1 in 7 Americans Lack Health Insurance
One in seven Americans — one in six Americans under age 65 — do not have any kind of health insurance, the CDC reports. Lack of health insurance is greatest in the Southwest and lowest in the Northeast, with huge variation — by about 20% — among the states. "Overall, 43.1 million Americans lacked health […]
New AHA Obesity Statement Urges Clinicians to Think Beyond Clinical Treatment and Prevention
Think bigger: that's the thrust of the American Heart Association's (AHA) new scientific statement on obesity prevention [1]. To have any meaningful impact on the obesity epidemic, clinicians need to go beyond clinical prevention and treatments for obesity and use influence and advocacy to effect social and environmental change, authors of the statement say.
Intensive Interventions Increase Walking Behavior
Intensive interventions can increase walking behavior, according to the results of a review reported in the July issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. "Walking is the most prevalent and preferred method of physical activity for both work and leisure purposes, thus making it a prime target for physical activity promotion interventions," write […]
Merck’s Gardasil Not Cleared for Older Women
U.S. regulators have told Merck & Co they cannot yet approve Merck's application to expand marketing of its HPV vaccine Gardasil to an older group of women, the drugmaker said Wednesday.
Universal Truths Abide in Medicine, Even in Parallel Universes
Medicine is practiced differently around the world, and yet some aspects — especially the frustrations — are fairly universal. Where better can you experience the similarities and differences than in the blogging world, where clinicians share stories from their practices and their personal lives? Two physician bloggers, known as "Dr. Dino" and "Dr. Emer," provide […]
Did Low Payments in Ambulatory Care Spawn the Hospitalist Movement?
One of the most interesting developments in American healthcare in the past decade is the emergence of hospitalists: internists whose sole job is to manage hospitalized patients, and who never venture into the more traditional outpatient setting.
The Case of the Ruthless Ruler With a Deadly Disease
Introduction The patient was an elderly male, a member of a prominent royal family, who became a ruthless ruler of a European principality. Little is known about his medical background, family history, or details about his final illness except that he was obese and a nonsmoker. From what is now known about his cause of […]
Have you been selected to participate in the Physician Practice Information survey?
The AMA and more than 70 other organizations are conducting a comprehensive multi-specialty survey of America’s physician practices. The results will be used to positively influence national decision makers to ensure accurate and fair representation for all physicians and patients, and to articulate the challenges of running a practice that provides expert patient care, while […]
Enterix Inc. Launches Its Point-of-Care Test for Colorectal Cancer Screening
Enterix Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), today announced the availability of the InSure(R) Quik F I T(TM) fecal immunochemical test, a point-of-care version of the company's lab-based InSure(R) FIT(TM) test, that provides physicians with the sensitivity and specificity of the laboratory-based InSure FIT test.
Surgeon Sews for Fun, Sutures for a Living
Surgeons are known for the knots they tie. For Ramona Bates, that is doubly true: Not only is she a plastic surgeon, but she also has a passion for quilting. Lately she's been sharing her personal and professional interests at her Web site, Suture for a Living. I had the chance to correspond with Dr. […]
