Pfizer Receives Approvable Letter from FDA for Dalbavancin

Hopefully some additional help in the war with MRSA...BD 

Pfizer Inc today announced that it has received an approvable letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued for dalbavancin HCl, Pfizer's once-weekly two-dose antibiotic under FDA review for the treatment of adult patients with complicated skin and skin structure infections, including those caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

The FDA recently published a draft guidance on studies designed to show non-inferiority as a basis for approval of antibacterial drug products and has requested that Pfizer provide additional data with regard to dalbavancin. Pfizer is working with the FDA to respond to these new requirements.

Pfizer Receives Approvable Letter from FDA for Dalbavancin

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Unborn Babies on Our iPod

Amazing they can get this correct and have patient chart issues...how safe is that "secure" site ...I guess down the road parents can show the pictures to their children to show how they looked even before they got here...strange..BD 

This is just weird, even for the giddy parents-to-be types who like to run around showing off copies of their ultrasound at work. A hospital in England is one (two?)-upping old-school 2D ultrasounds with 4D scans of your in utero spawn. 

The scanner (which is apparently not so new itself, per the comments) produces a moving 3D image, which is why we guess they're calling it 4D—not 'cause it's like tesseract, which I would much rather look at. What is new (and unsettling) is that the hospital's uploading the images to a secure site for bug-eyed mommies-to-be to download to their MP3 player or cellphone.

The article is kind of trend-fishing with the iPod headline, since the hospital also gives you the file on a CD or DVD, which you can load up on anything—like grossest of grossness, a 50-inch TV.

Babies R Weird: Unborn Babies on Our iPod

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WebMD meets FaceBook...

Just how big is the Internet social network today, well I did some checking and found many big companies on FaceBook, including WebMD, which you can join if you have a WebMD email address.  Just goes to show how fast social networking is on the move on the web today...even with healthcare...found a network for Phizer and Merck listed as well...I posted an earlier article where the CIO of Merck is encouraging employees to use the social networks...I don't think they are going away anytime soon and it's a great way to communicate issues to a large crowd by one simple "wall" posting...BD 

 

       

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?

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Judge overturns Maine law on Rx data

Physician prescribing information is still going to be for sale...unless the opt out choice is made..BD

BANGOR, Maine - A federal judge has ruled that a new Maine law making doctors' prescription-writing habits confidential violates the Constitution. U.S. District Judge John Woodcock concluded that the law, which was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, would prohibit "the transfer of truthful commercial information" and "violate the free speech guarantee of the First Amendment."

The law had been challenged by IMS Health of Norwalk, Conn., Wolters Kluwer Health of Conshohocken, Pa., and Verispan of Yardley, Pa., which collect, analyze and sell medical data to pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and researchers.

In a 42-page decision issued Friday, Woodcock said he relied heavily on an April 30 ruling by U.S. District Judge Paul Barbadoro in New Hampshire that shot down a similar law in that state. A similar case is also pending in Vermont.

Judge overturns Maine law on Rx data - Yahoo! News

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RFID in Healthcare

Great Video showing how RFID technology is being use in hospitals...especially in tracking all blood and waste products...BD

YouTube - RFID in Healthcare

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698-pound man dies after stomach surgery

Sad, and it required a fork lift to get him there too...BD 

GUATEMALA CITY - A man who weighed 698 pounds died Friday of heart failure after undergoing an operation to remove 80 percent of his stomach in a desperate effort to reduce his weight.

Carlos Marroquin, 47, was so heavy at the time of Thursday's operation that hospital workers used a forklift to place him on the operating table, surgeon Isaias Sandigo, who participated in the procedure, told The Associated Press.

"He had two heart attacks in 20 minutes, there was nothing we could have done for him," Sandigo said. He said Marroquin's heart and kidneys had begun failing even before the procedure.

698-pound man dies after stomach surgery - Yahoo! News

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And you thought service couldn't get worse

Good thoughts here all around...is there a such thing as customer service?  Seems like we never get the same answer twice...and then we have another procedure to do afterwards, which may or may not correct the problem..and this is after you have sat on hold for quite a while to get to this person, who is trained to follow procedures and when guessing comes in to play in order to satisfy a customer....well we all know that tune...BD 

The rep you talk to also thinks that you, despite the notes you took during your last conversation with someone else in the system, are, at best, misinformed, or, at worst, lying. This isn't about international outsourcing. Instead, it's an utter lack of communication within large, U.S.-based companies, where worker bees are inadequately or inconsistently trained to handle your finances. It isn't their fault. They've caught it through a warped sort of osmosis, where accounting has been sucked up by customer service, but without the proper level of absorption.

In November, I had to separate my family's medical insurance plan into three different policies with my HMO because my 19-year-old was no longer covered. When I tried to pay the bills online, payments were applied to the wrong policies, showing an overpayment on one and a past due on the other. After I consolidated the bills, as directed by a real, live person from the member services department of my HMO, I received a letter saying I couldn't do it that way. I called again and was told by a different rep that I had to fill out another form, which I did, although I suspect I will be back on the phone with them next month.

Dager: And you thought service couldn't get worse : Columnists : Ventura County Star

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Children's Hospital sues over unpaid bills - Philadelphia

No doubt the attorneys are still the big bread winners and patients and doctors come in last...BD 

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, asserting it is owed more than $20 million in unpaid claims, has sued New Jersey's largest Medicaid HMO plan. 

In its lawsuit, filed this month at U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, CHOP alleges that Horizon NJ Health breached its contract, misappropriated trade secrets and improperly steered patients away from the Philadelphia pediatric hospital in favor of other health-care providers in the Garden State.

CHOP sues over unpaid bills - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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Family blames HMO for teen's death

Update from yesterday's story.....Procedure was too experimental said Cigna and lacked medical evidence...sad to watch the video as the parents rejoiced on Cigna changing their minds, but only a few minutes later the hospital calls to tell them their daughter had take a turn for the worse and passed on later that evening...and this will sadly be another legal case in healthcare..BD 

Krikor Sarkisyan, holds a photograph of his daughter Nataline, 17, who died after being denied a liver transplant from her insurance company.

Cigna refused to pay for a 17-year-old leukemia patient's liver transplant until the family staged a protest Thursday, but Nataline Sarkisyan died shortly after the reversal.

"She had a 65% chance of survival if she had gotten the liver," Hilda Sarkisyan said from her home this morning.  Doctors at UCLA sent a letter Dec. 11 to Cigna emphasizing that Nataline was eligible for a transplant, Hilda Sarkisyan said. But Cigna refused to pay, citing a lack of medical evidence the procedure would help.

While it isn't clear that Cigna could have saved Nataline by approving the transplant earlier, Idelson said, the insurer should have trusted her doctors.  "The transplant was recommended by the medical professionals at the bedside," Idelson said. "They should have been listened to."

Family blames HMO for teen's death - Los Angeles Times

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Sahara Slate PC i440D: What I Love and What I Hate

Great review and worth taking a look at...always good to see another perspective on the unit too...there are 3 videos to watch below...BD

The world is clearly moving towards touch screen thanks to Apple’s iPhone innovations. Even though Microsoft’s tablet operating systems (XP and Vista) lack touch gestures, hardware manufacturers like Tabletkiosk have forged ahead and provided touch capabilities. The touch capabilities at this point only provide mouse actions however the Sahara Slate PC should be able to handle any gestures programmed into the operating system.

That being said the Tabletkiosk Sahara Slate PC i440D is a very able Tablet PC computer. It performs very well against most 12.1” laptops and traditional Tablet PCs I have tested. The screen is bright and works well outdoors. Tabletkiosk has done a good job of weight balance with unit and it is very comfortable to hold with one hand. With WIFI and Bluetooth, the only missing option networking option is Cellular Broadband, but that is easily remedied with a PCMCIA card.

 

     

 

 

tabletkiosk Sahara Slate PC i440D: What I Love and What I Hate - pocketnow.com Discussion

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Sick and Sicker - Canada's Sicko?

First we had Sicko, and now we have Sick and Sicker...showing the other side of the coin outside the US...and the Canadians speak out about their system..The site includes a list of US doctors who will accept applications from Canadian patients....BD

SICK AND SICKER will deal with ideas long suppressed by the mainstream media.  This movie will arm you with little-known facts while giving you an experience that you won't soon forget.  The host and executive producer, Logan Darrow Clements, is not afraid to use dramatic, humorous or unconventional methods to shed light on socialized medicine, whether it's called "a single payer system" or "universal health care." 

But don't worry this "sugar coating" will just make the pill you're about to take easier to swallow.  The pill will contain hard facts about socialized medicine from doctors, patients and public policy experts in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere.  The next time you hear a politician advocating universal health care you'll be able to ask them some really nifty questions.

 

And speaking of Sicko, I found this on You Tube, which states it is a portion of the movie that was edited and cut from the movie...BD

Sick and Sicker - MOVIE INFO

Hat Tip:  Kevin, MD

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FDA warns of deaths from fentanyl patch

Wearing too many patches...getting the patches too hot which could cause an overdose...They are not for sudden, occasional or mild pain, or pain after surgery....BD

WASHINGTON - Improper use of patches that emit the painkiller fentanyl is still killing people, the government said Friday — its second warning in two years about the powerful narcotic.

Some of the deaths came after doctors prescribed the patches to the wrong patients, the Food and Drug Administration said.

The drug is only for chronic pain in people used to narcotics, such as cancer patients, and can cause trouble breathing in people new to this family of "opioid" painkillers. Yet the FDA found cases where doctors prescribed it for headaches or post-surgical pain.

Absorbing fentanyl through the skin is a powerful way to deliver the potent drug, and thus poses serious risk to anyone not already opioid-tolerant, Rappaport explained.

FDA warns of deaths from fentanyl patch - Yahoo! News

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Private health insurance offers us sickly benefits

Has President Bush spent most of his life benefiting from taxpayer funded insurance writes one observer..BD

It may seem incredible to some entrepreneurs that a business would chase away paying customers, but it's true in the health insurance industry. Policyholders are not assets, but liabilities on a private health insurance company's moral balance sheet. A policyholder with a chronic illness can run up hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical bills a year while paying less than $10,000 a year in premiums. Like any for-profit business, a commercial health insurance company's first obligation is to the stockholders, not the policyholders, and as a result, private health insurance companies have a conflict of interest with their policyholders. The economic reality is that it is basically impossible to run a for-profit health insurance company honestly and still obtain the 15 percent and higher return on investment demanded by stockholders and board members.

In contrast to what he wishes to impose on his fellow Americans, President Bush has spent much of his adult life with taxpayer-funded health insurance, or as he calls it, "socialized" health care.  As governor of Texas, Bush and his family's health insurance was taxpayer-subsidized. Bush has received health care from the taxpayers as president and he and Laura Bush will continue to enjoy the benefits of "socialized medicine" for the rest of their lives.

Private health insurance offers us sickly benefits | ajc.com

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The Tug - Useful robots for hospitals

Great news for the busy nurses today...even delivers food...wonder if it does dishes too...web page has a section of case studies...and this little guy can go 5 miles a day on a charge...BD

The TUG is an affordable, automated courier system for the delivery and tracking of hospital goods and supplies. This autonomous mobile robot requires no extra infrastructure investment, is simple to install and can be applied across a variety of applications. Many hospitals have deployed multiple TUGs which have saved them hundreds of thousands of dollars.

TUG can deliver supplies, meals, meds and much more:

• Central Supply — delivery of medical supplies
• Dietary — delivery of late meals, removal of trays and handling of room service
• Pharmacy — delivery of meds on a schedule that matches patient care needs
• Laboratory — pickup of specimens
• Medical Records — delivery of charts
• Nursing — errands to lab, blood bank, medical records, admissions and more
• Linens — delivery of used laundry and linens

And there's his buddy...Homer...while Tug is busy making deliveries, Homer can be on the lookout for hospital equipment....RFID in action....BD

HOMER™ from Aethon (teamed with TUG™) is the first and only RFID-based asset management solution that can locate and recover hospital equipment — without the hassle of costly infrastructure. Need to ensure key equipment is in the right place at the right time? Want a way to improve workflow? Can do with HOMER.

By using HOMER to locate hospital assets — pumps, wheelchairs, monitors, respirators, beds — hospitals can:

• Improve staff efficiency and satisfaction
• Increase asset utilization
• Decrease equipment rentals
• Improve regulatory compliance 

Aethon : Can Do

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Bill Gates Invests $392 Million in Mexican Beer

Does Bill like beer?  A previous post said it's ok to drink alcohol as we get older...this might just confirm that...although we don't know if Bill really does like beer or not...but the pocketbook seems to agree...BD

When you're Bill Gates, you've gotta party just as hard as you work. And you've got to invest just was hard as you party. Maybe that's why Bill Gates just invested $392 million in Mexico's second largest brewer, Femsa. You know them as the company that makes Tecate, Sol, Superior and Kaiser.

 

Investments: Bill Gates Invests $392 Million in Mexican Beer

Source:  Engadget

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Medical Visa Gift Cards Bring Well Wishes

For everything else there is Master Card...BD 

More and more of us are in the sandwich generation. We would love to be able to somehow help our parents with some of their health care expenses, or our kids who are more and more not being covered by health insurance.
"So, the company is betting on the fact that we will be willing to spend a lot of money on these cards and give them to people that we care a lot about."
Gillis noted that the cards could make a good gift from 40-to 50-year-olds faced with the task of helping their parents without having to be too intrusive and without a handout. "This is a gift," he says. "It could enable someone to be proud."
Also, he said, the cards "can be relatively expensive if you're only giving a little bit of money. For example, they cost $5 plus a delivery fee, so if you're only going to give someone $100, that's 5, 6, 7 percent right off the top of the card.

Medical Gift Cards Bring Well Wishes, Consumer Advocate Praises Debit Card-Like Vehicle, With Some Cautions - CBS News

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FDA approves Power Medical Interventions devices

Driven by software...BD

The Food and Drug Administration granted marketing clearance Friday to Power Medical Interventions Inc. for its iDrive surgical devices.

The Langhorne, Pa., medical device company's iDrive devices are reusable, self-contained, hand-held devices that can be used to power and control the existing suite of surgical cutters and staplers developed by Power Medical (NASDAQ: PMII).

The i60 Intelligent Surgical Instrument™ is PMI's Articulating Endoscopic Linear Cutter designed to transect, resect and anastomose tissue. It is controlled by drive motors, motor control circuits and clinician-feedback technology that have been miniaturized and integrated into the handpiece. The i60 is designed for used in laparoscopic surgery.

A push of a button initiates a sequence of steps under software control which are performed automatically unlike conventional staplers that require a series of manual operations

FDA approves Power Medical Interventions devices - Philadelphia Business Journal:

Web Site:  http://www.pmi2.com/product_inn.php

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Pair indicted on fraud charges in medical-device probe

Update on  fraudulent medical devices...BD

A Mount Vernon couple operated a clandestine health-care clinic that offered bogus treatments for hepatitis and cancer with unproven medical devices, according to a federal grand-jury indictment.

Donald Brandt, 77, and Sharon Brandt, 65, who ran a clinic out of their home, face three felony counts involving fraud, according to the indictment. They will make an initial appearance on Jan. 3 in U.S. District Court in Seattle. The Brandts also fraudulently used an unproven, pain-relief device called the Electro-Acuscope Model 70-C, according to the indictment.

From 2002 through 2005, Donald Brandt posed as a medical doctor and used devices that purportedly fired radio frequencies that cured disease, according to a federal search warrant and state records. He had no health-care license or degree.

Local News | Pair indicted on fraud charges in medical-device probe | Seattle Times Newspaper

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Teen dies after transplant funds nixed - Cigna denies payment for transplant and reverses decision, but too late

But the decision was too late to save her life...why don't insurance companies listen to the physicians...sometimes in healthcare we don't have the luxury of an administrative decision when someone's life is at stake..and this took a protest of nurses and other teenagers to reverse...will be glad when articles such as this no longer exist and are no longer newsworthy...BD 

GLENDALE, Calif. - A 17-year old died just hours after her health insurance company reversed its decision not to pay for a liver transplant that doctors said the girl needed. Nataline had been battling leukemia and received a bone marrow transplant from her brother. She developed a complication, however, that caused her liver to fail.

Nataline Sarkisyan died Thursday night at about 6 p.m. at University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. She had been in a vegetative state for weeks, said her mother, Hilda.

Doctors at UCLA determined she needed a transplant and sent a letter to CIGNA Healthcare on Dec. 11. The Philadelphia-based health insurance company denied payment for the transplant. On Thursday, about 150 teenagers and nurses protested outside CIGNA's office in Glendale. As the protesters rallied, the company reversed its decision and said it would approve the transplant.

Teen dies after transplant funds nixed - Yahoo! News

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Whistle-Blower Is Awarded $1.6 Million

Over marketing to Medicare...BD

To do so, prosecutors must show that a whistle-blower was the planner or initiator of the scheme involved; otherwise he or she is legally entitled to receive 15 to 25 percent of any funds recovered by the government. The precise figure is determined by a whistle-blower’s contribution to the case.

In a ruling after a two-day hearing last month in Seattle, Judge Marsha J. Pechman of Federal District Court found that prosecutors had failed to prove that Mr. Marchese was the initiator of a scheme at his former employer, Cell Therapeutics. In April, the company agreed to pay $10.5 million to settle charges that it had bilked Medicare out of that much money in connection with the sale of a cancer drug, Trisenox.

Whistle-Blower Is Awarded $1.6 Million - New York Times

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Potential Lifesaver Developed By Nevada Company

A Las Vegas business and Oak Ridge National Laboratory are improving the odds for people medically at risk from dehydration or congestive heart failure.
The task for ORNL researchers Chuck Britton, Nance Ericson and Gary Alley was to improve and miniaturize Noninvasive Medical Technologies' ZOE, a medical device that monitors a person's hydration, or level of fluid. This is of great importance to members of the military and to thousands of home health care patients, athletes, firefighters and first responders. 
"Technologies that allow for better hydration management will improve performance, medical triage and treatment of soldiers and others who are suffering from a fluid-electrolyte imbalance," said Katy DeMarr, vice president, government relations of Noninvasive Medical Technologies.

Potential Lifesaver Developed By Nevada Company

Web Site:  http://nmtinc.org/products_zoe.html

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Kansas doctor accused of illegally prescribing drugs

Writing the top number of narcotic scripts in the state will certainly bring attention...fentanyl, methadone, morphine and oxycodone....this could be the real crux of the matter here...11 counts of health-care fraud, 13 counts of illegal monetary transactions, and four counts of money laundering...billed more than $4.24 million to health benefit programs, including Medicaid and Medicare...a very complicated case...BD

According to the indictment, 56 of Stephen Schneider’s patients have died of accidental prescription drug overdoses in the last five years. However, the indictment alleges that only four deaths were directly caused by drugs Schneider’s clinic prescribed, Melgren said. Drugs were a contributing factor in 11 deaths, Melgren said.  According to the indictment, Linda Schneider bragged when interviewing prospective employees that the suburban Wichita clinic, with its large number of pain-management patients, wrote more narcotics prescriptions than any other medical clinic in the state.

Schneider is not charged with killing any patients. “He called patients who died from accidental overdoses ‘bad grapes,’ ” Melgren said. “They emphasized volume over quality of care.”

The 65-page indictment alleges that the doctor and his assistants wrote unlawful prescriptions for narcotic painkillers, muscle relaxers and other drugs. Drugs mentioned in the indictment included fentanyl, methadone, morphine and oxycodone.

The indictment also states that Schneider was known as “Schneider the Writer,” “the pill man” and “the candy man.”The indictment alleges that the clinic did not change its practices despite patients’ deaths and that it ignored warning signs that patients were abusing, diverting or becoming addicted to the medications.

www.kansascity.com | 12/20/2007 | Kansas doctor accused of illegally prescribing drugs

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Abiomed Receives FDA Approval For The Combination IPulse Circulatory Support System

Abiomed, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABMD) announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for U.S. commercial distribution of the Company's combination iPulse™ Circulatory Support System. The iPulse drives Abiomed and other manufacturer's intra-aortic balloons (IAB), Abiomed's BVS® 5000 and AB5000® Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD), as well as new products Abiomed may offer in the future. These products are designed to treat patients suffering from acute heart failure by offering various levels of cardiac support, whether minimal, moderate, or full bi-ventricular, to potentially recover the patient's native heart. The iPulse is the first console with the capability to provide either VAD or IAB support in the catheterization lab and surgery suite.

The iPulse should be a more cost-effective system for heart hospitals by supporting procedures with associated Medicare reimbursement that extends across four diagnostic related groups (DRGs) ranging from approximately $20,000 to $215,000 per patient stay.

Abiomed Receives FDA Approval For The Combination IPulse Circulatory Support System

Web Site:  http://www.abiomed.com/products/ipulse.cfm

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U.S. Federal Court Issues Permanent Injunction Against Medtronic's Vertex And Vertex Max Screws

Patent infringement...any facility in possession needs to also return the product as part of the ruling..BD

DePuy Spine, Inc. announced that the U.S. District Court in Boston has granted a permanent injunction against Medtronic that prohibits Medtronic from making, using and selling VERTEX and VERTEX MAX polyaxial screws in the United States effective today.
The Court further ordered that all VERTEX and VERTEX MAX polyaxial screws in the possession of Medtronic's affiliates, subsidiaries and distributors be returned to Medtronic immediately. All consignment and loaner inventory in the possession of any of Medtronic's customers must also be immediately returned to Medtronic under the Court's order.

U.S. Federal Court Issues Permanent Injunction Against Medtronic's Vertex And Vertex Max Screws

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Advanced melanoma - new treatment

New study taking place...in sunny climate such as California, this would sure be a welcome new technology and drug to help with the cause...BD 

University of Illinois at Chicago researchers are participating in a multi-center research trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Allovectin-7, an investigational treatment for advanced melanoma.

Allovectin-7 is a gene-based immunotherapy for certain types of cancer. The therapy is designed to train the body's immune system to recognize and destroy tumor cells. The phase 3 study will determine if Allovectin-7 is more effective than standard chemotherapy for treating people with advanced melanoma.  Approximately 375 patients nationwide will be enrolled to receive either Allovectin-7 alone or the current standard chemotherapy (dacarbazine or temozolomide) alone. Two thirds of enrolled patients will be randomly assigned to receive Allovectin-7 and the remaining third will receive chemotherapy.

Advanced melanoma - new treatment

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No need for reduced alcohol consumption in later life

Moderate drinking...just because we are getting older we can still enjoy that good old glass of wine or cocktail.  BD

Provided they stick to the same guidelines about alcohol consumption as younger adults, regular moderate drinking poses no additional risks to the over 65s, and may even bring health benefits, according to two studies from the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England.

Researchers assessed the drinking levels of over 13,000 older people in England and the US and looked at the effects on physical disability, mortality, cognitive function, depression, and well-being. They concluded that moderate drinking is fine for the over 65s - and in some cases is better than not drinking at all.

This will be good news to the elderly who want to get into the festive spirit, and who until now have lived by the commonly held belief that they have to reduce their alcohol consumption as they get older.

No need for reduced alcohol consumption in later life

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Seven great "medical myths" revealed

My favorite is #7, many wireless networks in hospitals operate on the same frequencies as cell phones...so this appears to be a precautionary left over from the times when we didn't have all the studies and knowledge we have today...BD

LONDON (Reuters) - Reading in dim light won't damage your eyes, you don't need eight glasses of water a day to stay healthy and shaving your legs won't make the hair grow back faster.

These well-worn theories are among seven "medical myths" exposed in a paper published on Friday in the British Medical Journal, which traditionally carries light-hearted features in its Christmas edition.  Two U.S. researchers took seven common beliefs and searched the archives for evidence to support them.

* Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals

Despite widespread concerns, studies have found minimal interference with medical equipment.

The research was conducted by Aaron Carroll, an assistant professor of paediatrics at the Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, and Rachel Vreeman, fellow in children's health services research at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Seven great "medical myths" revealed - Yahoo! News

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Coast-To-Coast Trucker Medical Clinics

I can see where this could be a great benefit to drivers who are on the road all the time, will make it easier to find medical help at a convenient location...and the site contains wellness tips and more...BD

Roadside Medical Labs and Clinics and Pilot Travel Centers have announced they are teaming up to create a coast-to-coast network of retail medical clinics to address the health risks faced by over-the-road drivers.

Roadside said this endeavor marks a significant departure from the mindset of traditional transportation health care. "By developing health programs specifically for truckers and locating our clinics at Pilot Travel Centers, Roadside Medical will make it easy for drivers to integrate practical health care solutions into their schedules," said Joe Neely, Roadside CEO.

"The small monthly fee covers the cost of all DOT testing, and re-testing if necessary, but the program includes much more," he said. "We give drivers practical solutions to their most common ailments - with little steps we can start to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol, and help with other problems like lower back pain and smoking cessation. Education and small, practical steps are key."  Roadside Medical plans to offer its services in various subscription packages for an average of $15 to $30 a month, said Bob Perry, Roadside Medical vice president.

Coast-To-Coast Trucker Medical Clinics

Websites:  http://roadsidemed.com/      http://www.pilotcorp.com/

Hat Tip:  Kevin, MD

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Health care workers convicted of insurance fraud

“You come in and you have a colonoscopy, an EGD (endoscopy) and a laparoscopy and you could get a free breast augmentation,” ...such a deal...BD

SANTA ANA – A federal jury today convicted two health workers of fraud for their role in offering patients cash and discounted cosmetic surgery in exchange for undergoing unnecessary medical procedures. Insurance companies were then billed at exorbitant rates.

Olga Lilia Toscano, 37, of Irvine was convicted of conspiracy and four counts of mail fraud. Maria Licea Rosales, 39, of Santa Ana was convicted of conspiracy and one count of mail fraud. Both women worked as marketers at Millennium Outpatient Surgery Center in Santa Ana.

Prosecutors from the U.S. Department of Justice said the women were part of a $34 million scheme to bilk insurance companies for unnecessary colonoscopies, endoscopies and laparoscopies. For instance, the surgery center charged $10,000 for colonoscopies that normally cost $3,000.Assistant U.S. attorney Kenneth Julian said the women targeted low-income immigrants at the factories where they worked.

Life: Health care workers convicted of insurance fraud | surgery, center, fraud, convicted, santa - OCRegister.com

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Hospitals under scrutiny as health records found in bin

Breach of the week...NHS still having security issues...this time paper in the trash was found with patient records and information...problem is still people..paper or technology there's a learning curve, training and procedures to be followed..the directory gave up and quit...but it's probably not all his fault...if folks don't follow directions and procedures and make bad decisions...well he can't be there with everybody 24/7...its the chain of command that is breaking down....usually those who resent technology in some form or another that may not realize the seriousness of security...I see that all the time and do my best to advise against carrying around patient data on notebooks, USB sticks, etc. but they still do it, so go figure...I actually feel sorry for him as he's in a winless situation...until the education process of how to use technology advances, we will continue to hear these stories over and over again..and how did that notebook get sold on EBay with medical records on the drive..doesn't anybody wipe drives or remove them and replace with a new hard drive before selling or retiring the computer from active service...and why was information not secured on a server!!...BD

Alas, patient records going missing - in both paper and digital format - is nothing new. As recently as last week, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS trust lost a memory stick containing the medical records of cancer patients. And a computer decommissioned from Dudley hospital was recently sold on eBay with  medical records still on the hard drive.

One would hope that the NHS's national programme for IT would in essence provide some greater data security - as the programme's departing chief executive, Richard Granger, has frequently commented, leaving huge trolleyfuls of confidential records lying around in hospital corridors is much less secure than putting them behind computer firewalls. Still, anecdotes abound of clinicians sharing passwords and access cards to health records and leaving computers logged in.

This is why computers aren't the solution and aren't the problem. Somebody chose to dump paper records in an anonymous bin, and another somebody neglected to securely wipe the hard drive. People, rather than the technology they use, are always going to be where the pipes burst.

Hospitals under scrutiny as health records found in bin | Joe Public | Guardian Unlimited

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Cardiac data equipment saves vital minutes

Now in case of cardiac arrest, folks are advised to call 911 and not rely on a friend or neighbor if possible since transmissions can start from the ambulance....another hospital in Rhode Island last year added the same capabilities to their system as well...BD 

St. Elizabeth Hospital has thrown a new lifeline to people having heart attacks in Northern Kentucky. It's a small data cable which paramedics can attach to their cellular phones to transmit EKG results directly from the ambulance to the emergency room at the hospital's south campus in Edgewood.

The hospital is buying the cables for every paramedic ambulance in Northern Kentucky, as well as the computer equipment to receive those transmissions and display the EKG results on a computer screen. The hospital spent more than $25,000 on the transmission cords for life squads and buy receiving equipment that puts the EKG directly onto a computer screen instead of a fax. What it really bought, though, was crucial time.   With the new system, the results are popping up on a computer screen while the ambulance is rushing the patient th rough traffic. When the patient arrives at the hospital, care teams can be ready to treat immediately.

Three years ago, St. Elizabeth Medical Center's average was 117 minutes. The hospital put several time-saving changes in place and brought its door-to-balloon time down to 74 minutes. "That's before this latest equipment," said Boyer. "We anticipate this may shave another 30 minutes or more off the time."

The Cincinnati Post - Cardiac data equipment saves vital minutes

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Eden Medical Center uses patient lift system

Great news for nurses...helps with patients who have a few extra pounds...10% leave nursing every year due to injuries...who does all the lifting....great even for changing the bed...the hospital does an assessment to see what patients will need help, and you don't have to be over weight to need help...and those beds are made up and prepared to use the lifting device...I bet we see more of these at hospitals in the future as well...BD

CASTRO VALLEY, CA -- Lifting injuries plague the health care industry, costing millions of dollars in worker's comp claims every year. However, a Bay Area hospital is taking a proactive approach to reduce those injuries, and they're doing it with the help of some high-tech equipment.

Nurses are often the unsung heroes of medicine. Their jobs involve spending hours on their feet taking care of patients at the most vulnerable periods in their lives. However, what many don't realize is the physical toll the job takes on nurses' bodies.  

A strange looking device designed in Sweden may be the answer to avoiding injuries. It's called the Viking Total Lift and can pick up and move a patient weighing up to 660 pounds with just the touch of a finger. A smaller version can move up to 440 pounds.  "So, I think it's going to make it easier on all of us, the staff and the patients as well," says Winters.

abc7news.com: Eden Medical Center uses patient lift system 12/20/07

Web Site:  http://www.godynamic.com/

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The Hospitalist Movement -- Time to Move On

They are here and an integral part of healthcare, but academic focus and roles are yet to be fully addressed....some fellowship programs funds would be helpful. to help with their collaboration in research....BD 

The hospitalist movement has arrived, and it has transformed the care of hospitalized patients. Investigations similar to the early studies of hospitalist practice, which were focused on cost and comparing outcomes with those of other providers, should begin to wane. New investigations should focus on quality improvement, comparative effectiveness, clinical informatics, the safety of patients, and the translation of new medical advances to clinical practice. Academic medical centers must make strategic investments to provide opportunities in research training for hospitalist physicians and to support the research infrastructure. The academic focus and role models in the training environment will enhance the pipeline for hospitalists, but the underlying payment structure for evaluation and management needs to be dramatically enhanced if this field is to be sustained. Hospitalists are now an integral component of our delivery system; we must take advantage of these skilled physicians and take the next steps to enhance the care of hospitalized patients. It is time to move on.

NEJM -- The Hospitalist Movement -- Time to Move On

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Doctor monitoring via robot effective

One more story about the continued success of the digital hospital, using Robo Doc to make rounds...and patients are positive as well, it's not much different than using Skype on your home pc, except in health care there's more than just a casual conversation taking place and the technology is making good use of this to benefit everyone.  BD

Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Post-surgical patients monitored by physicians via a robot with video had similar complication rates to patients visited by a doctor, a U.S. study reveals. 
Dr. Lars M. Ellison, previously with the University of California, Davis, and now at Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport, Maine, and colleagues conducted a randomized controlled trial involving 270 patients undergoing a urologic procedure requiring a hospital stay of 24 to 72 hours.
Half the patients were randomly assigned to receive either traditional bedside rounds or robotic telerounds daily during their time in the hospital.

"The robot consists of the motor base unit, a central processing unit, a high-definition digital camera, a flat- screen monitor and a microphone," the authors wrote in a statement. "Data to and from the robot is transferred over a high-speed wireless network and is integrated with proprietary software. The physician connects remotely to the robot via a base station."

 

Doctor monitoring via robot effective - UPI.com

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Town Hall, the new HMO - Boston

Interesting that they will track health claims back to see how effective the program is in time...BD

Every Thursday morning at 9, staffers at Weymouth Town Hall trudge downstairs to the health offices in the basement and step on a scale. They're competing for cash prizes in a weight-loss program based on the hit reality TV show, "The Biggest Loser."

In Whitman, the town manager is drafting a policy that would require new municipal employees to undergo drug and alcohol screening. In Plymouth, public works employees are given sunscreen in the summer to protect their skin while working outdoors. In Norwood, town employees can work out at the Recreation Department's gym facilities, or stop by Town Hall to get their blood pressure checked, a diabetes screening, or a flu shot.

It's exciting," Flynn said. "We're looking at incentives we can offer employees, and we're also going to try to track claims based on the wellness programs" to see what impact they have.

Whitman soon will require all new municipal employees to undergo physical exams and substance-abuse testing. The new policy is being written by Town Administrator Frank Lynam and will be subject to approval by the Board of Selectmen.

Town Hall, the new HMO - The Boston Globe

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Wii Fitness Parody ...see how a Wii can help

Another good one relating to fitness...BD 

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Insurance Status Linked To Cancer Outcomes

Something we may have thought about, but now a study that confirms what we have thought...BD

A new report from the American Cancer Society finds substantial evidence that lack of adequate health insurance coverage is associated with less access to care and poorer outcomes for cancer patients. The report finds the uninsured are less likely to receive recommended cancer screening tests, are more likely to be diagnosed with later stage disease, and have lower survival rates than those with private insurance for several cancers.

Evidence suggests that some of these differences are related to lack of access to health care. In particular, the lack of health insurance, or inadequate health insurance, appears to be a critical barrier to receipt of appropriate health care services.

These findings put insurance status squarely on the table as an important factor in cancer care disparities," said Elizabeth Ward, Ph.D.

Insurance Status Linked To Cancer Outcomes

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Facebook Infomercial Parodies

With all the recent talk about social networks, it's only fair to have a good laugh too...if nothing else a look at what social networks can be about...BD 

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There's No Bubble in Technology?

Funny and entertaining video about the next bubble?  One of the best of the entire year.  BD

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IT Faces Stiff Challenge From Emerging Workforce - Social Networks on the Rise

Nice discussion and article about the CIO of Merck Pharmaceuticals exploring "the cloud" and how it stands to benefit the company, and at the same time evaluating how to manage social networks in the corporate world, and right now encourages employees to experiment with sites such as Facebook, etc. as she realizes the power being unleashed in the fact that the cloud networks can have value beyond just being fun...BD  

December 17, 2007 Chris Scalet realized that the next generation of workers will likely require drastically different IT tools and policies as he watched his 20-year-old daughter studying for college classes recently. Scalet, senior vice president and CIO at Merck & Co., noticed that she simultaneously studied, listened to her iPod, sent text messages and browsed through pages of the Facebook online social network.

But while Merck is trying to identify the middle ground between those two camps, Scalet is sure that the company will have to find a way to support the technology demands of the baby boomers’ children. “There are 80 million potential workers who are coming at us with these types of capabilities,” he noted. “We’re going to have to deal with that.”
Executives are encouraging Merck employees to experiment with social networks, which Scalet said could lead to a dramatic change in the company’s method for solving problems.
The future model could involve electronically sharing a business problem with anyone with Web access “and letting 15,000 people solve it in an hour,” he said. “That potentially is a very powerful model.”

“This next generation of employees will pull corporations toward it,” he said. If companies lack the technology demanded by the new workers, “they will pack up and go someplace that does. IT has to take a leadership role.” 

Berry noted that as time goes on, IT managers will have to play the “good guy, bad guy” role in managing the rollout of these technologies. “It is also our responsibility to train the younger people in the proper use of technologies, to respect policy and process, and not only have fun with the new technologies,” he said

IT Faces Stiff Challenge From Emerging Workforce

This CIO also shares in the same belief that CIOs should be on networks like Facebook.  BD

If you’re a CIO or IT manager, it’s worth your time because, if nothing else, your future workforce views Facebook as a staple in their daily lives. The other bonus: the more of you who join, the concerns Gary and I have about the delinquent uses of the social networking platform (drunk photos and the like) will begin to work themselves out because these people want to have jobs! If they know you’re watching, they might clean up their profiles to a more tasteful blend between the professional and personal.

http://www.cio.com/article/160350/Why_CIOs_Should_Be_On_Facebook/2

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In Vogue & Useful: Medical Warning Tattoos

Interesting new concept for tattoos..that is if the medical staff was aware to look for them...BD

Tattoos have been around for millenniums. For young people, this ancient tradition is often associated with the body art of entertainment icons like Tommy Lee, Dennis Rodman and Angelina Jolie. 

But as more and more young people are diagnosed with diabetes, the tattoo fad that often spoke rebellion has found a new meaning.

By inking the universal medical symbol on their bodies, diabetics like Samantha Graham Vancouver, British Columbia, have turned to body art as an alternative to the Medic Alert jewelry often used to inform medical personnel that they are dealing with a diabetic.

ABC News: In Vogue & Useful: Medical Warning Tattoos

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CPT codes: Get ready for 2008

It's that time of the year again and the list is changing once more...new telephone codes this year as well... use the link to read the entire article at Medical Economics...BD

To avoid having claims denied or payments delayed, update your billing forms and systems now to reflect the new codes. And if you haven't already incorporated the ICD-9-CM code changes that went into effect in October, now's the perfect time to take care of both in one fell swoop.(See, "ICD-9-CM codes: The latest changes," Sept.7, 2007).

There are 242 new CPT codes and 54 deleted codes. But what's noteworthy for the coming year is that there are 305 revised codes—about four times as many as in 2007. Many of the revisions stem from changes in the list of codes that are exempt from modifier –51, which indicates that you did more than one non-E&M procedure during a single session. It's attached to the secondary, or lesser valued procedure, for which insurers typically reduce the fee.

Three new telephone codes (99441-99443) are for physicians to use to report E&M services provided by phone at the request of established patients. But they can't be used if the doctor sees the patient within 24 hours or the call refers to an E&M visit within the previous seven days. The new online E&M code (99444) is intended to report a physician's Internet response to an established patient's online inquiry. These services should be documented in the medical record.

Category II codes—the supplemental tracking codes for performance measures— are used in CMS' Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). It's the fastest-growing section of the CPT book, with 102 new codes, three revised codes, and a new exclusion modifier.

Category III—temporary codes for emerging technology, services, and procedures—has 13 new codes; in addition, 11 codes have been revised, and several categories deleted.

CPT codes: Get ready for 2008 - Medical Economics

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University of Miami Heart Clinic Uses Tablet PCs to Go Paperless

This is pretty slick.  You have a choice of buying a kit to develop your own forms or you can have Active Ink develop them for you.  The part that I like in particular is the ability to fill in the entire form and then hit the button to transfer to text at once, and of course you can omit areas where you want to capture a signature and keep those from transferring to text.   The information from the forms is stored in either a SQL or Access data base, which gives it the availability for use with other programs and software; and a larger company can also license the dot net application to incorporate the function in to their own with the run time control.   A good way to get the patient involved with their medical history and using a tablet.  Nice work Steve...BD 

1. The front desk clerk creates an electronic chart with the patient's name and medical record number.  The electronic chart is a digital representation of the paper form.

2. The clerk hands the tablet PC to the patient for them to fill it out. The form consists mainly of checkboxes on the status of the patient's health.

3. When the form is completed, the patient hands the tablet PC back to the clerk who then saves the form to a network folder where it is accessible by other medical staff.

4. The doctor then accesses the patient's chart on his/her own tablet PC and reviews it with the patient and makes further annotations as she sees fit.

5. The data collected on the form is then saved to a database and a report is generated summarizing the patient's health history.

Below is the health questionnaire chart that the patient fills out on the tablet PC. 

 

Active Ink Software's Blog: University of Miami Heart Clinic Uses Tablet PCs to Go Paperless

Active Ink Web Site (with video demonstrations) 

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UnitedHealth Unit Accused of Ageism

No lawsuit filed...yet...BD

"Our data clearly shows a pattern of age discrimination by Oxford that can be characterized as 'elder abuse,'" David P. Rosen, chief executive of the hospital and its parent company, MediSys Health Network, said in a statement.

Jamaica Hospital said that from Jan. 1, 2006, to Aug. 2, 2007, of 58 Oxford-insured patients who were referred by medical professionals for acute rehabilitation or traumatic brain injury rehabilitation, 46 were denied coverage, an 80 percent denial rate.  Many of the patients included in that data belong to Oxford's Medicare Advantage program and were frequently denied coverage for required medical treatment that would have been automatically covered under traditional Medicare, the hospital said. Under Medicare Advantage programs, the government pays insurance companies for taking on the risk of covering elderly patients' health needs.

UnitedHealth Unit Accused of Ageism

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Hillary slams health insurers

"We're going to tell the insurance companies that they're going to have to change the way they do business," Clinton said. "You know, we regulate banks. We regulate utilities. Well, we're going to regulate the insurance companies."

Hillary slams health insurers :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Elections

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Employer health costs rise in California

To offset the increases employers will be passing the increase along to employees...BD 

Premiums for employer-based health insurance rose 8.3 percent in California in 2007, well ahead of the national gain of 6.1 percent.

The California Employer Health Benefits Survey, conducted by the California HealthCare Foundation and the National Opinion Research Center, said the 8.3 percent increase was more than double the state's inflation rate of 3.4 percent.

The annual survey looks at coverage, availability, cost, benefits and enrollment of health care in the state and nation. Both health maintenance organization and preferred provider organization premiums increased in California in 2007, 10 percent and 8 percent, respectively. HMO premiums remained about 20 percent to 25 percent cheaper than PPO premiums.

Looking ahead, 41 percent of employers of more than 200 people said they were very or somewhat likely to increase the amount employees pay toward insurance in 2008.

Employer health costs rise in California - East Bay Business Times:

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Medicare Bill Is A Disappointment To Seniors, Victory For Insurers

Does this mean money talks...shows there's still a very strong lobby group in Washington if nothing else..BD

"The debate over Medicare legislation has been a true disappointment to millions of seniors tired of paying more in premiums so that insurers offering private Medicare Advantage plans can keep their billions in government subsidies. While everyone in Washington talks about fiscal discipline, the President's veto threat with support from his allies in Congress, shows the influence of the insurance lobby once again ruled the day.
This legislation offers only a band-aid fix to the doctor's fee cut and clearly puts insurers' profits ahead of Medicare's solvency and seniors' needs. The National Committee will continue to work with the House and Senate members next year on legislation to eliminate these outrageous and wasteful subsidies to Medicare Advantage insurers, strengthen aid for low income beneficiaries and improve Medicare's long-term solvency."...Barbara B. Kennelly, President/CEO.
The National Committee, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization acts in the interests of its membership through advocacy, education, services, grassroots efforts and the leadership of the Board of Directors and professional staff. The work of the National Committee is directed toward developing better-informed citizens and voters.

Medicare Bill Is A Disappointment To Seniors, Victory For Insurers - Senior Advocates Will Continue The Fight Against Wasteful Industry Overpayments

National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare

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Health Insurance: Satisfaction Not Guaranteed?

Talks about addressing the important issues needing to be addressed at both state and federal levels..BD

Nearly 48 million Americans are without health insurance, according to government officials, who note that many of those who do have coverage are still struggling to get the basic care they need. Stating that fighting for medical benefits, while keeping up with the rising cost of health insurance premiums and prescription drugs, is putting a toll on the young and old alike, local representatives recently offered some insights into the problems of healthcare in America,and what can be done to fix the system.

"Up until 1996, the health insurance industry was regulated by the state," Alessi explained, noting that insurance companies needed to prove to the NYS Insurance Department that rate hikes were needed before they could raise premiums. "When [former NYS] Governor [George] Pataki took that power away in 1996, that's when we started seeing double-digit increases in premiums. For HMOs statewide, their profit margin increased by 95% while losing 14% of their clients.

"I believe HMOs deserve a profit," Alessi added, "but when we're dealing with services that are vital, we have to make sure the profits are not so excessive that it becomes inaccessible to the general public."

"Drug companies spend more money advertising products than Budweiser does advertising beer," noted US Congressman Steve Israel (D-Hauppauge). "And [consumers] can't even buy [the drugs] directly; they've got to get a doctor to prescribe it."

Suffolk Life Newspapers - Health Insurance: Satisfaction Not Guaranteed?

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A Utility Called Dossia- will it ever fly?

I try to keep up on most of the latest information here, but after reading what was here, I'll stick to my Microsoft Health Vault for a couple of reasons, one is that if I have an issue, I can go directly to Microsoft...Dossia, well it's a consortium and there's a few members, boards, etc. not to mention Aetna insurance being a member...I seem to want to trust the Windows API a bit more, after all it is their operating system that I run...not to mention the legalities that have been faced trying to get Dossia off the ground...and yes I understand that Microsoft has health partners and it is my responsibility to give access to who I designate...and I have full faith that the Health Vault will have the appropriate audit tables, etc. to check on every transaction made, but again, I get to choose the partners involved in my health care too...who cares about the advertising as some of it might help me out with a few searches too along the way...I would rather have the ads than folks with other types of hidden agendas as financial contributors...and again there's no issue with taking my records anywhere as it does not evolve around my employment...anyway, will be interesting to see if this concept every does get off the ground even with the open source software from Indivo..but for today I feel a bit more secure with the HealthVault... BD

Earlier this year, Dossia established a partnership with the Children’s Hospital Informatics Program (CHIP) at Children’s Hospital Boston to use the Indivo platform that CHIP developed. Indivo has been used in a couple of trial personal health record (PHR) applications, including one at HP for an employee flu immunization program and more recently at MIT for students using MIT’s healthcare facilities. It is also being made available to all patients at Children’s Hospital Boston. With Dossia, the Indivo team will look to expand the capabilities of this open source application to evolve beyond a PHR to becoming a personally-controlled health record infrastructure (PCHRI) system that will be the foundation for a potentially wide range of personal health applications (PHAs). Therefore, like Microsoft’s HealthVault, Dossia will not be a PHR, but a personal health platform (PHP).

This revenue model differs significantly from others in that it will not rely on advertising revenue, which is a model used by many including Microsoft and safe to assume it will be Google’s as well. Nor does the model rely on data mining, an approach used by a small fraction of PHAs, or subscription/service fees which is a more common model among PHAs.

Both Colin and Omid are on “loan” from Intel to lead the Dossia initiative and a number of other employees from Cardinal Health, Intel, Pitney Bowes and Wal-Mart play key roles as well.

A Utility Called Dossia « Chilmark Research

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