Medical Quack

IRS Does Not Consider Breast Feeding to be an Allowed Medical Expense But Rather Falls Under Healthy Eating Habits–Huh?

Items like contact lenses, support hose and acne cream are ok but not supplies for breast feeding.  This is silly as the IRS I guess wants to be an expert in healthcare in their own area here, the breastfeeding disallowance <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNMzoygX4SI/AAAAAAAAijc/4cKc19k9zQ4/s1600-h/image%5B6%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="153" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNMzpXQWi5I/AAAAAAAAijg/ET8yV1Hy6bo/image_thumb%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="190" /></a>algorithm on the 1040.  The substantiation for this is that is does not hold enough medical value and is compared to “healthy eating”. What about the supplies for breast feeding as this is the real crux of the issue and there are a few expenses here but it’s not outrageous, it is just the algorithm in place due to someone’s interpretation.  Everyone thinks they have the winning interpretation, but the ones that have the power are the algorithms that are substantiated by either reports or interpretations so again there’s power in those algos and who puts them in place, and in this case it’s the IRS on such a small stance.  It’s not one’s opinion that will cancel this type of deduction, it’s the algorithm of the IRS that does it.  So where does one’s interpretation go next one might wonder and say its having a baby a medical expense.  This is pretty trivial in nature and actually almost not worth the room of this post except the fact to bring this to the attention of those who are breast feeding so they know ahead of time not to cause an audit over this and can take what ever action they might find appropriate to voice their concerns and let the IRS know what they think to perhaps get some second thoughts going here and again so many other items are covered and why this is not included is beyond me.  BD    <blockquote> It seems that the IRS doesn’t consider breastfeeding to be a medical expense.  The decision was made not to include breast pumps and other breastfeeding necessities as part of medical flexible spending accounts under the new health care laws. Is breastfeeding health care? That’s debatable.  It’s preventative care, which might rule it out  more if preventative care wasn’t one of the biggest talking points of the new Health Care Bill. To be more specific, the new health care overhaul allowed rules for flexible spending accounts that will go into effect in January. The goal for this part of the program was to allow Americans to use part of their pretax earnings to pay for medical expenses that aren’t reimbursed.  Given these facts, the IRS decision would be less relevant if one of the goals of the health care overhaul wasn’t to control medical costs by putting money towards encouraging preventive procedures. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.examiner.com/parenting-politics-in-national/irs-takes-on-breastfeeding-moms">IRS takes on breastfeeding moms - National Parenting in Politics | Examiner.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:abe1432e-b94d-4231-a661-ed983d2059ab" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/IRS" rel="tag">IRS</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/algorithms" rel="tag">algorithms</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/1040" rel="tag">1040</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/breast" rel="tag">breast</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/breast+feeding" rel="tag">breast feeding</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/deductions" rel="tag">deductions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/taxes" rel="tag">taxes</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/government" rel="tag">government</a></div>

IRS Does Not Consider Breast Feeding to be an Allowed Medical Expense But Rather Falls Under Healthy Eating Habits–Huh?

Items like contact lenses, support hose and acne cream are ok but not supplies for breast feeding. This is silly as the IRS I guess wants t...

Thursday, November 04, 2010

El Camino Hospital–Using The Latest Health IT Technology For Better Care (Video)

This hospital does a lot of neat things, like blood tests that are automated.  The hospital though as not been unaffected by current economic times and has had to<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="124" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNMsVlHR7TI/AAAAAAAAijU/mJguYU9cgzU/image%5B9%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="240" /> lay off some employees.  The robot did not take their place as they were already there and working. <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/08/el-camino-hospital-will-lay-off-140.html">El Camino Hospital Will Lay Off 140 Employees - 5 to 6% of The Hospital Workers</a></h4> This video is nice as it goes through the translation technology used in the ICU and information from the ambulance goes right to the hospital too.  <object data="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/cne_flash/production/media_player/proteus/one/proteus2.swf" height="362" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="432"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerMode=embedded&allowFullScreen=1&flavor=EmbeddedPlayerVersion&showOptions=0&skin=http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/cne_flash/production/media_player/proteus/bnet/smartplanet_skin.png&autoPlay=false&movieAspect=4.3&embeddingAllowed=true&clockColor=0xb2ad98&paramsURI=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bnet.com%2F2461-17910_23-462024.xml%3Fwidth%3D432%26height%3D362%26ptype%3D6475%26mode%3Dembedded%26autoplay%3Dfalse%26siteId%3D139%26section%3D19792%26site%3Dsp%26ttag%3DAndrew%2BNusca%26assetId%3D190886%26conttypid%3D26%26nc%3D1288901636722%26nodeId%3D30676" /><param name="movie" value="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/cne_flash/production/media_player/proteus/one/proteus2.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></object> The facility was also the first on the west coast to offer this new treatment for severe asthma.  The link below also has another video where you can see some of the other technologies used, and where wireless lives in the walls of the hospital.  BD  <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/08/el-camino-hospital-offers-new-treatment.html">El Camino Hospital Offers New Treatment for Severe Asthma–Bronchial Thermoplasty Approved by FDA in April</a></h4> <blockquote>At El Camino Hospital, robots are enlisted to help with small tasks, devices keep the noise down and patients’ beds actually digest and translate the doctor’s orders.</blockquote> <a href="http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/smart-takes/a-peek-at-the-hospital-of-the-future/12086/">A peek at the hospital of the future - SmartPlanet</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-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:1294e278-1afc-430d-a67f-34e260202de9" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Health+IT" rel="tag">Health IT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Technology" rel="tag">Technology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Silicon+Valley" rel="tag">Silicon Valley</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/El+Camino+Hospital" rel="tag">El Camino Hospital</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/earthquakes" rel="tag">earthquakes</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hospital" rel="tag">hospital</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/asthma" rel="tag">asthma</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/interventional+procedure" rel="tag">interventional procedure</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bronchia+thermoplasty" rel="tag">bronchia thermoplasty</a></div>

El Camino Hospital–Using The Latest Health IT Technology For Better Care (Video)

This hospital does a lot of neat things, like blood tests that are automated. The hospital though as not been unaffected by current economi...

Thursday, November 04, 2010

Institute for Health Technology Transformation Convention–Fall 2010 Convention - Insights From The Medical Quack

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the event as a blogger and had hoped to return again today for round 2 and some additional insight.  I do have to say that the agenda is not at all like your normal convention and some of the <a href="http://ihealthtran.com/fallccs.html"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="82" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNL5P--GViI/AAAAAAAAijA/YBuFjAR41jg/image%5B11%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="144" /></a>brightest and intellectual individuals in Health IT were an attendance.  I sat in on a few of the sessions to where Health IT was being discussed, telehealth for one area and much more to include ACOs(accountable care organizations  and PHRs (personal health records). In my estimation, this is not only collaboration but an event that also creates a “think tank” environment as well.  I’ll write more on the day later but in one group I posed the question of PHRs at Cedar Sinai to the CIO, Darren Dworkin as to how they relate and possibly work with the new HHS programs with the Blue Button offerings for patients to be able to get their information from the VA and Medicare.  Cedar Sinai uses Epic Medical Records, which is the choice of many large <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNL5Qh9u7wI/AAAAAAAAijE/39MOtfMkuuk/s1600-h/image%5B16%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="134" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNL5Qy8CA2I/AAAAAAAAijI/vPlEOB86SVg/image_thumb%5B7%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="223" /></a>healthcare institutions today to include Kaiser Permanente.  Kaiser has a bit of an advantage too in the fact that they are a “closed” system, meaning that they are not working with multiple providers and contracts with insurers and this in my opinion adds another level for the CIOs to work with today by all means.  What is also interesting is the back end data base used by EPIC, which is the MUMPS system, the same used by the VA Vista medical records system with added customization and updates as time moves forward.  Last year I did an interview with Dr. James Leo on how Long Beach Memorial worked through their transition.   Another hospital CIO, Jimmy Weeks at Greenwich hospital in Connecticut is also at the front end of beginning their transition to  Epic as well.  <img align="right" border="0" height="110" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SeV8H131-5I/AAAAAAAAPLM/MceGDmrq4Zw/clip_image0044.gif?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="163" /> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/04/long-beach-memorial-centers-conversion.html">Long Beach Memorial Center’s Conversion to Electronic Medical Records – Interview with Dr. James Leo</a></h4> If you want some further elaboration on this topic, back in December of 2009 Richard DeCarlo, chief operating officer, Miller Children’s Hospital gave me a tour of their new facility and how it all came together, and we candidly talked about how new technologies changed the direction of many of the plans several times during the building stage. He had one idea ready to move and then had to sometimes stop and revise to include breaking new technology that the IT crew had determined needed to be included, so plans <img align="right" border="0" height="110" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SzKQUWcdPsI/AAAAAAAAbpU/r1IT1b6j75M/clip_image020%5B4%5D.gif?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="153" />changed accordingly and very quickly too.  <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/12/miller-childrens-hospital-long-beach.html">Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach – Brand New Pavilion Carries Focus on Patients and “Green”</a></h4> He stated that they are in fact working to coordinate and share data in any way they can and where standards allow, but again, in talking about the data side, it’s a lot of work to coordinate and get things done right.  Granted, he added any patient showing up with credible medical record information at Cedars or any hospital is certainly a welcome chime to any ER doctor by all means.  Epic has the module available which Kaiser uses as My Chart and there is time and money involved into bringing each module into the the fold.  In the area of PHRs there has not been a huge interest, yet, with patients and I think this goes back to additional educational processes needed to create value for patients, so in other words, they “get” and understand what impact having a PHR adds to the care they receive, in other words the doctors are not having to start from scratch with all the medical history.  <a href="http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/hospitals-still-wary-about-outsourcing-ehr-to-india.html">Also in the news today</a> too there was a quote about off shoring medical records and I think Mr. Dworkin made a good point here with his statement, as ther<a href="http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/hospitals-still-wary-about-outsourcing-ehr-to-india.html"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="73" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNL5ReRDBPI/AAAAAAAAijM/DKjD2qfSv2c/image%5B5%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="240" /></a>e’s a ton of organizational information that needs to be done yet with standards here in the US and how can you entertain outsourcing until you have the full picture of what one would intend to gain.  Out sourcing drug and device technology is a completely different entity versus talking electronic medical records.  New devices and other technologies pop up every day making this process a bit of a moving target I feel, so to put together some type of business model to outsource, which of course also takes time, is almost beyond what any system could fathom right now.   “Also, designing and installing new medical systems "is hard to do off site, let alone offshore," said Darren Dworkin, CIO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.” If nothing else from one day of attending, you get a huge appreciation for the amount of data, security, intelligence and just day to day clinical use that is facing the hospital CIO today, not to mention the new left curve we get from technology every day.  Payers and the obstacles and data considerations needed were mentioned in every forum so it’s right up there with bringing all the system together from the point of care to payment.  I sit and try to cover information on Health IT as being a former coder with some understanding of the processes and complexities that we are faced with today, but in my opinion, being a healthcare CIO at a hospital today is not only challenging, but a job that sometimes is perhaps underestimated with importance when politics enter the picture, but these folks are what make it work and put the puzzles together. Again, in summary the panels were done very well and a sincere effort of collaboration and information sharing is certainly present here with nobody claiming to have all the answers, and the panels were able to explain and explore what has worked for them as well as being able to hear what various vendor systems have to offer from security to devices.   The answer panels consisted of both vendors and Health IT experts so when posing a question sometimes you heard from more than one focus, which I think is a good thing to better facilitate seeing the big picture.  BD <blockquote>Best of all, the Health IT Summit is not a trade show or traditional conference but an intimate, upscale experience in a world-class venue. The unique agenda features a preview of the latest healthcare technologies, industry panels with healthcare luminaries, product demonstrations from leading vendors, and high-level content from researchers reporting on the healthcare industry. Attendees also have the ability to schedule one-on-one meetings with vendors and other delegates of their choice, and attend high-level networking events and receptions.</blockquote> <a href="http://ihealthtran.com/fallccs.html">http://ihealthtran.com/fallccs.html</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:ad3f2cf7-be06-485a-a0b3-c914ff00ae6d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Institute+for+Health+Technology" rel="tag">Institute for Health Technology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/CIOs" rel="tag">CIOs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hospitals" rel="tag">hospitals</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/data" rel="tag">data</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Health+IT" rel="tag">Health IT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/information" rel="tag">information</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/think+tanks" rel="tag">think tanks</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/collaboration" rel="tag">collaboration</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PHR" rel="tag">PHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/personal+health+records" rel="tag">personal health records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/ACO" rel="tag">ACO</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/accountable+care+organzations" rel="tag">accountable care organzations</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Epic" rel="tag">Epic</a></div>

Institute for Health Technology Transformation Convention–Fall 2010 Convention - Insights From The Medical Quack

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the event as a blogger and had hoped to return again today for round 2 and some additional insight...

Thursday, November 04, 2010

California Doctor Who Passed Away in September With Being Stuck in a Chimney Still Searchable on MD Referral Sites

I wrote this post up a couple months ago and today noticed that the doctor is still searchable on several websites.  The first site here still shows the doctor along with a link that states some current news to a comment section of the website and supplied this video from You Tube.  You can click on any of the images to view the pages on the web.  Obviously she’s not going to be able to claim her profiles and update the information found on internet searches, so who does this when an MD is deceased?  <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 326px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:1b2797f5-a55c-4e26-b675-5e5a1dcb6bd4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="52ca4e5f-4c4d-4e47-a1b4-f9f213587851" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t_77qXYajs" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('52ca4e5f-4c4d-4e47-a1b4-f9f213587851'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"326\" height=\"197\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/-t_77qXYajs?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/-t_77qXYajs?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"326\" height=\"197\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNLjGy51vhI/AAAAAAAAiiU/rCwEDLmupAM/video5bde5c2a6445%5B30%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none"></a></div></div><div style="width:326px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Doctor - Chimney</div></div> The one site at least makes it known that she is dead, but perhaps an archive section could be established to separate the living from the dead?  One other site shows that she sees around 25 patients a day.  Below are the links from what’s on the web today, and there could be more but this was just a quick web search.  BD <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNLjHf0Fm5I/AAAAAAAAiiY/6yqE_bdB2wo/s1600-h/image%5B47%5D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="247" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNLjHw4KohI/AAAAAAAAiic/8K4NWMKPHTA/image_thumb%5B19%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="366" /></a> <a href="http://spotlight.vitals.com/2010/08/dr-jacquelyn-kotarac-found-dead-in-fireplace-flue/"><img alt="image" border="0" height="212" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNLjIAmGDVI/AAAAAAAAiig/i6TcNOXfcUM/image%5B32%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="361" /></a> <a href="http://www.ucomparehealthcare.com/drs/california/internal_medicine/Kotarac_Jacquelyn.html"><img alt="image" border="0" height="219" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNLjIlXm4HI/AAAAAAAAiik/k0B3e39E1Co/image%5B9%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="367" /></a> <a href="https://www.healthgrades.com/group-directory/california-ca/bakersfield/jacquelyn-kotarac-md-7e07e326"><img alt="image" border="0" height="287" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNLjJGTILMI/AAAAAAAAiio/K3vyh90Dilo/image%5B14%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="363" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNLjJWawcrI/AAAAAAAAiis/i_dAjcRkFvA/s1600-h/image%5B36%5D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="285" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNLjKFm9t-I/AAAAAAAAiiw/wN5J_uIgvTk/image_thumb%5B14%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="366" /></a> <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/business-kotarac-jacquelyn-a-md_661-322-3225/"><img alt="image" border="0" height="275" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNLjKr4GZNI/AAAAAAAAii0/HCL5QFCEKIA/image%5B43%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="380" /></a> <a href="http://www.checkmd.com/physicians/CA/Jacquelyn-Kotarac/9498529/"><img alt="image" border="0" height="225" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TNLjK-OW_eI/AAAAAAAAii4/-0U7max-Deo/image%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="368" /></a> <blockquote> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/09/california-doctor-in-bakersfield-gets.html">California Doctor In Bakersfield Gets Stuck in the <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TH6z5d44rCI/AAAAAAAAhEs/ouZEqIDENHw/s1600-h/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="122" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TH6z5jw2OwI/AAAAAAAAhEw/StYwXUhbpu8/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="114" /></a>Chimney and Died–Was Said to be Breaking In To Boyfriends Home</a></h4> This is a strange one and I’m sure the news will pick up more on this as it develops.  The story is strange in the fact that the boyfriend left and house and escaped while the break in was happening, but did he not return?  A house sitter discovered her body in the chimney a couple days later.  An autopsy will be conducted and investigators say it sounds suspicious.  BD </blockquote> <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/09/california-doctor-in-bakersfield-gets.html">The Medical Quack: California Doctor In Bakersfield Gets Stuck in the Chimney and Died–Was Said to be Breaking In To Boyfriends Home</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:cd18cbe2-0027-41c0-b532-a4a6d27af1d8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/doctor" rel="tag">doctor</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/boyfriend" rel="tag">boyfriend</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/chimney" rel="tag">chimney</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/break+in" rel="tag">break in</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/strange+stories" rel="tag">strange stories</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/police" rel="tag">police</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/MD+referrals" rel="tag">MD referrals</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/websites" rel="tag">websites</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/data" rel="tag">data</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/aggregation" rel="tag">aggregation</a></div>

California Doctor Who Passed Away in September With Being Stuck in a Chimney Still Searchable on MD Referral Sites

I wrote this post up a couple months ago and today noticed that the doctor is still searchable on several websites. The first site here sti...

Thursday, November 04, 2010

Uroplasty Neuromodulation Device Gets Approval From CMS For Reimbursement

This is an interesting medical device from <a href="http://www.uroplasty.com/index.cfm/go/Physicians.UrgentPC">Uroplasty called the “Urgent PC”</a> and requires a few treatments and they do a demonstration on the video below.  <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S48-Va6wFAI/AAAAAAAAcyk/iTgKM7WJv40/s1600-h/image%5B10%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="127" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S48-V-JHDeI/AAAAAAAAcyo/xH2dTVydmWc/image_thumb%5B6%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="170" /></a>Patients with pacemakers or implanted defibrillators though are out of the picture for obvious reasons of potential interference.  The device can be an alternative for drugs.  BD <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/03/uroplasty-urgent-pc-medical-device.html">Uroplasty Urgent PC Medical Device Using Neurostimulation Treatment for Incontinence - Study Released</a> From the Website: “The Urgent PC Neuromodulation System is a combination of a stimulator and a lead set. The stimulator generates a specific kind of electrical impulse that is delivered to the <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S48-WGDduRI/AAAAAAAAcys/f3MRgqyoNo8/s1600-h/image%5B9%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="86" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S48-Wq-fg1I/AAAAAAAAcyw/omsY1-V93Bs/image_thumb%5B5%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="115" /></a>patient through the lead set. Using a needle electrode placed near the ankle as an entry point, the stimulator’s impulses travel along the tibial nerve to the nerves in the spine that control pelvic floor function. <blockquote> Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded reimbursement status to Uroplasty Inc.'s (NSDQ:<a href="http://www.google.com/finance?q=UPI">UPI</a>) Urgent PC Neuromodulation System. When companies' products are approved for coverage by the governmental agency, private-pay insurance companies typically follow their lead. Uroplasty said it now anticipates insurance companies to reimburse for a higher amount. CMS published its corresponding Category I CPT code for the company's posterior tibial nerve stimulation treatment in the Nov. 2010 Federal Register. The base Medicare physician payment for PTNS will be approximately $97.49, although that could shift as a result of an act of Congress or a CMS rule change, <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/uroplasty-inc-announces-cpt-category-i-code-and-associated-reimbursement-value-for-posterior-tibial-nerve-stimulation-106558798.html">according to the company</a>. Uroplasty said it believes that healthcare providers will adopt the device for treatment of overactive bladder </blockquote> <a href="http://www.massdevice.com/news/uroplasty-wins-medicare-reimbursement">Uroplasty wins Medicare reimbursement | 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:b4200db5-4a85-4564-8046-8fcc0696959e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+devices" rel="tag">medical devices</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/urology" rel="tag">urology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Urgent+PC" rel="tag">Urgent PC</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Uroplasty" rel="tag">Uroplasty</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/incontinence" rel="tag">incontinence</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/bladders" rel="tag">bladders</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/journal" rel="tag">journal</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/study" rel="tag">study</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/FDA" rel="tag">FDA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/treatment" rel="tag">treatment</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/neuromodulation" rel="tag">neuromodulation</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/CMS" rel="tag">CMS</a></div>

Uroplasty Neuromodulation Device Gets Approval From CMS For Reimbursement

This is an interesting medical device from Uroplasty called the “Urgent PC” and requires a few treatments and they do a demonstration on th...

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Talk of Repealing Healthcare Law–How About the Expense of the IT Infrastructure Algorithm Resets And Costs That Would Be Required?

Ok so this is the side that maybe nobody thinks about.  There has been talk about “starting over” but when it comes to data systems today and getting operations in place, does anybody give this any thought?  <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TKYXHZtRtYI/AAAAAAAAh08/JEh0k3oyPec/image_thumb%5B5%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" />  The technology specialists do and have to create reports and devise budgets to cover all of this.  The insurance companies can easily discuss this cost and unless it proves to be a big ROI, they don’t want to do it either or these costs could be seen with even more increased policy costs, and I just wonder does anyone in the 70s and 8 Track era give this any thought before bringing this discussion public?  It’s dangerous treading ground and the reason that members of Congress, both side, need to get those Algo Men in house and project what the cost of their plan would be AND every area of data that would be touched, AND all the contractors and data systems that would need alteration.  <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/11/election-is-done-future-for-healthcare.html">Election Is Done-Future for Healthcare Needs Role Models And Hopefully Not A Return to the Era of 8 Track Tapes and Old Paradigms</a></h4> We are past the point of having the creative technologists being able to put these changes together quickly as there’s a ton of new code and algorithms and data sharing capabilities out there that didn’t exist even a few years ago.  <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/10/in-coders-we-trust-laurel-ruma.html">In Coders We Trust: Laurel Ruma Describes Gov 2.0 As A Platform–Become an “Algo Man”</a></h6> It’s not Superman, Spiderman or even Wonder Woman <img align="right" border="0" height="174" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TLZdsFwnFqI/AAAAAAAAiIY/NIhj9oaZrLo/image_thumb%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="117" />that creates solutions and become our heroes, it’s the “Algo Men” with all the data, algorithms and wisdom for innovation . In addition, we need to be careful of those reports and algorithmic formulas too that are creating “desired” results that are not always “accurate” results and get sold a bill of goods.  It wouldn’t hurt for every member of Congress or any politician for that matter to read this book and be fully aware of the dark side so they can ask the appropriate questions when studies are presented to ensure they are as correct as they can be and not be taken for a wild ride as those on Wall Street have done when greed enters the picture.   <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/09/proofinessthe-dark-side-of-mathematical.html">“Proofiness–The Dark Side of Mathematical Deception”–Created by Those Algorithms–New Book Coming Out Soon</a></h6> Certainly changes can be made but not to the point to disrupt and restart all current technologies as this is economic suicide as well as showing a lack of either participation or concern for the world we live in today being impacted every day with changing systems and software.  In some areas, payables, that is a very expensive portion of healthcare that can keep feeding itself with costs growing without successful collaborative business models agreed upon and in place.  Forget all the talk and look at the underlying systems and what the algorithms will produce upon change.  BD <blockquote> Republicans regained control of the House on Tuesday in part with a pledge to "repeal and replace" the new health law. But carrying out that campaign promise won't be as easy as making it was. "Republicans cannot repeal Obamacare with President Obama wielding the veto pen," says Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies for the libertarian Cato Institute. "I mean that's not within a set of possible outcomes." One major way they can do that is by holding oversight hearings. Using subpoena power if necessary, Republicans could end up forcing Obama administration health officials to spend nearly as much time on Capitol Hill as they do in their offices actually trying to implement the law. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131045119&f=1128&sc=tw">Repeal The Health Care Law? Not So Fast Law : NPR</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-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:755633c5-a6b4-4a84-add9-2f1a28b5a6b0" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/tech+denial" rel="tag">tech denial</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HHS" rel="tag">HHS</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Obama" rel="tag">Obama</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/computer" rel="tag">computer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cell+phone" rel="tag">cell phone</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/technology" rel="tag">technology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/education" rel="tag">education</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/information" rel="tag">information</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/health+literacy" rel="tag">health literacy</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Congress" rel="tag">Congress</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/personal+health+records" rel="tag">personal health records</a></div>

Talk of Repealing Healthcare Law–How About the Expense of the IT Infrastructure Algorithm Resets And Costs That Would Be Required?

Ok so this is the side that maybe nobody thinks about . There has been talk about “starting over” but when it comes to data systems today a...

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Election Is Done-Future for Healthcare Needs Role Models And Hopefully Not A Return to the Era of 8 Track Tapes and Old Paradigms

This is going to be a challenge for sure this year and whether or not I am in <img align="right" border="0" height="86" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TJzXEgRzZoI/AAAAAAAAhoI/KGGqsjXNoH0/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="122" />agreement doesn’t make any difference at this point, but rather will we be able to see a group of of leaders who can actually work together and leave the 70s behind.  We talk about better laws, better consumer protections all the time and there have been some monumental laws put into place in the last couple of years, working with what has been created to this point, and again I reflect back to the point to where we have been left out in the cold with any real role models out there <img align="right" border="0" height="164" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TI_7P4iFcoI/AAAAAAAAhWM/OXP5HGkiBY8/image_thumb.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="109" />with being a”participant” and the ever strong paradigm of “its for those guys over there”.  <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/06/hhs-national-plan-to-improve-health.html">HHS National Plan to Improve Health Literacy – Not Going To Happen Until We Focus on Using Technology (The Tool for Literacy) Which Includes Role Models at HHS And Other Places in Government</a></h6> In California we had one example of a Congressman who didn’t think safety as one example applied to him with cell phone use, so again interesting as an observer and maybe a little less focus in the self interest world on the map for the future?   <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/08/us-congressional-representative-gets.html">US Congressional Representative Gets Pulled Over for Using a <img align="right" border="0" height="129" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TFXLjMnJtLI/AAAAAAAAgJU/ye-AbnGdFRE/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="115" />Cell Phone While Driving And Was Live on the Air Doing Radio Interview</a> When our leaders become participants, they attain a higher level of credibility, in other words, a public that has some faith in what they say and do and hopefully we can see some change here in the future.  <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/05/hhs-to-conduct-study-on-patient.html">HHS To Conduct Study on Patient Perception on Health IT – Got A Better Idea Why Don’t They Become E-patients Role Models, and Participants – Make IT Personal and Believable</a></h6> I watched and listened to some of the comments being made and one from Robert Scoble I found was interesting and right to the point on Twitter, as he <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TKYXI9HNaQI/AAAAAAAAh1M/7da7_nnWx-c/image_thumb%5B7%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" />said he was watching the geeks all talk politics and wondered if the political folks ever sat around and talked “code”.  They should as that is what is the foundation of every law and system put in place today and you need some awareness here in order to create effective and good laws.  I absolutely shudder when I see items as such with leaders not being able to lock down their own personal wireless networks at home or at least get someone like the Geek Squad to do it for them.  A friend made a comment on this item and said “gee that’s almost like going outside without your pants on”. <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TFXLki2Pb1I/AAAAAAAAgJk/YL3lcuUGGTg/image_thumb%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" /> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/07/members-of-congress-not-locking-down.html">Members of Congress Not Locking Down Their Home Wireless Networks with Passwords Now Angered At Google For Snooping with Street Views?</a></h6> Michael Moore also made some interesting commentaries too which I have alluded to <img align="right" border="0" height="99" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TI_7O5m7J-I/AAAAAAAAhWE/cp7vMNEZbus/image_thumb%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="133" />here on the blog in the fact that the “youth”movement has been lost too.  It was all the geeks and those who became excited 2 years ago with the prospect of leaders that would come out of denial and realize that technology is changing the world and he says that has somehow been lost, and I agree with that.  We didn’t have a “smarter” campaign this time at all, but rather back to the same old same old and a bunch of new faces to see if they can make a difference.  I hope the GOP mission will perhaps soften a bit and we will see more of a willingness to pull together as it was exposed earlier this year that their mission written in pdf format exposed the actual authors who are staff members and former big time lobbyists.  This is nothing in hiding and is public and published information out there on the web and again hopefully some may learn up here and realize that technology and denial there of will be the downfall of many in the US, not to mention the lack of a contemporary direction needed.  <img align="right" border="0" height="101" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TJzXHAClcmI/AAAAAAAAhoY/PDeyT1cMRbA/image_thumb%5B6%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="163" /> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/09/properties-of-adobe-pdf-document-rachel.html">The Properties of an Adobe pdf Document -Rachel Maddow Rips the GOP on Lack of General Consumer IT Knowledge And Exposes the Input and Authors of the Content–Lobbyists</a></h4> I certainly hope that we see some higher levels of education with the world today from all our leaders, non partisan comment here as we see the lack from both <img align="right" border="0" height="131" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TKYXHZtRtYI/AAAAAAAAh08/JEh0k3oyPec/image_thumb%5B5%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="176" />sides.  <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/10/group-of-house-of-representatives-sends.html">Group of House of Representatives Sends Letter to FDA Wanting More Transparency and Detail on Medical Devices–They Better Hire That “Algo Man” So They Can Comprehend</a></h4> Perhaps we could see some additional “Algo Men” in use with Congress too instead of lobbyists commanding so much power and influence.  If you look around, those with all the money and control, the banks, insurance companies, and so on, have all the money, and they did it with mathematical formulas as that is what re-distributed the money in the US over the last decade.  General accounting office is a great help but they are “accounting” and end up giving us the results of the algorithms that run today in government.  Again, it is what it is.  <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/10/more-congressional-testimonies-about.html">More Congressional Testimonies About Health IT–Members of <img align="right" border="0" height="63" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TJcGp1oHKzI/AAAAAAAAhfM/jyY8xKNrAKY/image_thumb%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="153" />Congress Could Entertain Getting an “Algo Man” on Staff As Wall Street and Health Insurers Have Them–Don’t Leave Home Without One</a></h4> If you have problems understanding this concept, here’s a new book that might unlock some answers as to what has occurred.  There are algorithms written for accurate results and some written for desired results and the two are not always the same.  When it comes to knowledge, we are citizens and small businesses are waging war with using swords and daggers, while the other side has the latest up <img align="right" border="0" height="205" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TJcGnalIlcI/AAAAAAAAhe8/0Paat1zfY1E/image%5B7%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="134" />to date machine gun technology and algorithmic formulas, so it does not take a brain surgeon to figure out who wins on that account.  The term “proofiness” by the way was coined by Steven Colbert, remember from the rally this last weekend.  Those folks are smart and more than just comedians and see the light.  <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/09/proofinessthe-dark-side-of-mathematical.html">“Proofiness–The Dark Side of Mathematical Deception”–Created by Those Algorithms–New Book Coming Out Soon</a>  </h6> Software and applications = a group of algorithms If one lives in the 70s and can’t become a participant and come out of tech denial, then we are in for another 2 years of crappy stuff without the technology to back up what politicians say they can do and ethics will continue on the downward slide we see today, as if you don’t acknowledge something exists, how can you deal with it or fix it?   There are some entities of government that “get it” and perhaps this intelligence will eventually roll over to the political side, I hope.   The Senate earlier this year decided not to approve funding for Cloud operations, again a kick back to those living in the 70s and a clear lack of where technology is today and how the world interfaces with it, back to the 8 track mentality on this stage of technology and geeks all over the web knew it and wrote the same context I have on that one.  <img align="right" border="0" height="146" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TLZdsFwnFqI/AAAAAAAAiIY/NIhj9oaZrLo/image_thumb%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="101" /> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/10/in-coders-we-trust-laurel-ruma.html">In Coders We Trust: Laurel Ruma Describes Gov 2.0 As A Platform–Become an “Algo Man”</a></h4> It’s not Superman, Spiderman or even Wonder Woman that creates solutions and become our heroes, it’s the “Algo Men” with all the data, algorithms and wisdom for innovation and we will soon find out if we have elected officials who are smart enough to figure this out.  The tech folks can no longer rush in and “fix” every system without up front planning done ahead of time, a big change in paradigms with technology I the last couple of years. This is my 2 cents worth for today and I guess time will tell and show us where our leaders stand today and in the future.  BD <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:eb34b96d-2598-4a51-a4b2-799b5db1006e" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/role+models" rel="tag">role models</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/tech+denial" rel="tag">tech denial</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HHS" rel="tag">HHS</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Obama" rel="tag">Obama</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/computer" rel="tag">computer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cell+phone" rel="tag">cell phone</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/technology" rel="tag">technology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/education" rel="tag">education</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/information" rel="tag">information</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/health+literacy" rel="tag">health literacy</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Congress" rel="tag">Congress</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/personal+health+records" rel="tag">personal health records</a></div>

Election Is Done-Future for Healthcare Needs Role Models And Hopefully Not A Return to the Era of 8 Track Tapes and Old Paradigms

This is going to be a challenge for sure this year and whether or not I am in agreement doesn’t make any difference at this point, but rathe...

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

A PhD In Political Science -Algo Men Politicians Have Yet to Discover- Denial And IT Literacy (Video-humor-politics)

This is funny with the discussion on political science and those algorithms.  Those leaders in politics do not get it and this funny video makes that point loud <img align="right" border="0" height="144" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TMcTofLby3I/AAAAAAAAias/ieuynNuJVcA/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="183" />and clear and listen to what the the definition of a political scientist involves.  Be a professor of politics and focus on the BS in life.<grin>.  Do you like being around petty and insecure people?  Do you want to be passed over for not publishing your papers in an obscure enough journal and we can only answer questions that nobody cares about!  What is is like to get laid he asks and that if you cross over the dumb side it might happen and it could be published in a journal.  Politicians see these future Algo Men having a future of being able to only teach children that are retarded and that MIT entrance may be a pie in the sky wish as the disruption and distraction of political science seems to rule, not intellect, and boy is that not the truth today.  BD  <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 378px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:ccf5ca56-292a-45a5-ba05-ccc27520ca5d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="95c2f852-9c40-4961-b48e-9009806e8277" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idHQoCUfPZ4" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('95c2f852-9c40-4961-b48e-9009806e8277'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"378\" height=\"228\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/idHQoCUfPZ4?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/idHQoCUfPZ4?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"378\" height=\"228\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM9_iOVuygI/AAAAAAAAiiM/Af1rAmC0u6c/videod2be98e8ff70%5B18%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none"></a></div></div><div style="width:378px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">The Future of the Algo Men in Politics</div></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idHQoCUfPZ4">YouTube - So You Want to Get a Ph.D. in Political Science</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:c54d14e7-1115-434b-ac90-8de91f608a99" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Political+Science" rel="tag">Political Science</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PhD" rel="tag">PhD</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/journals" rel="tag">journals</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/politics" rel="tag">politics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/IT+illiteracy" rel="tag">IT illiteracy</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/non+participants" rel="tag">non participants</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/algoirthms" rel="tag">algoirthms</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Algo+Men" rel="tag">Algo Men</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/humor" rel="tag">humor</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/political+humor" rel="tag">political humor</a></div>

A PhD In Political Science -Algo Men Politicians Have Yet to Discover- Denial And IT Literacy (Video-humor-politics)

This is funny with the discussion on political science and those algorithms. Those leaders in politics do not get it and this funny video m...

Monday, November 01, 2010

Courts Challenging Medicare Coverage Standards–Was It the The Non Improvement of a Person’s Condition Algorithm?

As we all know or should know by now the claims are all pretty much electronically processed whether one is going direct or if using a clearinghouse.  Even if an office <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM92cRosx-I/AAAAAAAAiiA/_YlKNj1d8BQ/s1600-h/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="243" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM92c5NV8fI/AAAAAAAAiiE/lFt9ZaYXmw0/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="194" /></a>is still all paper, chances are they are using a billing service who submits either direct or via a clearinghouse. If the physicians stated that the condition will not improve then it gets kicked over to a denial or discontinue section and this all comes back to a degree of coding for this to occur.  This is sometimes where hospitals and physicians accidentally get into trouble with trying to code for the patient care.  Some that know the process a little better than others may have figured out how to work around some of this and I’m not saying it is correct or wrong as you can’t without seeing each claim and patient condition. In this case cited the coverage for skilled nursing was discontinued for the purpose of it not being able to show improvement.  Again, claims go through the coding and processing mills and if this is the outcome, then usually the customer service folks read out to you what is on the screen along with the designated text that corresponds to the code. If the claim cannot be elevated to a second consideration and perhaps resubmitted with more appropriate codes if applicable, then in the “denial” frame work it sits with the same results on the screen.  Also, one does not want to code illegally either and make sure all appropriate modifier codes are in place too and sometimes those modifiers make all the difference in the world on whether or not a claim is approved and paid, so again was it the coding or is is the built in algorithm that came into play here with these 2 cases?  At any rate a court case is needed to appeal the decision of one algorithm that discontinued coverage for both patients and perhaps be the subject of a review.  In 5 weeks the file did not indicate improvements to allow coverage for subsequent bills, so away went the coverage. See why everybody hates coding in the medical business, it’s a bitch!  BD  <blockquote> WASHINGTON — Two federal courts have ruled that the Obama administration is using overly strict standards to determine whether older Americans are entitled to <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/medicare/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier">Medicare</a> coverage of skilled nursing home care and home health care. Medicare will pay for those services if they are needed to maintain a person’s ability to perform routine activities of daily living or to prevent deterioration of the person’s condition, the courts said. Medicare beneficiaries do not have to prove that their condition will improve, as the government sometimes contends, the courts said After hip replacement surgery, Ms. Papciak received skilled nursing care, <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/physicaltherapy/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier">physical therapy</a> and occupational therapy in a nursing home. Medicare terminated coverage after five weeks, saying her condition had not improved and was unlikely to improve. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/02/health/policy/02medicare.html?src=twt&twt=nytimeshealth">Medicare Coverage Standards Are Too Strict, Courts Find - 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:dd5c639a-e5b4-4223-baf4-7d9f308ce02c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medicare" rel="tag">Medicare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/coding" rel="tag">coding</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/technology" rel="tag">technology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/courts" rel="tag">courts</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/nursing+home" rel="tag">nursing home</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/condition" rel="tag">condition</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/CMS+1500" rel="tag">CMS 1500</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/chronic+condition" rel="tag">chronic condition</a></div>

Courts Challenging Medicare Coverage Standards–Was It the The Non Improvement of a Person’s Condition Algorithm?

As we all know or should know by now the claims are all pretty much electronically processed whether one is going direct or if using a clear...

Monday, November 01, 2010

California Medical Association Releases Principles For Physicians to Follow With Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)

These are some pretty areas lined out, that is if all follow the ideals as prescribed here.  The first rule is important as they want doctors to lead the governance here and not be lead by management or commercial interests.  Insurers are not to <a href="http://www.calphys.org/html/news.asp"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="108" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM9YznUL1YI/AAAAAAAAihw/QneYrams6EM/image%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="201" /></a>benefit from the savings, and I agree there as they have enough money already and should be happy for the efforts.  Again we have the reminder about physicians not being allowed to work as employees of hospitals in California and they principles adapted here are stated they should suffice and doctors should not have to be direct employees of hospitals.  BD <blockquote> CMA’s adopted principles include: Guiding principle – The goal of an accountable care organization (ACO) is to increase access to care, improve the quality of care and ensure the efficient delivery of care. Within an ACO, a physician’s primary ethical and professional obligation is the well-being and safety of the patient. ACO governance – ACOs must be physician-led and encourage an environment of collaboration among physicians. ACOs must also be physician-led in order to ensure that a physician’s medical decisions are not based on commercial interests but rather on professional medical judgment that puts patients’ interests first. Voluntary participation – Patient participation in an ACO should be voluntary rather than a mandatory assignment by Medicare. Any physician organization (including an organization that bills on behalf of physicians under a single tax identification number) or any other entity that creates an ACO must obtain the written affirmative consent of each physician to participate in the ACO. Physicians should not be required to join an ACO as a condition of contracting with Medicare, Medi-Cal or a private payor or being admitted to a hospital medical staff.<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM9Y0N7q3tI/AAAAAAAAih0/TY9N5XQMfTc/s1600-h/image%5B7%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="79" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM9Y1AKcVUI/AAAAAAAAih4/SaP59vpdM1o/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="240" /></a> Savings used for patient care – The savings and revenues of an ACO should be retained for patient care services and distributed to the ACO participants. An ACO’s savings and revenues should not go to insurers. Flexibility in patient referral and antitrust laws – The federal and state anti-kickback and self-referral laws and the federal Civil Monetary Penalties (CMP) statute (which prohibits payments by hospitals to physicians to reduce or limit care) should be sufficiently flexible to allow physicians to collaborate with hospitals in forming ACOs without being employed by the hospitals or ACOs. This is particularly important for physicians in small and medium size practices who may want to remain independent but otherwise integrate and collaborate with other physicians (i.e., so-called virtual integration) for purposes of participating in the ACO. For more detailed information, please visit CMA’s website to read <a href="http://www.cmanet.org/upload/ACO_principles_amended_HOD2010.pdf">the full report</a> from CMA’s Physician-Hospital Alignment Technical Advisory Committee. CMA will continue to keep members apprised of all significant developments concerning ACOs and federal health care reform, as they unfold. <hr /> If you are experiencing repeated payment delays you should investigate the financial health of the payor. To help physicians monitor the financial health of their contracted payors, CMA has put together a <a href="http://www.cmanet.org/member/memberdoc.cfm?docid=10&article_id=946&templateinc=GENER">Payor Solvency Checklist</a>. The checklist, available free to members at the <a href="http://www.cmanet.org/member/memberdoc.cfm?docid=10&article_id=946&templateinc=GENER">members-only website</a>, includes instructions on how to research and monitor the financial solvency of your contracted medical groups/IPAs and discusses options available to physicians in the event a payor stops paying claims. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.calphys.org/html/news.asp">http://www.calphys.org/html/news.asp</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-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:941fa443-9be0-48ac-a787-533f3311f788" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/California+Medical+Association" rel="tag">California Medical Association</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/CMA" rel="tag">CMA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/ACO" rel="tag">ACO</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Accountable+Care+organization" rel="tag">Accountable Care organization</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/heatlhcare" rel="tag">heatlhcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/physician's+groups" rel="tag">physician's groups</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/health+insurance" rel="tag">health insurance</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/patients" rel="tag">patients</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/doctors" rel="tag">doctors</a></div>

California Medical Association Releases Principles For Physicians to Follow With Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)

These are some pretty areas lined out, that is if all follow the ideals as prescribed here. The first rule is important as they want doctor...

Monday, November 01, 2010

Stater Bros. Super Rx Pharmacy Offers Free Diabetic Medication Prescriptions And $4.00 Generic Drug Program

<a href="http://www.staterbros.com/getdoc/f8c38bcd-c33c-4f25-8ee3-633cd719d0ed/Pharmacy.aspx?openMenu=menuElem_UL_2">Stater Brothers</a> is a southern California Grocery Chain and also has pharmacies at some of their locations.  According to the press release a patient needs to have a <a href="http://www.staterbros.com/getdoc/f8c38bcd-c33c-4f25-8ee3-633cd719d0ed/Pharmacy.aspx?openMenu=menuElem_UL_2"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="173" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM8XpZ39SPI/AAAAAAAAihg/n3pu6fBpjPk/image%5B8%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="240" /></a>prescription from a doctor to get their diabetic medicine.  In addition I put another clip from the release below that also discusses their new $4.00 generic drug program which looks to compete with those offered by Target and Wal-Mart and perhaps we may see those stores with similar announcements?  Stay tuned as if they do I will post.  BD  “Stater Bros. Super Rx Pharmacy is committed to offering healthy living programs for its customers, such as a Free Antibiotic Program that offers a 14-day supply of selected antibiotics, including refills, at no charge to anyone with or without health insurance coverage who presents a prescription.  Stater Bros. Super Rx Pharmacy has also introduced a $4 Generic Prescription Program.  Over 300 commonly prescribed medications are $4 for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply.”  <blockquote> SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the American Diabetes Association, total costs of diagnosed diabetes in the United States in 2007 were estimated at $174 billion.  Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with type II diabetes and many more are unaware that they are at risk or in fact living with the disease.  Individuals with type II diabetes use pills to manage their diabetes and these medications can be costly.  Beginning in November, National Diabetes Awareness Month, Stater Bros. Super Rx Pharmacies will offer the following diabetes medications for FREE: <ul> <li>Metformin </li> <li>Metformin ER </li> <li>Glimepride </li> <li>Glipizide </li> <li>Glipizide XL </li> <li>Glyburide </li> <li>Glyburide Micro</li> </ul> The medication, in varying strengths and up to 100 pills, will be <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM8Xpusci_I/AAAAAAAAihk/k_4yymPSEAk/s1600-h/image%5B9%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="313" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM8XqHqtDBI/AAAAAAAAiho/H8poimF5NVQ/image_thumb%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="224" /></a>offered for FREE beginning November 1st.  To participate in this program, customers must have a valid prescription from their doctor.  All transferred and authorized refills are included as prescribed by a physician.  No membership or other type of commitment is required. "Stater Bros. has a long-standing history of giving back to the communities it serves, and we believe in doing the right thing for the right reason," stated Jack H. Brown, Stater Bros. Chairman and CEO.  "As the only Supermarket Chain in Southern California to provide these medications for FREE during these tough economic times is the right thing to do. We're pleased to be able to provide our valued customers with access to high quality, affordable pharmacy services." </blockquote> <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stater-bros-super-rx-pharmacy-offers-free-diabetic-medications-106451958.html">Stater Bros. Super Rx Pharmacy Offers FREE Diabetic Medications -- SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --</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:e2437626-0951-4a1b-a571-8cff7bb5ffff" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Stater+Brothers" rel="tag">Stater Brothers</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medications" rel="tag">medications</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/prescriptions" rel="tag">prescriptions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/southern+California" rel="tag">southern California</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/pharma" rel="tag">pharma</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/pharmacy" rel="tag">pharmacy</a></div>

Stater Bros. Super Rx Pharmacy Offers Free Diabetic Medication Prescriptions And $4.00 Generic Drug Program

Stater Brothers is a southern California Grocery Chain and also has pharmacies at some of their locations. According to the press release ...

Monday, November 01, 2010

Avvo Physician Rating Service Can’t Get Accurate Information Listed on Doctors - One OC Oncologist Sitting in Jail for Fraud

These folks sent me an email about their new service and the first I’m going to do is look for a couple obvious doctors and it didn’t take more than 1 search and I found a <img align="right" border="0" height="212" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S8yqQdyAjvI/AAAAAAAAdbw/B6954InBybk/image_thumb%5B5%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="208" />doctor that admitted fraud, made national news and I even blogged about it back in April of 2010.  We need accurate data out there and if these companies are going to solicit business from doctors and others in healthcare, show some credibility.  <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/04/prominent-orange-county-oncologist.html">Prominent Orange County Oncologist Pleads Guilty to Medicare/Insurance Fraud – Over $1 Million</a></h4> As of last week he still had a 5 Star Rating over here at HealthGrades, and I posted this original fact too back in April of 2010, so I think we need a call here for more than just aggregating data and additional check for real time information as this is what consumers should get when using services to research doctors.  Everybody else mines data on the web for accuracy so why do these doctor rating services not do the same before putting information on the web?  <img border="0" height="81" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S8yqRB__HdI/AAAAAAAAdb4/ea4IfCEFW8s/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="390" /> Now I don’t know if Dr. Justice is allowed to “claim his file” here on the site or not and if he has internet access in jail, but here it is on the site today.  Would anyone like to endorse him?  It states certification data is provided by the American Board of Medical Specialties on the page.  Below are some captions from the website on how this company can help “grow” their practice and improve their web presence and perhaps Dr. Justice being he has plenty of time now might be interested <grin>.  This also make a point of more sites like this appearing on the web and putting the area of responsibility on the doctor to check and go to all these sites to update what they put out in error, not fair to the already busy doctors.  Who knows we could have another site like this start tomorrow for example.  <a href="http://www.avvo.com/doctors/glen-justice-2392782.html"><img alt="image" border="0" height="361" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM8I2GuXvII/AAAAAAAAihE/2S5fl6Z7zrc/image%5B10%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="379" /></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM8I27b8zUI/AAAAAAAAihI/esKInUpyEkg/s1600-h/image%5B9%5D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="370" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM8I3VROHXI/AAAAAAAAihM/RvXwukdsnog/image_thumb%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="372" /></a> You know this makes one more point clear here too as last week there was a suggestion of putting the Doctor/Medicare payments on the web and I agree 100% with the AMA on the error factor and right here you see proof of it.  The article on the WSJ suggested that there are companies that can format and put the information out on the web, but if we used companies like this, well bingo on the error factor being alive and well. If you have ever worked with data sets and transferring and moving data (and I have) you know this is not as easy as it seems as not only are there errors, but you have corruption too that had to be cleaned up for integrity of the data too.  It all sounds nice, but a look at the reality of doing so needs a fair amount of consideration here too.  <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/10/medicare-data-baseit-is-not-ready-for.html">Medicare Data Base–It Is Not Ready for Prime Time To Expose to the Web Due to Errors Factors and Consumer Credibility In It’s Present State Relating to Physician Records</a></h4> Perhaps these folks might want to take a closer look and check before they endorse?  I just looked around and am posting what I saw as patients need accurate information today and this is what I try to do here with testing what’s on the sites and anyone could do the same.  If credible information is to be provided then perhaps mining the web for updates might be something to think about as it is certainly alive and well for finding information to market consumers from the other side of the coin, I just think we need some accountability here.  BD  <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM8I30fzFvI/AAAAAAAAihQ/BqNUfN_km9c/s1600-h/image%5B18%5D.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="121" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM8I4W-U2dI/AAAAAAAAihU/jx6ieDby0J4/image_thumb%5B7%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="308" /></a> <blockquote> From the website: “Doctor profiles, unbiased ratings, helpful information, and free access to all of it drive over two million visits to Avvo every month. Avvo helps great doctors grow their practice Avvo draws an enormous pool of prospective patients and referring physicians by offering more information and guidance than ever before. Our robust suite of free and paid marketing solutions enables doctors, hospitals, and private practices to connect with those who need their services. <a href="http://www.avvo.com/"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="81" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM8I4kOqALI/AAAAAAAAihY/Kmw4qDQdd9E/image%5B22%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="147" /></a> Avvo helps doctors manage their online reputation Your profile is already here. Once you've claimed it, you can add as much supplementary information as you want to give prospective patients, colleagues, and the media a clear picture of your résumé, practice, training, and experience. If you represent a private practice or hospital, you can <a href="http://www.avvo.com/support/group-claim-doctors">claim the profiles</a> for every doctor in your organization. With more and more people researching their medical issues online, it's important to make sure that every doctor's profile in your organization is as complete as possible. This will not only help attract new patients and referrals, but also allows you to manage your physicians' online reputations.” </blockquote> <a href="http://www.avvo.com/healthcare-marketing">Healthcare Marketing - Avvo.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:f93aeb91-7f3d-41db-9734-7346399851c8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Oncology" rel="tag">Oncology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Orange+County" rel="tag">Orange County</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Glen+Justice" rel="tag">Glen Justice</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/fraud" rel="tag">fraud</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medicare" rel="tag">Medicare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/health+insuance" rel="tag">health insuance</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/drugs" rel="tag">drugs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+billing" rel="tag">medical billing</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/American+Cancer+Society" rel="tag">American Cancer Society</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cancer" rel="tag">cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/treatment" rel="tag">treatment</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/AVVO" rel="tag">AVVO</a></div>

Avvo Physician Rating Service Can’t Get Accurate Information Listed on Doctors - One OC Oncologist Sitting in Jail for Fraud

These folks sent me an email about their new service and the first I’m going to do is look for a couple obvious doctors and it didn’t take m...

Monday, November 01, 2010

San Francisco Dept. of Health Providing Electronic Medical Records for 800 Doctors With eClinical Works Medical Records

eClinicalWorks is one of the pioneers with bringing connectivity to EHRs and PHRs as I have covered before on the Quack.  If you have been to a Minute Clinic at a CVS store, they use eClinical.  eClinicalWorks connects to HeatlhVault too so the availability for the patient being able to have their records is good here.  Probably what many of us may remember in the headlines from a short while back was the partnership with Walmart to enable physicians to purchase from a retail location.  The Little Clinics are also users of eClinicalWorks.  <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/04/boston-workstation-automates.html">Boston WorkStation Automates Registration Process Interfaces with Little Clinic Retail Medical Clinic – Excellence Award Given To the CIO for Most Productive Use</a></h4> <img border="0" height="174" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SbeLy3OG0cI/AAAAAAAAOoE/fIsFZrrsriU/image_thumb18.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="357" /> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/03/healthvault-device-connector-works-with.html">HealthVault Connects with eClinicalWorks EHR, NextGen EHR/EMR Systems and more…Shop Wal-Mart (Sam’s Club) in the Spring</a></h4> <img border="0" height="170" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SbeL2yvPIPI/AAAAAAAAOoM/7RT2oweRQDk/image421.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="323" /> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/10/hoag-hospital-selects-eclinicalworks.html">Hoag Hospital Selects eClinicalWorks for Its EHR Subsidy Program- Newport Beach, CA</a></h4> Locally in the OC in southern California, eClinicalWorks has also been selected as an option for those MDs affiliated with Hoag Hospital to use with some subsidies <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM72wBYI5DI/AAAAAAAAig4/gMD5epRsIxs/s1600-h/image%5B2%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="148" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM72wYngBWI/AAAAAAAAig8/oXkBJqOs8h4/image_thumb.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="151" /></a>from the hospital.  In addition, last year eClinicalWorks announced the availability of Peer to Peer Sharing for those who are not using their web based product so physician groups can connect and create their own HIE. <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/09/eclinicalworks-announces-peer-to-peer.html">eClinicalWorks Announces Peer to Peer Sharing Availability 4th Quarter</a></h4> The company is just finishing up their annual conference in a couple days and so we could possibly have more new items in the news shortly as well.  BD  <blockquote> SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Department of Public Health is launching a two-year EHR roll-out to its employed physicians, in order to help them meet meaningful use requirements. Officials said the project will include equipping its 800 doctors with electronic medical record and practice management systems from Westborough, Mass.-based eClinicalWorks. <img border="0" height="54" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SbeLpGMEFXI/AAAAAAAAOn8/_jBwu0zc6WE/image301.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="319" /> The eClinicalWorks implementation will occur in community and hospital-based primary care and specialty clinics over the next couple years, and will transition the provision of medical care to a platform consistent with the compliance standards for ARRA meaningful use specifications. "The San Francisco Department of Public Health looks forward to a successful partnership with eClinicalWorks for the implementation of new technology to support the meaningful use of electronic medical records in the ambulatory care setting," said Dave Counter, CIO of the San Francisco Department of Public Health. </blockquote> <a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/san-francisco-dept-health-rolls-out-ehrs-800-docs">San Francisco Dept. of Health rolls out EHRs to 800 docs | Healthcare IT 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-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:53d0bb5c-d3ec-4f0c-9220-b66aa41a8449" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/San+Francisco" rel="tag">San Francisco</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+records" rel="tag">medical records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/eClinicalWorks" rel="tag">eClinicalWorks</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/public+health" rel="tag">public health</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/doctors" rel="tag">doctors</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/meaningful+use" rel="tag">meaningful use</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HealthVault" rel="tag">HealthVault</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Little+Clinic" rel="tag">Little Clinic</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Minute+Clinic" rel="tag">Minute Clinic</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Hoag+Hospital" rel="tag">Hoag Hospital</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Walmart" rel="tag">Walmart</a></div>

San Francisco Dept. of Health Providing Electronic Medical Records for 800 Doctors With eClinical Works Medical Records

eClinicalWorks is one of the pioneers with bringing connectivity to EHRs and PHRs as I have covered before on the Quack. If you have been t...

Monday, November 01, 2010

McKesson Buys US Oncology Informational and Web Services Valued At $2.16B

The McKesson website has provided a video with both sides discussing the use of evidence based medicine and access to cancer drugs.  We are talking web <a href="http://www.unitingtoadvancecare.com/home.php"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="83" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM7uN5Q3meI/AAAAAAAAigs/bVC_tJzwoOc/image%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="199" /></a>services and information for cancer treatments.  It is bringing a lot of information under one website to give support to doctors and patients.  Interesting how the video states there’s a focus on the “customers” but the word “transaction” is still strongly mentioned frequently.  From the website: “The United Network of US Oncology is a community of like-minded physicians focused on advancing the quality of cancer care to provide patients with the highest level of care. We believe that evidence-based medicine is the most effective way to treat cancer and that providing clinical trials in the community setting is crucial to advancing the science of cancer care. <a href="http://www.usoncology.com/cancercareadvocates"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="70" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TM7uOBZW6YI/AAAAAAAAigw/frnBvXj8__Q/image%5B8%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="160" /></a> We believe the current system of reimbursement threatens the health of community-based cancer care. Working together, we have the power to preserve and expand patient access to high-quality, evidence-based cancer care. We’ll do this by realigning reimbursement to recognize and reward this high-quality patient care. We believe that this is the key to ensuring the long-term health of community-based cancer care – where the vast majority of Americans fight cancer.” “Our solutions drive innovation, technology, research, collaboration, and the effective use of evidence-based medicine. Working across all phases of the cancer care research and delivery system, we improve patient outcomes and promote better patient care.” US Oncology has worked to bring in oncologists into the fold for a number of years and they around 1000 MD members strong.  Affordability is discussed in the video and they state they have the ability to provide options.  Integration of the system, medical records is mentioned and we all know documentation leads to better care as that was determined a while back.  If anyone reading here is a member be sure and chime in under the comments.  BD  <blockquote> SAN FRANCISCO – McKesson has bolstered its cancer care platform with the purchase of US Oncology, a Woodlands, Texas-based developer of clinical tools, guidelines and care pathways for doctors and others in the field of cancer-related healthcare. The acquisition, announced Nov. 1 and expected to be completed by the end of the year, is valued at $2.16 billion.  McKesson – the nation’s largest drug distributor, with a reported $16 billion in revenue last year – purchased all of US Oncology’s shares in cash and take over the company’s $1.08 billion in debt from the private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe. McKesson officials said the debt will be refinanced or repaid </blockquote> <a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/mckesson-boosts-cancer-portfolio-216b-acquisition">McKesson boosts cancer portfolio with $2.16B acquisition | Healthcare IT 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-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:96731df9-4379-4d58-bc94-87458913ae68" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/US+Oncology" rel="tag">US Oncology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/McKesson" rel="tag">McKesson</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/oncology" rel="tag">oncology</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cancer" rel="tag">cancer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/mergers+and+acquisitions" rel="tag">mergers and acquisitions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/doctors" rel="tag">doctors</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/patients" rel="tag">patients</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Health+IT" rel="tag">Health IT</a></div>

McKesson Buys US Oncology Informational and Web Services Valued At $2.16B

The McKesson website has provided a video with both sides discussing the use of evidence based medicine and access to cancer drugs. We are ...

Monday, November 01, 2010

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Avvo Physician Rating Service Can’t Get Accurate Information Listed on Doctors - One OC Oncologist Sitting in Jail for Fraud

San Francisco Dept. of Health Providing Electronic Medical Records for 800 Doctors With eClinical Works Medical Records

McKesson Buys US Oncology Informational and Web Services Valued At $2.16B

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