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 'health system'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:03:21 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118745&cid=t_135873_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2Fo3AjHrDVXpM%2F You’ve undoubtedly heard the argument before: EHR certification is about assuring that systems meet minimum requirements for functionality and interoperability, but the certification process falls way short in terms of usability, privacy and security. But have you heard the argument from one of the ONC-authorized certification bodies? This is an excerpt from an e-mail I received today: Meaningful Use criteria have become a massive EHR certification driver for healthcare organizations. Hospitals and other providers rely on the criteria to ensure that their health IT systems meet minimum government-specified functionality and interoperability requirements to support Stage 1 of Meaningful Use.  Achieving Meaningful Use also ensures a health care organization qualifies for reimbursement... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118745 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:21:33 +0100 5118745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992630&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Frestless-shade-of-aherf-and-return-of.html Starting in the 1990s, as US health care became more commercialized, a wave of mergers lead to super-sized hospital systems, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical companies.  Not all those mergers, especially involving hospitals, prospered.  Although the mergers were justified as drivers of increased efficiency, health care has become decreasingly accessible, increasingly expensive, and of no better quality.  However, now a whole new wave of mergers seems to be upon us.  The Proposed Highmark Blue Cross/ West Penn Allegheny Health System MergerThe latest example to get national attention is the proposed combination of already large non-profit health insurer Highmark Inc, a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, and non-profit hospital system Allegheny Health System.  ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992630 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:27:00 +0100 4992630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968645&cid=t_135873_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fdoctor-patient-relationships-age-it-social-media-thoughts An unsatisfactory relationship between the doctor and patient is one of the great impediments to a functioning U.S. healthcare system. Our social media followers say that relationship is hurt by three primary factors... can IT help? read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968645 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:02:33 +0100 4968645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742342&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fhendy-ford-health-system-decides.html The CMIO for inpatient services for Henry Ford Health System discusses the Michigan system's decision to hold off on applying for meaningful use funding in 2011, and what that means for its long-term vision of connecting clinical goals with IT support. April 15, 2011. Podcast running time: 3:58 (link to podcast).Excerpts:“The clinician experience of delivering care has never been more complicated. Implementation and adoption of these Electronic Health Records seems to be to many people an end in itself—and that’s unfortunate.The implementation and adoption of EHR is a means to an end and one of those ends is better patient care and another one is clinician efficiency or better and more effective care. And that part feels to me that it gets lower priority and gets overlooked for the s... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742342 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:38:00 +0100 4742342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676899&cid=t_135873_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FEcS5gp-MhXQ%2F Geisinger Health System, Group Health Cooperative, Intermountain Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente and the Mayo Clinic will join together to promote sharing of electronic health data as part of a new organization called the Care Connectivity Consortium. The formal launch is set for 9 a.m. EDT Wednesday at the National Press Club in Washington, and the event will be webcast here. According to a media advisory, the Care Connectivity Consortium is “a historic interoperability collaboration among five of the nation’s leading health systems to securely share electronic health information and best practices.” Executives from the organizations will be on hand to “will discuss the goals of the consortium, how sharing electronic health data supports high quality, patient-centered ca... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676899 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:06:21 +0100 4676899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676789&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fare-emrs-the-key-to-improving-hand-offs-from-the-er-to-the-pcp%2F2011.04.04 Improving handoffs from the emergency room back to the primary care physician will require changing how electronic health records are used, better reimbursement to both the hospital and ambulatory doctors, and malpractice reform, according to a study. The rising use of hospitalists and larger primary care practice sizes has contributed to the difficulties faced when an ER doctors tries to reach a physician who best knows the patient. Haphazard communication and poor coordination can undermine effective care, according to a new research conducted by the Center for Studying Health System Change. Researchers conducted 42 telephone interviews between April and October 2010 with 21 pairs of emergency department and primary care physicians, who were case-matched to hospitals so the perspective o... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676789 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0100 4676789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501566&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fwhat-was-this-medical-resident-looking.html As I was the Director of Clinical Informatics/CMIO (Chief Medical Informatics Officer) at Christiana Care Health System in Delaware back in the mid to late 1990's, and was the physician-architect of their EHR systems then, I find this story particularly disturbing:First-Year Resident Accused Of Fondling 6 PatientsFoxPhilly.com, Feb. 18, 2011Warrants Issued, Police Searching For SuspectNEWARK, Del. - Delaware State Police are trying to find a former first-year resident at Christiana Hospital who they have identified as a suspect in alleged sexual contact with six patients.According to state police, [the former Medical Resident] has been charged with six counts each of third-degree unlawful sexual contact and abuse, mistreatment or neglect of a patient or resident of a facility.... The incid... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501566 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 01:14:00 +0100 4501566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495163&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fwhat-was-this-medical-resident-looking.html As I was the Director of Clinical Informatics/CMIO (Chief Medical Informatics Officer) at Christiana Care Health System in Delaware back in the mid to late 1990's, and was the physician-architect of their EHR systems then, I find this story particularly disturbing:First-Year Resident Accused Of Fondling 6 PatientsFoxPhilly.com, Feb. 18, 2011Warrants Issued, Police Searching For SuspectNEWARK, Del. - Delaware State Police are trying to find a former first-year resident at Christiana Hospital who they have identified as a suspect in alleged sexual contact with six patients.According to state police, [the former Medical Resident] has been charged with six counts each of third-degree unlawful sexual contact and abuse, mistreatment or neglect of a patient or resident of a facility.... The incid... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495163 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 01:14:00 +0100 4495163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455262&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fintegrating-major-health-systems-could-make-things-worse%2F2011.02.09 Health reformers propose the proliferation of integrated health systems, like the Mayo Clinic or Kaiser Permanente, which, according to the Dartmouth Atlas, lead to better patient care and improved cost control. To that end, accountable care organizations (ACOs) have been a major part of health reform, changing the way healthcare is delivered. Never mind that patients may not be receptive to the new model, but the creation of these large, integrated physician-hospital entities that progressive policy experts espouse comes with repercussions. Monopoly power. To prepare for the new model of healthcare delivery, physician practices have been consolidating. In many cases, they’re being bought by hospitals. Last year, I wrote how this is leading to the death of the private practice physician... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455262 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:00:58 +0100 4455262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159244&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-it-and-job-security%2F2010.11.11 Hospitals nationwide are racing against the clock to ensure their health IT systems meet meaningful use guidelines. The incentive? Money, of course. Systems that meet certain criteria make doctors eligible for up to $44,000 in bonus money from the government. As mentioned on this blog previously, implementing an electronic health system is difficult. The usability of the current generation of electronic health records (EHRs) is still relatively primitive, especially when compared to other industries, and the disruption in workflow is undeniable. Worse, there seems to be a lack of trained IT professionals to do the job. In a recent piece from American Medical News: 60% of hospital IT executives believe tech staffing shortages, which some estimate to be a shortfall of 50,000 qualified IT p... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159244 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 21:00:31 +0100 4159244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074066&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoctors-twice-as-likely-to-e-mail-another-provider-than-a-patient%2F2010.10.14 Only 6.7 percent of office-based physicians routinely e-mailed patients about clinical information in 2008, according to an issue brief from the Center for Studying Health System Change. Only 34.5 percent of office-based, ambulatory care physicians reported that information technology for communicating with patients about clinical issues via e-mail was available in their practice in 2008. Of that third, 19.5 percent routinely e-mailed patients, or 6.7 percent overall, while the rest were split between occasional use or non-use. The study sample was restricted to 4,258 office-based physicians and the response rate was 62 percent. In contrast, twice as many physicians spent at least some time each work day e-mailing physicians and other clinicians. (more…) *This blog post w... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074066 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 20:00:00 +0100 4074066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993913&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmental-health-too-many-pills-too-little-truth%2F2010.09.21 This is my column in [the September 17th] Greenville News. It’s a follow-up to a recent column I wrote on the mental health “crisis” in America, as seen in our emergency rooms. My last column addressed the unfortunate truth of the overwhelmed mental health system in South Carolina, and indeed in much of the U.S. While I lament the fiscal condition of our mental health system, and while I feel for those who truly need the help we are often powerless to supply, I would be a poor observer if I didn’t report the truth. And the second truth we must face is that much of what we call mental illness is neither truly “mental,” nor even “illness.” Let me first state the obvious: The brain is an organ. It is incalculably complex and truly a wonder of design... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993913 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:00:41 +0100 3993913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3957869&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fgolden-parachute-for-captain-outrageous.html A year ago, I posted about leadership and governance problems at Northeast Health Systems, a small hospital system located in neighboring Massachusetts.  The colorful story included leaders who solicited money from the community but concealed what they were doing from the same community, an adolescent pregnancy pact after the hospital system refused to provide confidential birth control information at the high school clinic it ran, a hospital vice-president accused of art theft, various cuts, some concealed, of medical services, accusations of conflicts of interest affecting the board of trustees, and no-confidence votes by nurses and physicians. Finally, Stephen Laverty, the CEO held responsible for much of the mess, resigned and things quieted down a bit.  H... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3957869 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:35:00 +0100 3957869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3812977&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Famericans-are-cutting-back-on-healthcare%2F2010.08.02 The Wall Street Journal reported that overall medical use fell as patients had fewer doctor office visits, lab testing, and maintenance medications possibly due to the recession or as a result of consumer-driven healthcare in the way of higher deductibles and copays. This is very worrisome. Certainly patients should have some financial responsibility for their care, but skimping on care will only result in Americans not becoming healthier, but sicker. Though the article cited some examples of patients saving money by not seeing their allergist for a refill of medication and simply calling for one and getting an athletic physical at a local urgent care clinic for $40 rather than $90 at the doctor’s office, these tiny behavior changes aren’t going to bend the cost curve in medi... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3812977 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:00:00 +0100 3812977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3453957&cid=t_135873_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F08%2Fthe-doctor-will-see-you-in-3-or-4-months%2F One of the problems neither the new health care bill nor the mental health parity law that kicks into full effect in another month or so will address is a growing problem in America’s mental health system — the lack of professionals who can see you now. The problem is most seriously felt within psychiatry, where the number of medical students who choose psychiatry over a different medical specialty continues to shrink. A friend of mine who currently sees a psychiatric nurse for her medications wanted to switch to a psychiatrist so that she can try to get off of Effexor, a commonly prescribed antidepressant than can be extremely challenging to get off. She lives north of a major metropolitan area in the U.S. and has decent health insurance. So she started the thankless process e... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3453957 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:19:32 +0100 3453957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3436288&cid=t_135873_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F04%2Fharriet-shetler-co-founder-of-nami%2F Harriet Shetler has passed away at the age of 92. She helped found the organization that eventually became the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), and was a tireless advocate on behalf of people with mental health concerns. It’s no wonder — her son had schizophrenia. Today the organization Mrs. Shetler helped start, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has affiliates in every state and more than 1,100 communities. It offers support to the mentally ill and people living with them; promotes research and education on mental illness; and lobbies governments on mental health concerns. NAMI was formed in 1977 when Shetler and Beverly Young, a mother who also had a son with schizophrenia, met over lunch to discuss the similar challenges they shared raising a child wit... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3436288 Sun, 04 Apr 2010 13:19:32 +0100 3436288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378451&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3DXZtVECpxU%2F By Michael F. CannonGeorge Avery is an assistant professor of public health at Purdue University.  In today’s Daily Caller, Avery rebuts claims that the Obama health plan would improve public health: The idea that health care contributes significantly to population health is both intuitively appealing and untrue…. In fact, federal “reform” often hurts the public health system. Both public health and health care experts have criticized Medicare and Medicaid, enacted by Congress in 1965, for changing the focus of health care practitioners from prevention to treatment…. Requiring all Americans purchase health insurance, which the current bills hope to do, would not address the underlying socio-economic issues at the root of most public health problems…. Indeed, ac... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378451 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:38:51 +0100 3378451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267024&cid=t_135873_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Ffierce-events-at-himss.html I'm not exactly the type of person to be hawking "public appearances" and such, but I will be involved, in my capacity as senior editor of three FierceMarkets publications, in a couple of events at the upcoming HIMSS conference in Atlanta.The main event, so to speak, is the free networking bash that FierceHealthIT is hosting on Tuesday, March 2, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. It takes place at the World of Coca-Cola, a tourist attraction in its own right. If you've never been to Coke's slick headquarters, it's definitely worth seeing. It may be hard to to imagine getting excited about something as simple as a soda brand, but the World of Coke is actually a lot of fun and offers tastings of the secret Coke recipe as it exists in countries around the world. And of course, plenty of mixers will be o... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267024 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:30:00 +0100 3267024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2981071&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F1Exa8AGWP4o%2F The following guest post on the subject of drug adherence is written by Janet Wright, Senior Vice President, Science & Quality, at American College of Cardiology. If the Disruptive Women series on medication adherence has shown anything, it’s that there is a nearly endless number of potential solutions to address the nearly endless number of reasons patients and their prescribed medications do not “stick.”. Over decades of practice in cardiology, I had a first hand view of the challenges patients face in adherence – inability to afford the prescription to incomplete understanding of a med’s value or benefit to overestimating the risk to unclear directions or complex instructions on how and when to take the drugs.. Now, in a staff role at the American College of Cardiology, I ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2981071 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:09:10 +0100 2981071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2923269&cid=t_135873_88_f&fid=38153&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ozemedicine.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D807 We all know the public hospital system is so over-crowded that timely access to quality care is becoming less and less likely, while access to GP’s in the community is becoming ever more difficult for patients. David Penington has drafted a potential cure to restructure health care delivery and hopefully return to a system which emphasises timely quality care rather than just spin doctoring to make it appear that way. See here for a brief summary of his call for restructure and here for the full details. (Source: Oz E Medicine - emergency medicine in Australia) Oz E Medicine - emergency medicine in Australia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2923269 Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:44:58 +0100 2923269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2839170&cid=t_135873_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FADxOANOZ6lo%2Felectronic-records-adopted-by-new-york.html (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2839170 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:15:00 +0100 2839170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2601958&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSM9bMXLDZSw%2F Health care “reformers” (meaning those who want to effectively nationalize America’s medical system) have long understood that their best hope in the new political environment is to ram through legislation with the claim that it is an emergency and won’t wait.  The longer the American people think about the increased cost, decreased choice, and other negative impacts of a a government takeover, the less likely they are to support it. Thankfully, the government health express has slowed noticeably in recent weeks.  Even supporters are coming to doubt that legislation can be approved before Congress goes home in August.  Reports Politico: Health care reform proponents are growing pessimistic that they can meet President Barack Obama’s August target for passing... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2601958 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:44:46 +0100 2601958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2249688&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKxylx3UPX9U%2F Over at “The New Health Dialogue Blog,” my friend Len Nichols writes: I am disappointed to hear the health reform conversation devolve once again into a contrived debate about a single payer, government-run health system. This is an old dispute about “socialized medicine” and one that has already been settled in the minds of a critical mass of policymakers. A couple of things strike me about his post. First, this debate is obviously about socialized medicine, and to argue anything else is absurd. We have a president who advocates single-payer. That president just held a health care summit to which he invited other single-payer advocates, but not a single free-market advocate. As I explain in this paper, all the bluster about “public-private partnerships&#82... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2249688 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:38:15 +0100 2249688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2182357&cid=t_135873_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Farmy-adds-speech-recognition-users.html Nuance Communications today announced that the U.S. Army Medical Department recently purchased an additional 10,000 licenses for Dragon Medical speech recognition software. The purchase brings the number of Army medical licenses to more than 90,000.Nuance says the software will be integrated with the AHLTA EHR system to help physicians document patient encounters. (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2182357 Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:26:00 +0100 2182357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2039913&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fhealth-care-organizations-ensnared-in.html It seems that news about concentration and abuse of power in health care, about ill-informed, ill-advised, conflicted, self-interested, even corrupt management of health care organizations, has almost been swamped by stories of even worse concentration and abuse of power elsewhere, from mysterious hedge funds, to US state government, to countries on multiple continents. And yet, health care and health care organizations seem to have been swept up into these larger fiascos. We commented briefly earlier on one health care connection to the allegations that the Governor of Illinois tried to auction off an appointment to a US Senate seat.Now it turns out that the spectacular collapse of a financial organization that really was a giant Ponzi scheme also has ensnared many health care organizatio... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2039913 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:45:00 +0100 2039913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2019576&cid=t_135873_83_f&fid=38205&url=http%3A%2F%2Fandreas.medbrains.net%2F2008%2F10%2F13%2Forthopaedics-in-the-usa%2F Have just read this article on the numbers of hip and knee operations performed in the USA. While there is a certain pleasure (being an orthopedic surgeon) in see number of operations growing I am completely dumbfounded by the foretasted rate of growth and the costs. The population of the USA is circa. 301,139,947 and therefore the 712,000 implants a year means an incidence of .02%. This is at a par when compared to any European country like Germany; Population 82,400,996 number of implants yearly 190.000. What gets me however is the growth predicted for the number of implants in the USA : Predicted to arrive at 4 million by 2030. That’s a growth of about 5700%. With the way things are these days I almost get the feeling that we operate healthy people in order to arrive at the number... Andreas Richards WeBlog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2019576 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:29:13 +0100 2019576 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1971054&cid=t_135873_125_f&fid=38161&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fdentalheroes%2F%7E3%2F359071013%2F A study recently conducted by the National Survey of Adult Oral Health in Australia confirms that personal wealth is a major factor in determining the health of teeth. You may be saying, “duh”. But, until now there has been little more than empirical evidence to suggest such a relationship. Study Results The study, conducted between 2004 and 2006, determined that Australians from poorer suburbs were twice as likely to have 21 teeth or fewer. Twenty-one teeth is considered the bare minimum necessary. The study also found that those utilizing concession cards(Australian version of food stamps) were 4 times more likely to have fewer than 21 teeth. Who’s to blame Experts fault the inefficiencies in the Australian Public Health System for the problem. Specifically, they po... Dental Heroes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1971054 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:21:37 +0100 1971054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1556508&cid=t_135873_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F323375176%2F Katrina McKenzie was tired of the pain in her hips and took her surgeon’s advice to replace them with experimental implants. And so the 31-year-old New Jersey woman agreed to participate in a clinical study, knowing there was a risk her new hips could fail, The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. But she didn’t know the manufacturer financing the 2002 study, Smith & Nephew, was also paying her surgeon tens of thousands of dollars a year as a consultant, the paper continues. And she later filed a lawsuit against the University of Pennsylvania Health System and her surgeon, Jonathan Garino, contending he botched her surgery and the consulting fees affected his decisions. Garino and Penn responded, in court filings, that the payments had no effect on her treatment, according to the... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1556508 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:56:32 +0100 1556508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1320618&cid=t_135873_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F255791637%2F This report is a must have for those in the brain health industry. Finally, an easy to use objective resource organizing the flurry of global brain health activities. The State of the Brain Fitness Software Market report not only tells the story of cognitive training and brain fitness, but provides a broad range of data allowing one to more swiftly navigate the current terrain and future landscape." -- Debra Raybold, Director, Brain Health Center, Memorial Hospital Health System, South Bend, Indiana. "This report is comprehensive to say the least. It provides an essential service for long term care organizations who want to provide mind-enhancing programs and services. There is a bewildering array of technology currently available. Few, if any, of us have the resources or experti... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1320618 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:42:19 +0100 1320618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1198665&cid=t_135873_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Freal-estate-deals-conflicts-of-interest.html Last week, an article in Newsday raised concerns about conflicts of interest affecting one of the largest US health care systems.The Northshore - Long Island Jewish Health System claims to be the third-largest, not-for-profit secular health care system in the US. It has a $4 billion yearly operating budget, employs 37,000, and claims to be the ninth-largest employer in the New York City area.The Newsday article recounted a large real-estate transaction between the hospital system and a company lead by a prominent member of its board of trustees.The North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System is paying about $300 million to lease a major facility from its own vice chairman's real estate partnership, leading some to question how Long Island's biggest nonprofit handles potential conflicts of... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1198665 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:05:00 +0100 1198665