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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
Is it possible to improve clinical performance without measuring it?
Like it or not, measuring physician performance is now a key part of the conventional wisdom on improving our health care system. Borrowing from management guru Peter Drucker’s mantra “You can’t manage what you can’t measure” health care policy makers have embraced performance measurement as being central to managing our heretofore unmanageable health care system. [...]
How Many Binding Pockets Are There?
Just how many different small-molecule binding sites are there? That's the subject of this new paper in PNAS, from Jeffrey Skolnick and Mu Gao at Georgia Tech, which several people have sent along to me in the last couple of days. This question has a lot of bearing on questions of protein evolution. Show More Summary
How ventilators work
With emphasis on newer models and the modes available. Nonconventional Modes of Ventilation - Desphande from River City Symposium
One morning I woke up and I wasn’t an intern anymore
One Saturday morning at the Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, I got out of a call room bed and realized I had done it. The year everyone dreads, the year everyone says, “you just need to get through” was finally over. I had completed my write-ups on all the patients I admitted overnight. [...]
Statins and exercise
Several years ago, one of my best friends complained that a statin was interfering with his exercise routine. While I believed him, I was a bit skeptical. We have known for some time that statins can impact muscles – pain and even rhabdomyolysis. But what about routine exercise? Can Statins Cut the Benefits of Exercise? [...]
A surgeon interviews a medical malpractice attorney: Read and decide
My interview series continues, this time with local litigation attorney Andrew Thompson, Esq. The topic this time is medical malpractice. I asked him a bunch of questions. He answered. See what you think. 1. In your opinion, is there a medical malpractice crisis in this country? No. This is not even a close issue. The [...]
Documenting End of Life Care Preferences
Following up on yesterday's post about ICU dashboards, I think it is equally important to document end of life care preferences in the electronic health record. The HIT Standards Committee has been charged in 2013 with developing the...Show More Summary
Top stories in health and medicine, May 22, 2013
Brought to you by MedPage Today. 1. Asthma Tied to Sleep Apnea. Patients with asthma were also more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea. 2. 5-Day Steroid Tx Works in COPD. A short-term course of systemic glucocorticoid therapy in patients with acute chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was as effective as treatment of longer duration. [...]
I Wonder Will We Ever See Accountability Like This. I Won’t Hold My Breath.
The following appeared a few days ago. Bipartisan bill would slash iEHR funding May 16, 2013 | Erin McCann, Contributing Editor Members of Congress are lauding a bipartisan bill that limits funding for an integrated electronic health...Show More Summary
AusHealthIT Poll Number 168 – Results – 22nd May, 2013.
The question was: Are You Confident Placing Advanced Care Directives On The PCEHR Directly Will Not Lead To Unanticipated Problems? I Am Sure 13% (4) Just A Remote Chance 19% (6) Could Just Be Risky 13% (4) Seems Pretty Risky To Me 48%...Show More Summary
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