Analysis of:
Nonpayment for Performance? Medicare's New Reimbursement Rule (content.nejm.org)
-The new regulations will probably result in quality improvement in the selected targeted areas -It is unclear whether the cost of implementation and monitoring will offset the savings to the medicare system -Medicare will likely introduce further quality measures to fall under similar payment cuts. ...
Analysis of:
Elan Mulls Options for MS Drug Tysabri (www.smartmoney.com)
Mush of Elan's future will depend on the efficient and reasonable marketing of Tysabri. The fact that more than 33,000 patients now have been treated worldwide without any new cases of PML favors Elan's success.
Analysis of:
ECTRMS: Family History Worsens MS Severity (www.medpagetoday.com)
The MS research team at UCSF is one of the most authoritative and reliable groups in the world and Dr. Zivdanov is a prominent research neurologist. This study provides valuable insights on the genetics of MS.
Analysis of:
Diagnosis and Treatment of Low Back Pain: A Joint Clinical Practice Guideline from the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society (www.annals.org)
If back pain persists, the patient should be referred to a specialist so further diagnosis and workup can be undertaken. Patients with back pain are treated with a variety of interventions and medications in the hope that they will return to their normal activities. Too often, the initial...
September 25, 2007Good or bad
Analysis of:
FDA Approves New Dosage Strength Of Stalevo (www.therapeuticsdaily.com)
It will be good in the sense it provide more choices for us It may not be so good as I am not sure whether the new doseage strength version will have a different patent period from the original ones.
Analysis of:
The New York Times (www.nytimes.com)
House calls are not likely to expand to subspecialties, except in circumstances where a followup visit is required, and the primary doctor recommends specialized care. One exception might be expanding the scope of house calls to cover all non-emergent care for the elderly who can afford an in-house...
Analysis of:
Actelion Sleep Aid Does Well (online.wsj.com)
The new medication works on a totally different mechanism from all other hypnotics medications. It directly targets on regulation of wakefulness. It can potentially be used as monotherapy or in combination. Orexin, the chemical released by hypothalamus neurons in the brain is also involved in weight...
Analysis of:
Painkiller Widely Abused in South (www.washingtonpost.com)
The article describes the increase in hydrocodone abuse, especially in the Southern and Rural US.
Analysis of:
American's Gamble for Bargain Surgery Abroad (www.medpagetoday.com)
The article describes several examples of medical tourism with different motivations and risks involved.
Analysis of:
American's Gamble for Bargain Surgery Abroad (www.medpagetoday.com)
-There is no reason to think that medical tourism will decline in popularity. Certainly for cosmetic procedures, there is no insurance-related issues that might curb the rise of offshore surgery. -As for overseas experimental treatments, they will continue to be attractive to the U.S. consumer...