Most People Who Have Used Retail Clinics Are Satisfied With Care, Poll Finds

 

• 42% said their health insurer covered all or a portion of the costs;
• 22% were uninsured at the time of the visit;
• 83% were satisfied with the convenience of the clinics;
• 90% were satisfied with the quality of care;
• 80% were satisfied with the cost, which typically ranges from $25 to $60 for a visit;
• 44% visited the clinic for a vaccination;
• 33% wanted treatment for a common medical condition, such as an ear infection, cold, strep throat, skin rash or sinus infection; and
• 19% went for a preventive screening test for chronic conditions, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes or allergies.

Sixty-four percent of those polled said they would be concerned about the qualifications of staff at a retail clinic not run by physicians.

Source: Most People Who Have Used Retail Clinics Are Satisfied With Care, Poll Finds

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Drug makers set lobbying record

 

WASHINGTON — Drug makers spent $155 million lobbying the federal government from 2005 to mid-2006, setting a record that they could top this year as Congress considers high stakes legislation for the industry and consumers, a public interest group said in a report Monday.
Researchers at the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity said that the drug industry spent nearly $111 million on lobbying in 2005, a record for the sector in any one year. The record pace appeared to be sustained in the first half of 2006, the report said.
Pharmaceutical industry officials said the report distorted the industry's role in Washington, which they say is primarily educational and scientific. They said industry spending was designed to ensure that new drugs for intractable illnesses get government approval to be marketed.

Source: Drug makers set lobbying record - Los Angeles Times

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Gap Exists between E-Prescribing Tools and Doc use.....

 

That said, the study concluded that most physicians who had switched to e-prescribing would not go back to paper. The report, entitled Physicians' Experiences Using Commercial E-Prescribing Systems, is based on interviews with doctors at 21 different practices: four with between five and 10 physicians; five with between 11 and 20; six with between 51 and 100; and six with more than 100.
"We talked to very different folks, but we got very strikingly similar results," Grossman said. "There hasn’t been a lot of research on looking at IT use in physician practices—on the nitty-gritty of what it takes to get these systems up and running."
In exploring how physicians use e-prescribing and what created barriers and made the process easier, one constant that researchers found was that roll outs were difficult and required substantial human and financial resources. As a result, Grossman said they found no examples of "relatively simple 'plug-and-play' applications."

Source: Modern Healthcare Online

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Drug Costs Pushing Companies to Abandon Promising Therapies

Physicians, she points out, find themselves in the undesirable position of having to help patients make decisions about whether the potential clinical benefits warrant the financial strain that even the copayments for these medications may create. She asks, "How should we determine whether these interventions are worth their immense cost?"
The primary responsibility of clinicians is to serve as advocates for patients, and most neither want nor are equipped to address difficult questions of social policy, Dr. Schrag suggests. "As physicians, we will find that discussions about financing cancer treatment will intrude on our examination rooms more frequently." The high cost of new drugs means that non-Medicare health plans are likely to deny coverage or, alternatively, to raise premiums. "For some patients who lack or have been denied coverage," she explains, "drug costs will be insurmountable; others will obtain loans and remortgage their homes to finance their treatment. Even for privileged, middle-class patients who have insurance coverage, copayments will cause economic hardship. Modest gains in survival will be offset by anxiety about financing treatment."

Source: Drug Costs Pushing Companies to Abandon Promising Therapies

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Pfizer's Dear Doctor Letter... About Lipitor

 

Pfizer's Dear Doctor Letter... About Lipitor

No, this isn't one of those dreary missives about scary side effects. Instead, Pfizer is sending docs a CD containing two letters they can then send to insurers and pharmacists about the benefits of Lipitor and the disadvantages of switching to a generic statin. Switching patients "for cost reasons alone will undermine the clinical judgment that went into the decision to prescribe Lipitor for this patient," the letter states.

Source: Pharmalot: Pfizer's Dear Doctor Letter... About Lipitor

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Stryker Knee Replacement TV Ad: Imagine How Far It Will Go!

 One person's opinion....BD

Like me, you probably have been seeing more ads on TV for medical devices like pacemakers and knee replacements. One ad from Stryker for a knee replacement caught my attention Sunday.
In the ad, a 62 year-old woman with a Stryker knee replacement -- who I learn from the company's Internet site is a real person named Barbara Cotoia, "an active grandmother of six" -- starts walking from NYC, across Amish country, over hill and dale, prairie and Monument Park,up Aztec steps somewhere, and finally descends the mountains in California for a fantastic view of the Golden Gate bridge. Then, just like Forest Gump, she turns around and starts back!
At the beginning of this fantastic trek, the voice over suggests "You'll be surprised how far [Stryker knee replacement] can take you." Pretty damn far indeed!
Clearly, if this were a drug ad, the FDA would be over it like white on rice.
Remember the old Vioxx ads (or was it Celebrex) that showed someone with arthritis knee pain skateboarding after taking Vioxx? The FDA had a problem with that --- it just went to far on the benefit side and the ad was changed to show the guy hobbling along on one good knee, not two!
Imagine the new Celebrex ads showing someone walking across the US! That would surely warrant an FDA letter.
So, what's the FDA position of Medical Device ads? Will anyone there have something to say about this Stryker ad?
In light of FDA's being asleep at the wheel, you shouldn't be surprised how far these device DTC ads will go to push the envelope.

Source: Device DTC: Imagine How Far It Will Go!
by John Mack

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Ex-UIC Medical Center worker charged with identity theft

Something for all health workers to be aware of..many of the sophisticated electronic records systems do in fact trace every transaction, so when there is no change of being anonymous with accessing medical records...BD

A former University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago employee has been charged with identity theft following an investigation that officials say determined he misused personal information of at least eight patients.
Leslie Langford, 28, who worked as an emergency medical technician in the West Side hospital, was arrested on Feb. 23 after police discovered evidence he had illegally used patients' information he had accessed through using its electronic medical records system, authorities said.

Authorities determined Langford had improperly used the records of eight patients, Gonzalez said. She declined to provide specifics about how the man used the information, due to an ongoing investigation. The hospital sent out a letter on March 8 to the potentially affected patients telling them of the risk.

Source: Ex-UIC Medical Center worker charged with identity theft | Chicago Tribune

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County gets grant to aid the chronically ill

 

Los Angeles County received a $162-million federal grant Thursday for a three-year program to help low-income adults with no medical insurance manage chronic illnesses.
The California Department of Health Services awarded grants to 10 counties for innovative approaches to improving the quality of care while reining in costs. The program focuses on adults because 90% to 95% of children in California are covered by private insurance or eligible for federal or state programs such as Medi-Cal or Healthy Families, said department Director Sandra Shewry.

Source: County gets grant to aid the chronically ill - Los Angeles Times

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FDA Approves JANUMET™ For Type 2 Diabetes, Offering Powerful Glucose Control Of A DPP-4 Inhibitor And Metformin In A Single Tablet

 

Merck & Co., Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved JANUMET™, the first and only tablet combining a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, sitagliptin (also known as JANUVIA™), and metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. [click link for full article]

Source: FDA Approves JANUMET™ For Type 2 Diabetes, Offering Powerful Glucose Control Of A DPP-4 Inhibitor And Metformin In A Single Tablet

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Condom testers needed - Test-ees not provided

Durex is always coming up with new advertising campaigns and this appears to be the latest..worth a grin...BD

Durex is inviting citizens of the UK to apply for 5,000 coveted spots to report on their experiences with Durex condoms and lubricants. If you have ever wanted to shift the tides of the condom industry, and you're British, now's your chance! Here's a bit about the survey from BBC News:

Men and women of all ages, ethnic groups or sexual orientation have been asked to apply on its website.

Durex was inundated with 14,000 applicants on the first day it started a similar scheme in France.

UK panellists [sic] will be expected to report online on how enjoyable the condoms and lubricants were to use and whether their sex lives have improved.

"The idea is to create a massive panel of testers who can try Durex condoms, have sex and then give us feedback about their experiences - in strictest confidence, of course," a Durex spokeswoman said.

"It isn't some crazy kind of '60s love-in," she added.

Apply now at the Durex website..

Source: Condom testers needed. Test-ees not provided
by jhbarad

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British scientist grow human heart valve from stem cells

 

British scientists have grown part of a human heart in a breakthrough that offers hope for millions of cardiac patients.

Such artificially-grown tissue could be used to replace damaged heart valves within just three years.

In the future, larger sections of tissue could repair heart attack damage, prolonging and improving the quality of life of tens of thousands of individuals in the UK alone.

In less than a decade, it may be possible to grow an entire human heart - cutting the need for transplants.

Source: British scientist grow human heart valve from stem cells | the Daily Mail

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House Subcommittee Hearing Considers Physician Willingness To Adopt Health IT

One more congressional discussion on helping the small solo practice with electronic records...BD 

Congress should "offer targeted financial assistance programs" for small physician practices to begin adopting health information technology, American College of Physicians President Lynne Kirk said at a House subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, CQ HealthBeat reports. Testifying before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Regulation, Health Care and Trade, Kirk cited a 2006 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation survey finding that only 13% to 16% of solo physician practices were able to adopt health IT because of costs and other factors.

Source: House Subcommittee Hearing Considers Physician Willingness To Adopt Health IT

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AMNews: April 9, 2007. U.S. vows to recoup back taxes

It appears the government is now attempting to connect back taxes to Medicare payments...it will be interesting to see how they connect the data bases and create some format for enforcement...BD 

Washington -- Federal officials said they will take a closer look at Medicare payments to doctors after an oversight agency found a small portion of physicians continued to receive reimbursements despite owing significant taxes.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will work with the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Dept. on developing a better way to screen Medicare participants for outstanding debts to the government they are billing, said CMS Acting Administrator Leslie V. Norwalk.

Source: AMNews: April 9, 2007. U.S. vows to recoup back taxes ... American Medical News

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Pfizer to resume airing ads for Celebrex

 

Pfizer (PFE) plans to launch a 2½-minute TV commercial Monday for arthritis painkiller Celebrex, which has been off TV for more than two years due to safety concerns about drugs in its class.

The spot is five times as long as most TV ads. Pfizer says the time is needed to explain Celebrex's risks and benefits and to dispel confusion. Many consumers wrongly assume it was withdrawn with Vioxx, a similar drug, in 2004, Pfizer says.

The ad also points out that prescription-strength ibuprofen and naproxen — Celebrex's chief rivals — carry similar government-mandated warnings about cardiovascular risk and that they, too, pose risks to stomachs and intestines.

Source: Pfizer to resume airing ads for Celebrex - USATODAY.com

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Uber Tablet: a Tablet PC Talk Spot!: Bill Gates still totes the Tablet

Uber Tablet: a Tablet PC Talk Spot!: Bill Gates still totes the Tablet
http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/search?q=gates

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Some Hospitals Call 911 to Save Their Patients - New York Times

 

The answer may seem self-evident. But patients at some hospitals may find the staff resorting to what someone might do at home in a crisis: call 911 for an ambulance.

That happened recently in Texas, where a 44-year-old man named Steve Spivey developed breathing problems after spine surgery. No physician was working there when the staff first recognized he was in trouble. They phoned 911, and he was taken to a nearby full-service hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The episode occurred at a small hospital that is owned and run by doctors — one of roughly 140 such hospitals around the country, with nearly two dozen more under development, that are set up to specialize in certain types of procedures like heart surgery, back operations and hip replacements.

Source: Some Hospitals Call 911 to Save Their Patients - New York Times

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