January 11th, 2010 by DrRich in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
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As has been pointed out (pointedly) to DrRich, we do not have death panels in the United States. And indeed, considering that we’re not conducting military tribunals for Islamist terrorists who have tried (or succeeded in) killing and maiming as many of us as possible, it seems relatively unlikely that we’d assemble death panels (which sound even less due-process-friendly than military tribunals) for American patients.
What we will have, however, is a federally-mandated assembly, body, committee, commission, board, diet, parliament, or posse (but not a panel) of experts which will carefully evaluate all the objective clinical evidence regarding a particular medical treatment, and make “recommendations” to doctors about whether or when to use that treatment. The model which frequently has been offered up for our consideration, as we contemplate the workings of such a non-death-panel, is the British National Institute for Clinical Excellence, or NICE. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Covert Rationing Blog*
December 23rd, 2009 by DrWes in Better Health Network, Opinion, True Stories
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Are medical conferences becoming obsolete? I think so.
It was apparent to me at the Heart Rhythm Society Scientific Sessions meeting and now a similar trend was noticed by Dr. Steven Sedlis at this year’s American Heart Association meeting:
It felt like a ghost town. I ran into Ira Schulman, my medicine resident at Bellevue when I was a third year medical student; we looked at one another and simultaneously blurted out “where is everybody?”
. . .
There are probably numerous reasons for plummeting attendance at AHA. The economy, the on-line publication of trial results prior to presentation, the ubiquity of conference calls, e-mail strings and yes blogs that keep one in regular contact with colleagues throughout the country and the world without the need for face-to-face encounters are just some of the obvious causes.
Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
December 5th, 2009 by DrWes in Better Health Network, Humor, True Stories
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Well, at least it’s one way to make a former tattoo three-dimensional:
Just putting the sexy back… 🙂
-Wes
Photo used with patient permission.
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
November 10th, 2009 by DrWes in Better Health Network, True Stories
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“Doc, I’ve got good news and bad news.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, I’ve lost six more pounds!”
“Wonderful! What’s the bad news?”
“Well, you know that new-fangled drug you gave me that works so well for my atrial fibrillation?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll, I’m part of that AARP Medicare Advantage Part D drug plan, and I just got the “partial” approved drug list for 2010 in the mail. My drug’s not on the list, so I called and found the drug’s been moved from a Tier II drug to a Tier III drug. That means it will cost me twice what I paid for it this year. That’s gonna be tough, doc. I can’t afford it.
But I also read that if you call this ‘800’ number and speak to them, they’ll allow me to obtain an exemption to keep the drug on Tier II for next year.” Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
October 27th, 2009 by Berci in News
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Have you ever wondered what happens if there is a serious situation and you need an automated external defibrillator? According to Wikipedia:
An automated external defibrillator or AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electrical therapy which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm.
Now Lucien Engelen from the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands launched a great project, AED4EU. Users can add places where AEDs are located and this database can be accessed through a new application, AED4EU on your mobile phone. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll*
