- Want to know what I ware? | RobFraser.ca
Keeping with the meme of essential medical software and "core apps", Rob Fraser describes his physical and virtual desktop.
- Create an automatic differential diagnosis list with Google Squared | Clinical Cases and Images – Blog
Dr. Ves Dimov spotlights Google Squared and provides an example of its use as a tool for medical educators to build and share their own squares.
- Social media artists- the new generation patient opinion leader | whydot pharma
Influential bloggers reassuring patients, community leaders petitioning for a cause, crowdsourcing ideas for health, sharing stories to raise awareness … these are just some of the methods used by a new generation of patient opinion leaders.
- Beyond Wikipedia | The Health Care Blog
Physicians, like health consumers, rely heavily on search engines. Although Wikipedia entires often appear at the top of organic results and are frequently the first reference reviewed, doctors should be concerned about accuracy.
- Twitter goes Viral: Swine Flu Outbreak – Twitter a Dangerous Hype? | Laika’s MedLibLog
In the midst of the swine flu outbreak, Laika examines whether Twitter is a reliable news source or just hype and useless for finding accurate information.
Biomedical Research Rock Stars
A new public service campaign called the Rock Stars of Science (ROCK S.O.S.) features eleven of America’s leading biomedical research scientists appearing alongside rock stars such as Joe Perry, Sheryl Crow, will.i.am, Seal and Josh Groban. The campaign is designed to increase public awareness of the researchers and their work while showcasing the need for increased science funding. Although biomedical research received additional funding earlier this year through the economic stimulus, continued investment is critical for the development of future advances. Indeed, just last year a report writing by a consortium of seven institutions warned that the flat funding of biomedical research was a threat to America’s health.
The innovative campaign to bring attention to research is the brainchild of Meryl Comer, president of the Geoffrey Beene Gives Back Alzheimer’s Initiative, a philanthropic wing of the Geoffrey Beene menswear label, which donates all its net profits to support medical and educational research and outreach. Rock Stars of Science launched with a 6-page photo spread in the June issue of GQ Magazine, the popular men’s fashion magazine.
The print ad campaign is supported by the website www.rockstarsofscience.org, which will include behind-the-sciences videos and profile the scientists, their teams and research institutions. Readers will also be able to nominate their own Rock Stars of Science and sign a declaration calling for more funding in science research.
New Genes Associated with Blood Pressure and Hypertension
High blood pressure or hypertension affects more than one in three people worldwide and is a major cause of strokes, heart attacks and heart failure [1]. The degree with which blood pressure traits can be inherited suggests a genetic component. However, limited consistent evidence of genes associated with blood pressure have been produced. A new study in the journal Nature Genetics reports for the first time a number of genes showing significant associations with blood pressure and hypertension across the genome [2].
Although large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been used successfully to identify genes associated with common diseases and traits, studies on blood pressure or hypertension have failed to identify loci at a genome-wide significant threshold (p-value < 5 x 10-8). The significance of GWAS data relies on several variables, including the accuracy of phenotypic measures, density of markers and size of the study population. Thus, if blood pressure variation in the general population is due to multiple genetic factors with small effects, a very large sample size is needed to identify them.
The Spectrum Health Value Study
According to a new survey called the Spectrum Health Value Study, when Americans were asked to value their most important health product and/or service as they consider spending their own money, they chose access to care over everything else [1]. Respondents indicated that access to physician services, medical services at a hospital and emergency care services are their most essential and highest valued health priorities.
The Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine brings together leaders from key healthcare sectors to accelerate the collaborative work necessary to drive improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency of medical care. According to a Roundtable issue brief published earlier this year [2]:
While the U.S. has the highest per capita spending on health care of any industrialized nation, health outcomes lag those achieved elsewhere. The increasing costs of care are reducing access to care and constitute an ever heavier burden on employers and consumers. To address both the costs and the performance of the health care system, greater consensus will be required on what constitutes value in health care, and how to measure and increase that value.
Indeed, value is a relative term — what’s valuable to me may not be valuable to you. With policymakers looking to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system, one way to quantify and compare the value of health programs, products and services is to ask consumers and taxpayers.
Healthcare Spending After the Recession
Yesterday, the American Medical Association (AMA) and five other major groups representing doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and union members delivered a letter to President Obama pledging to cut the U.S. growth rate for healthcare spending by 1.5 percent each year from 2010 through 2019 [1]. The coalition’s efforts are intended to supplement upcoming legislation aimed at decreasing healthcare costs for families, businesses and the government.
The savings — an estimated $2 trillion over the next decade — would come from changes in the public-private partnership and include:
- Administrative standardization, simplification and transparency.
- Aligning quality and efficiency incentives among providers to reduce over- and under-use of healthcare.
- Encouraging coordinated care and adherence to evidence-based best practices and therapies.
- Reducing the cost of doing business by developing technology and regulatory reform.
Although the proposed health expenditure savings is small, experts say it’s significant [2]. The very fact that health industry leaders have stepped forward to voluntarily restrain costs is itself encouraging; these are the same groups that opposed the healthcare reforms proposed by President Clinton in the 1990s.
