your foundation has a blog about health care and it is not listed on GrantWatch Blog’s Blogroll, let me know about it! Disparities in Health: “Poll [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540544 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:56:06 +0100 4540544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489623&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F16%2Feradicating-polio-will-we-succeed-this-time%2F Editor’s Note: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other global health leaders recently launched a new effort to eradicate polio. Below, Scott Barrett comments on the potential rewards and the risks of this new initiative, and in another post Judith Kaufmann offers her thoughts on the new initiative as well. The global effort to eradicate polio [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489623 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:42:19 +0100 4489623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489624&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F16%2Feradicating-polio-challenges-and-questions%2F Editor’s Note: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other global health leaders recently launched a new effort to eradicate polio. Below, Judith Kaufmann comments on the potential rewards and the risks of this new initiative, and in another post Scott Barrett offers his thoughts on the new initiative as well. On January 31, Bill Gates introduced [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489624 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:37:38 +0100 4489624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482815&cid=t_101571_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fheptastic-science-news.html The full list: The Twitter 100 – Its 200 million users share 110 million messages a day – and if you don't know who rules the twittersphere, you don't understand the 21st-century world. This guide is a definitive who's who of the UK's tweet elite. Although for some reason they included me on the list (at #47, same as Armando Ianucci). Why haven’t we cured cancer yet? – How many times have you been asked this question, how many times have you asked this question yourself? The answer boils down to the fact that cancer is not a single disease, it's hundreds of different diseases. Asking that question is like asking, "why haven't we cured viral infection?" or "why haven't we cured car accidents?". Even if we can cur... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482815 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:00:17 +0100 4482815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477753&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FFUfdKvy9hJA%2F By Lois Privor-Dumm. A decade can make a difference.  Eleven years ago this month, I had the privilege of launching pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) here in the US.  It was a vaccine that I knew would have a profound impact on children and families all over the country, Protection against severe meningitis and other infections allowed American children to move along the path of their lives –with a low risk of this potentially life-changing catastrophic disease. Children in developing countries though faced a different picture over the past decade. Pneumococcus in the developing world not only causes severe meningitis, but is a leading cause of pneumonia.  Without access to PCV, 3 month-old Dominic Mwangi, found himself in the district hospital undergoing antibiotic treatment for... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477753 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:00:30 +0100 4477753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455243&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2F09%2Fand-then-the-dessert-arrived-global-health-dichotomies%2F The story was tragic. A Tuberculosis patient from India who died because the system which was expected to provide for his treatment failed to deliver… and then the dessert arrived.  The setting? The official dinner of the First Global Symposium on Health Systems Research organized at the Montreux Casino. A photo of the dying TB [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455243 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:13:45 +0100 4455243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455254&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBPMWdSKAd5w%2F By Tad DeHavenPresident Obama will release his budget blueprint for fiscal 2012 next week. If an op-ed penned by his budget director, Jacob Lew, in Sunday’s New York Times is any indication, the administration intends to continue fiddling while the government’s finances burn. The title of the piece, “The Easy Cuts Are Behind Us,” is a real head-scratcher. Lew’s “easy cuts” are an apparent reference to the $20 billion in savings the president proposed in his previous budgets. Considering that the president proposed total spending of $3.8 trillion last year, $20 billion in gross cuts was an insignificant gesture to say the least. In reality, the Bush administration passed the spending baton to the Obama administration two years ago and it promptly sprinted off like Usain Bolt. ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455254 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:53:57 +0100 4455254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450252&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fafter-publicity-about-losses-from.html Over the last few weeks a series of stories appeared about how corruption siphons off money from worthy global health initiatives.  Corruption Depletes Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and MalariaThe story that first got attention was from AP:A $21.7 billion development fund backed by celebrities and hailed as an alternative to the bureaucracy of the United Nations sees as much as two-thirds of some grants eaten up by corruption, The Associated Press has learned.Much of the money is accounted for with forged documents or improper bookkeeping, indicating it was pocketed, investigators for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria say. Donated prescription drugs wind up being sold on the black market.The fund's newly reinforced inspector general's office, which unco... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450252 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:05:00 +0100 4450252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450279&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPnQYX822xdQ%2F By Ilya ShapiroAs Congress debates cap-and-trade, new fuel standards, and subsidies for "green" companies, some still feel that political solutions to global warming are not moving fast enough. In the present case, American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut, eight states and New York City sued several public utilities (including the federal Tennessee Valley Authority), alleging that their carbon dioxide emissions contribute to global warming. This is the third major lawsuit to push global warming into the courts (another being Comer v. Murphy Oil USA, in which Cato also filed a brief). All of these suits try to use the common law doctrine of nuisance—which, for example, lets you sue your neighbor if his contaminated water flows onto your land and kills your lawn—to attack carbon emitt... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450279 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:22:34 +0100 4450279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450280&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLMKgAIP6bpA%2F By Daniel GriswoldIn his speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce yesterday, President Obama tried to make nice with U.S. business. While the speech contained some positive elements about promoting trade and a lower corporate tax rate, the president also pounded the tired theme that we are locked in a battle with other countries over a fixed number of jobs. Notice how the president framed the otherwise good news of expanding domestic production: Right now, businesses across this country are proving that America can compete. Caterpillar is opening a new plant to build excavators in Texas that used to be shipped from Japan. … A company called Geomagic, a software maker, decided to close down its overseas centers in China and Europe and move their R&D here to the United States. These comp... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450280 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:04:50 +0100 4450280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445781&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4cufxDvt22I%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsThe Current Wisdom is a series of monthly posts in which Senior Fellow Patrick J. Michaels reviews interesting items on global warming in the scientific literature that may not have received the media attention that they deserved, or have been misinterpreted in the popular press. The Current Wisdom only comments on science appearing in the refereed, peer-reviewed literature, or that has been peer-screened prior to presentation at a scientific congress. *********** It seems like everyone, from exalted climate scientists to late-night amateur tweeters, can get a bit over-excited about short-term fluctuations, reading into them deep cosmic and political meaning, when they are likely the statistical hiccups of our mathematically surly atmosphere. There’s been some major... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445781 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:28:32 +0100 4445781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4441965&cid=t_101571_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F06%2Fsunday-news-round-up-everything-is-miscellaneous%2F Via Siobhan, a project intended to train volunteer interpreters to provide services to survivors of torture, trauma, and sexual abuse. Lyon-Martin Health Services in San Francisco, which serves a lot of people of color, gay and lesbian and transgender people, is raising money to try to stay open. Vivir Latino is going to be tweeting on Monday from a media breakfast hosted by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Latina Magazine, on issues and inequalities in reproductive health care affecting Latinas. I’m not terribly familiar with abortion laws in Mexico, but the Latin American and Caribbean Women’s Health network reports on the case of a woman apparently sentenced to a 23-year jail term for murder/abortion for what she states was a miscarriage. The Ovarian Canc... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4441965 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 19:29:31 +0100 4441965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436729&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FpDUXVgFkBY8%2F Also: governors want Medicaid relief; Virginia asks Supreme Court to review health-care law case; 10% of the world's adults are obese. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436729 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:31:25 +0100 4436729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433101&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fconfronting-the-empty-cradles-of-infant-mortality%2F2011.02.03 I have gushed praise for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for a long time. (Disclosure: I cut my teeth in journalism as a Journal Company employee way back in 1973. No ties since 1976.) As a mid-market newspaper facing all of the same hurdles as other newspapers, it consistently demonstrates tenacity and creativity in tackling vital healthcare issues in this country. The latest: A project called “Empty Cradles: Confronting Our Infant Mortality Crisis.” While there is a great health/medicine/science team in place at the Journal Sentinel, I believe that much of the credit goes to the top — to editor Marty Kaiser, who clearly understands that healthcare issues are among the most important his paper can report on in serving public needs. Kaiser writes: “The Journal Sen... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433101 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 23:00:29 +0100 4433101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433104&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbuilding-a-hospital-in-haiti%2F2011.02.03 Partners in Health is building a state-of-the-art teaching medical facility in Mirebalais in Haiti’s underserved Central Plateau. My niece Annie helped design the waste and water treatment systems of the project as part of her engineering internship with Northeastern University, and will be joining the Partners in Health group upon graduation. It’s so inspiring to see this wonderful project coming to fruition and to know that she’ll be part of it. You can be part of it, too, by donating, volunteering or, like Annie, working for Partners in Health. Partners in Health was founded by Dr. Paul Farmer and colleagues in 1987 to serve the poor in Haiti. Dr. Farmer’s story is the subject of Tracy Kidder’s new book “Mountains Beyond Mountains: One Doctor’s Quest to Hea... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433104 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:00:30 +0100 4433104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405728&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fbig-door-keeps-on-turning-bi.html Recently we noted some complex examples of the health care "revolving door," cases of health care corporate leaders who came from government heading back into government.  The first was reported by Politico:California Rep. Mary Bono Mack has hired PhRMA’s former chief spokesman as a senior adviser, adding another Republican lawmaker to the list of those who have recruited staff members with K Street ties.Ken Johnson will serve as a senior policy and communications adviser to Bono Mack, chairwoman of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee. Johnson has deep ties to the committee, having worked for former Republican Rep. Billy Tauzin when he headed the Energy and Commerce Committee.When PhRMA hired Tauzin months after the Louisiana congressman helped pass the industry-supported ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405728 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:47:00 +0100 4405728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399492&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FfuuP89IjCL4%2F Because smoking peaked later in women than in men, its effects on female mortality may continue to be felt. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399492 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:27:54 +0100 4399492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394592&cid=t_101571_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FdGcGAXSLcBQ%2F The Council on the Ageing Society is one of the Global Agenda Councils created by the World Economic Forum in 2008. It addresses global issues associated with our ageing society and has the task of challenging prevailing assumptions, monitoring trends, proposing solutions, devising strategies, and making public policy proposals. It is composed of scientists, public policy makers, academics, physicians and business leaders, including our very own Alvaro Fernandez. The first report of the Council on the Ageing Society was published this month in Global Policy. In this first publication the Council presents the basic principles that will guide its views, actions and policies in the coming years. We emphasise the power of knowledge as a policy tool. Evidence-based information about individual... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394592 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:34:07 +0100 4394592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394447&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-worst-health-care-system-in-the-world-is%25e2%2580%25a6%2F2011.01.24 The worst healthcare system in the world is the United States, of course. Oh no, wait — it’s Canada. Actually, it could be Germany. Geez, now I think it might be the UK. You could go on and on like this, but you know what? No matter how good or bad your healthcare system is, there are certain universal truths. Here are four of them that might make you look at global healthcare a little differently: First, healthcare is getting more expensive, all over the world. A new study by the global consultant, Towers Watson (disclosure: Towers Watson is a Best Doctors client) found that the average medical cost trend around the world will be 10.5 percent in 2011. In the advanced economies costs will rise by an average of 9.3 percent. While Americans tend to think of rising medical costs a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394447 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:00:06 +0100 4394447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382736&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FkWbDSRIs8KY%2F An estimated 781,000 people -- most of them kids under age five -- died from the disease in 2009. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382736 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:08:53 +0100 4382736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394517&cid=t_101571_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Feven-more-science-news.html Science news snippets from the net meanderings of David Bradley Sir David King on climate change – King said, “We hear enough from the climate change skeptics that I have to repeat some fundamentals that you’ve probably heard before.” Fifty-five million years ago, atmospheric CO2 concentrations stood at about 1,000 ppm and global temperatures were much higher and ocean levels were about 110 m higher than they are today. Large mammals developed on Antarctica because the climatic conditions on all of the other continents were inhospitable to such development.<br /> <br /> In the past 500,000 years, every ice age was characterized by atmospheric CO2 concentrations around 200 ppm; every short interglacial period by concentrations around 285 ppm, which was a... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394517 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:00:06 +0100 4394517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360983&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchewable-birth-control%2F2011.01.17 Just in time for the new year, the FDA has approved the first low-dose chewable birth control contraceptive.  The daily chew will be marketed by Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Fred Wilkinson, executive vice president of Global Brands said: “We believe this product is an important addition to the oral contraceptive category, and that its characteristics will make it a desirable choice for women.” I have to ask myself: “Why?” Most birth control failures occur because the woman forgets to take the pill. Will a chewable be more reliant? Is it aimed at gals who just love chewing gum? I don’t get the concept. Marketing for this breakthrough will begin the in the second quarter of 2011. *This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth* (Source: ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360983 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 22:00:00 +0100 4360983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360949&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FVu8ja0uYDbw%2F We'll be back on Tuesday. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360949 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:14:44 +0100 4360949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394518&cid=t_101571_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fscience-news-5.html Latest science news snippets from Sciencebase Bee team funded by Bayer – It is revealed that the lead investigator in the study that recently published results suggesting that bee colony collapse disorder (CCD) is due to the combined effect of a virus and a fungus is funded by the insecticide company (Bayer). The researcher denies that this funding is connected to the research, it pays for other work, but you can't help but wonder whether there is a conflict of interest here. Who’s your favourite scientist? – Who's your favourite scientist? For me it has to be Feynman, although Faraday would be a close second, oh and perhaps Sagan, and then there's Curie, and Kroto…oh the list goes on… Definition of a chemistry research paper – I've ... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394518 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 10:56:48 +0100 4394518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355702&cid=t_101571_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F16%2Fweekly-news-round-up-two-day-weekend-edition%2F A few stories that have caught my attention over the last week: Unlike many people, the larger workplace does not have MLK Day tomorrow as a holiday. I’m going to two lectures at work, though – the first is from Robert L. Satcher, Jr., physician and astronaut, on “Fulfilling the Dream: Minorities in Biosciences.” The second will be Julian Bond, civil rights activist, on “The Road to Freedom: From Alabama to Obama.” The Julian Bond talk is free and open to the public but tickets are required; on Friday the Sarratt box office still had tickets. The CDC released their first report on health disparities and inequalities. It provides data on a number of issues and disparities, including exposure to air pollution, health insurance coverage, infant deaths, inadequate... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355702 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 19:37:25 +0100 4355702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4352712&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcan-mobile-phones-improve-health-in-developing-countries%2F2011.01.15 The potential of mobile phones to improve health is most acutely visible in developing countries. iMedicalApps covered the recent mHealth Summit, where there were many inspiring demonstrations of how voice and simple text messages can have a profound effect on the health of those countries’ citizens. Jhpiego has successfully worked on these problems for three decades and was recently awarded a $100m grant. James Bon Tempo has extensive experience in this field and we are thrilled that he is sharing his insights with the readers of iMedicalApps. This is a guest post from James BonTempo. ********** Mobile Health In Developing Countries I am a user and an implementer of technology, not an inventor or developer, so my constraints, challenges and requirements are different than those of many... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4352712 Sat, 15 Jan 2011 18:00:40 +0100 4352712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343130&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fobesity-on-the-rise-in-developing-nations%2F2011.01.13 Emerging economies must act immediately to halt rising obesity rates before the epidemic becomes as severe as it is in first-world countries, according to new report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD report was published in the Lancet. It characterizes the prevalence of obesity in Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa. Obesity rates were found to vary dramatically across these six countries. In Mexico, a stunning 70 percent of adults were reported to be overweight or obese. Nearly half of all Brazilians, Russians and South Africans fell into these categories. China and India had a lower prevalence of overweight and obesity, but were moving rapidly in the wrong direction, according to the OECD. Developing nations don’t have eno... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343130 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:00:26 +0100 4343130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337898&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FAApsqTasATE%2F Chinese health-care companies are outlining their business strategies to standing room-only audiences. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337898 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:52:36 +0100 4337898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337899&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Ftjo7FceS0nk%2F A cholera outbreak that began in the fall has killed more than 3,600 people and infected more than 170,000, according to the World Health Organizatio. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337899 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:57:16 +0100 4337899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337915&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCMMX1H-G8kY%2F By Chris EdwardsThe Obama administration is showing interest in reforming the U.S. corporate income tax. That’s good news because a lower corporate rate would boost domestic investment, which in turn would generate more jobs and higher wages and incomes. A lower corporate rate would also attract more inflows of direct investment from abroad—foreign-based businesses expanding their plants and building new plants in the United States. I updated this chart from our book, Global Tax Revolution. It shows that during the 1980s, the United States enjoyed higher inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) than outflows. But since then, the pattern has reversed—our companies are now investing more abroad than foreign-based companies are investing in the United States. (Data is from the BEA). ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337915 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:10:40 +0100 4337915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337918&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FRo_Zy-0hwG8%2F By Ilya ShapiroWhile all the hot constitutional action of late, on issues ranging from Obamacare to gay marriage to immigration, has been in the lower courts — or even in Congress! — the Supreme Court still goes about its daily business.  After last year’s blockbuster term, however, this term is pretty low-profile aside from a spate of First Amendment cases (funeral protests, violent video games, school choice tax credits, public financing of election campaigns, etc.).  And so it was yesterday, when Supreme Court arguments over securities law and Western water rights were overshadowed by news of cases on which the Court decided not to rule: Without comment, the Court denied an unusual request — a petition for a writ of mandamus — in the Gulf Coast global warming la... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337918 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:16:41 +0100 4337918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4324817&cid=t_101571_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F08%2F200-countries-200-years-4-minutes%2F I’m getting excited about the Fifth Law and Mind Sciences Conference: “The Psychology of Inequality” that will be held at Harvard Law School on February 26, 2011. It promises to be a great event.  (As a reminder, you can register for the conference here.) To whet your appetite, check out this amazing animated graph constructed by Dr. Hans Rosling tracking changes in global health over the last 200 years by country.  It’s well worth the four-minute watch! * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Situation of Healthy Aging,” “Inequality and the Unequal Situation of Mental and Physical Health,” “The Stressful Situation of Disease,” and “The Interior Situation of Intergenerational Poverty.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4324817 Sat, 08 Jan 2011 04:01:42 +0100 4324817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322550&cid=t_101571_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F07%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-january-7-2011%2F The first month in the new year is often filled with reflections. We reflect on the past year. We reflect on what’s still to come. We reflect on the choices we made, good and bad, and wonder what we can do better for the coming year. Do you feel the inner struggle with the past in one hand and your future on the other? Reflections often bring both excitement for the new year and a mourning for what we haven’t yet achieved. As we sink our toes into 2011, what will you wish for? What are your dreams? Whether you want to create a more healthy work/life balance, be happier, or more compassionate, these posts will help you get there. It’s 5 posts to start the ending of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 right. Enjoy! Does Work/Life Conflict Cause You Stress? Dialectical Behavior T... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322550 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 12:48:40 +0100 4322550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318307&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FY7S7Cf-xYC4%2F By Ian VasquezNicholas Kristof provides “a useful reminder of the limitations of charity and foreign aid” in his New York Times op-ed about Haiti today. “Nearly a year after the earthquake in Haiti,” he notes, “more than one million people are still living in tents and reconstruction has barely begun.” He emphasizes the importance of “trade, not aid” and of the role of business: “It’s hard to think of a charitable project that will be as beneficial as the Coca-Cola Company’s decision to build up the mango juice industry in Haiti, supporting 25,000 farmers.” He also cites a seemingly successful microfinance aid project that lends money to poor women in Haiti to begin and expand business ventures by, for example, investing in livestock or growing fruit for sale. It is... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318307 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:09:45 +0100 4318307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4302858&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fglobal-health-communication-the-top-10-in-2010%2F2011.01.01 From Blog 4 Global Health — an “interactive blog from the Global Health Council’s Policy, Research and Advocacy team” — here’s The Top 10 in 2010 Global Health Communication. An excerpt: If global health communication was characterized by anything in 2010, it was the rise of Twitter and other social media among non-profit organizations as a way of bypassing increasingly irrelevant traditional media and taking their messages directly to their target groups. From the Global Health Council, we saw more and more of our members — large and small — embracing new media like blogging, micro-blogging and social networks like Facebook. At the year’s last meeting of our Global Health Communicators Working Group in November, I asked for a show of hands of those w... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4302858 Sat, 01 Jan 2011 20:00:28 +0100 4302858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4287412&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Freal-meaning-at-christmas%2F2010.12.24 Every day I go to work and spend time with suffering people. They come to me for help and for comfort. They open up to me with problems that they would not tell anyone else. They put trust in me — even if I am not able to fix their problems. I serve as a source of healing, but I also am a source of hope. Christmas is a moving season for many of the same reasons. No, I am not talking about the giving of gifts or the time spent with family. I am not talking about traditions, church services, or singing carols. I am not even talking about what many see as thereal meaning of Christmas: Mary, Joseph, shepherds, wise men, and baby Jesus. The Christmas story most of us see in pictures or read about in story books is a far cry from the Biblical account. The story we see and hear is... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4287412 Fri, 24 Dec 2010 22:00:14 +0100 4287412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285183&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FFMASUqeZS2I%2F The morning's health news: placebos work even when patients know it, Bill Gates was optimistic about improving global health and bad news at Abbott Labs (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4285183 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:49:33 +0100 4285183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4285181&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36069&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrankiespeakingfrankly.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fmotivated-to-do-good.html We I said in my last post that my next post would be about biomass gasification as opposed to mass burn incineration - well that one will just have to wait a few more days because I watched Julian Assange's interview with John Humphrey's last night and it prompted me to write this post instead.The part of his interview that I really like is about 20 minutes in when Assange was questioned by Humphrey's regarding his relationship with the world, his response as to the suggestion of him as some sort of a messianic figure (like it was some sort of a crime - which I find ironic since the members of Christian church are forever trying to become more Christlike and even part of the body of Christ). When asked somewhat accusingly 'So you want to change the world?', Assange replied, without any hes... Frankie Speaking Frankly blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4285181 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:41:00 +0100 4285181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265683&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fw5-DbLn6GR4%2F By Daniel IkensonIf you want to understand how global integration and cross-border investment have left U.S. trade policy in need of a new purpose, check out today’s Wall Street Journal article about the Apple iPhone’s complex production-supply chain.  (And then see this analysis for more depth and detail.) The story is both testament to the benefits of globalization and the latest indictment of a decrepit international trade flow accounting system that nourishes misleading trade skeptics and misinforms policy. Following in the footsteps of a groundbreaking and widely-cited 2007 UC-Irvine study, which disaggregated the components of a Chinese-assembled Apple iPod and assigned its constituent value to the companies and countries responsible for their production, two researchers at the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265683 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 21:20:10 +0100 4265683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266089&cid=t_101571_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FypwyaXVAGxs%2F photo: Brennan Cavanaugh By Brennan Cavanaugh This story begins with my killing several of my Facebook friendships last holiday season. In one of my “let’s fix the world we’ve ruined” moments, I updated my FB status thusly: “So let me get this straight. We celebrate the supposed virgin birth of Jesus by cutting down a tree, only to throw it out a couple weeks later? Maybe this year we try decorating a cactus instead, or a chair, or a bike?” Subtle, right? But I forgot: You can’t mess with people’s unquestioned rituals and traditions. The crazies came out of the firewall calling me a Scrooge, wishing me a Merry Christmas, fa la la la la, dripping with sarcasm, and accusing me of self-righteous over-stepping. One woman actually told me to &#822... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266089 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 18:48:07 +0100 4266089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258798&cid=t_101571_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F13%2Fsunday-monday-news-round-up-way-overdue-edition%2F Some items that have caught my interest recently – I haven’t done one of these in a long time because of work and life and other ponderings about the best current use of the blog, but here are some news items, issues, and commentary of potential interest to readers, on women’s health, feminism, and miscellaneous topics: The CDC provides Consider Cholera: Information for U.S. Healthcare Professionals for clinicians who are asked to be on the lookout for U.S. cases, with info on diagnosis, treatment, and reporting. Aunt B has an excellent commentary in Self-Avowed Feminist, Gail Kerr, Has some Opinions about Emily Evans on the message sent when one female newspaper columnist attempts to trash a female councilperson using language like “shrill” and “class k... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258798 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 01:12:21 +0100 4258798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258842&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fju0qZPSZcWg%2F This study provides an elegant solution to one of the two key ice sheet instability problems” noted by the United Nations in their last (2007) climate compendium.  “It turns out that, contrary to popular belief, Greenland ice sheet flow might not be accelerated by increased melting after all,” he added. I’m not so sure that those who hold the “popular belief” can explain why Greenland’s ice didn’t melt away thousands of years ago.  For millennia, after the end of the last ice age (approximately 11,000 years ago) strong evidence indicates that the Eurasian arctic averaged nearly 13°F warmer in July than it is now. That’s because there are trees buried and preserved in the acidic Siberian tundra, and they can be carbon dated.  Where there is no forest today—because it... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258842 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:04:58 +0100 4258842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4249018&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F2zhqpkSJgJM%2F Also: "Mini-med" policyholders get letters explaining limited benefits; health-care M&A activity; Aetna's Ronald Williams talks health-care overhaul. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4249018 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:32:42 +0100 4249018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245275&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=35747&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthaffairs.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F12%2F09%2Fprevention-primary-care-effective-against-chronic-disease-around-globe%2F Worldwide disease prevention programs and greater use of primary care reduce deaths, rates of illness, and costs associated with chronic illness, according to several studies in the December issue of the journal Health Affairs.  The articles offer hope for the success of similar interventions from rural China to urban Chile, where the growth of chronic diseases [...] (Source: Health Affairs Blog) Health Affairs Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4245275 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:37:23 +0100 4245275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4241703&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FSXgetsiEhmo%2F Also: orphan-drug discounts threatened; drug companies settle pricing allegations; WHO endorses rapid TB test. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4241703 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 13:30:45 +0100 4241703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233155&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDdXc4yKp1gc%2F By Ilya ShapiroThe Supreme Court is finally starting to put some interesting non-First Amendment cases on this term’s docket. Today, the Court agreed to review American Electric Power Co., Inc. v. Connecticut, in which eight states, some non-profits, and New York City are suing a number of energy companies and utilities for harms they allegedly caused by contributing to global warming.  This is the third major lawsuit to push global warming into the courts (another being Comer v. Murphy Oil USA, in which Cato also filed a brief).  It’s America, after all, where we sue to solve our problems — even apparently, taking to court the proverbial butterfly that caused a tsunami. Mind you, you can sue your neighbor for leaking toxic water onto your land. Courts are well posi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233155 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 22:38:27 +0100 4233155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225209&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FGmI3ky0AwUE%2F The H5N1 strain that caused the original outbreak in 2003 never quite went away. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225209 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:56:40 +0100 4225209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225655&cid=t_101571_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FF-sSQsuvSc0%2F As more big-selling, brand-name meds fall off the patent cliff, lower-cost generics are destined to become more popular, yes? And a known side effect of this development is that more insurers are using this transformation to force doctors and patients to switch to generics. But to what extent? A new survey of 10,842 patients by the non-profit advocacy group shows that up to 70 percent of prescriptions written by doctors are forcibly changed by health insurers. Complete results have not yet been released, but Global Healthy Living Foundation says that, since sometimes generics are not identical to brand-name meds, the findings suggest some patients with chronic conditions are being placed at risk because they relapse after being switched to a cheaper drug. “This disturbing finding is ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225655 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:36:41 +0100 4225655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219724&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fb62q3LyCjcs%2F By Johan NorbergThe financial crisis and global warming have reinforced an age-old criticism of our traditional ways of measuring wealth, and a number of alternative indexes have been proposed that would instead measure people’s well-being and environmental sustainability. There are problems with using GDP. It involves an incredible amount of guesswork; and even if it were perfect, it would be bizarre to use production of goods and services as the only yardstick to evaluate our societies. But finding problems is one thing; it is something completely different to find an alternative that is better. Any sort of well-being index would require agreement on what well-being is, and there is a risk that governments would be tempted to find a one-size-fits-all standard and try to make us all wea... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219724 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:58:36 +0100 4219724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4205977&cid=t_101571_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F27%2F7-quick-tips-to-avoid-a-meltdown%2F When you feel like strangling the guy in front of you at Target, read these 7 Quick Ways to Calm Down, I laughed at the art that went with it because, well, I sort of looked like that the other day. I needed a reminder of them, and I thought maybe you could use one too. 1. Walk Away Know your triggers. If a conversation about global warming, consumerism, or the trash crisis in the U.S. is overwhelming you, simply excuse yourself. If you’re noise-sensitive and the scene at Toys-R-Us makes you want to throw whistling Elmo and his buddies across the store, tell your kids you need a time-out. (Bring along your husband or a friend so you can leave them safely, if need be.) My great-aunt Gigi knew her trigger points, and if a conversation or setting was getting close to them, she sim... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4205977 Sat, 27 Nov 2010 15:30:52 +0100 4205977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4205980&cid=t_101571_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F27%2Fwarming-world-or-just-world%2F From UCBerkeley News: Dire or emotionally charged warnings about the consequences of global warming can backfire if presented too negatively, making people less amenable to reducing their carbon footprint, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley. “Our study indicates that the potentially devastating consequences of global warming threaten people’s fundamental tendency to see the world as safe, stable and fair. As a result, people may respond by discounting evidence for global warming,” said Robb Willer, UC Berkeley social psychologist and coauthor of a study to be published in the January issue of the journal Psychological Science. “The scarier the message, the more people who are committed to vi... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4205980 Sat, 27 Nov 2010 04:48:29 +0100 4205980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197297&cid=t_101571_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2010%2F11%2F24%2Fiprex-study-a-summary-of-the-key-features-findings%2F The news has been buzzing for the last 24 hours with the release of the National Institutes of Health’s results of the iPrEX trial.  Some of you may have participated in the study right here in Boston at Fenway Health.  Others might have seen the ads all over town toting the tag line, “can a pill a day prevent HIV?”.  Well, the results are out and it brings forth a new era in HIV prevention – it does work!!!  But, it is not 100% effective and here are some insights that need to be considered as work continues make it better. The iPrEX trial was a large research study examining whether a pill containing drugs (Truvada) used to treat HIV can also help prevent HIV infection.  This approach is called PrEP or pre-exposure prophylaxis (before exposure).   If you have your HIV test... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197297 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:01:20 +0100 4197297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197298&cid=t_101571_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2010%2F11%2F23%2Faids-action-committee-encouraged-by-new-pre-exposure-prophylaxis-study%2F BOSTON, November 23, 2010—Results published today from a National Institute of Health clinical trial shows that taking a once-a-day anti-HIV pill  can reduce the risk of HIV infection by 44 percent in gay and bisexual men, transgender women who have sex with men. Half of the participants in the clinical trial were given a daily pill containing two anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), emtricitabine and tenofovir. Both drugs are already widely available in the ARV combination pill Truvada, which is commonly prescribed in HIV treatment. The other half of the trial participants were given a placebo pill. Participants were tested for HIV monthly, and received risk-reduction counseling, condoms, and management of any sexually-transmitted infections. During the trial period, 64 people in the placebo ... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197298 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:56:29 +0100 4197298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190126&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F1Uxi4NfOy1c%2F Both surveys show there are big variations in costs for the same procedure, service or drug in the U.S. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190126 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:34:00 +0100 4190126 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179323&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbill-gates-at-mhealth-how-mobile-health-can-improve-healthcare%2F2010.11.18 We reported last week from the mHealth Summit in Washington, DC -- a conference covering the integration of mobile technologies with medical research, information, diagnosis, treatment, and care.] One of the highlights of last week’s mHealth Summit was the keynote interview of Bill Gates. While inseparable from his history as founder and leader of Microsoft from 1975 to 2008, his current passion is global health. Through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has now given 3.8 billion (with a “b”) of targeted philanthropy into global health since 1994, he and his wife Melinda are helping bring about profound change to the lives of millions around the world. In a meeting dedicated to exploring the power of mobile devices to shape health in developed and developing countr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179323 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:00:56 +0100 4179323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172113&cid=t_101571_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F16%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-november-16-2010%2F Do you remember the first time you began thinking about yourself as your own person, separate from mom and dad? I think for me it began when I was a child and saw that I could choose what I wanted to wear for school, what I wanted to eat and what I liked to do. But not only that. My tastes, sense of style and opinions were different too. Yet, this sense of, “Who am I?” definitely did not stop as a child. It grew in my twenties and continues to grow for me as an adult. The more I am able to step out of my family’s shoes and develop my own sense of me, the further along the path I walk toward authenticity and self-identity. It’s a road less traveled especially if you come from a family-centered culture like mine. If you are an artist, writer or any creative person, th... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172113 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:59:46 +0100 4172113 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159201&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FM2EkKKeeZkg%2F The World Health Organization is warning that there could be as many as 200,000 cases over the next six to 12 months. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159201 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:19:20 +0100 4159201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159246&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fspace-medicine-above-and-below-earth%2F2010.11.11 The Chilean mine rescue was a great example of international cooperation and effort, much like the International Space Station. Another similarity between the two was some of the physicians involved. Dr. J.D. Polk and other flight surgeons at NASA had, years ago, made a contingency plan for how to make the limited Space Station food stores last for months if there was a problem with re-supply. So when the Chilean government asked if NASA had any advice for how to care for the miners trapped in a similar resource-limited setting, Dr. Polk and a team went down to help, and MedPage Today wrote up a great summary of their efforts. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159246 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:00:46 +0100 4159246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151747&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgKhRO7iRgbM%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsNovember’s Scientific American features a profile of Georgia Tech atmospheric scientist Judith Curry,  who has committed the mortal sin of  reaching out to other scientists who hypothesize that global warming isn’t the disaster it’s been cracked up to be.  I have personal experience with this, as she invited me to give a research seminar in Tech’s prestigious School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in 2008.  My lecture summarizing the reasons for doubting the apocalyptic synthesis of climate change was well-received by an overflow crowd. Written by Michael Lemonick, who hails from the shrill blog Climate Central, the article isn’t devoid of the usual swipes, calling her a “heretic,, which is hardly at all true.  She’s simply another hardworking sci... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151747 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:48:35 +0100 4151747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151738&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F3TlpUw0bL3Y%2F As the WSJ reports, there are 113 suspected cases and one death in the capital. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151738 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:33:49 +0100 4151738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133660&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FynV-4GeOFbY%2F By Chris EdwardsIn coming months, new Republican members of Congress will be looking for ways to cut the budget deficit and also to increase economic growth. One way to do both is to privatize government assets, such as the U.S. Postal Service, Amtrak, and the air traffic control system. Privatization can reduce deficits from the one-time gain of an asset sale and from the elimination of annual taxpayer subsidies. Privatization can spur economic growth by moving resources from moribund government agencies to the higher-productivity and more innovative private sector. A new report by a trade magazine specializing in privatization confirms that the United States lags many nations on innovative infrastructure financing. Public Works Financing has been tallying data on “public-private partne... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133660 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 21:11:47 +0100 4133660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133710&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Femapping-the-worlds-health%2F2010.11.04 We’ve written before about HealthMap, a project spearheaded by folks from Harvard, Children’s Hospital-Boston, and a few other institutions. At TEDMED 2010 we had a chance to interview John Brownstein, co-founder of the project, about what HealthMap is up to these days: Flashbacks: The Latest on HealthMap, an Online Disease-Mining System HEALTHmap Global Disease Tracker *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133710 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:00:56 +0100 4133710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119077&cid=t_101571_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F29%2Fwhite-house-policy-adding-to-stigma-of-suicide%2F A Department of Defense task force dedicated to preventing suicide in the military recently released a report with some disturbing facts. The report acknowledges that the physical and psychological demands on our volunteer fighting forces are huge. Between 2005 and 2009 alone, more than 1,100 soldiers committed suicide. That is one soldier dying by suicide every 36 hours. The report notes that the rate of suicide deaths in the Army has more than doubled. The task force mentions numerous research reports that have documented the psychological and emotional injuries — “the hidden wounds of war” — that have devastated many military members and their families. Personnel who are deploying — as well as those left behind — are under stress because of an imbalan... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119077 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 17:07:46 +0100 4119077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118866&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Ff4uvOQ0JqDY%2F Koska's solution was to come up with a syringe that was impossible to reuse. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118866 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:02:48 +0100 4118866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105643&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fh8IzGl-Xs4Q%2F Also: a report that Walgreen is looking to sell PBM; the difficulty of weight-loss drug development; hormones and pets. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105643 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:49:18 +0100 4105643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105647&cid=t_101571_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F4g7tKJfq5EE%2F There's now a total of about 253 deaths and 3,115 cases requiring hospitalization. (Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog) WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105647 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:49:47 +0100 4105647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105743&cid=t_101571_107_f&fid=38268&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hippokranet.eu%2F%3Fp%3D440 The Living Planet Report is the world’s leading, science-based analysis on the health of our only planet. Visit the Website of the WWF and read about the Living Planet Report 2010. Living Planet Report 2010 Website (english) Living Planet Report 2010, PDF-File Living Planet Report 2010 Website (deutsch) Living Planet Report 2010, PDF-Datei (Source: blog.hippokranet.eu) blog.hippokranet.eu blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105743 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:41:36 +0100 4105743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105845&cid=t_101571_123_f&fid=39035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.liddlekidzblog.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fbring-love-nurturing-and-massage-to.html The Liddle Kidz Foundation Global outreach for 2010 focuses on orphaned and abandoned children in Vietnam.Donate Today FirstGiving - LIDDLE KIDZ FOUNDATION - Liddle Kidz Foundation_Vietnam OutreachWith nurturing, compassion and touch therapy, children will develop and reach their full potential. We strive to address infant and children’s critical tactile needs by working directly with their families and healthcare providers in pediatric hospitals, hospices, and orphanages to provide comprehensive nurturing services, consultation, education, program development and support. We are committed to furthering the development of touch therapy services for vulnerable and underserved populations internationally. Through education and support we work to create replicable and sustainable change. At... Liddle Kidz Infant and Pediatric Massage Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105845 Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:15:00 +0100 4105845