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 'innovations'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:07:32 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069478&cid=t_92470_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsocial-network-keeps-seniors-connected%2F2011.07.26 Care Innovations, a joint venture between GE and Intel, has released Connect, a service designed to address social isolation in seniors. Connect software runs on a touch screen device and features social networking, as well as health management and reporting tools. The system has been undergoing a successful user trial at a nursing home in Michigan since last year. More about Connect from the announcement: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069478 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:00:44 +0100 5069478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734274&cid=t_92470_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Finterview-louis-burns-ceo-care-innovations Louis Burns is CEO of Care Innovations, the joint venture between Intel and GE that’s aiming to change the world of home care and patient to clinician connectivity. Clearly there’s been lots of money and effort invested — but what are they doing and where are they going? And what new products and services can we expect (beyond the ones Eric Dishman told me about last Fall)? No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734274 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:19:16 +0100 4734274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560269&cid=t_92470_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbig-herbas-research-deficit-why-it-isnt-about-the-money%2F2011.03.08 This is a guest post from Erik Davis of Skeptic North. ********** Bankers, Buyouts & Billionaires: Why Big Herba’s Research Deficit Isn’t About The Money It’s a scene from the blogosphere that’s become all too familiar. A skeptic challenges a natural health product for the lack of an evidentiary base. A proponent of that product responds that the skeptic has made a logical error — an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, and in such a scenario it’s not unreasonable to rely on patient reporting and traditional uses as a guide. The skeptic chimes back with a dissertation on the limits of anecdotal evidence and arguments from antiquity — especially when the corresponding pharma products have a data trail supporting their safety and efficacy. The pr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560269 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 22:00:09 +0100 4560269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495249&cid=t_92470_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F18%2Fnegatively-oriented-therapy-vs-fun-theory%2F “Misery loves company and our company loves misery.” –I.M. Kidding, NOT founder Nothing should ever change.  We have been doing things inefficiently and ineffectively for eons.  Why stop now?  Fun theory is the latest effort of a business endeavoring to make changes in the world that are uniquely fun, proactive, and effective.  Each of their innovations has produced a positive change in the environment, or in people’s behavior for the better. Their motto? “Fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better.” Our competing motto is: “It is easier to do nothing and give up.” The people at TheFunTheory are having a contest. It would be overwhelming for me to discuss all of their entries, but let me review the top four.  This has had the side benefit of ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495249 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:43:56 +0100 4495249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714147&cid=t_92470_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fneed-10-million-figure-out-how-to-clean-the-oil-spill%2F photo: Thinkstock Who couldn’t use a cool ten mill? We wouldn’t mind it. That dough could be yours if you figure out an effective way to clean up the BP oil spill in the Gulf. It’s a pretty daunting task, but if the future of the oceans don’t motivate you, maybe this will: The X Prize Foundation, a nonprofit that offers prizes to spur technological innovation, is offering the reward. Now if only they could figure out a way to persuade BP to actually accept some help with cleaning up this environmental disaster. via Triple Pundit Post from: BlissTree Need $10 Million? Figure Out How to Clean Up the Gulf Oil Spill (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714147 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:32:39 +0100 3714147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585644&cid=t_92470_105_f&fid=38964&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrwes.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Ftiny-camera-peeks-inside-coronary.html For a better look inside coronary arteries comes Optical Coherence Tomography (video at link):Optical Coherence Tomography, or OCT, approved by the FDA in April 2010, forms images by reflecting light inside blood vessels, which allows doctors to see 10 times more detail of an artery than the conventional ultrasound.Please note that this technology has been around since at least 2002. Is it really new? Or is it really that the company's news of FDA approval is "new?" More importantly, the million dollar question is not if it makes pretty pictures, but rather what does it add to the cost of the procedure and will it improve outcomes?A brief review of a similar technology, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), has demonstrated that it's not so easy to demonstrate improved outcomes in most routine ... Dr. Wes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585644 Thu, 20 May 2010 17:38:00 +0100 3585644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508215&cid=t_92470_105_f&fid=38964&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrwes.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fsmooth-as-silk-bioabsorbable.html From Technology Review has a roundup of emerging technologies of which this is one:Implanted electronics could provide a clearer picture of what's going on inside the body to help monitor chronic diseases or progress after surgery, but biocompatibility issues restrict their use. Many materials commonly used in electronics cause immune reactions when implanted. And in most cases today's implantable devices must be surgically replaced or removed at some point, so it's only worth using an implant for critical devices such as pacemakers. Silk, however, is biodegradable and soft; it carries light like optical glass; and while it can't be made into a transistor or an electrical wire, it can serve as a mechanical support for arrays of electrically active devices, allowing them to sit right on top... Dr. Wes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508215 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:37:00 +0100 3508215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463624&cid=t_92470_105_f&fid=38964&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrwes.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Felectronically-tailoring-consents.html What would you rather know when undergoing a surgical procedure, what are your most likely complications during the proposed surgery based on your own personal characteristics, or all of the potential complications that could arise with your upcoming surgical procedure?Several major medical centers are betting you'd like to know your tailored personal risks:Integris Heart Hospital doctors are testing a high-tech consent form for patients considering angioplasty. A computer program draws from a database of 600,000 patients around the country to better predict individual risks and benefits of the procedure. The new process replaces one-size-fits-all forms that were used primarily as a legal formality. The high-tech version uses simple language and illustrations to explain procedures, while m... Dr. Wes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463624 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:47:00 +0100 3463624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3425066&cid=t_92470_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fdesign-challenge-medgadget-editor-talks-medical-innovations.html Russian-born Michael Ostrovsky is a board certified anesthesiologist, practicing cardiac anesthesia here in the San Francisco Bay Area. He’s one of the few MDs who’s not only extremely web-savvy, but is actually part of the Health 2.0 and Social Media movement as co-founder of Medgadget.com, sort of the “Engadget” of the medical technology world. Lucky [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3425066 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:00:23 +0100 3425066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3385368&cid=t_92470_105_f&fid=38964&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrwes.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fpiece-of-equipment-every.html File this under the "totally cool" file.I've written several posts on this blog about close entomological encounters that occasionally occur during pacemaker implants. No doubt others have experienced similar moments in other operating rooms or procedure rooms around the world. Now, thanks to clever military engineers working to eradicate malaria, a new approach is being tested on mosquitoes that would have applicability in every operating room across the country to keep the flying foreign bodies at bay: using a LASER to fry the buggers' wings (See the third video at the link).Awesome.-WesMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist. (Source: Dr. Wes) Dr. Wes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3385368 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:54:00 +0100 3385368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378678&cid=t_92470_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fdesign-challenge-insights-from-last-years-big-winner.html I proudly present Samantha Katz as Exhibit A: the graduate student from Northwestern University who (along with project partner Erik Schickli) won last year’s DiabetesMine Design Challenge Grand Prize, and was subsequently hired by Medtronic Diabetes to help design their next-generation insulin pumps. (See yesterday’s big Medtronic announcement.) Samantha is living proof that “crowdsourcing” exercises [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378678 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:00:03 +0100 3378678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354518&cid=t_92470_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fdesign-challenge-a-word-with-our-cde-judge-gary-scheiner.html As you all hopefully know, the 2010 DiabetesMine Design Challenge is ON. We opened for entries last Monday. I’m excited about community voting this year (y’all get to choose the competition finalists). I’m equally delighted to have such a wonderful panel of expert judges whose role will be to determine the winners from your list of [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354518 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:00:05 +0100 3354518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342674&cid=t_92470_105_f&fid=38964&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrwes.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Finnovation-in-batteries-coming-to.html Solid state technology, could it be reliable enough to power a pacemaker? Perhaps, provided the patient keeps moving or is moved:Imagine a pacemaker battery change every twenty years...Pretty cool.Then again, given the business model involved...... maybe not.-WesMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist. (Source: Dr. Wes) Dr. Wes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342674 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:16:00 +0100 3342674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236048&cid=t_92470_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F02%2Fdisarming-specialized-stem-cells-might-combat-deadly-ovarian-cancer%2F Eliminating cancer stem cells (CSCs) within a tumor could hold the key to successful treatments for ovarian cancer, which has been notoriously difficult to detect and treat, according to new findings published this week in the journal Oncogene by Yale School of Medicine researchers. Eliminating cancer stem cells (CSCs) within a tumor could hold the key [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236048 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:56:20 +0100 3236048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3223309&cid=t_92470_105_f&fid=38964&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrwes.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Felectromagnetogram-more-sensitive-ekg.html Could magnetometers replace EKGs?The portable magnetometer, invented by scientists at the University of Leeds, England, measures minute fluctuations in the heart's magnetic field so sensitively that it can detect heart problems in fetuses, as well as spot problems in adult hearts far earlier than an ultrasound or ECG. And the device is far cheaper than any of those other devices, too.All well and good, but getting people to understand the information produced will remain the largest challenge of this technology, not to mention the artifact created by things that create electrical interference, like pacemakers.Weren't vectorcardiograms supposed to supplant EKG's, too?-WesMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist. (Source: Dr. Wes) Dr. Wes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3223309 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:25:00 +0100 3223309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2977316&cid=t_92470_105_f&fid=38964&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrwes.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fwhere-treatment-guidelines-fall-flat.html ... when cases don't follow the rule book:All of the planned means of tackling Stellan's SVT today during his ablation failed initially. Heart block was induced each and every time from each and every angle they tried to ablate. Dr. A and his team were left with little choice but to ablate Stellan's AV node in order to get rid of his accessory pathway. But before they did, one of Dr. A's colleagues threw out a wild idea."Let's try to go through his aorta."Not in the plan. Not even in the possible or hypothetical plans. Not considered safe or feasible or wise on a 10 kilo baby. But with few options left before destroying Stellan's node, they decided to risk it.To be honest, I'm glad I didn't know about it at the time.So from his groin, they threaded the catheter up into his aorta, down into... Dr. Wes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2977316 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:55:00 +0100 2977316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2876072&cid=t_92470_105_f&fid=38964&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrwes.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fbacteria-powered-batteries.html ... with a little creativity, this idea might make for an interesting energy source for a pacemaker:In 2008, Lebônê (the word means “light stick” in southern Africa’s Sotho language) field-tested its first prototype in Tanzania, the home country of team member Stephen Lwendo. Simple and cheap, the (microbial fuel cell) MFC came in a 5-gallon bucket. It consisted of a graphite-cloth anode, a chicken-wire cathode, manure-rich mud for fuel, a layer of sand to act as an ion barrier and salt water as an electrolyte—all attached to an electronic power-management board. In June 2009, team members traveled to Namibia to launch a pilot program featuring 100 MFCs made from small canvas bags that can be linked for increased voltage. The bags are filled with dirt and buried. When watered to ... Dr. Wes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2876072 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:37:00 +0100 2876072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800438&cid=t_92470_105_f&fid=38964&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrwes.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fsaving-dog-breath.html Anything for man's best friend...-WesMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist. (Source: Dr. Wes) Dr. Wes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800438 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:12:00 +0100 2800438 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2789015&cid=t_92470_105_f&fid=38964&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrwes.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fdisabled-no-more-high-speed-robotic.html A truly remarkable video demonstrating a lightning fast robotic hand with incredible implications for the disabled:-Wesh/t: Boingboing.netMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist. (Source: Dr. Wes) Dr. Wes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2789015 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:46:00 +0100 2789015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2325196&cid=t_92470_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fa-vc%25e2%2580%2599s-take-on-diabetes-innovation-meet-ross-jaffe.html Second in our series of getting to know the judges of this year’s DiabetesMine Design Challenge, please say hello to Ross Jaffe, MD, a board-certified internist and eminent venture capitalist with Versant Ventures in Silicon Valley, CA. His job is to lead investments in medical devices, drug delivery, and healthcare information systems companies. [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2325196 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:00:37 +0100 2325196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1679315&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F08%2F04%2Fexploding-mri%2F The Aftermath of an MRI Machine Which Exploded Simply Physics has an account and pictures of an MR machine which exploded during transport in Atlanta. They also have plenty of cool pictures of things going into MR machines…which probably shouldn’t. (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1679315 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:21:59 +0100 1679315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1615927&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F07%2F12%2Fdr-debakey-dies%2F Dr. Michael Debakey has passed at 99. ‘’Dr. DeBakey’s reputation brought many people into this institution, and he treated them all: heads of state, entertainers, businessmen and presidents, as well as people with no titles and no means,'’ said Ron Girotto, president of The Methodist Hospital System. Girotto said the surgeon ‘’has improved the human condition and [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1615927 Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:25:33 +0100 1615927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1488137&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F06%2F02%2Fkennedy-has-successful-tumor-debulking%2F Senator Ted Kennedy went down to Durham today for the first step in treating his high grade glioma. He had part of his tumor removed by Dr. Allan Friedman. “I am pleased to report that Sen. Kennedy’s surgery was successful and accomplished our goals,” Dr. Allan Friedman said in a written statement issued after the procedure. “Sen. [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1488137 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:20:28 +0100 1488137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1460913&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F05%2F21%2Fgoogle-health-2%2F I Don’t Know What This Has To Do With Google Health…Something Maybe… The same company that brings you “real life” on the street with the street view service of Google Maps now wants to securely store your health care records. Google Health has launched and some big names have jumped on board including BIDMC, Cleveland Clinic, [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1460913 Thu, 22 May 2008 00:55:49 +0100 1460913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1408229&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F04%2F29%2Fhygiene-for-the-obese%2F In Case You Couldn’t Figure Out How To Use It The Bottom Buddy is a device which helps the morbidly obese wipe after using the bathroom. I’ll hold my tongue a bit except to say that it probably says something about the state of and concern for public health in this country. *Sigh* (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1408229 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:19:00 +0100 1408229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1395087&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F04%2F23%2Fsurgeon-removes-live-grenade%2F A Colombian Surgeon Removes A Grenade From A Man’s Leg From Sky News (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1395087 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:47:00 +0100 1395087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1379577&cid=t_92470_147_f&fid=35750&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHealthCareVox%2F%7E3%2F272219534%2Fnew_government_website_highlig.html Recently the federal government’s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) launched a new Website, “Health Care Innovations Exchange” that features success stories on how health industry stakeholders are using a range of technologies to improve care.  What’s also interesting is that AHRQ is looking at what failed so that people can learn from others’ mistakes.  Currently the Website features 100 case studies and will be updated every two weeks.  I believe this site is critically important.  A common mantra of those working in the e-health field is “this sounds nice,” but did it work?  With AHRQ’s new Website we can now learn from what others have done so that we are not constantly reinventing the wheel or sim... HealthCareVox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1379577 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:39:32 +0100 1379577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1344176&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F4%2F1%2Fpractical-advice-to-employers-on-managing-a-health-plan.html Lynn Jennings On blogs like this, people like me write analytically about issues which are often, at best, conceptual to us.Not so to the guys in the rough and tumble world of health care finance. I remember that the first time I went to dinner with Lynn Jennings, I only knew that he was CEO of Alliance Underwriters, working in reinsurance, and that he is a former President and a current Board member of the Self-Insurance Institute of America (SIIA). SIIA is the national association of third party administration firms, the organizations that administer health plans for self-funded employer health plans. As we were walking into the restaurant, he turned to me and said, "In reinsurance you make a very sizable bet and find out three years later how things turned out."Over time, thou... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1344176 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:14:36 +0100 1344176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1336264&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F03%2F29%2Fhackers-attack-epilepsy-site%2F A week ago hackers attacked an Epilepsy Foundation online forum and directed visitors computers to seizure inducing patterns of flashing lights. Internet griefers descended on an epilepsy support message board last weekend and used JavaScript code and flashing computer animation to trigger migraine headaches and seizures in some users. The nonprofit Epilepsy Foundation, which runs the forum, [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1336264 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:26:28 +0100 1336264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1325005&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F03%2F24%2Ffirst-full-face-transplant%2F This Frenchman Was The First Full Face Transplant Patient The first full face transplant recipient has come froward a year after surgery. “People in the street look at me very differently. They no longer stop and stare or shout cruel words. “Instead I am accepted. I even dream of myself in my new face and now I would [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1325005 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:10:35 +0100 1325005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1287799&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2008%2F03%2F07%2Fgoogle-health%2F is coming to compete with Microsoft. They’re running trials out of the Cleveland Clinic. Large EMRs providing information anywhere and allowing patients more control over their medical records are obviously necessary and inevitable. And I’d probably trust Google with my personal health information. A Screenshot Some of the first screenshots are here. (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1287799 Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:06:43 +0100 1287799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1150640&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F1%2F15%2Ffour-big-trends.html Brian KlepperSeveral events and trends emerged over the last year that will reverberate throughout the health care marketplace in 2008 and going forward. While none of these dominated the trade press like some other issues - electronic and personal health records, RHIOs, the evolving labor shortage, pay-for-performance reimbursement - these manifestations of change are occurring in the marketplace as well as through policy, and are moving health care forward in fundamentally positive and far-reaching ways. Health 2.0The most significant for the long term in terms of its capacity to change how health care works is the Health 2.0 movement, which Matthew Holt and Indu Sabaiya have played a central role in facilitating and explaining. In some ways, Health 2.0 is simply a continuation of what h... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1150640 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 08:15:52 +0100 1150640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1111797&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F12%2F21%2Fhealth-care-quote-of-the-year.html Brian Klepper I was reading through some other peoples' blog posts yesterday and came across this straightforward statement by Paul Levy, the CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Paul made news by establishing a blog called Running a Hospital. I think he's probably taken some good-natured ribbing by his more straightlaced colleagues. But I admire that fact that he's broken the bounds of decorum and speaks openly about the many tremendously difficult issues that face hospital executives. While many many hospitals (and doctors and health plans and...) are still doing everything possible to hold back the transparency tide, here's his take, published yesterday on Matthew Holt's Health Care Blog:The main value of transparency is not necessarily to enable easier consumer c... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1111797 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 20:49:30 +0100 1111797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1106172&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F12%2F19%2Fnejm-image-challenge%2F Credit to The Haversian Canal for apparently helping to lead the NEJM website into making this new Image Challenge a reality. Hey Look! I Got One Right…Just Not On My First Try I’m a big fan of these self quiz resources on the web whether they be derm atlases or radiology cases. Good to find a [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1106172 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:36:27 +0100 1106172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1097202&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F12%2F15%2Fkevin-everett-walking%2F Kevin Everett Is Walking…After This Kevin Everett is up and walking, with some credit being given to induced hypothermia therapy for his spinal injury. [H]e gets up. He rises from his chair and walks easily to the kitchen, opens the refrigerator and takes out a drink. Then he walks back. Simple as that. And yet not simple [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1097202 Sat, 15 Dec 2007 16:40:38 +0100 1097202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=972699&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F10%2F23%2Fonline-heart-surgery%2F The Australian Broadcasting Corp Walks You Through A CABG A pretty amazing little “game” on ABC’s website. As Kevin, MD points out the most realistic aspect is probably the consequences when you lose. This game is making the rounds: Via Kevin via Science Roll via A Hearty Life (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=972699 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:29:10 +0100 972699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=972700&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F10%2F23%2Fpersonal-electronic-health-records%2F Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum battling it out in the forum of electronic medical records. Just what we need. Don’t Tell Me Balmer Isn’t An Evil Genius It looks like Google is going to be setting up an online medical records service to compete with Microsoft’s new HealthVault. Speaking at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, Mayer [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=972700 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:12:47 +0100 972700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=950848&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2Fhealing-unbound-the-promise-of-advancing-computational-power.html Laptop-attached ultrasound units that produce startlingly clear internal images for five dollars in the field. Organs that re-generate inside scaffolds.  Drugs tailored to an individual’s biology. Micro-images of cancerous cells lit up by bio-chemical markers. Decision support tools that scan the physiological values in electronic health records for patterns too complex to be detected by an unaided clinician.The advances available from dramatic improvements in computational capabilities were a recurring theme at the Aspen Health Forum, with experts from each discipline describing where the technology was leading us. I attended two sessions featuring Star Trek clips that predicted realities now within at least theoretical reach. (Prescient and corny, audiences nodded nostalgicall... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=950848 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:24:57 +0100 950848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=948415&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F10%2F13%2Fquotable-quotes-from-health-20.html You are probably wondering if TDWI docs are ever going to stop blathering on about Matt Holt and Indu Subaiya's Health 2.0 Conference.  Probably not, but we will try to keep you entertained with what we saw and heard at this first ever conference of companies doing all kinds of creative things to deliver and support healthcare via the internet.The meeting was filled with luminaries from both health and technology.  These experts generated a number of quotable quotes as they pontificated from the podium.  Here are some of the more repeatable ones:"Healthcare is a hairball "[my all time favorite quote] delivered with wit and grace by Wayne Gattinella, CEO of WebMD Health"Healthcare needs Health 2.0 " - David Brailer, MD, former first nat... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=948415 Sat, 13 Oct 2007 17:31:09 +0100 948415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=947940&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F10%2F13%2Fa-broad-vision-of-health-20.html Brian KlepperThree weeks ago Pat and I attended a fascinating conference in San Francisco on Health 2.0, an emerging industry that promises to change the ways patients manage their own health, and the ways that clinicians and purchasers of all types make clinical and management decisions. The term Health 2.0 refers to Web 2.0, the idea that, in social networking, people will use Web-based platforms to reformulate data for their own purposes.Jane Sarasohn-Kahn is a highly-respected health economist and commentator working at the intersection points of health care and technology. Jane and I worked together to describe the elements and functions we believe will be integrated to constitute Health 2.0's real value. We've posted this narrative and an accompanying image - its an animated PowerPoi... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=947940 Sat, 13 Oct 2007 05:22:44 +0100 947940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=944703&cid=t_92470_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Finteresting-readers.html Over the last week I have been working on a little personal genome search project. I was contacted by one of my readers to help her find someone to "donate" her genome to. Initially I was surprised to receive such a request. Especially because I have railed against using the genome for a crystal ball.But she was vehement that she wanted to donate her genome. Now I Have to tell you that I was then convinced of her altruism. She didn't know where to turn so we began with the usual suspects Dr Church, Dr Collins, Dr Rothberg, Hodosh. But when we were turned away a window opened.I turns out Dr Venter's Institute is looking to turn out 10k genomes in 10 years. The perfect project.....provided these subjects have appropriate care providers to help out......Since Helix Health is taking patients n... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=944703 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:17:00 +0100 944703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=903274&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F09%2F25%2Fanother-hiv-vaccine-trial-bust%2F Apparently In Vivo The Stimulation of CTLs by the Vaccine Didn’t Decrease The Risk of Infection Disappointment as Merck’s live recombinant vaccine fails in its Phase III trial, Executives at the company, based in Whitehouse Station, N.J., said 24 of 741 volunteers who got the vaccine in one segment of the experiment later became infected with HIV, [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=903274 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:42:49 +0100 903274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=891453&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F09%2F21%2Ftoot-your-own-horn%2F Even if you truly believed you were on the verge of the greatest medical breakthrough in history, wouldn’t you keep expectations somewhat reasonable until you had your definitive results? Maybe apparently that is just my mindset though, as we’ve got a declaration of a cure for cancer… Dr Zheng Cui, of the Wake Forest University School [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=891453 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:19:15 +0100 891453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=888524&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F9%2F20%2Fhealthcare-is-a-hair-ball-and-other-learnings-from-health-20.html By Pat Salber, MD (aka The Doctor Weighs In) and Brian Klepper, PhD (aka The Fake Doctor) We are in a conference room in San Francisco with about 500 people at the first ever Health 2.0 conference co-sponsored by the Great Health Care Blogger, Matthew Holt (The Health Care Blog) and Indu Subaiya, MD of Etude Scientific.We are hearing about (and salivating) over the possibilities of user-generated healthcare – web-based consumer driven health care and health support programs. This stuff is real patient-centric health care (as opposed to other things like “consumer-driven health care” that we sometimes call patient-centric, but that are really just less a bit less physician or health plan-centric).The title of this post comes from one of the opening pane... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=888524 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 22:29:27 +0100 888524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=886212&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F9%2F20%2Fhow-might-information-technology-actually-change-health-care.html Brian KlepperToday I’m in San Francisco for the Health 2.0 conference, billed as “User-Generated Health Care.” Organized by my pal Matthew Holt and his partner, Indu Subaiya, "Health 2.0" references "Web 2.0," social networking, applied to health care.  The meeting will feature top executives from high and low profile IT firms that either are already dedicated to or hope to play an important role in health care, like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Intel, Cisco, WebMD, Revolution Health, AthenaHealth, Sermo, and many other lesser known organizations, all discussing their strategies for leveraging data in new ways to create value for all health care constituencies.Elsewhere, I’ve referred to this as a “significant portion of market-based heal... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=886212 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 04:31:08 +0100 886212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=875157&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F09%2F16%2Fgetting-rid-of-hiv%2F How close are we to being able to excise the HIV virus genome from infected people’s chromosomes? Maybe such is on the horizon (via Reddit). Indrani and a team of scientists have developed an enzyme called Tre. Tre is a custom enzyme capable of detecting, recognising and destroying HIV, much like a pair of molecular scissors. “In [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=875157 Sun, 16 Sep 2007 20:56:39 +0100 875157 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=845687&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F9%2F6%2Fwelcome-to-health-care-wonk-review-september-6-2007.html Brian Klepper This week TDWI is delighted to take our turn hosting Health Care Wonk Review, a collection that highlights some of health policy's best observers. The quality of these 14 posts is very high, and well worth your time.As HWR has gained visibility and popularity, the number of submissions has risen. We couldn't publish them all, so chose the ones we thought were must-reads across industry sectors. (Apologies to those we didn't include this time.)Before we begin, a quick announcement. Envision Solutions, LLC and Trusted.MD Network have launched the second annual global survey of healthcare bloggers.  The companies are producing this poll to shed additional light on why people blog about health-related subjects.  Click on the link to learn about and take the survey.&nbsp... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=845687 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:41:21 +0100 845687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=794169&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F08%2F12%2Fanimal-defenders%2F Medical animal research plays out from both sides of the aisle. An LA pediatric ophthalmologist versus a trauma surgeon. Dr. Rosenbaum, a highly regarded pediatric ophthalmologist who had been regularly harassed by animal-rights activists for his research work with cats and rhesus monkeys at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA, noticed a device underneath his [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=794169 Sun, 12 Aug 2007 20:30:39 +0100 794169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=783852&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F08%2F06%2Fdidnt-i-see-this-simpsons%2F This Is Why You Should X-Ray Every Patient’s Brain A woman in Berlin has part of a pencil left in her skull for 55 years. A woman in Germany who has spent 55 years with part of a pencil inside her head has finally had it removed. Margret Wegner fell over carrying the pencil when she was four. [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=783852 Tue, 07 Aug 2007 02:13:12 +0100 783852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=757910&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F7%2F24%2Fcookbook-medicine-saves-lives.html by Pat Salber, MD In the early days of the clinical practice guidelines movement, doctors used to complain that it was “cookbook medicine.” As a pretty good cook, who still uses cookbooks, I say, great – when you follow the directions of experts, instead of “winging it,” you increase the odds of getting a good outcome.So it should be not a surprise that a new study, in the July 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, found that outcomes of hospitalized heart-failure patients are improved when hospital personnel follow clinical guidelines. OPTIMIZE-HF (“Organized Program to Initiate Lifesaving Treatment in Hospitalized Patients with Heart Failure”) is a heart failure guidelines/quality improvement program adopted by the American Heart Associ... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=757910 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:49:41 +0100 757910 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=748890&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F7%2F22%2Fcrabby-doctors-and-the-explosion-of-big-practices.html Brian KlepperDoctors are a cranky bunch these days, and justifiably so. Their world is changing. Its undoubtedly less fun to be the object of a paradigm shift than its driver or observer.A recent survey showing healthy 2007 income increases across specialties notwithstanding, physicians are besieged by increasing patient loads, a torrent of new information, Byzantine administrative requirements, demands for new technology investments and the very real likelihood that their incomes will plummet under Medicare and commercial coverage P4P programs. Despite the apparently rosy survey numbers, its clear that many primary care physicians are having trouble making ends meet.  Many specialists are seeing their incomes drop as well. So its striking that, unlike a decade ago, there are rel... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=748890 Sun, 22 Jul 2007 00:27:45 +0100 748890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=720380&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F07%2F08%2Ffor-profit-to-the-extreme%2F What should we think of Prem Reddy and his company, Prime Healthcare? This cardiologist’s multi hospital group sounds about as for-profit as you can get. On the one hand I agree with this: “Why is it in healthcare we expect to have the same?” he asked. “It’s an entitlement mentality. Why aren’t the same people asking why [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=720380 Sun, 08 Jul 2007 20:07:51 +0100 720380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=692597&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F6%2F23%2Frhios-translators-in-health-care-babel.html If you’re like me, your medical records are scattered all over your home region. (In my case, that’s lovely coastal Northeast Florida.) Over the years I’ve had several doctors: primary care physicians and specialists. I’ve been a hospital patient, and I’ve had outpatient procedures at doctor-owned facilities. I’ve had workups at several diagnostic centers and labs.The problem is that it’s health care Babel out there. No organization has my complete history because few if any of these organizations can share my medical records. Currently less than one-quarter of doctors store their patients’ information in electronic medical records that can be traded. And even if they did, the industry hasn't defined standards for records yet, so most systems... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=692597 Sat, 23 Jun 2007 15:35:46 +0100 692597 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=674688&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F06%2F16%2Fethical-trauma-research%2F This is ambitious, as WaPo describes it. The federal government is undertaking the most ambitious set of studies ever mounted under a controversial arrangement that allows researchers to conduct some kinds of medical experiments without first getting the patients’ permission. The $50 million, five-year project, which will involve more than 20,000 patients in 11 sites in the [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=674688 Sun, 17 Jun 2007 01:28:29 +0100 674688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=674827&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F6%2F9%2Fsupport-hope-bombard-pres-bush-with-demands-to-not-veto-s-5.html "Yesterday President Bush confirmed his intention to veto the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S. 5). We need your help to fight this threat.  A veto of S. 5 would be a devastating setback for the nearly 21 million Americans affected by diabetes.  This is a historic opportunity to advance scientific research, and it should not be squandered!"This is language from an American Diabetes Association (ADA) e-mail to diabetes advocates, but the same message could have come from Parkinsons, Alzheimers, and innumerable other medical advocacy groups.  It is time to (once again) send a loud and clear message to President Bush et al that we want the US to pursue all avenues of stem cell research.  "Protecting" discarded embryos that are going to be destroyed... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=674827 Sat, 09 Jun 2007 02:10:39 +0100 674827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=644731&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F5%2F27%2Fsage-a-needle-free-fast-free-diabetes-screening-test.html Given the drawbacks of the current commonly used diabetes screening methodology – fasting blood glucose – and the fact that more than 20 million people are thought to have undiagnosed diabetes in the US alone, an easier and more convenient screening test would be a very welcome addition to the diabetes testing armamentarium. Fasting Plasma Glucose The limitations of using fasting plasma glucose (FPG) as a screening test for diabetes include the following factors:You have to fast overnight before having the test – that means you have to get yourself to a clinic or laboratory in the morning before going to work. Hmmm. Not such an easy thing to do when you have to get the kids to school and yourself to work. So, if you are like me you keep putting it off and putting it ... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=644731 Sun, 27 May 2007 23:19:17 +0100 644731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=623207&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F05%2F18%2Fimproving-health-care%2F Even putting aside Medicare pay-for-performance (which is coming for reasons other than promoting quality), improving the quality of health care has to be second only to covering the uninsured in terms of the focus being put on health care issues. It seems the biggest piece of pie on the IOM’s agenda (also here and here), [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=623207 Fri, 18 May 2007 22:34:28 +0100 623207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=611523&cid=t_92470_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F5%2F16%2Fnew-competition-disruptive-innovations-in-health-care.html Disruptive innovations are new technologies, processes, or business models that blow status quo products out of the water and, eventually, replace them entirely. Here are some examples: • Automobiles replaced horses • Semiconductors replaced vacuum tubes • Digital cameras are in the process of replacing film cameras  Lord knows we could use a big dose of disruptive innovation in health care. Most of us are still getting care in a delivery model that is more than 50 years old. And many of us would say it no longer works well.  "Minute Clinics" are often cited as an example of a disruptive innovation in health care, although these retail-based, nurse practitioner run urgent care clinics still have a long way to go before they replace the more tradition... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=611523 Wed, 16 May 2007 20:56:27 +0100 611523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=611437&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F05%2F13%2Fegyptian-medicine%2F Pretty nifty medical practices based solely, I suppose, on trial and error. “Classical scholars have always considered the ancient Greeks, particularly Hippocrates, as being the fathers of medicine but our findings suggest that the ancient Egyptians were practising a credible form of pharmacy and medicine much earlier,” said Dr Jackie Campbell. “When we compared the ancient remedies [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=611437 Sun, 13 May 2007 17:35:56 +0100 611437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=592266&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F05%2F05%2Ftactical-medicine%2F Putting health care providers on the “front line.” Under traditional emergency medical services (EMS) protocol, medical first responders wait outside a crime scene, or “hot zone,” until it is deemed safe by the police. That can take precious minutes or even hours — and can mean the difference between life and death. Maryland State Police (MSP), along [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=592266 Sun, 06 May 2007 04:37:44 +0100 592266 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=567893&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F04%2F24%2Fearth-like-planet-discovered%2F Gliese 581 Front & Center European astronomers have published the discovery of the smallest extrasolar planet yet. What’s making popular news however, is the fact that, They say the benign temperatures on the planet mean any water there could exist in liquid form, and this raises the chances it could also harbour life. “We have estimated that the [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=567893 Wed, 25 Apr 2007 02:05:40 +0100 567893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=537703&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F04%2F11%2Fstem-cells-cure-diabetes%2F Stem Cells Break The Picket Line (Although It Looks Like This Guy Has Type II) Brazilian and American scientists have apparently used stem cells to recreate diabetics’ immune systems and ween their bodies back into producing insulin. Diabetics using stem-cell therapy have been able to stop taking insulin injections for the first time, after their bodies started to [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=537703 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:24:48 +0100 537703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=533865&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F04%2F09%2Fnew-aids-drug%2F A drug, Darunavir, is showing apparently remarkable efficacy in lowering the virus counts of people with treatment resistant HIV. Darunavir, part of the decade-old class of drugs known as protease inhibitors, lowered virus levels to the undetectable range in 45 percent of patients after 48 weeks. By comparison, 10 percent of patients on other drug regimens showed [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=533865 Tue, 10 Apr 2007 01:52:09 +0100 533865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=519840&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F04%2F03%2Fcalling-all-type-o-donors-no-more%2F Could enzymes chew up the type A and B antigens on blood and allow such blood to be used in anyone? The A and B antigens, which give blood groups their name, are sugars carried on the surface of red blood cells. Human red blood cells can carry one of these antigens, both, or neither; giving [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=519840 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 22:27:21 +0100 519840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=508887&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F03%2F29%2Fwhy-does-nothing-ever-come-of-these-everyday-miracle-compounds%2F So How Many Of These Green Tea Potato Chips Do I Need To Eat? Green tea is apparently already tied to protecting your heart, slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s, and potentially can fight the development of cancer. [C]hemicals in the tea also shut down a key molecule which can play a significant role in the development of [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=508887 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:08:44 +0100 508887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=505468&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F03%2F27%2Fi-want-to-love-stents-i-do%2F I want to love stents. But how can you as the evidence mounts? As The Health Care Blog predicted (here’s the pre-study release New York Times story), stents appear to be overused. Researchers presenting findings from the COURAGE study at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology found that, patients who received stents to [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=505468 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 23:03:28 +0100 505468 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=502404&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F03%2F26%2Fman-invents-machine-to-cure-himself-of-cancer%2F I’m not sure how seriously to take this. I don’t think the investigation of radiofrequency energy is totally novel. But this is just a kind’ve weird story. Inside his Sanibel Island garage, [John] Kanzius invented a machine he believes sits on the brink of a major medical breakthrough. “It’s a kick-ass cancer cell generator,” Kanzius said. Kanzius said [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=502404 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 22:49:56 +0100 502404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=499163&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F03%2F24%2Fneural-prosthetics%2F Tell Me This Isn’t Freaking Cool I’m sure there’s work like this going on a few places. This specific incredibly cool video comes from the University of Pittsburgh Motor Lab. You can watch more footage here. (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=499163 Sat, 24 Mar 2007 20:41:24 +0100 499163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=499164&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F03%2F24%2Fr-flurbiprofen%2F Drug development takes some twisting roads sometimes. Such is the case with Flurizan (r-flubiprofen). This Alzheimer drug is showing promise in pretty significantly slowing the progression of the disease in clinical trails but it certainly wasn’t initially tested, when first discovered, to battle Alzheimer’s. [Myraid Genetics] said Monday that four out of 10 subjects in [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=499164 Sat, 24 Mar 2007 20:22:11 +0100 499164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=496825&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F03%2F23%2Fnot-too-complex%2F Is a single, or just a few genes, all that endow humans with color vision? A single human gene put into a mouse species greatly expands their perception of color. Although mice, like most mammals, typically view the world with a limited color palette—similar to what some people with red-green color blindness see—scientists have now transformed [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=496825 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 23:10:41 +0100 496825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=496826&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F03%2F23%2Fbrain-cancer-hope%2F When you fear a brain tumor, you’re fearing glioblastoma multiforme. This poorly differentiated, necrotic tumor is bad news. It is also the most common adult primary brain tumor (although, brain tumors aren’t exactly an epidemic). That Looks Pretty Well Body Hack is linking to a press release about a vaccine which appears to have hope of pretty [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=496826 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 23:04:49 +0100 496826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=492109&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F03%2F22%2Ftake-that-nietzsche%2F Morality is an evolutionary advantage and built in. Damage to the prefrontal cortex can change morality in individuals. So Damaging Your Prefrontal Cortex Moves You That Much Closer To ‘Superman’ Damage to an area of the brain behind the forehead, inches behind the eyes, transforms the way people make moral judgments in life-or-death situations, scientists are reporting [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=492109 Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:22:04 +0100 492109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=482980&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F03%2F19%2Fokay-you-can-do-almost-anything-with-it%2F Duct tape might not be as efficacious as thought in curing common warts. I’m Pretty Sure This Is What It Was Invented For (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=482980 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 21:08:26 +0100 482980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=471129&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F03%2F13%2Fnanotechnology%2F An overly broad category. That being said, here’s something to add to more of the hype and hope. Ellis­-­Behnke covers the wound with a clear liquid, and the bleeding stops almost at once. Untreated, the wound would have proved fatal, but the rat lived on. The liquid Ellis-Behnke used is a novel material made of nanoscale protein [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=471129 Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:16:00 +0100 471129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=471136&cid=t_92470_93_f&fid=34826&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrommedskool.com%2F2007%2F03%2F12%2Fjust-a-weird-disease%2F Over Keratinization? A really strange skin condition in eastern Europe (h/t Reddit). The skin on his wrists and the back of his hands resembles that of a hedgehog - hundreds of spike like growths. The problem is much more severe on his palms and fingers where the growths resemble very much that of nails infected with a [...] (Source: From Medskool) From Medskool blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=471136 Tue, 13 Mar 2007 02:56:52 +0100 471136