April 13th, 2011 by Medgadget in News, Research
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IBM and the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Shanghai have designed a new type of polymer that can detect and destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as MRSA. The polymer nanostructures also prevent bacteria from developing drug resistance. Moreover, because of the mechanism by which the nanostructures work, they don’t affect circulating blood cells, and, unlike most traditional antimicrobial agents, the nanostructures are biodegradable, naturally eliminated from the body rather than remaining behind and accumulating in tissues.
From the Nature Chemistry abstract by Nederberg, et al.: Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
April 11th, 2011 by Nicholas Genes, M.D., Ph.D. in Medical Art, Opinion
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I made my first PowerPoint presentation in 1997, and actually used Microsoft’s application to prepare 35mm Kodachrome slides for a carousel projector. Since then, I’ve seen thousands of PowerPoint presentations (and a few dozen Keynotes), and had a hand in creating many, myself.
Not since a conference a decade ago have I needed to make Kodachrome slides. Yet almost everyone still uses software built around printing slides, making a linear progression of topics. The impact of this format on human thought is substantial — PowerPoint was fingered as contributing to the Columbia disaster and has spawned a lot of discussion and linkage, even here, regarding effective communication (probably all conceived of during dull PowerPoint presentations).
While compelling presentations are possible with Powerpoint (using the Lessig Method, for example) those kinds of talks require planning, and a mastery of the material. And some great stock photos. My experience in school and training is that the PowerPoint is often made as the presenter is learning the content and so is bound to lack the organization and expertise necessary for a Lessig-style presentation. People procrastinate about public speaking, and when crunch time comes it’s just too easy to flip through a a textbook, call up a Pubmed abstract, and churn out another verbose PowerPoint slide. With practice, it’s possible to whittle down the number of words and bullets per slide — but who has time for that? Much easier to read the talk from the slide itself. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Blogborygmi*
April 10th, 2011 by Stanley Feld, M.D. in Health Policy, Opinion
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President Obama’s has created an incentive program to encourage physicians to adopt functional Electronic Medical Records. The program’s $27 billion dollars (funded by President Obama’s Economic Stimulus package) will turn out to be a colossal failure and a waste of money.
Twenty seven billion dollars would provide $44,000 for 640,000 physicians. After the bureaucratic infrastructure is built the federal government will be lucky if one third of the money remains for bonuses to physicians.
Only 21,000 of 650,000 (3%) of physicians have applied to date.
Complex bureaucracies and complicated regulations never save money. These bureaucracies create bigger government, inconsistent policies, more complicated regulations and inefficiencies.
The best and cheapest way to create a universally accepted and functional EMR is for the federal government to put the software in the cloud and charge physicians by the click for the use of the Ideal Medical Record.
Upgrades in software to the Ideal Medical Record will be swift , inexpensive and instantly adopted. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Repairing the Healthcare System*
April 6th, 2011 by Edwin Leap, M.D. in Health Policy, Opinion
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So I have a Droid. I purchased it in July, not long after taking my old flip-phone for an oceanic bath at Hilton Head, SC. I waffled for a long time. In fact, I almost purchased a Casio phone that was marketed as water and impact resistant. ‘Mil-spec,’ was the phrase used…a phrase which appeals to me as a one-time Air-Guard flight surgeon. What it meant to me was, ‘you can’t hurt it.’
Still, I was attracted by medical applications and the assorted other cool things a Droid can do. I mean, my old phone didn’t have a Magic 8 Ball, for crying out loud! More to the point, my old phone didn’t have Epocrates, or the Emergency Medicine Residents Association Guide to Antibiotic Therapy. It lacked a flashlight, an mp-3 player, a protractor and a scientific calculator. (It also weighed a fraction of my Droid, but that’s what belts are for). On my old phone, I couldn’t have taken a photo of an ECG, turned it into a pdf file, and e-mailed it to our fax-impaired cardiologist. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at edwinleap.com*
April 5th, 2011 by Medgadget in Health Tips
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Apple iPads are taking the clinical world by storm, but they’re not exactly built for a busy environment full of liquids, dirty hands, and pathogens. The Chef Sleeve is a plastic wrapping originally designed to help cooks prevent their iPads from getting hit by a splash of this and a dash of that. The plastic is compatible with the touch screen, provides basic protection, and won’t require you to sterilize it before bringing it home from the hospital. At $20 for 25 sleeves, your new baby can get the basic protection it deserves.
Product page: Chef Sleeve…
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
