August 9th, 2010 by StevenWilkinsMPH in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion, Research
Tags: Cardiovascular Disease, Decreased Adherence Among Patients, Depression, Doctor-Patient Communication, Emotional Well-Being, General Medicine, Increased Blood Pressure, Job Loss, Mental Distress, More Doctors Visits, More Hospitalizations, More Medication, More Testing, Patient-Centered Care, Patient-Doctor Relationship, Physician Awareness, Problems At Home, Unemployed Patients, Weakened Immune System
No Comments »

Anyone who’s ever been downsized or otherwise lost a job knows the feelings: Personal loss (social, financial and routine), self doubt, and in some cases fear of what the future will bring. Unemployment and its cousin, underemployment, are not subjects that a lot of people are comfortable brining up in polite conversation — even with their doctor.
Given today’s tough economic environment, chances are that 15 to 20 percent of the people sitting in most doctors’ waiting rooms are out of work. Do you know who they are? You should. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Mind The Gap*
August 9th, 2010 by RyanDuBosar in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Research
Tags: Annual Salary Survey, Family Medicine, General Medicine, Internal Medicine Doctors, Internists, Locum Tenens, Pay Raise, Permamently Employed Physicians, Physician Recruitment, Primary Care, Salary Increase
No Comments »

Full-time internists average $191,864 in income, according to one recruiter’s annual salary survey. LocumTenens.com conducted its survey in the early spring of 2010 among locum tenens and permanently employed physicians. That’s up from $179,958 in 2009, the company reported. Specific breakdowns by gender, years in practice and owner/employee status are here.
That’s a 6.6 percent pay raise. We’re going to do our own salary survey right here. Let us know if you saw such an increase in the past year.
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
August 8th, 2010 by GarySchwitzer in Better Health Network, Medblogger Shout Outs, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Adam Marcus, Dr. Ivan Oransky, Embargo Watch, Gary Schwitzer, Health News Blogs, Health News Coverage, HealthNewsReview.org, Medblogs, Niche Blog, Retraction Watch, Reuters Health, Science Journalists, Science Reporting, Scientific Information Embargoes, Scientific Information Retractions
No Comments »

Ivan Oransky, M.D., executive editor of Reuters Health, somehow found time a few months ago to launch his first blog, Embargo Watch — with the tagline: “Keeping an eye on how scientific information embargoes affect news coverage.”
Now, as evidence he either doesn’t sleep or has roots in Transylvania, Oransky the Impaler launches a new blog, Retraction Watch along with partner Adam Marcus. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog*
August 7th, 2010 by Steven Roy Daviss, M.D. in Better Health Network, Opinion, Research
Tags: Depression On The Job, Psychiatry, Psychology
No Comments »


Katina from OnlineCollege.org writes to inform us of a post about 10 Professions With The Highest Levels Of Depression. What I found interesting is the assumption that these jobs cause depression. For example:
Social Workers: If you had to deal with abused children, unkind foster parents and less-than-stellar family dynamics all day, you might be depressed too. Those working in this field are three times more likely to be depressed than the general population, and many are so focused on helping others they don’t get the help that they need themselves.
There’s nothing in the post that addresses the “chicken-or-egg” question. Maybe people with depression are drawn to certain fields? Artists are listed, with the statement that those who chose to work in the field “found it depressing.”
And everyone kind of gets it: Doctors, nurses, social workers, lawyers, artists, janitors, food service people, finance folks, and nursing home and childcare workers. What’s left? What’s the depression rate among bloggers?
*This blog post was originally published at Shrink Rap*
August 7th, 2010 by Berci in Better Health Network, Research
Tags: 7-Repeat Gene, Addiction Medicine, Alcohol Abuse, Alcohol-Related Cues, Association for Psychological Science, Binge Drinking, D4 Receptor Gene, Dopamine, DRD4, Drinking Behavior, Extensive Alcohol Use, Gene Variants, Genetic Background, Genetics, Heavy-Drinking Peers, Helle Larsen, Medical News Today, Psychology, Radboud University, Social Drinking, The Netherlands
No Comments »

Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, published a very interesting paper focusing on the genetic background of social drinking. Specific gene variants might increase the risk for extensive alcohol use or abuse when spending time with heavy-drinking peers. An excerpt from Medical News Today:
Drinking alcohol increases levels of dopamine –- a brain chemical that causes pleasure and makes us feel good. The dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) has been shown to be involved in motivation of seeking out rewards. Research has suggested that carrying a specific form (or variant) of this gene –- one that includes seven or more repeats of a certain section of the gene –- may be associated with craving caused by alcohol-related cues. Psychological scientist Helle Larsen from Radboud University in The Netherlands and her colleagues wanted to investigate if this 7-repeat gene variant plays a role in how an individual responds to alcohol-related cues.
The results showed an effect between how much the confederate drank and the gene variant on volunteers’ alcohol consumption: When the confederate was seen consuming three or four drinks, carriers of the 7-repeat form of the gene drank more than twice as many glasses of alcohol than did noncarriers of the gene variant. However, when the confederate consumed only one drink, there was no difference in alcohol consumption between carriers and noncarriers. These findings suggest that individuals carrying this form of the DRD4 gene may be more sensitive than noncarriers to other people’s drinking behavior.
*This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll*