Pinhole-Glasses - Help Improve your vision inexpensively

Something worth a try and looking at...for $19.95 a pair it's definitely worth a try...and they even include the shipping charges...with all the work I do on the computer it certainly couldn't hurt...BD 

Are you tired of constantly changing your prescription eyeglasses to meet the ever-increasing power of your lenses? Do you wonder why in spite of wearing them your eyesight is getting weaker day-by-day?   Would you like to use a single pair of glasses lifelong for correcting vision due to eye problems like myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (long-sightedness), or problems related to computer use?
Even if you do not have any vision issues, the glasses can help.  The technology is actually not new and has been around for quite a while.  By restricting your vision to a smaller area, glare from the sun and other lights can be less obtrusive. Pinhole glasses do not use any lenses and use the principal of light only, thus reducing the exposure of some dangerous rays.  

One thing you won't have to worry about would be scratches to the lens surface.  They are to be used when watching television, working on the computer (which I do quite a bit) and you can also take them with you to the movie theater. They are not to be worn when driving or at any time when you need all of your peripheral vision. 

They are not right for everyone with eye disorders, including a honeycomb effect and diffraction.  They are not expensive by any means and offer a guarantee, so there's not much to risk as far as expense.  The holes in the glasses are 1 - 1.5 mn and spaced using laser technology.  Presbyopia is condition in which the eye lens lose their ability to focus properly. It is a problem that is caused due to age. People over the age of 45 are at risk of getting the disorder so I guess this puts me right in there to be at risk. 

People with cataracts have even been able to get relief with the reduction of light on the eye and has lead to better vision with less interference.

Please send your emails to: service@pinhole-glasses-direct.com.

http://www.pinhole-glasses.com
 http://www.pinhole-glasses.com/order.html
 http://www.pinhole-glasses.com/faq.html

Pinhole-Glasses-Direct: Buy Pinhole-glasses (sponsored review)

FDA Seeks Civil Penalties From Calif. Device Maker - Advanced Bionics

The issue goes back to hearing aides shipped in 2005 and 2006...failure to notify of potential risks appears to be the case...BD 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it is seeking a $2.2 million penalty against a California hearing aid manufacturer for violations of federal law, including manufacturing standards violations and the failure to notify the FDA of a change in an outside supplier or vendor, which may have exposed recipients of the devices to unnecessary health risks.
The hearing aids pose a public health risk due to excessive moisture, exposing patients to the risk of device failure, possible surgery, and the potential for additional hearing loss.  On July 7, 2003, Advanced Bionics received FDA approval to market the HiRes90k Implantable Cochlear Stimulator, a cochlear implant hearing aid surgically implanted under the skin behind the ear to treat profound hearing loss in adults and children. The hearing aid is considered a Class III device by the FDA-the most stringent regulatory category for devices.

FDA Seeks Civil Penalties From Calif. Device Maker

Doctors support universal health care: survey

59%...up ten percent from the year 2002..more feel the for profit fragmented system obstructs more than it promotes good health care...and in another related story in Texas...the number of physicians accepting Medicare continues to drop...an all time low of 58.1 percent.  BD

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than half of U.S. doctors now favor switching to a national health care plan and fewer than a third oppose the idea, according to a survey published on Monday.

The survey suggests that opinions have changed substantially since the last survey in 2002 and as the country debates serious changes to the health care system.

Doctors support universal health care: survey | Science & Health | Reuters

Windows Vista SP1 Toilet Paper - It's really available now

This was just too funny not to post...in Japan of course...BD 

The Japanese are simply hyping Vista SP1 release. I was just surprised to find that a  roll of toilet paper printed with highlighted features is already available in Japan. You kind of have to feel a little bad for Vista --

it just keeps getting crapped on these days. Now available in a Toilet Paper Near You - so if the flush doesn't work, do you blame in on Vista then.

 

Jason S: Windows Vista SP1 Toilet Paper - It's really available now .: The most Authoritative Technology Blog :.

In Defense of the Electronic Medical Records Developer/Vendor

This is something I have been wanting to write about for a while and today's the day to finally express a couple of my own opinions about some gray areas and technology in healthcare.

Healthcare as we know today is so terribly fragmented and there is nobody feeling the squeeze worse than the software companies and developers trying to produce a quality and up to date product.  With the changes emerging so rapidly in healthcare, almost daily, it is becoming increasingly difficult to create a full featured software application that is not outdated before it is released.

So what are some of the issues that are making this process somewhat difficult and trying at times...one issue is the emerging area of Software as a Service.  A while back we learned that we needed to include potential interactions when prescribing medications...and to do this in real time, desktop software had to take advantage of web based products to integrate the most recent updated data bases.  This could not adequately come from desktop software as the changes and modifications are almost daily, thus electronic medical records evolved from just a desktop to integrating this information in to real time prescribing. We also had the integration of lab services for patients.  Again, this also involved a web interaction to import and react with up to the minute chart and patient information and bring it all in to the chart. 

One more the scenario is evolving and what I would call a much bigger transition.  Enter the era of personalized medicine.  One lab already has over 1,000 tests available that relate to genetics, and it's growing at a rapid pace.  Genetics and their use is growing at such a rapid pace, it is a scramble to determine the next step. It also goes beyond medical records and touches on reimbursement areas as well.

As the area of genetics continues to grow with medications prescribed based on our DNA, this is the next big hurdle to integrate into the medical chart.  In other words the whole way of practicing medicine is evolving daily as is the information needed by your physician.  Electronic Medical Records developers are aware of this change and are working diligently to bring this in to the fold as it evolves, it is almost similar to trying to shoot a moving target without a site to locate.  Will we be charting DNA soon...probably...your DNA to match with pharmaceutical solutions. 

There is also a shortage of education on the issues as again it is moving at such a rapid pace.  Bear with your EMR vendor to work with you.  Larger hospital software applications are probably the first to address and work in this area, but it also needs to be at the physician's level at the office and there is the challenge. How do we incorporate all this information into a solid solution that allows the physician to access and mine all the data needed to make a clinical decision in the 10 minutes or so he/she is spending with a patient...a challenge...you bet it is.

Now enters what is called the User Interface...with new technologies such as Silverlight and Windows 2008 Server from Microsoft as a couple examples, we now have the power and code to dig deep and with a user friendly interface for the end users, to also include personal health records from the patient side of things.  This area is growing rapidly and EMR Vendors are very much aware and have programmers and others working diligently to bring this to fruition as well. 

Now that we have the software and genetics going, now we need to explore what type of hardware do we need...software integrators can help ease the situation a bit, but again overall it comes back to the EMR Vendor/Developer to best serve the interest of the end user and either incorporate this in to a solution or be ready and available to recommend the hardware that will be required to sustain the medical records system...being client/server, totally web based, or a combination there of.   Will this be a total server application with assistance from someone like Citrix, will it be a Windows Terminal Services Operation...many choices...and what hardware will work both for a desktop scenario as well as mobile solutions...and the EMR Vendors will more than likely want to have some hardware certification to give their clients as nobody needs a good software system with hardware that is either outdated or just not the right choice for the job.  This takes time for the vendor to obtain and process as you do want hardware that is powerful and mobility capable to handle the job, especially with mobility as tablets and other mobile units come in all shapes and sizes. 

The medical records business has also grown to working with imaging...now we want medical imaging in the chart, not just text as was the case a few years ago...this means more infrastructure support and software modifications, again getting back to having the real time information available for the physician consulting with the patient in the office.  The ambulatory software used in a physician's practice must now also communicate with the systems used at the hospitals and all vendors are working towards the same goals on both sides of the coin. 

There is also the CCHIT certification process...and I can't help but think this is getting more complicated as time moves forward....what is being certified and how will the EMR Vendors handle the hurdles of the ever growing goals to be met, will the goals be changing as rapidly as the state for EMR Medical Records...I might guess there will be some shifting in this area as time goes on...

In summary, be patient, communicate, offer suggestions and feedback to your EMR Vendor...it's not an easy task these days and the lines are not always black and white.  There's a ton of money that goes out for research and development with electronic medical records, a daily process, and it will continue to change and evolve.  One other item to mention is the bottom line for payment in all of this...most vendors are working to keep the cost as affordable as possible..and they do in fact simply "eat" much of the cost if you were to "line item" evaluate the entire process. The EMR Vendor too also has to recover some profit to maintain and stay in business to continue to provide support and help for the system...support contracts are not a bad thing by any means, but more or less a good thing to consider as we all work towards the same goal of better documented and overall health care for all - saving lives 101.  BD

Riding the Hospitalist Boom to an IPO

Good video explaining the role of today's hospitalist....and the study states this business is fragmented to a degree, just like the rest of healthcare....BD 

A national physician practice outfit called IPC The Hospitalist Company rode the wave in hospitalist medicine and went public earlier this year. The company’s CEO Adam Singer swung by this morning for a quick video interview.

There are more than 20,000 hospitalists working in this country now — a lot, given that the profession was essentially invented in the 1990s. Hospitalists do the kind of coordination of care that used to be the domain of primary care docs, who would oversee the treatment of their hospitalized patients.

Health Blog : Riding the Hospitalist Boom to an IPO

New Internet ID Card Prevents Online Fraud

Look for this to be out as soon as this summer.  With the recent post about how easy it is for a hacker to collect your RFID information from a normal credit card, this is indeed good news...and something healthcare might want to entertain for authentication use for medical information soon to identify an individual with online access as well....BD 

Times are getting hard for anyone trying to get away with online fraud. That’s because Siemens, in cooperation with a partner company, has developed an Internet ID card the size of an ATM card that enables users to provide authentication prior to a bank transaction, using a fingerprint and an integrated key. The ID card doesn’t require any additional software or hardware, so it is safe from attacks and can be used on any computer. The solution is slated for market launch in the summer of 2008 at the earliest.

The ID card is equipped with a fingerprint scanner and six optical sensors.Neither software nor hardware is required for the Internet ID card, which means the Internet user can safely conduct banking business worldwide without a separate TAN list. The monitor displays six rapidly flashing fields that alternate between black and white.

Online banking is just one of many possible applications, though. For users who enjoy activities ranging from online auctions to downloading music, the ID card has 128 keys and in theory can be used for a corresponding number of different online service providers.

New Internet ID Card Prevents Online Fraud

State ignores law requiring annual Medi-Cal payment studies - California

Does the State get to ignore or bypass the law....California Medical Association doesn't think this is the case....potential lawsuit in the works...relating to the recent cuts in Medicaid compensation...BD 

When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers agreed last month to cut 10 percent from what the state pays Medi-Cal doctors, they did so without knowing how it might further limit services to the poor.Now a coalition of doctors, hospitals, medical providers and local governments is considering a lawsuit against the state to fight what they consider to be devastating cuts. Led by the California Medical Association.

That's because for years the state has been ignoring a law requiring the Medi-Cal director to conduct an annual review in order to keep doctors' reimbursement rates competitive with other insurance programs.

"I've never seen these reports," said Assemblywoman Patty Berg, D-Eureka, a member of the Assembly Health Committee. "I think some of these reports haven't been done in so long that they're pretty much forgotten."

Politics - State ignores law requiring annual Medi-Cal payment studies - sacbee.com

Vytorin Pain May Be Abbott's Gain

Will Abbott Labs be successful with a combination drug?  BD 

What’s bad for Merck and Schering-Plough may be good for Abbott Laboratories. Yesterday’s downbeat discussion about Vytorin at a meeting of caridologists may lead doctors to look farther for alternative cholesterol treatments when statins aren’t getting the job done. The search may lead them to Abbott.

Abbott markets niacin-based drugs called Niaspan and SimCor (a combination of Niaspan and generic Zocor) as well as a fibrate drug called TriCor. Both niacins and fibrates are classes of cholesterol medicines that the New England Journal of Medicine calls suitable for use when first-line treatments (read: statins) have failed.

Health Blog : Vytorin Pain May Be Abbott's Gain

German hackers threaten to publish Merkel's fingerprints

Not all folks around the world are supportive of new biometric capabilities...German passports require a biometric chip to identify an individual by fingerprint....in protest of security and privacy...BD  

The Chaos Computer Club (CCC), one of Germany's oldest and largest hacker organizations, on Saturday published Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble's fingerprints in its own magazine. Schaeubele's prints were taken from a water glass he used at a public debate, said CCC spokesman Frank Rieger, who predicted it would be easy for the group's supporters to collect similar samples from other public figures, including Merkel, who support the increased use of biometric data.

German hackers threaten to publish Merkel's fingerprints

Celebrate National Doctors' Day

Every year, March 30th is National Doctor's Day...yes they do have a day of their own!  Say thanks to your physician today for his continued care for your health...it is red carnation day!  BD

The American Medical Association (AMA) honors the more than 900,000 physicians in the U.S. on National Doctor's Day, March 30, for their commitment to the nation's  health. On this day of tribute, Americans can express appreciation for physicians' continued commitment to providing exceptional medical care.  The red carnation has become the symbol of Doctor's Day because it denotes the qualities of love, charity, sacrifice, bravery, and courage.

American Medical Association Celebrates National Doctors' Day

Hawaii's Largest Insurer, HMSA, Plans Rate Hike

12.8 percent increase....how will the employers continue to afford the increases and provide benefits down the road...might see more of this on the mainland too....BD

Haeaii's biggest health insurer wants to hike health insurance premiums by more than 12 percent next year, the biggest increase in nearly two decades.

The proposed rate hikes would affect 144,000 members and businesses with fewer than 200 employees starting July 1. The increases must be approved by state insurance Commissioner J. P. Schmidt before they can go into effect."In recent years, we have fallen short of that mark as cost trends have outpaced increases in member dues," said Steve Van Ribbink, HMSA's chief financial officer.

Hawaii's Largest Insurer, HMSA, Plans Rate Hike

Tapping Into the Code of Life With Science - Some of this is here today...not science fiction...medical technology is on the rise...

There are folks walking around with bladders that have been created through this process and it is no longer science fiction....how long before a heart can be created...they are working on it...and the good news once more about red wine...but not at the trace amounts found...1000 bottles a day...well that's a bit much for all of us, so they are working to concentrate the molecule...very good reading here....there's also some interesting work going on in the field of general anaesthetics with chloroform providing some medical clues....reducing side effects....read more here....BD

"We're actually now able to grow an entire tube of blood cells from scratch from embryonic stem cells. And the beautiful thing about that is, if you start with one of the lines that's O negative, it's universal. It'll match everybody. So you won't have to worry about tissue typing." And for Lanza, the potential of the research doesn't stop there but extends to creating organs.

"We can actually grow these up by the billions," he said. "So we can create, say for instance, an entire heart [or kidney] some day. And some day, if you get into an auto accident, we'll just take a skin cell and grow you up a new kidney."And it's not science fiction," he added. "We're doing this today. We've already grown up entire bladders that are in people."

David Sinclair, co-founder of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Mass., has found a protein in our bodies that could be the key to resetting our biological clocks."We found them by accident. We stumbled upon this molecule from red wine. And when I looked at the computer, [I asked,] what is this resveratrol?" said Sinclair. "And [when I] found that it was in red wine … [well,] I almost fell off my chair. Because of course we have all heard that red wine is good for you."But to see the benefits, you would need to drink about 1,000 bottles a day. Since that was not the solution, Sinclair went back to the lab and found a way to make resveratrol a thousand times more potent.

ABC News: Tapping Into the Code of Life With Science

Big Insurers Pay for Online Doctor Visits

With a plan such as RelayHealth, that has the potential to integrate with Electronic Medical Records and facilitate e-prescribing, a data audit trail can track each entry and lab ordering can be done as well through the system...and obviously all the needed information is systematically sent to the insurer to document the visit and hopefully make the payment to the physician available...patient pays the same co-pay amount as would be charged in an actual office visit....a built in system takes the place of normal email to ensure all communications are encrypted...lot's of data tentacles that need to reach out and update other health care areas to make this work....BD 

Doctors are finally starting to get compensated for online consultations with patients, but whether the practice will catch on is another story.

Aetna recently took a three-state pilot project nationwide, and Cigna plans to start paying for Web visits next year, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. 

Both companies contract with RelayHealth, a company that has built a system for secure, online consults for simple health issues. Patients typically pay the same co-pay whether they go to the doctor or have a Web consult. Insurers pay doctors less for the Web consult — typically $25 to $35, according to the Inquirer.

Health Blog : Big Insurers Pay for Online Doctor Visits

Allergan and J&J Pump Up Weight-Loss Surgery

Gastric banding...have reported on this in the past...is it safer overall than a complete gastric bypass surgery....the pharmaceutical business thinks so...and it certainly is a lot less expensive...BD 

Minimally invasive surgery to treat obesity is getting the Big Pharma treatment. Sales reps are fanning out to doctors’ offices to push the latest procedure, called gastric banding, while companies are using TV commercials and slick Web sites to pitch it directly to consumers, the WSJ reports.

Centers that perform the procedure are running their own TV ads as well, which face fewer restrictions than ads paid for by the manufacturers. In a spot that’s been running in Texas for a chain of surgery centers, a woman says, “I’m going to be around much longer for my family.”

Health Blog : Allergan and J&J Pump Up Weight-Loss Surgery

Researchers identify a gene responsible for Lou Gehrig's disease

Hope on the horizon with more genetic information available...BD 

A team of Canadian and French researchers has identified a novel gene responsible for a significant fraction of ALS (sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) cases. ALS is commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, an incurable neuromuscular disorder that affects motor neurons and leads to paralysis and death within one to five years.  “This discovery is a step towards the development of therapies for people suffering from this terrible disease and possibly other neurodegenerative diseases," said Dr. Kabashi.

Researchers identify a gene responsible for Lou Gehrig's disease

Lost in the labyrinth - Massachusetts Insurance law...

Some are not re-enrolling in the Massachusetts health plan...are they criminals?  How do you get blood from a turnip?  BD 

"So far, we've been able to insulate the quality of care from the financial damage," he adds, "but that can't go on forever. There are winners and losers in this equation and we're losers."

Walczak says half of his patients were uninsured three years ago, but they were covered by the Massachusetts Uncompensated Care Pool, the old system that handled such people. Also, the first 50,000 of the uninsured put into the new program last year are completing year one. Over half of them have not signed up again as they're required to do. Many, Walczak notes, never signed up in the first place and have no idea what to do now.

So what's going to happen to a criminal like me, or the 26-year-old criminal struggling in a start-up, or the criminal restaurant cook? Will we be dragged off in the middle of the night by storm troopers and thrown in the clink? Will the state garnish our wages and hasten our descent into bankruptcy?

Lost in the labyrinth - The Boston Globe

How reliable are defibrillators - they can keep going after you are gone...

After the patient passed away, the defibrillator just kept on going...a magnet was needed to disarm the device...the gift that keeps on giving....BD 

Except nobody remembered to tell his ICD. The damn thing just wouldn't give up! Long after the patient had basically expired, long after his heart had lost the ability to beat in any sort of functional pattern, the silly thing kept pacing away and periodically issued a shock, which caused the patient's body to twitch in a manner most distressing to the family.
A frantic search ensued for a magnet. Placing a donut-shaped magnet over the device deactivates it, and we keep one in the ER for just such an occasion.

Movin' Meat: Grim Irony

Hat Tip:  Kevin, MD

'It's a bad therapy, but it's all we've got'

Physician wishing there were better alternatives to treat adult sickle cell disease...BD 

"I challenge you to find any one of my patients who has not been treated like a drug addict," says Dr. Sophie Lanzkron, director of the Sickle Cell Center for Adults at Johns Hopkins. "There are only so many times you can listen to those stories before you have to do something about it."In Hopkins' small day hospital - open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays - there are heated chairs and televisions in a space large enough to accommodate five patients.Lanzkron, who said she and her colleagues are probably among the highest prescribers of narcotics in the state, said she wishes there were better treatments.

'It's a bad therapy, but it's all we've got' -- Health -- baltimoresun.com

Is an HSA worth it?

A blog from a 25 year old debtor who makes way too much money to be in this much debt...asks the question of whether or not he will ever be able to use a Health Savings Account...BD

I used esurance to find a pretty good high deductible health insurance plan for fiance. It has a $5K deductible. So, he's pretty much uninsured, but if he gets into a car accident or something he'll be covered and we'll be out $5K.
High deductible health insurance policies allow you to start a HSA. This is like a super-IRA. It is not taxed when you put money in (like a traditional IRA), AND it and its growth are not taxed when you take it out (like a Roth) for medical expenses. That's a pretty sweet deal.

Dog Ate My Finances: Is an HSA worth it?

Britons get stressed without mobile phones: survey

Now we have a new source of stress....could apply to us in the US as well...BD 

Over half of Britons feel anxious when they lose their mobile phone, run out of battery or credit or have no network coverage, according to a survey published Monday.

Some 58 percent of men and 48 percent of women panic when they hit a problem with their cellphone, while nine percent of people feel stressed when they turn their mobiles off, it said. Pollsters YouGov, commissioned by the Post Office, questioned 2,163 people online earlier this month.

Britons get stressed without mobile phones: survey

Some Total Body-brand products recalled

Web page has a listing of the products affected...BD 

The FDA said the recall involves Total Body Formula in tropical orange and peach nectar flavors and Total Body Mega Formula in the orange-tangerine flavor.

The FDA said the liquid dietary supplement products might cause severe adverse reactions, including significant hair loss, muscle cramps, diarrhea, joint pain and fatigue. The products were distributed in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. 

Some Total Body-brand products recalled

Quotes from Schering-Plough's CafePharma message board

 What do Schering and Spitzer have in common?
Both had high-priced whores who turned on them in the end. Almost every single key opinion leader panned Zetia and Vytorin when they were asked today. Veltri and Musliner came off as two wounded dogs screaming the wilderness.

QUESTION AUTHORITY by Dr. Rost: Quotes from Schering-Plough's CafePharma message board

Hat Tip:  Kevin, MD

U.S. Health System Should Not Rely On Employer- Opinion

He makes a good point...will the employees still be there to reap any benefits or will they have moved on to another company?  BD 

According to Beilenson, employer-based coverage does not encourage companies to cover preventive care because it is likely employees will leave before the company will reap the benefits. In addition, he adds that the cost of health care coverage has risen "at far greater rates" than other sectors of the economy, which puts "greater and greater strain" on businesses, particularly small businesses. Beilenson continues that recent court decisions also will force businesses that offer health coverage to "change their practices to adequately cover the costs of retiree benefits as well."

U.S. Health System Should Not Rely On Employer-Sponsored Coverage, Opinion Piece States

First Unionized Hospital In Texas - Houston RNs Vote To Join Nation's Largest RN Organization

We all know how strong the representation is with the California Nurses Association...appears Texas is working toward the same...BD 

In a dramatic breakthrough for the aspirations of Texas registered nurses to have a stronger voice to speak out for patients and themselves, a northwest Houston hospital Friday night became the first hospital in Texas to win union collective bargaining rights.
RNs at Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital voted 119 to 111 to affiliate with NNOC Texas -- Texas affiliate of the National Nurses Organizing Committee/California Nurses Association, the largest and fastest growing organization of RNs in the nation.

First Unionized Hospital In Texas Cypress Fairbanks Hospital, Houston RNs Vote To Join Nation's Largest RN Organization

Joint Statement On FDA Investigation Of Singulair From The AAAAI And ACAAI

These 2 groups state there is not substantial data that links suicide with the use of Singulair...BD 

Leadership from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology released the following statement in response to the Thursday announcement of a Food and Drug Administration investigation into Singulair:  There are no data from well-designed studies to indicate a link between Singulair and suicide. The concern expressed by the FDA is based entirely on case reports and there is no indication that such effects apply to other leukotriene-modifying medications

Joint Statement On FDA Investigation Of Singulair From The AAAAI And ACAAI

Toshiba Receives FDA Clearance For Two CT Clinical Applications

In one instance, one scan can be done instead of 2 separate procedures...software available for purchase for both...BD 

Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has received FDA clearance for two new CT clinical applications that will improve throughput and enhance workflow, while further reducing contrast and radiation dosage. The applications, SURECardio™ Prospective and Variable Helical Pitch (vHP), are available for new Toshiba AquilionTM 32- and 64-slice CT systems.

Toshiba Receives FDA Clearance For Two CT Clinical Applications

When Egg Donors Have Genetic Disease

Good questions arise...if the eggs have genetic diseases...something that we can now track that was unavailable before...new procedures needed to inform ahead of time?  BD 

But seven years after she was paid to donate her eggs, Jessica was diagnosed with colon cancer, at the age of 29. She died two years later. Hers was a rare diagnosis for someone so young and something Jessica's biological children will never know, despite Jessica's mother's attempts to contact the broker who sold her daughter's eggs.

But when Schneider asked the egg donation broker to reveal the identities of the families who had received the eggs, the broker said she had destroyed her records. Jessica donated her eggs three times.

Now, the Witts can see how the 15 pages of health information provided by their anonymous donor may not tell them everything they want to know. But at this point, they believe their donor has done more than enough. "We love them to pieces," Chris said, referring to his children. "I can't imagine life without them."

ABC News: When Egg Donors Have Genetic Disease

Selling the bitter EMR pill (HIMSS meeting) ...IT and IS, CIOs and CEOs...Quit Chopping Trees to find the answer...

This is one of my absolute pet peeves to discuss...there are tons of articles about getting physicians to buy in to new technology and YES we all agree you need to have the physicians buy in...and in today's world Tablet PCs are a very involved part of the process.  Ok, a few notes from my experience and my feelings on the subject...

I have sat in meetings with IT and IS department members who sit there and still take notes on scrap pieces of paper.... and now these same folks tell the physicians how great tablet PCS are...excuse me...the pot calling the kettle black here...you bet!  If they are so great and work so well, how come the CEO, CIO, and other administrative personnel don't use one...Good Question...and they can't really involve the physician as they don't use one, so what gives them any credibility to sell this to the physicians...if you want to sell the physicians and have them realize what a great tool tablet PCs and mobility are...well start at the top and be a model...and don't come across like an expert when you are on the side of the table that has not taken advantage and learned the skills yourself....after all anyone who sits in meetings and takes notes, no matter who you are can use one.  IT, IS, and administrators listen up...help yourself at the same time...and you will have much better results in getting the physicians to buy in.  I sell and recommend tablet PCs and do I do the same, YOU BET!  I take all my notes on the unit and use it for dictation, it is my portable office...it has value to me as a consultant...gee just imagine how valuable it could be to a CIO or IT manager...take notes in meetings..

After all what incentive do the health care personnel have to buy in if top management doesn't partake...and more importantly the IT and IS departments. If paperless technology and data input are so important to the future growth and data management, then why, Mr. IT are you still sitting there chopping trees? 

I attended a recent launch of the Microsoft CRM software program and the same mentality with resistance to change is alive and well there too.  Folks would rather work twice as hard, poking around their PCs for data that is easily brought under one roof with customer relations software.  In essence, you have the same battle going on here as you do with paperless health records...old dogs who won't learn new tricks and spend hours on projects that could be done with the right software in 10 minutes.  Go figure!

I attended the HIMMS conference this year and I felt like the "Lone Ranger" out there as I saw many others visiting booths and gathering any information just as I was doing, but did any of them bother to take notes on a tablet...I sure didn't see any...there were lot's of them out there for demonstration purposes, but was anyone using it as a tool to take notes like I did...NO...and so sad too as I returned with a complete set of accurate notes and besides that, the folks I did talk to appreciated the fact that I was taking notes, it shows interest and I didn't  have to chop any trees in the process.  It worked! 

Do you want to get the physicians involved....get yourself involved first as a role model...and partake in a little mobility of your own, get a tablet and see how your own efficiency and time skills will benefit along the line.  BD 

A few days after the University of California Medical Center in Irvine went live with its new electronic medical record system, a letter arrived on the desk of the hospital administrator. "I think the person who chose the [EMR] system should be shot first and then fired," the note read. She and others shared success stories, as well as lessons learned, of implementing new technology. The common thread was the realization that for major IT projects to be successful, physicians need to be on board, early and often. The solution, many found, was engaging doctors in leadership roles before implementation.

AMNews: April 7, 2008. Selling the bitter EMR pill (HIMSS meeting) ... American Medical News

The Doctor and the Rep

Cute Video...what if some of the roles were reversed?  BD 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Bqk4CEYdxgA&feature=related

Future of personal health care - Concept by Microsoft

A couple weeks ago I posted some pictures and now here's the video showing Microsoft's concept of future healthcare....from the MIX08 convention earlier this month...we will all need white walls.  BD                                            

       

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V35Kv6-ZNGA&feature=related

Cancer patient has PSP stolen en route to chemotherapy treatment

Disgusting...but the police department bought him a new unit and they got his medical records too....BD 

There's depressing gaming stories, and then there are outright travesties. Unfortunately, this case falls squarely into the latter category, as a 7-year old cancer patient had his beloved PlayStation Portable swiped -- right along with his medical records, a backpack full of medication, his games and even his homework -- while en route to a chemotherapy treatment for a tumor in his brain.

Cancer patient has PSP stolen en route to chemotherapy treatment - Engadget

LA County negotiating to reopen Martin Luther King Hospital

But they would only have enough staff to care for 77 patients...BD 

LOS ANGELES—County officials are negotiating with a small hospital to take over and reopen troubled Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Medical Center.

The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday that Pacific Hospital of Long Beach is considered the leading candidate. County Supervisor Yvonne Burke said negotiations could take about two months and the Willowbrook hospital could reopen by next February.

LA County negotiating to reopen MLK hospital - San Jose Mercury News

The Medical Quack - Blog Radio - Dr. Anonymous

Each week I am trying to focus and bring attention to the resources on this page in the right hand column.  Another resource listed on this page is the Blog Talk Radio connection for Dr. Anonymous...April 3rd is the next broadcast...I have not made it yet to a full hour, but will get there and plan on being there on April 3rd...he has had some great guests....

Click on the profile link in to visit the page...if the broadcast is not live, you can watch and listen to prior broadcasts...link is also listed below...BD 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctoranonymous

'A Race to the Starting Line': Diagnosing What's Holding Biotechnology Back

As the article states, it is more of an understanding now instead of hit and miss diagnosis based on genetics....both better diagnostic and treatment procedures are in high demand today..with the help of biometrics some of the clinical trials could be eliminated or the time of study reduced...and then enter our current reimbursement system...which doesn't make it easy at all...try to get something experimental covered...although the insurance companies state they are working to make a better medium here...claim denial still exist today for experimental procedures and drugs...comes back to a better infrastructure all the way around that is needed...BD 

The overall environment of healthcare's move toward a more individualized approach has begun to help, but more investment in biotechnology would create a more competitive arena and complement the rapid advances in technology, Pollard noted. A burgeoning number of new products is expected to enter the market over the next few years, due in part to important strategic alliances within the industry that have allowed for their development, he added.

As an example of the changing healthcare environment affecting biotech companies, Pollard cited his company's paradoxical achievement last year: It had its fewest number of product approvals in the last 24 years while reaching far greater levels of understanding about the diseases they aim to treat.

"If we understand diseases at the molecular level, then we should be able to do better, and that's really where personalized medicine comes in," Popovits said. "What's exciting right now are all of these targets that are sitting there and all the new technologies" available to help better understand them.

'A Race to the Starting Line': Diagnosing What's Holding Biotechnology Back - Knowledge@Wharton

Personalized Medicine...Big Pharma Business Models Restructure

Companies like Genentech are already working in this direction, especially with genetic research related to cancer...will the big blockbuster promotions soon be a thing of of the past since the best medication for our ills will be determined by our genes?  Big Pharma has some new potential business models to explore in the near future...and on the other hand there may be some new life to failed drugs of the past....With personalized medicine, a visit to the doctor's office could reveal much more than a mere diagnosis.....BD

“One of the biggest challenges for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in the 21^st century will be to develop and deliver drugs that fit the individual patient’s biology and pathophysiology,” Jan Trost Jorgensen, principal scientist at Dako, wrote in the January issue of Personalized Medicine. “These changes could mean an end to the blockbuster philosophy in ‘big pharma’ and thereby impose major changes in company structures.”  In fact, Robert Schmouder, executive director of translational medicine at Novartis, has put a similar 10-year life expectancy on the blockbuster model

Many industry observers have pointed out that perhaps big pharma needs to rethink its business model since innovation has been drying up, as seen in the dwindling number of new treatments approved by the US Food and Drug Administration last year. In 2007, the FDA approved 17 new molecular entities and two biologic license applications, the lowest number recorded since 1983.

“It was a parallel development. Genentech very early on realized that it was important to have an assay to select the patients that would respond to” Herceptin, Jorgensen said. “They developed [internally] from Phase II – which is the way that drug-diagnostic co-development should be done – a clinical trial assay.”

Dako Scientist Says Most Cancer Meds Will be Dx-Based, Personalized in Next Decade

Will sinus surgery work?

One woman's story on sinus surgery...how a new procedure has changed much of the methodology...painless....compared to routine sinus procedures...BD 

I was swayed by technology, in particular a new image guidance system that, because of the complexity of my case, would be available to me. The key is an infrared camera system through which a sensor on an instrument placed inside the nose creates an image on a video screen in the operating room.

"This technology has revolutionized surgery," Dr. Metson told me. "The infrared camera tracks the movement of the surgical instruments."

So I went for it. As in most cases, my operation took about an hour and half. It went well, and I had surprisingly little pain afterward. There was also almost no bleeding. As promised, the post-op fatigue was considerable.

Will sinus surgery work? | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Health Columnist Judy Foreman | The Dallas Morning News

SmartCase, Inc. - Medical Information Management - Software as a Service for Legal Cases for referencing specific medical records

New software to allow the legal profession to review and share medical records relative to a trial or court appearance...software as as a service requires no software installation and available with a web connection....BD 

Attendees at each conference will learn how SmartCase.com provides law firms, corporate legal departments, paralegals and legal nurse consultants with a manageable platform for case-specific medical records. "In short, SmartCase.com allows users to input, store, sort and organize medical records by subject, case or client, share data with team members, and create professional work products in preparation for deposition or trial," says Marousek. 

Users also have the ability to monitor multiple cases in a single view, as well as quickly retrieve other active cases and link electronic document images to each case, or submit documents to SmartCase to scan and post to the case file.

SmartCase, Inc. Displays the Power of Medical Information Management at Two Industry Conferences

Israel courts medical tourists

Israel is also a world leader in many types of technology and medical technology is no different...thus far though there are not many websites that feature Israel for medical tourism and perhaps that will change in short time....BD 

Jerusalem is one of the world's great destinations - for generations people have traveled to the city to see the religious sites. Now the government of Israel is hoping that visitors of a different kind will go to the country.  At the moment, few medical tourism websites feature Israel.

"The treatments that we can provide are much cheaper than the ones that you are going to receive in Europe."  In this country with many immigrants, medical staff are often multilingual. His hope, as well as that of the Israeli government, is that this combination of facilities and expertise will persuade people to travel here for treatment, whatever the security situation.

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Israel courts medical tourists

Area Kaiser patients less satisfied than many at other hospitals

In southern California Hoag Hospital in Orange county was rated the highest and Kaiser at the other end of the spectrum....2500 hospitals participated in the survey...BD 

ARLINGTON, VA. -- -- Patients treated at Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Southern California were less satisfied than many of those at other hospitals in the region and across the country, according to data released Friday from the first nationwide satisfaction survey.
None of the 10 Kaiser hospitals in Southern California that participated in the survey exceeded the regional average when patients were asked if they would "definitely recommend" the hospital to friends and family. Kaiser runs the largest hospital system in the region.
Among the 94 hospitals in Southern California that participated in the survey, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach ranked highest, with 87% of patients saying they would definitely recommend the hospital. At the bottom was Garfield Medical Center in Monterey Park, where 42% of patients gave that positive endorsement.

Area Kaiser patients less satisfied than many at other hospitals - Los Angeles Times

Weird Hospital - Los Angeles

Finally decided to have a civil service exam for the 6 candidates...basically a charity position that nobody seems to want...BD 

Southern California, breeding ground of cults and quacks, of nudists, sun- worshipers, gland doctors and colonic irrigators, is also the home of some 7,000 harassed, exasperated physicians, and the second largest general hospital in the U. S.: 23-story Los Angeles County. Built in 1933, the gleaming white skyscraper houses 3,154 beds, serves 50,000 patients a year.  Doctors and osteopaths work in separate wings, seldom speak to each other. For nearly six months it has had no director, and many of its prominent staff members have marched out in a huff.

Last September the County Board of Supervisors began sending out confidential letters to prominent hospital directors from Maine to California asking them if they would like to run the world's largest hospital for $9,000 a year. All said no.  He further advised: "A minimum of $12,000 salary should be offered to the new incumbent, rather than $9,000."

Weird Hospital - TIME

Patients rate local hospitals

Find your local hospital in the data base...Site is located here..."

This tool provides you with information on how well the hospitals care for all their adult patients with certain conditions or procedures. This information will help you compare the quality of care hospitals provide. Talk to your doctor about this information to help you, your family and your friends make your best hospital care decisions."...BD  

WASHINGTON - What do former patients think about the care they received at your local hospitals? The government wants to make it easier for you to find out.

Federal health officials in recent years have made strides to improve transparency in health care. But measuring how well hospitals do their job can be technical. New patient satisfaction scores, which went online Friday, cover basic premises that just about every hospital patient and their family members can understand.

_Did doctors treat patients with courtesy and respect?   _How often were the room and bathroom cleaned?  _Was the area around the room quiet?  _Did the patient get immediate help after pressing a call button?

Patients rate local hospitals - Yahoo! News

NY to Develop Unified Medical Records

Will be interesting to follow this story and see where it goes...BD 

Gov. David Paterson announced Friday $105 million in grants to help develop a unified system of electronic medical records for New Yorkers he said would reduce errors and duplicative testing.

The governor said the electronic system will not only improve care, but avoid cases like when he fainted on a flight to Buffalo last year and kept having to explain to medical personnel at two hospitals that he was not diabetic.

The federal and state grants for 19 projects around the state include $5.2 million for the Western New York Clinical Information Exchange with 16 hospitals, four health plans and one long-term care provider. Another $12.7 million in grants go to the Brooklyn Health Information Exchange with seven hospitals, five health plans and 17 long-term care facilities.

NY to Develop Unified Medical Records - Forbes.com

Pfizer Exec Arrested On Child Pornography Charges

Not good press for Pfizer...more work for the forensics it sounds like with checking some audit trails and other data areas if he signed on at work...do some folks just not get it?  BD 

A Pfizer vice president has been arrested on charges of receiving, possessing and distributing child pornography. Alan Hesketh, 61, was arrested at JFK airport by federal agents Wednesday and is being held without bond, reports the newspaper The Day.

Hesketh, who works on patent issues in the firm’s offices in New London, Conn., is currently on leave from the company, a Pfizer spokesman told the WSJ . The company is “cooperating fully with authorities,” the spokesman added.  He signed on as “Suzybibaby” from his home, as well as from an Internet address registered to Pfizer in New York.

Health Blog : Pfizer Exec Arrested On Child Pornography Charges

Is Depression Contagious?

Sure I think so, we become a product of the environment and the company we keep...there's still much about our emotional make up that we don't know and maybe will never know all..comes back around to balance...in my own occupation of IT consulting I make a cognizant effort to determine which item or part of my work to focus on for the client...i.e.  am I the networking tech today, software installer, trainer, or sales person?  Depending on client needs, and sometimes I am providing more than one service...as an example, I do not focus on sales at the same time I am doing a software installation, or try to train while doing the same, that is done on another day when I put on my "training" hat...so I can not only keep myself focused, but also not to confuse issues with clients as these items to have a tendency to cross at times...and then there' the end of the day where you dump all of this to go see a movie and take a break!  It's a challenge we all fact today with multi- tasking...having to switch gears on the run and sometimes depending on the situation it's better to switch days as well as gears...address the other scenario when you can focus and give full attention to the matter at hand and provide a better consulting solution if it is not an emergency situation...there's probably a bit of "bi-polar" lurking in all of us somewhere..now just think about the physician and the number of gears he deal with every day...with healthcare decisions they may not always have this luxury at all times to put issue off to another time and day...

But....is there a pill for uncontrollable crying when the pressures mount?  According to this article there is work in this area of "involuntary emotional expression"...I had no idea what it was until I read the post....will it make us happier folks and will the FDA be able to substantiate it's value...I guess time will tell....BD 

Ron and Carol Rossetti had a storybook romance. The two were high school sweethearts, went to prom together and married after college. "He was like the fun in my life," Carol Rossetti recalled. "But had I known the ride I was going to be in for, I'm not sure I would have signed up for it."

Spouses are at high risk for depression when one party has a clinical disorder like depression or bipolar disorder, because they spend a large amount of time with them and are emotionally invested in their well-being.  "I was so blocked up, I couldn't respond to her overtures," Lappen said. "Outside of the marriage, she wasn't depressed. She was able to tap into her vitality and vibrancy."

ABC News: Is Depression Contagious?

Dennis Quaid Acts on Medical Errors

He's right, there's no "take 2" in healthcare...and wants to go to court...the article states the hospital is considering a bar code system or another similar alternative to avoid the same in the future...BD

Dennis Quaid is smiling now. But the actor, whose newborn twins were almost killed by massive overdoses of blood thinner last year, has become a sober advocate for changes in health care to reduce medical errors.

“In my line of work if I make a mistake, we have take two,” Quaid told reporters, including the Health Blog, at the annual meeting of the Association of Health Care Journalists outside Washington, D.C., yesterday. “If you’re a health-care professional and make a mistake you could kill somebody.”

Health Blog : Dennis Quaid Acts on Medical Errors

Seeing Beyond Changing Skin Color

The "Michael Jackson" disease...more information on the unusual skin disease...perhaps some new genetics studies will shed more light in time...BD 

A medical mystery doctors still don't fully understand made her skin color different from that of her brother and her parents. When people see them together, many assume the 14-year-old was adopted.  With vitiligo, pigment cells that provide skin color are suddenly attacked by the body's immune system and destroyed one cell at a time. The disease affects people of both sexes and all races equally, but is much more noticeable in those with darker complexions.  "We have patients who say, I got mono and then a month later I had white spots," said Dr. Nanette Silverberg, a vitiligo specialist at New York's Beth Israel Medical Center. "I've had a patient say, 'I got divorced, within a few weeks I had white spots on my skin.' There is no one universal factor."

ABC News: Seeing Beyond Changing Skin Color

Blogging Phone in Japan Goes on Sale

This could stand to represent a real change to the blogging world if it takes off...complete with the capability to create an instant video with an RSS feed reader....BD

Japanese bloggers have a new tool with which to update their sites with the launch of a new Sharp phone that packs a small QWERTY keyboard. The phone has an RSS reader and a PC-style Web browser in addition to one more adapted to mobile use.

The 922SH went on sale Friday through Softbank Mobile, Japan's number three cellular provider, and has a 3.5-inch display that folds out to the side so the phone can be used more like a miniature laptop than a traditional clamshell phone. The widescreen VGA display has a resolution of 854 pixel by 480 pixels.

Sharp to Launch Blogging Phone in Japan - Yahoo! News

Texan faces charges over snake vodka

Questions over the medicinal values of rattlesnakes...but not in this case...rattlesnake in a bottle of vodka is not seen with any medicinal value....BD 

Bob Popplewell, who runs "Bayou Bob's Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch" tourist attraction west of Fort Worth, was believed to be selling the vodka in the Asian community, where snakes are seen having aphrodisiac properties, state authorities said.  In some of East Asia, parts of snakes and other animals are thought to have medicinal qualities and are used to make soups, powders and other preparations. In Vietnam, for example, the serpents are added to bottles of rice whisky and wine.  A Texas man is facing charges for selling liquor without a license after he was found peddling bottles of vodka containing dead baby rattlesnakes.

Extra bite - Texan faces charges over snake vodka - Yahoo! News

The Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center Employs Actors And Robots

Breathing mannequins with heart tones, palpable pulses, etc. with software that tests decision making skills for medical students...cost of the center is 5 million....BD 

A medical student places a chest tube in a patient lying on an operating table, while another student conducts a colonoscopy. Everything is just as it would be in a real OR or treatment room, except that the patients won't be harmed or complain if mistakes are made - they're robots. 
These high-tech, electronically outfitted mannequins are equipment in the new $5 million medical and surgical simulation training center at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center in East Baltimore that opened in March.

New $5M Simulation Training Center At The Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center Employs Actors And Robots

Social Security Disability - New Debit Card, Going Paperless

Debit card from Social Security...article discusses the pros and cons...Social Security recipients participating in the Direct Express program are allowed one free ATM cash withdrawal per month from a designated ATM...you pay for additional withdrawals...savings generated by not having to cut paper checks...BD 

Starting next month Social Security Disability Insurance recipients in some states will have the option of receiving their benefit payments electronically on a debit card, rather than via a paper check. However, eligible individuals - many of whom are "unbanked" - should have a clear understanding of the pros and cons of opting for the debit card, particularly the financial ramifications, according to Allsup, which represents tens of thousands of people in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) process each year. It also offers services that support the financial and health well-being of individuals with disabilities.

The debit card program, called Direct Express, is run by the U.S. Treasury Department through Comerica Bank with the intent to encourage Social Security recipients who do not have a bank account to elect to have their benefits loaded electronically onto a debit card. The Direct Express program will be introduced this spring in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas before being phased in across the nation during the summer.

Social Security Disability Insurance Recipients Need Better Understanding Of Pros And Cons Of New Debit Card, Allsup Says (USA)

Paul Levy CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

 Great interview...I didn't even know this existed until last evening;....transparency...accountability....interview from Holland...very informative...BD 

"Paul Levy talked at the interimic healthcare event about running a hospital, transparency, using webblogs and innovation."

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zJkHxABvLF8

Waking Up Is Hard To DO

Hey these guys can really sing!  The Laryngospasms.....BD 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WOrjcLJ2IE0

and one more......Breathe...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kP2OuZ_vI_s

CRM - Microsoft Dynamics Healthcare Presentation

New presentation relating directly to health care...bring everything under one roof...works well with Office as it was designed that way...here are a few screenshots...built in workflow...great for managing HR departments...runs an audit trail and reports are just a few clicks...here in Southern California, a large medical Group, Talbert Medical is a current client and has added information to the site from a customer stand point....set the reports to run on schedule via email....this is the first video I have seen with direction specifically at health care and hospitals...helps explain the process of CRM....and it integrates with current systems already in use...can't lose on that portion with licenses...BD  

 

 

http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/gp/demos/IPSS_Healthcare.htm