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 'institute'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:51:33 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181957&cid=t_101654_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F_VlWsGVP6dk%2F Normally this time of year, I’m making plans to attend the many fall conferences in health IT and related industries. This year, my decisions are harder. You see, it seems like everyone decided to schedule their events during the last week of October: AMIA 2011, Oct. 23-26, Washington MGMA Annual Conference, Oct. 23-26, Las Vegas TEDMED 2011 Oct. 25-28, San Diego CHIME11 Fall CIO Forum, Oct. 26-28, Austin, Texas Just for kicks, I’m scheduled to participate in the Institute for Health Technology Transformation’s Health IT Summit, Nov. 2-3 in Beverly Hills, Calif. All are worthwhile, and all will be great places to find relevant stories for this blog and my various media clients. It probably makes most sense to go west, hitting MGMA and TEDMED, then spending the weekend in ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181957 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:47:10 +0100 5181957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181789&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FmU1-nyCeM44%2F By Rozalynn Goodwin. Everyone seems to be quoting and tweeting the tender line of Miss Aibileen in “The Help”, “You is kiiiind. You is smaaaart. You is important.” But there was another line in the blockbuster movie that moved me even more. I heard it and the heavens seemed to open. The light bulb came on. Hilly Holbrook’s new maid is $75 short on one of the college tuitions for her twin sons and asks Hilly and her husband for a loan so she doesn’t have to choose which son should go to college. Doing the ‘Christian thing,’ Hilly refuses, “God does not give charity to those who are well and able.” Twelve simple words from a fictional 1960’s character summed up our nation’s current political will regarding the poor. And allow me to condense this into just one ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181789 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 19:43:53 +0100 5181789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159839&cid=t_101654_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FPurA_f_d9CE%2F The ongoing shortage of many medications is generating not only considerable angst among physicians and politicians, but mushrooming gray market activity, as we have reported previously. And yet another survey reveals that shadowy offers and purchases are on the rise, along with an accompanying rise in price. To be specific, purchasing agents and pharmacists at 549 hospitals were queried by the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices, a non-profit watchdog group, and 56 percent reported receiving daily solicitations from up to 10 different gray market vendors by phone, e-mail and fax. And 52 percent acknowledged by one or more meds from gray market vendors in the last two years. Not surprisingly 80 percent reported such purchases had increased in the last two years as shortages rose. Meanwhi... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159839 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:35:39 +0100 5159839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159669&cid=t_101654_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F24%2F30-day-mortality-associated-with-primary-cytoreductive-surgery-in-elderly-advanced-ovarian-cancer-patients-much-higher-than-previously-reported%2F Researchers affiliated with the University of Washington have determined that the 30-day mortality rate associated with primary cytoreductive surgery in elderly patients with advanced ovarian cancer is much higher than previously reported. Researchers affiliated with the University of Washington have determined that the 30-day mortality rate associated with primary cytoreductive surgery in elderly patients with [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159669 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:28:52 +0100 5159669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140184&cid=t_101654_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F16%2Fadvanced-mri-scan-may-predict-chemotherapy-benefit-in-late-stage-ovarian-cancer-patients-after-just-one-cycle%2F Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital have developed an advanced type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan that can detect whether late-stage ovarian cancers are responding to chemotherapy treatment after just one cycle. Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and The Royal Marsden Hospital have developed an [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140184 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:34:49 +0100 5140184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139725&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FAyWAH4hu6eo%2F The following is a guest post by Janice Lynch Schuster who  works at the Altarum Institute, a new voice in the field of aging and end of life issues. This post orginally ran on July 14th on Health AGEnda. By Janice Lynch Schuster. When I was a little girl, country singer Glen Campbell had a variety show on television called “The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour.” As I remember it, it was a good time; in my young imagination, I often confused him with my father, who I thought was just as handsome and talented and fun as Glen. I loved his songs and wanted to learn to play guitar so I could be more like him. Sadly, Mr. Campbell has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’ disease. As most people know, Alzheimer’s is the primary cause of dementia, a gradual loss of brain function that becomes more ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139725 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:17:07 +0100 5139725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125923&cid=t_101654_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F12%2Ffda-approves-clinical-protocol-for-additional-phase-1-study-of-tkm-plk1-in-primary-liver-cancer-or-liver-metastases%2F The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the clinical protocol for an additional Phase 1 study of TKM-PLK1 in patients with either primary liver cancer or liver metastases associated with select cancers including ovarian. RNA Interference Nucleic acids are molecules that carry genetic information and include DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). Together these [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125923 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:03:27 +0100 5125923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125721&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0bjiCY6NxMA%2F By Jim HarperSomething as simple as the concept of tradeoffs can cause cognitive dissonance to good-hearted people who want too hard to drive the society toward their perception of the good. A nice illustration of that is the cost in lives of making cars that use less gasoline. How can doing good for the environment possibly be harmful? Oh, it can be deadly. Nicely illustrated by CEI’s Sam Kazman on John Stossel’s show. 2,000 Deaths per Year … for the Environment is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125721 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:49:08 +0100 5125721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118646&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Findividualizing-the-fight-against-cancer%2F2011.08.10 You have heard it countless times, “The War on Cancer.” President Nixon announced it. The National Cancer Institute has spearheaded what TV and radio commercials always talk about as “the fight against cancer.” Singular. But we really need to start thinking about it as a plural.  Wars on cancer. Fights against cancer. Taking it one step further, we need to see each person’s fight as an individual battle.  Not just individualized to the patient’s spirit or age or sense of hope, but individualized to his or her particular biology, matched up with the specific cancer and available treatments. That is the nature of “personalized medicine” applied to cancer. We’ve been talking about it for a few years around here, but what’s exciting now is that even more super smart peopl... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118646 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:00:06 +0100 5118646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107829&cid=t_101654_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F07%2Finherited-mutations-in-rad51d-gene-confer-susceptibility-to-ovarian-cancer%2F Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have discovered that women who carry a faulty copy of a gene called RAD51D have almost a 1-in-11 chance of developing ovarian cancer. The finding that inherited mutations in the RAD51D gene confer susceptibility to ovarian cancer was reported in a study published online in Nature Genetics on August 7, 2011. Cancer [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107829 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 01:57:32 +0100 5107829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077691&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fswimming-may-not-be-as-safe-for-your-children-as-you-think%2F2011.07.28 As summer continues in North America, and for anyone who goes near the water during any time of year, prevention of drowning is very important. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) takes its responsibilities on this issue seriously, and in 2010 issued a policy statement on prevention of drowning. This is a remarkable and well-thought out document that addresses all of the important issues associated with risk for and prevention of drowning. The online version of the policy statement, along with updated information and services, is available on the web. The document points out that, historically, drowning has been the second leading cause of unintentional death in individuals aged one to 19 years, causing more than 1,100 deaths per year in the United States alone. The AAP defines drowni... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077691 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0100 5077691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077661&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWp3y4aV9HqI%2F By Ilya ShapiroLast week, a federal court in Louisiana ruled that a state law prohibiting sales of caskets by non-licensed merchants was unconstitutional.  A monastery that has made caskets for over a century sued the state to protect their modest casket business. It should come as no surprise that our friends at the Institute for Justice were leading the charge against the law: Under Louisiana law, it was a crime for anyone but a government-licensed funeral director to sell “funeral merchandise,” which includes caskets.  To sell caskets legally, the monks would have had to abandon their calling for one full year to apprentice at a licensed funeral home and convert their monastery into a “funeral establishment” by, among other things, installing equipment for embalming. The Honor... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077661 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:22:32 +0100 5077661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069443&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FybAzPiSy7zI%2F By Walter OlsonGood news from Texas, where a state appeals court has handed a major win to investigative journalist Carla Main, whose book Bulldozed: ‘Kelo,’ Eminent Domain, and the American Lust for Land took a critical look at the seizure of private land under eminent domain laws for purposes of urban redevelopment. Dallas developer H. Walker Royall didn’t like what Main wrote about his involvement in a Freeport, Texas marina project and proceeded to sue her, publisher Encounter Books (which I should note is also my own publisher on Schools for Misrule), and even liberty-minded law professor Richard Epstein over a dust jacket blurb Epstein had given for the book. (Earlier coverage of the suit here and here.) A trial court had declined to dismiss Royall’s claims on... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069443 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:41:26 +0100 5069443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069477&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Finstitute-of-medicine-suggests-8-new-preventive-services-to-improve-womens-health%2F2011.07.26 Eight preventive health services for women should be added to the services that health plans will cover at no cost to patients under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, according to a report by the Institute of Medicine. The recommendations encompass diseases and conditions that are more common or more serious in women than in men. They are based on existing guidelines and an assessment of the evidence on the effectiveness of different preventive services. They include: 1) screening for gestational diabetes in pregnant women between 24 and 28 weeks and at the first prenatal visit for women at high risk for diabetes, 2) adding high-risk human papillomavirus DNA testing in addition to conventional cytology testing in women with normal cytology results starting at age 30, ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069477 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:00:00 +0100 5069477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050784&cid=t_101654_113_f&fid=22291&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedgadget%2F%7E3%2F551pYVef_DQ%2Fscientists-create-artificial-neural-network-from-dna.html Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have successfully created an artificial neural network using DNA molecules that is capable of brain-like behavior. Hailing it as a “major step toward creating artificial intelligence,” the scientists report that, similar to a brain, the network can retrieve memories based on incomplete patterns.  Potential applications of such artificially intelligent biochemical networks with decision-making skills include medicine and biological research. The researchers predict that, eventually, neural networks could be developed that operate within cells to gather information for disease diagnosis. More details from Caltech: Consisting of four artificial neurons made from 112 distinct DNA strands, the researchers’ neural network... Medgadget blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050784 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:33:15 +0100 5050784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050452&cid=t_101654_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F21%2Finstitute-of-medicine-recommendations-released-birth-control-could-become-a-copay-free-preventive-service%2F The Institute of Medicine released its recommendations of which women’s health services should join the list of copay-free preventive services under the Affordable Care Act health care reform legislation. Birth control was included, along with services related to STIs, breastfeeding, and domestic violence. Over at OBOS, I have more information and links to some good commentaries and coverage of the news. Filed under: Abuse, Rape, & Safety, Access, Rights, & Choice, Breastfeeding, Contraception, Government, HIV/AIDS, HPV (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050452 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:39:41 +0100 5050452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036231&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fstudy-investigates-relief-for-chronic-back-pain%2F2011.07.17 This study confirmed what I have known for a long time.  They looked at relaxation massage and structural massage, which focuses on correcting soft-tissue abnormalities.  At 10 weeks they found (more…) *This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036231 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0100 5036231 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028728&cid=t_101654_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F15%2Fcheck-out-these-publications-from-the-eastman-institute-for-oral-health%2F Implementing a smoke-free campus: a medical center initiative. Gajendra S, Ossip DJ, Panzer RJ, McIntosh S. J Community Health. 2011 Aug;36(4):684-92. Fracture resistance of composite resin restorations and porcelain veneers in relation to residual tooth structure in fractured incisors. Batalocco G, Lee H, Ercoli C, Feng C, Malmstrom H. Dent Traumatol. 2011 Jul 14. Age [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028728 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:07:53 +0100 5028728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028138&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyZZPNvIJeBs%2F By Mark A. CalabriaIt’s probably never wise to inject oneself into the middle of a food fight, but since I think both sides actually have something right and something wrong, its been a worthwhile debate to follow.  That is the ongoing debate between Peter Wallison at the American Enterprise Institute and David Min at the Center for American Progress (at least we can all agree we love America) on the role of Fannie Mae (and Freddie Mae) in the financial crisis.  If you can’t guess, Peter says Fannie/Freddie caused the crisis, David says they didn’t. David makes an interesting point, one I’ve actually argued, in his latest retort.  That is, this wasn’t exclusively a housing crisis/bubble.  Other sectors, like commercial real estate, boomed and then went bus... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028138 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:40:43 +0100 5028138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008054&cid=t_101654_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fartificial-organ-implanted-patient%2F Dr. Paolo Macchiarini and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have manufactured and inserted the first permanent artificial organ into a patient. Stem cells from the patient were used to fashion a complete trachea that replaced the original trachea that was nearly occluded by a malignancy. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008054 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:47:22 +0100 5008054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008181&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FCRDbof3Lrxk%2F By Jane Sarasohn-Kahn. Can a patient’s experience with health care providers be as engaging, entertaining and satisfying as time spent at amusement parks? The Disney Institute thinks so, and has established a program to help health providers delight health consumers called Building a Culture of Healthcare Excellence. With the tagline, “D-Think Your Way to Success,” The Disney Institute offers programs that help organizations apply Disney’s lessons in customer service, creativity and leadership to their own situations. In the case of the Healthcare Excellence program, Disney is looking to re-focus health care delivery beyond clinical outcomes toward the overall patient experience. The Institute’s press release notes that the HCAHPS survey on patients’ experiences with provider... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008181 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:58:49 +0100 5008181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008199&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcounter-intuitive-results-several-cancer-screening-tests-dont-improve-health-outcomes%2F2011.07.07 Nearly forty years ago, President Richard Nixon famously declared a “War on Cancer” by signing the National Cancer Act of 1971. Like the Manhattan Project, the Apollo program that was then landing men on the Moon, and the ongoing (and eventually successful) World Health Organization-led initiative to eradicate smallpox from the face of the Earth, the “War on Cancer” was envisioned as a massive, all-out research and treatment effort. We would bomb cancer into submission with powerful regimens of chemotherapy, experts promised, or, failing that, we would invest in early detection of cancers so that they could be more easily cured at earlier stages. It was in the spirit of the latter that the National Cancer Institute launched the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008199 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:00:19 +0100 5008199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992782&cid=t_101654_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fdoctor-bashing-in-media.html The series of articles on "sex change operations" in the Hindustan Times is a great example for how poor reporting leads to doctor bashing.The articles are poorly written - the reporter has not done her homework or tried to verify the facts. It's just a hotch potch of botched statements, many of which are speculative and incorrectFor example, she writes - " While genitoplasty experts of Indore say each of them have turned 200 to 300 girls into ‘boys’ so far, only one could cite an instance where a 14-year-old was converted into a girl. "This means she's not bothered to verify her facts - it's just a series of statements based on what some doctors have claimed ! She seems to have talked to just one parent - and not even bothered to check with an independent expert pediatric surgeon as t... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992782 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 02:55:00 +0100 4992782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984424&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtX8A0d1ktBg%2F By Caleb O. BrownSome smart folks have drawn strongly on the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World Annual Report to put together a short video extolling the virtues of economic freedom. Enjoy! The Fraser Institute report is published in the United States by the Cato Institute. Economic Freedom is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984424 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:53:45 +0100 4984424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960048&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FsY-ZhuO_Op8%2F By Ilya ShapiroAs followers of this blog recognize, Obamacare has more constitutional defects than just the individual mandate or even the coercive use of Medicaid funds.  One issue that is getting increasing attention (see the Weekly Standard, National Review, and George Will) is this weird new entity called the Independent Payment Advisory Board. IPAB, which Sarah Palin famously labeled a “death panel,” will exercise virtually unchecked power to set Medicare reimbursement rates—without political or legal oversight by any branch of government.  It’s reminiscent of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the part of the Sarbanes-Oxley financial regulation law that the Supreme Court found partially unconstitutional last year.  Except it has the power of life ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960048 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:43:32 +0100 4960048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952805&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F1rQIWfTFO8c%2F By Gene HealyAs David Boaz notes below, a few blocks away at 17th and M, the foreign policy and defense analysts at the American Enterprise Institute have discovered a threat that’s even more disturbing than the possibility of a Chinese “Space Force” armed with particle-beam weapons [.pdf].  It seems there’s a spectre haunting America–the spectre of “isolationism.” It’s such a threat that AEI, one of our leading conservative think tanks, is calling on President Obama to man the bully pulpit and use his magic rhetorical skills to raise awareness. I did a double-take on Tuesday when I saw a post at AEI’s blog titled, “With Growing Isolationism, We Need Obama to Lead Now More Than Ever.” And yet, when I got up the next day, I ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952805 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:55:18 +0100 4952805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934163&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-right-to-bear-salt-is-sodium-restriction-warranted-for-the-general-population%2F2011.06.15 Q. What is the difference between a public health expert and Il Duce? A. Mussolini was not nearly as arrogant as a public health expert. In prior posts, DrRich related how two major publc health efforts over the past few decades – the effort to put all of us on low-fat diets, and the effort to reduce everyone’s cholesterol levels – have amounted to massive experiments, based upon insufficiently-tested assumptions and surmises and hypotheses which the experts arrogantly (and incorrectly) determined to be fact, and which were conducted upon the entire American population without its knowledge or consent. These public health experiments cost billions of dollars, needlessly transformed large swatches of American industry, and (at least in the case of low-fat diets) likely produced signif... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934163 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:00:25 +0100 4934163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911474&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FvTd5C6HI4mk%2F The following is a post by Dr. Jessie Gruman from the Center for Advancing Health. This blog post was originally published at Prepared Patient Forum: What It Takes Blog. It was also posted on Better Health. By Jessie Gruman.“The most important thing I learned was that different doctors know different things: I need to ask my internist different questions than I do my oncologist.” This was not some sweet ingénue recounting the early lessons she learned from a recent encounter with health care.  Nope.  It was a 62-year-old woman whose husband has been struggling with multiple myeloma for the last eight years and who herself has chronic back pain, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and was at the time well into treatment for breast cancer. Part of me says “Ahem.  Have you bee... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911474 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:07:06 +0100 4911474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911455&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKqSbv2XRftU%2F By Caleb O. Brown On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down bans on interracial marriage in more than a dozen states in the case of Loving v. Virginia. Today, the highest court in the United States may soon take on the issue of marriage equality for gay and lesbian relationships. Attorneys David Boies and Theodore B. Olson are hoping the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger will further establish marriage as a fundamental right of citizenship. Also featured are John Podesta, President of the Center for American Progress, Cato Institute Chairman Robert A. Levy and Cato Executive Vice President David Boaz. Watch the full event from which many clips were pulled here and Robert A. Levy’s presentation here. The Constitutional Case for Marriage Equality is a post from Cato @ Liberty ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911455 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:52:04 +0100 4911455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911572&cid=t_101654_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F07%2Fhow-our-intuitions-deceive-us-an-interview-with-daniel-simons%2F In 2004 Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris received the Ig Nobel Prize in Psychology, awarded for “achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think,” for the experiment that was the inspiration for their popular book, The Invisible Gorilla, and website. Daniel Simons is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois. His research focuses on the limits of human perception, memory, and awareness, and he is best known for his research showing that people are far less aware of their visual surroundings than they think. We recently sat down with Simons to talk about his current work. In celebration of the June 7th release of the paperback edition of The Invisible Gorilla you guys are starting a charity campaign. Ple... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911572 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:16:55 +0100 4911572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902693&cid=t_101654_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F7xm5seVkAgw%2F Several big drugmakers have agreed to slash prices on some of their vaccines, which are distributed to poor people in developing countries by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations, the non-profit that was established by Bill Gates. The move comes just days before a widely anticipated GAVI board meeting that will address, in part, plans to raise $3.7 billion in needed funds. The price cuts are being offered by Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson’s Crucell unit, Sanofi Pasteur’s Shantha Biotechnics, Bharat Biotech and the Serum Institute, and should help GAVI reduce the funding gap for commitments that run until 2015. The effort involves vaccines to combat rotavirus and HPV, as well as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902693 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:38:52 +0100 4902693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893914&cid=t_101654_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FS1JlIDgJ9No%2F File this under failing the test. A doctor and a clinical research coordinator working for a contract research organization hired by the former Schering-Plough were indicted by the feds for falsifying study data. The clinical trial was designed to test a tablet the drugmaker was developing to treat allergies. Wayne Spencer, 73, a licensed physician and the principal investigator, and Lisa Sharp, 48, the clinical director of clinical trials at Lee Research Institute, were charged with one count of conspiracy, three counts of mail fraud, and one count of falsifying information required by the FDA. The crimes are alleged to have occurred from January 2010 to May 2010. The study was to have enrolled patients at least 50 years who suffer from ragweed-induced allergy symptoms. Employees at the C... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893914 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:34:02 +0100 4893914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893338&cid=t_101654_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F02%2Fscience-asks-to-retract-the-xmrv-cfs-paper-it-should-never-have-accepted-in-the-first-place%2F Wow! Breaking! As reported in WSJ earlier this week [1], editors of the journal Science asked Mikovits and her co-authors to voluntary retract their 2009 Science paper [2]. In this paper Mikovits and colleagues of the Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI) and the Cleveland Clinic, reported the presence of xenotropic murine leukemia virus–related virus (XMRV) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893338 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:34:34 +0100 4893338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872061&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwCuf0Hmp-sI%2F By Neal McCluskeyIt’s hard to pin down what’s more frustrating about Michael Petrilli’s response to my recent NRO op-ed on national standards: the rhetorical obfuscation about what Fordham and other national-standardizers really want, or the grade-school effort to escape discipline by saying that, hey, some kids are even worse! Let’s start with the source of aggravation that by now must seem very old to regular Cato@Liberty readers, but that  has to be constantly revisited because national standardizers are so darned disciplined about their message: The national-standards drive is absolutely not “state led and voluntary,” and by all indications this is totally intentional. Federal arm-twisting hasn’t just been the result of ”unfo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872061 Fri, 27 May 2011 15:25:52 +0100 4872061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847957&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-racial-disparities-are-alive-and-well-in-healthcare%2F2011.05.20 It was 1999 when the Federal government first acknowledged our nation had a problem with race and health care. That year, Congress tasked the Institute of Medicine to study the matter, and the resulting report was not good. Minorities were in poor health and receiving inferior care, the report said. They were less likely to receive bypass surgery, kidney transplants and dialysis. If they had diabetes, they were more likely to undergo amputations, meaning their disease had been poorly controlled. And there was a lot more where that came from. The IOM report was a call to action. In subsequent years, lawmakers crafted policies and established goals for improvement. Federal and state governments and numerous foundations set aside billions to fund projects. Health services researchers expanded... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847957 Fri, 20 May 2011 16:00:50 +0100 4847957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848055&cid=t_101654_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F20%2Fdiscover-the-world-of-edward-angle%2F Thanks to a generous donation from EIOH faculty Dr. Mark Hatala, Bibby library has acquired the World of Edward Hartley Angle. This four-volume set contains the letters, accounts and patents from the man regarded as “the father of modern orthodontics.” Published by The Angle Society, the book set has been critically praised as an important [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848055 Fri, 20 May 2011 15:35:59 +0100 4848055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848026&cid=t_101654_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2F_97v-o6BSOE%2F Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. Last month, in my very first post for EMR and HIPAA, I mentioned Dr. Larry Weed in my commentary about the general public’s perception of clinical decision support. I referred to a 2007 study in the journal Medical Decision Making, which said, “Patients may surmise that a physician who uses a [decision support system] is not as capable as a physician who makes the diagnosis with no assistance from a DSS.” I then noted that Weed has been saying for more than 50 years that physicians shouldn’t have to rely on their memory to make clinical decisions when computers can help them process an increasingly voluminous knowledge base. As it turns out, Weed read my commentary. (I’m guessing that a computer, i.e., Google Aler... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848026 Thu, 19 May 2011 21:24:27 +0100 4848026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841431&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FmJzoGRuj-4U%2F By John SamplesSteve Simpson and Paul Sherman of the Institute for Justice have written an excellent short essay about Stephen Colbert’s effort to undermine the Citizens United decision. But the joke is on Colbert: Campaign-finance laws are so complicated that few can navigate them successfully and speak during elections—which is what the First Amendment is supposed to protect. As the Supreme Court noted in Citizens United, federal laws have created “71 distinct entities” that “are subject to different rules for 33 different types of political speech.” The FEC has adopted 568 pages of regulations and thousands of pages of explanations and opinions on what the laws mean. “Legalese” doesn’t begin to describe this mess. So what is someone who... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841431 Thu, 19 May 2011 18:33:00 +0100 4841431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841888&cid=t_101654_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F19%2F2011-asco-screening-with-ca-125-transvaginal-ultrasound-does-not-reduce-ovarian-cancer-death-rate-results-in-high-number-of-false-positives%2F Findings from a large, long-term study – the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Screening Trial – showed that using a CA-125 blood test and transvaginal ultrasound for early detection of ovarian cancer did not reduce the risk of dying from the disease, and resulted in a large number of false positives and related follow-up [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841888 Thu, 19 May 2011 15:56:18 +0100 4841888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841479&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmost-americans-dont-know-what-healthy-eating-means%2F2011.05.19 Only one in 10 respondents to a national survey could estimate how many calories they should consume in a day. Seventy-nine percent make few or no attempts to pay attention to the balance between the calories they consume and expend in a day. These and other piquant findings from the online 2011 Food and Health Survey fielded by the International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) struck home last week as I smacked up against my own ignorance about a healthy diet and the difficulty of changing lifelong eating habits. The confluence of my failure to gain weight after cancer treatment and a blood test suggesting pre-diabetes meant that as of last Tuesday, I have been on an eat-specific-types-of-food-every-hour-and-write-it-down regimen.  And despite a lifetime of recommending that p... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841479 Thu, 19 May 2011 12:00:13 +0100 4841479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820950&cid=t_101654_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F-gmzgCD_78g%2F I’ve just finished my latest post for EMR and HIPAA, based on a session I moderated this week at the the Institute for Health Technology Transformation health IT summit in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Here’s a taste: The panelists did great job of articulating some of these conundrums and strategies to overcome them, but none better than Kevin Maher, director of clinical innovations for Horizon Healthcare Innovations, a new affiliate of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey tasked with testing new care models, and Victor Freeman, M.D., quality director in the Health Resources and Services Administration‘s Office of Health IT and Quality. The patient-centered medical home is a great idea for managing care, promoting prevention and, ultimately reducing costs. “We view the ba... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820950 Thu, 12 May 2011 21:59:53 +0100 4820950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4821182&cid=t_101654_167_f&fid=38271&url=http%3A%2F%2Frebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F12%2Fspecial-mefirst-twitter-chat-w-choosecherries-and-scritchfieldrd%2F We all know that an important part of the “Me” movement is setting aside time for taking care of YOU. If you’re exercising (and I hope you are) then you need to fuel that exercise with good nutrition before and after your workout. May is National Runners Month — but even if you don’t run you will benefit from learning how to optimize your performance (and maximize health benefits) from fueling well. The Cherry Marketing Institute is sponsoring a special #MeFirst Twitter party with sports nutritionist (and ultra marathoner) Rebecca Scritchfield, RD (that’s me!) on Monday, May 16 at 8:30 p.m. EST to talk about how your body’s “fuel” plays a key role in managing post-exercise muscle pain and soreness – especially anti-inflammatory foods,... Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4821182 Thu, 12 May 2011 17:16:11 +0100 4821182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813404&cid=t_101654_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FWNwZU_GkVps%2F Oh man, I’ve been busy. I filled in as writer of the Midwest edition of Payers and Providers the last two weeks because regular editor Duncan Moore, a former colleague, had been hospitalized. (Get well soon, Duncan.) I’ve been at the Institute for Health Technology Transformation health IT summit in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., since yesterday, and I’ve also had my regular deadlines for InformationWeek and MobiHealthNews. I moderated two IHT2 conference sessions yesterday, on how health IT underpins Accountable Care Organizations and how business intelligence can create a framework for health information exchange. I haven’t had time to blog about those, but several people seem to have tweeted during those sessions. I therefore present a rundown via Twitter. @narmi91 #iHT2... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813404 Thu, 12 May 2011 00:13:28 +0100 4813404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789399&cid=t_101654_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fdata-security-debate-here-stay One of the biggest ongoing debates in the HIT world is how best to protect digitized health information. And based on the findings of a new survey, it seems safe to say that even as technology advances, those debates are going to continue. The survey comes from the Ponemon Institute, and in looking at the issue of data security as more people take to cloud computing, it finds just a small disagreement between cloud computing vendors and their prospective clients. No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789399 Wed, 04 May 2011 13:26:03 +0100 4789399 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780485&cid=t_101654_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FU_8pduWA8bk%2F How soon might comparative effectiveness offer significant change? And which entities will guide these changes when they begin? Inside the nation’s capitol, CER has become something of a mantra among those hoping to drive down health care costs. But beyond the Beltway, CER appears not to be nearly as potent a concept, for now anyway. To gauge the extent to which CER is perceived, the National Pharmaceutical Council, a policy and research organization supported by pharma, surveyed 111 people from federal agencies, consumer and trade groups, insurers and academics, among others. And NPC found nearly 60 percent are “very familiar” with CER, but only 30 percent believe CER will lead to moderate improvements in health care decision-making in the next year. One reason for the lack... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780485 Tue, 03 May 2011 13:36:25 +0100 4780485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775561&cid=t_101654_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F02%2Fu-k-nice-issues-new-clinical-guidelines-re-recognition-initial-management-of-ovarian-cancer%2F On April 27, 2011, the U.K. National Institute For Health and Clinical Excellence issued new clinical guidelines regarding the recognition and initial management of ovarian cancer. On April 27, 2011, the U.K. National Institute For Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued new clinical guidelines regarding the recognition and initial management of ovarian cancer. In the [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775561 Mon, 02 May 2011 21:14:09 +0100 4775561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762934&cid=t_101654_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FohIUuwRLw4k%2F The results of an eagerly anticipated clinical trial are leaking out and early indications are that the Avastin cancer med is about as effective as Lucentis in treating a form of age-related macular degeneration, The New York Times writes. And while there are some caveats - full results will not be disclosed until Sunday - the message is that execs at Roche and its Genentech unit may find themselves in a quandary. Why? Avastin is an older med approved to treat various cancers, but not the eye afflication that is common among the elderly. However, many docs have successfully used the drug on an off-label basis, especially since the price tag is low - up to $50 for injection. By comparison, Lucentis is approved to treat AMD, but costs $2,000 for an injection. And Genentech sells both drugs. ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762934 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:04:56 +0100 4762934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762853&cid=t_101654_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F28%2Fwhat-everyone-ought-to-know-about-eastman-dental%2F Bibby Library has preserved the history of Eastman Dental and dentistry in the Rochester New York area through its print and digital archive collections. The American Library Association has designated the week of April 24-30 as preservation week. Here are a few interesting facts about Eastman Dental: 1.  Eastman Dental has been providing oral health [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762853 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:51:57 +0100 4762853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758820&cid=t_101654_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fno-app-just-wait-minute HIT advocates often lament what they perceive as the glacial pace of EHR adoption across the healthcare sector. While this perception may or may not be accurate, one HIT area that’s apparently going gangbusters is the market for mobile apps. No sticky read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758820 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 13:20:30 +0100 4758820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753663&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpXmPkYP_95k%2F By Neal McCluskeyAs promised (actually, a week later than promised) I have read the Fordham Institute “Briefing Book” for reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act. As expected, it’s big on trumpeting national standards, and squishy on almost everything else. Perhaps most aggravating, though, is how loose it is in characterizing the views of those of us at the Cato Institute, who apparently are part of the big group of education analysts who love the idea of Washington lavishing money on education but are, presumably, too blinkered to want to get results for it:   The local controllers. These folks, led by conservative and libertarian think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute, want Uncle Sam, for the most part, to butt out of education polic... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753663 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:19:33 +0100 4753663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753786&cid=t_101654_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fhow-to-prescribe-information-therapy-to.html View more presentations from Aniruddha Malpani. (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753786 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 03:14:00 +0100 4753786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742648&cid=t_101654_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fchemical-dependency-and-the-family%2F Everything You Need to Know about Chemical Dependence – Addiction, Alcoholism AlcoholHeroinAmphetaminesTobaccoInhalantsCocaineMarijuanaMedications By Vernon E. Johnson, D.D., founder of the Johnson Institute. Former faculty member of Rutgers University Summer School for Alcohol StudiesDr. Johnson compiled the most popular Johnson Institute literature on chemical dependence for this complete family guide. It includes answers to these important questions:How can I recognize chemical dependence?How can I avoid it?How can my family solve the problems that come with it?How is chemical dependence different for men, women, teenagers, children, and the elderly?How can I prevent my child from using drugs?Designed for easy access, this practical guide to prevention, intervention, and recovery will... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742648 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:25:00 +0100 4742648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734046&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHARaQeQERsI%2F By Caleb O. BrownThe Institute for Humane Studies Learn Liberty project continues to offer clear-headed analysis in video form. The latest effort features Ben Powell of Suffolk University explaining the concept of concentrated benefits and diffuse costs in the context of ongoing budget fights. Cato recently produced two short videos on complementary aspects of the budget fights. For a more detailed treatment of many aspects of public choice, get your free (cheap!) copy of Cato’s excellent book, Government Failure: A Primer in Public Choice. Public Choice and Spending Cuts is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734046 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:07:15 +0100 4734046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734100&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fquiz-dont-let-look-alikesound-alike-medication-cause-you-harm%2F2011.04.20 Imagine your mother telling you she’s starting a new pain medicine, only to learn that she ended her life three days later due to a medication error. That’s exactly what happened to Linda Sanders, a 62 year old woman who thought she was getting the pain reliever Lyrica, but she accidently got Lamictal, an antiseizure medication. The mistake was probably caused by the similarity in the two medications names. Unfortunately, suicide is a known risk associated with Lamictal therapy. Medication mistakes involving pain-relievers have consequences that range from inconvenient to potentially deadly. Why are errors fairly common and potentially serious with this group of medications? There are an estimated 75 million Americans who suffer with chronic pain, which results in a lot of prescription... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734100 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:00:17 +0100 4734100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723786&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNFg2b0upjHA%2F By Walter OlsonAs Iain Murray points out at National Review‘s “Corner,” there’s no date on the calendar each year that reminds us, the way income tax filing day does, of the huge share of our economic labors that the government commands in the name of regulation. In part this is because the costs of regulation are even better disguised than those of taxation: while paycheck withholding may lull us into complacency about our income tax burden, it is downright transparent compared with the costs of regulation, which the ordinary citizen may never recognize when passed along in the form of higher utility bills or sluggish performance by some sector of the economy. Iain notes the good work done by his colleagues at the Competitive Enterprise Institute: Regulations cost... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723786 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:19:45 +0100 4723786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4724180&cid=t_101654_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2F-upChOONzUI%2F Questions over Greg Mortenson’s stories – 60 Minutes – CBS News. Filed under: books Tagged: 60 Minutes, Afghanistan, CBS News, Central Asia Institute, Greg Mortenson, Korphe, Pakistan, Three Cups of Tea (Source: white pebble) white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4724180 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:30:31 +0100 4724180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734248&cid=t_101654_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fconference-on-preventing-medical-errors.html Medical errors are a leading cause of preventable deaths. When a patient dies because of perceived medical negligence, hospitals get burnt down and doctors get beaten up. However, not all deaths are because of negligence - and not all errors can be prevented. In order to learn about what we can do to make sure that medical errors are minimised , India's first Patient Safety Workshop is being organised in Mumbai. This is the first conference in India which focuses on this key issue, which is usually misunderstood; and often ignored.I am especially excited about the fact that this workshop will be involving patients as well, as I deeply believe that well-informed patients can play a very important role in preventing medical errors !We've got some great speakers - please do come and join us !... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734248 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 08:55:00 +0100 4734248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723981&cid=t_101654_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fconference-on-preventing-medical-errors.html Medical errors are a leading cause of preventable deaths. When a patient dies because of perceived medical negligence, hospitals get burnt down and doctors get beaten up. However, not all deaths are because of negligence - and not all errors can be prevented. In order to learn about what we can do to make sure that medical errors are minimised , India's first Patient Safety Workshop is being organised in Mumbai. This is the first conference in India which focuses on this key issue, which is usually misunderstood; and often ignored.I am especially excited about the fact that this workshop will be involving patients as well, as I deeply believe that well-informed patients can play a very important role in preventing medical errors !We've got some great speakers - please do come and join us !... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723981 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 08:55:00 +0100 4723981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719885&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FjFmU0d2pZjw%2F By Christopher PrebleA little over a year ago, I posted two different graphs (with the help of my colleague Charles Zakaib) that showed the growth of U.S. national security spending vs. that of other NATO allies over the last ten years. The data, based on the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ annual Military Balance, showed that U.S. taxpayers spend far more on our military, both as a share of total economic output, and on a per capita basis, than do any of our allies. New data, for 2009, was made available in IISS’s Military Balance 2011, and the revised graphs are shown below. (Again, thanks to Charles for his help). As I suspected, the gap remains as wide as ever. In a few cases, it has grown wider. As you can see, the $2,101 that every American man, woman, and child ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719885 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:37:31 +0100 4719885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709349&cid=t_101654_134_f&fid=35179&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscottsdiabetes.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fdiabetes-diplomat-treese%2F Diagnosis Zach was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of three, on Father’s Day, 2007. Spending four days in the hospital, learning how to check blood sugars and give shots, Lisa watched her little guy finally smile again.  He had been the moodiest little boy, and now she understood why. They spent their time in the hospital on the same floor as little kids with cancer. Right there, Lisa decided she would never complain about diabetes.  She also set her mind to doing everything she could to make Zach’s life better. She started “Team Zachary” that September, and walked at a diabetes walk in Pittsburgh. Unquenchable Thirst (to do more) Lisa wanted to do more.  So she organized a diabetes education assembly at their school, and had their own walk that spring... Scott's Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709349 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:56:31 +0100 4709349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696712&cid=t_101654_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FnZFN64nSeww%2F It’s been a full decade since the Institute of Medicine published the second volume in its landmark series on patient safety and quality of care, Crossing the Quality Chasm. We appear to be not much closer to achieving a high-quality health system as we were 10 years ago. Last week, as you may have already heard, a paper in Health Affairs from researchers at the University of Utah concluded that adverse events may be 10 times more prevalent than previously believed and that errors may occur in an astounding one-third of all hospital admissions. The research team, which included such luminaries as Dr. David Classen, Dr. Brent James and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement‘s Frank Federico, also said that there estimates probably were on the conservative side. Patient-safety ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696712 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 21:07:53 +0100 4696712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693286&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftreatments-for-kids-with-autism-and-cerebral-palsy-on-insurance-chopping-block%2F2011.04.08 One of the great challenges facing the folks who have been tasked to implement the Big O’s health care law is defining “essential benefits,” the core medical services that insurers must cover. Despite its voluminous nature, the law is remarkably vague in this regard. It does identify 10 care categories that health plans must provide to consumers who use federally-funded health insurance exchanges to select a plan, but the categories and associated lists aren’t comprehensive or specific (the categories appear at the end of this post). The Institute of Medicine has been tasked to flesh out the lists of required services. It has begun work amid a frenzy of lobbying by private insurers and consumer groups. Habilitative services are one contentious area, and they illustrate the challe... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693286 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 20:00:28 +0100 4693286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693354&cid=t_101654_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftraffic.libsyn.com%2Fnversel%2FPeter_Waegemann.mp3 In 2009, after 25 years of moving “Toward an Electronic Patient Record” (TEPR), the Medical Records Institute disbanded and its founder, Peter Waegemann, shifted his focus to mobile healthcare by creating the mHealth Initiative. TEPR had grown into a rather substantial event, peaking at 3,800 attendees in 2004, when newly appointed national health IT coordinator Dr. David Brailer was the featured speaker. But attendance and vendor square footage rapidly declined after that, as much of the action in the realm of EMRs either moved to medical specialty societies or the huge HIMSS conference. Taking a more content-driven than vendor-driven approach, the mHealth Initiative has tried its hand at conferences since last year. (I spoke and served on a panel at the organization’s 2nd m... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693354 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:17:23 +0100 4693354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684325&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F04%2F07%2Fthimerosal-from-the-1930s-to-2011%2F Thimersol DOES have neurotoxic effects on infants and toddlers! That’s a scientifically derived conclusion that’s been viciously kept from health consumers probably due to not wanting to have to scrape egg off the universal face of Big Pharma vaccine manufacturers, the medical professions, and government health agencies. Or, is there a more sinister reason? You be the judge after considering Dr. F. Edward Yazbak’s exceptional review of the literature regarding Thimerosal and vaccines at (http://www.vaccinationnews.com/20110405Thimerosal…) There are three parts to this incomparable report regarding Thimerosal that every healthcare professional, federal, state, and local health agencies personnel should read to get the down and dirty facts about what’s been going on under their... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684325 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 06:01:07 +0100 4684325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684268&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbPRcyhr7IUw%2F By Neal McCluskeyOver on his Education Week blog, Rick Hess senses that the "broad but shallow coalition" of national curriculum standards true-believers and folks who just like the idea of a common academic metric might be fracturing.  The cause: The Albert Shanker Institute's national curriculum manifesto released last month, as well as lingering concern about impending national tests. Suddenly -- and seemingly against the wishes of Common Core leaders -- the national standards push is starting to appear much less "voluntary" and much more micromanaging than advertised.  I hope that Hess is right that alarm is spreading over the oozingly expanding national-standards blob, but I disagree with how he seems to characterize what's happening. Hess appears to see these developments,... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684268 Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:10:19 +0100 4684268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670200&cid=t_101654_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fimho-google-dropping-google-health-just-rumor There is a rumor out there that Google is planning on dropping Google Health, its personal health record platform. I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say it is highly unlikely the rumor is true, in my honest opinion (IMHO). And here's why.  read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670200 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:30:28 +0100 4670200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664147&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FvIdkR6So0ek%2F By Neal McCluskeyOver the last few days Jay Greene, the Fordham Institute's Kathleen Porter-Magee, and several other edu-thinkers have been arguing about whether national curriculum standards would destroy a competitive market in education, and a market that already provides the uniform standards Fordham wants Washington to impose. But let's be very clear: We haven't had a real market -- a free market -- in education for a long time. Sadly, I'm afraid Jay started this whole mess, though he certainly knows what a free market in education would look like and I don't think he intended to confuse the issue.  Indeed, he doesn't use the term "free market," but mainly writes about the "competitive market between communities." His argument is that Americans over time picked standardize... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664147 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:04:41 +0100 4664147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664407&cid=t_101654_134_f&fid=35179&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscottsdiabetes.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fdiabetes-diplomat%2F What is a Diabetes Diplomat? A Diabetes Diplomat is anyone who has decided to get involved with raising money and advocating for the Diabetes Research Institute. The Diabetes Diplomats group has a laundry list of proven ideas that you can use.  There’s no shortage of ideas – they just need people to give the ideas some legs.  Whatever you choose, they will guide you through it from start to finish.  These ideas are easy, fun, and have been done again and again (meaning the concept and process is well polished). Or maybe you have an idea of your own, but just need a little guidance to get started.  The Diabetes Diplomats can help you with that too.  Who knows – you might be the one who comes up with the next great idea! All you have to do is decide to do something.  ... Scott's Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664407 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:37:36 +0100 4664407 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658364&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FhGS87WT_mVU%2F By Caleb O. BrownCivil asset forfeiture strikes at the heart of property rights. Authorities simply seize property property without all the messiness of convicting someone of a crime. It's blatantly unconstitutional and it shouldn't happen, but it does. What's worse, many state governments offer little to no information to the public about what they're doing with those ill-gotten gains. A new report and video from the Institute for Justice illustrates the case of Georgia quite well. The video was produced by IJ's multitalented Isaac Reese. IJ's Scott Bullock participated in a lively discussion of their "Policing for Profit" (PDF) report last April here at Cato. Civil Forfeiture vs. Truth and Justice is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658364 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:19:27 +0100 4658364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653315&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFQQJv3QGBnk%2F By Ilya ShapiroYesterday the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Arizona matching-public-campaign-funding case, McComish v. Bennett, spearheaded by our friends at the Goldwater Institute and the Institute for Justice. Here's the background:  In 1998, after years of scandals ranging from governors being indicted to legislators taking bribes, Arizona passed the Citizens Clean Elections Act. This law was intended to “clean up” state politics by creating a system for publicly funding campaigns.  Participation in the public funding is not mandatory, however, and those who do not participate are subject to rules that match their “excess” private funds with disbursals to their opponent from the public fund. In short, if a privately funded candidate spends more than his publicly f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653315 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:26:45 +0100 4653315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636396&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Finstitute-of-medicines-release-reports.html Two days ago, the prestigious US Institute of Medicine released two reports on important health care issues, clinical practice guidelines and systematic reviews.  Systematic reviews of the relevant clinical research have been advocated by evidence-based medicine proponents as the appropriate basis for clinical and policy decisions.  Clinical practice guidelines have been advocated by many health researchers, policy makers, and clinicians as the best way to encapsulate the evidence to inform clinical and policy decision making.  Both reports suggested series of standards for how systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines should be developed.  These topics are of general importance to clinicians, health services researchers, and health policy makers.  T... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636396 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:05:00 +0100 4636396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4626789&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FkXNs6nxl5bY%2F By Juan Carlos HidalgoAs expected, President Obama’s speech on Latin America, given on Monday in Santiago, Chile, was full of rhetoric but short of substance. He briefly mentioned the willingness of his administration to “move forward” with the pending free trade agreements with Colombia and Panama, but didn’t say when he’s submitting them for a vote in Congress. He recognized (again) that drug consumption in the U.S. is fueling drug violence in Mexico and Central America, but stayed away from saying how his more-of-the-same policies will change anything. Obama’s only tangible pledge was the announcement that his administration will work to increase the number of Latin American students in the U.S. to 100,000. This is laudable, but still unambitious. According to the Institute ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626789 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:21:37 +0100 4626789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605810&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOpTZuC8QPxk%2F By Ilya ShapiroThis is a big week for private property rights.  Two epic eminent domain struggles are playing out on opposite sides of the country.  First, National City, California, is ground zero for eminent domain abuse.  City officials declared several hundred properties blighted even before conducting a blight study that was riddled with problems. The city wants to seize and bulldoze a youth community center (CYAC) that has transformed the lives of hundreds of low-income kids, so a wealthy developer can build high-rise luxury condos: CYAC has numerous volunteers, including local law enforcement officers, providing free mentoring in boxing as well as academics.  The gym is famous for getting kids off the street and back into school.  As Rick Reilly explained in a feature in Sport... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605810 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:35:22 +0100 4605810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600739&cid=t_101654_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FXgd97PB-kos%2Fdiabetes-cure-expected-progress-in-2011-2012.php We have good news to report! Last week, we spoke with Dr. Camillo Ricordi at the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI). The DRI is a non-profit research center dedicated to finding a type 1 diabetes cure with an emphasis on research that can tangibly improve your life in the near future. Much of their research may also help those with type 2 diabetes. Short Term GoalsAt the top of the list: completing stage 3 trials of an implantable scaffold. This special silicone sponge can hold multiple technologies and potentially serve as the foundation of your new, bio-engineered pancreas.  One of the key technologies is encapsulated islet cells. These are insulin-producing cells that are wrapped in a special coating to protect them from being destroyed by your body while allowing oxygen ... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600739 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:40:08 +0100 4600739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600537&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fregenerative-medicine-and-printing-human-tissue%2F2011.03.16 Dr. Anthony Atala, director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, returned to TED 2011 a couple weeks ago to give updates on his breakthroughs in regenerative medicine. In addition to explaining the process of growing bioengineered organs, valves, and tissues, he also demonstrates how he’s using printing technology to fabricate body parts and even print skin tissue directly onto a patient’s wound. Other highlights of the talk include a live demo of a kidney-shaped mold being printed on the TED stage, and a reunion with a young patient who was one of the first recipients of a bioengineered bladder from Dr. Atala’s lab. Be sure to also check out Dr. Atala’s talk from TEDMED 2009… Additional... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600537 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:00:08 +0100 4600537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592691&cid=t_101654_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F5cPetg5jHnI%2F For those wondering about the difficulties confronting the FDA as the agency attempts to monitor the supply chain, the chart offers some insight. From roughly 1,200 foreign manufacturing plants in 2001, the number grew to more than 3,500 in 2008 - a 185 percent increase. Yet the number of FDA inspections rose 23 percent, leading to a 57 percent drop in the inspection rate. [UPDATE: In 2001, 20.7 percent of facilities were inspected, but only 8.9 percent in fiscal year 2008]. In China alone, the problem is daunting. There are nearly 1,000 manufacturers of drug substances eligible for FDA inspection. And for 89 percent of audited Chinese-made drug substances, US and European pharmaceutical purchasers fail to demand the mandatory Chinese license and certificate, according to Philippe André o... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592691 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 12:15:33 +0100 4592691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592366&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2yhf1F4z5Qo%2F By Neal McCluskeyOver at Flypaper, Chester Finn suggests that people like me are either crazy or on the verge of it for fearing that the Shanker Institute's "common content" manifesto might very well be another step toward federal control of American education.   "Over in the more feverish corners of the blogosphere, and sometimes even in saner locales," he writes, "the Shanker Institute’s call for 'common content' curriculum to accompany the Common Core standards has triggered a panic attack." Now, I wouldn't say "panic attack." To panic is to "be overcome by a sudden fear," but I've been watching the move toward federal curriculum control for some time. Back in 2008 many of the groups behind the Common Core called for Washington to "incentivize" adoption of national standards. ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592366 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:33:41 +0100 4592366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592493&cid=t_101654_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FopWr_wehgR8%2F President Barack Obama has made plenty of mistakes in his first two-plus years in office, but none may be more serious for the future of America than his decision to install Donald M. Berwick, M.D., as a recess appointment to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in July 2010. Berwick really is a great choice to head CMS, but the underhanded nature of the recess appointment has provided fodder for all kinds of uninformed ideologues and assorted nut jobs to attack Obama’s healthcare reform efforts. Just as CMS is gearing up to release widely anticipated proposed regulations for Accountable Care Organizations, we get the sad news that that Berwick’s days are numbered. After refusing to allow Berwick to testify before the Senate last year, Obama renominated Berwick on Jan. 2... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592493 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:21:58 +0100 4592493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592371&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJAVZY3Aq0cM%2F By Michael F. CannonIn a March 4 article for National Review Online titled, “Mitch Daniels’s Obamacare Problem,” I explain how Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) is undermining the effort to repeal ObamaCare, and how he might do even more damage to that movement as the Republican nominee for president.  My article came under fire from Daniels' policy director Lawren Mills (in the comments section of my article), Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute, and Bob Goldberg of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. Today, NRO runs my response.  An excerpt: In brief, the trio believes that Daniels’s expansion of government-run health care is a conservative triumph. I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation... Daniels has an ObamaCare problem that could hurt the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592371 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:40:37 +0100 4592371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4577906&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fred-light-cameras-save-lives%2F2011.03.12 Most people don’t like them. Privacy advocates abhor them. But, really– how many things can you name that save lives AND generate revenues for cash-strapped local and state governments? Red-light cameras are one such item. A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has shown that red-light cameras saved 159 lives over a four-year period in the 14 large U.S. cities where the study took place. The scientists claimed that more than 800 traffic fatalities would have been prevented during the course of the study if the cameras had been deployed in all large U.S. cities. The scientists compared fatal car crash rates in U.S. cities with populations of at least 200,000 for two four-year periods: 1992 to 1996 and 2004 to 2008. They excluded cities that had already deploy... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4577906 Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:00:34 +0100 4577906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575051&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FcvuqgcTkCAQ%2F The following is a guest post by Elizabeth Madigan, PhD, RN, FAAN who is a professor of nursing at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She has been an RN for more than 30 years and has spent the last 14 years as a researcher focused on quality and safety in health care, primarily home health care. By Elizabeth Madigan. There really is no low hanging fruit in safe health care. The “hurray for checklists in health care” mantra that has been recently promoted in the popular media, misses a couple key points—it’s not the checklist that improves the outcomes—it’s the change in the organizational culture and where that cultural change happens. Anyone who has worked in quality improvement or performance improvement long enou... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575051 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:22:16 +0100 4575051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4565904&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpreventing-hospital-acquired-infections-patients-must-be-safety-partners%2F2011.03.09 This is a guest post by Dr. Julia Hallisy. Serious infections are becoming more prevalent and more virulent both in our hospitals and in our communities. The numbers are staggering: 1.7 million people will suffer from a hospital-acquired infections each year and almost 100,000 will die as a result. When our late daughter, Kate, was diagnosed with an aggressive eye cancer in 1989 at five months of age, our life became consumed by doctor visits, MRI scans, radiation treatments, chemotherapy — and fear. My husband and I assumed that our fight was against the ravages of cancer, but almost eight years later we faced another life-threatening challenge we never counted on — a hospital-acquired infection. In 1997, Kate was infected with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRS... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4565904 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:00:43 +0100 4565904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4565888&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWoJc7j_g_yE%2F By Neal McCluskeyOver at the Fordham Institute, Senior Fellow Peter Meyer continues the assault on logic that Fordham has insisted on perpetrating when it comes to national curriculum standards. Writing about a New York Times story on the deceptive curriculum "guidelines" manifesto released by a number of national-standards supporters earlier this week, Meyer declares that: Contrary to popular belief (especially in some Tea Party circles), a national curriculum, done properly, does not threaten local control.  As we learn in this story, plenty of folks, including Randi Weingarten and our own Checker Finn, have signed on to a “common curriculum,” which its proponents say will constitute only about half of a school’s “academic time.” Maybe I'm missing some very small but incredi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4565888 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:32:37 +0100 4565888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4566285&cid=t_101654_134_f&fid=35179&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscottsdiabetes.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fwalk-walgreens%2F I support the Diabetes Research Institute (and disclosure), and they recently made a pretty huge announcement that I wanted to share with everyone. It started with the Walgreens stores in South Florida.  About 260 of them.  But it has expanded across all of Florida – all 852 Walgreens stores in Florida are participating and promoting the “Walk with Walgreens Walkathon and Family Day” to benefit the Diabetes Research Institute. It’s hard to wrap my brain around how huge, and great, this is.   I mean, 852 stores is a LOT of stores! It’s all happening on Sunday, April 10, 2011, from 8:00am – 12:00pm.  There are a bunch of locations around all of Florida.  There will be face-painting, music, free giveaways, refreshments, entertainment, health booths an... Scott's Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4566285 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:00:15 +0100 4566285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549709&cid=t_101654_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fwake-forest-scientists-attempt-manufacture-kidney-tissue-printing%2F Scientists from the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine are attempting to build a new kidney through a process similar to printing layers of cells onto each other much like a printer places ink on a page. The effort is being led by Anthony Atala. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549709 Sat, 05 Mar 2011 02:12:12 +0100 4549709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549937&cid=t_101654_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fakf6ENsJfZk%2F How is this for timing? The UK’s NICE has rejected Roche’s Lucentis med for treating diabetic macular oedema because of insufficient value for the price. And the decision comes shortly before the US National Eye Institute releases results of a trial of 1,200 patients with age-related macular degeneration given Lucentis or Avastin, another Roche drug that costs less to treat eye problems. The rejection by the UK agency underscores the difficulties Roche has encountered with Lucentis, a newer medication the drugmaker has marketed for different eye ailments. And price has been a big issue. There are “reservations about the cost effectiveness estimates provided in the manufacturer‟s submission,” stated the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellen... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549937 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:44:41 +0100 4549937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549827&cid=t_101654_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F04%2Fcelebrate-dental-assistants-recognition-week-march-6-12%2F Bibby Library celebrates Dental Assistants Recognition week. This event is a joint effort of the American Dental Assistants Association, the American Dental Association, the Canadian Dental Assistants Association and the Canadian Dental Association to acknowledge and recognize the Dental Assistant. If you are an Eastman Institute for Oral Health Dental Assistant, we hope you’ll stop [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549827 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:42:21 +0100 4549827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544947&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FRmhvzKbuPbs%2F By Ilya ShapiroRecently, activist and filmmaker Annie Leonard released a video titled "The Story of Citizens United v. FEC," an eight-and-a-half-minute criticism of last year’s Supreme Court case of the same name. Well, sort of. Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Lee Doren made his own video critique in response to Ms. Leonard’s offering, and points out quite clearly that Ms. Leonard doesn’t really deal with any actual constitutional problems in her position—essentially ignoring the decision and its rationale—and instead spends most of her time corporation bashing. Lee was kind enough to cite, inter alia, a blogpost I wrote last year about what “corporate personhood” does and does not mean. If Ms. Leonard was going to ignore the decision, it may have at least served her wel... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544947 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:40:11 +0100 4544947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544951&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKNMryV4rct0%2F By Caleb O. BrownThe Institute for Humane Studies recently launched LearnLiberty.org, a project aimed at providing videos of varying length that educate on basic economic concepts and philosophy rooted in individual liberty. Cato's Jeffrey A. Miron is among the faculty featured. More videos are coming. Check it out. Learning Liberty is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544951 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:41:18 +0100 4544951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4527729&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FRpPLh6yImcg%2F By Michael F. CannonThis weekend I opened The Washington Post to find the editors arguing that Congress should cut federal subsidies to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Institute of Peace, and the National Endowment of the Arts, and George F. Will arguing that Congress should preserve federal subsidies to Teach for America. Weird. One Step Forward, One Step Back is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4527729 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:40:33 +0100 4527729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522087&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_HJ3m2AeitY%2F This report provides crucial practical drafting guidance for exercising the states’ constitutional authority. In essence, it recommends that state legislators draft their Article V applications and delegate commissions with an eye to targeting specific subject matters, while still giving state delegates a meaningful level of deliberative independence to ensure that the amendments convention can serve its consensus-building and problem-solving purpose. The key is to regard an amendments convention as a modern-day “task force”—a representative body that is limited to a specific agenda but expected to exercise judgment on accomplishing that agenda. For the previous two papers, and other materials regarding amendment conventions, see Goldwater's invaluable Artivle V resource page. How ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522087 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:09:06 +0100 4522087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507285&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnutrition-labels-for-alcoholic-beverages%2F2011.02.21 Virtually all bottled beverages you can buy have handy-dandy nutrition labels from which you can access information about calories, carbs, and so forth. All beverages except the ones containing alcohol, that is. Why is that? Maybe it’s because alcoholic beverages contain little to no protein, sodium, cholesterol, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and iron (remember that alcohol is metabolized as a fat, not a carbohydrate) — so why bother? Then again, alcohol does contain calories — a lot of them. Would people drink less if they knew how many calories they were consuming? Would they drink less if they knew how many “servings” of alcohol were contained in the bottle they just purchased? Maybe it’s because of the cost of performing nutritional analyses on each vintage of wine,... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507285 Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:00:49 +0100 4507285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459939&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F15JGehVfEHQ%2F By David RittgersThe American criminal justice system has long been flawed. This probably isn’t news to you. What is news is the emergence of a broad chorus of organizations and leaders from across the political spectrum speaking out in support of serious reform. A few examples: The Smart on Crime Coalition released its recommendations (and in pdf) for the 112th Congress, providing ways that the federal government can help fix the criminal justice system. Congress creates, on average, a new criminal offense every week. The urge to overcriminalize just about everything needs to be replaced with serious thought about how broadly Congress writes laws so that the drive to lock up a few bad actors does not make felons of a large portion of the citizenry. The Smart on Crime report also points ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459939 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 22:00:12 +0100 4459939 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459953&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FR1hfmzvterw%2F By Jane Sarasohn-Kahn. In February 2011, 1 in 10 jobs in the U.S. is in health care employment; nearly 14 million people in the U.S. work in health care employment, with health care representing 10.7% of all jobs in America. The growth rate of health care jobs rose 1.2 percentage points since the recession kicked in late 2007. Since the start of the recession, health employment grew 6.3%; the number of non-health jobs fell by 6.8%. The chart starkly illustrates this story (click the chart to enlarge for easier reading). Altarum Institute has crunched the health job numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and published their analysis in Health Sector Economic Indicators, published February 9, 2011. Altarum’s top-line: health care employment has reached an “all-time high�... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459953 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:54:40 +0100 4459953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455368&cid=t_101654_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F09%2Flearn-how-to-conquer-information-overload%2F Bibby Library is offering a workshop to introduce you to tools that will keep you informed about new information in dentistry. DATE:    Tuesday, March 1 TIME:    12:00-1pm PLACE:  Ely Room During this workshop you will learn how to: Create alerts for Pubmed saved searches Monitor websites and blogs using an RSS reader Create Google Alerts [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455368 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:14:01 +0100 4455368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4446034&cid=t_101654_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FSZss_ZM6lJg%2F For the past few years, Abbott Laboratories has regularly mailed a survey to new moms about breastfeeding and the use of infant formula. The marketing move reflects a vested interest, since Abbott sells the Similac baby formula, which recently made headlines after beetles were discovered in one of its factories, prompting a recall (see this). The survey, however, comes from the National Institute for Infant Nutrition, a non-existent entity, which has caused a few quizzical moms to post questions and skeptical remarks on chat boards (look here and here). Not surprisingly, a few suspected the source was, in fact, an infant formula maker. “I think this is a front for the formula companies. They should just be honest about it, imo, and offer to send you free coupons,” wrote one mom... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4446034 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:29:48 +0100 4446034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436750&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftoo-drunk-to-drive-your-car-will-tell-you-if-s%2F2011.02.04 Drunk driving continues to be a serious problem. In 2009 for example, alcohol was a factor in more than 10,000 highway deaths. The same year, a stunning 10 percent of respondents to a survey of U.S. adults said they had operated an automobile while drunk during the previous year. Nearly 6 percent said they had done it more than once. So how would you feel about a car that can instantly detect whether a driver is drunk and prevent that person from starting the car? You better make up your mind quickly, because scientists are close to perfecting this technology. “We’re five to seven years away from being able to integrate this into cars,” Robert Strassburger, the VP for safety at the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) told the Washington Post. The AAM, an automotive trade... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436750 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:00:23 +0100 4436750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419111&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0fpYN8orlOk%2F By Michael F. CannonAn article at HealthPolicySolutions.org (“a project of the Buechner Institute for Governance at the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver”), about how ObamaCare is causing Colorado’s child-only health insurance market to implode, contains this startling admission by the top lobbyist for Colorado’s health insurance companies: “Requiring all the carriers to sell this sort of plan creates a level playing field,’’ said Ben Price, executive director of the Colorado Association of Health Plans. “This is one of those unusual situations where we’re asking for more competition. If everyone else is in the market, the risk is spread across the entire market. Each company can afford to take on more risk.” Catch that?  A ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419111 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:40:09 +0100 4419111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411724&cid=t_101654_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FpVHziCcV3_E%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is our regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Angelini Labopharm named Mary Anne Heino as president. She was formerly senior vp of sales and marketing at Labopharm, which last spring formed a joint venture with Angelini to commercialize an antidepressant. Before joining Labopharm, Heino wa... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411724 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:16:55 +0100 4411724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405995&cid=t_101654_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F27%2Foutside-the-body-filtration-device-may-reduce-ovarian-cancer-cells-in-abdominal-fluid%2F A paper published in the January issue of the journal Nanomedicine could provide the foundation for a new ovarian cancer treatment option — one that would use an outside-the-body filtration device to remove a large portion of the free-floating cancer cells that often create secondary tumors. A paper published in the January issue of the [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405995 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 22:13:24 +0100 4405995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405777&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbreast-implants-and-lymphoma-new-safety-alert-from-the-fda%2F2011.01.27 From the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety alert yesterday: ISSUE: The FDA announced a possible association between saline and silicone gel-filled breast implants and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a very rare type of cancer. Data reviewed by the FDA suggest that patients with breast implants may have a very small but significant risk of ALCL in the scar capsule adjacent to the implant. BACKGROUND: In total, the agency is aware of about 60 cases of ALCL in women with breast implants worldwide. This number is difficult to verify because not all cases were published in the scientific literature and some may be duplicate reports. An estimated 5 million to 10 million women worldwide have breast implants. According to the National Cancer Institute, ALCL appears in different pa... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405777 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:00:36 +0100 4405777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405762&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWk_iIYBXFic%2F By Ilya ShapiroI am pleased to pass on word from our friends at the Institute for Justice that they have established a new Center for Judicial Engagement.  The center is dedicated to reinvigorating the judicial branch to stand up and perform its constitutional role instead of showing the deference so many courts now give to the political branches of state and federal government. As much lip service that has been paid to the bogeyman of “judicial activism,” the reality is that the courts have been all-too-reluctant to sacrifice constitutional questions to acquiesce to the supposed wisdom of political actors.  Veteran IJ lawyer and friend of Cato Clark Neily will be heading the center, and had this to say about its mission: We need judges to judge.  What we see too often now is judges... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405762 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 04:38:45 +0100 4405762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399618&cid=t_101654_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F25%2Fintroducing-adventures-in-positive-psychology%2F I’m pleased to introduce our newest blog, Adventures in Positive Psychology with Joe Wilner, MA, focused on the topic of positive psychology. You’ve probably heard a thing or two about positive psychology in the past decade, because of its focus on helping people to better understand themselves and their lives to increase happiness. Sure, life can be challenging sometimes and many face a mental health concern. But that’s no reason you shouldn’t be seeking personal growth all of your life too, and find ways to increase your happiness and well-being. Joe Wilner has a Masters Degree in Psychology and a Masters in Liberal Arts, with a concentration in Management and Leadership. Joe is a certified meditation instructor through the American Institute of Health Care Professionals (AIH... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399618 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 20:55:40 +0100 4399618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394678&cid=t_101654_134_f&fid=35179&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscottsdiabetes.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fdinner-kathy-islets%2F Life is all about spending time with great people, which is exactly what I did on Monday night.  Kathy White blogs at “my new islets” and writes about her experiences receiving an islet cell transplant at the University of Minnesota’s Schulze Diabetes Institute. Kathy hails from Ohio and she has been coming to Minneapolis periodically for the last 2.5 years to do testing related to the transplant and research study. A while back I met a couple of great families involved with the local JDRF office (hi Camille, Geoff, & Debbie!), and they invited me to join them for dinner with Kathy while she was here this time.  How could I refuse? Camille, Kathy, Debbie, Scott We spent almost four hours chatting away.  I had so many questions for Kathy.  As soon as she would fin... Scott's Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394678 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:00:17 +0100 4394678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382762&cid=t_101654_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=4382759&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fn4nr7ZdVKdM%2F Blogger Concetta Tomaino who participated in the December 1st Event is truly a disruptive woman as described in the post below.  By Hope Ditto. We’re used to our Disruptive Women bloggers being on the cutting edge in their fields and doing amazing things every day. We’re used to them saving lives, fighting for those without a voice and revolutionizing the world around us. Still, it’s not every day that a major motion picture being featured at the world-famous Sundance Film Festival is directly connected to their work. Not that we’re bragging, but we feel pretty fortunate to call Dr. Concetta Tomaino, D.A., MT-BC, LCAT, one of our own these days. Besides having her work featured in The Music Never Stopped (and having Julia Ormond, the actress playing the music therapist in the m... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382759 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 19:01:15 +0100 4382759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382751&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIlAXKrr0E2g%2F By Caleb O. BrownThe Supreme Court majority in Citizens United asserted plainly that the federal government’s powers are few and defined in the realm of political speech. The decision has since been cast as one that does little more than give “corporations and unions the freedom to spend as much as they like to support or attack candidates.” Of course, the stakes were far higher. As the government’s attorney asserted during the initial oral argument, the Federal Election Commission retained the authority to ban the sale of certain books (e-books included) in the weeks leading up to an election, a fact opponents of Citizens United rarely mention. Shortly after that oral argument, Austin Bragg and I made a short video with Steve Simpson of the Institute for Justice, A... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382751 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:44:46 +0100 4382751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372028&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FhyPt9a6SJJI%2F By Michael F. CannonObamaCare requires each state to open its Medicaid program to all legal residents earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.  Supporters estimate this mandate will cost state governments little: the Kaiser Family Foundation’s worst-case-scenario estimates suggest that state Medicaid spending would rise by just 1.2 percent in New York and 5.1 percent in Texas between 2014 and 2019. In a new working paper titled, “Estimating ObamaCare’s Effect on State Medicaid Expenditure Growth,” Cato Institute Senior Fellow Jagadeesh Gokhale shows that those estimates are generally far too low.  Gokhale finds that the five most-populous states — California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas — will struggle to cope with the rising Medi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372028 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:09:43 +0100 4372028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360984&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcancer-treatments-to-cost-158-billion-by-2020%2F2011.01.17 Medical expenditures for cancer are projected to reach at least $158 billion in today’s dollars by 2020. That’s a 27 percent increase, assuming that incidence and treatment costs remain at 2010 levels, according to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) analysis of growth and aging of the U.S. population. But new diagnostic tools and treatments could raise medical expenditures as high as $207 billion, assuming that the costs of new treatments increases 5 percent, said the researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the NIH. The analysis appears in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Recent trends reflect a 2 percent annual increase in medical costs in the initial and final phases of care, which would boost projected 2020 costs to $173 billion.Projec... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360984 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:00:00 +0100 4360984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355717&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedical-errors-should-doctors-always-fess-up%2F2011.01.16 From the Medscape Medical Ethics article entitled “‘Some Worms Are Best Left In The Can’: Should You Hide Medical Errors?“: Consequences aside, from a strictly ethical perspective, if a patient doesn’t realize that his physician made a mistake, should the physician fess up? Before you jump to conclusions (as I did), look at the article’s three parts. It’s about a survey. The title is on the inflammatory side; the article is a window into physicians’ views. The introduction continues: Evidence of the complex prisms through which physicians view these issues was apparent in the replies to four questions asked in Medscape’s exclusive ethics survey. More than 10,000 physicians responded to the survey in 2010. Subheads: – Mistakes that don’t harm p... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355717 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 20:00:12 +0100 4355717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4352762&cid=t_101654_118_f&fid=34702&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmspblog%2F%7E3%2FTMkAIk-xjBY%2F You just heard at this morning’s CEO leadership meeting that a 40-year-old father of five children died in the Surgical ICU last night, hours after receiving medication intended for another patient. Everyone is upset. Questions are flying around the hospital: What does the family know? Who did it? What happened? What can we say? Would the patient have died anyway? (He was very sick.) Has anyone gone to the press? Every day, clinical adverse events occur within our health care system, causing physical and psychological harm to one or more patients, their families, staff (including medical staff ), the community, and the organization. In the crisis that often emerges, what differentiates organizations, positively or negatively, is their culture of safety; the role of the board of trustees ... MSSPNexus Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4352762 Sat, 15 Jan 2011 22:49:03 +0100 4352762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349659&cid=t_101654_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F14%2Fcaris-life-sciences-launches-molecular-profiling-service-for-ovarian-cancer-patients%2F Caris Life Sciences announces the launch of a new molecular profiling service for ovarian cancer patients Caris Life Sciences, Inc. (Caris), a leading biosciences company focused on enabling precise and personalized healthcare through the highest quality anatomic pathology, molecular profiling, and blood-based diagnostic services, announced the launch of a new, Caris Target Now™ molecular profile [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349659 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:11:53 +0100 4349659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343331&cid=t_101654_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FMzN0NGIvnh4%2F In 2008, the US Senate Finance Committee charged that Stanford University failed to properly monitor alleged conflicts of interest involving Alan Schatzberg, the former chair of its psychiatry department, who owned a substantive amount of stock in Corcept Therapeutics, which was studying the development of mifepristone, or RU-486, for treating psychiatric depression. Beyond his stock holdings, Schatzberg was also listed as a co-patent holder for the drug, which is best known for inducing abortion, and he received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to oversee the research. The allegation was part of a lengthy probe into the wider issue of taxpayer-funded research and undisclosed and unmonitored conflicts involving universities, academic researchers and the pharmaceutical industr... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343331 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:26:00 +0100 4343331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331007&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FCpt5CQex6T0%2F By Jane Sarasohn-Kahn. For every $1 spent on health care in the U.S., 10 cents goes to prescription drugs, 31 cents goes to hospital care, and 27 cents goes to professionals (doctors, dentists, and other services), based on 2009 health spending reported to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). There’s evidence that by spending a bit more on medication and bolstering prescription drug adherence among patients, total health spending can be lowered for vascular medical conditions. The study and data which leads to this conclusion is published in Medication Adherence Leads to Lower Health Care Use And Costs Despite Increased Drug Spending appears in the January 2011 issue of Health Affairs. The study cites the World Health Organization’s report from 2003 that stated med... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331007 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:00:12 +0100 4331007 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4313969&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Finstitute-of-medicine-committee-on.html The U.S. National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences issued a report in early 2009 on the state of health IT.That study's report, led in part by pioneers in Medical Informatics G. Octo Barnett and William Stead, was entitled "Computational Technology for Effective Health Care: Immediate Steps and Strategic Directions" (pre-publication PDF available free at this link). The report was announced under the following header:CURRENT APPROACHES TO U.S. HEALTH CARE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ARE INSUFFICIENT The insufficiencies were largely in the areas of difficulties with data sharing and integration, deployment of new IT capabilities, large-scale data management, and lack of cognitive support by health IT for busy clinicians.One might reasonably conclude such deficits could affect... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4313969 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:25:00 +0100 4313969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314062&cid=t_101654_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F05%2Fthe-unequal-situation-of-seperation%2F From Rice News (by Mike Williams): However much people choose to live in a segregated society, the trend is a losing proposition for all. That was the takeaway message delivered by Rice’s Michael Emerson in a presentation to the Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals (HAHMP) last week. Members came to campus to hear him discuss select results from the Houston Area Survey, particularly as they relate to housing preferences among blacks, whites and Hispanics. Emerson, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and co-director of the university’s new Institute for Urban Research (IUR), gave a brief summary of segregation in Houston based on the 2000 Census that showed distinct separation between black and white neighborhoods, with Hispanics somewhat more integr... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314062 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 04:49:32 +0100 4314062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4302095&cid=t_101654_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fstudy-shows-breast-cancer-outcome-depend-part-surgeon%2F A new study being published in the January 3, 2011 edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute is suggesting that in up to 35% of breast cancer cases, outcomes are worse because of lack of consistent treatment standards among breast cancer surgeons. Drs. Beth A. Virnig and Todd M. Tuttle comment. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4302095 Sat, 01 Jan 2011 03:05:32 +0100 4302095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294936&cid=t_101654_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F28%2Fdetermined-teen-loses-ovarian-cancer-battle-but-her-courage-inspires-an-entire-community%2F On December 24, 2010, fifteen year old Meghan Redenbach lost her ovarian cancer battle. Although her physical presence is no longer, Meghan’s spirit will forever inspire her hometown community, as well as those who have read about and followed her courageous journey since 2008. On December 24, 2010, fifteen year old Meghan Redenbach lost her ovarian [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294936 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 01:50:39 +0100 4294936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294611&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F8gXsFsWep00%2F By Daniel GriswoldMany Americans believe the unemployment rate remains stubbornly high because U.S. multinational companies have been outsourcing and offshoring jobs to low-wage countries at the expense of jobs at home. And they believe this in part because politicians and the media tell them it’s so, even though it isn’t. Consider this story today from the Associated Press under the provocative headline, “Where are the jobs? For many companies, overseas.” Corporate profits are up. Stock prices are up. So why isn’t anyone hiring? Actually, many American companies are–just maybe not in your town. They’re hiring overseas, where sales are surging and the pipeline of orders is fat. More than half of the 15,000 people that Caterpillar Inc. has hired this year were out... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294611 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 20:59:12 +0100 4294611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265740&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdefibrillators-on-the-top-10-health-technology-hazards-list%2F2010.12.16 In a desperate attempt to reach an even number it seems, hospital defibrillators were added to ECRI.org’s “Top 10 Health Technology Hazards” list of devices that threaten to kill or maim patients: The Top 10 Health Technology Hazards list is updated each year based upon the prevalence and severity of incidents reported to ECRI Institute by healthcare facilities nationwide; information found in the Institute’s medical device problem reporting databases; and the judgment, analysis, and expertise of the organization’s multidisciplinary staff. Many of the items on this year’s list are well-recognized hazards with numerous reported incidents over the years. If one honestly looks at the number of lives saved versus the number of deaths from defibrillators, I wonder how m... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265740 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4265740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4237896&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdiagnosising-sepsis-in-under-an-hour%2F2010.12.07 Because current sepsis tests can take up to two days to provide a diagnosis, many patients fail to receive proper treatment until it is too late. However, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology hope to improve survival rates with the MinoLab, a new testing platform which they claim will be able to provide results in under an hour. The MinoLab uses magnetic nanoparticles to carry the analyte through multiple reaction chambers before providing a final diagnosis. More from the announcement: Dr. Dirk Kuhlmeier, a scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, explains how all that works: “After taking a sample of blood, magnetic nanoparticles bind themselves to the target cells in the blood sample through specific catcher molecules. We... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4237896 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:00:28 +0100 4237896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4229203&cid=t_101654_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fkeeping-in-touch-when-you-are-in.html " Keep people in touch and involved in times of need with our secure, confidential and FREE online service here at justvisiting.com - the sharing network for caring people. There's no catch, we're a not-for-profit organisation committed to helping you share the responsibility of caring for a loved one with your friends and family."This is such a clever idea ! Every hospital should offer this service to its patients ! (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4229203 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 07:10:00 +0100 4229203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214080&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FxdKCm7gj4bw%2F By Ilya ShapiroToday, the Supreme Court agreed to review McComish v. Bennett (consolidated with Arizona Free Enterprise v. Bennett), which challenges Arizona’s public financing of elections as an unconstitutional abridgment of speech. Because the case concerns a crucial new battleground in the fight between free speech and “fair” (read: government-controlled) elections, Cato filed an amicus brief supporting the cert petitions filed by our friends at Goldwater Institute and the Institute for Justice. McComish centers on Arizona’s “Clean Elections” Act, which provides matching funds to publicly funded candidates if their privately funded opponent spends above certain limits. In other words, by ensuring that his speech will not go “unmatched” by his opponen... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214080 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:40:14 +0100 4214080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190133&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FeySvl4dbBoQ%2F By Caleb O. BrownJerry L. Jordan, the former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, delivered the keynote address at the Cato Institute 28th Annual Monetary Conference held last week. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Jerry L. Jordan: We Have Replaced Household Debt with Government Debt is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190133 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:39:07 +0100 4190133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4187018&cid=t_101654_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FeNe3WFVaXuY%2Fninja-point-list-111910.php Sometimes I have a handful of random stuff I want to quickly talk about.  Seems like bullet point lists were invented for times just like this.  But the problem with bullet point lists is that the typical bullet points -- the actual, literal, bullet points -- are boring.  But I think I have a solution.  Let me know what you think, Ok?Our friend and fellow blogger, Allison Blass will be in town next weekend.  We're trying to coordinate some sort of local d-meetup, brunch sort of thing for Saturday, 11/27, somewhere around the Minneapolis/Twin Cities area.  If you're around and available, we'd love to hang out with you!  Drop a comment here, or send me an e-mail, and I'll keep you in the loop as details develop.  I got an e-mail recently from Tracy at ... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4187018 Sat, 20 Nov 2010 03:55:47 +0100 4187018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179320&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcolor-changing-dressing-indicates-infections%2F2010.11.18 When using dressings to speed up the healing process of an open wound, it is necessary to periodically remove the dressing to check for infection. However, removing this protective covering creates an opportunity for bacteria to enter the wound site. To remedy this problem, researchers at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Modular Solid State Technologies EMFT have developed dressings which change color if the wound becomes infected. Early tests have shown promise, and the scientists now plan to test their invention in the field at the University of Regensburg’s dermatology clinic. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179320 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:00:09 +0100 4179320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175920&cid=t_101654_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F16%2Fdana-farber-researchers-oncomap-the-way-to-personalized-treatment-for-ovarian-cancer%2F Researchers have shown that point mutations – mis-spellings in a single letter of genetic code – that drive the onset and growth of cancer cells can be detected successfully in advanced ovarian cancer using a technique called OncoMap. The finding opens the way for personalized medicine in which every patient could have their tumor screened, [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175920 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 07:24:47 +0100 4175920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4142939&cid=t_101654_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2F0mzv1i8V2aI%2Fdo-not-give-up-hope.php I recently attended a local 'Adults With Type One' meeting. A couple of volunteers from the JDRF have been organizing this group for the last 18 months, though this was only my second meeting.  I'm making it a priority to get to more of these because the two I have attended have been really valuable.  The guests were Tom & Patty Cartier. Their son, Cory, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 18 years ago.  As parents, they are giving all they have to make sure he is cured and no longer has to wrestle with diabetes.  We will all benefit from their hard work and dedication to their son. Tom & Patty are the people behind the Spring Point Project, a nonprofit organization providing medical grade porcine islet cells to the University of Minnesota's Schulze Diabetes Inst... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4142939 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100 4142939 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4142751&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdiabetes-be-part-of-the-cure%2F2010.11.07 (And no, this doesn’t mean you have to become Robert Smith.) With more than two decades of diabetes clocked in, my faith in a cure has been shaken with every diabetes anniversary. Each September, I realize that more has been done to improve the quality of life for people with diabetes, but little has been done in giving us the hope that a cure — a real cure — is possible in our lifetime. Except last year, when I made a trip to Florida to visit the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), my hope was reignited. The Diabetes Research Institute is functioning solely to provide research for a cure for diabetes. And I have cautious hope that they will be the ones to make great strides in curing type 1 diabetes. If not for me, then for the generation after me. Which is why I am p... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4142751 Sun, 07 Nov 2010 12:00:03 +0100 4142751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139234&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fscreening-for-lung-cancer-new-findings-and-continued-controversy%2F2010.11.05 Lung cancer screening has been an area of considerable controversy. Before today, there had been no evidence that screening patients for lung cancer, either with a CT scan or chest x-ray, saved lives. For years, doctors have been waiting for the results of the large, randomized National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), conducted by the National Cancer Institute. [Yesterday] it was announced that the trial was stopped early, with a bold, positive finding: All participants had a history of at least 30 pack-years, and were either current or former smokers without signs, symptoms, or a history of lung cancer. As of Oct. 20, 2010, the researchers saw a total of 354 deaths from lung cancer in the CT group, compared with 442 in the chest x-ray group. That amounts to a 20.3% reduction in lung cancer ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139234 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:00:08 +0100 4139234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139216&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHGPPXQekxjA%2F By Ilya ShapiroWith the Constitution — and its limits on government – playing such an outsized role in Tuesday’s elections and American political discourse generally, this would be a good time to mention a new program that teaches high school students about our founding document.  My sometime co-author Josh Blackman, who is the founder of the Harlan Institute (a constitutional education non-profit for which, full disclosure, I serve on the board of directors) recently launched this year’s version of FantasySCOTUS.org, a Supreme Court fantasy league that was featured (along with Harlan) in yesterday’s Washington Post.  In FantasySCOTUS, students learn about and make predictions for pending Supreme Court cases, including recent headliners Snyder v. ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139216 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:03:34 +0100 4139216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4134119&cid=t_101654_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FZNqjbHM0BFM%2Fbe-part-of-the-cure.php I mentioned recently that I'm doing some part-time work with the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation's Diabetes Diplomats program.  One really fun campaign that launched on Monday is "Be Part of the Cure".  It's a HUGE photo collage that will literally spell the word "CURE" and will hang within the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami.  With a minimum $10 donation, people can upload a photo or image, along with a paragraph talking about the picture, or how diabetes touches their lives.  At the website, you can zoom in and see all of the individual pictures, and if you click on a picture you can see details and read their story.I donated yesterday and uploaded a picture.  My image landed inside the "U" (left hand side, inner edge).The zoom contr... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4134119 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:58:22 +0100 4134119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4122024&cid=t_101654_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F31%2Fgirls-with-stage-i-ovarian-germ-cell-tumors-can-safely-skip-chemotherapy-until-recurrence%2F Researchers from Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center found that as many as 50 percent of young girls treated for germ-cell ovarian tumors may be safely spared chemotherapy using a “watch and wait” strategy to determine whether follow-up treatment is needed. Researchers from Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center (DF/CHCC) found that as many as 50 percent of young girls [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4122024 Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:23:31 +0100 4122024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119713&cid=t_101654_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fiqx9Ideosb4%2F There’s nothing like a nasty battle over the rights to a drug under development to make for interesting reading. And so we present you with some intense legal haggling over a molecule known as WZ4002, which was discovered by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston for combating non small-cell lung cancer with specific gene mutations. The compound is potentially quite valuable because it may be able to treat patients who don’t respond to existing cancer pills. The dispute, however, is not your run-of-the-mill spat over development rights. Instead, the lawsuit peels back the curtain on some of the jockeying that occurs among universities, drugmakers and scientists when potentially lucrative intellectual property rights are in play. Here’s why: the legal ba... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119713 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:35:42 +0100 4119713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118811&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fthats-education.html THAT’S EDUCATION!You can’t make this stuff up.This week I received a cheerful E-mail from a well known academic key opinion leader or KOL. Only the E-mail didn’t really come from Dr. Ian Cook at UCLA. It really came from a company called PeerView Institute for Medical Education. The E-mail offered on-line CME content with the topic Essential Aspects to Building a Therapeutic Alliance Between Patients and Practitioners for the Treatment of Mood Disorders. Whenever I see an anodyne title like that I know there’s trouble ahead.The content came in the form of a dialogue between Dr. Cook and another well known academic KOL, Dr. Michael Thase from Penn. Beneath two prominent corporate logos, a disclosure stated This activity is supported by educational grants from AstraZeneca LP and Lill... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118811 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 23:29:00 +0100 4118811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118897&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FL3TRisx-TMU%2F By Ilya ShapiroFive years ago, in the landmark property rights case of Kelo v. New London, the Supreme Court upheld the forced transfer of land from various homeowners by finding that “economic development” qualifies as a public purpose for purposes of satisfying the Fifth Amendment’s Takings Clause.  In doing so, however, the Court reaffirmed that the government may not “take property under the mere pretext of a public purpose, when its actual purpose was to bestow a private benefit.” State and federal courts have since applied that pretext standard in widely differing ways while identifying four factors as indicators of pretext: evidence of pretextual intent, benefits that flow predominantly to a private party, haphazard planning, and a readily identifiable beneficiary.  More... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118897 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:47:46 +0100 4118897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119509&cid=t_101654_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2Fzo84X0I0k3Y%2Fi-support-diabetes-research-institute-and-disclosure.php Some of my first exposure to the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) was from Gina Capone and the blog posts about attending 'Mastering Your Diabetes', an intensive five-day course designed to teach self-management skills.  She chronicled her time there, and it all sounded great.Then I attended CWD's 2010 Friends For Life Conference this summer and had at least four incredibly powerful experiences around people from the Diabetes Research Institute.  First was a session by Norma Kenyon, Ph. D. about her work towards a biological cure.  Next was Tom Karlya's presentations with Kimberly Davis,  talking to your congressperson.  Then was some social time listening in with a group huddled around Cherie Stabler, Ph. D. talking about tissue engineering.  I also spent a ... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119509 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:56:00 +0100 4119509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105670&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-insurance-new-survey-reveals-record-number-of-uninsured%2F2010.10.24 Last month the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual survey on health insurance coverage. The results were startling, yet few politicians seemed to take notice: – The number of people with health insurance declined for the first time ever in almost two decades. In fact, as reported by CNN this is the first time since the Census Bureau started collecting data on health insurance coverage in 1987 that fewer people reported that they had health insurance: “There were 253.6 million people with health insurance in 2009, the latest data available, down from 255.1 million a year earlier.” The percentage of the population without coverage increased from 15.4 percent to 16.7 percent. – Almost 51 million U.S. residents had no health insurance coverage at all, a record high, ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105670 Sun, 24 Oct 2010 22:00:00 +0100 4105670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4097907&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fn_8QxsQg0NI%2F By Ilya ShapiroIn July, I blogged about the case of Minnesota farmers who were facing criminal sanctions for engaging in interstate trade.  Now I am happy to report that the city of Lake Elmo has torn down its onerous and unconstitutional trade barriers: The change was made in response to a federal judge’s opinion in August that Lake Elmo’s protectionist law likely violated the U.S. Constitution because it discriminated against interstate commerce.  Magistrate Judge Franklin L. Noel stated that the law “squelche[d] competition . . . altogether, leaving no room for investment from outside,” and would likely have “obliterate[ed] . . . the Lake Elmo markets in pumpkins and Christmas trees. . . . In fact, Plaintiffs have shown that the markets will be wiped out.” Congrats to o... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4097907 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:55:55 +0100 4097907 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082074&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdLUGN4XrWDA%2F By Christopher PrebleThere has been an on-going discussion recently about the Tea Party’s foreign policy views and how this might influence the upcoming election and new members of Congress.  In an essay at the Daily Caller last week, the Heritage Foundation’s Jim Carafano addressed this question and the claim that the new “Defending Defense” initiative— led by Heritiage, AEI, and the Foreign Policy Initiative—is aimed at co-opting the Tea Party movement (for more on the substance, or lack thereof, of “Defending Defense,” see Justin Logan’s response here). Over at The Skeptics blog, I take issue with Carafano’s assessment of the Tea Party’s foreign policy views: With respect to Carafano’s assessment of the Tea Partiers’s views on foreign policy and milita... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082074 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:40:32 +0100 4082074 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074024&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5v9OuZ4Vkyw%2F By Justin LoganBill Kristol has a plan to help the US military George F. Will has called neoconservatism “a spectacularly misnamed radicalism” whose adherents are “the most radical people in this town.”  (It is a shame that the Heritage Foundation has fallen so far from its sensible opposition to the neoconservative vision and evidently bought into the neoconservative program in toto.) Like other radicals, however, they are pretty good at politics, which is clear from reading their latest offering, a talking points document [.pdf] produced by the “Defending Defense” initiative intended to demonstrate that U.S. military spending is not that large and should not be cut. I have several things to say about the document, but all of the internet sniping and providing adversa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074024 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:06:10 +0100 4074024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074033&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F8z3aQUb01jQ%2F By Neal McCluskeyOn many, many occasions I have taken the Fordham Institute to task for its big-government conservatism. Well, for about 90 percent of my time reading the latest from Fordham president Chester Finn, I was preparing to celebrate a conversion story of timeless proportions. It seemed Finn had finally gotten it, as he railed against the myriad failures of Washington and the foolishness of looking to government to solve our problems. I thought Finn had finally grasped that life and society are far too complicated for any puppet master of group or puppet masters to micromanage. I thought, at last, he’d fully appreciated the huge problem of concentrated benefits and diffuse costs, which give special interests so much power. I thought maybe he’d read that ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074033 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:09:25 +0100 4074033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082176&cid=t_101654_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fiom-blog Two landmark reports by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) changed Americans’ perception of their health care system and launched today’s drive to improve the quality and safety of medical care in America. The reports were To Err Is Human, published in 1999, and Crossing the Quality Chasm, released in 2001.  (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082176 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:15:35 +0100 4082176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045097&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2010%2F10%2F08%2Fvaccinations-much-to-do-about-nothing%2F Daily, more and more information surfaces about problems with vaccines and what some regard as ‘forced’ vaccinations, particularly in the USA.  However, both the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry seem to regard the ever-increasing, publicized downside of vaccines as “much to do about nothing.”   “Nothing” can be further from the facts, according to emerging statistical information and parents-turned-advocates, those whose children have been damaged or killed by vaccines, e.g., Association for Vaccine Damaged Children (AVDC), Canada; Global Vaccine Awareness League (GVAL), California (USA); Immunization Awareness Society (IAS), New Zealand; Medical Misdiagnosis Research (Canada); the National Vaccine Information Center in the Greater Washington, DC area (USA)... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045097 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:33:44 +0100 4045097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045394&cid=t_101654_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FHTtxY7fTDCU%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is something that’s become a regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Scrip Intelligence hired Christopher Bowe as US healthcare analyst. Before joining the information service, he worked in strategic affairs at Schering-Plough, and was previously US healthcare correspondent and Chicago co... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045394 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:12:56 +0100 4045394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045040&cid=t_101654_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F10%2Finstitute-medicine-report-recommends-nurses-assume-physician-role%2F A report released yesterday by the Institute of Medicine is recommending that nurses take the leadership in redesigning the healthcare system in the United States and that they assume a practice role identical to physicians, including without supervision prescribing medications, admitting patients to the hospital, assessing patient conditions, ordering and evaluating tests, and doing invasive procedures. Not surprisingly, the American Medical Association disagrees. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045040 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 01:50:35 +0100 4045040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031213&cid=t_101654_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FzgwhmI7gqYQ%2F By Caleb O. Brown If the government can force us to disclose the source of our funds when we speak publicly, what can’t they require of us? Steve Simpson from the Institute for Justice discussed disclosure laws in light of the Doe v. Reed Supreme Court decision at Cato’s Constitution Day. You can get a copy of the latest Cato Supreme Court Review at our bookstore. IJ’s Steve Simpson on Doe v. Reed is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031213 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:36:47 +0100 4031213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4023036&cid=t_101654_125_f&fid=37825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbibbynews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F01%2Foctober-is-national-medical-libraries-month%2F The Medical Library Association designates October as National Medical Librarians Month. Aside from the occasional dish of candy, we don’t have much to give away; however, here is a sampling of the services and resources Bibby library can provide for you: Access to scholarly journal articles in dentistry, available in print and electronic formats Access [...] (Source: Bibby Library News and Tips) Bibby Library News and Tips blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4023036 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:52:48 +0100 4023036