Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Most Canadians see health care as top issue: poll - CTV News

A growing number of Canadians see health care, ahead of the economy, as the top issue facing the country, according to a new poll.

The Nanos Research poll, conducted for CTV and The Globe and Mail, comes on the eve of a federal budget that is expected to focus on job creation and Canada's economic recovery.

It found that nearly 30 per cent of respondents, when unprompted, said health care was the top priority (percentage-point change from last month in brackets):

  • Health care: 29.2 per cent (+6.3)
  • Jobs / Economy: 18.1 per cent (-2.1)
  • Education: 8.8 per cent (+3.5)
  • Environment: 7.5 per cent (-2.8)
  • Debt: 3.8 per cent (-1.4)
  • Unsure: 9.1 per cent (-3.3)

Last April, with Canada still staggering from a worldwide recession, more than half of all Canadians felt the economy was the top issue.

Health care, by contrast, fell below 15 per cent.

via ctv.ca

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The Epidemic of Preventable Medical Harm, HealthcarePSI.org

The Centers for Disease Control reports that 1.7 million people who enter the hospital this year - for any reason - will contract a Hospital Acquired Infection which is completely unrelated to the condition they entered with, and 99,000 of those patients infected will die within the year. Many thousands more will never fully recover.

The Sepsis Alliance - a physician group studying the condition - states that 215,000 people die each year from sepsis, a blood stream infection. The Alliance also states that half of those deaths could be prevented if hospitals would identify and treat patients in a timely manner.

In November 2010, the Office of the Inspector General released a damning report stating that every month in US hospitals, 15,000 Medicare patients over the age of 65 are killed by preventable medical harm. That's 180,000 needless deaths a year. Another 45,000 Seniors on Medicare are injured every month, but survive their hospitalization.

The three studies above document more than 386,000 preventable deaths a year in US hospitals - and that's only a small glimpse of a problem that has reached epidemic proportions. 

The Institutes of Medicine estimates there are 100,000 documented preventable harm deaths per year, however they also reluctantly admit that only 5%-20% of preventable medical harm incidents are ever documented on patient records. That means their figure is badly underestimated. By how much? You do the math. 

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Lipitor Tied To Diabetes Risk, More Evidence Shows

People on a high-dose regimen of the cholesterol drug Lipitor may have a slightly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes -- particularly if they have several of the classic diabetes risk factors, a study published Monday finds.

A number of studies have linked Lipitor (known generically as atorvastatin) and other cholesterol-lowering statin drugs to a small increase in users' risk of diabetes.

This latest study, based on data from three large clinical trials, strengthens evidence of a connection.

But it also suggests that the risk may largely exist among people who also have the well-known risk factors for type 2 diabetes -- including excess weight, high blood sugar, elevated triglycerides (a type of blood fat) and high blood pressure.

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amednews: Model legislation drafted for out-of-network balance billing :: March 29, 2011 ... American Medical News

A legislative organization calls on hospitals, insurers and physicians to disclose when patients must pay for care.

By Emily Berry, amednews staff. Posted March 29, 2011.

As several states consider whether, or how, to restrict balance billing by out-of-network physicians, the National Conference of Insurance Legislators on March 6 adopted model legislation on the issue.

Rather than explicitly banning or allowing physicians to bill patients when insurance doesn't cover what a physician is owed, the model legislation calls for greater transparency on the part of hospitals, insurers and doctors to alert patients to the possibility that they could end up paying out of pocket for care.

The model bill builds on laws recently adopted in Louisiana and Texas, according to NCOIL's announcement.

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Nursing Schools | Nursing School Advice, GoNursingSchools.com

If you are a caring person who has always dreamed of making a difference in the lives of others, a career in nursing may be for you. Understand what all of the nursing schools in your area have to offer before committing to a particular nursing program.

Arguably, there has never been a better time to pursue a nursing school degree. Working in the medical sphere has many benefits, including:

Nursing

  • An excellent chance of obtaining employment:  While other job sectors are laying off employees at an alarming rate, the medical field is experiencing a critical shortage of nurses. By 2020, it is estimated that the U.S. will have a shortage of more than 300,000 nurses. For those currently entering nursing, this shortfall will likely translate into enhanced job security and possibly higher wages. 
  • An impressive nursing salary: Salaries vary depending on a nurse's credentials and geographic location, but most earn a comfortable living wage. Currently, the average salary for a nurse in the United States is about $64,000, a figure that is only expected to grow.

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Crib bumpers: Safety agency fails to investigate crib bumper cases - latimes.com

The nanny checked on Madison Morr twice during her afternoon nap. The second time, Madison's skin was blue — her face was pressed against the bumper pad that lined the inside of her crib.

A medical examiner found the 5-month-old baby had suffocated, and federal regulators received a death certificate that said she had been trapped against padding in the corner of the crib.

Yet those regulators never examined whether Madison's death involved an unsafe product.

The baby's death in 2006 is one of at least 17 cases where the Consumer Product Safety Commission did not investigate a child's death, even though the agency had reports on file suggesting bumper pads played roles in the fatalities, the Tribune found.

The Tribune looked into some of the cases and found that medical examiners and coroners said bumper pads were involved in the suffocations.

Man's death tied to salmonella in Rhode Island

An elderly man who tested positive for salmonella has died, according to Rhode Island officials investigating an outbreak of salmonella that has sickened 39 people.

Six fresh cases were reported on Tuesday and, while the source of contamination has not been determined, pastries from a local bakery were being recalled, said Annemarie Beardsworth, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health.

The man who died was in his 80s and lived in a Warwick nursing home that recently bought pastries from DeFusco's Bakery in Johnston, she said.

Inspectors went to DeFusco's and found cross-contamination and major violations of food handling, she said.

The most likely cause of salmonella was consumption of pastries that came in contact with infected raw eggs, the Health Department said. Pastry shells at DeFusco's had been stored in used egg crates, it said.

Fifteen people were sickened at the nursing home, while the rest of the 39 cases were elsewhere in the community. Twelve people were in hospitals, Beardsworth said.

"What we have now is a group of people who are ill with salmonella," she said. "What we don't have is laboratory-confirmed evidence of a source of contamination.

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Ross Kristal: Establishing a BODY of Work to Combat Obesity & Diabetes | Einstein Features

While the explosion of diabetes is making headlines the world over, a group of Einstein students is taking the fight against obesity and diabetes to the streets of the Bronx. Spearheaded by first-year student Ross Kristal, the newly established student club Bronx, Obesity, Diabetes and You (BODY) has ambitious goals and a wide- ranging agenda that they hope will change lives in the Bronx as well as the mindset of the community-at-large.

Ross Kristal
Ross Kristal
The group has identified three major initiatives they plan to undertake — working on exercise and nutrition with elementary school children at P.S. 89; establishing a community garden on the grounds of Einstein’s neighbor, the Jack D. Weiler Hospital; and engaging Bronx community leaders through grassroots outreach to effect educational efforts that can help change attitudes and improve health.

“I am amazed at what Ross and the other students have accomplished so far and that they have chosen to focus on type 2 diabetes, which most people don’t care as much about,” said Dr. Meredith Hawkins, director of the Global Diabetes Initiative and professor of medicine at Einstein, who mentored Mr. Kristal during a summer research project he completed before starting his medical education.

To Mr. Kristal, it all makes perfect sense. “I think that type 2 diabetes is going to be one of the biggest health problems our country faces in the future,” he said, “and we must reach out to the community and start making a difference now.”

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Artificial Food Dyes Scrutinized by FDA - WSJ.com

A Food and Drug Administration panel plans to meet this week to consider the potential link between hyperactivity in children and artificial dyes found in common foods such as candy, waffles and salad dressing.

The FDA is reconsidering its long-held position that the dyes pose no risk to children or anyone else. Artificial food dyes with names like Yellow 5 have long been targeted by some scientists and consumer advocates concerned that they could cause hyperactivity in children.

The panel, which will meet Wednesday and Thursday, is expected to possibly call for more research. It isn't expected to take bigger steps such as banning artificial coloring.

Associated Press

M&Ms contain artificial food dyes.

DYE
DYE

The FDA signaled the first change in its thinking last week in a memo that said artificial food dye is an issue "for certain susceptible children with ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder] and other problem behaviors." The FDA said there isn't a link between hyperactivity and food dyes in the general population.

"The data suggest that their condition may be exacerbated by exposure to a number of substances in food, including, but not limited to, artificial food colors," the FDA memo s

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New Health Insurance Survey: 9 Million Adults Joined Ranks of Uninsured Due to Job Loss in 2010; Few Viable Health Insurance Options Exist for Unemployed - The Commonwealth Fund

An estimated nine million working-age adults—57 percent of people who had health insurance through a job that was lost—became uninsured in the last two years, according to the Commonwealth Fund 2010 Biennial Health Insurance Survey, released today. The survey paints a bleak picture for the 43 million adults under age 65 who reported that they or their spouse lost a job in the past two years, finding that job losses are often compounded by the loss of health insurance, leaving families vulnerable to catastrophic financial losses and bankruptcy in the event of a serious illness or accident.

According to the report, Help on the Horizon: How the Recession Has Left Millions of Workers Without Health Insurance, and How Health Reform Will Bring Relief, the unemployed have great difficulty finding affordable health care. Only 25 percent of people who lost employer health insurance were able to find another source of health insurance coverage, and only 14 percent continued their job-based coverage through COBRA. In addition, purchasing individual coverage was not a viable option for most people. Seventy-one percent of adults who tried to buy individual coverage in the past three years, or 19 million people, either found it difficult or impossible to find a plan that fit their needs; found it difficult or impossible to find a plan they could afford; or were turned down or charged a higher price for coverage because of a preexisting condition.

“This survey tells a story of millions of Americans who lost their jobs during the recession, lost their health benefits too, and had essentially no place to turn for affordable health care coverage—putting their health and financial security at risk,” said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. “The silver lining is that the Affordable Care Act has already begun to bring relief to families. Once the new law is fully implemented, we can be confident that no future recession will have the power to strip so many Americans of their health security.”

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