Hospital Readmission Epidemic

Hospital Readmission Epidemic

The last thing anyone wants after spending time in the hospital is a return trip... yet almost one in five Medicare patients who are discharged from a hospital will be back within the month, according to a recent New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) study. For patients with heart failure, it's even higher -- the readmission rate is about one in four.

Why are these numbers so high, and is there anything patients and family members can do to prevent this from happening? I called Eric Howell, MD, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and chief, division of hospital medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, to ask for advice. Dr. Howell is himself a hospitalist (a physician who specializes in the care of hospital patients), so he has much to say about this problem and how to prevent it from happening.

First of all, he pointed out that some repeat visits are inevitable simply because some patients are quite sick. "Patients with chronic diseases, such as heart failure, diabetes, renal failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are vulnerable to emergency situations which, in turn, can lead to readmission even with the best care," he noted.
Preventable Causes of ReAdmission

Dr. Howell identified several reasons why readmissions often happen and shared advice on what patients (and their loved ones) can do to reduce the likelihood of landing back in the hospital...

Transition plan. A key contributor to the problem of frequent readmissions, in Dr. Howell's opinion, is inadequate preparation for the patient's transition from hospital to home. "Patients typically spend about a half-hour with a doctor on the day of discharge," says Dr. Howell. "But it takes much longer than that for patients to learn how to take care of themselves after a complicated hospital stay, particularly one that is shorter than it used to be, as is the case with many hospitalizations."

What to do: Patients being discharged should understand their medical condition, the related test results, and what they need to do to manage their illness or recovery. Make sure you clearly understand how to take a new prescription, including how to adjust dosages if necessary. Get detailed written instructions on how to carefully monitor aspects of your condition -- for instance, heart failure patients are told to weigh themselves daily and to call the doctor if there is a significant change, because this is a sign of trouble.
Confusion at home. With limited guidance before leaving the hospital, it's common for patients to feel overwhelmed once they get home, most especially those who live independently without others around to remind them what to do. This can lead to mixing up or missing doses of medicines... forgetting specific instructions... problems caring for surgical wounds... and difficulty in performing the prescribed exercises to prevent pneumonia or to speed healing. Also, patients may not recognize early symptoms that should trigger a call to the doctor, so that minor problems don't become major ones.

What to do: If possible, someone else (a friend or family member) should be with you during the discharge discussion to take notes and help you remember the instructions.
Who's in charge? Another issue is that patients don't always know which doctor should be called if a problem arises when they are at home. Since many hospital patients are admitted through the emergency room, it's not unusual that your primary-care physician (and not everyone even has one) wouldn't know you were in the hospital at all. Then, given the increasing reliance upon hospitalists to oversee in-patient care, your personal doctor may or may not have been involved during your hospital stay. So, Dr. Howell says, you can't just assume that your doctor has been updated with your latest information or discharge instructions.

What to do: When you return home, call your doctor, at minimum. Better yet, schedule a visit so he/she can take over your care. Dr. Howell strongly suggests asking your hospitalist to contact your doctor when you are discharged to open up communication and share information about your condition and treatment. "When doctors communicate, there are fewer errors and less likelihood the patient will need to be readmitted to the hospital," notes Dr. Howell.

The Empowered Patient: Take Responsibility
It is less likely that you will have to head back to the hospital if you take steps at the time of discharge to learn how to manage your own care. Dr. Howell provided this checklist of proactive patient steps to facilitate a safe and healthy transition from hospital to home...
From your discharging doctor (or nurse)...

Get a clear and complete explanation of what is wrong... a list of medications you need to take and their dosage instructions, along with information on why each one is important... and details of all other aspects of your care at home, including what you should eat, how wounds should be dressed and so on.
Ask the hospitalist whether he/she has spoken to your primary-care physician -- if not, request that this be done.

Ask about signs and symptoms you should be on the lookout for... learn which ones require a call to the doctor... and find out which doctor you should call (the hospitalist or your personal physician) if a problem does arise.

Make sure you get copies of your discharge summary and your medical records, both of which you then can take to your own doctor at your next visit. (While the hospital will send the discharge summary to your doctor, this can take 30 days -- which can be too long.)
Once home, make an appointment with your own doctor to follow up. Bring all related paperwork, along with the name of the hospitalist who discharged you who can provide more information on your condition and treatment, if that turns out to be necessary. The more information everyone (including you) on your health-care team has, the better off you will be.
Source(s):

Eric Howell, MD, associate professor of medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, chief, division of hospital medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants" http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .


Back to Eden communities
Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
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New Technology to Monitor Health and Safety

New Technology to Monitor Health and Safety
I'm impressed by some new technologies I am seeing and reading about that have the potential to improve the quality of life for people with chronic health problems -- and most particularly for elderly men and women who want to continue to live independently. I'm talking about devices that measure and track data, such as weight and blood pressure, over time, others that nudge people to take medications or perform physical therapy exercises, and yet others that send an alert to a designated recipient if something seems amiss -- for instance, on a morning when the monitored person doesn't get out of bed or there is a precipitous rise or drop in his/her blood pressure. In worst-case scenarios, a call is placed to 911 so that life-saving help comes quickly.
"Chronic health issues are driving this market and the development of these devices," says Susan Ayers Walker, managing director of the SmartSilvers Alliance and the Digital Health Summit at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, the world's largest annual consumer-technology trade show, where such products are typically introduced.
The field itself is new, but the technology isn't, I was told by Jeffrey Kaye, MD, director of the Layton Aging & Alzheimer's Disease Center at Oregon Health & Science University. He said the real breakthroughs are in the adaptations. For example, products like Life Alert -- worn as a pendant or wristwatch -- already enable seniors to call for help if they fall and can't get up or if another emergency occurs. Now a new product from Grandcare uses motion sensors to get the same result without the need to push a button or wear a device. Another product monitors heart failure patients to measure water retention through weight gain. "Now you can instrument a standard bathroom scale to send a signal to a health professional with simple software that charts a patient's weight within certain parameters," he explains.

Here are some of the technologies currently in use or being developed...
Home monitoring:
Grandcare systems (www.grandcare.com) offers a customizable combination of motion sensors, weight monitoring, prescription reminders, general messages from family and more. The system also gives seniors other reasons to want to interact with it... a TV interface can provide users with updates of photos, local weather, news and more.
Prescription monitoring:
For patients taking several medications but who are not sick enough to require full-time care, MedSignals (www.medsignals.com) monitors up to four prescriptions at a time, records when the pills are taken, and sends information to a designated party (a family member, doctor or other caregiver) to monitor use.
GlowCaps (www.rxvitality.com) are special prescription bottle tops that flash and play music when it's time to take a pill... order refills for you... and send a weekly report on use (caps can monitor when and how often they are opened) to physicians and family members.
Assisted living:
Elite Care (www.elitecare.com), an assisted-living facility in Oregon, uses monitoring technology to help care for its residents, assuming that the patient has granted permission to be monitored. Behavior and cognitive function are monitored unobtrusively to track changes that can signal decline or the onset of disease.
We're Not There Yet...
These products are available but expensive, and at present, few are covered by insurance. Also, standards for devices still are being developed. Add in concerns about privacy (who gets to see this electronic medical information and what can be done with it)... liability (if the system makes a mistake, who is to blame?)... and physician participation (do doctors have the capability to handle all this data?), and it becomes clear that there are still some kinks to be worked out with these systems.
Even so, their time is surely coming. Major companies, such as Microsoft (www.healthvault.com), Google (www.google.com/health), GE, Philips and Intel, are already hard at work on their own plans and products. Industry standards and design guidelines are being developed (www.continuaalliance.org).
Source(s):

Jeffrey Kaye, professor of neurology and biomedical engineering, director, NIA - Layton Aging & Alzheimer's Disease Center and NIA-ORCATECH -Oregon Center for Aging & Technology, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland.
Susan Ayers Walker, managing director, SmartSilvers, www.smartsilvers.com/.

--
Back to Eden communities
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Merry CHRISTmas

Have a great holiday by giving of yourself in the spirit of Christ. Help others in need and you will gain true and needed satisfaction.

The rank commercialism -where 40% of total sales are made in one month -loses the original meaning of Christmas . Give of yourself not things please and get back to the original family tradition of good charity and cheer.

in reference to: Blogger: Blogs I'm following (view on Google Sidewiki)

Money is no problem if you are connected

The Highly Profitable Business of Vaccines

Exactly how the swine flu story will play out remains to be seen, but there is one business sector that may secretly be hoping for the worst -- vaccine manufacturers, that are more than $1 billion richer, a number that will soar far higher if, in fact, the winter outbreak is as bad as many fear.

Halo-worthy as vaccine makers may seem, the truth is that Big Pharma is motivated by more than a desire to save humankind, given the enormous profit potential from a successful vaccine. New blockbuster products and manufacturer-friendly legislation have combined to make the global vaccine market even larger and more lucrative than ever. In fact, the vaccine market is growing even faster than the market for regular pharmaceutical drugs, bringing in as much as $20 billion or more, by some estimates. That's because the markup on vaccines is larger than on pharmaceutical drugs, making them especially profitable. However, as the use of vaccines has expanded exponentially in recent years, so have concerns regarding their safety and efficacy.

Vaccine Risks
Vaccines have enabled us to take major steps forward in public health, virtually eradicating devastating diseases, such as polio and smallpox, says Larry Sasich, PharmD, MPH, an assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Pharmacy in Erie, Pennsylvania. But vaccines are drugs, he points out, and all drugs carry some risks. Though rare, vaccines have been known to cause seizures, brain damage and even death.
In the early 1980s, consumers deluged manufacturers with lawsuits, most especially parents whose children had suffered complications after inoculation with the problematic DTP vaccine (immunization against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, or whooping cough). Fearing the public health consequences if vaccine makers responded by reducing production or pulling out of the market altogether, the federal government passed the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 to shield manufacturers from liability.

 
Legislated Protection from Liability
The 1986 act created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), which protected vaccine manufacturers from lawsuits and set compensation standards for people injured by their products. For example, compensation for vaccine-related deaths is limited to $250,000 -- a fraction of what might be awarded by a jury in a civil trial if, say, a child had a fatal vaccine reaction. In truth, this amount of money is like pocket change to drug companies, and they aren't even the ones who must pay up -- the federal government writes the check. This protection may help get important vaccines to market faster, but it doesn't do much to ensure safety, because vaccine manufacturers are shielded from consequences for products that turn out to be problematic or even dangerous.
Also, vaccines are genetically engineered and competitors are forbidden by law from duplicating them. This gives manufacturers a virtual monopoly on their products. Since they never have to face competition, biologic-based vaccines continue to generate big profits for years and years and years.

Gardasil: A Cautionary Tale
Protecting manufacturers this way puts consumers at risk. In 2006, for example, despite sparse data to support its safety and effectiveness, Merck introduced and aggressively marketed Gardasil, a new vaccine designed to protect girls and young women from cancer-causing strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Among their questionable marketing tactics, the firm gave hundreds of thousands of dollars in "grants" to medical associations to develop educational materials promoting the vaccine. Even worse, Merck made substantial campaign contributions to state legislators -- as it lobbied them to make Gardasil mandatory for girls attending public schools.
Yet, this vaccine doesn't vanquish a deadly disease such as polio or smallpox. Rather it protects against four viruses that comprise 70% of the HPV strains that cause cervical cancer -- and even if they've received the vaccine, women still require regular screening for the disease. While study results published in the August 2009 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) note that Gardasil has a safety record in line with that of other vaccines, serious complications (including an increased risk for potentially fatal blood clots) have been reported. Gardasil is also painful and painfully expensive. The three-shot series costs $400 to $1,000, which is only sometimes covered by insurance, and last year brought in $1.4 billion in sales for Merck... amazing, given that there's no evidence yet how long immunity will even last or whether booster shots will prove necessary. Thus far, the vaccine has been successful in preventing HPV infections that precede cervical cancer, but since this type of cancer takes years to develop, only time will tell whether Gardasil protects against cervical cancer itself.

Moving Forward: The Debate Continues
Even in the face of a pandemic, it remains impossible to reach a consensus regarding vaccines and whether they should be mandatory. Consumer advocates argue for greater regulation and higher standards (e.g., for new vaccines and other drugs, medical devices and procedures), while industry insists that government should keep its hands off. As for the vaccine shield protecting Big Pharma from liability, some legislators talk of getting rid of it while others say it should be strengthened.

Dr. Sasich told me that he personally believes that vaccines have the potential to do enormous good for society and that the vaccine shield enables science and technology to move forward faster and more efficiently. While I agree that many immunizations save lives, I am skeptical about some of the more recent entries into the vaccination arena, such as Gardasil. Perhaps manufacturers need a stick as well as a carrot -- financial responsibility for failures as well as windfall profits for success -- to motivate them to ensure that vaccines are safe, necessary and effective before introducing them on a large-scale basis to the American public, much less making them mandatory.
Source(s):

Larry Sasich, PharmD, MPH, pharmacist and assistant professor of pharmacy practice, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Pharmacy, Erie, PA.

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants" http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .


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Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
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"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care

useful natural remedy information

Helping to Fight Influenza Naturally

Woodson C. Merrell, MD
Beth Israel Medical Center

 ublic health officials are scrambling to prepare for what may be one of the most challenging flu seasons ever. Seasonal influenza, combined with the continuing presence and possible winter worsening of H1N1, is a daunting prospect. Vaccines for both have been developed, but as of this date, the H1N1 vaccine is still in short supply.
If past experience is a guide, as the seasonal flu peaks in January or February, an estimated 50 million Americans will be infected by it, with an average of 36,000 deaths -- and this is not counting the new H1N1 threat.
Prevention is critical. This includes frequent hand washing and avoidance of crowded spaces. The only FDA-approved remedies available for either classic influenza or H1N1 are vaccines and Tamiflu-class medications. Nevertheless, there are principles and practices that can offer immune support and symptom control. The supplements in this article (available online, from health-food stores and pharmacies) may warrant a place in our medicine chest this year as we seek to be as healthy, and flu and cold-free as possible. (Caveat: None of these have been specifically studied for H1N1 flu.)
OSCILLOCOCCINUM
Taken at the first sign of symptoms, this over-the-counter homeopathic remedy has been shown to reduce both the duration and severity of flu.
In a study published in British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, researchers found that 17.1% of patients with flulike symptoms who took Oscillococcinum (pronounced o-sill-cox-SEE-num) recovered within 48 hours, compared with 10.3% of those taking placebos. Another published study from the venerable Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009 confirmed Oscillo's effectiveness in combating the flu.
Particularly for people sensitive to the Tamiflu-class of medications, this is one of the only substances with published effectiveness against influenza.
Important: Oscillococcinum works only when taken within three days of symptom onset.
Dose: One vial of pellets under the tongue, three times daily, for no more than three days. If it hasn't worked by then, it won't.
CHINESE HERBAL FORMULAS
These are important aids to help the immune system as it struggles to fight flu as well as colds. Few Western clinical studies have looked at these formulas, but the experience of practitioners in the US as well as a history of successful use for hundreds of years in Asia indicate that Chinese herbals can be both safe and effective at relieving cold and flu symptoms and can shorten the duration of illness.
These products typically contain six to 10 different ingredients, including herbs such as forsythia, isatis, andrographis and astragalus. Some of the components have antiviral effects... others increase immunity... and others address specific symptoms, such as congestion or fever.
Important: Use only formulations that have been produced in the US, which has the highest quality-control standards. Some herbal products imported from China have been found to contain toxic levels of lead or mercury. Good brands include Wellness Formula by Source Naturals and Cold Away by Health Concerns.
Dose: Follow the label instructions. A typical dose is three tablets taken three times daily, as needed.
ECHINACEA
I recommend echinacea for general immune support. The herb fell out of favor when it was reported in a 2005 study in The New England Journal of Medicine that it was no better than a placebo for treating and preventing colds.
However, in 2007, The Lancet published a meta-analysis of studies comparing echinacea with a placebo for preventing or shortening the duration of the common cold. Echinacea was found to be effective. The researchers also discovered that echinacea seemed to reduce the severity of cold symptoms.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that was published in Journal of Clinical Pharmacy & Therapeutics stated that echinacea significantly reduced symptoms when it was taken soon after the onset of symptoms. This finding has been replicated by many other studies.
Echinacea appears to be most effective when combined with other herbs that synergistically strengthen immunity and relieve upper-respiratory infections.
Dose: Follow label directions. I recommend taking echinacea in combination with other herbs, such as black elderberry. Good brands include Esberitox, Insure and Immunotone.
Caution: Don't take echinacea if you have an autoimmune disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's or lupus. It increases levels of TNF-alpha, an inflammatory substance that needs to be lowered in patients with these conditions.
ESSENTIAL OIL INHALATION THERAPY
Inhalation therapy is one of the fastest ways to relieve symptoms of colds or flu. It also can help prevent illness because it kills viruses in the upper-respiratory tract.
When you're in a crowded place (such as a movie theater or an airplane), remove the cap from a bottle of essential oil, such as tea tree oil. Take several sniffs with each nostril. Do this every one to two hours. Tea tree oil's compounds have been shown to have both antiviral and antibacterial effects.
For symptom relief: Pour steaming water into a bowl, along with a few drops of tea tree oil, or any of a number of essential oils (rosemary, oregano or combination products such as Thieves Oil Blend, or even Vicks VapoRub -- a blend of camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol). Drape a towel around your head to trap the steam. Then lean forward, close your eyes and breathe in the vaporized oils. It's the fastest way to relieve congestion and sinus pressure, as well as provide an excellent germicidal effect.
MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS
Medicinal mushrooms, including shiitake, maitake and reishi, have been shown to have significant immune-stimulating properties, and people who maintain a strong immune system are far less likely to get colds or flu. Mushrooms are used both preventively and during an illness that challenges the immune system. Unlike many immune-boosting herbs, mushrooms do not seem to lose their effectiveness with prolonged use.
Dose: Eat one or more of these mushroom varieties a few times a week throughout the cold and flu season. Or take a supplement that includes a mushroom blend, such as New Chapter Host Defense.
VITAMIN C AND ZINC
Vitamin C has been shown to be somewhat effective at preventing and treating upper-respiratory infections. A study published in Advances in Therapy in 2002 found that people taking vitamin C had significantly fewer colds than those taking placebos. They also had a shorter duration of severe symptoms -- 1.8 days, compared with 3.1 days for those in the control group.
Zinc oral lozenges often are used to reduce symptoms, including cough, nasal discharge and sore throat.
Caution: Recently the nasal form of zinc in one form of Zicam was shown to inhibit the sense of smell.
Dose: Up to three zinc lozenges daily for maximum of three or four days. For vitamin C, a typical dose is 1,000 milligrams (mg) daily, divided into two or three doses to avoid stomach upset or diarrhea.

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants" http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .


Back to Eden communities
Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
www.backtoeden.bravehost.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care

Stop fanatic political agendas and correctness actions

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants" http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .


Back to Eden communities
Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
www.backtoeden.bravehost.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care

Brant-Knights of Columbus

Brant-Knights of Columbus Turning pain into gain

CARP - A New Vision of Aging for Canada - Advocacy, Benefits, Community & Zoomer.

CARP - A New Vision of Aging for Canada - Advocacy, Benefits, Community & Zoomer.: "CARP was quick out of the gate when a news report surfaced that a group of seniors, walking along a city trail as part of their exercise regimen – a regimen they paid someone to conduct, with the warm-up walk just one of several elements – were harassed and photographed by a city bylaw officer. He apparently wanted the organizer to pay for a city permit."

Brant-Knights of Columbus

Brant-Knights of Columbus -a renewal approach

Incompetence at any level is sickening

"Health records scandals making all Canadians sick
Posted By LORRIE GOLDSTEIN
Posted 3 hours ago


Nine years ago, the feds and Canada's 13 provincial and territorial governments announced a $10-billion plan to develop computerized medical records for every Canadian.
Federal Auditor General Sheila Fraser will report next year on the progress of the Electronic Health Records (eHealth) project, based on her audit of federal efforts and similar probes by her counterparts in five provinces. But what we already know suggests billions of taxpayers' dollars may have been wasted.
Ontario Auditor General Jim McCarter has just issued a scathing report on his province's EHR efforts, concluding the government lost control of the project, which began in 2002, and has spent $1 billion with little to show for it, leaving its future mired in controversy."

Time to fix it or lose it -Pr

ProActive Rants: Sunridge – Back to Eden - A Personal Care Option..

ProActive Rants: Sunridge – Back to Eden - A Personal Care Option..

B.C. Health Minister supports private care

B.C. Health Minister supports private care: "B.C. Health Minister supports private care"


The government ended up contracting out many of the procedures to private clinics as a way to catch up. Logic not dogma prevails to help those that need health services OJ

Tobacco Book

Tobacco Book: "“ARE YOU SMOKING ENOUGH TO STAY HEALTHY?”
“ARE YOU SMOKING ENOUGH TO STAY HEALTHY?”
Join my biggest crusade yet and get the inside scoop
on the surprising health BENEFITS of smoking...
-a intersting view from contrarian MD Douglas -qj"

Tobacco Book

Tobacco Book: "“ARE YOU SMOKING ENOUGH TO STAY HEALTHY?”
Join my biggest crusade yet and get the inside scoop
on the surprising health BENEFITS of smoking... “ARE YOU SMOKING ENOUGH TO STAY HEALTHY?”
Join my biggest crusade yet and get the inside scoop
on the surprising health BENEFITS of smoking..."


worth a read -by the contrarian doctor Douglas QMB

Gmail - What the Gov't Won't Tell You About Health Care Reform - siegholle@gmail.com

Gmail - What the Gov't Won't Tell You About Health Care Reform -

More on US health reform

Not a good way to save the health system

Not a good way to save the Heath system

In a blistering letter to Ontario doctors, the group says Hudson must also resign because he's "not competent" to lead the agency's board.


"We are at a crossroads in transformation where one path is carved out by seemingly entitled individuals who appear content to waste hundreds of millions of taxpayers' hard-earned money and who are not held accountable," states the letter signed by president Dr. Douglas Mark.


"Not even the Minister of Health, David Caplan, as he turns a blind eye to the shenanigans of his trusted leaders at eHealth who show up over and over again in various health care organizations with a trail littered with costly programs but questionable results."


Hudson hasn't returned calls for comment.


EHealth, which is tasked with creating electronic health records in Ontario, has ignited a political storm for questionable spending and awarding nearly $5 million in untendered contracts.

Sarah Kramer was abruptly removed as president and CEO on Sunday amid the furor over eHealth, which allowed consultants who were paid about $2,700 a day to bill taxpayers for minor purchases like tea and snacks.

This is sad and we wonder who is in charge and if there is anu accountability OJ

Genetics -Future medicine trend?

Your Doctor Is Wasting Your Time... and Your Money
By Rob Fannon, editor, Phase 1 Investor

I'd like nothing more than to fire my doctor...

Anyone else sick of scheduling appointments, only to wait for 30 minutes (or more) before hearing your name called? Then, if you're lucky, you get 10 minutes with a harried physician who shares nothing you didn't already know. When did doctors cease being healers? Most are nothing more than informed technicians, cranking through protocols and patient numbers to make ends meet.

I don't need a doc to check my blood pressure, take my temperature, rub my lymph nodes, and hand me an antibiotic... for whatever ails me.


I prefer the do-it-yourself model.

The secret to good health is information, discipline, and prevention – in that order. A discerning eye can gather more than enough qualified information on the web for any and all medical conditions. And of course, with enough self-discipline, diet and exercise are always the best prescription for most health-related matters. No two steps do more to prevent illness.

Still, all the web surfing, whole-grain bread, and wind sprints in the world can't trump one element of our health and wellbeing: our genes.

The next frontier for medicine is genetics. As patients, we can look forward to knowing which diseases are in our future based on a genetic fingerprint. Armed with a readout mapping our DNA and forecasting the medical conditions we'll likely encounter, we can fire the family doctor and head straight to the specialist who can actually cure us.

As investors, we've got to realize this day is coming faster than we may have thought...

Of course, not every genetics wonder-company is investable. Take my experience last summer, for example. For $1,000, I shipped my DNA to Iceland. There, scientists at deCODE Genetics (DCGN) scanned my genes to determine my risk of various cancers, heart-related disorders, brain diseases, as well as oddball tests for male pattern baldness and alcohol-flush reaction.

But the whole thing was a bit of a letdown. Most of the results were too vague. And based on my family history, I already know I have European ancestors, a thinning hairline, brown eyes, and a "slightly elevated" risk for many diseases. Obviously, I can't fire my doctor quite yet.

Without a sufficient payoff, expensive testing services like deCODE's won't attract meaningful numbers of customers. Patients – and the insurance companies that will foot the bill –need clear, definitive answers that have an immediate use in order to pay for such tests.

That is the key to making money in personalized medicine today. And that's what I look for when I make an investment in the "personalized medicine" boom...

One of my favorite companies in this sector – one I think has done it "right" – is Genomic Health (GHDX).

Genomic Health's Oncotype DX test measures the aggressiveness of breast cancer via a molecular snapshot of the tumor. Based on the results, patients and doctors make informed decisions about whether or not to pursue grueling and costly chemotherapy treatment.



Results Are in from Iceland
Why You May Never Take a Regular Drug Again
Most important, Oncotype DX offers an appealing cost-benefit proposal for insurance companies. These payers are more than willing to shell out $3,700 for the test if it reduces the number of $35,000 chemotherapy treatments they pay for.

Clear, definitive answers that result in an immediate action plan... that's the winning formula for genetic-screening services. It's why deCODE is headed for bankruptcy and why I think Genomic Health is a bargain today...


Great assessment and a hopeful future solution to the current care crisis QJ

CARP - A New Vision of Aging for Canada

CARP - A New Vision of Aging for Canada: "Make Predators ExtinctMake Predators Extinct"

Dont be a victim -fight back QJ

"A goal without a plan is just a wish." - Larry Elder
Predator: n.
1. An organism that lives by preying on other organisms. 2. One that victimizes, plunders, or destroys, especially for one's own gain. In the wild, predators use jaws and talons. In the human world, predators use trust and influence

Elder Abuse

We have taken several steps to address this very serious issue.

For example, in March 2007, our Government established the National Seniors Council to provide us with advice on all matters related to the well-being and quality of life of seniors. The first priority given to the Council by our Government was to examine the serious issue of elder abuse in Canada. After a year of extensive consultations with seniors, community and social groups, as well as other concerned Canadians, the Council released its report on elder abuse. It clearly outlined the magnitude of the problem of elder abuse in its many forms, including physical, financial, psychological, sexual and neglect.

Our Government fully understands that this is a complex problem that cannot be solved by one level of government or one organization. We recognize that combating elder abuse requires all of us to do our part to stop such unspeakable mistreatment. That is why, at the federal level, we are increasing our efforts.

We have introduced the Federal Elder Abuse Initiative, under which we invested $13 million over three years to help seniors and others recognize the signs and symptoms of elder abuse, and also to provide information on what support is available. A key element of that commitment includes a national public awareness campaign, which we will be launching very soon.


The ministers promise to CARP - lets see if she can deliver OJ

CARP Health Care Survey Results

The results of the CARP survey indicates that improvements are needed to how health care is delivered in Canada QJ

Government out of step with out of country care

Consistent with our findings in the past, most respondents, despite their high ratings of their care at home, are willing to travel outside the system if they had to and to expect reimbursement. Almost 40% said such care should be reimbursed by the Canadian health care system without conditions. Many more (59%) said that there should be reimbursement with conditions. Only 2% said there should be no reimbursement. Belief in full unconditional reimbursement is far higher in Quebec (53%) than elsewhere.
Only 30% thought that reimbursement should require prior approval. 27% thought approval could be given after treatment was started or completed and over 42% said reimbursement should just require a referral from your doctor. In Quebec, that figure was even higher (48%).
Clearly, the policy makers that insist on strict application of the prior approval requirements are way out of step with CARP ActionOnline readers who answered our survey and we will be drawing this response to their attention.
These survey results, based on over 5,600 CARP ActionOnline readers, are considered reliable within plus or minus 1.4 % 19 times out of 20.