July 29th, 2010 by Kimball Atwood IV, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion, Quackery Exposed, Research
Tags: AANP, American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, CAM For Smarties, Dr. Josephine Briggs, Emunctorology, Herbal Medicine, Homeopathy, Lack of Evidence, Medical Quackery, Medications From Plant Sources, NACCAM, National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Naturopathic Doctor, Naturopaths, Naturopathy, NCCAM, ND, Non-Evidence-Based, Pseudomedical Pseudoprofessional Organizations, Pseudomedicine, Pseudoscience, SBM, Science Based Medicine, Thomas Kruzel
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Josephine P. Briggs, M.D.
Director, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Dear Dr. Briggs,
As you know, we’ve met twice. The first time was at the Yale “Integrative Medicine” Symposium in March. The second was in April, when Drs. Novella, Gorski and I met with you for an hour at the NCCAM in Bethesda. At the time I concluded that you favor science-based medicine, although you are in the awkward position of having to appear ‘open-minded’ about nonsense.
More about that below, but first let me address the principal reason for this letter: it is disturbing that you will shortly appear at the 25th Anniversary Convention of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP). It is disturbing for two reasons. First, it suggests that you know little about the tenets and methods of the group that you’ll be addressing. Second, your presence will be interpreted as an endorsement of those methods and of that group—whether or not that is your intention. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine*
July 28th, 2010 by StevenWilkinsMPH in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion, Research
Tags: Doctor-Patient Communication, Doctors Paid To Communicate With Patients, General Medicine, Physician Income, Physicians' Salaries, Primary Care, Reminbursement For Services
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I often hear from physicians that they would do a better job communicating with patients if they were adequately reimbursed for the time it took to do so. Given that certain types of physician-patient communications (patient education, care planning, etc.) can have quantifiable, therapeutic benefits for patients, I can see their point.
I have no problem with physicians asking to be adequately reimbursed for services they provide, as long as they are high quality and add value. For example, teaching chronic disease patients how to care for themselves at home takes time and is critical to effective patient self care. In this role, physicians are called upon to be a provider of necessary information as well as a coach to encourage and support patients.
But as evidence suggests, many physicians don’t communicate effectively enough with patients, chronic or otherwise, to seem to merit additional reimbursement. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Mind The Gap*
July 28th, 2010 by Davis Liu, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: ACOG, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Early Intervention, Family Medicine, General Medicine, Guidelines, Healthcare Rationing, Healthcare reform, HPV, Human Papilloma Virus, Internal Medicine, Mammogram, Pap Smears, Pap Test, Preventive Health, Primary Care, Prostate Cancer, PSA Screening, Rationing Of Care, Screening Tests, Sexual Health, sexually transmitted diseases, STDs, Women's Health
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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recently reiterated their position that Pap smears should be performed on healthy women starting at age 21. This is different from the past which recommended screening for cervical cancer at either three years after the time a woman became sexually active or age 21, whichever occurred first.
How will the public respond to this change?
Over the past year there have been plenty of announcements from the medical profession regarding to the appropriateness of PSA screening for prostate cancer and the timing of mammogram screening for breast cancer. Understandably, some people may view these changes in recommendations as the rationing of American healthcare. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Saving Money and Surviving the Healthcare Crisis*
July 28th, 2010 by RyanDuBosar in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Research
Tags: Dr. Pauline Chen, Family Medicine, General Medicine, Help Doctors Transition, Hospice, Internal Medicine, New Medical Practice Model, New Primary Care Models, Not Enough Time For Patients, Patient-Centered Care, Patient-Centered Medical Home, Patient-Centered Medicine, Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, Pilot Projects, Team-Based Patient Care, Team-Based Primary Care, The New York Times, Transitioning Primary Care
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While the “patient-centered medical home” may be a good idea, it needs a better name. It sounds like a hospice, reports surgeon and columnist Pauline Chen, M.D. She outlines the initial experiences of practices making the transition to the new practice model.
One problem uncovered by pilot projects is that doctors in transition to the practice model have to spend inordinate amounts of time of things other than patients. And while the patients want and welcome the changes, they face a learning curve too, as they move from seeing just the doctor to working with a team of providers for their care.
Physicians suggested using resources from the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, a collaborative group set up to help offices make the transition. (New York Times)
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
July 28th, 2010 by Toni Brayer, M.D. in Better Health Network, News, Opinion, Research, True Stories
Tags: Altruism, Altruistic Behavior, Brooklyn, Chose Not To Help, Emergency Medical Care, Emergency Medical Technicians, Emergency Medicine, EMTs, Eutisha Rennix, Failed To Help, FDNY, Fire Department of New York, General Medicine, Good Samaritans, Healthcare Professionals, Jason Green, Medical Professionals, New York City, On A Break, Patient Dies, Seizure
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A few weeks before Christmas, Eutisha Rennix, a pregnant restaurant worker, collapsed while working. She started having a seizure and her co-workers were screaming for help.
There were two EMT workers in line at Au Bon Pain shop in Brooklyn and they refused to help. They told onlookers to call 911 and they walked out of the store after picking up their bagels, presumably because they were on a coffee break. An ambulance was called and the 25-year-old woman and her baby girl died shortly afterward. She is survived by a 3-year-old son. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*
