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Fleshy plastinated seductiveness or the loss of the very same?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Alive I carry a picture of a dead woman’s head in my memory. My encounter with her took place in King’s College’s Gordon Museum in London on a sunny afternoon last spring. I don’t exaggerate if I say she had an enormous impact on me. She has forever burned an impression of herself onto my retina. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take her picture This dead woman (she was red-haired) stares at me from her jar with formaldehyde filled to the brim. To me, she differs from all other specimens with whom she nevertheless shares the fate of being preserved, and being part of a huge collection made for educatio...
Source: Biomedicine on Display - September 5, 2011 Category: Medical Scientists Authors: Anette Stenslund Tags: aesthetics art and science collections conservation human remains museum studies science centers senses Source Type: blogs

CDC Statistics: Mental Illness in the USEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a summary report yesterday detailing how the CDC measures mental illness in the U.S., and summary statistics from those measurements. Most of the information summarized in the report is not new, since it was previously published. What the report does do is bring a great deal of this information together in a single paper. The report notes that according to the World Health Organization, mental illness — that is, any mental disorder — accounts for more disability in developed countries than any other group of illnesses, including cancer and heart...
Source: World of Psychology - September 3, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: John M. Grohol, PsyD Tags: Disorders General Policy and Advocacy Psychiatry Psychology Research Adults Cdc Cdc Statistics centers For Disease Control centers For Disease Control And Prevention centers For Disease Control And Prevention Cdc Curren Dementia Source Type: blogs

HPV Vaccine Rates Trail Other Teen VaccinesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Despite strong endorsements from public health officials, teenage vaccination rates for the HPV vaccine are trailing the other two vaccines recommended for teens and pre-teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The two vaccines approved to combat the human papillomavirus are Gardasil, which is sold by Merck, and Cervarix, which is sold by GlaxoSmithKline. To be specific, coverage was 49 percent for one dose of HPV vaccine; 63 percent for MenACWY, which protects against meningococcal meningitis; and 69 percent for the TDP vaccine, which guards against tetanus, diptheria and pertussis. Meanwhile, c...
Source: Pharmalot - August 26, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized CDC centers for Disease Control And Prevention Cervarix Gardasil GlaxoSmithKline HPV Human Papillomarvirus Merck Vaccine Vaccines Source Type: blogs

What Goes Up - Non-Profit Hospital CEO Compensation Continues to Defy GravityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We have frequently discussed the disconnect between incentives, particularly total compensation, given to the leaders of health care organizations and their roles, or lack thereof, in improving the health care of their patients or the public. One measure of that disconnect is how leaders' pay continues to defy gravity while the economy continues to suffer, and health care dysfunction continues to fester.In particular, total compensation given to CEOs of ostensibly not-for-profit hospitals and hospital systems is increasingly passing the magic $1 million mark. A round up including two recent articles and others fr...
Source: Health Care Renewal - August 19, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: hospitals executive compensation perverse incentives academic medical centers ego bias accountability Source Type: blogs

Drug Manufacturer Issues Statement Banning Drug Used For Lethal InjectionsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A friend sent me a press release a few days ago and I still find myself thinking about it. Here in the United States capital punishment is still legal in many states and is performed, frequently, by lethal injection. Prisoners sentenced to death have an IV placed in their arm which is then infused with the following three solutions: A barbiturate like Sodium Pentothal or Nembutal, used to induce anesthesia A paralytic like pancuronium bromide or succinylcholine chloride, used to stop respiration Potassium chloride used to stop electrical conduction in the heart I remember a few years ago drug manufacturer Hospira, the pr...
Source: Better Health - August 11, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: IsisTheScientist Tags: Health Policy Opinion Barbituates Death Penalty Drug Manufacturers Epilepsy Treatment Hospira Jail Lethal Injection Lundbeck Nembutal Paralytic Potassium Chloride Press Release Prison Sodium Pentothal Treatment centers Source Type: blogs

The characteristics of outstanding mentorsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Buffer In Academia it’s common knowledge that a critical component of academic success in health sciences is promoted by a mentor. A lot of health science institutions have invested in formal mentoring programs for faculty and trainees. But what makes a mentor and outstanding mentor from the perspective of a mentee. What are the key characteristics of these outstanding mentors? From qualitative research of the important qualities of outstanding mentors as described by their mentees’ letters of nomination for a prestigious lifetime achievement award inmentorship, the key characteristics are: Admirable characteristi...
Source: Dr Shock MD PhD - July 27, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Dr Shock Tags: Academic academic medical centers mentees mentors Source Type: blogs

Do RECs Deserve Respect?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
When I learned that HITECH included funds setting up the regional extension center system to support small medical practices in implementing EHRs, I thought, well, that sounds OK. I wasn’t thrilled, mind you, as I wasn’t optimistic that a government-sponsored organization would produce the quick EHR adoption process HITECH demands, but it wasn’t a bad thing. Since then, I’ve gone from mildly interested to downright irritated.  While I wasn’t expecting the RECs to blaze a path to glory, I thought it would be nice if they produced great educational materials and sessions, made themselves highly...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - July 6, 2011 Category: Technology Consultants Authors: Katherine Rourke Tags: EHR Electronic Health Record Electronic Medical Record EMR EMR Implementation EMR Selection HealthCare IT HITECH Electronic Health Records Electronic Medical Records RECs Regional Extension centers Source Type: blogs

Should Medicare Cover Avastin For Breast Cancer?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The FDA may want to yank the breast cancer indication for Avastin, but the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will continue to provide coverage, even if treatment amounts to off-label usage. “As long as doctors continue to prescribe it, we will continue to pay, even for an off-label use, until and unless some time in the future we decide to change our coverage policy. We have no such thing underway at this time,” a CMS spokesman tells us. “We often pay for off-label use of drugs, but not always.” The move will, no doubt, cheer many breast cancer patients and their loved ones, who feared t...
Source: Pharmalot - July 1, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized Accelerated Approval Avastin Breast Cancer centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS FDA Genetech Rationing Roche Surrogate Endpoints Source Type: blogs

Pharmalot… Pharmalittle… The Weekend NearsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Good morning, everyone. And how are you today? Another beautiful morning is rising over the Pharmalot corporate campus. However, we will be rolling in the sidewalks early as we prepare for a long weekend on this side of the pond. Our modest agenda includes a dip in the pool, hanging with the short people, catching up on some research (with thanks to our sources) and one of our favorite sports - hunting for mice. What about you? Anything special planned? Maybe a ride in the country, a barbecue in the backyard or how about a day at the beach? This will be Independence Day, after all, so perhaps this is a good time to think o...
Source: Pharmalot - July 1, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized Aurobindo Avastin Breast Cancer centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services Dendreon Epilepsy Erectile Dysfunction EU FDA Genentech GlaxoSmithKline Impotence jobs Layoffs Merck North Carolina Patent Infring Source Type: blogs

The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) Bloggers Join The Better Health Team!Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
It is with great pleasure that I welcome our CDC colleagues to the Better Health blog team. Going forward, Better Health will feature content from the CDC blogs on a weekly basis, and our collaborative efforts will be highlighted on the CDC blog pages as appropriate. Better Health and the CDC share a common mission: to reach as many Americans as possible with scientifically accurate, trustworthy, and helpful medical information. As social media platforms (such as blogs, Twitter, and Facebook) become a gathering place for people seeking health information – it is important for experts to be able to provide content thr...
Source: Better Health - June 30, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Dr. Val Jones Tags: Announcements Better Health Blogging Blogs CDC centers For Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Val Jones Partnership Public-Private Partnership Relationship Social Media Source Type: blogs

Public communication of science and technologyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
My impression of the first and only Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) conference I’ve attended (Malmö in 2008) was quite mixed. The academic quality wasn’t particularly high, there were pretty few theoretically interesting talks, not much surprising stuff, almost no nerds around, no sudden bursts of creativity — and new media were (with few exceptions :-) totally absent. The whole thing was smoothly organised but there was an aura of a public and business management hanging over the conference venue. I think these biannual meetings are a major hang-out for science communication m...
Source: Biomedicine on Display - June 9, 2011 Category: Medical Scientists Authors: Thomas Tags: conferences museum and knowledge politics museum studies science centers science communication studies Source Type: blogs

Overcrowding in the ER Spurs New Facility DevelopmentEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Even before accounting for the mass influx of Americans rushing to hospitals’ emergency departments from healthcare reform, EDs are in serious need of fine tuning as over crowding and escalating inpatient costs are on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency department visits increased 117 million from 2007 to 2008 and it shows no sign of slowing. No sticky read more
Source: Healthcare IT News Blog - June 6, 2011 Category: Technology Consultants Authors: James Ellis and Aaron Razavi Tags: As hospital centers for Disease Control and Prevention ED EDS Health Care Realty Development Company Industry News Medicare surgery Hospitals & IDNs Quality and Safety Source Type: blogs

Parents, Don’t be Your Childrens Drug SupplierEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
With summer break right around the corner, more kids unsupervised at home, and prescription drug abuse on the rise, the National Family Partnership’s Lock Your Meds campaign offers tips for parents. Studies show that more teens start using drugs during the summer months – while unsupervised and with more free time. 70% of teens who abuse Rx drugs get them from family and friends. 68% of households do not properly secure their Rx medications. Studies show that unmonitored kids are four times more likely to engage in substance abuse. The distressed employment market makes it harder for teens to find summer ...
Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - June 3, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Children Young Adults centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Family Partnership Prescription drug Substance abuse Source Type: blogs

Pharmalot… Pharmalittle… The Weekend NearsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
And so another working week is about to come to an end, which means we can daydream about weekend plans. Our modest agenda includes hanging out with the short people and catching up on some reading. What about you? Maybe a dip in the pool? A walk in the park? Perhaps gazing into the future? This side of the pond has a three-day break, of course, so there will be more time to indulge. Whatever you do, have a great time and see you soon… Novartis Found Not Liable For Jaw Disease (Reuters) Medco Loses Blue Cross Blue Shield Contract (Reuters) Trimeris Gets $5M In Roche Settlement (Triangle Business Journal) Pharma Prote...
Source: Pharmalot - May 27, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized AstraZeneca Blue Cross Blue Shield Association centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS e-Prescribing EU European Union Medco Health Solutions Memory Merck National Health Service NHS Novartis Osteonecrosi Source Type: blogs

Psychotic Reaction: Off-Label Use Of Antipsychotics In Nursing Homes Costs MedicareEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The unnecessary use of antipsychotics in nursing homes has been controversial for several years. Now, a report from the US Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General finds that, in the six-month period from January through June 2007, 51 percent of Medicare claims for atypical antipsychotics were erroneous. This amounted to a $116 million series of mistakes. The OIG report was generated at the request of US Senator Chuck Grassley, who expressed concern that atypical antipsychotics - the newest generation of such meds - were being prescribed on an off-label basis, given that the side effects assoc...
Source: Pharmalot - May 9, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized Antipsychotics Atypical Antipsychotics centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS Dementia Johnson & Johnson Nursing Homes OmniCare Source Type: blogs

"We're Only In It for the Money" - Big Businesses Pretending to be Medical Schools Discussed in Main-Stream Medical JournalEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Discussion of some examples of what may happen to whistle blowers is here.  The survey mentioned earlier (here) showed that about one-third of faculty fear they may be punished for speaking  out. Leadership of academic medical centers by businesspeople - Ill-informed management may result from leaders who have no background or training in actual health care.  Leaders of teaching hospitals and universities become millionaires -  A recent example is here, and more may be found here.  Leaders of academic medical centers and the parent universities of medical schools often make more than $1 millio...
Source: Health Care Renewal - May 7, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: perverse incentives academic medical centers mission-hostile management medical schools Source Type: blogs

If Your Customers Have to Wait…Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In years of running a direct marketing firm that included a small call center, my objective was to eliminate, or at least minimize, waiting time for phone customers. We knew (from those times when we didn’t have enough staff in place) that the longer callers waited to speak to a representative, the higher the probability [...] CommentsCommentsRelated StoriesWhat Don Corleone Could Learn from Guy KawasakiEnchantment: How Not to Suck at Business and LifeGetting High Boosts Cooperation
Source: Neuromarketing - April 11, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Roger Dooley Tags: Neuromarketing call centers enchantment guy kawasaki robert cialdini social proof Source Type: blogs

MedInformaticsMD and Dr. Roy Poses in WSJ: The Literature Is Hardly PristineEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
I have considered Dr. Roy Poses' Dec. 14, 2010 post "The Lancet Emphasizes the Threats to the Academic Medical Mission" (with its hyperlinks to source posts and articles) an excellent summary of many of the pathologies we address at Healthcare Renewal, especially with regard to the academic mission and the disruption of the integrity of the medical literature by commercial interests. His post is consistent with what might be considered our mission statement:Addressing threats to health care's core values, especially those stemming from concentration and abuse of power. Advocating for accountability, integrity, transparenc...
Source: Health Care Renewal - April 8, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: universities Wall Street Journal core values academic medical centers mission-hostile management medical schools leadership Source Type: blogs

Dr. Silverstein and Dr. Poses in WSJ: "The Literature Is Hardly Pristine"Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
I have considered Dr. Roy Poses' Dec. 14, 2010 post "The Lancet Emphasizes the Threats to the Academic Medical Mission" (with its hyperlinks to source posts and articles) an excellent summary of many of the pathologies we address at Healthcare Renewal, especially with regard to the academic mission and the disruption of the integrity of the medical literature by commercial interests. His post is consistent with what might be considered our mission statement:Addressing threats to health care's core values, especially those stemming from concentration and abuse of power. Advocating for accountability, integrity, transparenc...
Source: Health Care Renewal - April 8, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: universities Wall Street Journal core values academic medical centers mission-hostile management medical schools leadership Source Type: blogs

Medicare Decides Provenge Can Be ReimbursedEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
After months of anticipation, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has decided that the Provenge prostate cancer vaccine is eligible for reimbursement. The unsurprising decision comes just four months after a CMS advisory panel voted that Dendreon’s Provenge vaccine for advanced prostate cancer shows “clinically significant” improvement in survival (look here) The panel was convened, however, after the agency last year unexpectedly initiated a so-called National Coverage Determination in response to questions raised by Medicare contractors amid concerns over off-label use. Such a review was unusual, give...
Source: Pharmalot - March 30, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services Dendreon Prostate Cancer Provenge Vaccines Source Type: blogs

Implementing Health Reform: Playing the Waiting GameEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The following is a guest post by Nicole Sweeny, originally posted on Policy Mic on March 22nd. By Nicole Sweeny. In October 2010, seven months after the passage of health reform, hundreds of health care industry stakeholders gathered in an overcrowded conference room at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. They were all eagerly waiting to give their input on one of the most buzzworthy provisions of health reform: the Accountable Care Organization. Implemented by Section 3022 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Accountable Care Organizations, or “ACOs,” are vaguely defined as groups of provi...
Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - March 24, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Guest Posts Health Reform Accountable Care Organization centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Source Type: blogs

“Better Off (not) Dead”Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
By Mary Grealy. An interesting comment was made today at the annual national health research forum sponsored by the non-profit organization Research! America, and it drove home the conflict lawmakers face in trying to balance deficit reduction against the need for quality healthcare and better preventive care. Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the ideal American, from a budget standpoint, “is one who dies at age 65 on the drive home from his retirement party.”  His comment gets to the heart of the budget conundrum.  If our healthcare system takes steps to help p...
Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - March 17, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Medicaid Medicare Politics centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thomas Frieden Source Type: blogs

Pharmalot… Pharmalittle… Good MorningEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Top of the morning to you. A sunny day is unfolding here on the Pharmalot corporate campus where, once again, we are hustling the short people off to the school house. And then we will catch up on reading some interesting documents. What about you? Meetings and deadlines beckon? Of course. To help you along, here are some tidbits from around the world. Have a great day, everyone… Genzyme In Talks To Conduct R&D In Russia (Reuters) UK’s NICE Backs Simponi Rheumatoid Arthritis Med (Dow Jones) CMS Declines To Change Coverage For Anemia Meds (Reuters) ITC To Probe Lilly Infringement Claim (Indianapolis Busines...
Source: Pharmalot - March 17, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized Abbott Laboratories Actelion Amgen Amylin Aranesp centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS CROs Depomed Epogen Genfit Ireland jobs Johnson & Johnson Merck NICE Obesity OTC Over The Counter Source Type: blogs

Medicare Dollars Paid For Grandpa’s ViagraEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
How has Medicare been spending taxpayer dollars these last few years? What would you say if the federally funded health care program dished out more than $3.1 million to buy Pfizer’s Viagra and other impotence pills for seniors? Well, that’s what happened in 2007 and 2008, according to a new report from the US Department of Health & Human Services Office of the Inspector General. As you might imagine, this was not supposed to happen. Medicare “should not have covered these drugs,” George Reeb, acting deputy inspector general for audit services at the HHS wrote in a report released yesterday. And he rec...
Source: Pharmalot - March 15, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services Cialis CMS Erectile Dysfunction Impotence Medicare Part D Pfizer Viagra Source Type: blogs

Berwick political saga is a tragic attack on better healthcareEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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...
Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog - March 14, 2011 Category: Technology Consultants Authors: Neil Versel Tags: health reform patient safety politics Accountable Care Organizations Barack Obama centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation CMS Docs4PatientCare Don Berwick Institute for Healthcare Improvement Lucidicus Project National Health Se Source Type: blogs

Nearly 12 Million Cancer Survivors In The U.S.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The number of cancer survivors in the United States increased to 11.7 million in 2007, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Women survive more often, and survive longer, according to the report. There were 3 million cancer survivors in 1971 and 9.8 million in 2001. Researchers attributed longer survival to a growing aging population, early detection, improved diagnostic methods, more effective treatment and improved clinical follow-up after treatment. The study, “Cancer Survivors...
Source: Better Health - March 14, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: RyanDuBosar Tags: Better Health Network Research ACP Internist American College Of Physicians Cancer Screening Cancer Survivors Cancer Survivorship CDC centers For Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Arica White Epidemiology Living Persons Diagnosed Wi Source Type: blogs

Pharmalot… Pharmalittle… Good MorningEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Hello, everyone, and top of the morning to you. Another shiny day is unfolding here on the Pharmalot corporate campus, where we are hustling the short people off to their various school houses for some learning. And this marathon calls for a much needed cup of stimulation - our flavor today is Cinnamon Cream Swirl. Please join us as we also peruse the news for interesting developments. As always, we encourage you to contact us if you hear of something noteworthy. Meanwhile, have a great day… FDA Warns About Abbott HIV Med In Premature Babies (Reuters) Teva Says Docs Contacted For Generic Copaxone Study (Bloomberg New...
Source: Pharmalot - March 8, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized Actelion Allergan centers for Medicare & Medicaid CMS Copaxone Donald Berwick Federal Trade Commission FTC Generics Hospira Japan jobs Layoffs Multiple Sclerosis Patent Trolls Patents Pfizer Repligen Source Type: blogs

Advice From The EMR TrenchesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The latest from moi: “Implementing Electronic Medical Records: Advice from the Trenches” in the March/April 2011 issue of HIT Exchange magazine. An excerpt: The news released in late December from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that more than half of the nation’s physicians are now using electronic medical records (EMR)—double the adoption rate of just five years ago—is surely worth celebrating. Until, that is, you take a look and realize that just a fourth of office-based physicians have access to a “basic” EMR system including patient history, demographics, problem lists, clinical no...
Source: Better Health - March 7, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Debra Gordon Tags: Health Policy centers For Medicare And Medicaid Services CMS Computerized Physician Order Entry CPOE Debra Gordon Electronic Medical Records EMR Incentive Program Health IT and EMR Healthcare Business and Technology Healthcare IT HIT Source Type: blogs

How Dare Conservatives Stand athwart ObamaCare Yelling, Stop!Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
By Michael F. CannonIn a column for Kaiser Health News, Michael L. Millenson, President of Health Quality Advisors LLC, laments that conservatives in the U.S. House are approaching ObamaCare like, well, conservatives.  He cites comments by unnamed House GOP staffers at a recent conference: The Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services? "An innovation center at CMS is an oxymoron," responded a  Republican aide..."Though it's great for PhDs who come to Washington on the government tab." There was also no reason the government should pay for "so-called comparative effectiveness research," anothe...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - March 7, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Michael F. Cannon Tags: Government and Politics Health, Welfare & Entitlements Adrienne Hallett big-government conservatism centers for medicare and medicaid services Cheryl L. Jaeger CMS comparative-effectiveness research coordinated care David Schwartz defu Source Type: blogs

CDC Campaign Hasn’t Slowed Inappropriate Antibiotic UseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
High rates of inappropriate antibiotic use continued despite a 15-year campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aimed at Michigan physicians and consumers on the dangers of antibiotic overuse. The Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation (CHRT) released an issue brief detailing overall antibiotic prescribing for adult Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) members. (The project is a non-profit partnership between the University of Michigan and BCBSM.) While antibiotic prescribing in adults decreased 9.3 percent from 2007 to 2009, it increased 4.5 percent for children during the same...
Source: Better Health - March 3, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: RyanDuBosar Tags: Health Policy Research ACP Internist American College Of Physicians Antibiotic Overuse Antibiotic Prescriptions Antibiotic-Resistant Infections BCBSM Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan CDC Center for Research & Transformation centers Fo Source Type: blogs

New Study Links HPV To Head And Neck Cancers In MenEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A new study finds that half of men in America are infected with the HPV virus. Dr. Jon LaPook reports on the growing concern that the virus in men could be responsible for an increase in head and neck cancers. HPV Affects Half Of U.S. Men A study out [yesterday] in The Lancet by Moffitt Cancer Center researcher Anna Giuliano, Ph.D., and her colleagues finds that 50 percent of men ages 18 to 70 in Brazil, Mexico, and the U.S. have genital infection with human papillomavirus (HPV).  HPV is the virus that causes cervical cancer in women. It also causes warts and cancer of the genitals and anus in both men and women. Ove...
Source: Better Health - March 2, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: DrJonLaPook Tags: News Research Video CBS News CDC centers For Disease Control and Prevention Cervical Cancer Dr. Aimee Kreimer Dr. Anna Giuliano Dr. Jon LaPook Gardasil Genital Infection Head and Neck Cancer HPV HPV Strain 16 HPV Vaccine Hu Source Type: blogs

There’s Still Time For A Flu ShotEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
It’s not too late to protect yourself and your family from the flu. Influenza is about to enter its peak season in the United States. Now is the time to be vigilant in protecting against and preventing the spread of flu. Washing your hands, staying home from work or school, and covering your cough can be incredible steps. But the most effective way to prevent influenza is to get vaccinated. If you haven’t had a flu shot, get one this week. Your child can be immunized if over six months of age, and remember that many children under age nine will need a second dose (booster shot). Find out how to determine if your...
Source: Better Health - February 21, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: DrWendySueSwanson Tags: Better Health Network Health Tips Booster Shot CDC centers For Disease Control and Prevention Children's Health Daycare and Health Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson Family Caregivers Flu Shot FluMist H1N1 Flu Virus Handwashing immunizations Source Type: blogs

Adult Vaccines: Most Doctors Don’t Stock All Of ThemEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Less than one in three primary care practices offer all 10 recommended adult vaccines, citing a variety of financial and logistical reasons. Researchers sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sampled 993 family physicians and 997 general internists. Of the respondents, 27 percent (31 percent of family practitioners and 20 percent of internists) stocked all 10. Results appear in the Feb. 17 issue of the journal Vaccine. The 10 vaccines were hepatitis A; hepatitis B; human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV); combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR); meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4); pneumococcal po...
Source: Better Health - February 17, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: RyanDuBosar Tags: Health Policy Research ACP Internist Adult Immunization Adult Vaccination Adult Vaccines American College Of Physicians CDC centers For Disease Control and Prevention Family Medicine General Medicine Healthcare Costs Immunology I Source Type: blogs

Pharmalot… Pharmalittle… Good MorningEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Hello and nice to see you again. Having successfully deposited one of the short people at the local schoolhouse, we are celebrating with yet another cup of stimulation. Please join us or grab a bottle of water, if you prefer, and get ready for another day of meetings and deadlines and who-knows-what-else. Meanwhile, here are some fresh tidbits. Have a good one and stay in touch… China To Help Domestic Drugmakers Expand Overseas (Global Times) AstraZeneca Pays $150M To Settle More Seroquel Lawsuits (Bloomberg News) Amgen Haunted By Medicare Worries (Forbes) Glaxo Cuts Neuroscience Jobs In North Carolina (MedCity News)...
Source: Pharmalot - February 17, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized Allergan Amgen Astellas Avastin Aveo Blindness Celgene centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services China CMS Dublin Eli Lilly GlaxoSmithKline Ireland jobs Lap Band Layoffs Newborns NICE North Carolina Source Type: blogs

FDA Warns Novartis Over Flu Vaccine PromotionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The use of language is a subtle art. Ask any regulator. And the regulators at the FDA have determined that Novartis was a bit too subtle, perhaps, in trying to promote its Fluvirin vaccine for the flu. The agency recently issued a warning letter that chastised the drugmaker for distributing a sales aid and print advertisement that were deemed misleading. Specifically, the promotional materials incorrectly characterized a published recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and implied the Novartis vaccine can be used in all age ranges covered by the ACI...
Source: Pharmalot - February 14, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized ACIP Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices CDC centers for Disease Control And Prevention FDA FDA Warning Letter Flu Influenza Novartis Vaccines Source Type: blogs

The (Still) “Incredible, Edible” EggEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Enriched chicken feed may have resulted in eggs having less cholesterol and more Vitamin D than previously measured, reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A large egg today has about 185 milligrams of cholesterol, down 14 percent from 215 milligrams in 2002, according to new research from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, reports USA Today. Also, an egg today has 41 international units (IUs) of Vitamin D, up 64 percent from 25 IUs measured in 2002. (That’s still only about 7 percent of the 600 IUs recommended per day.) The agency regularly does nutrient checks on popular foods, this tim...
Source: Better Health - February 12, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: RyanDuBosar Tags: News Research 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans American Egg Board Cardiovascular Disease Cardiovascular Risk CDC centers For Disease Control and Prevention Chicken Feed Cholesterol Dietetics Eggs Food and Nutrition Healthy D Source Type: blogs

Still The “Incredible, Edible” EggEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Enriched chicken feed may have resulted in eggs having less cholesterol and more Vitamin D than previously measured, reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A large egg today has about 185 milligrams of cholesterol, down 14 percent from 215 milligrams in 2002, according to new research from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, reports USA Today. Also, an egg today has 41 international units (IUs) of Vitamin D, up 64 percent from 25 IUs measured in 2002. (That’s still only about 7 percent of the 600 IUs recommended per day.) The agency regularly does nutrient checks on popular foods, this tim...
Source: Better Health - February 12, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: RyanDuBosar Tags: News Research 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans American Egg Board Cardiovascular Disease Cardiovascular Risk CDC centers For Disease Control and Prevention Chicken Feed Cholesterol Dietetics Eggs Food and Nutrition Healthy D Source Type: blogs

Managing Diabetes In “Real Time”Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The cost of managing chronic diseases is the largest portion of healthcare expenditures in developed countries. For example, the prevalence of adult acquired diabetes has been rising in the United States, in concert with increasing rates obesity. The CDC has termed it an “epidemic,” especially in light of the massive costs incurred by the healthcare system due to diabetes. The deleterious health effects of many chronic conditions can be diminished by behavior modifications. While few would underestimate the difficulty of having patients lose weight or exercise more, good management of blood sugar in diabetes is both ob...
Source: Better Health - February 5, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: DrFelasfaWodajo Tags: Opinion Research Behavior Modifications Blood Sugar Control CDC centers For Disease Control and Prevention Chronic Conditions Diabetes Epidemic Diabetes Mine Diabetology Dr. Bruce Bode Dr. Felasfa Wodajo Endocrinology Health and Source Type: blogs

Healthcare IT Education Grants and the Workforce ShortageEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
As many of you know, I get a lot of interesting emails. I generally try to respond to all the emails I get. In many cases, the topics work great for a post on this blog and will extend the discussion beyond the email. This is one such case. The following is an email from a student in one of the HITECH funded healthcare IT education programs and my response to them (published with permission). I’ll be interested to hear what others think about the topics we discussed and if you have any other suggestions for Jojo. I would like to ask your opinion about what will the graduates of the HIT education grant do after fiishi...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - February 3, 2011 Category: Technology Consultants Authors: John Tags: ARRA EHR EMR EMR jobs Electronic Health Record Electronic Medical Record HealthCare IT EHR Jobs Healthcare IT Grants Healthcare IT jobs HIT Workforce Shortage HITECH Jojo Pornebo RECs Regional Extension centers Source Type: blogs

Risk of Death Doubles For Early Stage Ovarian Cancer Patients Who Are Not Checked For Lymph Node MetastasesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
University of California Davis Cancer Center and California Cancer Registry researchers determined that the risk of death doubles for those women with apparent early stage ovarian cancer who are not checked for lymph node metastases. A team of University of California (UC) Davis Cancer Center and California Cancer Registry researchers determined that more than a quarter of women [...]
Source: Libby's H*O*P*E* - February 2, 2011 Category: Cancer Authors: Libby's H*O*P*E* Tags: Diagnosis & Treatment Medical Guidelines Surgery CA Dept. of Public Health California Cancer Registry centers for Disease Control & Prevention Gary Leiserowitz M.D. gynecologic oncologists Lawrence Livermore National Lab lymph node biops Source Type: blogs

We’re All Terrorists NowEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
By David RittgersThe Tennessee ACLU sent a letter to public schools warning them not to celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. The Tennessee Fusion Center (H/T Uncle) put the communication on its map of “terrorism events and other suspicious activity”: “ACLU cautions Tennessee schools about observing ‘one religious holiday,’” the website’s explanation reads. Also among the map’s highlights: “McMinn County Teen Brings Gun to School,” and “Turkish National Salih Acarbulut Indicted in Chattanooga for Alleged $12 million Ponzi Scheme.” Mike Browning, a spokesman for the Fusion Center, said “t...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - February 2, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: David Rittgers Tags: Law and Civil Liberties aclu counterterrorism programs dhs fusion centers Source Type: blogs

Showdown on Homeland SecurityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
By David RittgersIf you haven’t seen it already, I recommend the Frontline report Are We Safer? Since September 11, 2001, the government has gone on a spending spree without any regard for fiscal federalism, dumping $31 billion into grant programs. The program is based on The Washington Posts’ Top Secret America article, “Monitoring America.” Watch it below: Much of this spending has gone to local pork projects or allowed state and local governments to avoid the realities of budgeting – spend federal counterterrorism dollars on normal law enforcement requirements while spending the local tax base on unsustainabl...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - January 25, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: David Rittgers Tags: Law and Civil Liberties aclu attorney general guidelines dhs fiscal federalism fusion centers Harvey Eisenberg Mike German Top Secret America Source Type: blogs

Universities, College Students and Mental HealthEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
With the recent tragedy allegedly perpetrated by suspended college student Jared Loughner in Tuscon, AZ, the role of colleges’ and universities’ student counseling centers has taken center stage. This is a little odd, given that Mr. Loughner attended a community college that lacked a student counseling center. Most community colleges — catering to part-time students who often have families or hold down full-time jobs — don’t seem to have the mental health counseling centers that most traditional universities and colleges have. Dr. Emily Gibson, a family physician who apparently works with stud...
Source: World of Psychology - January 22, 2011 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: John M Grohol PsyD Tags: Brain and Behavior Children and Teens Disorders General Psychology Psychotherapy Students Treatment Blog Entry Center Stage College Student Colleges And Universities Colleges Universities Community Colleges Counseling centers Source Type: blogs

Head Lice: FDA Approves New TreatmentEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Good news for parents, teachers, pediatricians, and others engaged in the ongoing battle against lice: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just approved a new treatment for head lice in children age four and older. Called Natroba, it’s a liquid that is rubbed into the hair and allowed to sit for 10 minutes before being rinsed off. Natroba is a useful addition to the anti-lice arsenal, since some head lice have become resistant to permethrin and pyrethrins, the active ingredients in over-the-counter anti-lice products such as Nix and Rid. Head lice are tiny insects that go by the big name Pediculus humanus capitis. Th...
Source: Better Health - January 20, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: PJSkerrett Tags: Better Health Network Health Tips American Academy of Pediatrics Bug Buster CDC centers For Disease Control and Prevention Children's Health FDA Food and Drug Administration Harvard Health Blog Harvard Heart Letter Harvard Medical Sc Source Type: blogs

How Medicare Could Save Money On Part B DrugsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
At a time when the national deficit is a growing problem, Medicare could have saved $111 million on more than a dozen Part B outpatient drugs, but its system for identifying prices for lower-cost generics is inefficient, according to a new report from the Office of Inspector General at the US Department of Health and Human Services. Here’s how it works: Drugmakers must submit average sales price (ASP) data to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services within 30 days after the close of each quarter, and the data are used to calculate amounts to be paid for the following quarter. But this causes a two-quarter l...
Source: Pharmalot - January 19, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized Biologics Biosimilars centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services Generics HHS OIG Office of Inspector General Part B Source Type: blogs

New Interview Series (Part 1 of 10): Why Care About Brain Fitness Innovation?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Every Monday during the next 10 weeks we’ll discuss here what leading industry, science and policy experts –all of whom will speak at the upcoming 2011 SharpBrains Summit (March 30th — April 1st, 2011)– have to say about emerging opportunities and challenges to address, over the next 10 years, the growing brain-related societal demands. Without further ado, here you have what four Summit Speakers say… — Alvaro Pascual-Leone is the Direc­tor of the Berenson-Allen Cen­ter for Non-Invasive Brain Stim­u­la­tion at Har­vard Med­ical School. 1. How would you define “brain fitness” vs. “physical fitness�...
Source: SharpBrains - January 10, 2011 Category: Neurologists Authors: Alvaro Fernandez Tags: Brain Fitness Industry Cognitive Neuroscience aging-population Alvaro-Pascual-Leone Alzheimers-disease attention auditory-processing Berenson-Allen Cen­ter brain training centers Brain-Fitness brain-function Brain-health Brain-Pla Source Type: blogs

Provenge Activists Lose Quest For FDA DocumentsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
An unusual sideshow to the ongoing controversy over the Provenge prostate cancer vaccine has ended - for now - as a federal appeals court has rebuffed a long-running attempt by a group of investors and patients to force the FDA to turn over documents pertaining to the agency’s decision in 2007 to delay approval of the prostate cancer vaccine. The group, which calls itself Care To Live, hoped to overturn a federal court decision denying them access to FDA documents, which they believe may reveal the agency improperly handled the 2007 episode. At the time, the agency ignored the recommendation of its own advisory committee...
Source: Pharmalot - January 10, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS Dendreon FDA FOIA Freedom Of Information Act Prostate Cancer Provenge Source Type: blogs

Oops! Medicare Contractor Rescinds Avastin DecisionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Late last week, the Medicare contractor that provides coverage for several states unexpectedly posted a notice on its web site that it would no longer pay for Roche’s Avastin medication for treating breast cancer after January 29. But late Friday, Palmetto, which is a subsidiary of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, did an embarassing about face and rescinded its decision (read this). The move came after the FDA last month began the process of removing the breast cancer indication for the medication following a review that found clinical studies indicated Avastin does not prolong overall survival in breast cance...
Source: Pharmalot - January 10, 2011 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Ed Silverman Tags: Uncategorized Avastin Breast Cancer centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS FDA Genentech Roche Source Type: blogs

Pain Contracts: Do They Threaten The Doctor-Patient Relationship?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Doctors today are wary about treating chronic pain. One of the main worries is precipitating fatal opioid overdoses. Indeed, according to the CDC, and reported by American Medical News, “fatal opioid overdoses tripled to nearly 14,000 from 1999 to 2006 … [and] emergency department visits involving opioids more than doubled to nearly 306,000 between 2004 and 2008.” Requiring chronic pain patients to sign pain contracts is a way to mitigate this risk. But how does that affect the doctor-patient relationship? Indeed, a contract is an adversarial tool. Essentially, it states that a patient must comply with a strict set o...
Source: Better Health - January 7, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: KevinMD Tags: Better Health Network Health Policy News Opinion American Journal of Bioethics American Medical News CDC centers For Disease Control and Prevention Chronic Pain Treatment Controlled Substances Doctor Patient Relationship Dr. Kevin Ph Source Type: blogs

Family Physicians: Are They Paid Well Compared To Other Docs?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Here’s an interesting article, talking about stuff that’s not new to anyone who has read my blog for the last three years. The current relative value unit (RVU) system is a scam, perpetuated by a super-secretive group of subspecialists each  inflating their own worth for the benefit of themselves, at the expense of primary care. If you don’t understand what I’m talking about, first read about RVUs explained. Then come back and read this article put out by the National Institute for Health Care Management. It’s titled “Out of Whack: Pricing Distortions in the Medicare Physician Fee Sc...
Source: Better Health - January 7, 2011 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Happy Hospitalist Tags: Better Health Network Health Policy News Opinion AMA American Medical Association centers For Medicare And Medicaid Services CMS Dr. Robert Berenson Happy Hospitalist Hospitalist Medicine Medical Specialty Medical Subspecialists Source Type: blogs

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