Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

Insurance Coverage May Drive Care Of Newborns With Congenital Defects
In a study that sheds light on how insurance coverage may drive health care and may reveal an unexpected result for the uninsured, a team of Yale School of Medicine and Yale-New Haven Children"s Hospital physicians has found that babies from uninsured families who are born with congenital defects are far more likely than those whose families have insurance to be transferred out of the large community hospitals where they are born and into children"s hospitals for corrective surgery.

ThromboGenics' Microplasmin Phase III Program Progressing According To Schedule
ThromboGenics NV (Euronext Brussels: THR), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of innovative treatments for eye disease, vascular disease and cancer, announces that its lead product microplasmin, which is in Phase III trials for the treatment of vitreomacular adhesion, is progressing according to schedule. All protocol-specified, interim masked analyses by the independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) have been completed. Recruitment is on track and the DMC, having found no safety concerns, has unanimously recommended proceeding without protocol modification.
News of the day
Lobbyists Continue Pressing Their Cases
Pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, advocacy groups and others with a stake in health reform continue to lobby in hopes of winning concessions in the overhaul, or at least surviving the changes unscathed. "One of the groups key to working any deal is the pharmaceutical industry, which has been quite active behind the scenes," National Public Radio reports. NPR interviewed former congressman Billy Tauzin, who is president of PhRMA, the drug industry"s lobbying group. Tauzin said he couldn"t predict whether health reform, which his group supports, would make the industry wealthier, but added, "we"ll do okay" (7/30).
Health Insurance

MPS Advises Doctors On Email Consultations

MPS, a leading medical protection organisation, is advising doctors on the issues they should be aware of when consulting with patients via email. Email consultations can provide patients with a useful means of accessing their GP, however, doctors are advised to follow best practice tips. Dr Richard Stacey, MPS medicolegal adviser, said: "Email is an attractive way for patients to communicate with practices and the demand for such a service could increase over time. In some circumstances providing online advice may be essential for patients, particularly those who live in remote locations. "Whilst there is no reason why GPs should not embrace this form of communication, safeguards are required in order to preserve patient confidentiality." Doctors who are providing continuing care to patients" via email should: - ensure that patients are content to communicate in this way. - save all email exchanges in a patient"s medical records. - not be tempted to use email to respond to complicated or difficult problems; if it is felt that a consultation would be more appropriate, make the necessary arrangements to see the patient - make sure there are robust procedures in place to follow up any matters that arise from email exchange. Dr Richard Stacey continues: "Communicating by email does not allow a doctor to pick on the important nuances and non-verbal cues that are apparent in face-to-face consultations - this must be borne in mind when deciding how best to assess or manage a problem." "The corollary to this is that the doctor must be assiduous in establishing the history and remember that the email exchange will form a part of the medical record, upon which they may be judged if there is an adverse outcome." Dr Richard Stacey adds: "Doctors will need to make patients aware of the limitations of email consultations and must be prepared to justify any advice given online." Notes 1. The dos and don"ts of emailing patients can be found in Your Practice magazine, an MPS publication, and is available here. Medical Protection Society


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009