Category: Interesting Links
Jul 02, 2010 | 7 comments | by John Goodman
Business’s Buyer’s Remorse, Health Insurer Oligopoly, and More Expensive Placebos Offer More Pain Relief
Business Roundtable is having buyer’s remorse on ObamaCare. But will we, like The Wall Street Journal, say “I told you so?”…No we won’t…No…No…Oh, of course we will.
Nearly one in five American women beyond childbearing years never gave birth. Among women with a master’s, doctorate or professional degree, it’s one in four, down from almost one in three.
Study: The more expensive the placebo, the more pain relief it offers. In particular, a $2.50 placebo works better than one that costs 10 cents. Hat tip to Jason Shafrin.
Jun 29, 2010 | 8 comments | by John Goodman
Hospitals Try to Control Cost of Patient Care, Medical Gag Orders, and the First “Bionic Cat”
California mandated minimum levels of patients per nurse in the hospital setting: There was no evidence of an impact on patient safety.
Would you sign a contract at a supermarket checkout forbidding you to complain to friends and neighbors about its prices, services or products? That is what some physicians are demanding their patients do.
Bionic cat gets prosthetic feet: He lost his two hind feet to a combine harvester.
Photo credit: Huffington Post
Jun 28, 2010 | 8 comments | by John Goodman
Hospital Delirium, Pills and Foods Don’t Mix, and “Paro” the Robo-Seal
“Hospital delirium”: It affects about one-third of patients over 70, and a greater percentage of intensive-care or post-surgical patients. “It’s…more dangerous than a fall.”
Don’t eat chocolate if you are taking anti-depressants, stimulants, or sleeping pills. All sorts of foods pair badly with pills.
Scientists read your mind better than you can: MRI scan predictions of behavior 75% accurate; people’s predictions of their own behavior only 50% accurate.
A robot baby seal aims to comfort the elderly: It’s approved as a Class 2 medical device and it costs $6,000.
Photo credit: AIST, Japan
Jun 24, 2010 | 13 comments | by John Goodman
Heiress Demands H.I.V. Test, “Female Viagra,” and Americans are Overdosed with Radiation
Employer insisted on H.I.V. test. Seemed like the prudent thing to do.
The U.S. accounts for half of the most advance procedures that use radiation. Such tests accounted for more than half of all radiation Americans are exposed to.
Jun 22, 2010 | 6 comments | by John Goodman
Medical Information Online, Social Wellbeing, and Can the Web Decrease Waiting Times?
More people get medical information from the Internet (48%) than from their doctor (43%).
If asked to pay only what they can afford, how much would the uninsured pay for an office visit? Hint: less than the doctor’s overhead.
Should the definition of health include “social wellbeing”? WHO says yes. I vote no!
Using the Web to curb waiting times. Cost: $50 per doctor per month.
Jun 22, 2010 | 6 comments | by Devon Herrick
Modesty Doesn’t Pay, Money May Inhibit Enjoyment of Life, and Does Coffee Really Make You More Alert?
Does it pay for a man to be modest? No. Neither in the job market nor the love market.
How much alcohol does it take to black out? Less than you think.
Does money inhibit enjoyment of life? Possibly.
Does coffee make you more alert? No.
Jun 18, 2010 | 7 comments | by Devon Herrick
AMA Wants Accuracy from Insurers, Another Hospital Revenue Stream, and State Insurance Officials Urge Slow Reform
AMA: One in five medical claims is processed inaccurately by commercial health insurers. Not addressed: are the mistakes random, or do they tend to favor the insurer?
British hospital makes nearly £2 million by “clamping” illegally parked cars. Others issue tickets and charge fees.
Unintended consequences: Insurance commissioners fear “a mass exit of insurers from the individual market.” The 80% loss ratio regulation is the chief culprit.
Jun 18, 2010 | 6 comments | by John Goodman
Fat that Is Good for Your Heart, Food-Borne Illnesses Thrive in Salads, and Being Healthy Requires More Prep Time
Saturated dairy fat might be good for your heart.
Rabbit food tops list of riskiest foods from food-borne illness. Leafy greens are first, followed by eggs, tuna and oysters.
Healthy meals require 9 to 16 hours of food prep per week. The average woman spends only 5, however.
Jun 17, 2010 | 8 comments | by Devon Herrick
