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Doctor and patient, now at odds
New York Times - 07-29-2008 - Increasingly, research and anecdotal reports suggest that many patients don't trust doctors. About one in four patients feel that their physicians sometimes expose them to unnecessary risk, according to data from a Johns Hopkins study. And two other recent studies show that whether patients trust a doctor strongly influences whether they take their medication. The distrust and animosity between doctors and patients has shown up in a variety of places, from books to the Internet.
Insurers increasingly going against doctors' orders
Hartford Courant - 07-29-2008 - Insurers are increasingly rejecting imaging procedures recommended by U.S. doctors as the companies work to trim $30 billion a year they say is wasted on the tests. With U.S. health costs projected to grow to 25% of the economy in 2025 from 16% now, insurers are turning to so-called radiology benefit managers who can reject scans determined to be unneeded, said representatives from a Washington-based consultant to hospitals. In addition to requiring advance approval, screeners are negotiating discounted fees for scans, requiring imaging facilities to win accreditation, and guiding consumers to cheaper test centers.
How to converse with someone who has Alzheimer's
Los Angeles Times - 07-28-2008 - A study showing effective and ineffective ways of conversing with Alzheimer's patients was among the research presented today at the Alzheimer's Assn. International Conference in Chicago. The meeting, which began Sunday, is a gathering of leading researchers, doctors and patient advocates working on Alzheimer's disease. Booster Shots will bring you updates from the meeting through its conclusion Wednesday.
Sierra Vista Hospital expansion
Sacramento Bee - 07-29-2008 - The $8 million structure rising behind a south Sacramento psychiatric hospital offers concrete proof of the facility's determination to become the region's largest destination for people in mental health crisis. Yet Sierra Vista Hospital has one of California's worst patient mistreatment records, with 111 violations since 2004, ranging from understaffing to lax drug controls and failures to protect patients from violence, according to hundreds of pages of government inspections and court records reviewed by The Bee.
U.S. surgical errors cost $1.5 billion a year: report
Reuters - 07-29-2008 - Preventable medical errors during or after surgery cause 10 percent of surgery-related deaths and may cost employers nearly $1.5 billion a year, according to a U.S. government report released on Monday. Errors ranged from bedsores and reopened wounds to infections and blood clots, according to the study from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Aetna tries paying patients to take their meds
American Medical News - 08-04-2008 - Aetna, through its nonprofit foundation, is funding research to find out whether a daily lottery with cash prizes will help improve patients' medication adherence. The Aetna Foundation last fall gave researchers a $400,000 grant to fund a study at the University of Pennsylvania that will use prizes of $10 and $100 as rewards for taking medication as prescribed.
Rapid rise seen in fatal medication errors at home
(AP) - 07-29-2008 - Deaths from medication mistakes at home, like actor Heath Ledger's accidental overdose, rose dramatically during the past two decades, an analysis of U.S. death certificates finds. The authors blame soaring home use of prescription painkillers and other potent drugs, which 25 years ago were given mainly inside hospitals.
How to converse with someone who has Alzheimer's
Wall Street Journal - 07-28-2008 - Antismoking advocates are taking the battle against cigarettes to the aisles of pharmacies as well as retailers with in-store health clinics, arguing that stores promoting health care shouldn't also be selling tobacco products. Tuesday, San Francisco's city board of supervisors will vote on whether to bar cigarette sales at pharmacies as of Oct. 1, a measure Mayor Gavin Newsom modeled after similar bans already on the books in Canada.
