April 15th, 2010 by Kimball Atwood IV, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion, Research
Tags: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Natural Medicines, Natural Remedies, Naturopathy, NCCAM, Pseudomedicine, Pseudoscience, Pseudoscientific method
No Comments »
For a number of reasons, well-argued many times here on SBM, it would be beneficial to American citizens if the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) were abolished. This does not seem to be in the cards anytime soon.
Here, then, are my suggestions for making the Center less dangerous and less of a marketing tool for pseudomedicine than it has been since its inception. Some suggestions might even make the Center somewhat useful. They are listed in order of priority. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine*
April 14th, 2010 by Toni Brayer, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Annals of Emergency Medicine, Care Coordinators, Chronic Disease Management, Emergency Department, Emergency Medicine, Emergency Room Patients, Free Medical Care, Health Insurance, Healthcare reform, Internal Medicine, medicaid, Medicare, Nurses, Primary Care, Primary Care Physician, Uninsured Patients
No Comments »
If you think the overcrowding in emergency rooms across the country is because of the uninsured, think again.
A new study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine reports that of patients who are frequent users (over 4 times a year) of emergency departments (ED), the uninsured represent only 15 percent of those frequent users.
Also, the frequent ED users were more likely than occasional users to have visited a primary care physician in the previous year.
They also found that most patients who frequently use the ED have health insurance and the majority of users (60 percent) were white. These findings contradict the widely held assumption that frequent users are minorities or illegal immigrants without insurance. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*
April 14th, 2010 by Davis Liu, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion, Research
Tags: 32 Million New Patients, 32 Million Newly Insured, American Academy of Family Physicians, Ancillary Physicians, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Family Doctor, Family Medicine Residency Programs, Family Physician, Health Insurance, Healthcare Reform Bill, Healthcare System, Internal Medicine, Internist, Lack of Primary Care, Medical Schools, Medical Specialty, Personal Physician, Primary Care Crisis, Primary Care Doctors, Primary Care Shortage, Specialists, Specialty Care, Universal Healthcare Coverage
No Comments »
In a few years, every American will be required to have health insurance. As a result, the 32 million people currently uninsured will seek out a personal physician. This role typically is filled by a primary care doctor, like an internist or a family physician.
While passage of the healthcare reform bill affirmed the belief that having health insurance is a right rather than a privilege, the legislation falls short on building a healthcare system capable of absorbing the newly insured.
Universal healthcare coverage is not the same as providing universal access to medical care. Having an insurance card doesn’t guarantee that individuals can actually get care. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Saving Money and Surviving the Healthcare Crisis*
April 13th, 2010 by David Kroll, Ph.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Americans for Medical Progress, Animal Research, Animal Rights Activists, Animal Testing, Animal Trials, Biology, Lab Rat, Lab Tests, Pro-Test For Science, Scientific Techniques, Scientists, Speaking of Research, Terrorism, UCLA, University of California-Los Angeles
No Comments »
[On April 8th] at the University of California at Los Angeles, a rally [was] planned to raise awareness about the value of responsible animal research and to denounce acts of terrorism toward animal researchers and their families. The highlight of the “Pro-Test” rally [was] the presentation to legislators and the media a petition with nearly 12,000 signatures of scientists who support the use of animals in research.
The rally and the petition drive [was] a joint effort of Americans for Medical Progress, Pro-Test for Science, and Speaking of Research.
I stand together with my colleagues who conduct animal research in honor of their application of knowledge to advance biology and relieve human suffering, all while a growing movement of animal rights activists up the ante from protests to attacks on researchers, destruction of homes by arson, and even the vandalism of graves of researchers’ loved ones. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Terra Sigillata*
April 13th, 2010 by RamonaBatesMD in Better Health Network, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: adapalene, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, alitretinoin, anti-aging, Cosmeceutical, Cosmetic Products, Dermatology, Evidence-Based, Human Skin, isotretinoin, Lack of Evidence, OTC, Over-The-Counter, Photoaging, Plastic Surgery, retinaldehyde, retinoic acid, Retinoids, Retinol, retinyl-acetate, retinyl-palmitate, tazarotene, tretinoin, Vitamin A
No Comments »
Many over-the-counter (OTC) cosmetic products contain retinoids and are promoted (advertised) as anti-aging products.
An article in the February 2010 issue of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal is a review of the evidence behind retinoids in cosmeceutical products. It turns out there isn’t much. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*
