In earlier times (throughout the last 15 years or so), the use of telemedicine was relegated to inferior analog video technologies. It was often seen as an “interesting” curiosity to those global thinkers in healthcare delivery as the Next Big Thing. Of course, that sentiment is not to detract from the effect that telemedical devices have shown both in the late 1990s and in the earlier part of this decade — as it bridged the treatment gap between patients in more remote areas with those in urban, tertiary care centers.
But all previous incarnations of telemedical communication will certainly take a backseat to the now-confirmed potential of telemedical conferencing via broadband Internet and intranet networks. The medical journal, Lancet, is out with a study involving the emergent treatment of stroke patients that will have medical device companies involved in its development salivating with the potential of their Next Big Thing. | LINK
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The brouhaha surrounding a VA administrator’s email continues. (DP covered this story as well.)
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Court rules against payments by pharma company for continued medical monitoring of patients who took its recalled drug, Vioxx.
In its ruling, the court noted that the plaintiffs have not alleged any personal physical injury. “Thus, we conclude that because plaintiffs cannot satisfy the definition of harm to state a product liability claim under the Product Liability Act, plaintiffs’ claim for medical monitoring damages must fail,” the court said. Merck had argued that there is no medical science supporting the plaintiffs’ position that they need to be monitored for cardiovascular conditions almost four years after Vioxx was taken off the market.
- A U.S. consumer advocacy group wants to ban the use of food dyes, citing an association with ADD in children.
- Is it time to celebrate the possibility of red wine slowing the aging process? Everybody sing now!
- West Nile Virus claims first victim of the season in Utah.
- A Texas newspaper reports on significant staff-on-patient physical abuses in state mental hospitals.
- U.S. house passes ban on genetic discrimination.
- A new book promises to expose the term “universal healthcare” as nothing more than a short term political fix.
- FDA approves new left ventricular pump device for severe heart failure patients.
As part of clinical trials leading to approval, 22 patients received the new device at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia — more than any other hospital in the New York area. Clinical research studies at medical centers, including NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, showed the HeartMate II to be safe and effective, with improved quality of life and survival compared with historical norms for heart-failure patients.
In addition, the device is designed to be quieter and more durable than other FDA approved devices. One-eighth the size of the original HeartMate LVAS, the HeartMate II provides continuous blood flow through the circulatory system using only one moving part — a rotary pumping mechanism.
- A thrice-denied liver transplant patient dies because of disqualification stemming from the use of pot for pain control during hepatitis C treatment.
Years of blurred vision, dry eyes, and a continued need for glasses. Believe it or not, these are the consequences many are having long term with LASIK eye surgery, the popular ophthalmologic surgical procedure done to correct near-, far-sightedness, and astigmatism; suddenly, the FDA is taking a closer look at the procedure.
So, performing CPR on an appropriate patient in the home is just as medically sound as utilizing a home defibrillator, according to a study released yesterday. Those health-conscious consumers who purchased defibrillators and used them appropriately did not not result in a lower rate of deaths from emergent cardiac causes than those persons studied who did not. While this is not entirely surprising, it does highlight how cardiopulmonary resuscitation, when done correctly, is just as crucial a life saving measure as the rapid and judicious use of the high-tech defibrillators now commonplace in so many public venues. Not only can families breathe a sigh of relief if they were considering purchasing a home unit, they can take pride in the fact that those local community CPR classes are not only inexpensive, they also represent another (crucial) preventive medical intervention we can all embrace.
It’s nothing short of a miracle. The Bush administration has announced the immediate need for universal, complete government backed and sponsored healthcare coverage. Starting today, any patient can go anywhere for his or her healthcare and the government will pick up the tab. They can be seen for anything without regard to cost. Sky’s the limit. Big Pharma, all major managed care organizations, device companies, and yes — even CMS — are all on board with this sudden change in healthcare policy. It appears as though the Democratic candidates for president, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are a little perplexed over this breaking news — as they now have no compelling healthcare platform to differentiate themselves from what the current president is proposing.
- If you already have a stent placed in one or more of your coronaries for the treatment of coronary disease from blood clots, you may be at risk for further clotting events with additional stenting.
- Popular Pharma retailer Rite Aid now stocks home paternity kits.
- Belly fat now. Dementia later?
- The Veterans Administration gives props to women.
- Is there an association between pesticides and the development of Parkinson disease?
The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 allowed for many changes in the almost 45-year old government insurance program. Besides the most well known of them (the Part D prescription drug benefit), CMS was also given the power to utilize a competitive bidding process in the reimbursement of durable medical equipment. The legislative change serves to decrease the potential for fraudulent third party billing practices which only serve to drive up the overall cost of healthcare in this country. In 2009, the federal agency hopes for even more in healthcare savings. | LINK
What’s making headlines in the healthcare blogosphere this weekend? Funny you should ask. A study highlights the mortality risk of using old stored blood for transfusions in cardiac surgery patients.
In response to the growing concern, some hospitals have modified their procedures for cardiac surgery — one of the largest consumers of donor blood — to minimize the need for transfusions.
New practices include increased use of blood scavenging during surgery, sending patients home with a lower-than-normal percentage of red cells in their blood, new drugs to prevent intra- and post-operative bleeding and, perhaps most important, reducing anemia before surgery.
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Another study may help men decide between three different treatments for prostate cancer.
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An interesting
analysis awaits the reader comparing Republicans’ and Democrats’ worldviews on how improving the delivery of healthcare would be implemented in the next presidential administration.
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Are methods to detect sleep apnea syndrome going the way of home pregnancy tests? While it is still recommended that anyone who thinks that he or she may be suffering from this malady see a physician, that admonition won’t stop vendors from giving one’s hunch a shot of confidence.
A home sleep test involves the use of a portable-monitoring system that you wear as you sleep in your own bed. It consists of a small recording device, sensors, belts and related cables and accessories.
The AASM guidelines stress that only select adults are likely to benefit from a home sleep test. Home sleep tests are only recommended for adults between the ages of 18 and 65 who have a high pretest probability of moderate to severe [obstructive sleep apnea], and no comorbid medical conditions.
In plain English? Those who have the risk factors (predominantly obesity) and no other medical problems which may masquerade as apneic will probably benefit. | LINK
