March 25th, 2010 by DrWes in Better Health Network, News
Tags: Apple, iPhone App, Medical Procedures, ProcedureTracker.com, Tracking
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If it’s free, it’s for me. Especially if it’s an iPhone application to track medical procedures:
That’s why Dr. Shanti Bansal developed a free iPhone application — “app” in Apple-talk — that lets doctors keep a record of each case and which procedure, from a cardiac MRI to a biopsy, they perform. “The goal is to help physicians in training be the best physicians they can,” said Bansal, who practices at Yale-New Haven Hospital. “One of the reasons I came up with this is that I’m a cardiologist and in cardiology we do a lot of procedures. I lost track of hundreds of procedures during my first and second year” of residency. Now, in about 30 seconds, each procedure can be entered into the iPhone.
Here’s the link to ProcedureTracker.com.
-WesMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist.
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
March 25th, 2010 by KevinMD in Better Health Network, News, Opinion
Tags: CDC, CT, Defensive Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Emergency Medicine, ER Visits, Imaging Tests, Internal Medicine, Medical Imaging, MRI, PET scan, Radiation
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It’s well known that the use of imaging scans, like CTs, MRIs and PET scans, have been growing at an alarming rate. But a recent study provides some stark numbers. According to a recent CDC report, “MRI, CT or PET scans were done or ordered in 14 percent of ER visits in 2007.” That’s four times as often as in 1996. Although a physician called that growth “astounding,” it’s really no surprise.
Emergency departments are becoming more crowded, and with patient satisfaction scores becoming more influential in financial incentives for physicians, sometimes just ordering a test is the path of least resistance. Factor in the spector of defensive medicine which, according to a survey from the Massachusetts Medical Society, accounts for up to 28 percent of tests ordered, it’s a wonder that more scans weren’t ordered.
Imaging scans are a clear cost driver in healthcare, contributing $12 billion to Medicare’s bill. But costs won’t resonate with patients requesting the tests or the doctors ordering them. One encouraging sign is the recent trend of publicizing the harms of scans, like radiation from CTs. I’m finding that patients are becoming increasingly aware of the risk, and making a more informed decision after I explain it to them. It’s a small step forward.
*This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com*
March 25th, 2010 by Berci in Better Health Network, Opinion, Research
Tags: Clinical Genomics, Gene Therapy, Genetic Research, Genetic Testing, Genetics, Pathway Genomics
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As I’m doing my PhD in clinical genomics, I’m really interested in the connection between the Internet and medicine. I was happy when Pathway Genomics, one of the newest direct-to-consumer genetic companies, offered me a free genetic test.
After an interview I did with them, I sent my saliva sample back and 3-4 weeks later, I received an email that my results were ready. This is my experience and the things I found interesting. As I got a free test from Navigenics a year ago, I plan to compare these services. I was very interested in the service of Pathway Genomics because of what they analyze:
1) Sampling: It was quite an easy process with only a few papers to fill (though it’s always hard to solve FedEX issues from Europe) and clear instructions. A video about a patient showing the whole process in 1-2 minutes, including saliva collection and filling out the paperwork, would be useful.
2) Preparations: I liked that I had to complete a questionnaire focusing on my lifestyle and patient history (Your Environment and Lifestyle, The Shape You’re In, and You and Your Family). As family history is the best genetic test out there, so it’s important to use that data while analyzing genetic results. Though, I couldn’t calculate my BMI (couldn’t use kg and centimeter) and the family history application wasn’t working for me. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll*
March 25th, 2010 by Harriet Hall, M.D. in Better Health Network, True Stories
Tags: Dr. Gerald Imber, Dr. William Halsted, Drug Addiction, General Surgery, Modern Surgery, Science-Based Surgery
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One night in 1882, a critically ill 70-year-old woman was at the verge of death at her daughter’s home, suffering from fever, crippling pain, nausea, and an inflamed abdominal mass. At 2:00AM, a courageous surgeon put her on the kitchen table and performed the first known operation to remove gallstones. The patient recovered uneventfully. The patient was the surgeon’s own mother.
This compelling story is the beginning of an excellent new biography of William Halsted, the father of modern surgery, Genius on the Edge: The Bizarre Double Life of Dr. William Stewart Halsted, by Gerald Imber, M.D. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine*
March 24th, 2010 by Medgadget in Better Health Network, News, Primary Care Wednesdays, Research
Tags: Biomonitoring System, ECG, EEG, Electromagnetic Waves, Human Arm, Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, Korea University, Neurology, Seoul, Skin
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Scientists at Korea University in Seoul have demonstrated a prototype of a new biomonitoring system that transmits data through the body, replacing wires and minimizing the need for batteries.
The device is 300 micrometres thick and in a test, using a metal electrode coated with a flexible silicon-rich polymer, the researchers transmitted data at a rate of 10 megabits per second through a person’s arm. The device was tested for skin safety after continuous wearing and the data was transmitted via low-frequency electromagnetic waves through the skin.
The technology may have implications for diagnostics, as it can be used to detect electric fluctuations as is currently done by ECG and EEG machines.
Read on at New Scientist: Human arm transmits broadband…
Abstract in Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering: Wearable polyimide-PDMS electrodes for intrabody communication
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
