Special Edition XTRA XTRA!

While I  was gone, my feeds have updated. Lots of interesting news, and opinions. Let's start with iHealthbeat 150 Billion dollars !! to implement Health IT, says Dr Robert Miller from UC San Francisco Dr Miller quoted these figures at a recent meeting of The Institute of Medicine Dr. Miller is a Professor of Economics at UCSF. Government Health IT  elaborates further on the Feud that is breaking out regarding the ultimate costs of implementing Health IT. Ladies and Gentlemen.....the ship is sinking, let's not fight over which side of the ship to jump off.   I am going back to my sleep number bed...

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Another Post with No Title

I need to find another title. One that is catchy and is tagged well so that the search engines rank me up there with The Health Care Blog. How does Matt do it? My ratings have never crashed,, largely because I have never soared into a  gleaming takeover possibility.  I was hoping to become  " a cult blog". Perhaps I need a better research department.  I secretly dream that readers are so enthralled with my writings, and meanderings that they are struck by 'shock and awe' and are dumbfounded into silence. Now and then I find snippets or complete ideas on other blogs several days or weeks after I post the same opinion. Are they reading my blog, and not admitting it?  Is there such a thing as mental telepathy?  I will have my legal department investigate. Besides...

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A Post with No Title

Quote of the day: I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there. - Richard Feynman   Several comments and studies regarding the National Effort for Health Information Technology.  The Heartland Institute and the Center for Consumer Directed Health Care published an opinion piece regarding how government is failing and will establish a non working and instantly obsolete health IT network. "Any system that is imposed today will be obsolete in five years," Greg Scandlen, director of the Heartland Institute's Consumers for Health Care Choices, said, adding, "Yet the federal government is woefully incapable of changing or eliminating outdated rules and regulations. So we will be stuck for...

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Health Train Engines

Today's New York Times carries an article by Natasha Singer, "The Price of Beauty".  It points out how this has become the 'Engine for Success" in many dermatology, ophthalmology, and ENT practices. It however failed to point out that this is ocurring in non surgical practices such as family medicine, and yes, even OB/GYN.  Reader's comments range from understanding and commiseration to outright condemnation of these practices. Cosmetic laser treatments, botox injections, collagen filling procedures, vein removal procedures, ophthalmologic procedures such as laser refractive surgery, premium multifocal intraocular lense cataract procedures offer the opportunity to stay afloat or drown in a sea of rising cost, and reductions in reimbursement. For most physicians who practice without...

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Sights, Sounds and ......

Quote of the day: That which has always been accepted by everyone, everywhere, is almost certain to be false. - Paul Valery Today I discovered while editing my blog that my list of blog links over to the left sidebar was totally missing.  I spent part of today re-posting it, and it looks a bit ragged, but I will clean it up later this week.  You may note I have a new link on the left sidebar  http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/ Mike Miller M.D. contacted me via Sermo.  After reading several of his posts I can recomend  him without hesitation for quick and pithy observations that are not verbose and to the point. Mike, thank you for contacting me. My brain is tired tonite. It's been a long week.  I have added some video and sound links to the site...

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Toot-Toot on the Health Train Express

embargoed until  July 24,2008 Quote of the day: My definition of an expert in any field is a person who knows enough about what's really going on to be scared. - P. J. Plauger The horns are blowing at the health train express hurtles down the track, first leaning to the right, then the left travelling along tracks laid in 1960 or even further back than that. Who is blowing the horns? Is it the government, health insurance plans, consumer advocacy groups, employers, or some hidden Demonic Forces TRAILER - For more of the funniest videos, click here demonic forces   Here are several relevant news articles in regard to health information technology. iHealthbeat reports the following: PHR Networks Better Model Than RHIOs...

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BEAM ME UP SCOTTY

  This phrase from Star Trek, and others such as "More power to the warp engines, Scotty", might also be applicable to health care. Although we can't quite de-materialize and rematerialize elsewhere, the advent of telemedicine, email, and some forms of HIT does allow us to be intellectually present in two places simultaneously... I was reading several blogs yesterday and came across several eponyms, EBM (Evidence Based Medicine) and Ix.  Ix really threw me.  I thought I was fairly current on my blogging CME but apparently I am lagging.  I think we should all received CME credits for our work in the blogosphere.  I wonder what Edwin Leap or Kevin MD think about that one.  They have been off at summer camp,...

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Congressional Health IT Legislation

  from:  iHealthbeat Prospects for Passing House Health IT Legislation Unclear The House Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to vote this week on legislation aimed at creating a nationwide system of electronic health records and protecting patient privacy, but the bill's fate remains unclear, CongressDaily reports. In June, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee approved the bill, sponsored by Energy and Commerce Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) and ranking member Joe Barton (R-Texas), by voice vote. Since then, staffers have been negotiating language with industry and consumer advocates, but some individuals involved in those talks say the chances of passing the bill get slimmer as more time passes. Barton...

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FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE

A DISMAL OUTLOOK? The American Economist web site offers this pessimistic view on what is happening to our health care system. My response is at the end. "If you haven’t read Alvin Toffler’s book, Powershift, you probably have no idea what has happened to us in the last decade with regards to the information era. In this historic book, Toffler talks about the “Powershift” which is the information era and how knowledge and information will be the most valuable currency in the world. While traditional economic transformation progressed from agrarian to industrialized societies, the next wave was the information era. “Third World” economies could actually leapfrog the industrialized economy from a rural/agrarian one to an informational society...

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Fueling the Health Train Express

Quote of the day: Where all think alike, no one thinks very much. - Walter Lippmann Home health agencies, hospice services are feeling the effects of rising fuel prices, and in some cases workers and agencies are considering withdrawing from far flung rural locations that requiring long drives.  In some cases companies issue pre paid gas cards to employees as a perk.  Mileage allowances by the IRS now are far outdated, and medicare reimbursements for home health care do not consider regional differences nor the expense of transportation for home health care workers. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Stethoscope? Check. Bandages and medications? Check. Money for fuel? Uh-oh. U.S. home health care workers, particularly those in rural areas, are suffering from financial headaches caused...

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Too many Cars on the Health Train??

Quote of the Day: Injustice is relatively easy to bear; what stings is justice. --H.L. Mencken I go to my CVS pharmacy quite often because my wife, myself and one of children have chronic medical conditions. My son has cystic fibrosis, and that is another story in itself. About 8 months ago several aisles were cleared near the pharmacy and a sign went up.  "Minute Clinic coming to serve you, soon."  The space remained vacant for several months. Eventually construction crews arrived, taking about two months to build the clinic, with two rooms and a computer kiosk at the entrance for patients to register, and enter a brief intake history. Several months later it opened for business.  In the interim there were multiple newpaper ads, cable news ads, and mailers sent...

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Part II RHIOs Progress and Evolution

Quote of the day: The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from. - Andrew S. Tanenbaum Opinion: Physicians' Resistance to EHRs Could Be Changing Health care has lagged behind nearly every other industry in transitioning to computer record keeping, St Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Mary Jo Feldstein writes. Physicians have been reluctant to invest in electronic health record systems because of the cost, integration challenges and concerns about the technology becoming obsolete, according to Feldstein. However, "waves of successful early adopters" could be "changing [the] tide," she writes. A recent New England Journal of Medicine survey found that of the 83% of physician respondents without an EHR system, 16% said they had purchased a system...

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RHIO Progress

Quote of the day: For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled. - Richard Feynman At times I have been disappointed in the slow progress of NHIN and RHIOs.  However I think about the development of other communications systems. Our national and international telephone networks evolved over many decades, using now obsolete switches, wiring and non digital systems.  The most recent reports reveal some progress and growth of functioning RHIOs even though about seven became defunct in the same time period.  WASHINGTON - Regional health information organizations and health information exchanges may not be the answer to a nationwide network, according to David Westfall Bates, MD, an internist at Brigham &...

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Prayer for The Day

Each morning when I arise the first thing I do is go to my home page to read the "prayer for the day".  I do this no matter what urgent thing of the day is happening....be it a crisis bill to be paid, a sick wife, child, patient or something else deemed to be the most important item of the day by someone else. Having accomplished this, I can move on to the rest of the day with renewed energy and faith to carry on. Quote of the day: When you look at yourself from a universal standpoint, something inside always reminds or informs you that there are bigger and better things to worry about. - Albert Einstein There used to be a time when one thing was fairly certain,  your doctor and his caring manner and most of the time the ability to support you through whatever it was you...

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Passing of Michael Debakey M.D.

Quote of the day: The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand. - Frank Herbert Dr. Michael Debakey, a true pioneer of cardiac surgery, statesman, innovator and teacher passed away yesterday. His memories and stories will linger amongst his students. Michael Debakey records of accomplishments, honors, and humility stand alone. The world has lost a great human being....

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Special Trains for Special People

Quote of the day: Everyone is as God has made him, and oftentimes a great deal worse. - Miguel de Cervantes Today on California Healthline, the following information: Prison Health Receiver Moves Ahead on Plans for Three New Facilities On Thursday, the court-appointed receiver for California's prison health care system signed construction design documents to commit the state to spending $2.5 billion on three new health care facilities for inmates with chronic medical and mental health conditions, the Ventura County Star reports. J. Clark Kelso was appointed by Federal District Court Judge Thelton Henderson to bring the state's prison health care system up to constitutional standards after a class action lawsuit found that state officials failed to improve conditions at the facilities....

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Compensation Packages for CEOs

I found that one of my posts here did not appear. Must have something to do with the 4th of July.  Or perhaps it is much like our disappearing reimbursements.  This week we are facing the lastest 'crisis' contrived by our inadequate incompetent legislators and administrators.  They never seem to be in sync. It now appears that many physicians have announced they will not be accepting new medicare patients as of July 1st. This is the annual battle of the SGR formula. If you don't know what that is, I am sure you can google it. That would be a better learning experience than my giving the answers away here. The lastest evaluation of CEOs reimbursement packages  for Payors revealed the following   When: 2007 How: Based on analysis of compensation of top executives...

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Physician Signatores of the Declaration of Independence

Quote of the day: Character is what you have left when you've lost everything you can lose. - Evan Esar The 4th of July seems a good time to reflect upon our liberties and also to reflect upon what physician's contributed as well Matthew Thornton practiced for years in rural New Hampshire. When he went to Philadelphia for the Continental Congress, he had himself innoculated against smallpox and wrote of the ensuing ordeal. His satire described a Dr. Cash (”we saw no more of him, till I paid his bill of 18 dollars”); Dr. Critical Observer (”told me he would critically observe every stage … came once in two or three days, and stayed about a minute”); and Dr. Experience (”a merchant, who had the Small Pox, visited us every day, and gave a much truer account of the Small Pox, than all...

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That's My Opinion

Quote of the day: Look for the ridiculous in everything and you will find it. - Jules Renard   It's the 4th of July, so I am kicking back, firing up the barbecue, putting on the sun block and writing today's episode. It is only early July and my wonderful spouse just told me she has heard enough about the Presidential candidates. I guess that means no more newspapers, FOX news, MSNBC, CNN, etc etc. I will take those off my FAVs on the cable remote. We live right by a national cemetery and there will be a procession of cars, and flags.  Living here it does not take a special day to remember how our country was won, and how it has been maintained.  Yes, we are guilty of many atrocities, stealing lands and lives from native Americans as our country expanded westward....

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