The worst region is the South West in which just 43% of the PCTs have an executive director with voting rights on the board.
Dr Peter Carter, RCN chief executive and general secretary, said: ‘Nurses spend more time with patients than any other health professional, so it makes sense for them to be a key part of the decisions which impact on the care that patients receive.
‘Nurses are often the first to identify Read more »
Representatives from drug companies are undergoing some hard times, as physicians increasingly are closing their doors to them, or seeing them only via an appointment.
Subsequently, the number of drug reps is predicted to fall from about 102,000 at its peak in 2007, to 75,000 by 2012.
There are a variety of reasons for this, including the fact that more doctors simply don’t trust the information that’s presented, to medical schools Read more »
As health care costs rise, more patients are switching to high-deductible insurance plans.
When that deductible hasn’t been met, doctors are becoming more aggressive in asking for their payment up front.
This move entirely makes sense, since like other businesses, physician practices are also wading through the difficult economic times.
According to the LA Times, 13 percent of a practice’s revenue comes from patients, Read more »
The return of diseases that were previously eradicated is an emerging public health emergency.
Minnesota is currently dealing with an outbreak of Haemophilus influenzae, a disease that should have been eradicated with the appropriate vaccine. There were 5 confirmed cases, with 3 children not vaccinated against the disease.
A 7-month old infant tragically died, becoming the first Haemophilus fatality in the state since 1991.
Read more »
A statistic commonly cited is that patients in their 80s and 90s take about one prescription per decade of life.
MedPage Today writes about the lifelong mission of 95-year old Dr. Morris Collen, the founding physician of Kaiser Permanente. He is one of the pioneers whose research of drug interactions is especially relevant today, when about 40 percent of adults over the age of 65 take five or more prescription drugs. That number increases Read more »
Difficult economic times begs the WSJ to see whether the egg donor business is booming.
It seems attractive on the surface, as the rate for being a surrogate is $25,000, and egg donors receive $3,000 to $8,000.
Many women however, shy away after reading about what’s required.
Only a select few are accepted to even be on the registry, with diseases like prior STDs, diabetes, cancer and depression being disqualifying Read more »
A fundamental feature of blogs is the ability to speak one’s mind, solicit feedback and incite discussion to controversial topics.
Some major media outlets aren’t getting the message. Journalism professor Gary Schwitzer cites an example where several controversial blog entries were deleted without the composing reporter’s knowledge.
Being able to express viewpoints without fear of reprisal is a major strength Read more »
