April 15th, 2010 by RamonaBatesMD in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
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The Washington Post had a story by Lyndsey Layton this past week: FDA says studies on triclosan, used in sanitizers and soaps, raise concerns. An excerpt:
The Food and Drug Administration said recent research raises “valid concerns” about the possible health effects of triclosan, an antibacterial chemical found in a growing number of liquid soaps, hand sanitizers, dishwashing liquids, shaving gels and even socks, workout clothes and toys.
The FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency say they are taking a fresh look at triclosan, which is so ubiquitous that is found in the urine of 75 percent of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The reassessment is the latest signal that the Obama administration is willing to reevaluate the possible health impacts of chemicals that have been in widespread use.
No where in the article is the use of triclosan use in suture mentioned, yet in my research on allergy/reactivity to suture material I found that it is. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*
March 25th, 2010 by Jon LaPook, M.D. in Better Health Network, Expert Interviews, Health Policy, News, Video
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With the passage of healthcare reform, an estimated thirty two million new patients will try to find primary care doctors. That’s not going to be so easy because we already face a shortage of primary care doctors and about 13,000 more will be needed to take care of those newly eligible for insurance.
According to the American Medical Association, there are about 312,000 primary care doctors practicing in the United States. That includes family medicine, general practice (GP), internal medicine, and pediatrics. (In addition, there are 43,000 ob-gyn’s who also may serve as primary care doctors.) The estimate that another 13,000 will be needed comes from a study done by the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care in partnership with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Sixty five million Americans already live in areas that don’t have enough primary care doctors. And relief is not on the way anytime soon. It takes 5 to 8 years for a first year medical student to be trained as a primary care doctor. And the trend for budding doctors over the past decade has been away from primary care and towards more lucrative specialties. Read more »
March 24th, 2010 by AlanDappenMD in Primary Care Wednesdays
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Many companies and consumers are turning to higher-deductible health care plans (HDHPs) in order to keep their insurance policies more affordable. The rational basis of these plans is that since you’re using your money and you are in control, you will pay more attention to what is really being offered to you as well as to the cost relative to value. You will be more likely to challenge your doctor to provide the rationale for an expensive test or drug, and to encourage your doctor to innovate to provide lower-cost alternatives.
A trap of these new health plans, as currently structured, is that you’re herded into in-network ‘preferred providers.’ The rationale of the insurance company is that they can control doctors’ prices, thus brokering a better rate for you. They also want to use your loyalty to the network to control physicians’ practices. “Preferred,” in reality, does not refer to quality; rather it just means the doctor has signed an agreement with the insurance company, binding them to the insurance company rules, which favor the insurance company, not the patient.
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March 14th, 2010 by Joseph Scherger, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Research
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One of the great fears we all have is to lose our mental ability as we grow old. No one wants to end their life with dementia (such as Alzheimer’s Disease). We all should be highly motivated to do things to avoid this tragic outcome. We already know that regular exercise is good for the mind and may reduce the risk of dementia. Recent evidence shows that the use of statin medications to lower cholesterol may help reduce dementia risk. Now we have evidence that the roll of fat around your waist may be a marker for increased dementia risk.
The University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter (February, 2010) reports on a study published in the journal Neurology that followed 1500 Swedish women for 30 years. Those with more fat around the waist were twice as likely to have dementia by age 70 compared with thinner women. A 2008 study from Kaiser Permanente that included men and women showed similar results. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at eDocAmerica*
March 2nd, 2010 by DrRob in Better Health Network, Humor
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People are asking for more physical exam posts.
People asked for more Millli Vanilli too. People aren’t always smart.
But you ask, I give. I am just that kind of guy. It’s been a long time (since October) since I have done a post on this subject. So for all of you “newbies” out there (I just wanted to use that word and sound like a nerd), I want to give you a recap of what I have already done on the physical exam. That way people who have not inflicted upon themselves read the old ones can get all caught up. To be honest, this is one of my favorite series as well. Or is that “serieses?” Where’s Grammar Girl when you need her? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Musings of a Distractible Mind*
