Key words – on-call payment, on-call payment rates, physician opt-out rates for Medicare and Medicaid, concierge practices, cash-only, open-access scheduling, house calls, virtual medicine, bundled hospital-physician paymentsDaily summary – Almost half of doctors do not receive pay for being on call; more doctors are not accepting Medicare and Medicaid patients; small [...]

The FDA has just added a black box warning despite the fact that this risk has been known for some time. Methimazole is now designated the drug of choice.

Introduction to DNADNA is the hereditary material found in nearly all living organisms. It’s a large polymeric molecule that contains genetic information which is transferred from parents to offspring. It determines the growth and development of an organism.
Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus, wrapped up in small structures called chromosomes. In humans, each [...]

Key Words – emergency rooms, ERs, medical homes, primary care, medical specialists, electronic medical records, imaging, CT, EMR, PET scans, Obamacare approval, Obamacare disapproval
EMERGENCY ROOM WOES – MSNBC: In as many as 42% of cases, ER patients give fake or inaccurate phone numbers, making it impossible or difficult for ER physicians to [...]

This idea goes against the popular hospitalist mindset. At first glance it seems redundant and wasteful. After all, don’t hospitalists do geriatric medicine day in and day out? So why bring in another team? Because, at least in one study, it reduced utilization and resulted in better care.
The model was profiled [...]

Introduction to DNA
DNA is the hereditary material found in nearly all living organisms. It’s a large polymeric molecule that contains genetic information which is transferred from parents to offspring. It determines the growth and development of an organism.
Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus, wrapped up in small structures called chromosomes. In humans, each [...]

I think Gracie’s glad to see him.

Until recently, Cocoa Puffs enjoyed the endorsement of the American Heart Association (AHA) as a heart-healthy food.
For a price, the AHA will allow food manufacturers to affix a heart “check mark” signifying endorsement by the AHA as conforming to some basic “heart healthy” requirements.
Odd thing: The list of breakfast cereals on the check [...]

Key words – physician news, Washington politics, politico.com, 24/7 Politico playbook health reform, Obamacare polls, kevinmd, , modern medicine, wsj health blog, the health care blog, kaiser daily health news, health leaders media fierce healthcare real clear politics
News is breaking fast on multiple health reform fronts in Washington and elsewhere. So fast we [...]

To hear the electronic online crowd tell it, EHRs are the Holy Grail for improving and rationalizing the health care system.
At one stroke (and multiple key strokes), EHRs will,
• Reduce medical errors
• Narrow disparities in care delivery
• Engage patients in their own care
• Spark coordination of care
• Give access to doctors to [...]