May 20th, 2010 by Steve Novella, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Acupuncture, CAM, Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, Evidence-Based, Science Based Medicine, Science-Based Evidence
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Two recent acupuncture studies have received some media attention, both purporting to show positive effects. Both studies are also not clinical efficacy trials, so cannot be used to support any claims for efficacy for acupuncture –- although that is how they are often being presented in the media.
These and other studies show the dire need for more trained science journalists or science blogging –- they only make sense when put into a proper context. No media coverage I read bothered to do this. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine*
May 19th, 2010 by DrWes in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion
Tags: Allied Healthcare Workers, Assistant Nurses, Assistant Physical Therapists, Chicago Public Schools, Chronic Workforce Shortages, College Programs, Education Program, Family Medicine, Future Healthcare Providers, General Medicine, Health-Related, Healthcare In High School, Hospital Workers, Hospitalist Medicine, Internal Medicine, Interns, Juniors, Lottery System, Math, Medical Field, Pharmacy Technicians, Primary Care Shortage, Quality Education, Science, Science-Related, Seniors, Students
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Yep, you read that right. The Chicago Public Schools, not exactly known for quality education, have a plan for training our future healthcare providers — high school:
Chicago Public Schools this fall will open the city’s first high school specializing in healthcare, a move local hospitals hope will help relieve chronic workforce shortages.
The school, which recently used a lottery system to enroll a freshman class of 160, will have a heavy emphasis on math and science. Juniors and seniors will be able to earn credits by shadowing hospital workers and interning as assistant nurses and in other professions.
Planners aim to prepare students for health- and science-related college programs and certify them for entry-level jobs in healthcare, such as pharmacy technicians or assistant physical therapists.
So this is what the Department of Labor had in mind for their healthcare education funds? Wow.
-WesMusings of a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist.
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
May 18th, 2010 by Maria Gifford in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Health Tips, Medblogger Shout Outs, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Better Health, Dr. Val Jones, Family Medicine, General Medicine, Grand Rounds 6:34, Health and Medicine, Health Blogs, Health Commentary, Healthcare Blog, Healthcare reform, Internal Medicine, Internet, Maria Gifford, Mayo Clinic, Medical Bloggers, Online Health Communities, Online Health Conversations, Primary Care, Social Health Media, World Wide Web
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As the newly-appointed director of content for Better Health and personal editorial advisor to the infamous Dr. Val, I’ve been given the honor of hosting this edition of Grand Rounds — a weekly summary of the best health blog posts on the Internet.
This week’s submissions cover a nice mix of issues important to health and medicine, which I’m presenting in super-organized, far-from-creative alphabetical order. (Excuse my conservativeness as I’m originally a product of the Mayo Clinic, and even after jumping ship nearly five years ago, I’m still affected due to my unchanged physical location — I’ll find my more liberal social-media sea legs soon, promise!)
From geriatrics to Viagra, PET scans to personality disorders, dentists to American Idol, you’ll find it in this ever-so-tidy session of Grand Rounds.
Best of health,
Maria
GRAND ROUNDS: EDITION 6.34
A Healthy Piece Of Mind puts cancer in the context of the Serenity Prayer: The Audacity Of Trope: Cancer Stories.
ACP Hospitalist reports that the FDA has launched a campaign to help healthcare providers report misleading drug advertising and promotion: Join The Ad Police!
ACP Internist writes that telemedicine is changing the playing field in primary care as internists sign up to diagnose patients over the Internet: Doctors Delivering Diagnoses Online.
Behaviorism And Mental Health shares the idea that it’s wrong to consider certain lifestyles and mindsets as pathological: Personality Disorders Are Not Illnesses.
Colorado Health Insurance Insider blogs about how hospitals that don’t treat Medicaid patients will end up losing money under the new healthcare reform law: Colorado Expanding Access To Medicaid And CHP+.
Diabetes Mine writes about American Idol contestant Crystal Bowersox and how the media has reacted to her having diabetes: Doin’ Her Thing With The ‘Betes.
EverythingHealth offers tips on how to keep kids safe when communicating with others on the Internet: Keeping Kids Safe On Social Networking Sites.
Health AGEnda discusses a recent article calling for improved training in geriatrics for primary care physicians: Report From The Brain Trust.
HealthBlawg tells how electronic health records will soon be required as a condition of licensure for doctors and healthcare centers in Massachusetts: HIT Incentives In Massachusetts: Less Carrot, More Stick.
HealthNewsReview comments on Senator David Vitter’s recent request to have the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services remove breast cancer screening recommendations from its website: Senator Strikes Out By Politicizing Mammography Recommendations.
How To Cope With Pain explains that change is hard and offers the helpful advice of trying “half a habit” at first: Change A Habit Slooowly.
In Sickness And In Health (U.K.) summarizes new research that suggests that Viagra may improve the delivery of chemotherapy drugs in women with breast cancer that has spread to the brain: Viagra Could Help Women Too, But Not How You Think.
In Sickness And In Health (U.S.) writes about couples and illness, describing how other relationships in your life can affect your health or your partner’s health: My Mother, My Partner?
Jill Of All Trades, MD provides a public health doctor’s tips for patients who don’t have health insurance: My Top-15 Resource List For The Uninsured.
Laika’s MedLibBlog highlights research on how lack of sleep can affect your risk for obesity, diabetes and heart disease: What One Short Night’s Sleep Does To Your Glucose Metabolism.
Lockup Doc talks about when non-psychiatric illnesses in people with mental health histories are minimized or dismissed by healthcare providers: Psychiatric Patients With Medical Illness May Not Be Taken Seriously.
MD Whistleblower warns that dentists’ habit of overprescribing penicillin has “serious consequences” for patients: Why Do Dentists Prescribe Antibiotics So Often?
MedInnovationBlog talks about the obsession Americans have with medical technology and how it affects healthcare: Americans And Their Medical Machines.
Mental Notes debunks myths about depression after childbirth and reports on a recent study that used PET scanning to identify new moms at higher risk: What Causes Postpartum Depression?
Novel Patient shares thoughts on facing life’s difficulties and how to keep a positive attitude: Seeing Double.
Nutrition Wonderland presents new research on obesity that helps explain why dieting doesn’t always work as expected: When Cutting Calories Doesn’t Cut It.
Nuts For Healthcare says that “big pharma” should pay attention to significant advances in vaccine development: Vaccines, Vaccines…And How We Got To Provenge.
Supporting Safer Healthcare highlights confidentiality concerns about using portable data devices to store sensitive healthcare information and patients’ medical records: Lost Data Causing “10-Out-Of-10” Pain For Healthcare.
Suture For A Living tells the story of a recent brush with domestic abuse and provides resources to get help if you need it: Domestic Violence.
The Covert Rationing Blog conducts an “intervention” on behalf of two fellow medical bloggers in regards to American obesity, discrimination, and “demonizing” the obese: Defending The Anti-Obesity Movement, Again.
The Examining Room Of Dr. Charles tells the story of how a patient triggered memories of a doctor’s first experience with human anatomy: White Silken Ribbons.
The Happy Hospitalist says one group of physicians at his hospital wants to be compensated for their time on call: Should Hospitals Pay Doctors To Be On Call?
May 17th, 2010 by RyanDuBosar in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News
Tags: Backfire, Big Pharma, Business Dealings, Clarity, Congressional Democrats, Drive Down The Cost of Healthcare, Drug Makers, Eliminate Tests, Force Doctors, General Medicine, Healthcare Competition, Healthcare Economics, Healthcare Policy, Healthcare reform, High-Performing Medical Facilities, Hospital Costs, Informed Healthcare Consumer, Internal Medicine, Lawmakers, Low-Performing Hospitals, Lower Healthcare Costs, Manipulating Economics, Medical Device Companies, Medical Device Makers, More Clear, Pharmaceutical Companies, Pharmaceutical Industry, Politico, Reporting Outcomes, Reveal Business Negotiations, The Fiscal Times, Transparency In Healthcare, Transparent Healthcare System, Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality, Wisconsin Hospitals
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Congressional democrats want more transparency in healthcare, believing it would further drive down the cost of care, reports Politico.
Hoping to drive competition, some lawmakers are grumbling to force doctors to reveal business negotiations between them and drug and device makers. Opponents worry that manipulating economics would backfire. If everyone knows their competitor’s business, why bother negotiating lower prices?
But transparency worked for Wisconsin’s hospitals, not in business dealings but in reporting outcomes, reports The Fiscal Times. By voluntarily revealing clinical outcomes on the Web, the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality was able to spur low-performing hospitals to improve, high-performing facilities to eliminate tests that didn’t improve outcomes, and create an informed healthcare consumer with choices where to receive care.
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Hospitalist*
May 16th, 2010 by Berci in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Addiction Therapy, Anxiety, Cravings, Internet, Internet Addiction, media, Microsoft, Online, Psychology, Social Links, Technology, University of Maryland, withdrawal, World Wide Web
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Internet addiction is becoming a major problem, and it’s less and less surprising when reports focusing on this issue are being published. Lately, the New York Times came up with the analysis of a recent study:
Researchers at the University of Maryland who asked 200 students to give up all media for one full day found that after 24 hours many showed signs of withdrawal, craving and anxiety along with an inability to function well without their media and social links.
Susan Moeller, the study’s project director and a journalism professor at the university, said many students wrote about how they hated losing their media connections, which some equated to going without friends and family.
I did some research and browsed the website of Microsoft’s Internet Addiction Recovery Program. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll*
