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Top stories in health and medicine, May 23, 2013
Brought to you by MedPage Today. 1. More Evidence Fecal Transplant Clears C. Diff. Fecal transplant for Clostridium difficile infection is a safe and effective treatment and can alter patients’ fecal microbiota to resemble that of donors over time. 2. CT Lung Screens Catch Most Cancers. The National Lung Screening Trial found that CT scans [...]
Karen Dearne: Just How Can NEHTA Operate Without Its Supporting Agreement? The Secrecy Seems To Be Utterly Out Of Hand!
Karen alerted me to this post today. From: Karen Dearne May 23, 2013 Dear Ms Forman I refer to your decision that the MoU on eHealth is an exempt document under section 47B(a) of the FOI Act. I note that you say: "As the MoU is not yet...Show More Summary
Working
It feels dangerous to write this, but…my practice seems to be working. I am now running and hiding from lightning bolts, meteors, or stray arrows shot in the air by a Scottish soldier. I am also expecting a raid on my office by the IRS, CDC, and BBC tomorrow morning. I don’t know why I [...]
When patients rely on financial assistance programs for drugs
I had been laid off a few months when my ulcerative colitis kicked in, and my doctor and I struggled to get it under control. After trying a variety of medicines, my health continued to deteriorate and I agreed to take Remicade. Remicade is a potent drug, administered through an IV infusion at the oncology [...]
New Microsoft Kinect Measures Heartbeat from Skin Tone Changes
Yesterday Microsoft released its new Xbox One gaming system, and with it a new Kinect camera. The original Kinect somewhat surprisingly found use in the clinical world, so it’s exciting to learn that the new Kinect is even more capable. Show More Summary
Philips CX50 xMATRIX Ultrasound Now with St. Jude’s ViewFlex Xtra Intracardiac Echo (video)
Philips has announced that its CX50 xMATRIX portable ultrasound is now available with 2-D intracardiac echo (ICE) capability. The system already featured 3D transesophageal echo (TEE) and the new capability is thanks to the integration of St. Jude Medical’s ViewFlex Xtra intracardiac echocardiography catheter with the CX50 xMATRIX. Read More
CMS Says More than Half of US Doctors Have Adopted Electronic Health Records
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced that more than half of all doctors and other eligible providers have received Medicare or Medicaid incentive payments for adopting or meaningfully using electronic health records, exceeding the goal they had set for themselves for the end of 2013. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey [...]
Patient Fusion Launches Free Tool for Consumers to Manage their Health Spending
Patient Fusion has launched a free tool to help patients track their health spending online. Consumers who book appointments online at PatientFusion.com will also receive access to their online personal health record and can track health spending across all of their medical visits. The beta launch is available to patients covered by national insurance payers [...]
Why banning curbside consults may not be the answer
Everybody hates curbside consults – the informal, “Hey, Joe, how would you treat asymptomatic pyuria in my 80-year-old nursing home patient?”-type questions that dominate those Doctor’s Lounge conversations that aren’t about sports, Wall Street, or ObamaCare. Consultants hate being asked clinical questions out of context; they know that they may give incorrect advice if the [...]
US doctors paid $1bn by top drug companies
A dozen leading drug companies paid US doctors a total of more than $1bn last year, according to fresh data revealing the extent of links between the pharmaceutical industry and prescribers. The figures, compiled by the consultancy PharmaShine...Show More Summary
Novel Nebulizer Technology Brings Seawater Therapy to Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Some years ago someone noticed that surfers with cystic fibrosis (CF) have improved lung function over their skateboarding peers, or really anyone else with CF that doesn’t get sprayed with saltwater on a regular basis. Turns out that...Show More Summary
Cook’s New Flexor Vue Urological Endoscopy System (w/video)
Cook Medical is launching in the U.S. and Europe its new Flexor Vue Deflecting Endoscopic System. The device is designed for use during urological procedures for easy navigation and visualization as an option over endoscopes in select cases. Show More Summary
Status Check
For my regular followers, I apologize for being so negligent on updating this blog recently. Rest assured, I'm not dead, sick, or having family troubles - I'm just busy as hell. Taking a week off for attending a Scientific SessionShow More Summary
Why pay for performance saves lives in the UK but not in the US
This past November, the New England Journal of Medicine published results from the “Advancing Quality” program in the United Kingdom: hospitals in the northwest of England were paid up to 4% more based on quality scores for treating several common medical conditions. Patient outcomes were compared to other National Health Service hospitals not eligible for [...]
Brainbow Gets a Significant Upgrade, New Pics Available
We have previously covered Brainbow, a collection of one-of-a-kind, colorful images of the myriad connections in the brain and nervous system obtained through the use of unique color fluorescing proteins. Professors Jeff Lichtman and Josh Sanes, leaders of the Brainbow initiative, taught this author neurobiology at Harvard. Show More Summary
Acquisition Alert: Healthland Acquires American HealthTech
Healthland, the nation’s market leader in healthcare information technology solutions for rural hospitals and their affiliated care facilities, has acquired American HealthTech, provider of integrated software and electronic health records (EHR) solutions for post-acute facilities. Show More Summary
Using Social Media as an Early Predictor of a New Drug's Market Share
According to Gideon Mantel, co-founder and CEO of Treato, social media can predict the success of a new drug launch much faster than traditional methods."Many pharmaceutical companies try to measure the success of their launch based on weekly script trends," said Mantel in a blog post (here). Show More Summary
Medical Technologies from the Emerald Isle: Q&A with Dr. Brian O’Neill of Enterprise Ireland
Though Ireland may be better known for its scenery, culture and public houses (“pubs” in the vernacular), it is also a leading cluster for medical device and diagnostic products, and the second largest exporter of medical products in Europe. Show More Summary
Linked Data in EHRs is Key
Failure to use linked electronic health records may lead to biased estimates of heart attack incidence and outcome, warn researchers in a paper published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). They show that up to 50% of all heart attack cases are missed using just one data source. Show More Summary
Underappreciated Analytical Techniques
A conversation the other day about 2-D NMR brought this thought to mind. What do you think are the most underused analytical methods in organic chemistry? Maybe I should qualify that, to the most underused (but potentially useful) ones. I know, for example, that hardly anyone takes IR spectra any more. Show More Summary
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