June 22nd, 2010 by StevenWilkinsMPH in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Communication Disconnect, Discussing New Medications, Doctor-Patient Communication, Drug Information, Family Medicine, Financial Incentives, General Medicine, Internal Medicine, Lack of Communication, New York Times, Patient Behavior, Patient Education, Patient Medication Adherence, Patient Noncompliance, Pay Patients To Take Medicine, Pharmacology, Primary Care, Warfarin
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The New York Times reported recently on efforts by providers and payers to increase patient medication adherence through the use financial incentives paid to patients. The article cited the use of small financial payments (<$100), awarded via lotteries, to patients that take Warfarin –- an anti-blood clotting medication.
There is certainly nothing wrong with financial incentives. Incentives have been proven successful in changing selected provider (quality and safety improvement) and patient behavior (stop smoking, weight loss and taking health risk surveys). But paying patients to take their medication is different. Actually, the evidence suggests that it is a just plain stupid idea for a whole lot of reasons. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Mind The Gap*
June 22nd, 2010 by Berci in Announcements, Better Health Network, News
Tags: Health Category, The Webby Awards 2010, WebMD, Winners In Health
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The Webby Awards have announced the 2010 winners. From WebbyAwards.com:
With nearly 70 categories, Website entries make up the majority of Webby Awards Winners, Nominees and Honorees. Some are beautiful to look at and interact with. Others are a testament to usability and functionality. And a handful excel across the board. To be selected among the best is an incredible achievement worthy of praise — and perhaps a little bragging.
Guess which website won the Health category? Yes, WebMD.
*This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll*
June 21st, 2010 by GarySchwitzer in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Quackery Exposed, Research
Tags: American Cancer Society, Dr. Otis Brawley, Evidence-Based Medicine Evaded, Family Medicine, Gary Schwitzer, General Medicine, HealthNewsReview.org, Internal Medicine, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Mass Screening, Medical Evidence, Medical Evidence Ignored, Men's Health, New York Daily News, Non-Evidence-Based, NY Daily News, Oncology, Preventive Health, Preventive Medicine, Preventive Screening, Primary Care, Prostate Cancer Prevention, Prostate Health, PSA Screening, PSA Testing, Science-Based Evidence, Urology
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Headlines every day in the New York Daily News are luring men in as part of a mass prostate cancer screening campaign that the American Cancer Society not only does not endorse, but its chief medical officer recommends against. Yet the paper brags that it’s beginning its second decade of this non-evidence-based campaign. Sample headlines:
• Doctors urge New York men to take advantage of free, city-wide PSA testing
• What you don’t know can kill you. Get a FREE prostate cancer test. It can save your life
• Bring dad in for FREE prostate cancer test across the city on Father’s Day
and
• Don’t skip the PSA test! My prostate cancer is treatable because simple test caught it early (written by a Daily News staffer). Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog*
June 21st, 2010 by Toni Brayer, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion
Tags: AMA, American Medical Association, Bad News For Seniors, Bankruptcy, Doc Fix, Flight of Physicians, General Medicine, Government Control, Harry Reid, Healthcare Economics, Healthcare Legislation, Healthcare Policy, Healthcare Politics, Healthcare reform, Medicare Claims, Medicare Patients, Medicare Reimbursement, Medicare SGR Cut, New York Times, No Republican Support, Organized Medicine, Physician Reimbursement Cut, Senator Lieberman, The Doctor Is Out, U.S. Senate
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In a last-minute shocker, the Senate voted Thursday against postponing a scheduled 21-percent cut in Medicare reimbursement to physicians and other healthcare providers. Sixty senators were needed to end filibuster debate and stop the cuts under Senate rules. Fifty six voted in favor, while 40 opposed. There was no Republican support. (And, of course, no support from Senator Lieberman, who is a Republican in disguise.)
Another consequence of the vote is that tens of thousands of Americans who have exhausted their jobless benefits would not be eligible for more. In addition, new taxes on wealthy investment managers would not be imposed, along with an increase in liability taxes on oil companies, leading Democrats to contend that Republicans were protecting Wall Street and the oil industry, according to the New York Times.
“We’re not going to give up,” said Senator Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat and majority leader. “We know the American people only have us to depend on.” Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*
June 21st, 2010 by RyanDuBosar in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Humor, News, Opinion
Tags: AMA, American Medical Association, Beastie Boys, Bee Gees, Doc Fix, Fiddling While Rome Burns, General Medicine, Harry Reid, Havoc In America, Healthcare Economics, Healthcare Humor, Healthcare Legislation, Healthcare Policy, Healthcare Politics, Healthcare reform, Medicare SGR Cut, Music To Doctors' Ears, Physician Reimbursement Cut, Senate Finance Committee, Thompson Twins, U.S. Congress
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Leading members of the Senate Finance Committee came to an agreement Thursday night on a six-month “doc fix,” paving the way for physicians to be reimbursed a little more for seeing Medicare patients instead of a lot less. (This is now separate from the rest of the legislative package it had been part of, which is still under debate.)
Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid warned that without passage, there’d be “havoc in America.” But the American Medical Association (AMA) continued its attack on anything less than a permanent solution. The AMA compared it to fiddling while Rome burns. What tune are members of Congress playing?
A) Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees
B) Doctor, Doctor! by the Thompson Twins
C) Time to Get Ill by the Beastie Boys
(The Hill, Politico, American Medical Association)
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
