Obesity Counseling: Is Race a Factor?
Most people know that the US is struggling to contain a surging epidemic of obesity, and that the problem is most acute among African-Americans. Whereas about 27% of all adult…
Children & Telehealth
A Pacific Rim Department of Defense study found that telehealth cuts pediatric costs; reducing spending by as much as $750,000 annually. Not surprisingly, reductions were most notable in remote areas…
Should Parents be Allowed to Give Teachers Gifts?
Today’s Boston Globe (Gift limits for teachers irk givers, recipients; Many reject fears of undue influence) goes after an easy target: restrictions and reporting requirements for teachers who receive gifts…
CDC Awards Grant to Connect Hospital Labs to Exchange Test Results and Patient Information Using SureScripts Direct
It looks like the SureScripts network for secure data transmission is going to get a little more business with the latest grant as last week the American Academy of Family…
Hospitals Get Early Start on Medicare Reform Sector
Ripple effect of reform? Perhaps, but in light of the federal government’s push to eliminate waste in Medicare, one arena in which costs are paid out in massive amounts —…
Gastric Bypass Edges Lap-band and Sleeve Gastrectomy in Outcomes
Two recent reports in the Archives of Surgery (Arch Surg. 2011;146:143-148, 149-155) indicate that, in the treatment of moderately to morbidly obese patients, while gastric bypass surgery has a comparable…
Palliative Care Teams – A Big Improvement in Quality of Life
During the healthcare reform debate there was the unfortunate reference to “death panels.” No such thing was ever in the proposals but it meant that an important part of medical…
Blue Button Mobile Available for Veterans to Download and View Personal Health Records
Northrop Grumman has developed a mobile application called VA-214 whereby personal health records can remotely access MyHealthVet from an Android or iPhone. I have had a series of posts on…
Bloggers and Social Media Risk
I'm in Orlando this week for HIMSS and presenting later today at the Social Media Center on managing risks. My slides were submitted in advance, but I do want to…
FDA Approves Home Dialysis Machine From Fresenius Medical Care
If maintained properly the machine could offer some real convenience of not having to go to a facility for treatment. I would almost guess that someone would need to make…
