Lessons in Holiday Dining With Liberals

Health insurance discussion...BD 

How many people also don't know that laws prohibit interstate health insurance sales, preventing people in state A from getting medical insurance from a company in state B? According to The Wall Street Journal in 2005, "eHealthInsurance … compared the cost of a standard family insurance policy ($2,000 deductible with a 20 percent co-insurance) across that nation. … (A) non-employer-based family policy for four in Kansas City, Missouri, costs about $170 per month, while similar coverage in Boston tops more than $750 a month." Why? Most states mandate the type of services that must be covered — podiatrists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, etc. — whether the patient wants it included or not.

Lessons in Holiday Dining With Liberals - Yahoo! News

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Once-Daily SEROQUEL XL(R) Prevents Relapse In Patients With Schizophrenia Clear Long-term Benefit Leads To Early Completion Of Study

A new study, published in the November 2007 issue of Psychiatry 20071 found that the once daily formulation of SEROQUEL XL® in adult patients with schizophrenia significantly reduces the risk of psychotic relapse. The study was scheduled to last one year or until relapse, but significant differences in the relapse rate between active treatment and placebo required the study to be stopped early. Seroquel XL is currently not licensed in the UK and is known as Seroquel XR"! in the rest of the world.

Once-Daily SEROQUEL XL(R) Prevents Relapse In Patients With Schizophrenia Clear Long-term Benefit Leads To Early Completion Of Study

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Is your practice running on empty?

Good article with some good suggestions relative to taking a look at a medical practice and some simple evaluations to see where business stands...BD

You've been in private practice for several years, but lately you're not as busy as you used to be. You're worried because you have no plans to retire or even to slow down, but practice income is dropping and you've begun to think about laying off staff.

What's going on here? Have several other physicians set up shop in your area? Have third-party payers raised co-pays or otherwise discouraged patients from making office visits? Has the local transportation department rerouted or canceled buses, making it tougher for some patients to get to your office? Are your staffers driving people away? Are you? To find answers, you'll need to determine which patients you're losing, what—if anything—they have in common, and what changes have occurred in the market.

You may have the same size patient roster as you had the last few years, but patients are coming in less frequently—perhaps because they're self-medicating, or because their deductible and co-pays have increased. Maybe more of them have been switched to health savings accounts, which many suspect will reduce physician utilization.

A CPT analysis can also help you determine the kinds of patients you're losing...."Maybe the doctors who used to refer to you have relocated or joined another health network," ....And be sure to market to your existing patients, especially if you add an ancillary service as a means of expanding your practice...it's worth your while to have periodic staff training sessions in which you address patient complaints about staff behavior and other matters, and talk about how check-in/checkout and phone calls should be handled.....if you still can't figure out why you're seeing fewer patients, bring in a consultant to assess your practice and offer professional advice.

Is your practice running on empty? - Medical Economics

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California Regulators Target Health Insurance Cancellations

According to the article, all of the major players are under some type of examination from the state..BD 

California managed-care regulators are taking aim at what they consider an illegal industry practice: rescinding individual coverage, sometimes after members have become sick, based on inadvertent or insignificant omissions on enrollment applications.

Investigations of five of the seven plans that offer individual health policies in the state have led to large fines and regulators anticipate more penalties. In addition, recently proposed regulations could severely limit health insurers' ability to rescind policies.

Cindy Ehnes, director of the California Department of Managed Health Care, said in an interview that none of the five health plans her department has been investigating has had an adequately fair process for dropping members based on application-form discrepanices.

Ehnes considers rescission "the harshest penalty possible for a possibly innocent omission of information that may be unrelated to the claim because it leaves the patient, when they're at their sickest, uninsured and uninsurable."

California Regulators Target Health Insurance Cancellations

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Amazon Kindle Videos

But you will still need a PC for items other than reading and ordering books, blogs and papers...BD

    

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Docs find errors in own medical charts

Could be a copy and paste error or perhaps a wrong template entered without personalization?  Just a couple things that could happen with computerized charts if one is too quick to click and save...and we have all probably done that...BD 

LOS ANGELES - The recent chatter on a popular social networking site dealt with a problem often overlooked in medicine: mistakes in patients' medical charts.  The twist was the patients were doctors irked to discover gaffes in their own records and sloppy note-taking among their fellow physicians.

Take Dr. Richard Botney who swapped experiences with fellow doctors. Several years ago, Botney visited a specialist to check out a bothersome lump in his cheek. He took some medicine and the problem went away.  Out of curiosity, Botney thumbed through his chart and was surprised to find a note from the doctor saying he had a stroke.  "I never even had the symptoms of a stroke. No visual changes, no weakness, no numbness, nothing," Botney, an anesthesiologist at Oregon Health & Science University, said in a telephone interview from Portland.

The online doctor's Web site, Sermo, tackled the issue of medical chart accuracy this summer.  Posting under screen names, one physician with multiple sclerosis wrote about having trouble getting an insurance company to pay for a drug after the chart incorrectly noted a diagnosis of "multiple brain tumors." Another who took over a practice had to overhaul the charting system after finding errors in the old records. A third who had had several operations was shocked to see results of physicals and other tests in the medical charts that were never performed.

Botney, the 52-year-old doctor whose records said he had a stroke, still doesn't know how the error occurred. He flagged the mistake to his specialist, but hasn't taken further action since the error hasn't affected his insurance or disability coverage.  Despite his experience, Botney said he is impressed with his current doctor, who took an hour to review his chart during the first visit.

Docs find errors in own medical charts - Yahoo! News

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Cardiologists Question Delay of Data on 2 Drugs

Is Zetia as effective as statins?  BD

Prescriptions for the cholesterol-lowering drugs Zetia and Vytorin are written for almost 800,000 Americans every week, at a cost this year of about $4 billion. Yet it still is not clear how well the drugs work.

Nearly two years after the medicines’ makers, Merck and Schering-Plough, completed a clinical trial of the drugs, they still have not released the findings. The delay has led to a growing chorus of complaints from cardiologists. And yesterday, the companies responded by promising to publish a portion of the results next March — but not the entire set of data.

Together, Zetia and Vytorin have grabbed nearly 20 percent of the American market for cholesterol-lowering drugs, because of aggressive marketing from Merck and Schering-Plough that highlights Zetia’s uniqueness among cholesterol medicines.

Merck’s Zocor is now subject to cheap competition from generic simvastatin that costs pennies a day. But Merck can continue to command name-brand prices through Zetia and Vytorin, which both cost about $3 a day, similar to other branded cholesterol-lowering drugs like Lipitor.  Despite the success of the marketing campaign, some cardiologists say they are concerned that reducing cholesterol through Zetia may not protect the cardiovascular system as much as reducing it through a statin.

Cardiologists Question Delay of Data on 2 Drugs - New York Times

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Redneck Health Plan

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kmbA5SyZcA

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Taint Cancer

 

http://www.mybluecollar.com/videos/65f6a775e9

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Why Web MD Doesn't have sound

 

 

Why Web MD Doesn't Have Sound

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Healthfirst's marketing practices probed

State of New York investigating marketing practices..including bonuses...sounds like what is going on here in California with other insurers...BD

Healthfirst, the states largest Medicaid managed care plan, is under investigation by New York state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for its marketing practices. Separately, the state Department of Health temporarily has shut down enrollment in all but Healthfirsts Medicare plans as a result of Medicaid managed care contract violations. Healthfirsts founding chief executive, Paul Dickstein, and Chief Operating Officer Jim Boothe resigned earlier this week in the wake of the Health Department action, which brought to light the ongoing AG investigation. Its not clear if fraud or criminal charges are to come.

Healthfirst's marketing practices probed- Crain's New York Business.com

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United HealthCare inadvertently posted physician SSNs

And these folks rate physicians?  Let's have the physicians rate the insurance companies...audit trails shows the page was viewed 157 times...157 opportunities for security breaches..security breach story of the week....wonder why we don't trust the insurers today...BD 

United Healthcare uploaded the social security numbers of doctors at Columbia University's faculty practice on a public Web site by mistake.

United Healthcare posted the social security numbers of doctors at Columbia University’s faculty practice on a public Web site in a breach of security that exposed the doctors to identity theft.
The sensitive information was loaded on Oct. 31 and taken down Nov. 2.
United posted the taxpayer identification numbers, some of which were Social Security numbers, alongside the names of 993 providers at Columbia who participate in the insurer’s network. The list was supposed to be accessible to Columbia employees during the current open enrollment period.

A spokeswoman for the university said that although only a small subset of the FPO’s doctors had their SS numbers publicly displayed, the breach was “very serious” and has made the doctors unhappy.

Insurer inadvertently posted physician SSNs- Crain's New York Business.com

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From Poor Penmanship to Bad Communication: Many Opportunities for Medication Mishaps

We keep seeing stories like this...every doctor today can have FREE E-Prescribing and we have a permanent link on this page to where a physician can get set up if they currently do not have an electronic medical record system that has this included?  My question here is why?  Why to physicians resist this "FREE" service?  Scroll down on the right hand side of this blog and read about NEPSI....one more time...it is free at no cost to the MD....BD 

A doctor's poor penmanship may soon be a thing of the past. Today in a report on medication errors, the prestigious Institute of Medicine called on physicians to electronically prescribe drugs by the year 2010. While illegible prescriptions are one contributing factor to the 1.5 million people harmed each year by medication errors, they are not the only culprit.

The report also recommends that doctors' offices and hospitals use electronic prescribing tools in an effort to prevent errors. Not only do the computer programs eliminate the problem of difficult-to-read penmanship, but they also prevent doctors from prescribing medications that interact badly with each other. "There are too many drug interactions to remember," said Dr. David Bates, an internist at Harvard Medical School and a researcher in drug safety.

ABC News: From Poor Penmanship to Bad Communication: Many Opportunities for Medication Mishaps

National E-Prescribing Initiative  (It is free) 

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Quaid's Twins Get Accidental Overdose

Physicians cannot keep all the information in their head today...and hospital pharmacies can use it to correctly tie the medication to the patient record, and double checking your work...remember not too long ago we posted a story about Betty Moore, the wife of one of the founders of Intel receiving a diabetic shot by error, that almost killer her...in other words it can happen to anyone at any time...BD

What should have been a blessed time for actor Dennis Quaid and his wife, Kimberly Buffington, turned into a time of anguish and anxiety, after their newborn twins nearly died from an accidental overdose of a blood-thinning drug.

While not mentioning the Quaids specifically by name, the hospital released a statement that confirmed that three of its patients had received 1,000 times the prescribed Heparin. Instead of 10 units per millimeter, the patients received 10,000 units.

ABC News: Quaid's Twins Get Accidental Overdose

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Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Grant to Expand Telemedicine Across California

Needed especially in rural areas...but metro areas can benefit too...BD

Sacramento, California - Continuing his historic commitment to expand broadband network access across California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced a $22 million grant award to the California Telehealth Network by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). "As we move forward this year with comprehensive health care reform, using technology is a major component in improving patient care. By expanding broadband networks for telemedicine, we can connect the best medical experts to clinics in remote areas of the state. It's critical that California continues to lead the way with this technology, which shows how we can save time, money and most importantly, we can save lives," said Governor Schwarzenegger.

Imperial Valley News - Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Grant to Expand Telemedicine Across California

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Complicated billing makes it hard to shop for health care

Amen....yes it is difficult and depends on what and where you are shopping too...BD 

Heather Foxman was trying to be the health-care bargain shopper backers of increasingly popular consumer-driven insurance plans say Americans should become. The pregnant woman, who has a high-deductible health plan, wanted to know how much she would pay for an ultrasound. After being tossed between clinical and billing departments at Meriter Hospital, St. Mary's Hospital and Dean Health System, she got three similar quotes.

She went to Dean, the lowest bidder at $510. Then the bill came — for $942. But hospitals and doctors' offices, accustomed to insurers' arcane billing codes and negotiated discounts, are often caught off guard by patients who ask about price.

Consumers must check if physician fees are included in such estimates and if the prices factor in insurer discounts, which can be 30 percent or more.

WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL

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For those 50 and older, health insurance can be hard to come by

And the cherry picking continues...but if you are 50 or over, you might not be one of the cherries...BD 

Kent Odell exercises six times a week and eats healthy foods. He is a lean 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds and says he has no known medical conditions. His blood pressure is low, and his cholesterol clocks in well below the recommended level. But Odell is having trouble getting individual health insurance.Odell is 56, too young for Medicare but a prime age to start developing health problems.

Kaiser Permanente rejected Odell for coverage because he used to smoke, even though he quit 16 years ago. But the Benicia man thinks the reason for the denial has more to do with a number over which he has no control: his age.

No law prevents companies selling individual health policies from cherry-picking their members and setting their own rates, said Betsy Imholz, special projects director for Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. "It's wide open," she said.

Aetna Inc., for example, signed a seven-year agreement with AARP in April to offer individual plans aimed at people 50 to 64. The policies, which begin Jan. 1, initially will be available in a limited number of states, including California.  Humana will offer the new plans in 15 states for 2008, but does not plan to expand into California until the state's health reform efforts are resolved.

For those 50 and older, health insurance can be hard to come by

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Health Care Via Text Message

Cell phones can improve your health...type in your question and get a text message back...or have a reminder sent via text message on when you need to take your medications...are you still just using your cell phone for phone calls?  BD

 

http://video.nbcsandiego.com/player/?id=187774

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ORLive Presents: Innovations in Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Surgery

On the reference side of this site, there is a current listing of the latest live surgeries provided by OR Live...November 27th, gender specific knee replacements are on the agenda..BD

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - November 20, 2007) - Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is entering an exciting new phase with further developments in the marriage of laparoscopic and interventional  endoscopic techniques. The result of these developments are MIS procedures that are less invasive, safer, and achieve better outcomes for patients. Physicians interested in keeping abreast of the advances in endolumenal techniques, including Natural Orifice Translumenal Endolumenal Surgery (NOTES), should view this webcast, which features innovators in the field from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

ORLive Presents: Innovations in Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Surgery: NOTES(TM) and Endolumenal Techniques

OR- Live

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HDTV technology improves surgery

Video at the link below...as the surgeon states "it's like looking through a window"...the pictures below show both the camera and monitor...BD 

Rochester General Hospital is now using a specially designed HDTV camera system that is improving the way surgery is done. Dr. Louis Eichel says, "It gives you better definition of the tissue planes between the different anatomy. It can do more like a precise dissection and minimizes any complications."
Dr. Eichel performs laproscopic surgery at Rochester General Hospital. The minimally invasive surgery is now easier and more precise with the help of these new high definition cameras. The HD camera chip is placed at the tip of the endoscope, that's the instrument that goes into the body through a tiny incision.

Each system costs 25-thousand dollars. RGH purchased one system,  the second was made possible through a generous donation.

www.whec.com - HDTV technology improves surgery

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One more hospital using the Robot Docs...

Another update...good picture this time showing the nurse using the "robot's stethoscope"...and future plans for the robot in the ER...BD

From miles away, Dr. Richard Unger can not only see his patient, but also listen to their heartbeat and  review their medical chart because of new robotic technology available at Hancock County Memorial Hospital (HCMH) in Britt. HCMH is the first hospital in Iowa and one of the first in the Mid-West to use a Remote Presence Robot to connect physicians with patients. We were looking for some way to get Dr. Unger to do more here - any device to expand our surgery, said Vance Jackson, HCMH CEO/Administrator.

 

“It saves me at least half an hour or so driving back to the hospital, and it allows me to be there immediately,” said Unger, a surgeon at HCMH who lives in Boone, Iowa. “It is a huge time saver for me and for my patients.”

Forest City Summit Britt News

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Applicator Helps Deliver Direct Treatment for treatment of breast cancer...

Less exposure to health tissue and more focused on the areas needing therapy...BD

An applicator that helps deliver radiation therapy to the breast while sparing surrounding, healthy tissue produced promising results in an early clinical trial with patients, according to a recent study. Lumpectomy is a common breast conservation therapy that involves the surgical removal of cancerous tissue within the breast followed by radiation. Radiation treatment after a lumpectomy traditionally has involved irradiation of the entire breast with an external beam. Whole breast irradiation exposes more healthy tissue to potentially harmful radiation and involves five treatments a week over a six to seven week period.

The SAVI applicator from BioLucent of Aliso Viejo, Calif., is a single entry, multicatheter device that delivers radiation treatment inside the breast for patients with early-stage breast cancer. By delivering a more precisely targeted dose of radiation, SAVI treats the tissue surrounding the lumpectomy cavity while minimizing radiation dose to healthy tissue

Applicator Helps Deliver Direct Treatment

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HIPAA Compliant Tools for Medical Practices - iMedicor Portal

Visit the link to Medgadet for additional information as well....I did sign up for an account...there are some nice features on the portal, such as HIPAA email, and a fairly easy way to refer patients to other physicians..there are several "how to" videos to help you get started...also there are some CME resources and everything is pretty much free.  Nurses, patients, doctors, etc. can all communicate via the portal once you have either joined or added folks to your group.  Will be interesting to see how this one stacks up to a couple of the other portals on the web...BD 

The welcome to iMedicor group is designed for you to have a forum to ask any type of question regarding iMedicor. If you have any issues using the functionality you may either enter a question in the forum below or call the support line listed to the right. We encourage all users to communicate with others through the forums section. This area gives you the ability to voice thoughts and opinions on both healthcare and social issues. There are categories for specialty, primary care, healthcare legislative and healthcare information topics.

To create your referral and information exchange network you will first need to invite others in.. Although there are many users in iMedicor, they will not be able to communicate with you unless you invite and confirm one another. You can invite colleagues by clicking on the invite colleagues icon at the top of the screen. You will be able to invite other users of iMedicor and non-users through email and fax invitations. Email is effective, but some invites go to spam boxes so we recommend sending them by fax as well.

HIPAA Compliant Tools for Medical Practices - iMedicor

Hat Tip and more information:  Medgadget

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Most U.S. Family Physicians Are Foreign

And how does this affect the doctor-patient relationship as we have known in the past?  BD 

When you see your primary care physician, chances are he or she is not a home-grown doctor, according to a new report. Perhaps it's the long hours, demanding work, or the inadequate salary that keeps many American medical school graduates from persuing a career in primary care. But whatever the reason, fewer and fewer U.S. students are entering this field, instead choosing medical careers with fewer hours and larger paychecks.

"What is most significant about this study is not only the fact that we import physicians, but that we preferentially import them from poor countries, to buttress our own primary care physician supply," says study author Dr. Barbara Starfield, a professor of health policy and management at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, Md.

And although many foreign physicians have already completed a residency in their home countries, they have few objections to repeating their training, because they often get paid more as a resident here than they did as a practicing doctor at home.

ABC News: Most U.S. Family Physicians Are Foreign

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Startling Stem Cell Breakthrough: No Embryos Required

This is almost scary...BD

Scientists have made ordinary human skin cells take on the chameleon-like powers of embryonic stem cells, a startling breakthrough that might someday deliver the medical payoffs of embryo cloning without the controversy.

Laboratory teams on two continents report success in a pair of landmark papers released Tuesday. It's a neck-and-neck finish to a race that made headlines five months ago, when scientists announced that the feat had been accomplished in mice.

"It's a bit like learning how to turn lead into gold," said Lanza, while cautioning that the work is far from providing medical payoffs.

ABC News: Startling Stem Cell Breakthrough: No Embryos Required

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Patients Were Not Told of Misuse of Syringes

Follow up on the orginal story...628 patients to be notified...what took the health department so long?  BD

State health officials notified 628 patients this week that they should be tested for hepatitis and H.I.V. infection because they were treated years ago by an anesthesiologist in Nassau County who used improper procedures for preventing the spread of blood-borne diseases.

He would use a new syringe for each patient. But when giving one patient more than one type of drug by injection, his practice of using the same syringe to draw medicine from more than one vial led to the potential contamination of the vials.

Michael Duffy, a lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice cases and vice president of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, said that the long delay in notifying the 628 potential victims of Dr. Finkelstein’s practice was especially troubling because none would be able to seek damages in court.

Patients Were Not Told of Misuse of Syringes - New York Times

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Health Insurance Scams Targeting Small Businesses, Individuals Increasing

If you are a small business looking for employee health insurance, be aware of scams and fraud..as the article states it can sometimes take very long before folks are aware of the scams and regulators are made aware...BD

The Wall Street Journal on Sunday examined the increasing number of small employers and individuals "searching for affordable health insurance" who fall "victim to scams and misleading offers." According to Mila Kofman, a Georgetown University associate professor who has studied the issue, more than 200,000 small businesses and U.S. residents since 2000 have purchased fraudulent health care plans and were left with hundred of millions of dollars in unpaid medical claims.

Medical discount cards also are "sometimes misrepresented as insurance by unscrupulous agents and Web sites," according to the Journal. While legitimate discount programs can offer discounts of 5% to 25% or more on services from a list of in-network providers, some illegitimate programs do not have many providers in their networks or do not provide the promised discounts.
Holland said, "It is amazing how long these things can go on before regulators are advised of them," adding, "Until people complain, we don't know" (McQueen, Wall Street Journal, 11/18).

Health Insurance Scams Targeting Small Businesses, Individuals Increasing

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DEA Ruling Allowing Multiple Prescriptions For Controlled Substances

Physicians will be able to date a prescription for a fill date in the future on some controlled drugs..."Do not fill until______", which will be a big help in not forcing patients to return for an additional office visit when it is not warranted with the medical condition.  BD 

Although not in effect until 30 days from the date of the final ruling on "Issuance of Multiple Prescriptions for Schedule II Controlled Substances," this rule change allows physicians to write three separate prescriptions with staggered fill dates. Patients can still be given the equivalent of a 90-day prescription for schedule II controlled substances when medically appropriate. Schedule II drugs are those that have recognized medical uses as well as a potential for dependence and abuse. Consequently, these drugs are carefully controlled and regulated by the DEA. The DEA now allows physicians to use their professional judgment to carefully control the amount of a controlled substance issued to a patient at one time.

AAPM considers this ruling to be a positive indication of recently improved communication between the medical community and law enforcement. Under protest from pain physicians, the DEA had previously disallowed "Do Not Fill Until…" prescriptions for several years. The agency's Final Rule has been eagerly awaited by these concerned physicians who must provide legitimate pain control........" this rule change allows physicians to write three separate prescriptions with staggered fill dates. Patients can still be given the equivalent of a 90-day prescription for schedule II controlled substances when medically appropriate.

DEA Ruling Allowing Multiple Prescriptions For Controlled Substances

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Telehealth Monitor

Uses blue tooth connections...FDA registered K071953....nice design with big keys for seniors...you can add some reminders and have the box ask questions as well as monitoring blood pressure, glucose, etc  BD 

The RTX3370 Telehealth Monitor is an interactive and simple to use device, designed specifically to improve the way of providing healthcare to patients outside hospitals suffering from chronic diseases such as heart failure, COPD and diabetes.

The RTX3370 Telehealth Monitor can be used as an interactive and personalized tool to collect subjective patient information from questionnaires. Example of questionnaires could be a sequence of questions which the patient can reply to by simply pressing ”Yes” or ”No”.
”Up” and ”Down” buttons can be used to scroll in menu’s and multiple reply questions.

The RTX3370 Telehealth Monitor uses the regular phone line to establish a data connection to a central server using the Global Internet.

Telehealth Monitor

Hat Tip:  Medgadget

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FDA Approves Nexavar For Patients With Inoperable Liver Cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has approved Nexavar (sorafenib) for use in patients with a form of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma, when the cancer is inoperable. Nexavar was originally approved in 2005 for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer.
"In a randomized clinical trial, the group of patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma who received Nexavar survived 2.8 months longer than the group of patients who didn't receive the drug," said Robert Justice, M.D., director of FDA's division of drug oncology products. "This is an important new treatment option for patients who are fighting this very difficult form of cancer."

FDA Approves Nexavar For Patients With Inoperable Liver Cancer

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FDA Approves First Combination Therapy For Initial Use In Patients With Moderate To Severe Hypertension

Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for the antihypertensive agent AVALIDE for initial use in patients with hypertension who are likely to need multiple drugs to achieve their blood pressure goals.

The approval is based on data from two clinical trials involving more than 1,200 patients with moderate or severe high blood pressure.

FDA Approves First Combination Therapy For Initial Use In Patients With Moderate To Severe Hypertension

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Horror in the ER: Medical Mistakes

A long in depth article from ABC News about past medical mistakes in the operating room...the 2 pictures here don't need any descriptions as to what occurred...BD 

Wrong-side amputations. Patient mix-ups. Equipment left inside patients' bodies.

Fortunately, the chance of a serious mistake occurring during any given medical procedure is small. But these errors do happen -- and due to the sheer number of medical procedures that take place in the country every year, they add up. A report last April by the independent health care-ratings company HealthGrades found through Medicare hospitalization records that nearly 3 percent of patients in the nation's hospitals risk experiencing hospital errors.

Surgeon Removes Kidney Instead of Gallbladder 

Girl Dies After Receiving Wrong Heart, Lungs

Surgeons Leave 13-Inch Retractor in Patient

Mix-Up Leads to Unneeded Double Breast Removal

ABC News: Horror in the ER: Medical Mistakes

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Can Wayne Newton's Heart Stand to Dance?

Hopefully he will have a good return...many causes for the disease including high blood pressure, but his case was from a viral infection according to the article...BD

Newton is battling cardiomyopathy, a viral infection of the heart, said his spokeswoman Lori Jonas. According to Jonas, he will not be performing at the finale of this year's "Dancing" competition, although he should be healthy enough to make an appearance.

Cardiomyopathy is a form of heart disease in which the actual heart muscle deteriorates, causing it to grow and thicken. This enlargement makes it increasingly difficult for the heart to efficiently pump blood throughout the body. In turn, the stress and strain placed on a heart trying to adequately supply the body with blood can cause it to weaken and could eventually lead to heart failure."The danger that we're most concerned with is that the heartbeat rhythm would become irregular and the patient could have sudden cardiac arrest," said Dr. Richard Stein

ABC News: Can Wayne Newton's Heart Stand to Dance?

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Amazon targets readers' interest in electronic books

Update and questions answered here..just a period of adjustment in reading...going from paper to paperless...BD

CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled the Amazon (AMZN) Kindle on Monday, a portable reader you can use to download books, newspapers and blogs without having to connect a computer. It can hold more than 200 book titles. You read on a 6-inch display that takes advantage of "electronic paper."

People imagine that this is like reading on a computer screen. … One of the obstacles is teaching people that this is … much closer to reading on paper.

A Revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper. # Simple to use: no computer, no cables, no syncing. # Wireless connectivity enables you to shop the Kindle Store directly from your Kindle whether your e in the back of a taxi, at the airport, or in bed. # Buy a book and it is auto-delivered wirelessly in less than one minute. # More than 88,000 books available, including 100 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers. # New York Times® Best Sellers and all New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise. # Free book samples. Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy. # Top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post; top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbesall auto-delivered wirelessly. 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20071120/tc_usatoday/amazontargetsreadersinterestinelectronicbooks

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Placebo Television #8

We love this Doctor....in this issue he addresses the White Coats in the UK, prescription narcotics, and doctor ratings...Well Point using Zagot.."the finger on the prostate of medicine"...BD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9OahnjpEw0&eurl=http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/11/placebo-television-8.html

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Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and Power Point 2007 File Formats

This might come in handy if you are using older formats of Microsoft Office.  With this add on, you can save your files in the new Office 2007 format, which might come in handy when sending and receiving files from anyone who has already upgraded to the latest version.   This will work with all versions except Office 97.  BD 

 

Open, edit, and save documents, workbooks, and presentations in the file formats new to Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and Power Point 2007.

Download details: Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats

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Microtek Medical Introduces StethoClean

One more item in the battle of infectious germs....reminds me of the dental office with all the covers on their equipment.....BD 

Alpharetta, GA - Today, Microtek Medical Holdings Inc., a global leader in barrier infection control solutions for the healthcare environment, announced the release of StethoClean, a new device that offers clean, disposable stethoscope covers to protect each patient from germs and infectious disease. StethoClean attaches to the stethoscope, making twenty single-use stethoscope covers easily accessible to healthcare professionals as it travels with them throughout the day.

In today’s clinical environments, the stethoscope is rarely cleaned for increasingly contagious and drug resistant bacteria. Fortunately, the innovative, new StethoClean cover from Microtek Medical significantly reduces risk of patient-to-patient exposure from contaminated stethoscopes.

Microtek Medical Introduces StethoClean

Web Site:  http://www.mystethoclean.com/

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Family doctors to shun national database of patients' records - UK

Security and privacy issues at the forefront...not ready to trust the system...and most feel they need a patient's consent before doing so as well....BD

Nearly two-thirds of family doctors are poised to boycott the government's scheme to put the medical records of 50 million NHS patients on a national electronic database, a Guardian poll reveals today. With suspicion rife across the profession that sensitive personal data could be stolen by hackers and blackmailers, the poll found 59% of GPs in England are unwilling to upload any record without the patient's specific consent. Three-quarters of family doctors said medical records would become less secure when they are put on a database that will eventually be used by NHS and social services staff throughout England.

Half thought the records would be vulnerable to hackers and unauthorized access by officials outside the NHS. A quarter feared bribery or blackmail of people with access to the records and 21% suspected that social services staff would not adhere to the confidentiality rules.

Family doctors to shun national database of patients' records | Society | The Guardian

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Minnesota Pay-For-Performance Medical Programs Fall Short

It sounds like the criteria established it not making this a winning situation here...and more work is needed.  BD

The report found that Minnesota has nine programs that include at least 117 measures for 63 different disease states. The MMA says this wide variety of pay-for-performance programs is a problem because they create confusion and a heavier load of administrative work.

"We need to make sure that these programs don't financially penalize physicians who work with patients who have complex illnesses or difficult circumstances," Dehen said.

MyFox Twin Cities | Minnesota Pay-For-Performance Medical Programs Fall Short

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Marijuana Compound Shows Promise in Fighting Breast Cancer

A compound found in cannabis may prove to be effective at helping stop the spread of breast cancer cells throughout the body, but not smoking as the amount of effective levels needed would not be great enough according to the article..BD

Newswise A compound found in cannabis may prove to be effective at helping stop the spread of breast cancer cells throughout the body. Thats the finding of a new study published in the latest issue of the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. The study, by scientists at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, is raising hope that CBD, a compound found in Cannabis sativa, could be the first non-toxic agent to show promise in treating metastatic forms of breast cancer. Right now we have a limited range of options in treating aggressive forms of cancer, says Sean D. McAllister, Ph.D., a cancer researcher at CPMCRI and the lead author of the study. Those treatments, such as chemotherapy, can be effective but they can also be extremely toxic and difficult for patients. This compound offers the hope of a non-toxic therapy that could achieve the same results without any of the painful side effects.

The study was primarily funded by the California Breast Cancer Research Program.  However, the researchers point out that this is not a recommendation for people with breast cancer to smoke marijuana. They say it is highly unlikely that effective concentrations of CBD could be reached by smoking cannabis.

Newswise Medical News | Marijuana Compound Shows Promise in Fighting Breast Cancer

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Doctors Hit the Rails to Plug Medical Gaps - Russia

Russia using a medical train to reach residents, many in rural areas..and the set up is complete with telemedicine to reach specialists, and other hospital based MDs...BD 

There is a line to board the train at Yemtsa, an isolated village in the far north, and a crowd of people stand in the thick mud below the door. Once inside, instead of putting on slippers they pull on blue plastic footwear covers that medical institutes make visitors wear. Instead of the aroma that a train packed with people exudes, there is that familiar hospital smell of antiseptic. The Nikolai Pirogov, a medical train run by Russian Railways, or RZD, was only in Yemtsa, a 19-hour train ride from Moscow, for 24 hours in October, but for many of the villagers it is a lifeline to a different medical world.

The medical train is there to fill a gap in villages and remote train stations that once had their own medical infrastructure.

The train is equipped with telemedicine capabilities so it can connect via satellite with doctors in the country's top hospitals to discuss and diagnose patients and decide whether to hospitalize a patient.

Doctors Hit the Rails to Plug Medical Gaps

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Pfizer to acquire Coley Pharmaceutical Group

Coley has been a partner with Pfizer with Cancer research...BD 

Pfizer has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Coley Pharmaceutical Group, a publicly-held biopharmaceutical company specializing in vaccine adjuvant technology and a new class of immunomodulatory drug candidates designed to fight cancers, allergy and asthma disorders, and autoimmune diseases. Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will make a cash tender offer for all of the outstanding common stock of Coley for $8.00 per share, representing an enterprise value of $164 million. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 and the acquisition by Pfizer of a majority of Coley's shares. Shareholders holding approximately 27% of the Coley shares have entered into agreements to tender their shares in the offer.

More information on both companies and the Coley TLR Therapeutics technology can be found at www.pfizer.com and www.coleypharma.com

Pfizer to acquire Coley Pharmaceutical Group

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Aetna to Cover Given Imaging's Capsule Endoscopy

Hopefully more will follow suit....BD 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) Nov 19 - Israeli medical device maker Given Imaging said on Monday Aetna, the No. 3 U.S. health insurer, had agreed to cover its capsule endoscopy. Following Aetna's decision, the health insurer will now cover patients for the screening and surveillance of varicose veins that occur in the esophagus as a result of portal hypertension using capsule endoscopy of the esophagus, Given Imaging said in a statement.

"We hope that additional payers will soon recognize the value of this non-invasive procedure to identify patients with varices (varicose veins) so that we can use proven prophylatic therapies to reduce the risk of bleeding," said John Vierling, M.D. of Baylor College of Medicine in the statement.

Aetna to Cover Given Imaging's Capsule Endoscopy

Web Site:  http://www.givenimaging.com/en-us/Pages/GivenWelcomePage.aspx

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Where have all the doctors gone?

Are they all going to Kaiser?  And even Kaiser is having issues keeping enough physicians on staff as other retire...BD 

Kaiser Permanente's aggressive recruitment of Northern California doctors has been joined by a similar effort by the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, raising fears that the two health-care giants will deplete the area's supply of doctors. Kaiser has hired nearly 1,000 doctors regionwide in the last three years, including roughly 175 this year, 400 last year, and 375 in 2005, according to Dr. Robbie Pearl, executive director and CEO of the Permanente Medical Group. 

Oken said small groups can pay new pediatricians between $90,000 and $125,000 in annual salary, while Kaiser reportedly starts at $140,000

And Kaiser loses more than 200 Northern California doctors each year to retirement, so "we're always hiring," Pearl told the Business Times. Pearl said Kaiser has eight applications for every job opening; the average age of its physicians is approximately 44, he said, or "about a decade lower than out in the (non-Kaiser) community, (where) they're facing a real crisis" in some specialties and geographic areas.

Doctors say they are feeling the pinch....medical schools such as UC San Francisco and Stanford University "aren't training very many primary care physicians," which at some point is likely to prompt Kaiser to recruit more doctors from farther afield.

"Our salaries are so low we have difficulty recruiting" against Kaiser, PAMF and the Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation, said Dr. Richard Oken, a pediatrician and managing partner of the nine-physician East Bay Pediatric Medical Group, which has offices in Berkeley and Orinda.  On occasion, Kaiser also recruits entire outside medical practices into its Permanente Medical Group, as occurred recently with the Fremont Pediatric Medical Group, an eight-doctor practice that is moving to Kaiser "lock, stock and barrel" early next year, said Dr. Milton Wong, one of its physicians and a leader in its decision to move to Kaiser.

Where have all the doctors gone? - San Francisco Business Times:

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Doctors Group Pressures FDA to Limit Salt in Products, Restaurants

Physicians actively talking to the FDA in reference to sodium use in restaurants...could save lives...and there's always a salt shaker to add salt, but perhaps this will give folks the options of salt or no salt...BD 

Now public health specialists are pressuring the Food and Drug Administration to require food makers to cut the sodium. In a hearing set for next week, they will call the government intervention crucial to fighting heart disease. The AMA says cutting in half the sodium in processed and restaurant foods within 10 years could wind up saving 150,000 lives annually.

It's not just a U.S. issue. Britain has a major government campaign under way to reduce salt consumption by one-third by 2010. In catchy TV ads, a shopper shouts, "Full of it!" as she tosses aside high-sodium foods, and a mound of salt crushes a grocery cart. Next year, Britain begins checking if manufacturers are meeting new reduced-sodium targets for different types of food.

ABC News: Doctors Group Pressures FDA to Limit Salt in Products, Restaurants

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New technology saving lives - 4D Ultrasound

4-D Ultrasound...amazing pictures on developing fetuses with high risk pregnancies...no comparison at all to old ultrasound technologies...amazing how the picture actually shows the face of the developing baby and movement.  Video at the site...BD 

New technology is bringing parents and doctors alike, closer to the babies they care for.

A grainy black and white ultrasound photograph is the first look most parents have of their babies, but now there is 4-D, a detailed view of the womb that is saving lives.

"With these guys I had ultrasounds every week…it was really nice to track their progress when they were inside me and know that they were healthy," said new mother of triplets, Melissa Munsch.

As exciting as the technology may be for parents, it is critical for doctors, who use the images to track fetal development. 4-D gives doctors a chance to see bones, organs and to track blood flow.

"The anatomy is the way it should be and that the baby has grown appropriately or hasn't, allows us a snapshot inside to manage the pregnancy that we otherwise wouldn't have," said Dr. Bill Block, Medical Director of the Minnesota Perinatal Physicians.

KSTP.com - New ultrasound technology saving lives

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Google-funded site offers $999 DNA test - find your DNA

One saliva sample will help tell all....the site does not offer any medical guidelines at all, just DNA findings that you could use for yourself or perhaps discuss with your physician...BD 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Google Inc-funded 23andMe launched on Monday and began offering a DNA saliva test for $999 per person, which would help U.S. users of the online site learn about disease risk, inherited traits and their ancestry.

Eventually users, who sign up for the saliva test online and receive it by mail, will also be able to participate in research.

Joining 23andMe is easy - once you've placed your order and signed our online consent form, all you do is spit in a plastic tube included with the kit we ship to you. Each kit is labeled with the name of the person it is designated for along with a claim code. Just use the kit's pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping envelope to send your sample to our contracted laboratory. Our service is currently available in the United States.

After receiving your sample, lab professionals extract DNA from cells in your saliva. Your DNA is then chopped up into shorter strands and copied many times via a process called amplification. Next, your DNA is washed over a small microchip-like device that contains short strands of synthetic DNA. The synthetic DNA fragments latch onto the pieces of your DNA that are a complementary match. Then a laser-scanning step reveals which strands of synthetic DNA are stuck to your DNA to determine your genotype.

What we do not and will not do is provide medical advice to our customers. Though our service delivers personalized data, the information it provides is tailored to genotypes, not to individuals. Initially, we will have no knowledge of our customers' vital signs, disease histories, family histories, environment, or any other medically relevant information. Thus we have no way of evaluating our customers' health or medical needs, and we make every effort to clarify this for our customers.

Google-funded site offers $999 DNA test - Yahoo! News

Web Site:  https://www.23andme.com/ourservice/

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Intel's QX9770 quad-core to blow away competition in Q1

  Something for the IT folks today...don't over look the Quad Cores when replacing outdated workstations...especially with PACS systems in use...you will notice the difference...and so will the end users...BD 

HotHardware got their hands on the proc a bit early and call it the fastest quad-core processor they've ever tested, "bar none." Generally speaking, they found it to be about 5 - 8% faster than the QX9650.

Intel's QX9770 quad-core to blow away competition in Q1 - Engadget

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17 more newspapers join Yahoo group

Can make it easier to keep on top of medical and health care news as well with one place to look for breaking news stories...use a Tablet PC to carry around and read as you have time...BD 

The Yahoo consortium has continued to sign up new members since its original launch last Nov. 20. It added the New York Daily News Nov. 9 and a group of 12 newspaper publishing companies in April.

And while the 15 newspapers in The New York Times Co.'s regional group as well as the company's Worcester Telegram & Gazette have joined, neither The New York Times itself nor its sister paper, The Boston Globe, have joined.

17 more newspapers join Yahoo group - Yahoo! News

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Man seeks to unravel curse with pants and egg - Marital problems

He may have been better off to seek psychological help from a professional...and my have saved some money too..I would not call this alternative medicine by any means...BD 

A woman in Cyprus is on trial for sorcery after pledging to shake off a curse apparently plaguing a man's relationship with his wife and mother-in-law. The suggested remedy consisted of an egg, a spoon, a nail, some pubic hairs and underpants, local media reported Friday.  The elderly woman wanted some 5,000 Cyprus pounds ($12,195) for her efforts, the man said, so he went to police.

Man seeks to unravel curse with pants and egg - Yahoo! News

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Aunt Ruth Learns How to Use a Tablet PC!

At 92 years old, she enjoys her tablet!  You are never too old to start enjoying the mobility and use of a Tablet PC..just think of how this simplifies the field of health care too.  I think we have shown almost every age group here using Tablets...a few weeks ago we showed  2 year old also enjoying the use of a tablet pc too!  Just think of how much the mobility can and does improve the quality of health care we receive today.  BD  

http://thinkingonthemargin.blogspot.com/2007/11/aunt-ruth-learns-how-to-use-tablet-pc.html

Hat Tip:  GottaBeMobile

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Medtronic Receives FDA Marketing Clearance for Complete SE Biliary Stent System

 SANTA ROSA, Calif. – Nov. 15, 2007 – Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), announced today that it has received 510(k) marketing clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the Complete SE (self-expanding) Biliary Stent System, which is indicated for use in the palliative treatment of malignant neoplasms in the biliary tree – cancerous tumors in the bile duct that can compromise digestion by restricting the flow of digestive fluids.

U.S. commercial sales of the new biliary stent will begin immediately in a wide size range, with diameters of 4 – 10 mm and lengths of 20 – 150 mm.

Medtronic Receives FDA Marketing Clearance for Complete SE Biliary Stent System

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DexComTM Receives FDA Approval To Calibrate Its SEVENTM Continuous Glucose Monitoring System Using Any FDA Cleared Blood Glucose Meter

This system will include an alarm to let you know when the glucose levels are out of bounds...but it is one of those "chips" that would need to be implanted...something to think about...BD 

DexCom, Inc. (NASDAQ:DXCM) announced that it has received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to calibrate the SEVENTM, its seven-day continuous glucose monitoring system, using any FDA cleared blood glucose meter. With this approval, patients will be able to calibrate the system without using a connection cable. DexCom expects to launch this feature to new patients near the end of the first quarter of 2008 and upgrade existing patients during the second quarter of 2008.

• Tiny flexible Sensor goes under the skin
• Small Sensor — so small that it fits completely inside the insertion needle
• Smallest insertion needle (26 gauge) available
• Detachable, disposable applicator for easy and reliable insertion

Data is downloadable to computer for viewing of long-term trends

DexComTM Receives FDA Approval To Calibrate Its SEVENTM Continuous Glucose Monitoring System Using Any FDA Cleared Blood Glucose Meter

Web Site:  http://www.dexcom.com/html/dexcom_products.html

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Health coverage shrinks as costs up again

The trend continues for employers to drop health insurance coverage....many only hire part time employees to keep insurance costs down as part time employees may only receive partial benefits or none at all...BD 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The cost of providing health care for workers rose again in 2007 to nearly $8,000 annually per employee, prompting more businesses to drop the benefit, according to an annual business survey released on Monday.

Costs rose by 6.1 percent, about the same pace as last year but lower than the double-digit rates of prior years. In keeping with trends of recent years, businesses with fewer than 200 workers were more likely to cut back on coverage than larger ones.

But that's still more than twice the rate of inflation, and costs to businesses would be even higher if they had not shifted more of it to the workers and their families, the National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health plans found.

Health coverage shrinks as costs up again: study | Health | Reuters

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Scalpel or Sword?: My First Needlestick

What happens when a physician has a needle stick from an AIDS patient...thank goodness the infectious disease doctor was available and on duty....real time stress for the physician...BD 

After rounds, I hurried down to the ER where I was fortunate to find one of the Infectious Disease fellows moonlighting as faculty. He tried his best to reassure me that the odds were in my favor, but freaking hell, I had just been badly stuck with a dirty needle carrying the blood of a critically ill AIDS patient.

The only preventive option at that time was AZT, so I eagerly filled the prescription and started taking the medication five times per day, as directed. The GI side effects were so intolerable that I only lasted one week of the recommended six, deciding to take my chances instead.

Scalpel or Sword?: My First Needlestick - Part 2

Hat Tip:  Kevin, MD

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The Surgical Hospitalist

The hospitalist role continues to evolve...and specialize...with the shortage of general surgeons emerging...BD 

Our surgical hospitalists station themselves in the hospital for a week at a time. For that hellish week, they are constantly available to the emergency department for consults. As a result, the average time between an ED consult request and their appearance in the ED was I hope youre sitting down 16 minutes. Heck, I didn't know the elevators were that fast! The ED docs and nurses were nearly euphoric with this responsiveness.

What are the downsides? I do worry about burnout – our surgical hospitalists seem to be in the hospital all the time – but Dr. Maa assures me that he and his compadres catch their breath during their non-hospitalist weeks (two weeks in three, spent in office practice and on academic pursuits), that they love what their doing, and that they enjoy the warm afterglow of a job well done. More importantly, they’ve added four new surgeons to the group this year, so things may work out.

Wachter's World : The Surgical Hospitalist

Hat Tip:  Kevin, MD

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SCHIP Negotiations Break Down As Recess Begins

No additional work until after the holiday according to this article..BD

A House Democratic leadership aide called the Republican proposal a "disaster," saying it would not cover 10 million children -- an issue that Democrats are unwilling to compromise on (Johnson, CongressDaily, 11/16). According to a House Democratic leadership aide, "The proposal that Republicans put forward would walk away from the bipartisan goal of insuring 10 million kids." The aide said Democrats also opposed provisions of the plan that would change the way states calculate Medicaid eligibility, which could result in some children losing coverage, and a requirement that states that provide SCHIP coverage to middle-income families roll back their programs, which also would result in some children losing coverage.

SCHIP Negotiations Break Down As Recess Begins

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Worrying about your health will just make you sick

Due to the growing awareness and availability of so much additional health care and medical information, it is easy to see how this is happening... years ago we did not have the influx of information out there today...BD

In a report by health provider BUPA it has been found that people's worries are damaging their health by causing sleepless nights, loss of sex drive and erratic eating habits.

The 2007 Worry Report, is the second annual survey carried out by BUPA UK Health Insurance, and it demonstrates that almost one in five people worry constantly about a number of things, and more than half feel they worry more now than five years ago.

Worrying about your health will just make you sick

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Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device

Books have not died, they have just gone digital...the shape of things to come and it uses the same frequency used by cell phones, so it can always be connected so you can read your favorite newspaper or medical journal .  It will be able to hold up to 200 books and would certainly be much easier to carry around than 200 books!  No computer required for reading books and newspapers, and you can keep up to date on your favorite blog, such as this one.  But, if you have a Tablet PC, all of this is readily available now without having to carry and additional device if you utilize a cell phone carrier connection via 3G.  BD 

A Revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper. # Simple to use: no computer, no cables, no syncing. # Wireless connectivity enables you to shop the Kindle Store directly from your Kindlewhether your e in the back of a taxi, at the airport, or in bed. # Buy a book and it is auto-delivered wirelessly in less than one minute. # More than 88,000 books available, including 100 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers. # New York Times® Best Sellers and all New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise. # Free book samples. Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy. # Top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post; top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbesall auto-delivered wirelessly.

Long battery life. Leave wireless on and recharge approximately every other day. Turn wireless off and read for a week or more before recharging. Fully recharges in 2 hours.

Unlike WiFi, Kindle utilizes the same high-speed data network (EVDO) as advanced cell phones—so you never have to locate a hotspot.

Amazon.com: Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device: Kindle Store

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Video, interactivity could nab Web users by 2010

One of the reasons Virtualization technologies are needed as it offers some relief...BD

Schools, hospitals and businesses could add to the flood as they use the Web for long-distance education, health care services and videoconferencing.

Johnson says that cable operators, with 32.6 million broadband customers, also must upgrade. Most of their Internet resources now are devoted to sending data to users - not users sending data. They'll need more capacity for the latter as more people transmit homemade music, photos and videos.

Video, interactivity could nab Web users by '10 - Yahoo! News

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Power Package For Hospital And Office - Acuson P50 with integrated echocardiography software

Portable ultra sound and PC all in one...and works with MS Office...BD 

At the Medica 39th World Forum for Medicine in Dusseldorf, Germany, Siemens Medical Solutions presents a new laptop-based ultrasound system, the Acuson P50, with integrated echocardiography software. The system is especially designed for mobile applications in cardiology as well as vascular applications and use in the operating room and anesthesiology departments. In addition to these functions, the P50 can be used as a standard Internet-enabled PC that also runs common office applications. With an array of transducers, the system lets physicians bring ultrasound anywhere it is needed.

The Acuson P50 is a Microsoft Windows-based PC equipped with such additional functions as Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office PowerPoint and many other special image viewing programs. The system's flexible architecture provides for excellent ultrasound images and gives users a number of tools for image post-processing, for generating protocols or for accessing the Internet for additional research. During the examination, the physician is able to view other images, look at technical papers or clarify abnormalities before he making a diagnosis. This gives physicians more flexibility during the diagnostic process.

Power Package For Hospital And Office

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FDA Seizes Dangerous Eyelash Drugs In San Jose

Well I guess I am safe here...happy with my lashes..BD

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning people to avoid a product called Age Intervention Eyelash that promises to increase eyelash growth but can damage a person's vision.

The agency says it seized more than 12,000 tubes of the product Friday worth a total of $2 million from Jan Marini Skin Research of San Jose.

The FDA says the product is an unapproved and misbranded drug that raises the risk of optic nerve damage or swelling or inflammation of the eye.

Jan Marini, the company's president and chief executive, says the company stopped selling the product in September of last year.

cbs5.com - FDA Seizes Dangerous Eyelash Drugs In San Jose

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