Monday, June 17, 2013

How to Prevent Bribes in the Healthcare Industry

My opinion: As we see cases like this occurring in different places around the country, I wonder if there is any way to prevent them. I think, though it is not illegal, doctors and researchers are also "bribed" by the pharmaceutical industry to promote their drugs. Recently, one clinic in Oregon decided to become "pharma-free" - in other words, they don't accept any money/representatives from pharmaceutical companies. They hope that this will allow the doctors more freedom of choice in medications. But in this case, I think it might be more difficult to remove the temptation. Perhaps employers should carefully monitor other companies and organizations with competing interests. I also think that it is important for fellow employees to have a general understanding of what is going on in the workplace - this is potentially helpful advice for all fields! Anything better? Should NYU watch employees on the basis of race, or could this turn into discrimination? Feel free to comment.

3 N.Y.U. Scientists Accepted Bribes From China, U.S. Says

By BENJAMIN WEISER

Published: May 20, 2013

It was, the chief federal prosecutor in Manhattan said on Monday, “a case of inviting and paying for foxes in the henhouse.”

Three researchers at the New York University School of Medicine who specialized in magnetic resonance imaging technology had been working on research sponsored by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.

But, prosecutors charged on Monday, the three had their eyes on other business as well. They conspired to take bribes from a Chinese medical imaging company and a Chinese-sponsored research institute to share nonpublic information about their N.Y.U. work, according to the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan.

From: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/nyregion/us-says-3-nyu-scientists-took-bribes-to-reveal-work-to-china.html?_r=0

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Extreme Lack of Geriatricians Set to Hit the Eldery Population

My opinion: I just wanted to touch upon this issue because I think it will be the major focus of the doctor shortage in the future. The key information from the article is that there are only 7,000 geriatricians in the country - we currently need about 14,000! And the numbers will continue to get worse. I think this problem would be lessened if the pay scale was changed to value doctors who are most needed. According to www.healthcare-salaries.com, the average geriatrician makes $166,000 a year, much less than other specialties. There are probably many primary care physicians who make more than this, as well! Meanwhile, cardiologists, radiologists, and other types of doctors may be paid well over $600,000 a year. Some might think that all of these salaries are way too high, and though this may be true, there should also be more salary equality, where most doctors make about the same amount. To further illustrate the issue, a geriatrician once told me that very few people in the field can work at assistance-based homes for seniors. The way the system is laid out, a geriatrician would have to see about 800 patients a month! So most geriatricians end up working elsewhere like in hospitals or offices, but they cannot be where the seniors are actually living. Hence, many of these 7,000 geriatricians are probably not located where they are most needed. Any other ways to help fix this problem? Feel free to comment.

Baby Boomers' aging adds strain to physician shortage

by Katie Peralta
May 29, 2013
Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on google_plusone_share Share on mailto More Sharing Services

U.S. Census Bureau/Katie Peralta, Medill

The over-65 population is expected to more than double by 2050, bolstered by Baby Boomers, people born between 1946 and 1964, adding to the strain on an already existing shortage of physicians.

As aging Baby Boomers propel the population of older Americans toward doubling by 2050, their prospects for adequate medical care are dwindling. All current demographic and physician trends are bleak, but some proposed solutions could alleviate the problem.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 40.3 million people age 65 or older in 2010, and by 2050 there will be up to 88.5 million. About 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day, according to the John A. Hartford Foundation, a non-profit focused on senior care.

There will be a shortage of 130,000 physicians across all specialties by 2025, according to the American Medical Association’s estimate. One reason is that Baby Boomers, who make up a large part of the physician workforce, are retiring, many of them earlier than earlier generations of physicians.

Additionally, there are only about 7,000 geriatricians nationwide, which is about half of the number needed currently and far less than what will be needed in the future, said Marcus Escobedo, program officer at the Hartford Foundation.

From: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=222236

Friday, June 14, 2013

Duke Surgeons Implant Synthetic Human Vein

My opinion: This successful surgery is a massive milestone in the medical field. Without it, I'm not entirely sure that it will be possible to replace organs by using stem cells. For example, how will these organs be connected to the already existing veins in the body? Maybe bioengineered veins can fill in the gap. Furthermore, if one organ is not receiving enough nutrients, doctors could insert a vein to support the organ. The only worry that I have is that this would take up too much space or take nutrients away from other organs. But perhaps most importantly, if someone has a history of severe history or bleeding in certain veins, then these may be replaced. I could see this preventing many strokes (especially reoccurring ones), among other problems! This is an exciting invention any way you look at it, and I think it represents how far we're at in the surgical industry. My big question is, what's next after this? Feel free to comment.

Surgeons at Duke University Hospital implant bioengineered vein

(Medical Xpress)—In a first-of-its-kind operation in the United States, a team of doctors at Duke University Hospital helped create a bioengineered blood vessel and implanted it into the arm of a patient with end-stage kidney disease.

Ads by Google

The procedure, the first U.S. clinical trial to test the safety and effectiveness of the bioengineered blood vessel, is a milestone in the field of tissue engineering. The new vein is an off-the-shelf, human cell-based product with no biological properties that would cause organ rejection.
Using technology developed at Duke and at a spin-off company it started called Humacyte, the vein is engineered by cultivating donated human cells on a tubular scaffold to form a vessel. The vessel is then cleansed of the qualities that might trigger an immune response. In pre-clinical tests, the veins have performed better than other synthetic and animal-based implants.

From: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-surgeons-duke-university-hospital-implant.html

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Brain Scans at Emory University Suggest Best Treatment for Depression

My opinion: Though diagnosis, as I always mention, is a very difficult part of medicine, I might not be incorrect if I said treatment was even more difficult. A healthcare employee once told me that, in research, it may be possible to become better informed about the preliminary aspects of a disease, such as symptoms, but few people work toward a better treatment. Hence, studies like this are extremely crucial, especially because so many people suffer from depression. I think this brain scan they discuss may be complemented by an inquiry form. Patients may be asked if they think they understand their inner feelings well. If they don't think so, then perhaps cognitive therapy is the best because it would help the patients become at one with their emotions and develop self-awareness. If they do think so, then maybe they lack serotonin in the brain and would be better off using antidepressants. Since the same condition may arise from many causes, pinpointing those exact causes will probably lead to better treatment. Two questions: Would patients be more honest if they verbally expressed their feelings, or if they wrote them down? Also, is there a way to measure the amount of serotonin in the brain? Feel free to comment.

Could Brain Scans Reveal The Right Treatment For Depression?

by Nancy Shute

June 13, 201312:02 PM

Talk therapy is best for some people; antidepressants are better for others. Scientists say PET scans might help figure out early on what treatment a person needs.

iStockphoto.com

Finding the right treatment for depression can be a struggle. People find relief with the first treatment only 40 percent of the time. Trying different antidepressants or therapies can take months, which means months of suffering.
Scientists are trying to better the odds by searching for signals in the body or in behavior that could be signposts to the right treatment. Researchers at Emory University say that PET scans of the brain may help predict which people do better on SSRI antidepressants, and which would benefit most from cognitive behavioral therapy instead.
They scanned the brains of 65 people with depression, then assigned them to get either 12 weeks of treatment with an antidepressant or 12 weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy. Just 38 people had clear responses to either treatment at that point. Twelve did well with CBT, while nine failed to improve. Eleven did well with the antidepressant, while six had no improvement.
Then the researchers took those results and matched them up with the earlier PET scans, which reflected activity levels in different parts of the brain. The people who did well with cognitive behavioral therapy had less brain activity in the insula, a brain region that's involved in emotion and self-awareness. The people who did well with medication had a more active insula.

From: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/13/191281803/could-brain-scans-reveal-the-right-treatment-for-depression

Sleep is a necessity for good health, top cognitive functioning, mood and wellbeing. According to a survey completed by the National Sleep Foundation, at least 40 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders and 60% of adults have problems sleeping at least a few nights per week.
Many who suffer from sleep disorders go undiagnosed or do not seek treatment if they have been diagnosed. This can interfere with activities, such as work, school or driving, causing safety concerns.
The Sleep Disorders and Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit published a study in 2004 that demonstrated that sleepiness takes a toll on effective decision making. The effects of sleep deprivation can cause injuries at work or behind the wheel of a car or tractor-trailer by slowing the reaction time or causing deficits in decision making ability.
According to the Department of Transportation, 1-4% of all highway crashes are due to sleepiness, and in rural areas, 4% of these crashes are fatal. There are a number of factors that increase the risk of driving drowsy, including late night or early morning driving, patients with untreated sleep disorders and people who obtain six or fewer hours of sleep a day. Certain occupations hold a higher risk as well, such as medical residents, who tend to work very long shifts or night shift workers and commercial truck drivers.
It is a common misconception that you actually need less sleep as you grow older. As you get older, you may find it is more difficult to stay asleep eight hours, however, the average person requires eight hours of sleep for health and wellness.
- See more at: http://thesafetyreport.com/2013/06/why-are-you-really-tired/#sthash.hUqoXc0q.dpuf