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 'globe'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:03:17 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130865&cid=t_134590_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fpartners-health-care-acquiring-neighborhood-health-plan-800-pound-gorilla-and-fig-leaf Partners Health Care (the dominant provider network in Greater Boston) and Neighborhood Health Plan (a local mostly-Medicaid HMO) just announced that the former intends to acquire the latter, and maintain it as a separate operating entity.  No money will change hands between the parties, but an unspecified amount of money will be given by Partners as grants to community health centers where NHP members receive much of their health care services. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130865 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:19:17 +0100 5130865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968583&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F23%2Fwhen-things-go-wrong-in-massachusetts-fire-the-employees-not-carney-hospital%2F Mental health care in Massachusetts is sometimes a hit or miss proposition. Especially if you’re poor or indigent, or may present a danger to yourself or others. For the 14-bed locked hospital unit at Carney — now owned by Steward Health Care — it apparently was such a “miss” proposition that they ended up sacking the entire staff. Yes, you heard me — all 29 psychiatric nurses and mental health counselors were let go about a month ago. Meanwhile, Massachusetts continues to pay Carney Hospital to run its program, with all new staff. Is it possible that 29 different professionals really were responsible for the four complaints? Or is this a perfect example of incompetent management and senior hospital executives covering their asses, and trying to put the ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968583 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:39:20 +0100 4968583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952989&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F19%2F10-tips-for-new-fathers%2F If you are a new dad, guess what research shows is one of the best things you can do to bond with your new baby and make your marriage stronger? Change his diaper. Yep… Becoming a new father can be a daunting task, but there are ten things to keep in mind that will help you, your new baby, and your marriage. 1. Time and tolerance. The most important thing you can do is simply spend time with your newborn.  Serious research about fatherhood is only a scant 30 years old, and what we know is that the more time fathers spend with their infants the better. Researchers in the early years of father-infant bonding couldn’t find fathers spending enough time with their infants to study them.  In other words, dads weren’t spending an adequate amount of time with their baby to even start... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952989 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 10:29:58 +0100 4952989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862625&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F25%2Fwhat-little-awesome-things-make-you-happy%2F One of my friends from blogland is Neil Pasricha, who has the wonderful site 1000 Awesome Things, where he lists, yes, awesome things! It always makes me happy to visit there. For example, some awesome things include: The Kids’ Table The smooth feeling on your teeth when you get your braces off Pulling a weed and getting all the roots with it That moment in the shower when you decide to make it a really long shower Letting go of the gas pump perfectly so you end on a round number Sneaking cheaper candy into the movie theater Picking the fastest moving line at the grocery store checkout Coming back to your own bed after a long trip Neil has also written two books of awesome things, and the second one hits the shelves today: The Book of Even More Awesome. (Neil and I bond over Canada&... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862625 Wed, 25 May 2011 23:32:40 +0100 4862625 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747650&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F24%2Fwillpower-self-control-can-be-learned%2F I’m a little astounded by how quickly some people are willing to just throw up their hands and, rather than learning how to gain more willpower and self-control in their life, use technology tools as a substitute for learning those skills. Or suggesting how we seem to be at the mercy of social networking sites, which have some sort of undeniable power over us, our choices and our behaviors. I’m talking about the article in today’s Boston Globe from Tracy Jan bemoaning how college students nowadays are “tangled in an endless web of distractions.” The article reads like college students are saying, “The Internet and Facebook are just too darned addicting, I can’t help myself!” It’s gotten so bad that some college professors — even a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747650 Sun, 24 Apr 2011 16:49:05 +0100 4747650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382762&cid=t_134590_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Frealistic-medicine-the-kind-of-thinking-to-look-for%2F2011.01.21 There are several stages in becoming an empowered, engaged, activated patient — a capable, responsible partner in getting good care for yourself, your family, whoever you’re caring for. One ingredient is to know what to expect, so you can tell when things seem right and when they don’t. Researching a project today, I came across an article* published in 2006: ”Key Learning from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s 10-Year Patient Safety Journey.” This table shows the attitude you’ll find in an organization that has realized the challenges of medicine and is dealing with them realistically: “Errors are everywhere.” “Great care in a high-risk environment.” What kind of attitude is that? It’s accurate. This work began after the death of Boston Globe healt... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382762 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:00:29 +0100 4382762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175692&cid=t_134590_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-doctors-make-mistakes-about-humanness-and-perfection%2F2010.11.17 The best part of doctoring is its humanness. Machines can’t do it — not even Apple products. But that’s the worst part, too. Since humans practice medicine, there will be “medical errors.” And when doctors err, people — not spreadsheets or profits — are hurt. That’s the rub. Like any endeavor, the greater the reward the greater the risk.  Those cards were put on the table in medical school. “Don’t want mistakes? Don’t do anything. Don’t make any decisions. Don’t do any procedures. Then, there will be no errors,”  the grey-haired, Swiss-born cardiac surgeon counseled me many years ago after an imperfect ablation. The headline was about a doctor’s error. It was a doozy. But for me, the story belies t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175692 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4175692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4125009&cid=t_134590_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-future-of-american-healthcare%2F2010.11.01 You want to see a doctor? You’re going to have to wait. And I don’t mean like an hour in the office. I mean like 53 days. It’s not some doomsday story from the future. It’s happening today here in Massachusetts. Massachusetts — the state whose 2006 law was the model for the federal healthcare reform law. Massachusetts — home to some of the world’s best medical centers and doctors. And, as the Boston Globe’s “White Coat Notes” blog reports, Massachusetts — home to doctor shortages and long waits to see a doctor: When primary care patients do secure an appointment for a non-urgent matter, they have to wait to get in the door, the survey found. The average delay is 29 days to see a family medicine doctor, down from 44 days last year, and 53 days ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4125009 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:00:44 +0100 4125009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082087&cid=t_134590_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdollars-for-doctors-investigative-public-service-journalism%2F2010.10.19 An historic piece of journalism was published today. Six news organizations partnered on the “Dollars for Docs” project — ProPublica, NPR, PBS’s Nightly Business Report, the Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe and Consumer Reports. They examined $258 million in payments by seven drug companies in 2009 and 2010 to about 18,000 healthcare practitioners nationwide for speaking, consulting, and other tasks. This webpage can be your gateway to the project, with links to a database searchable by doctor’s name or by state, and links to the journalism partners’ efforts: Boston Globe “Prescription for Prestige” The Harvard brand, unrivaled in education, is also prized by the pharmaceutical industry as a powerful tool in promoting drugs. Its allure is evid... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082087 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 20:00:21 +0100 4082087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3998987&cid=t_134590_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdeceptive-health-websites-are-all-too-plentiful%2F2010.09.24 By Lisa Neal Gualtieri. (Her earlier much-commented post on this subject is here.) The Boston Globe reported this month on the sentencing of a former US Airways Express pilot, Stephen Sharp, “for selling a powdered drink mix over the Internet that he claimed was ‘100 percent’ effective in helping drug-using truck drivers, pilots, and train engineers pass federally mandated drug tests.” The ungrammatically-named “yourintheclear.com” no longer seems to exist. Mindful of ongoing debate by Gilles Frydman and others about indicators of health website credibility, I searched for other sites selling similar products (there is no shortage) and looked on sites like Craigslist where people post questions about how to pass drug tests and how to detoxify. Based on a quick perusal, I found ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3998987 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:00:42 +0100 3998987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3849072&cid=t_134590_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FP4GVSnD9MK0%2Fsocial-media-allows-providers-to-view.html The Boston Globe recently interviewed Dr. Tara Lagu about how doctors and healthcare providers feel about social media and healthcare. As expected, most are fearful of the online review systems and the negative reviews that could come from them. Dr. Lagu believes that patients look beyond one bad review and realize the external situations that come from negative reviews posted online.What's the next step for social media and healthcare? Reviews of hospitals online. This will allow consumers to become more involved in the healthcare process, letting know external experiences apart from the doctor that will help improve consumers overall experiences when visiting the doctor. (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3849072 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:30:00 +0100 3849072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3808704&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F01%2Fdistraction-a-serious-problem-of-modern-life%2F Here is the irony in writing a piece about distraction. I told myself not to check my email until the column was done, but I did peak at my Facebook because I was awaiting a response. I saw that I had four new friend requests, so in the process of accepting them, I see that another blogger has referenced one of my posts in a recent blog, so I click over to her site. Oh, and did I mention that I have Mozart blasting away in my ears so that I can drown out the sound of the podcast the woman in front of me at the coffee shop is playing? I have always known that distraction is a problem for me. When I was a junior in high school, I was taken to a psychologist to be evaluated. He told my mother that my decoding skills (ability to decipher, decrypt, solve, translate) were some of the poorest he... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3808704 Sun, 01 Aug 2010 13:32:54 +0100 3808704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733154&cid=t_134590_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fstandards-naming-medical-devices Discussion of medical device issues has become part of the mainstream press such as last week's Boston Globe article about their security.   A year ago, I wrote about a breakthrough in medical device interoperability standards for content, vocabulary and transmission.   (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733154 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:15:23 +0100 3733154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718376&cid=t_134590_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FcUEUruzNO4Q%2F By Michael F. CannonIn a recent post on how RomneyCare is increasing health insurance costs in Massachusetts (by encouraging healthy residents to purchase coverage only when they need medical care) and how ObamaCare will do the same, I linked to a Boston Globe article where an insurance-company spokeswoman made this odd claim: We believe…the gaming in the system…is adding as much as $300 million dollars to the health care system in Massachusetts. It’s hard to know what she meant. Taken literally, this claim is obviously untrue.  The gamers aren’t adding revenue to “the system” — they’re withholding revenue.  Nor are they adding costs, in the sense of additional medical spending.  If anything, overall spending falls because the gamers are less often in... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718376 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:59:49 +0100 3718376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641142&cid=t_134590_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F3sblmEAdA8M%2F The Boston Globe has a good article/ book review on the latest quasi-luddite attack on the Internet (an attack in the name of brain science no less, and with cool brain scans). The book in question: “The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains.” The Internet ate my brain (Boston Globe) - Nicholas Carr says that our online lifestyle threatens to make us dumber. But resistance may not be futile The reporter, Wes Anderson, adds the proper perspective, in my view, by ending the article with: “Books and the Internet, literary culture and digital culture have coexisted for many years. It may be that an engaged intellectual life will now require a sort of hybrid existence — and a hybrid mind that can adapt and survive by the choices one makes. It may require a new ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641142 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:23:59 +0100 3641142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3625482&cid=t_134590_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Ftm7cso7dmCk%2F By David BoazWhat is it with modern American liberals and taxes? Apparently they don’t just see taxes as a necessary evil, they actually like ‘em; they think, as Gail Collins puts it in the New York Times, that in a better world “little kids would dream of growing up to be really big taxpayers.” But you really see liberals’ taxophilia coming out when you read the reviews of the new movie Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe. If liberals don’t love taxes, they sure do hate tax protesters. Carlo Rotella, director of American Studies at Boston College, writes in the Boston Globe that this Robin Hood is “A big angry baby [who] fights back against taxes” and that the movie is “hamstrung by a shrill political agenda — endless fake-populist ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3625482 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:07:47 +0100 3625482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3592209&cid=t_134590_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpatient-tests-ehrs-and-medical-homes-the-price-isnt-right%2F2010.05.24 Healthcare reform is forcing medical students to learn about the financial costs of the tests they order, as well as their clinical importance. Once a taboo topic, it’s being openly taught to students to prepare them for practice. At Harvard, one physician in training duplicated television’s “The Price is Right” to keep his peers guessing at the costs of tests on a patient’s bill. Molly Cooke, FACP, a Regent of the College, encourages doctors to consider the value of the tests they order as they deliver care. (Kaiser Health News, New England Journal of Medicine) The price isn’t right for electronic medical records. Even $44,000 in stimulus money isn’t enough to make doctors jump into using computers. (more…) *This blog post was origin... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3592209 Mon, 24 May 2010 14:00:00 +0100 3592209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556069&cid=t_134590_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUlleBYNc0wc%2F By Mark MollerKagan gets an endorsement from superstar conservative appellate litigator and Bush II appellate nominee (also my old boss) Miguel Estrada here (see last paragraph). Plus, Stuart Taylor says Kagan’s nomination could mean a more conservative Court: Commentators on the left . . . complain that Kagan never compiled much of a record of aggressively championing liberal causes during her years as a law professor. Some say she was too friendly as dean of Harvard Law School to conservatives and did not recruit as many women and minorities for the faculty as diversitycrats desired. Speaking as a moderate independent, I like everything about Kagan that the left dislikes. To borrow from my friend Harvey Silverglate, a leading Boston lawyer who champions both civil liberties and a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556069 Wed, 12 May 2010 14:35:35 +0100 3556069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342634&cid=t_134590_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FijFhKx1eGoM%2F By Neal McCluskeyAfter months of delay, the Common Core State Standards Initiative will soon release draft, grade-by-grade, national curricular standards. According to the CCSSI website, the draft standards will be out this month. Why the wait? The drafting process has been pretty opaque so outside observers can’t know for certain, but the scuttlebutt is that drafters just haven’t been able to agree on what the standards should contain. This shouldn’t surprise anyone. As Boston Globe columnist Jaff Jacoby explains in a terrific new piece — which draws on my new national-standards analysis — getting very diverse people to agree on a single standard is extremely difficult, especially if the standard is going to be something other than lowest-common-d... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342634 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:01:53 +0100 3342634 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3314657&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F27%2Fthe-mother-of-mindfulness-ellen-langer%2F Ellen Langer, a professor at Harvard, is also the mother of the psychological concept of mindfulness. There was a great profile last Sunday of her work in the Boston Globe Magazine. The article describes how, as a doctoral student, she was intrigued by how people reacted when a poker hand was misdealt: One round, the dealer accidentally skipped someone. “Everyone went crazy,” Langer recalls. It was out of the question, she learned, to simply give the skipped person the next card and proceed with the deal. She began to wonder why people were so attached to “their” cards even when they had no idea whether they were good or bad.[...] [She also] ran a study in which she set up a lottery and varied the terms by which people got their tickets. She found that subjects valued their tickets... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3314657 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 10:51:06 +0100 3314657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3204934&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F24%2Fshould-you-lock-up-your-sweets%2F I read a most strange article this morning in my copy of The Boston Globe Magazine by Virginia A. Smith. The author talks about the fact that she and her spouse have a padlocked drawer in their kitchen in which they keep all of their sweets: The lockbox is a large drawer with a padlock worthy of Gitmo in which I store anything loaded with sugar and fat — cookies, chocolate chips, Tostitos, marshmallows, frosting — all stuff I don’t mind my kids having in small quantities. But to John, my middle child, there’s no such thing as moderation. He has never met a grain of sugar, a gram of fat, or a chip of chocolate that he hasn’t wanted to consume immediately. His two sisters keep reasonable control over their food-related cravings. My spouse, Kathy, cannot control herself in ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3204934 Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:00:32 +0100 3204934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2934768&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2F27%2Fpatient-stabs-doctor-shot-dead-at-bipolar-clinic%2F A patient being seen at the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Bipolar Clinic and Research Program attacked his physician today, stabbing her with a knife during a treatment session according to Boston Police. The incident occurred in an office building nearby the main Mass. General building, where the hospital leases space for the Bipolar Clinic: After at least one gunshot echoed on the fifth floor, two nurses from [a neighboring] office went to treat the patient, who had apparently been shot in the head by the security guard [...] “During the course of the stabbing incident, an off-duty security officer who was armed interceded,” [Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis] said. “He produced a weapon and ordered the suspect to drop the knife. When the suspect did not co... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2934768 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:38:36 +0100 2934768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2855658&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=38951&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarlatpsychiatry.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fboston-globe-lets-ban-hired-guns.html Yesterday, the Boston Globe published an excellent editorial entitled: “Keep doctors independent; ban fees from drug makers.” Responding to revelations that Eli Lilly paid out $22 million in fees for promotional talks to doctors over the first 3 months of 2009, the Globe believes that “legislators should go beyond requiring disclosure of the relationships, and ban the practice.” The piece soundly concludes that: "Patients trust doctors as stewards of their health. They revere them as scientists who can exercise sound, independent judgment. Allowing doctors to promote drugs for pharmaceutical companies takes advantage of that trust and reverence. It also compromises doctors’ most important work: treating people who are ill." I agree that doctors should cease speaking for drug c... The Carlat Psychiatry Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2855658 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:32:00 +0100 2855658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842600&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=38951&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarlatpsychiatry.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fethics-of-speakers-bureaus-under.html Eli Lilly's publication of a registry revealing all payments to doctors has opened up an overdue conversation. Is it ethical for a doctor to become a member of a drug company speaker's bureau? Or is it inherently deceptive for a doctor to pose as being an independent source of information while at the same time being under contract to speak for specific drugs?In today's Boston Globe, Liz Kowalczyk does some investigative reporting based on information gleaned from the Lilly Registry. She found that two physicians at Boston Medical Center (BMC), neurologist Brian McGeeney, and endocrinologist Elliot Sternthal, were each paid thousands of dollars by Lilly during the first three months of 2009 to give education talks to other physicians. But according to Kowalczyk, for the past two years BMC ... The Carlat Psychiatry Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842600 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:51:00 +0100 2842600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814482&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F09%2F21%2Fhow-facebook-social-networks-leak-your-privacy%2F An article in the Boston Globe yesterday demonstrated how social networks like Facebook can “leak” privacy. Devising a simple algorithm, two MIT students came up with a method for analyzing a person’s network on the social networking website Facebook. They discovered that they could fairly reliably determine whether a man was gay or not by the friends he kept, regardless of whether he identified his sexual orientation on Facebook: Using data from the social network Facebook, they made a striking discovery: just by looking at a person’s online friends, they could predict whether the person was gay. They did this with a software program that looked at the gender and sexuality of a person’s friends and, using statistical analysis, made a prediction. The two students had... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814482 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:12:33 +0100 2814482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800468&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F09%2F16%2Fhave-we-become-a-nation-of-narcissists%2F What do rapper Kanye West, tennis star Serena Williams, and Congressman Joe Wilson have in common, besides lots of publicity over their recent public outbursts? It doesn’t take a psychiatrist to conclude that all three individuals placed their momentary emotional needs over the feelings and wishes of others — and that they failed to play by the proverbial rules of the game. Though their intrusive behavior may be rationalized as “off the cuff” or “from the heart,” the fact remains that each of these individuals performed a calculation over a period of seconds, minutes, or perhaps hours: they calculated that their anger or resentment was more important than the decorum others expected of them. Sure, we all “lose it” from time to time, and impolite outbursts have pro... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800468 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:27:01 +0100 2800468 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712077&cid=t_134590_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FfdCvXr5ynvE%2F Recent editorials in both the Boston Globe and The New York Times contained some staggering falsehoods about the cost of Massachusetts’ health reforms.  Here is a poor, unsuccessful letter I sent to the editor of the Globe: The editorial “Mass. bashers take note: Health reform is working” [Aug. 5] states that “the cost to the state taxpayer” of the Massachusetts health reforms is “about $88 million a year.”  That claim is unquestionably false.  The cost to state taxpayers is 19 times that amount, while the total cost is 24 times that amount. The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation explains that the $88-million figure represents not the total cost to the state government, but the average annual increase in the state government’s costs.  Worse, the editorial completely... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712077 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:37:16 +0100 2712077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2637861&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F07%2F24%2Ffriday-flashback-for-july-24-2009%2F While visiting family over the weekend, I thought you might enjoy these classic entries from our past. 10 Years Ago on Psych Central When Tragedy Provides My essay about the Columbine tragedy, which also just celebrated its 10 year anniversary a few months ago. Tragedy reminds us that we’re human and gives us a chance to reconnect with one another. But nothing can make sense of tragedies such as Columbine. 5 Years Ago on Psych Central Drug Maker Acknowledges Misleading Claims In case you thought that some pharmaceutical companies’ recent problems with telling the whole truth about their drugs is something new, I noted 5 years ago when Janssen admitted that it minimized some of the potential side effects of its drug, Risperdal. According to the story, “the FDA determine... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2637861 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:06:10 +0100 2637861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2626084&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F07%2F21%2Fhospitals-full-up-state-suggests-we-cut-beds%2F Tough economic times affect everyone. Even, apparently, the ability to look at data in a rational and logical manner. When your data tell you that your psychiatric hospital bed capacity is hovering around 97 percent, many people would consider that a sign that perhaps more psychiatric hospital beds are needed. But in Massachusetts, apparently the reverse is true — at least, that is, when you start looking at ways to cut the budget. The Boston Globe has the story: A state commission has proposed speeding up the closure of Westborough State Hospital and a slate of other measures that would cut about 120 psychiatric beds at a time when the mental health system is already under significant strain. The proposal is in response to a $13 million budget deficit at the state Department of Men... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2626084 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:13:19 +0100 2626084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348730&cid=t_134590_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fbad-data-saga-continues Since our post on Monday, where we highlighted the potential impact to PHR adoption of the Boston Globe story on one consumer’s less than ideal experience with Google Health, there has been a number of other conversations worthy of note: (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348730 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:04:23 +0100 2348730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348732&cid=t_134590_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Finsurance-and-health-it-companies-tolerate-hundreds-thousands-deaths-year-protect-their-antiqua About two weeks ago, e-patient Dave sent me a link to his blog post about his Google Health information sucked out of the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston. It finally made the Boston Globe this morning. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348732 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:25:50 +0100 2348732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258165&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F11%2Fus-mental-health-grades-virtually-useless%2F While I applaud the intent of the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s effort to “grade” the 50 states in the U.S. on their mental health care, the problem with such reports is that they are out-of-date and virtually useless from the moment they are published. The problem with the report isn’t its data gathering methods or purpose, both of which are solid and noble. The problem is that in the amount of time it takes to gather the data, analyze it, and publish it, the data is already out of date. To see how out of date, you only have to look and see that the last report was published 3 years ago. Hardly timely. In my home state, Massachusetts, it received a B, up from the C- it received in 2006, and much better than the national average of D. What the report doesn&... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258165 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:31:55 +0100 2258165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258173&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F09%2Fa-soldiers-welfare-versus-the-armys%2F When does the need of a single person outweigh the needs of the many? What if that single person is a soldier and those who need him is his unit? The Boston Globe has an insightful op-ed piece today that weighs this question in light of the increased emphasis on screening and treatment of emotionally wounded soldiers. With the recognition of the importance of a soldier’s mental health, more soldiers today are getting screening and treatment for common conditions, such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But with such diagnosing and treatment often comes a discharge, because it’s in the soldier’s best interests to not be exposed again to the traumatic stresses of war. Such discharges have an unintended effect of decreasing a unit’s available manpo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258173 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:11:13 +0100 2258173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365186&cid=t_134590_113_f&fid=38494&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcuretogether.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2F19%2Fwhy-track-yourself%2F With all the media attention on self-tracking lately (Wall Street Journal, Globe and Mail, GOOD), you might be wondering whether to give it a try for yourself. But the polarized comments on these articles and the labeling of self-tracking as narcissism might be causing doubt. Here’s a special guest post from CureTogether co-founder Daniel Reda to offer reasons for why tracking yourself is a good idea. And a beautiful image compiled by the Globe and Mail, on the cover of today’s Life section. —— “Whether it’s science, business, politics or your personal life, you can’t effectively understand, manage or improve what you don’t measure. Human intuitive judgments, even those of experts, are systematically biased. Hundreds of studies have revealed ... The Collective Well blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365186 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:16:06 +0100 2365186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194864&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2F18%2Fits-possible-to-nurture-yourself-and-mother-nature%2F Midweek Mental Greening Last week, I told you about a Boston Globe article that discussed the negative mental health effects global warming is having on some people, and promised you some tips on how to deal with those kinds of effects – whether the issue is global warming, poverty, animal rights or any other matter that has you upset. Check them out below. Take action and get involved. As I mentioned last week, sitting around and twiddling my thumbs has never been my thing. One of the best ways you can ensure something is being done is to do something. Whether it’s as easy as making sure your signature is on the petitions for causes you believe in or as involved as organizing a local chapter of your favorite nonprofit. You’ll feel better about yourself and the problem or issue ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194864 Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:19:44 +0100 2194864 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194866&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2F17%2Fdoes-propranolol-erase-memories-still-no%2F Cool, a new memory erasing drug! At least that’s what you’d think if you read the health news headlines plastered over the ‘net over the past few days about propranolol’s magical memory erasing abilities: Blood Pressure Drug May Erase Fearful Memories - WebMD Common drug eases memories of fear - Boston Globe Could a blood pressure drug dim bad memories? - Scientific American How could so many respectable publications get the basic facts of this research so wrong? How wrong? Well, first of all, you’d think the new study studied memory. But you’d be wrong, of course. What the research actually looked at was the startle response and an artificial fear connection made to a picture: When those in the placebo group were given a series of electric shocks,... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194866 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:42:11 +0100 2194866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2039946&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F12%2F15%2Fssri-antidepressants-and-your-sex-life%2F As we’ve noted in the past (such as here, here, and most recently here), SSRI antidepressant medications — the most commonly prescribed psychiatric medication today — often have sexual side effects. Inability to orgasm, delayed orgasm, losing sensation in your genitals, and a lack of sex drive are all possible side effects of these common medications. Despite this being a pretty well-known issue with SSRI antidepressants for at least 10 years and maybe even as long as 20 years, apparently someone over at the Boston Globe just found out. And decided to make it front page news today. Ostensibly the report is noting that some recent studies put the rate of sexual side effects as high as 1 in every 2 patients who take it (which seems about right based upon what I’ve he... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2039946 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:25:58 +0100 2039946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1895230&cid=t_134590_85_f&fid=36194&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftesstermulo.com%2F2008%2F10%2F22%2Fa-quick-peek-and-squeak%2F Really, I could do better in updating this blog.  Though I’m busy with my new life now, there’s still time for blogging actually.  But the intermittent internet connection courtesy of Globe (in)Visibility is keeping me from doing what’s necessary.  Aaaaarrrrgggh!  I should buy a Smart Bro Prepaid Broadband and try if it has better connection in my area.  I heard that Sun Broadband is also available here, but I’m not sure if I want to avail it since it’s not available in prepaid just yet. I know my life would be much easier if I were to ask my aunt if she’d allow me to install a dsl service here in her home.  But, I think it’s asking too much.  Perhaps, in time.  I don’t think she’d really understand why I needed Internet very mu... Prudence and Madness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1895230 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:18:24 +0100 1895230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1546629&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F06%2F26%2Fhelp-for-children-with-mental-illness%2F Today’s Boston Globe has one of those feel-good editorials that calls for more of this and more of that aid for children in Massachusetts who have a mental illness. But their insight into this problem is limited, their solutions naive, and they inadvertently continue to promote the stigma attached to mental illness. As the Globe’s Carey Goldberg reported recently, a dozen children faced such delays in recent weeks. Lisa Lambert, executive director of the nonprofit Parent/Professional Advocacy League, a mental health organization, says she has heard of 30 cases in the last six weeks. No state data are available. These emergency room traffic jams are part of troubling national trends. Troubling national trends indeed. Troubling national trends that have been going on for dec... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1546629 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:36:13 +0100 1546629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1543402&cid=t_134590_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F06%2F25%2Fbreakdown-canadas-mental-health-crisis%2F This article on addiction and mental illness is just one in a Globe and Mail series this week.  It is a revealing mix of personal stories and professional observations with an emphasis on breaking through the stigma surrounding those who are impacted and the various manifestations of illness.     [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1543402 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:36:25 +0100 1543402 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512135&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F06%2F12%2Fare-diagnoses-too-inclusive%2F Christopher Lane has an excellent article in yesterday’s The Boston Globe about the murky line between normal shyness and something called social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia). The article examines the difficulty in telling “normal behavior” from something that’s diagnosable as a mental disorder, and rightfully picks on this disorder as a prime example of the blurred line. But first Lane drives a dagger into what passes for science on social anxiety disorder: The Society of Nuclear Medicine has been touting a new study that suggests we’re one step closer to solving the riddle of social anxiety disorder. Researchers believe the origins of the disorder are biological. […] Once you start calling fear of criticism a psychiatric disorder, ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512135 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:54:05 +0100 1512135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1492037&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F06%2F03%2Fwhy-are-we-so-darned-optimistic%2F Is the glass half full or half empty? Ask most people and they’ll say “half full,” suggesting a natural bias toward optimism in humans. Research has shown that up to 80% of people in a study display characteristics of optimism. Researchers think that this may be a part of our biological makeup, and are now looking at the brain for additional answers. From an evolutionary standpoint, it may make some sense. An optimist can view a situation, see the positive, and work toward achieving it. And therefore, possibly, surviving and thriving more than the pessimist. An article that sheds some light on the optimism/pessimism biases in people appeared the other day in The Boston Globe: Optimism — and pessimism — are considered stable personality traits, and it is un... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1492037 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:56:42 +0100 1492037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1475144&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F05%2F28%2Fspend-some-time-with-ron-kessler%2F Ron Kessler is one of the world’s leading psychiatric epidemiologists, studying data trends in mental and behavioral health around the world. He is a 61-year-old professor at Harvard Medical School, and boils down the research data on large populations of people to figure out what’s underlying the data. The Boston Globe has a nice piece about him and how he makes a difference with some of the ground-breaking research he’s conducted in mental health: He is best known as principal investigator of the National Comorbidity Survey, a widely cited landmark study on national mental health in the United States that is conducted every 10 years (he has led it twice), and the co-director of the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Surveys, a similar project that... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1475144 Wed, 28 May 2008 18:58:17 +0100 1475144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1419287&cid=t_134590_115_f&fid=34680&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcoolmristuff.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fthoracic-aorta-disection.html Aortic dissection is the most common catastrophe affecting the aorta. The aorta is the largest artery of the body through which blood leaves the heart to deliver oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. It occurs in about 24 people per million each year in the U.S. It is caused when the inner layer of the aortic wall tears and then peels or separates away from the next layer of the aorta. This creates two channels; the original aortic channel for blood flow (the true lumen) is still present while the peeling away of the outer layer in the dissection creates a new additional flow channel (the false lumen).Symptoms of Aortic DissectionLocation of Pain:Chest painBack painFlank painAbdominal painLeg painQuality of PainPain that is tearing or sharpAbrupt onset of painPain that migrates or radi... MRI LINKS AND OTHER COOL THINGS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1419287 Sun, 04 May 2008 13:54:00 +0100 1419287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1303325&cid=t_134590_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Ffriday-roundup.html Discussion" logo under the "Other" category in the right margin of my blog.Denise Faustman Human Clinical Trials to BeginI have written about it in the past, but her human clinical trials have been one of the most anticipated events in diabetes research for many people. Yesterday, it was finally announced that scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have initiated a phase 1 clinical trial to reverse type 1 diabetes. The ClinicalTrial.gov posted a trial announcement looking for people to participate in the first phase clinical trial."We are pleased to be starting human clinical trials," said Dr. Faustman. "Human trials take time, but we are making the step from curing diabetes in mice to determining whether it will work in men and women with diabetes."Certainly, an army of pe... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1303325 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:30:00 +0100 1303325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1097644&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2007%2F12%2F16%2Fthe-shrinks-ive-known%2F I like it when people talk about their therapy experiences, both good and bad. The more people read about others’ experiences with therapy, the more open, perhaps, they will be to considering therapy themselves. Psychotherapy is such a mysterious process to many people who haven’t tried it, so such stories take some of the mystery out of it. But not everyone’s story with psychotherapy is a positive or happy one. Some people try it many different times with many different professionals and never quite find the right fit. Others simply don’t find the process very helpful at all. And reading those experiences are just as important, because just like most treatments for mental disorders, one size does not fit all. So I enjoyed reading in today’s Boston Globe Mag... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1097644 Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:48:23 +0100 1097644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=980605&cid=t_134590_85_f&fid=36194&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftesstermulo.com%2F2007%2F10%2F26%2Fblogblast-for-peace-november-7-2007%2F Of the many issues that we need to fight for, I believe it is for peace that we should be always vigilant for, whatever reasons we have for making it our cause. This woman just got inspired to make a movement for peace, Blogblast for Peace, by memories of a single plane crashing on a New York building and then by her father’s old marbles. Mimi Lennox of Mimi Writes is the founder of the Peace Globe Movement. I think it started last year November 7, 2006, when she encouraged people to post photos of globes inscribed with their names or their messages as a protest that we really ought to work for peace in a chaotic world. Some people may have criticized her for being whimsical in pushing for this. What could posting photos of globes on blogs do anyway? We are already aware of how much... Prudence and Madness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=980605 Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:46:53 +0100 980605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=885415&cid=t_134590_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fdangerous-prescription-renewing-fdas.html The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has become too cozy with the industry it regulates, and it looks like that problem is likely to get worse. Right now, Congressional lawmakers are pushing to reach a final agreement this week on legislation that would supposedly help fund the FDA for the next 5 years (by having much of the Agency's budget being funded by the companies it is supposed to be regulating). The current law expires Sept. 30. Last week FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach said the FDA would have to start the process of sending out so-called reduction-in-force notices to up to 2,000 employees if an agreement on new FDA legislation isn't reached by Sept. 21. The user fees help fund the FDA along with some TINY annual appropriations from Congress. Put another way, if the user-f... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=885415 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:25:00 +0100 885415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=841901&cid=t_134590_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F152438031%2Fshift_your_brain_back_into_gea.html We know much more about how certain foods enable the human brain to focus more, stay motivated, improve memory, and maybe even slow down brain decline that comes with age.Get back into gear after a holiday, Leslie Beck, Canadian based dietician at Globe Life Health reminded readers today - with a diet that starts when your feet first hit the floor.Research suggests breakfast, for instance,  can improve mental performance and concentration. How so? Cereals, toast and fruit raise blood glucose levels, which in turn fuels the brain after a night of fasting. Glucose kick starts mental energy, as it makes acetylcholine, a memory neurotransmitter. It's thought these breakfast foods provides a slower and more sustained release of glucose … and can boost memory and attention.To tak... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=841901 Wed, 05 Sep 2007 11:05:59 +0100 841901