Gleeman's Daily News-12/09

Dr. Al Borges mentioned in the news blog, "CCHIT and OSS"

I'm not alone in my thinking.  Some of the folks over at emrupdate.com (namely, Dr. Al Borges) have been quite vocal about it.  You can see his comment here on histalk2.com, which led me to a damning article on ZDNet and other links.

Rough times for CCHIT ahead.  Let's see what happens.

Al, truly here is a kindred spirit.

Hospitals and doctors join forces in bad economy

As hospitals' financial health declines, physicians are actively seeking help from hospitals. Fifty-six percent of CEOs reported such requests at their hospitals in the last three months, according to the AHA. Of those CEOs, 83% reported physicians wanting more pay for on-call or other services, 69% heard physicians ask about hospital employment, 31% got inquiries about whether they would buy physician practices, and 23% got queries to partner on physician equipment purchases.

This article is not trying to rub salt in the wound, but to me, it does point out the need for some kind of governmental intervention before all the hospitals go broke and all the doctors quit.

Guide to how doctors can receive 2% e-Prescribing bonus

Step 1: Obtain an eligible system

Physicians must have or acquire a qualified electronic prescribing system that can:

• Generate a complete medication list with available data from pharmacies and benefit managers.
• Select medications and transmit prescriptions electronically (not via fax) following applicable federal standards, after warning the prescriber of any possible safety issues associated with the drug orders.
• Provide information on lower-cost, therapeutically appropriate alternatives.
• Provide drug plan information, such as formularies, patient eligibility and authorization requirements.

More fuel for the fire, this article outlines the steps-the many steps-a doctor needs to follow to get the bonus.

Obama says he will not smoke in White House

"There are times where I've fallen off the wagon," the president-elect said when asked in a broadcast interview whether he has kicked the habit.

"I've done a terrific job, under the circumstances, of making myself much healthier," he said. "And I think that you will not see any violations of these rules in the White House," he said on Sunday's "Meet the Press" on NBC.

I saw him on that show, he seems sincere in his struggle to quit smoking, but he is honest in how difficult it really can be for many.

Is happiness contagious? Yes, this is science, too!

You may think your attentive spouse, your loving children and your good friends are what make you happy. But something else may be going on: The people they're connected with are making you happy too. So suggests a new study proposing that happiness is transmitted through social networks, almost like a germ is spread through personal contact. The research was published Thursday in BMJ, a British medical journal.

Seems pretty basic, hang out with happy people if you can find them.

Retail health clinics: Walgreen operates the most

Officials for Walgreen, which expects to operate 400 retail clinics nationwide as of Aug. 31, 2009, said that the facilities will help address issues related to an expected shortage of primary care physicians. Michael Polzin, a spokesperson for Walgreen, said, "Demand for primary care health services has outstripped supply, and the problem is going to get worse as fewer medical school students choose primary care" (Japsen, Chicago Tribune, 12/4).

They relate their growth to a shortage of primary care doctors, as we often talk about here at the Forums.

Lipitor users get a break from Cigna

Officials for health insurer Cigna on Wednesday announced that the company has reduced copayments for the cholesterol medication Lipitor by as much as 50% to an average of $15 to make the treatment more affordable during the current economic recession, Bloomberg/Denver Post reports.

That is the spirit of the times, nice going, Cigna, keep it up.

How interferon remembers how to kill a virus

ScienceDaily (Dec. 8, 2008) - Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have determined that the immune-system protein interferon plays a key role in "teaching" the immune system how to fight off repeated infections of the same virus.

Always wondered how interferon worked, interesting story.

How to find a physician: Word of Mouth

The Center for Studying Health System Change (CSHSC) analyzed data from their Health Tracking Household Survey to test a working hypothesis that Americans as health care consumers would choose to use quality and price information when assessing their options of physicians and facilities for procedures.

You may be surprised by this study, take my word for it.

Interoperability of EHRs: it is technically possible if the will is there

So, what sort of incentives would move providers to climb on board the interoperable EHR express?  The federales have taken at least two approaches thus far:

This is from the great David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog, a compact look at the movement for interoperable EHRs.