Medical Quack

NHS – Medical Records Mistake Lead to Patient Death With Erroneous Notation On Not to Revive

45 minutes after the staff had discovered the error, the man had died.  He was in the hospital for flue like symptoms and had suffered a heart attack and no CPR was <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2jXtEjPhMI/AAAAAAAAcV0/mJGaBLMX7Mg/s1600-h/image%5B4%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="144" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2jXtZpIAlI/AAAAAAAAcV4/62upNyZWYDI/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="178" /></a>offered and by the time the error was found, it was too late to even try.  BD  <blockquote> Nurses at a hospital failed to resuscitate an 86-year-old man after it was mistakenly written in his medical records that he was not to be revived, it has emerged. An inquest heard that nurses decided not to start CPR after Peter Clarke suffered a heart attack at the former Derby City General Hospital on January 4 last year. His medical records stated he was not to be resuscitated but the note was "erroneously" made, the hearing heard. It was not until up to an hour later the mistake was noticed and nurses started CPR. But it was too late and Mr Clarke died. On Monday, Dr Robert Hunter, Derby and South Derbyshire Coroner, recorded a verdict that Mr Clarke died from natural causes at the city's coroners' court. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5i6BVqQjfCdeA6K_ogU9Y321w1Bdw">The Press Association: Man died after medical record error</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:c4b9f5c8-8f48-46aa-a4fe-0466f904f64e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/medical+records" rel="tag">medical records</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/NHS" rel="tag">NHS</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/medical+errors" rel="tag">medical errors</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/mistake" rel="tag">mistake</a></div>

NHS – Medical Records Mistake Lead to Patient Death With Erroneous Notation On Not to Revive

45 minutes after the staff had discovered the error, the man had died. He was in the hospital for flue like symptoms and had suffered a he...

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

I-Denti-Fied – Sink Your PHR Into Your Teeth And Take A Bite Out of Healthcare…

This start up looks like a potential reason for the FDA to now join in the PHR/EHR crowd, which we somewhat have been expecting, but I’ll bet they didn’t expect this!  I guess in the future I can be chewing on Google Health and HealthVault with data integration if this proceeds as most have done.  We have all heard about <a href="http://www.i-denti-fied.com/index.php"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="80" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2iry8waB_I/AAAAAAAAcVY/U53_1Bub8m0/image%5B17%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="202" /></a>Veri-Chip and how it now connects to HealthVault but for those who don’t want that “bump” to be noticeable, you can now be totally discreet.  If you wear dentures, they thought of that too, just don’t forget your partial or denture.  <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/10/verichip-implant-links-to-your-phr.html">VeriChip Implant Links To Your PHR Health Records, Credit History, Social Security With PositiveID</a></h4> What was that the other day that Bill Gates said about innovation?  Your tooth is going to enjoy communicating more with your phone than you are with blue tooth, wait a minute that sounds odd, blue tooth for my tooth, literally?  It will require I guess what you might call a “tooth or gum reader” at the other end.  PHRs are certainly changing in where and how we can store our data I do have to say.  I fully anticipate one designed for earlobes to show up next.  I have added a bit of humor here, how can you not I ask!  You also get a USB drive with the information for times when it is not convenient to go scouring the inside of your mouth. We are entering a new era, “the PHR you can sink teeth into”.  Wonder how the FDA will sink their teeth into this one (grin).  BD  <blockquote> CROWN POINT -- Dr. Kevin Brunski wants to chip your tooth. More specifically, the Crown Point dentist, who has a patent pending on his invention, <a href="http://www.i-denti-fied.com/index.php">I-Denti-Fied,</a> hopes to one day see every person in the United States wearing the device -- a chip about the size of a grain of rice that stores a person's unique identification number linked to his or her entire medical history. The chip is implanted in a tooth where it can neither be felt nor rejected by the body. Brunski gave up his nearly 20-year dental practice a couple of years ago to devote all his time to market the I-Denti-Fied. <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2irznt3i2I/AAAAAAAAcVc/7JrCM7dB-0I/s1600-h/image%5B7%5D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="195" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2ir0DOkMeI/AAAAAAAAcVg/Ok77jP4EMho/image_thumb%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="355" /></a> "I was disgusted with that. I went to pet my dog and felt this lump.  "It was his Australian shepherd Chesney's microchip that Brunski felt. <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2ir0gwj3_I/AAAAAAAAcVk/Hdh52XY5_fM/s1600-h/image%5B11%5D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="93" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2ir1KSiWVI/AAAAAAAAcVo/Nl9o_R8SkG8/image_thumb%5B5%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="359" /></a> "They are fully HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant," Brunski emphasized, to protect client's health information privacy. The information can't be stolen because it isn't in the chip, and the code can only be read by a special "reader," a gun, produced by the same company, aimed at the client's mouth. <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2ir1jPhNNI/AAAAAAAAcVs/E1ZZBIHTbOU/s1600-h/image%5B15%5D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="232" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2ir2YXzMPI/AAAAAAAAcVw/q8zsDX78vNA/image_thumb%5B7%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="359" /></a> The cost is $150, including one year of membership on the Web site, Brunski said. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.post-trib.com/news/2021677,chiped-tooth-0201.article">Dentist's breakthrough puts tell-all chip in tooth :: Local News :: Post-Tribune</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:fc0c81de-02b0-4cc0-8532-7bbea355c2b1" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/I-Denti-Fied" rel="tag">I-Denti-Fied</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/tooth" rel="tag">tooth</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/PHR" rel="tag">PHR</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/blue+tooth" rel="tag">blue tooth</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/technology" rel="tag">technology</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/wirless" rel="tag">wirless</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/implant" rel="tag">implant</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/chipped" rel="tag">chipped</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/dentist" rel="tag">dentist</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a></div>

I-Denti-Fied – Sink Your PHR Into Your Teeth And Take A Bite Out of Healthcare…

This start up looks like a potential reason for the FDA to now join in the PHR/EHR crowd, which we somewhat have been expecting, but I’ll b...

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Groundhog Day – 6 More Weeks of Stalling Healthcare!

Ok, I couldn’t resist this one!  If you like the video, here’s a related commentary on some thoughts on how to improve this political process (grin).  We keep repeating the same day over and over and over it seems.  BD <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/02/biobehavioral-diagnostics-attracting.html">BioBehavioral Diagnostics Attracting Investors –ADHA Diagnosis Technology – Diagnosis Process for Politicians?</a></h4> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:d7b629b3-2926-482e-9ea1-8b241d0abd1d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="321eb243-c45e-454f-a230-f90d3d834e12" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5swKVeFDDE&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('321eb243-c45e-454f-a230-f90d3d834e12'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"324\" height=\"243\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/r5swKVeFDDE&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/r5swKVeFDDE&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"324\" height=\"243\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2h2GE6JAEI/AAAAAAAAcVU/Zqcem7z4lUM/videoc1e90be4954e%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none"></a></div></div></div> <a href="http://www.barackobamavideos.net/stalling-healthcare-top-story-weekly">Stalling healthcare – top story! weekly - Barack Obama Videos</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:03828488-b69a-40be-b060-7368fbf9cc9d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/healthcare+reform" rel="tag">healthcare reform</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/humor" rel="tag">humor</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Behavior" rel="tag">Behavior</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/politicians" rel="tag">politicians</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/technology" rel="tag">technology</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Congress" rel="tag">Congress</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Behavioral+State+of+the+Union" rel="tag">Behavioral State of the Union</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/health+insurance" rel="tag">health insurance</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/groundhog+day" rel="tag">groundhog day</a></div>

Groundhog Day – 6 More Weeks of Stalling Healthcare!

Ok, I couldn’t resist this one! If you like the video, here’s a related commentary on some thoughts on how to improve this political proces...

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Medco Buys DNA Direct – Genetics Healthcare Company to Incorporate Genomic Informational Algorithms

For those readers that are not keen on technology this may stand to be another awakening to the fact that algorithmic codes create profits, along with the <img align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SvG5lWInI_I/AAAAAAAAa04/p-A_qL9pBEI/image[4].png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" />automated hardware to fill prescriptions.  See a prior post below where the money was just under 15 billion, not million, billion with a B.  How do they do this, if you read up at the link below and watch the video at the site, you can even hear the reporter covering the story and asking “where are the people, do people really work here”.  Big profits from big pharmacy benefit managers leave cash around for acquisitions.   <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/medco-health-solutions-148-billion-3rd.html">Medco Health Solutions $14.8 Billion 3rd Quarter Profit – Automation Is Part of Their Solution</a></h4> We have a 2 fold goal here, improve financial outcomes, (and they are raging to begin with) and better clinical outcomes.  Now, coupled with DNA centric business intelligence algorithms the company appears to have the in-house connection for additional genetic testing. One thing with any pharmacy benefit manager to keep in mind is that your medication data is available for sale, so it will be interesting to watch and see if some genomic information through pharmacogenomics slips in here in some shape or form.  Pharmacy Benefit managers data does not fall under HIPAA so all your medication records are sold to “those who want to know” such as underwriters.  One reflection here too is that there’s a ton of money made on Medicare part D with prescriptions and this is part of the chain from getting a prescription from the doctor into your hands via mail order, and some pharmacy retail chains have issued complaints in this area with patients not having the ability to meet directly at all times with a pharmacist.  <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:ea73bc3e-256f-4c89-96d4-23c13ebd9f2e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="85f67f36-5ebc-4c3c-81d4-88beee61c325" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpnGSC3b6Yo" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('85f67f36-5ebc-4c3c-81d4-88beee61c325'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"272\" height=\"204\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/IpnGSC3b6Yo&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/IpnGSC3b6Yo&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"272\" height=\"204\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2hVsX1zw5I/AAAAAAAAcVM/MLux4P8fIlQ/videoe9c68b78f876%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none"></a></div></div></div> Again, when reading here you can see the emphasis on payers here as this is where the company stands to make money, from insurance companies that pay for your medications.  Every time you fill a prescription through any pharmacy benefit company, your medication file for sale gets bigger and probably worth a few more bucks.   Many employers have already moved in different directions such as Wal-mart and offer their own generics at a low cost of $4.00 without all the cost of reporting back to insurance carriers for compliance.  Again, this will be interesting to watch to see how this comes together and how information is used and analyzed.  Right now my own personal feelings, and probably due to the amount of research I do on this blog, I could care less and am more concerned over privacy and quality of life without the huge data trails corporate structures are building to create profits. Luckily, most of what I need is taken care of by the $4.00 generic drug programs offered as so many are cheaper than the co-pays anyway through pharmacy benefit managers, but again I am middle aged and may have a different point of view than someone in their 20s.  Right now I value privacy over genomic information, but again that is just me.  BD  Press Release: Combined capabilities will deliver precision health services designed to improve clinical and financial outcomes FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. and SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 2, 2010 –– Committed to being at the forefront of translating personalized medicine from the science to its daily practice in healthcare, Medco Health Solutions, Inc (NYSE:MHS) today announced the acquisition of DNA Direct, Inc., a leader in providing guidance and decision support for genomic medicine to patients, providers, payors and employees. Financial details of the acquisition were not released. “DNA Direct has been a recognized pioneer in assimilating knowledge about molecular diagnostic testing and deploying certified genetics professionals to help rationalize the opportunities and implications faced by many in this new and rapidly evolving field,” said David B. Snow Jr., Medco chairman and chief executive officer.<img align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SvG50DWQckI/AAAAAAAAa1I/9Pfbb90ZnN4/image_thumb[4].png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" /> By integrating DNA Direct’s physician, client and patient support services and capabilities with Medco’s growing portfolio of personalized medicine capabilities and extensive customer base, Medco intends to deliver a broader suite of precision health services, ranging from consumer education to clinical decision support. “Medco is simply the most innovative and forward thinking healthcare company in the industry today,” said Ryan Phelan, DNA Direct founder and CEO. “Having spent the past 25 years as an entrepreneur translating healthcare information to patients, I can’t think of a better partner to take personalized medicine to the next level.” DNA Direct is the first genomics-focused company offering URAC-accredited utilization management programs to help payors ensure the appropriate use of the more than 2,000 genetic and molecular tests available today. URAC is a Washington D.C.-based health care accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the health care industry. DNA Direct’s national call center of genetic experts, complemented by online decision support services help physicians and patients determine if genetic tests are appropriate and how to use genetic test results to guide clinical decisions. Medco’s existing personalized medicine approach encompasses a robust pipeline of important pharmacogenetic research, turnkey testing programs for drugs like tamoxifen and warfarin, and warnings on over 50 drug-gene interactions, which are used by Medco's specialist pharmacists to inform physicians and patients about potential therapy adjustments to ensure the safety and efficacy of the treatment. “When a Fortune 50 company like Medco makes a commitment to personalized medicine with an acquisition like this, it’s proof positive that we are at a turning point in the healthcare industry,” said Sharon Terry, president and CEO of Genetic Alliance. “Integrating Medco’s phenomenal capacity to respond to its members, with the innovative and creative patient-focused services of DNA Direct is a win for all consumers.” The DNA Direct purchase builds upon Medco’s commitment to advancing pharmacogenomics (PGx), a cornerstone of which is the company’s Personalized Medicine Research Center.  The research center is dedicated to furthering the understanding of the impact of genetics on patient medication response and applying that science to clinical practice. As knowledge is gained through the research, applications will be rolled out to the broader client base within Medco’s precision health services.<a href="http://www.dnadirect.com/web/"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="104" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2hVsourApI/AAAAAAAAcVQ/ynSChYR-STo/image%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="235" /></a> “By integrating proven state-of-the-art science into every day care, we are providing patients and providers with actionable information that drives more personalized care to achieve higher efficacy or improved safety,” said Dr. Robert Epstein, Medco’s chief medical officer. “We have already started this today with our existing Personalized Medicine programs. DNA Direct will serve to accelerate our speed-to-market implementation capabilities, transforming research into actionable services to meet the demands of our clients and patients.” <a name="OLE_LINK4"></a><a name="OLE_LINK3"></a>About Medco <a name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a name="OLE_LINK1"></a>Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS) is pioneering the world’s most advanced pharmacy® and its clinical research and innovations are part of Medco making medicine smarter™ for more than 60 million members. With more than 20,000 employees dedicated to improving patient health and reducing costs for a wide range of public and private sector clients, and 2008 revenue exceeding $51 billion, Medco ranks 45th on the Fortune 500 list and is named among the world’s most innovative, most admired and most trustworthy companies. For more information, go to <a href="http://www.medcohealth.com/">http://www.medcohealth.com</a>. About DNA Direct DNA Direct was founded in 2005 to deliver guidance and decision support for genomic medicine to patients, providers and payers -- reducing health risks, preventing disease, and better targeting therapies.  The first genomics-focused company to receive full URAC accreditation for utilization management in the U.S, DNA Direct’s comprehensive clinical programs combine proprietary technology with genetic expertise including a national call center of genetic experts, web-based applications, and educational resources and training. The company is based in San Francisco and was backed by Firefly Investments and Lemhi Ventures. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.dnadirect.com">www.dnadirect.com</a>. This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the risks and uncertainties that affect our business, particularly those mentioned in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:90a9a1af-807a-4f8b-97de-4124c0944711" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/Medco" rel="tag">Medco</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/personalized+medicine" rel="tag">personalized medicine</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/DNA" rel="tag">DNA</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/pharmacy+benefit+manager" rel="tag">pharmacy benefit manager</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/genomics" rel="tag">genomics</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/pharmacogenomics" rel="tag">pharmacogenomics</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/DNAdirect" rel="tag">DNAdirect</a></div>

Medco Buys DNA Direct – Genetics Healthcare Company to Incorporate Genomic Informational Algorithms

For those readers that are not keen on technology this may stand to be another awakening to the fact that algorithmic codes create profits, ...

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

InteractMD – An Oncologist Discussing The Warnings from Big Organizations on Prostate Cancer Treatment

Say hello to Dr. Michael Benjamin, an oncologist from the blogging community from <a href="http://interactmd.com/">InteractMD.com</a> who practices in southern California.    Today we have his take on all the warnings coming out relative to treatments for prostate cancer.   He’s been a long time reader and follower of the Medical Quack and has now started video blogging in high definition.  By his own admission, he said he maybe chatted a little too long here but this is the first of his continuing series and I think it’s pretty good.  In the video he also offers some of his knowledge and opinions that touch on a few other clinical areas that relate to oncology as well.  <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2fV4EhCOOI/AAAAAAAAcVE/AETSkmRYwLI/s1600-h/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="58" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2fV4Y1QHLI/AAAAAAAAcVI/PYFey48zxFE/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="240" /></a> If you find the information interesting and want to tune in for additional video casts, you <a href="http://interactmd.com/">visit the website</a> to see what’s new.  The high definition video looks good.  BD  We have already heard about the osteoporosis that comes along with hormonal treatment for prostate cancer, but now here comes another advisory on potential heart problems as well.  <a href="http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20100201/heart-risk-from-prostate-cancer-hormone-therapy">http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20100201/heart-risk-from-prost...</a> I can remember one guy sitting across from me absolutely refusing to start lupron treatment for prostate cancer despite a big tumor in the lumbar spine, for fear of osteoporosis, <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/04/20/tap_officials_on_trial_today_in_fraud_case/">drug company kickbacks (I just had to put that in there)</a>, and now, evidently, heart disease. The WebMD coverage is light on details, but this is not really a new subject. A <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19996060">recent</a> paper in the so-called JNCI puts the excess risk of cardiovascular disease with hormone treatment of prostate cancer at 28% per year, though <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19047297">another recent study did not confirm this result</a>. The difference now is that the big organizations have released a statement that tries to have it both ways. AHA (heart), AUA (urology), ASTRO (radiation onc), and ACS (American Cancer Society) warn that prostate cancer treatments may impact cardiac health, and that doctors and patients should discuss the risks and benefits of treatment. To me, this is pretty much a cop out. "We think there might be a problem with hormone therapy for prostate cancer, and even though we are pulling out the scare tactics, we are not going to come out and say how bad these treatments are, only that doctors and patients should figure out if the bad effects of these treatments justify their meager benefits. We're outta here.  Not even a press release today from American Cancer Society.   <object height="224" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/1300996759892" /><embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/1300996759892" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="224"></embed></object> <a href="http://interactmd.com/content/big-organizations-warn-heart-risks-hormonal-prostate-cancer-treatment">http://interactmd.com/content/big-organizations-warn-heart-risks-hormonal-prostate-cancer-treatment</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:2c473298-a24f-4ad3-a465-6d2b2db8d9c6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/oncology" rel="tag">oncology</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/video+blogging" rel="tag">video blogging</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/InteractMD" rel="tag">InteractMD</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/blogging" rel="tag">blogging</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/cancer" rel="tag">cancer</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/hormones" rel="tag">hormones</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/cardiology" rel="tag">cardiology</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/straight+talk" rel="tag">straight talk</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Michael+Benjamin" rel="tag">Michael Benjamin</a></div>

InteractMD – An Oncologist Discussing The Warnings from Big Organizations on Prostate Cancer Treatment

Say hello to Dr. Michael Benjamin, an oncologist from the blogging community from InteractMD.com who practices in southern California. T...

Monday, February 01, 2010

Mexico is Also Waiting for the Outcome of US Healthcare Reform – Medical Tourism

Mexico is also becoming a popular alternative for Medica Tourism, and they have the closest locations for those of us living in the southern half of the country.  Also, notice the mention of insurance companies who cover treatments there.  In reading this article though, it states that they prefer “cash” for payments as when they do honor our US insurance companies, the delays to get paid, well, are somewhat like what some of us go through here.  Amazing, they don’t like our payment <a href="https://www.healthbase.com/hb/pages/hospital_angeles_tijuana_mexico.jsp"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="193" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2fJjzQtVeI/AAAAAAAAcVA/zxQ1SpX1f8o/image%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="240" /></a>system either.  When I attended the World Healthcare Tourism Conference I spoke to a couple medical organizations from Mexico.  You can <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/world-medical-tourism-conference-2009.html">read the entire article at the link.</a> “There were several hospitals from Mexico represented, everything from over the border to down to Mexico City, with some of the hospitals again being built and focused on tourism, big open buildings, and <a href="http://www.medicasur.com.mx/wb/Medica_en_linea/uimrm_foc_am_i_precios_y_paquetes">one even having it’s own luxury hotel</a> on premise to make it easy for patients to go back and forth as needed.” The one group I spent a lot of time with talked quite a bit about patient convenience items, in other words putting everything close by to make travel for surgery as easy as possible.  These are hospitals being built for tourism at the forefront, not that they are not available for their own citizens, but even with the cheaper prices they are still out of reach for some of their own citizens.  If healthcare reforms doesn’t create some major changes with affordable Mexico, they are telling us to come on down, and please bring cash if you can, we deal with insurance companies but the payment time is just too long.  The picture here is a fairly new hospital in Tijuana and the <a href="https://www.healthbase.com/hb/pages/hospital_angeles_tijuana_mexico.jsp">hospital group website</a> states on the website they have 15 facilities and 10  more coming in the next 5 years.  Something also that caught my attention on the site is the PayPal insignia, I guess PayPal does healthcare now too.  BD    <blockquote> Carefully observing the changing demographics of US society, Mexico's federal government is wagering that the graying of Gringolandia will give a strong impulse to medical tourism. "A million baby boomers, as they are called in the US, could come to live in Mexico in the coming years," said Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos at an event held earlier this month in Mexico to mark National Nursing Day. An opportunity exists, Cordova said, for tourism promoters to sell not only sun and sand but also "treatments or surgeries." In coordination with other federal agencies, the Health Ministry plans to build up the medical tourism infrastructure during the next two years. Important components of the initiative include training a corps of bilingual Spanish-English nurses, and increasing the number of private Mexican hospitals accredited by a joint US-Mexico commission already at work. According to Cordova, eight such private institutions have been certified under the commission's standards. A big factor will be the outcome of so-called health care reform in the US, especially if legislation is passed that increases rather than lowers costs as the Obama administration proposes. Still, coincidental visits to the doctor or dentist are increasingly important in tourist destinations like Puerto Vallarta. For instance, Cortes estimated his patient load consists of 50 percent foreigners and 50 percent Mexican nationals. In Puerto Vallarta and elsewhere in Mexico, sick tourists from the US will discover that medical costs are far cheaper than at home. According to Cortes, office visits hover around $40, while x-rays costing as little as $40 can be turned around in less than 45 minutes. The companies include Cigna, Aetna, Tricare and International Health Insurance of Denmark, among others. The hospital advertises birth delivery for about $700 and hysterectomies for approximately $1,000. The prices include one and two night hospital stays, respectively. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.mexidata.info/id2542.html">Mexico may become a major 'Medical Tourism' Destination</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:919ec76b-07e4-47c8-860b-e7aa4fbc2747" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/Mexico" rel="tag">Mexico</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/medical+tourism" rel="tag">medical tourism</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/healthcare+reform" rel="tag">healthcare reform</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/health+insurance" rel="tag">health insurance</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/politics" rel="tag">politics</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/surgery" rel="tag">surgery</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/dental+work" rel="tag">dental work</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/hospital" rel="tag">hospital</a></div>

Mexico is Also Waiting for the Outcome of US Healthcare Reform – Medical Tourism

Mexico is also becoming a popular alternative for Medica Tourism, and they have the closest locations for those of us living in the souther...

Monday, February 01, 2010

Social Security Awards Contracts for Electronic Medical Records – 15 New Recipients for Disability Claim Info

There’s no way a little dated COBOL stands in the way with moving medical records, and 15 more contracts have been awarded for providing medical records to Social Security.   This stands to improve the enrollment time for those with disabilities and claims.  Also, this is the month slated for Social Security to start sharing with <img align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SvfSnQFBrQI/AAAAAAAAa34/Y1fH8iPTusY/image_thumb[2].png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" />the VA and DOD, although they have been sharing for a long time, it has been the old paper route. <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/social-security-to-start-sharing.html">Social Security To Start Sharing Electronic Records with VA and DOD in February 2010</a></h4> You can also enroll online too. <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/01/social-security-begins-taking-online.html">Social Security begins taking online applications – Available now</a></h6> In Boston at <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/06/ehrs-go-beyond-treatment-social.html">Beth Israel Deaconess, a pilot program</a> was created and is in use, beginning in 2008.  I see Cal RHIO in here in the list, but thought they had disbanded, must be additional news I’m not aware of.  The records are sent through the NHIN network, and there has been talk to perhaps opening up the network for public use relative to healthcare transmittals.  BD  <blockquote> Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced that 15 healthcare providers and networks have received $17.4 million in contract awards to provide electronic medical records to the agency. These electronic medical records, which will be sent through the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN), will significantly shorten the time it takes to make a disability decision and will improve the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of the disability program. “Using health information technology will improve our disability programs and provide better service to the public,” Commissioner Astrue said. “We’ve seen a significant increase in disability applications. To process them, the agency sends more than 15 million requests annually for medical records to healthcare providers. This largely paper-bound workload is generally the most time-consuming part of the disability decision process. The use of health IT will dramatically improve the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of this process, reducing the cost of making a disability decision for both the medical community and the American taxpayer.” Contracts were awarded to the following organizations: <ol> <li>Cal RHIO, San Francisco, CA - $1,625,000 </li> <li>CareSpark, Kingsport, TN - $1,363,000 </li> <li>Center for Healthy Communities, Wright State University, Healthlink, Dayton, OH - $999,000 </li> <li>Central Virginia Health Network/MedVirginia, Richmond, VA - $1,139,000 </li> <li>Community Health Information Collaborative (CHIC), Duluth, MN - $977,000 </li> <li>Douglas County Individual Practice Association, Roseburg, OR - $502,000 </li> <li>EHR Doctors Inc., Pompano Beach, FL - $1,000,000 </li> <li>HealthBridge, Cincinnati, OH - $1,400,000 </li> <li>Lovelace Clinic Foundation (LCF), Albuquerque, NM - $1,083,000 </li> <li>Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, Marshfield, WI - $998,000 </li> <li>Memorial Hospital Foundation & Memorial Hospital of Gulfport Foundation, Inc., Gulfport, MS - $1,100,000 </li> <li>Oregon Community Health Information Network (OCHIN), Portland, OR - $284,000 </li> <li>Regenstrief Institute, Inc, Indianapolis, IN - $350,000 </li> <li>Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Reston, VA - $1,587,000 </li> <li>Southeastern Michigan Health Association, Detroit, MI - $2,988,000 </li> </ol> </blockquote> <a href="http://socsecnews.blogspot.com/2010/02/electronic-medical-records-contracts.html">Social Security News: Electronic Medical Records Contracts Awarded</a> Related Reading: <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/10/health-internet-government-looking-to.html">The Health Internet – Government Looking to Expand The National Health Information Network For Public Use</a> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/01/social-security-begins-taking-online.html">Social Security begins taking online applications – Available now</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/11/social-security-likes-phrs-too-wanting.html">Social Security likes PHRs too – wanting to work with EMR and PHR software with pilot program</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/03/social-security-disability-new-debit.html">Social Security Disability - New Debit Card, Going Paperless</a></h6> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/08/social-security-budgets-24-million-for.html">Social Security budgets 24 Million for EHRs</a></h4> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/06/social-security-makes-business-case-for.html">Social Security makes business case for interoperable EHRs with MedVirginia</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-data-center-for-social-security-as.html">New Data Center for Social Security as they face running short of space – Stimulus Funds</a></h6> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:822a35d0-0f8d-4ead-842c-b5f019b3adb0" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/Medical+Records" rel="tag">Medical Records</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/HealthCare" rel="tag">HealthCare</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/EHR" rel="tag">EHR</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Social+Security" rel="tag">Social Security</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Hospital" rel="tag">Hospital</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Beth+Israel+Deaconess" rel="tag">Beth Israel Deaconess</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Health+IT" rel="tag">Health IT</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/PHR" rel="tag">PHR</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/pilot+program" rel="tag">pilot program</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/disabilities" rel="tag">disabilities</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/budget" rel="tag">budget</a></div>

Social Security Awards Contracts for Electronic Medical Records – 15 New Recipients for Disability Claim Info

There’s no way a little dated COBOL stands in the way with moving medical records, and 15 more contracts have been awarded for providing med...

Monday, February 01, 2010

Humana Commercial Membership Down – Profits up 44% With Medicare Advantage Adding to the Bottom Line

The area growing is the government subsidized business with Medicare.  One item to note is the comment from the CEO about the commercial side, stepping back and reorganizing?  Is this like what competitor Aetna was doing with dumping 600,000 insured?  James E. Murray, Humana’s chief operating officer, said during a conference call that the company was “stepping back and reorganizing our commercial business.” I posted this back in October, and now I need to correct myself as even these folks are figuring ways without using people to make money, well let’s correct this to <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2eWwx0yjgI/AAAAAAAAcU4/wKngG3d_Gds/s1600-h/image%5B4%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="180" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2eWxdKWjjI/AAAAAAAAcU8/9YE9Mf73miA/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="202" /></a>say insurance companies, I think if you look at hospitals, outside of those like HCA that are doing it on investments and not on pure business operations, this might still hold true. <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/10/companies-making-big-dollars-without.html">Companies Making Big Dollars Without People – Healthcare Can’t Do That As We are the Product</a> </h4> This is what needs to be fixed, we need an economy that needs people and not fully structured on business algorithms for sheer profit.  The more articles like this that I post, the less meaning they seem to have as they all come back to profits and squeezing out care for dollars.  The algorithmic formulas will continue to run and further profits will be cut in areas where they did not exist before.  We have a huge imbalance here today and need to think about some of these paradigms as they will come around and start biting folks in the behind.  If left unattended, the health insurance crash will happen exactly like Wall Street as the folks making the decisions and programming the computers know what they are doing and even how to orchestrate a crash and how to recover with relying on the government when a huge number of lives and lively-hoods are put in jeopardy with finding the algorithmic trump card.  BD  <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/09/maybe-real-problem-with-economy-is-that.html">Maybe The Real Problem With The Economy Is That It Doesn't Need Us</a> <blockquote> LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The health insurer <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/humana_inc/index.html?inline=nyt-org">Humana</a> posted a 44 percent increase in fourth-quarter profit on Monday as membership in its government-sponsored <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/medicare/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier">Medicare</a> Advantage business offset a slumping commercial segment that was dragged down by the sluggish economy. “We’re identifying geographies and products that make the most sense for us in parts of the United States,” he said, “and that’s how we’re going to go to market going forward.” Humana’s Medicare Advantage membership exceeded 1.5 million at year-end, up 5 percent from 2008. Medicare Advantage plans are government-sponsored, privately run programs for the elderly that offer comprehensive health coverage. Medicare Advantage premiums rose 12 percent, to $4.07 billion, in the fourth quarter. Medical membership in its commercial segment totaled just over 3.4 million as of Dec. 31, down 6 percent from the end of 2008. Humana attributed much of the decline to the recession and higher unemployment, which hurt its employer-sponsored health coverage plans. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/business/02humana.html?src=twt&twt=nytimesbusiness">Humana’s Profit Rose 44% in Fourth Quarter - NYTimes.com</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:9a8c4d76-892a-40f1-b74f-2a0018b2c3ed" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/Humana" rel="tag">Humana</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/health+insurance" rel="tag">health insurance</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/profits" rel="tag">profits</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/algorithms" rel="tag">algorithms</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Medicare" rel="tag">Medicare</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Advantage+Plans" rel="tag">Advantage Plans</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/recession" rel="tag">recession</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/reorganization" rel="tag">reorganization</a></div>

Humana Commercial Membership Down – Profits up 44% With Medicare Advantage Adding to the Bottom Line

The area growing is the government subsidized business with Medicare. One item to note is the comment from the CEO about the commercial si...

Monday, February 01, 2010

What Do you Get When You Mix a Netbook with an IPad – An ExoPC Tablet

This is a slate tablet as well, running Windows 7 Professional, which means you get inking support here.  Netbooks, no inking support for handwriting to text <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2eB3IE_MII/AAAAAAAAcUw/ch2hXtwYHQw/s1600-h/image%5B4%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="178" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2eB3vrsznI/AAAAAAAAcU0/9b7Jy5ZDLaI/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="264" /></a>conversion, and hey that one of the features of a tablet that really make it a tablet.  Just as an added note, it support Flash too!  You can read more and see additional pictures at the link below.  We still have to see the Microsoft “Courier” when it arrives too, so one more tablet we are waiting to see.  BD <blockquote> Does anybody else remember those old Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup commercials? You know, the ones: “You got your chocolate in my peanut butter! You got your peanut butter in my chocolate!” Well, even if you never saw them, you probably get the idea. And if not, ExoPC is here with a modern day example of what happens when you <a href="http://www.exopc.com/fr/exopc-slate.php">meld an iPad with a Windows netbook</a>. Yes, it’s an 8.9″ multi-touch slate complete with a black bezel to rest your thumbs. <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/31/8-9-inch-exopc-slate-has-ipad-looks-netbook-internals-windows/">Engadget caught the specs on this $599 tablet</a>: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional with a custom UI, 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB SSD, Wi-Fi, optional 3G, Bluetooth, three USB ports, 1.3 megapixel webcam and four hours on a single battery charge. Yup, there’s definitely a netbook hiding in there. The product page focuses solely on that custom interface and points out support for Adobe’s Flash not once, but twice. Think they’re trying to make a statement? </blockquote> <a href="http://jkontherun.com/2010/02/01/exopc-breeds-a-netbook-with-an-ipad/">ExoPC Breeds a Netbook with an iPad – jkOnTheRun</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:a9f035cd-d0b9-4a59-a07f-001eedce6726" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/ExoPC" rel="tag">ExoPC</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Jkontherun" rel="tag">Jkontherun</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Tablet+PC" rel="tag">Tablet PC</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/touchscreen" rel="tag">touchscreen</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/inking" rel="tag">inking</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/handwriting+to+text" rel="tag">handwriting to text</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/native+ink" rel="tag">native ink</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/tablet" rel="tag">tablet</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/netbook" rel="tag">netbook</a></div>

What Do you Get When You Mix a Netbook with an IPad – An ExoPC Tablet

This is a slate tablet as well, running Windows 7 Professional, which means you get inking support here. Netbooks, no inking support for h...

Monday, February 01, 2010

J and J Gets 1.7 Billion Wins Battle, Doctors, Hospitals and Patients Lose on the High Cost of “Legally” Patented Stents

One comment I have to make here is that this certainly doesn’t help the cost of stents for people who need the medical side of this.  This is the big part of healthcare costs that does nothing for the patients, but rolls up big bank rolls. This also brings to the forefront the growing lack of patience on the side of consumers to see money spent in courts fighting over patents. The patent office and intellectual property rights are changing simply due to the fact that we are now emerging as a “global economy” and you know what, the average patient when they read something like this says “who cares”.  Shareholders, of course, it’s a different story.<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2d-3IbG4JI/AAAAAAAAcUo/pQ5a0kGIJJE/s1600-h/image%5B4%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="202" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2d-3np3nOI/AAAAAAAAcUs/9j4UmCRe5xE/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="156" /></a>   When you read further it states that Boston Scientific has settled 17 patent cases with J and J during the last year, what a waste of time when it comes to developing lifesaving technologies, these are “dollar” saving technologies as relates to court cases.  Legal costs and court cases as such are one of the culprits today and again it kind of goes back to what the President said in his “Behavioral State of the Union Address”. In my estimation, this is just plain stupid that 2 companies, much like the folks in Congress could not come to terms, so in reality when dealing with companies that run to the legal process to gamble on whether or not a patent was violate, spend over 5 years doing it, and yes there is one winner here, but unfortunately it’s not the patient.  Shame on both Boston Science and J and J for not being able to reach a settlement on this prior, it’s all about the money.  The Wall Street Journal made one interesting comment about the case too, the amount of the award exceeded the annual “stent sales” of Johnson and Johnson, so was it more important to stay in court or make stents?  If you happen to be a patient needing a stent someday, remember it’s the futile court battles of such that is adding to the cost of your procedure.  Also for the record here, did you know that due to the dollar value to stents, that most hospitals anymore do no buy them up front?  Instead the various stent companies place them on “consignment” at the hospital, so the hospital has them readily available but is not charged until they use them.  What does this add to the fact that money is tight at the hospitals?  This also brings up another one of my pet projects here too, Tagging these things, since the the value is so high.  <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/02/tags-for-use-in-healthcare-medical.html">Tags for Use in Healthcare – Medical Stents, Medications - One Scan Away From Safety Information in Real Time</a></h4> <blockquote> Boston Scientific agreed today to pay $1.7 billion to Johnson & Johnson’s Cordis subsidiary to settle a long-running legal battle over three patents related to the company’s lucrative coronary stent business. The settlement represents the final chapter in a court battle that dates back to 2003 when Johnson & Johnson sued its rival medical device maker Boston Scientific for allegedly infringing two stent patents. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2010/02/njs_johnson_johnson_wins_17_bi.html">NJ's Johnson & Johnson wins $1.7 billion from rival medical device maker Boston Scientific | New Jersey Business - - NJ.com</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:1627fd40-bca5-43e3-bfe6-a96151cafab6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/stents" rel="tag">stents</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Johnson+and+Johnson+Development+Corporation" rel="tag">Johnson and Johnson Development Corporation</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Boston+Scientific" rel="tag">Boston Scientific</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/stupid+lawsuits" rel="tag">stupid lawsuits</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/patents" rel="tag">patents</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/cardiology" rel="tag">cardiology</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Legal+stents" rel="tag">Legal stents</a></div>

J and J Gets 1.7 Billion Wins Battle, Doctors, Hospitals and Patients Lose on the High Cost of “Legally” Patented Stents

One comment I have to make here is that this certainly doesn’t help the cost of stents for people who need the medical side of this. This i...

Monday, February 01, 2010

Tags for Use in Healthcare – Medical Stents, Medications - One Scan Away From Safety Information in Real Time

There’s a new video out on Windows Tags.  Watch the video and pretend that box with Windows Vista is a stent ready to be used in surgery, get the hint here, take that phone out and scan the box! If it has been recalled, one scan would let your know.  Medical device companies can use this to ensure recalls are not missed.  I wrote a post about one man who died because the doctors and hospitals missed the implant recall and it malfunctioned.  Why are we afraid of “free” life saving technology?  This same tag could be placed on drug containers too, scan it and new safety information is available as well as identifying the product is authentic with an FDA supplied key to manufacturers, encrypted.   It’s wild I have written on this topic several times, had a couple somewhat angry frustrated answers from others who didn’t take the time to understand how this free technology saves lives, I guess the Magpies living on the internet today.  I also added how technology from a grocery store kicked the FDA in the butt and has them beat with safety hands down.  In the video you will see other countries and companies using the technology for entertainment but I guess that goes to prove the focus here is more about entertainment, you think?  It worked for Dodge trying to give away a Caravan.  This leads me to believe that “tech denial” has a much stronger hold on people than what I might have originally thought.  I like posting stories about items that are free and save lives better than I do disasters that kill people, but again it has been through several postings, email to the FDA and “tech denial” is still winning at the gate.  Read through this entire post for a summary of several of the posts I have done and you can also do a search to find other posts.  By the way, this technology will also allow you to put information into your PHR too, read on below.  BD  <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:43e9537d-ab64-4392-a711-669226b665d4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="a7d9183e-bd5c-4dca-a655-e5ff20a83356" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG2NDPv-5tM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('a7d9183e-bd5c-4dca-a655-e5ff20a83356'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"313\" height=\"234\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/VG2NDPv-5tM&hl=en_US&fs=1&&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/VG2NDPv-5tM&hl=en_US&fs=1&&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"313\" height=\"234\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2dgyq8zQUI/AAAAAAAAcUk/Oc24VLd21WU/video7e85cd354d85%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none"></a></div></div></div> <blockquote> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-does-grocery-store-chain-kick-fda.html">How Does a Grocery Store Chain Kick the FDA, Pharma and Healthcare in the Butt When It Comes to Recalls</a></h4> Kick everyone else, well it appears they have a much stronger hold on this project than any other efforts I have seen out there when it comes to working with their <img align="right" border="0" height="115" src="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R64mKmlNCCI/AAAAAAAACyQ/gUx9V3Z1bfU/image_thumb[1]?imgmax=800" width="161" />customers and addressing these issues, and they use technology to do this.  Kroger, however, is no stranger to healthcare as they have their own efforts to speak of with their in store clinics and offering $4.00 generic drugs too. <h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/02/kroger-to-offer-4-generic-prescription.html"></a></h6> Let’s go back a few months and think about the peanut recalls and I’m sure this is not too far back that everyone will remember what happened with the plant in Georgia being closed and all the companies that had to recall products made from their peanut products produced.  It appears Kroger had this dialed in and used technology to keep unhealthy products from reaching consumers, shame we can’t get our act together and learn from this.  Instead we mostly depend on a lot of manual methods that take longer to find lot numbers, put out news releases, etc. the entire rhetoric.  What did Kroger do different?    Read this from back in March of 2009:  </h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/03/kroger-uses-technology-to-help-identify.html">Kroger uses technology to help identify and inform consumers of recalled products</a></h6> “This is a great example of using technology with tainted products, first of all, the recalled products wouldn’t scan at check out, and if you were identified by use of your Kroger card, you would get a message on your receipt that you had purchased a product that had in fact been recalled and an automated phone call from the computerized system. Supermarkets across the country cleared the shelves of more than 2,600 items recalled after salmonella contamination was found in some products made by the Peanut Corp. of America. The chain then made sure that mis-shelved products picked up elsewhere in the store couldn't be scanned by cashiers or at self-checkout counters. "At an Irving store, I witnessed a customer in line ahead of me trying to buy protein bars," King said. "But the screen said: 'Item under recall. Do not sell.'" Then someone in Kroger's consumer-safety department came up with the idea of using the chain's technology in two more ways: Shoppers holding the Kroger Plus card who had previously purchased any of the recalled items would receive a personalized message on their cash register receipt tape telling them to dispose <img align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SsrjIC4BO7I/AAAAAAAAaR8/0BwJVnvzoas/image[4].png?imgmax=800" />of those products. The warning is repeated on their next visit. The customer also receives an interactive voice response call from an automatic dialing system, informing them to dispose of items they purchased because of the salmonella list, King said.” They used technology, customers couldn’t even buy a recalled product, so can we learn from this, you bet.  Will we make any efforts along this same line, big question as I seem to be addressing some deaf ears around here as I have posted since October of 2009 about technology that can handle this on a massive basis but I guess I am finding many who would rather see people die than stick a toe in the water and try.  When you look at what they have done, the customer is even identified via SQL computer language on an automated basis and called to advise them not to use the product and return it.  I think we can learn from what Kroger is doing here.  I get tired of reading about people who die as a result of a device implanted that has been recalled and for some reason the hospital or doctor missed it and surgery proceeded.  In my opinion, this is something that could have been avoided, and again it appears we have so many just sitting in “tech denial” these days and as long as it’s no skin off their back, they do nothing. If I were a patient requiring an implanted device, would I like to be assured I am not getting a defective device and know that it has not been recalled, you bet I would.  Here’s a “free” method that would serve as a back up, any Smartphone, BlackBerry, or iPhone for that matter could scan the package of a device and be notified of the recall, and get any updated safety information immediately.  Right now the system depend on emails, individuals reacting and taking action on the contents, etc. which would probably need to be continued anyway, but there’s a lot that gets missed here, not intentionally , but we are humans.  With all the cell phones we have, we would certainly have no lack of equipment to do this. <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/10/tracking-medical-device-recalls-sounds.html">Tracking Medical Device Recalls – Sounds Like A Good Place for a Microsoft Tag Data Base at the FDA</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/01/windows-tag.html">Windows Tags – Bar Coding Information Made Easy from your Cell Phone</a></h6> What is even more interesting is that other companies in healthcare are looking at this technology too, to use Tags to input PHR, personal health record information easily into a health record with encrypting tags.  Can the “tech denial” crowd take a look and appreciate this?  I guess we have to wait until more die as a result of errors made with lack of interest with life saving technologies.  Sometimes I have to agree with Bill Maher, “we are stupid”.  We read article after article about how <img align="right" height="185" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/Ss1zzjODU2I/AAAAAAAAaVk/y_3JkEZBH7g/image_thumb[3].png?imgmax=800" width="150" />we have NO SYSTEM set up to handle this, and everybody does nothing. <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/10/razcodewindows-tags-bar-coding-to-add.html">RazCode/Windows Tags – Bar Coding to Add Information to PHRs, EHRs, and More…</a></h6> In some other areas we have some really advanced technology like this company using RFID tags to monitor post surgical results for follow up after surgery.  <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/12/senorx-submits-implantable-rfid-tags-to.html">SenoRx Submits Implantable RFID Tags to FDA For Approval – Breast Tumor Surgery</a></h6> We also have companies that use <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/10/first-new-york-hospital-adopts.html">RFID to ensure sponges</a> are not left in a patient after surgery, but gee can we focus on the device from the start and make sure it has not been recalled?  We dance all around the rest of the story but have no back up to ensure this from the start.  We have companies like Dodge using this technology for PR and giving away prizes, again what’s up with a healthcare application? <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/dodge-is-using-microsoft-tags-to-give.html">Dodge Is Using Microsoft Tags To Give Away Prizes – Why Can’t the FDA Use the Same Technology for Medical Device Information And Save Lives?</a></h6> Now let’s step back to the consumer recall side of this subject, and back to Kroger again. How is it that we don’t consider recalled over the counter drugs important enough to use a system that will advise us immediately.  I would love to have the ability to use my phone and scan a bottle of medications to make sure it was not missed and left on the shelf by accident, who wouldn’t.  Kroger, well they put the folks out pulling product, but they back it up with technology so in case this happens, the product cannot be purchased, gee what a novel idea and they have kicked everybody else in the butt in the process. We can take this one step further and identify counterfeit drugs that get out there, a tag encrypted that leads to authentication.  These tags can be changed and updated too, so when a recall or safety issue comes out, it’s there.  Trident gum is using Tags to promote their gum too.  <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/04/general-mills-using-microsoft-tag-on.html">General Mills has tags</a> on their food products in the grocery stores now, look for them.   <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/Ss1zxlKIvZI/AAAAAAAAaVc/6gJ8mfvrgSw/image_thumb[2].png?imgmax=800" /> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/01/does-your-tylenol-stink-maybe-it-has.html">Does Your Tylenol Stink? Maybe It Has Been Recalled As The List Has Grown Today</a></h6> In the news this week, Tylenol recalls.  Would I like as a consumer to have the option to scan a bottle and make sure it’s not in the recall lot?  You bet I would.  As the system stands now I have to look for certain products, be sure I read up on all the news items put out there and look for this stuff, same thing with the counterfeit Alli product, a lot can be missed.  I worked in logistics for many years and did you know that depending on the level of sophistication in shipping and receiving with technology that manufacturers have to rely on the documents of the carriers to identify their own lot numbers and find out where they went as in house systems may not be up to date with all this information?  Thank goodness for the folks at companies like UPS and FedEx being up to date on their technology to help us out here. <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/01/counterfeit-alli-warning-from-fda-we.html">Counterfeit Alli Warning from the FDA – We Should Be Using Technology for Easier Identification</a></h6> I started writing about this in October, even sent an email to the FDA, but not even the courtesy of a response that they received the email, again no skin off of someone’s back and “tech denial” being rampant, it was about what I expected.  I even thought these tags were a neat way to verify guests at the White House too, could have saved some real embarrassment there. <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/12/white-house-security-breach-next-time.html">White House Security Breach – Next Time Send Out Invitations Imprinted with Microsoft Tags and Scan with 2D Bar Codes on Arrival</a></h6> The problem here is focus and nobody seems to want to do any better here and as long as it is not personal and happening to them, well let’s just brush this one under the carpet for another day.  It is funny sometimes too I get emails from people telling me and asking if I knew there were personal health records available, and to that I answer yes, I have over 300 posts on the topic, read my blog.  I mention this as we have a real problem in the US with people that don’t read.  I post about updates and try to go the next level and connect the dots.  Journalists are my partners and do a good job in bringing the news to light, but with all the information today that is out there, you need a good blogger to “connect dots” and make it personal in how it may affect you, otherwise folks like me would not exist. <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/cloud-services-from-microsoft-azure.html">Tag services as such can also take advantage of cloud services too,</a> this is public information I am talking about here.  So once more I ask, what is wrong with the FDA, pharma and others in not wanting to make safety an easy and simple solution with instant information available?  Are we stupid? As I always say “devices that report data” are such a gray area today as it is emerging and changing daily and “tech denial” seems to be so rampant, all the way up to Congress with lacking a full understanding of where all of this is going, mainly because they don’t participate and that goes for anyone who won’t try.  When you see a grocery chain like Kroger moving in the right direction and staying on top of consumer awareness, should this not signal the FDA and Pharma to perhaps explore some of this technology?  Again, the Tags are the way of the future and stand to save lives, medical device manufacturer’s would need to put a Tag on their packaging, easily scanned by any individual at a hospital or doctor’s office to double check for recalls and safety information. Over the counter drugs and food items, one scan and we as consumers know the product has been recalled or there’s other information to be seen.  This to me looks like the blind leading the blind here and all I do is continue to read day in and day out about no system being in place.  If you are not part of a solution, as the old saying goes, your are part of the problem and this is one huge problem that has some potentially simple solutions once we can get past some deaf ears.  In the meantime, we can watch Kroger with their fine example of using technology for consumer safety.  BD </blockquote> <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-does-grocery-store-chain-kick-fda.html">The Medical Quack: How Does a Grocery Store Chain Kick the FDA, Pharma and Healthcare in the Butt When It Comes to Recalls</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:d8b17dee-c3fc-446f-838f-575da920d8f7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/recalls" rel="tag">recalls</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Windows+Tags" rel="tag">Windows Tags</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/safely" rel="tag">safely</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/medica+devices.+heatlhcare" rel="tag">medica devices. heatlhcare</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/stupid" rel="tag">stupid</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/technology" rel="tag">technology</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/tech+denial" rel="tag">tech denial</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/scanning" rel="tag">scanning</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/cell+phones" rel="tag">cell phones</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Tags" rel="tag">Tags</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/information" rel="tag">information</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/RazCode" rel="tag">RazCode</a></div>

Tags for Use in Healthcare – Medical Stents, Medications - One Scan Away From Safety Information in Real Time

There’s a new video out on Windows Tags. Watch the video and pretend that box with Windows Vista is a stent ready to be used in surgery, g...

Monday, February 01, 2010

BioBehavioral Diagnostics Attracting Investors –ADHA Diagnosis Technology – Diagnosis Process for Politicians?

Technology in healthcare is rapidly moving into the area of “behavioral diagnostics” and I am saying this with a bit of humor here, but gee look at all the time and money that could have been potentially saved on one Presidential candidates campaign.  Now that the Supreme Court seems to think that companies should have the ability to add whatever amount of money they want to contribute, I do believe we should take the proper steps here to ensure that the candidates we elect to office are not suffering from ADHA, seriously here.  Look at what we are getting and what we see in the news, it worries me that there might be a lot of this floating around Washington, and thus the reason we had the type of state of the union address we heard last week.<a href="http://www.biobdx.com/AboutADHD.aspx"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="84" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2c7O1FHhhI/AAAAAAAAcUc/GfMUhQ2jcVI/image%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="240" /></a> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/01/president-obamas-behavioral-state-of.html">President Obama‘s “Behavioral State of the Union Address”– Jon Stewart Comments (Videos)</a></h4> We all talk about becoming more involved in our own healthcare and frankly at this point I think that includes members of Congress, we want to know what we are getting for our buck or the vote. Not only do insurance companies want to “cherry pick” the cream of the crop, but we as citizens now would like to have the same ability here, we want to “cherry pick” those candidates too (grin).  Why not?   Truth of the matter is there’s probably a tiny bit of ADHA in all of us at any given time, but let’s use this technology and identify this matter before all those dollars get spent, just like healthcare insurers do.  I read the description from a company website below and darn if there are not some things to think about, which means that the male counterparts have 3 times the risk here.  This is good news for Nancy Pelosi and other female representatives by all means. “Risk for accidental job failure” listed below somehow sticks in my head (grin) and it stresses how early detection can be helpful.  <a href="http://www.biobdx.com/AboutADHD.aspx">From the website:</a> “Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, or AD/HD) is a common condition of the brain that makes it difficult to control behavior. Everybody knows <a href="http://www.biobdx.com/Products/QuotientADHDSystem.aspx"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="240" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2c7PMbR25I/AAAAAAAAcUg/EtpMbpKB1Pw/image%5B9%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="162" /></a>someone with ADHD. It affects approximately 9.5 million school-aged boys and girls, adolescents and adults. People with ADHD have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors, and in some cases, are overly active. Three times more boys are diagnosed with ADHD than girls. Symptoms persist into adulthood in as many as 60 percent of cases. Although these characteristics are present to some extent in everyone, when the symptoms are developmentally extreme, pervasive and persistent, it might be ADHD. Although individuals with ADHD can be very successful in life, without identification and proper treatment, ADHD may have serious consequences, including school failure, family stress and disruption, depression, problems with relationships, substance abuse, delinquency, risk for accidental injuries and job failure. Early identification and treatment are extremely important.” Here’s a picture of the device, and it is all software driven, so again I make note of the fact that algorithms are running our lives today, as discussed at DAVO. <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/01/do-algorithms-run-your-life-bill-and.html">Do Algorithms Run Your Life- DAVO 2010</a></h4> From this article and the way investors are dropping in some millions to keep this going, do you think they know something we don’t?  Again, there’s a bit of my wit included here, but you know what, this is what is being developed for the goose so how about the gander.  Would you as a citizen like to know what kind of a candidate is running for office.  Again I referenced the John Edwards story.  We might have a little less excitement in the news stories but there’s enough other information out there to report so I don’t think we are going to be facing a huge void in news.  Let’s maximize the use of tech technology so we can all get break and get away from the ideals of “it’s for those guys over there”.  (grin)  As citizens of the US, we want to participate and join in the “cherry picking” process just as soon as it becomes available and let’s get our candidates and representatives the treatment they deserve and may need!  BD <blockquote> <a href="http://www.biobdx.com/Products/QuotientADHDSystem.aspx">BioBehavioral Diagnostics Co.,</a> which is developing a system to diagnose attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, closed a $7 million tranche in a Series B round it hopes will reach $10 million. The Westford, Mass.-based company said it will use the money to expand its sales and marketing operation and fund additional clinical work for its Quotient system. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.massdevice.com/news/biobehavioral-diagnostics-closes-7-million-tranche-series-b-round">BioBehavioral Diagnostics closes $7 million tranche in Series B round | MassDevice - Medical Device Industry News</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:8ea37b32-f46d-4729-9c1d-ebd053f0cc97" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/behavioral+underwriting" rel="tag">behavioral underwriting</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/behavioral+diagnostics" rel="tag">behavioral diagnostics</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Washington+DC" rel="tag">Washington DC</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/politics" rel="tag">politics</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/healthcare+reform" rel="tag">healthcare reform</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Quotient" rel="tag">Quotient</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/candidates" rel="tag">candidates</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/technology" rel="tag">technology</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/ADHD" rel="tag">ADHD</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/investors" rel="tag">investors</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/VC+funding" rel="tag">VC funding</a></div>

BioBehavioral Diagnostics Attracting Investors –ADHA Diagnosis Technology – Diagnosis Process for Politicians?

Technology in healthcare is rapidly moving into the area of “behavioral diagnostics” and I am saying this with a bit of humor here, but gee...

Monday, February 01, 2010

NIH Getting Involved in Radiation Overdoses – Planned Requirement for a Audit Trail to Track Patient Radiation Doses and Eventually Add to EHRs as well as PHRs, Google Health and HealthVault

As more reports on radiation overdose make it to the news, this appears to be an issue that needs some software attention, not only with the manufacturers but <img align="right" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S15xqk-FRDI/AAAAAAAAcOE/qYdLcX1bzbg/image[20].png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" />also a tracking system as a back up.  If it is missed at the hospital or facility level, a new data base complete with algorithmic formulas to create additional alerts could be available.  Read the post at the link below and you may have a better understanding of how things can go wrong, and it’s all about the software design and user interfaces.  Programmers sometimes forget that the tech is catering to the patient, which they should be, and software design may not always be aware of all levels and where additional safeguards need to be added.  When I wrote code I could never anticipate every need of an EMR used in a doctors office, that’s why you need collaboration and as a programmer, learn to eat your own dog food and realize it’s all about the user interface and not your creation.  <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/01/radiation-procedures-gone-sour-software.html">Radiation Procedures Gone Sour – Software and Other Related Failures Lead to Death and Lifetime Illnesses</a> </h4> I don’t think we will have any issues here with the manufacturers of the machines either, as they too want to know as it is not their business to put products on the market that endanger patients.  <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/10/ct-brain-scans-at-cedars-sinai.html">CT Brain Scans At Cedars-Sinai investigated – Dosage Settings Too High</a></h6> The double bonus here is the availability of patients to also store their treatment results, etc. in a personal health record.  Think of this, you get referred to another facility and are able to bring your imaging information with you, pretty cool stuff in my book.  This just gives you one more good reason to start a PHR.  <a href="https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=health&nui=1&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fhealth%2Fp%2F&followup=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fhealth%2Fp%2F&rm=hide"><img border="0" height="38" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SGRPjPR9NVI/AAAAAAAAH30/dA55nv_qrf4/googlehealth%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" width="95" /></a> <a href="http://www.healthvault.com/"><img border="0" height="40" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SM3q6TdZm-I/AAAAAAAAI90/u04OgRqDvPI/image%5B14%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" width="96" /></a> You can count on me “the healthcare heathen” as I am known in some circles to keep you updated.  I say this in jest as relates to the link below, which is basically a good synapses of how individuals like myself are sometimes viewed.  I can’t tell you the number of times I have been told “don’t talk about items like this, people won’t like you”, but I brush that off and just keep going as there are many who want to learn and keep up to date on knowledge today.  A few years ago friends really used to get argumentive about information offered that was in a learning direction, and that is largely due to “tech denial” that runs a muck in the US. <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-geek-is-chic-learning-to-become.html">Why “Geek” is Chic – Learning to Become Less Naive and Less Ignorant</a></h4> Back on track I think this is a great idea and hospitals will be able to share imaging information too, less repeated testing for patients too and we will learn a lot more about radiation safety through intelligent use of software and the continued development of informatics.  BD  <blockquote> CHICAGO (Reuters) - The National Institutes of Health plans to require that all makers of CT and other radiation-producing scanners used at NIH clinics have software that tracks a patient's radiation dose and logs it into an electronic medical record. The new policy arises from patient concerns about studies suggesting that repeated exposure to radiation from diagnostic tests may raise their risk of cancer, said Dr. David Bluemke, director of radiology and imaging sciences at the NIH Clinical Center. The policy was announced on Monday in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. A CT scan, also known as computed tomography, gives doctors a view inside the body, often eliminating the need for exploratory surgery. But CT scans involve a much higher radiation dose than conventional X-rays. A chest CT scan exposes the patient to more than 100 times the radiation dose of a typical chest X-ray. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6100TJ20100201">NIH policy urges CT makers to track radiation dose | Reuters</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:e6b54c2d-424f-4bb4-bf2f-149ae3d5bf8a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/NIH" rel="tag">NIH</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/radiation" rel="tag">radiation</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/CT+scan" rel="tag">CT scan</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/personal+health+records" rel="tag">personal health records</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/radiation+overdose" rel="tag">radiation overdose</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/software" rel="tag">software</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Health+IT" rel="tag">Health IT</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/HealthVault" rel="tag">HealthVault</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Google" rel="tag">Google</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/EHR" rel="tag">EHR</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Health" rel="tag">Health</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/audit+trails" rel="tag">audit trails</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/radiology" rel="tag">radiology</a></div>

NIH Getting Involved in Radiation Overdoses – Planned Requirement for a Audit Trail to Track Patient Radiation Doses and Eventually Add to EHRs as well as PHRs, Google Health and HealthVault

As more reports on radiation overdose make it to the news, this appears to be an issue that needs some software attention , not only with t...

Monday, February 01, 2010

Medicare Claims Data to Remain Confidential – Judge Determines This Will Safeguard Against Marketing for Dollars

This one clause may have impacted this decision to allow Medicare information to be used - “Shareholders”.  If any future decisions should change, again, in my opinion, this is better handled by a “non profit” organization so companies as such who have to report and distribute to their investors don’t end up in a conflict of interest with the hopes of marketing such data base information.  It’s a big question in many other areas of healthcare, how can you provide information that is truly to help the advancement of healthcare reporting, and yet have a loyalty to shareholders first?   There’s a lot of companies making some very large dollars buying and selling healthcare information around.  BD   <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2cigRu56cI/AAAAAAAAcUU/irFJ3EI90-U/s1600-h/image%5B4%5D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="70" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2cig62iGXI/AAAAAAAAcUY/IulTPsRTS6o/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="327" /></a> I am guessing this is probably not the last company who will make an attempt to have the availability of mining Medicare data, but again in the business world we operate within today we do have to ask, is this for marketing gain or does it overall contribute to better healthcare, as this company appeared to see this as a fit to run their algorithms to perhaps market and sell to others, remember there are “shareholders” here that drive a lot of these business intelligence decisions relative to marketing.  Read the last statement here if you will, the purpose was to sell data.  BD   <blockquote> The urge by some to delve into Medicare data and use it for purposes for which it was never intended, and should not be released, is neither new nor likely to go away. Even with attempts to get this information previously rebuffed, there may be new ways to ask the question, and the motivation will be particularly strong if there is potential profit in the answer. A recent unanimous decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta demonstrates both what's at risk and what the AMA has accomplished to protect physician privacy. At issue was a case brought by <a href="http://www.rtmd.org/default.aspx?id=83">Real Time Medical Data</a> and its partner, Jennifer Alley, that would have effectively opened the books on how much individual physicians are getting paid by Medicare. Filing under the Freedom of Information Act, the plaintiffs wanted physicians' names and addresses matched with the procedures they performed, and with the Current Procedural Terminology codes associated with those procedures. The stated purpose was to sell that data to hospitals, physicians' offices and others. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/02/01/edsa0201.htm">amednews: Editorial - Protection from prying eyes: Physician Medicare data stays confidential :: Feb. 1, 2010 ... American Medical News</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:b4a284c7-3f0e-4457-bd3b-5f547e89d54e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/health+insurance" rel="tag">health insurance</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Medicare" rel="tag">Medicare</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/data+bases" rel="tag">data bases</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/algorithms" rel="tag">algorithms</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/data" rel="tag">data</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/shareholders" rel="tag">shareholders</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Real+Time+Medical+Data" rel="tag">Real Time Medical Data</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/court" rel="tag">court</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/judge" rel="tag">judge</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/healthcare+reform" rel="tag">healthcare reform</a></div>

Medicare Claims Data to Remain Confidential – Judge Determines This Will Safeguard Against Marketing for Dollars

This one clause may have impacted this decision to allow Medicare information to be used - “Shareholders”. If any future decisions should ...

Monday, February 01, 2010

Jury Trial Awards 37 Million to a Woman After Her Health Insurance Was Cancelled When She Seriously Injured in a Car Accident

If there enough said here with the public getting tired of hearing these stories of cancellations?  The reason behind the cancellation or at least given by the insurance company was for a couple omissions of information on past history, a visit to the ER Room and one treatment.  I don’t know how many items she had to list but here we go again and this is exactly what “for profit” health insurance stands in the way of people not only getting the care they need, but it continues to drive the feeling of “trust” further into the grave.  <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2Z6DwjVgWI/AAAAAAAAcT8/MFFd5nQdefc/s1600-h/image%5B4%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="172" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2Z6ESbLsiI/AAAAAAAAcUA/fAPwzUhFTXk/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="231" /></a> Now when you look at what the patient and her attorney had asked for, this is one more eye opener, $7-8 million was the case, and the jury itself set the extra dollar amounts to be paid of 37 million.   Granted this may end up in continuing suits with an appeal, but darn, this certainly sends one strong message from this case that the public is tired of the game and just wants the care they need and are tired of having prior illnesses used against them in a game of tit for tat, and using algorithmic business intelligence to find and document every detail.  Why do people who need care like this have to continually fight this battle?  In a prior post I wrote about how the same companies and/or their subsidiaries are hired to use their algorithmic formulas to fight fraud?  Who’s going to be a winner here, the stock holders as claims are “scored” to cut back costs to allow a higher dividend paid to keep investors?  BD <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/01/little-progress-on-fighting-healthcare.html">Little Progress on Fighting Healthcare Fraud – Look At Who’s Getting the Anti-Fraud Contracts</a></h4> <blockquote> DENVER -- A Boulder County jury awarded a Lafayette woman $37 million after her health insurance policy was canceled when she was seriously injured in a car accident. The insurance company, Time Insurance Co. had said Jennifer Latham failed to disclose previous medical treatments, namely an emergency room visit for shortness of breath and treatment for uterine prolapse, reported the <a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_14302892">Boulder Daily Camera</a>. The company refused to cover about $185,000 in medical bills from the accident. The woman's attorney, Marc Levy, told the Camera he was "shocked, but obviously very gratified," at the jury's decision. He had asked for just $7 to $8 million. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/22393834/detail.html">Jury Gives $37 Million To Lafayette Woman Denied Insurance - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:3d06f79d-c88e-4963-8956-e67c2622086b" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/health+insurance" rel="tag">health insurance</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/cancellations" rel="tag">cancellations</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/car+accident" rel="tag">car accident</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/heatlhcare" rel="tag">heatlhcare</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/legal+suits" rel="tag">legal suits</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/trust" rel="tag">trust</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/treatments" rel="tag">treatments</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/algorithms" rel="tag">algorithms</a></div>

Jury Trial Awards 37 Million to a Woman After Her Health Insurance Was Cancelled When She Seriously Injured in a Car Accident

If there enough said here with the public getting tired of hearing these stories of cancellations? The reason behind the cancellation or a...

Monday, February 01, 2010

White House to Add an Additional $25 Billion in Medicaid Funding for States While California State Senate Passes Single Payor Bill

When you look at this amount of activity here, it appears the <a href="http://dcprogressive.org/2010/01/31/california-single-payer/">California legislature looks</a> at national healthcare reform as a failure here.  The State House also has a version of a single payer bill too.  We all reflect back on the “Nebraska Deal” where that state was given extra funds in order for the Republicans to “buy” a vote.  As our governor put it, they got the corn and we (California) got the husk.<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2aA3mhN8QI/AAAAAAAAcUE/0lLs6j7q_5o/s1600-h/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="213" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S2aA4G-FlEI/AAAAAAAAcUI/Zacc0HtQYm4/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="181" /></a> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/01/schwarzenegger-calls-for-healthcare.html">Schwarzenegger Calls for Healthcare Reform to be Fixed – Wants the Same Sweetheart Deal that Nebraska Received With Medicaid</a></h4> States have included this amount into their budgets too.  Our Governor went to Washington last week to discuss with the White House.  I do have to say I love that fact that our governor is an avid Twitter user too so I can keep up on some of this and I enjoy watching his life web casts too when I have time to catch them, again something those in Washington might think about a little as I certainly don’t receive any such types of updates here in Orange County where a Town Hall meeting is a chance phone call to join, that is if you are home and answer the phone when the call comes in.   Other states such as Arizona are struggling too with the effort and the plans were to up the requirements to qualify for Medicaid, thus knocking many off the roles.  I find this interesting in the fact that we can’t fund healthcare, but the big salaries and expenses for football continue on? <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/01/arizona-medicaid-program-draws-fire.html">Arizona Medicaid Program Draws Fire – Governor Wants to Roll Back Part of Eligibility Increase – 1 out of 6 Residents are Enrolled But We Have Money for Football</a></h4> With all the shenanigans that have gone on, no wonder the President had a straight talk with the GOP this week, let’s work together as a team.  I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit tired of hearing all the noise with no progress and yet the airwaves are filled with scandalous print, and I guess some folks are slow to realize perhaps what transparency is all about?  As you can read on here, budgets for Medicaid recently were created based on the “House” bill in Congress.  BD    <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/01/president-obamas-behavioral-state-of.html">President Obama‘s “Behavioral State of the Union Address”– Jon Stewart Comments (Videos)</a></h4> <blockquote> The White House will include an additional $25 billion in Medicaid funding for states in the federal budget to be released Monday, spending that Democrats originally hoped to include in their health overhaul. The budget proposal underscores how the government is already adapting to the stalling of the health legislation in Congress. Some states were so confident Congress would pass a health bill that they included the extra Medicaid funds in their state budgets. Even states with Republican governors who oppose the health bill factored it in their budgets. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called the health bill a "trough of bribes, deals and loopholes" in his Jan. 6 State of the State address. Two days later, he included a $1.2 billion increase in federal funding for the state's version of Medicaid, called Medi-Cal, in his budget proposal for the 2010-11 fiscal year. That figure was based on funding in the House bill. Even states with Republican governors who oppose the health bill factored it in their budgets. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called the health bill a "trough of bribes, deals and loopholes" in his Jan. 6 State of the State address. Two days later, he included a $1.2 billion increase in federal funding for the state's version of Medicaid, called Medi-Cal, in his budget proposal for the 2010-11 fiscal year. That figure was based on funding in the House bill. In the early months of the health debate, states complained that the health bill would add to their Medicaid expenses, since it called for expanding the program to a greater swath of the poor. That prompted special deals in the Senate, such as the one that covered the entire cost of Nebraska's Medicaid expansion aimed at winning over Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson. </blockquote> <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703762504575037220630245164.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">States Bet on Millions for Medicaid - WSJ.com</a> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:66b05ec5-6e17-4e37-a1a6-2f2cfceb8c3f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/Medicaid" rel="tag">Medicaid</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/healthcare+reform" rel="tag">healthcare reform</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Congress" rel="tag">Congress</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/budgets" rel="tag">budgets</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Arnold+Schwarzenegger" rel="tag">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/California+State+Senate" rel="tag">California State Senate</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Medi-Cal" rel="tag">Medi-Cal</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Nebraska+Deal" rel="tag">Nebraska Deal</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/politics" rel="tag">politics</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/single+payor" rel="tag">single payor</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/White+House" rel="tag">White House</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/collaboration" rel="tag">collaboration</a></div>

White House to Add an Additional $25 Billion in Medicaid Funding for States While California State Senate Passes Single Payor Bill

When you look at this amount of activity here, it appears the California legislature looks at national healthcare reform as a failure here....

Monday, February 01, 2010

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NHS – Medical Records Mistake Lead to Patient Death With Erroneous Notation On Not to Revive

I-Denti-Fied – Sink Your PHR Into Your Teeth And Take A Bite Out of Healthcare…

Groundhog Day – 6 More Weeks of Stalling Healthcare!

Medco Buys DNA Direct – Genetics Healthcare Company to Incorporate Genomic Informational Algorithms

InteractMD – An Oncologist Discussing The Warnings from Big Organizations on Prostate Cancer Treatment

Mexico is Also Waiting for the Outcome of US Healthcare Reform – Medical Tourism

Social Security Awards Contracts for Electronic Medical Records – 15 New Recipients for Disability Claim Info

Humana Commercial Membership Down – Profits up 44% With Medicare Advantage Adding to the Bottom Line

What Do you Get When You Mix a Netbook with an IPad – An ExoPC Tablet

J and J Gets 1.7 Billion Wins Battle, Doctors, Hospitals and Patients Lose on the High Cost of “Legally” Patented Stents

Tags for Use in Healthcare – Medical Stents, Medications - One Scan Away From Safety Information in Real Time

BioBehavioral Diagnostics Attracting Investors –ADHA Diagnosis Technology – Diagnosis Process for Politicians?

NIH Getting Involved in Radiation Overdoses – Planned Requirement for a Audit Trail to Track Patient Radiation Doses and Eventually Add to EHRs as well as PHRs, Google Health and HealthVault

Medicare Claims Data to Remain Confidential – Judge Determines This Will Safeguard Against Marketing for Dollars

Jury Trial Awards 37 Million to a Woman After Her Health Insurance Was Cancelled When She Seriously Injured in a Car Accident

White House to Add an Additional $25 Billion in Medicaid Funding for States While California State Senate Passes Single Payor Bill

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