November 1st, 2009 by RamonaBatesMD in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
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I am not as well educated in healthcare policy or politics as Dr Wes, Dr Val, KevinMD, Movin’ Meat, or Dr Sid Schwab. I keep reading and listening, trying to understand and decide where I stand. I seem to be more of a centrist (I think).
I was not able to attend any of the previous town hall meetings held in Little Rock on healthcare, but was able to attend the one today. It was sponsored by the Americans for Prosperity. The headline speaker was John Stossel. I am happy to note it was a civil discourse though that may be due to most of them leaning the same way.
I didn’t come away any clearer than before.
I do tend to agree with Stossel that “when insurance is paying” (and not the individual) “it changes behavior.” We aren’t as engaged in the decision making when someone else is paying. However, it is very difficult to get straight answers or even estimates when it comes to healthcare. It’s easy to say what an x-ray might cost. It is difficult to estimate all the drugs, surgeries, care someone might need who has been involved in a major accident. WSJ Health Blog provides links to sites that can help with cost questions. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*
October 31st, 2009 by Shadowfax in Better Health Network, Opinion
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What Shari Welch Said.
Ultrasound is a neat toy, and I’m all about toys. I found two opportunities to play with enhance patient care with our ultrasound today on my shift. But it doesn’t have the bang for the buck that the enthusiasts think it does. It has very narrow, but real, utility, and does nothing to generate revenue. It does in some cases enhance patient turnaround, and it certainly enhances patient satisfaction (they love cool toys as much as we do — and extra face time with the doctor to boot!). But that’s a small return on a machine costing tens of thousands of dollars. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Movin' Meat*
October 31st, 2009 by DrWes in Better Health Network, Humor
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… they can get creative with “pump-kin” decorating:
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
October 30th, 2009 by MotherJonesRN in Better Health Network, Opinion
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I never knew that newspapers use to hire nurses. This nurse is working in a big city at the news desk. I wonder if she had to have a journalism degree as well as a nursing license in order to write copy for a media outlet back when nurses wore their cap. There was a time when only journalists wrote the news. Now anyone with a computer, a video camera, and a website can out scoop CNN. Kim from Emergiblog told me that some bloggers and a member of the press got into a debate at BlogWorld09. I wasn’t surprised to hear this because mainstream media thinks that its the only legitimate source for news. Come on mainstream media, we both know what’s really going on here. You have blogger envy.
I’m sorry if I sound cranky, mainstream media, but I’m really tired of all your whining. I know you don’t think that citizen journalists check their facts and that we lack reliable news sources. Some of you have even said that our stories aren’t fair and balanced. Do you really want to go there, mainstream media? I’m talking to you Fox News and MSNBC. You’ve got your nerve to criticize anyone about their scruples. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Nurse Ratched's Place*
October 30th, 2009 by Berci in Better Health Network, Opinion
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Health on the Net Foundation has been evaluating and rating medical websites for years and it’s sad when we find out there might be some problems and concerns around this highly-respected system.The Bradfield Resident blog published an interesting entry:
…from a review the HONcode guidelines on the Health On the Net Foundation website, it appears that the Australian Dental Association’s site, which currently displays a HONcode seal, does not respect the HONcode principles.
Details of the water fluoridation argument (and safety of mercury in fillings, etc) aside, it is apparent that the current ADA website does not respect a number of the HONcode principles – to an obvious and significant extent – and I imagine this to have been the case for a number of years, if not from the original review in January 2004. This example does not instill confidence in the credibility of the Health On the Net Foundation seal used for medical and health websites. I seek your explanation as to how a site reviewed numerous times with such glaring inconsistencies could be certified. I have not particularly listed examples of the inconsistencies since they appear on almost every page of the ADA website – if you cannot see them, I hold little hope for the HONcode’s reputation at all.
*This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll*
