Pay Per View Funerals....

<p> Good idea, but I think this should be a charity event...not something you need to pay for...has the same undertones as making money from healthcare...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_JnA1KN_kI/AAAAAAAAEpI/6Wq_YOK3Khc/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="134" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_JnB1KN_lI/AAAAAAAAEpQ/6H8DdrRDTU0/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="168"></a> LONDON (Reuters) - Pay-per-view funerals go live online in Britain on Tuesday, allowing mourners who cannot attend services in person to pay their last respects via the Internet. <p>"For those who need it, this is a very important service. It means that rather than being excluded, they can at least witness and be a part of a funeral as it happens. In a time of stress this is something that can ease the pain."</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL0192261920080401?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews">Live, on Good Mourning TV! | Oddly Enough | Reuters</a></p>

Pay Per View Funerals....

Good idea, but I think this should be a charity event...not something you need to pay for...has the same undertones as making money from he...

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The 5 Biggest Mistakes of EHR Implementation

<p> Good lengthy article about how to transition the office or medical center...things are much more complicated today and it's not a world of "EMR out of the Box"...preparation and time management is a vital key....BD  </p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R_JkeVKN_gI/AAAAAAAAEoo/zxEvt8sqzVE/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="122" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_JkfFKN_hI/AAAAAAAAEow/jZj1tnAHWvU/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="142"></a> <strong>"Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself."</strong> <p>The above quote by Eleanor Roosevelt is the theme of our article and the hope these five facilities had when they opened up to <i>ADVANCE</i> and bravely shared their stories of EHR disasters and downfalls. One facility watched as money drained out of its practice and its patients switched doctors; another made its physicians' workday even more cumbersome than it had been in the paper world; and a third unknowingly put its patients at great risk just by updating its system. In the end, however, all shared one remarkable similarity: <strong>They never gave up on their EHRs. </strong><a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_Jkf1KN_iI/AAAAAAAAEo4/8zF0pl-KSrA/image%5B7%5D.png"><strong><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="147" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R_JkglKN_jI/AAAAAAAAEpA/BMVFafRfUNk/image_thumb%5B3%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="121"></strong></a> <p>As the go-live date approached, Julie Barto, BS, MS, administrator, started getting nervous.<strong> Absolutely nothing had been scanned in. They hadn't made a single template, and no one had any idea what their EMR tablets even <i>looked like</i>.</strong> <p><strong>"We had older physicians who didn't know how to use a computer. They hadn't even e-mailed before this! Things like how to turn on the tablet, we didn't even know that," Barto said. "We knew nothing, absolutely nothing."</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://health-care-it.advanceweb.com/editorial/content/editorial.aspx?cc=110980&CP=1">ADVANCE for Health Information Executives | Editorial</a> </p> <p>Source:  <a href="http://www.tabletpctalk.com/newsarticles.shtml#newsitemEkpZpVAFplEzrVWHBp">http://www.tabletpctalk.com/newsarticles.shtml#newsitemEkpZpVAFplEzrVWHBp</a></p>

The 5 Biggest Mistakes of EHR Implementation

Good lengthy article about how to transition the office or medical center...things are much more complicated today and it's not a world...

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SQL Server 2008: What's New

<p> Hard Hat Area:  Summary of what is new with SQL Server 2008...<strong>notice the reference made to the new LINQ language...data binding language used with Silverlight and Windows Presentation Foundation applications.</strong>..something to give some though to...also Hot add CPU...which needs to work with a 64 bit enterprise edition of Server 2008 and requires the enterprise version of SQL Server 2008...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_Jhh1KN_eI/AAAAAAAAEoU/rSqzvL-2mew/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="200" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R_JhilKN_fI/AAAAAAAAEoc/JyFfEx-grT4/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="244"></a> Once again, Microsoft has released a new version of SQL Server that promises to improve life for database administrators. The latest version is SQL Server 2008, and it offers a large variety of new features and functionality that will make the administration a whole lot better. <p>Database administrators who have been using SQL Server® 2005 for any length of time will find many of the same features that they use in their day-to-day jobs, but they'll also soon discover that these familiar tools have been enhanced in SQL Server 2008. The new functionality built on the existing features goes a long way in reducing the number of workarounds or customizations once needed for using various features in complex database environments. <p><strong>Well, SQL Server 2008 enhances LINQ by providing a new LINQ to SQL provider that allows developers to issue LINQ commands directly against SQL Server tables and columns. This will reduce the amount of time it takes to create new data queries.</strong> <p>Another new feature, Hot Add CPU, lets you add additional CPUs to a database server without affecting the availability of the databases residing on that server. However, you should know that <strong>Hot Add CPU does have some limitations, as it is only useful when running the 64-bit Itanium-based Windows Server® 2008 Enterprise Edition or Datacenter Edition, and it requires the Enterprise Edition of SQL Server 2008</strong>.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc434690.aspx">SQL Server 2008: What's New</a></p>

SQL Server 2008: What's New

Hard Hat Area:  Summary of what is new with SQL Server 2008... notice the reference made to the new LINQ language...data binding language u...

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Doctors Lobby Against Medicare Payment Cuts

<p> Only 3 groups outspent the AMA with lobbying last year...Big Pharma right up at the top of the list..and this is a big issue this year...July 1st is the deadline for the proposed 10% cut in compensation...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>Every so often, the Health Blog puts in a phone call to the <a href="http://www.mgma.com/index.aspx">Medical Group Management Association</a>, a trade group for medical practices. Practically every time we hear the same dire warning: Physicians will cut back on care for Medicare patients because of impending cuts in payment. <p>Turns out we’re not the only ones who hear this refrain.<strong> It’s become a ritual for groups including the American Medical Association and other medical societies to warn Congress that doctor pay isn’t up to snuff.</strong> Last year, the American Medical Association spent $22 million on lobbying, its biggest sum ever, the Hill reports. Only three groups outspent it: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, General Electric and, you guessed it, the <a href="http://www.phrma.org/">Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America</a>.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/04/01/doctors-lobby-against-medicare-payment-cuts/?mod=WSJBlog">Health Blog : Doctors Lobby Against Medicare Payment Cuts</a></p>

Doctors Lobby Against Medicare Payment Cuts

Only 3 groups outspent the AMA with lobbying last year...Big Pharma right up at the top of the list..and this is a big issue this year...Ju...

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Lotrel, A Single Pill Combination For Treating High Blood Pressure

<p> Study is showing promise in reducing cardiovascular events by 20% with high risk patients..BD  </p> <blockquote>Interim results from the ACCOMPLISH (Avoiding Cardiovascular Events through COMbination Therapy in Patients LIving with Systolic Hypertension) trial demonstrate that high-risk, high blood pressure patients treated with Lotrel(R) (amlodipine besylate and benazepril HCl) had 20% fewer cardiovascular events than those taking a benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) combination. This is the first cardiovascular outcomes trial in a hypertensive population where all patients were randomized to receive a single-pill combination treatment at the onset of the trial as opposed to a step care regimen. Lotrel is approved for the treatment of high blood pressure. It should not be used before other medications have been tried first.</blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/102261.php">Lotrel, A Single Pill Combination For Treating High Blood Pressure, Reduced Cardiovascular Events By 20% In High-Risk Patients</a></p>

Lotrel, A Single Pill Combination For Treating High Blood Pressure

Study is showing promise in reducing cardiovascular events by 20% with high risk patients..BD  Interim results from the ACCOMPLISH (Avoidi...

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Hot Sauce Numbs Knee Pain

<p> Hot Sauce, on the new frontier for pain relief...the nerves become overwhelmed and shut down...thus there goes the pain....this is not the hot sauce we put on a taco, but rather a purified version of the basic ingredient being studied...so don't pour hot sauce on your knee just yet...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>WORCESTER, Mass. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Hot sauce can put a fire in your belly and leave your eyes crying for more. Now, doctors are testing to see if the hot stuff that numbs your tongue can numb knee pain. The spicy new treatment is part of a study that uses <strong>Adlea, an ultra-purified form of capsaicin.</strong> Dr. Birbera injects it into a patient's knee to relieve pain. <a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_JY4FKN_cI/AAAAAAAAEn8/IdZpZPAqg48/image%5B7%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="92" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_JY5FKN_dI/AAAAAAAAEoE/CHw8G9YWqyw/image_thumb%5B3%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="116"></a> <p>Hot sauce is used to spice up your food. Now, capsaicin -- the active principle that gives chili peppers their punch -- is knocking out knee pain.  At age 71, Ron Johnson says his knee is in better shape than it was in his fifties.  <strong>Adlea is not FDA approved and doctors are still testing to see just how long the pain is relieved.</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=18265">Ivanhoe's Medical Breakthroughs - Hot Sauce Numbs Knee Pain</a></p>

Hot Sauce Numbs Knee Pain

Hot Sauce, on the new frontier for pain relief...the nerves become overwhelmed and shut down...thus there goes the pain....this is not the ...

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Pinhole-Glasses - Help Improve your vision inexpensively

<p>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  </p> <blockquote> <p>Are you<strong> tired</strong> of constantly changing your prescription eyeglasses to meet the ever-<a href="http://www.pinhole-glasses-direct.com/"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="52" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_HCNFKN_WI/AAAAAAAAEnE/y_gLnJ7Hrzw/image%5B21%5D.png" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" width="293"></a>increasing power of your lenses? Do you wonder <strong>why in spite of wearing</strong> <strong>them</strong> your eyesight is getting weaker day-by-day?   <strong>Would you like to use a</strong> 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? <br>Even if you do not have any vision issues, the glasses can help.  The technology is <a href="http://www.pinhole-glasses-direct.com/"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="100" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R_HCN1KN_XI/AAAAAAAAEnM/BRd6waO7pPs/image%5B22%5D.png" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" width="119"></a>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. <strong><a href="http://www.pinhole-glasses-direct.com/contactus.html">Pinhole glasses</a> do not use any lenses and use the principal of light only, thus reducing the exposure of some dangerous rays.   </strong> <p>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 <strong>them with you to the movie theater. </strong>They are not <a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_HCOVKN_YI/AAAAAAAAEnU/bkmDffivjnI/image%5B19%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="141" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R_HCO1KN_ZI/AAAAAAAAEnc/tyGlJwvqA50/image_thumb%5B11%5D.png" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" width="139"></a> to be worn when driving or at any time when you need all of your peripheral vision.  <p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_HCPVKN_aI/AAAAAAAAEnk/g-pEnxZFGhI/image%5B20%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="119" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_HCQFKN_bI/AAAAAAAAEns/6XgA92l3qwk/image_thumb%5B12%5D.png" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" width="148"></a> 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.  <strong>The holes in the glasses are 1 - 1.5 mn and spaced using laser technology</strong>.  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.  <p>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. <p><strong>Please send your emails to: </strong><a href="mailto:service@pinhole-glasses-direct.com"><strong>service@pinhole-glasses-direct.com</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.pinhole-glasses.com">http://www.pinhole-glasses.com</a><br> <a href="http://www.pinhole-glasses.com/order.html">http://www.pinhole-glasses.com/order.html</a><br> <a href="http://www.pinhole-glasses.com/faq.html">http://www.pinhole-glasses.com/faq.html</a></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.pinhole-glasses-direct.com/">Pinhole-Glasses-Direct: Buy Pinhole-glasses</a> (sponsored review)</p>

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...

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

<p> The issue goes back to hearing aides shipped in 2005 and 2006...failure to notify of potential risks appears to be the case...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>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.<br>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, <a href="http://www.advancedbionics.com/">Advanced Bionics</a> 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.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/102225.php">FDA Seeks Civil Penalties From Calif. Device Maker</a></p>

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...

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Doctors support universal health care: survey

<p> 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 <a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/102073.php">related story in Texas...</a>the number of physicians accepting Medicare continues to drop...an all time low of 58.1 percent<a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R_GIGlKN_UI/AAAAAAAAEms/KRrKGbKOOLU/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="138" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_GIHFKN_VI/AAAAAAAAEm0/aj4kL8pnCK4/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="111"></a>.  BD</p> <blockquote> <p>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. <p>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.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKN3143203520080331">Doctors support universal health care: survey | Science & Health | Reuters</a></p>

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 ...

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

<p> This was just too funny not to post...in Japan of course...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>The Japanese are simply hyping <a href="http://jsbi.blogspot.com/2008/03/download-windows-vista-service-pack-1.html">Vista SP1 release</a>. I was just surprised to find that <a href="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R_GFh1KN_SI/AAAAAAAAEmc/IXkY9lxDnns/image%5B4%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="177" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_GFjFKN_TI/AAAAAAAAEmk/YyzDajPKdjg/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="123"></a>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 --</p> <p> 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.</p></blockquote> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://jsbi.blogspot.com/2008/03/windows-vista-sp1-toilet-paper-its.html">Jason S: Windows Vista SP1 Toilet Paper - It's really available now .: The most Authoritative Technology Blog :.</a></p>

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...

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In Defense of the Electronic Medical Records Developer/Vendor

<p>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 <strong>gray areas and technology in healthcare. </strong></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_Fc9FKN_AI/AAAAAAAAEkE/R_t58jKUz2s/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="141" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R_Fc91KN_BI/AAAAAAAAEkM/gXEjt-mvd_w/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="134"></a> 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, <strong>it is becoming increasingly difficult to create a full featured software application that is not outdated before it is released.</strong></p> <p>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 <strong>Software as a Service.</strong>  A while back we learned that we needed to include potential interactions when prescribing medications...and to do this in real <a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R_Fc-lKN_CI/AAAAAAAAEkU/nWMi6o-vAUs/image%5B7%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="112" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_Fc_VKN_DI/AAAAAAAAEkc/gGZ7qh9zMQ8/image_thumb%5B3%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="120"></a> time, desktop software had to take advantage of web based products to integrate the most recent updated data bases.  <strong>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. </strong> 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.  </p> <p>One more the scenario is evolving and what I would call a much bigger transition.  Enter the era of <strong>personalized medicine.</strong>  One lab already has over 1,000 tests available that relate to genetics, and it's growing at a rapid pace.  <strong>Genetics and their use is growing at such a rapid pace</strong>, it is a scramble to determine the next step. <strong> <em>It also goes beyond medical records and touches on reimbursement areas as well.</em></strong></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdAFKN_EI/AAAAAAAAEkk/6ffOhOycc4c/image%5B42%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="169" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdBVKN_FI/AAAAAAAAEks/0cZOhR8WQ9Y/image_thumb%5B24%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="178"></a> 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<strong>.  Electronic Medical Records developers are aware of this change and are working diligently to bring this in to the fold as it evolves,</strong> it is almost similar to <strong>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.  </strong></p> <p>There is also a shortage of education on the issues as again it is moving at such a rapid pace.  <strong>Bear with your EMR vendor to work with you.</strong>  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. <strong> 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 <u>10 minutes</u> or so he/she is spending with a patient...a challenge...you bet it is.</strong></p> <p>Now enters what is called the User Interface...<strong>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</strong>, to also include <a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdCVKN_GI/AAAAAAAAEk0/tpZCJUlDEjA/image%5B24%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="88" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdDFKN_HI/AAAAAAAAEk8/cj1Qj8xzlwo/image_thumb%5B12%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="103"></a> personal health records from the patient side of things.  This area is growing rapidly and<strong> EMR Vendors are very much aware and have programmers and others working diligently to bring this to fruition as well.  </strong></p> <p><strong>Now that we have the software and genetics going</strong>, now we need to explore <strong>what type of hardware do we need</strong>...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 <a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdEFKN_II/AAAAAAAAElE/ISzAYZFPuYc/image%5B30%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="99" src="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdElKN_JI/AAAAAAAAElM/1GUCklCEp9g/image_thumb%5B16%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="60"></a>hardware that will be required to sustain the medical records system...being client/server, totally web based, or a combination there of.   <strong>Will this be a total server application with assistance from someone like Citrix, will it be a Windows Terminal Services Operation...many choices</strong>...and what hardware will work both for a desktop <a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdFVKN_KI/AAAAAAAAElU/a4Nt05493bs/image%5B25%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="84" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdGVKN_LI/AAAAAAAAElc/F2N3YobFEEs/image_thumb%5B13%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="111"></a>scenario as well as<strong> mobile solutions...</strong>and the EMR Vendors will more than<strong> likely want to have some hardware certification to give their clients</strong> 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 <u><strong>you do want hardware that is powerful and mobility capable</strong> </u> to handle the job, especially with mobility as tablets and other mobile units come in all shapes and sizes.  </p> <p><strong>The medical records business has also grown to working with imaging...</strong>now we want <a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdHFKN_MI/AAAAAAAAElk/V88WXj2BZQQ/image%5B40%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="122" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdH1KN_NI/AAAAAAAAEls/0g0LiYkR8lc/image_thumb%5B22%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="176"></a> medical imaging in the chart, not just text as was the case a few years ago...this means more <strong>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.  </strong> 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.  </p> <p>There is also the <strong>CCHIT certification process</strong>...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...</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdI1KN_OI/AAAAAAAAEl0/7a3yfwJrCP0/image%5B34%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="124" src="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdJlKN_PI/AAAAAAAAEl8/p2Y-qIXB9PU/image_thumb%5B18%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="168"></a> <strong>In summary, be patient, communicate, offer suggestions and feedback to your EMR Vendor...</strong>it's not an easy task these days and <u>the lines are not always black and white.</u>  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 <a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdKFKN_QI/AAAAAAAAEmE/OGZwx9cXZr0/image%5B39%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="84" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FdK1KN_RI/AAAAAAAAEmM/lr1ZvfUjpG8/image_thumb%5B21%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="102"></a> this...<strong>most vendors are working to keep the cost as affordable as possible..</strong>and<strong> they do in fact simply "eat" much of the cost if you were to "line item" evaluate the entire process. </strong> 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...<strong>support contracts are not a bad thing by any means, but more or less a good thing to consider </strong>as we all work towards the same goal of better documented and overall health care for all - <strong>saving lives 101.</strong>  BD</p>

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 abou...

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Riding the Hospitalist Boom to an IPO

<p> 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  </p> <blockquote> <p>A national physician practice outfit called <a href="http://www.ipcm.com/index.html">IPC The Hospitalist Company</a> 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. <p><embed name="flashObj" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" src="http://services.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/452319854" width="300" height="250" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" swliveconnect="true" seamlesstabbing="false" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" flashvars="videoId=1481060654&playerId=452319854&viewerSecureGatewayURL=https://services.brightcove.com/services/amfgateway&servicesURL=http://services.brightcove.com/services&cdnURL=http://admin.brightcove.com&domain=embed&autoStart=false&" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"></embed> <p>There are <a href="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/25/2627">more than 20,000</a> 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.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/03/31/riding-the-hospitalist-boom-to-an-ipo/?mod=WSJBlog">Health Blog : Riding the Hospitalist Boom to an IPO</a></p>

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 re...

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New Internet ID Card Prevents Online Fraud

<p> 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 <strong>healthcare might want to entertain for authentication use for medical information</strong> soon to identify an individual with online access as well....BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>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.<strong> 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.<a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FJvFKN--I/AAAAAAAAEjs/4hqRqaXg3j4/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="171" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_FJxFKN-_I/AAAAAAAAEj0/wPvl8EQGGR0/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="244"></a> </strong></p> <p><a href="http://adms.physorg.com/openads/www/delivery/ck.php?n=a649a0c4&cb=%n"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://adms.physorg.com/openads/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=8&n=a649a0c4&ct0=%c"></a>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. <p>Online banking is just one of many possible applications, though. For users who enjoy activities ranging from online auctions to downloading music, <strong>the ID card has 128 keys and in theory can be used for a corresponding number of different online service providers. </strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.physorg.com/news126195553.html">New Internet ID Card Prevents Online Fraud</a></p>

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 fr...

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

<p> 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  </p> <blockquote> <p>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. <p><strong>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.</strong> <p>"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." </p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/818301.html">Politics - State ignores law requiring annual Medi-Cal payment studies - sacbee.com</a></p>

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...

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Vytorin Pain May Be Abbott's Gain

<p> Will Abbott Labs be successful with a combination drug?  BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>What’s bad for Merck and Schering-Plough may be good for Abbott Laboratories. Yesterday’s downbeat <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/03/31/vytorin-postgame-worse-than-expected/?mod=WSJBlog&mod=WSJBlog">discussion</a> 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. <p>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 <a href="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMe0801842">New England Journal of Medicine</a> calls suitable for use when first-line treatments (read: statins) have failed.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/03/31/vytorin-pain-may-be-abbotts-gain/?mod=WSJBlog">Health Blog : Vytorin Pain May Be Abbott's Gain</a></p>

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...

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German hackers threaten to publish Merkel's fingerprints

<p> 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   </p> <blockquote> <p>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. </p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.physorg.com/news126191499.html">German hackers threaten to publish Merkel's fingerprints</a></p>

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 indi...

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Celebrate National Doctors' Day

<p> 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</p> <blockquote><a href="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R_E9s1KN-8I/AAAAAAAAEjU/vbpS36hEsCQ/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="162" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_E9tVKN-9I/AAAAAAAAEjc/P77YWRrQRIs/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="120"></a>The American Medical Association (AMA) honors the more than 900,000 physicians in the<strong> U.S. on National Doctor's Day,</strong> 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.<strong>  The red carnation has become the symbol of Doctor's Day because it denotes the qualities of love, charity, sacrifice, bravery, and courage.</strong></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/102190.php">American Medical Association Celebrates National Doctors' Day</a></p>

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 cont...

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Hawaii's Largest Insurer, HMSA, Plans Rate Hike

<p>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 </p> <blockquote> <p>Haeaii's biggest health insurer wants to hike health insurance premiums by more <a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R_E8UlKN-6I/AAAAAAAAEjE/59xdwVEYr08/image%5B6%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="127" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_E8VFKN-7I/AAAAAAAAEjM/l_ZXc8lk3vs/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="151"></a> than 12 percent next year, the biggest increase in nearly two decades. <p>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.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2008/03/31/88694.htm">Hawaii's Largest Insurer, HMSA, Plans Rate Hike</a></p>

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...

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

<p> 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 <strong>good news once more about red wine...</strong>but not at the trace amounts found...1000 bottles a <a href="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_E7BVKN-2I/AAAAAAAAEik/k8yAspDIzyo/image%5B7%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="119" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_E7CFKN-3I/AAAAAAAAEis/N9KUkpKw0lQ/image_thumb%5B3%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="135"></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....<a href="http://www.physorg.com/news126185350.html"><strong>reducing side effects....read more here....</strong></a>BD </p> <blockquote> <p>"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 <strong>extends to creating organs.</strong> <p>"We can actually grow these up by the billions," he said. "S<a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R_E7ClKN-4I/AAAAAAAAEi0/nGepHFBqgmI/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="108" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_E7DVKN-5I/AAAAAAAAEi8/DmJLAelJQdU/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="143"></a>o 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.<strong> "We're doing this today. We've already grown up entire bladders that are in people."</strong> <p>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. <strong>We stumbled upon this molecule from red wine.</strong> 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."<strong>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.</strong></p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Longevity/Story?id=4543291&page=2">ABC News: Tapping Into the Code of Life With Science</a></p>

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 be...

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Big Insurers Pay for Online Doctor Visits

<p> With a plan such as RelayHealth, that <strong>has the potential to integrate with Electronic Medical Records and facilitate e-prescribing</strong>, a data audit trail can track each entry and lab ordering can be done as well through the system...<a href="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R_Ev31KN-yI/AAAAAAAAEh8/fOTQYS-gEKs/image%5B17%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="63" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_Ev4VKN-zI/AAAAAAAAEiE/hutPdxJTajY/image_thumb%5B9%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="244"></a>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...<strong>lot's of data tentacles that need to reach out and update other health care areas to make this work....BD  </strong></p> <blockquote> <p>Doctors are finally starting to get compensated for online consultations with patients, but whether the practice will catch on is another story. <p>Aetna recently took a three-state pilot project nationwide, and Cigna plans to start paying for Web visits next year, the <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/17133061.html">Philadelphia Inquirer reports</a>.<a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_Ev7FKN-0I/AAAAAAAAEiM/L2E7SqQUh-U/image%5B18%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="213" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_Ev8FKN-1I/AAAAAAAAEiU/RliRnmrpBgQ/image_thumb%5B10%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="305"></a>  <p>Both companies contract with <a href="https://www.relayhealth.com/rh/default.aspx">RelayHealth</a>, 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.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/03/31/big-insurers-pay-for-online-doctor-visits/?mod=WSJBlog">Health Blog : Big Insurers Pay for Online Doctor Visits</a></p>

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 ...

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Allergan and J&J Pump Up Weight-Loss Surgery

<p> 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  </p> <blockquote> <p>Minimally invasive surgery to treat obesity is getting the Big Pharma treatment. <a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R_EsPlKN-wI/AAAAAAAAEho/1K-4CS932TQ/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="230" src="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_EsQFKN-xI/AAAAAAAAEhw/tkKNT3iWwC8/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="205"></a>Sales reps are fanning out to doctors’ offices to push the latest procedure, called <a href="http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/cs/pat/obesity/lapband.html">gastric banding</a>, while companies are using TV commercials and <a href="http://www.realizeband.com/dtcf/pages/home.htm">slick Web sites</a> to pitch it directly to consumers, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120692909065176045.html?mod=WSJBlog">the WSJ reports</a>. <p>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.”</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/03/31/allergan-and-jj-pump-up-weight-loss-surgery/?mod=WSJBlog">Health Blog : Allergan and J&J Pump Up Weight-Loss Surgery</a></p>

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 busi...

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Researchers identify a gene responsible for Lou Gehrig's disease

<p> Hope on the horizon with more genetic information available...BD  </p> <blockquote>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. </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.physorg.com/news126184762.html">Researchers identify a gene responsible for Lou Gehrig's disease</a></p>

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 re...

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Lost in the labyrinth - Massachusetts Insurance law...

<p> Some are not re-enrolling in the Massachusetts health plan...are they criminals?  How do you get blood from a turnip?  BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>"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." <p>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. <strong> 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.</strong> Many, Walczak notes, never signed up in the first place and have no idea what to do now. <p><strong>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?</strong> Will the state garnish our wages and hasten our descent into bankruptcy?</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/03/30/lost_in_the_labyrinth/?page=1">Lost in the labyrinth - The Boston Globe</a></p>

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, ...

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

<p> 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  </p> <blockquote> <p>Except nobody remembered to tell his ICD. The damn thing just wouldn't give up! <a href="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R_Eo8lKN-uI/AAAAAAAAEhU/F53M82hybDc/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="108" src="http://lh4.google.com/DucknetServices/R_Eo9VKN-vI/AAAAAAAAEhc/PE5FArerH9I/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="142"></a>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. <br>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.</p> <p><a href="http://allbleedingstops.blogspot.com/2008/03/grim-irony.html">Movin' Meat: Grim Irony</a> </p></blockquote> <p>Hat Tip:  <a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/03/search-for-defibrillator-magnet.html">Kevin, MD</a></p>

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 giv...

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

<p> Physician wishing there were better alternatives to treat adult sickle cell disease...BD  </p> <blockquote>"I challenge you to find any one of my patients who has not been treated like a drug addict," says <strong>Dr. Sophie Lanzkron, director of the Sickle Cell Center for Adults at Johns Hopkins</strong>. "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 <strong>she and her colleagues are probably among the highest prescribers of narcotics in the state</strong>, said she wishes there were better treatments.</blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.sickle30bmar30,0,5637341.story">'It's a bad therapy, but it's all we've got' -- Health -- baltimoresun.com</a></p>

'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 pati...

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Is an HSA worth it?

<p> 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</p> <blockquote> <p>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.<a href="http://lh3.google.com/DucknetServices/R_EmNFKN-sI/AAAAAAAAEhA/JSXxjq3uiZY/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="103" src="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R_EmNlKN-tI/AAAAAAAAEhI/Yw0MIvgUpZY/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="91"></a> <br>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.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.dogatemyfinances.com/2008/03/is-hsa-worth-it.html">Dog Ate My Finances: Is an HSA worth it?</a></p>

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...

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Britons get stressed without mobile phones: survey

<p> Now we have a<strong> new source of stress....</strong>could apply to us in the US as well...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>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. <p>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.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.physorg.com/news126182348.html">Britons get stressed without mobile phones: survey</a></p>

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 ...

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Some Total Body-brand products recalled

<p> Web page has a listing of the products affected...BD  </p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.totalbodyformula.com/"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="138" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R_Ejv1KN-rI/AAAAAAAAEg4/vSMHwjUitgs/image%5B5%5D.png" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="167"></a> The FDA said the recall involves <a href="http://www.totalbodyformula.com/">Total Body Formula</a> in tropical orange and peach nectar flavors and Total Body Mega Formula in the orange-tangerine flavor. <p>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.  </p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.physorg.com/news126182173.html">Some Total Body-brand products recalled</a></p>

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 ...

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Quotes from Schering-Plough's CafePharma message board

<p> <strong>What do Schering and Spitzer have in common? </strong><br>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.</p> <p><a href="http://peterrost.blogspot.com/2008/03/quotes-from-schering-ploughs-cafepharma.html">QUESTION AUTHORITY by Dr. Rost: Quotes from Schering-Plough's CafePharma message board</a> </p> <p>Hat Tip:  <a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/03/what-do-schering-plough-and-spitzer.html">Kevin, MD</a></p>

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 le...

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

<p> 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  </p> <blockquote>According to Beilenson, <strong>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.</strong> 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."</blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/102143.php">U.S. Health System Should Not Rely On Employer-Sponsored Coverage, Opinion Piece States</a></p>

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  Accordi...

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