March 2008 - The Medical Quack .... by Barbara Duck

Pinhole-Glasses - Help Improve your vision inexpensively

Something worth a try and looking at...for $19.95 a pair it's definitely worth a try...and they even include the shipping charges...with all the work I do on the computer it certainly couldn't hurt...BD Are you tired of constantly changing your...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 11:04 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Medically Related, Other Items of Interest

FDA Seeks Civil Penalties From Calif. Device Maker - Advanced Bionics

The issue goes back to hearing aides shipped in 2005 and 2006...failure to notify of potential risks appears to be the case...BD The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it is seeking a $2.2 million penalty against a California hearing aid...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 10:30 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Pharma/FDA News

Doctors support universal health care: survey

59%...up ten percent from the year 2002..more feel the for profit fragmented system obstructs more than it promotes good health care...and in another related story in Texas... the number of physicians accepting Medicare continues to drop...an all time...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 6:55 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Medically Related, Insurance

Windows Vista SP1 Toilet Paper - It's really available now

This was just too funny not to post...in Japan of course...BD The Japanese are simply hyping Vista SP1 release . I was just surprised to find that a roll of toilet paper printed with highlighted features is already available in Japan. You kind of have...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 6:45 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Other Items of Interest, Microsoft/Windows News

In Defense of the Electronic Medical Records Developer/Vendor

This is something I have been wanting to write about for a while and today's the day to finally express a couple of my own opinions about some gray areas and technology in healthcare. Healthcare as we know today is so terribly fragmented and there...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 3:52 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Tablet PCs, Medically Related, Technology, Microsoft/Windows News, My Commentaries

Riding the Hospitalist Boom to an IPO

Good video explaining the role of today's hospitalist....and the study states this business is fragmented to a degree, just like the rest of healthcare....BD A national physician practice outfit called IPC The Hospitalist Company rode the wave in...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 2:34 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Medically Related, Insurance, Other Items of Interest

New Internet ID Card Prevents Online Fraud

Look for this to be out as soon as this summer. With the recent post about how easy it is for a hacker to collect your RFID information from a normal credit card, this is indeed good news...and something healthcare might want to entertain for authentication...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 2:29 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Medically Related, Technology

State ignores law requiring annual Medi-Cal payment studies - California

Does the State get to ignore or bypass the law....California Medical Association doesn't think this is the case....potential lawsuit in the works...relating to the recent cuts in Medicaid compensation...BD When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 2:21 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Medically Related, Insurance, Other Items of Interest

Vytorin Pain May Be Abbott's Gain

Will Abbott Labs be successful with a combination drug? BD What’s bad for Merck and Schering-Plough may be good for Abbott Laboratories. Yesterday’s downbeat discussion about Vytorin at a meeting of caridologists may lead doctors to look farther for alternative...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 2:16 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Pharma/FDA News

German hackers threaten to publish Merkel's fingerprints

Not all folks around the world are supportive of new biometric capabilities...German passports require a biometric chip to identify an individual by fingerprint....in protest of security and privacy...BD The Chaos Computer Club (CCC), one of Germany's...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 2:13 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Technology, Other Items of Interest

Celebrate National Doctors' Day

Every year, March 30th is National Doctor's Day...yes they do have a day of their own! Say thanks to your physician today for his continued care for your health...it is red carnation day! BD The American Medical Association (AMA) honors the more than...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 1:38 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Medically Related, Other Items of Interest

Hawaii's Largest Insurer, HMSA, Plans Rate Hike

12.8 percent increase....how will the employers continue to afford the increases and provide benefits down the road...might see more of this on the mainland too....BD Haeaii's biggest health insurer wants to hike health insurance premiums by more...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 1:32 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Insurance

Tapping Into the Code of Life With Science - Some of this is here today...not science fiction...medical technology is on the rise...

There are folks walking around with bladders that have been created through this process and it is no longer science fiction....how long before a heart can be created...they are working on it...and the good news once more about red wine... but not at...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 1:27 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Medically Related, Technology

Big Insurers Pay for Online Doctor Visits

With a plan such as RelayHealth, that has the potential to integrate with Electronic Medical Records and facilitate e-prescribing , a data audit trail can track each entry and lab ordering can be done as well through the system... and obviously all the...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 12:39 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Medically Related, Technology, Insurance, Other Items of Interest

Allergan and J&J Pump Up Weight-Loss Surgery

Gastric banding...have reported on this in the past...is it safer overall than a complete gastric bypass surgery....the pharmaceutical business thinks so...and it certainly is a lot less expensive...BD Minimally invasive surgery to treat obesity is getting...

Published Mon, Mar 31 2008 12:24 PM by The Medical Quack

Filed under: Medically Related, Pharma/FDA News