October 2009 - The Health Care Blog

Op-Ed: Our Misplaced Faith in High-Tech Medicine

By MERRILL GOOZNER The following essay appeared on the website of the Hastings Center, which is running a colloquium on the values behind health care reform. "One could make a good case that improvements in education and job creation could... Read...

Published Mon, Oct 12 2009 2:15 PM by The Health Care Blog

Commentology

Jeff Goldsmith writes: "As you may know if you've read my postings, I'm an outspoken advocate of tightening Medicare fraud and abuse laws. There will be a post on this in a day or two. It's actually the stuff that's... Read More....

Published Tue, Oct 27 2009 12:46 AM by The Health Care Blog

Saving Health Care, Saving America

By BRIAN KLEPPER, DAVID C. KIBBE, ROBERT LASZEWSKI and ALAIN ENTHOVEN So far, Congress' response to the health care crisis has been alarmingly disappointing in three ways. First, by willingly accepting enormous sums from health care special interests...

Published Fri, Oct 30 2009 6:08 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Brian Klepper, David Kibbe, Reform, Policy/Politics, Policy, Transparency, Current Affairs, Marketplace, primary care, Corruption, The Industry

Who should tell your MD what to do?

By PAUL LEVY In this Wall Street Journal op-ed, Norbert Gleicher suggests that expert panels won't improve health care because the the quality of the research on which they would base their physician practice guidelines is not reliable. Instead, he...

Published Wed, Oct 21 2009 6:40 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Paul Levy

The Republican health care argument

By Matthew Holt Just in case you thought we’d gone soft by featuring Sarah Palin, here’s what Tom Toles thinks (from the WaPo) Read More...

Published Wed, Oct 21 2009 4:10 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Policy/Politics, Policy

Regina Holliday: Fred's life & death at 73 cents a page

By Matthew Holt If you ever wonder why the efforts to make it easier for patients and families to get information and be treated as equals in their care by the medical care system matter.... If you need convincing that... Read More...

Published Sat, Oct 24 2009 9:18 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Technology, Electronic Medical Records, Health 2.0, Matthew Holt, e-patients

What's got lost in the public option kerfuffle

By Matthew Holt Not so long ago, July this year in fact, PhRMA boss and former Dem Blue Dog & Republican Billy Tauzin told the Aspen Health Forum that a straw poll of Democrats at dinner with him in DC... Read More...

Published Tue, Oct 27 2009 7:17 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Policy/Politics, Matthew Holt, Policy

Shutting Down Social Media? Not Here.

By PAUL LEVY Paul Levy is the President and CEO of Beth Israel Deconess Medical Center in Boston. He blogs about his experiences at Running a Hospital, one of the few blogs we know of maintained by a senior hospital... Read More...

Published Tue, Oct 13 2009 8:13 AM by The Health Care Blog

Physician Accountability for Violation of Safety Rules: The Time For Excuses Has Passed

By BOB WACHTER In a recent New England Journal, Peter Pronovost and I make the case for striking a new balance between “no blame” and accountability. Come on folks, it’s time. At most hospitals, hand hygiene rates hover between 30-70%,... Read More.....

Published Wed, Oct 14 2009 7:15 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Physicians, Bob Wachter

Health Care Reform Lite

By J.D. Kleinke “The only constant in health care is change.” It’s one of those shop-worn things you hear too often on health care’s rubber-chicken circuit; and not only is it not true, but it is exactly untrue. The only... Read More...

Published Fri, Oct 16 2009 6:27 AM by The Health Care Blog

Change The Rules and Get Your Labs

By Phil Marshall In 1999 Caresoft developed a consumer web portal called the Daily Apple. The Daily Apple wasn’t all that unique or different than other health portals, until in May of 2000 they began helping consumers download their lab... Read More...

Published Mon, Oct 19 2009 1:04 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Technology, Electronic Medical Records, Health 2.0, Policy/Politics, Policy, Consumers

Will We Get a Health Care Bill in 2009?

By ROBERT LASZEWSKI It’s decision time. The Congress will or won’t pass a major health care bill during the next few weeks. Will we get health care reform in 2009? Almost certainly not. As I have been saying for months,... Read More...

Published Thu, Oct 08 2009 7:30 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Robert Laszewski, Congress, Reform

THCB UPDATE

If you haven't had a chance to sign up for THCB UPDATE yet, you really should. You'll get a helpful reminder email from us when important posts go up on the site. In the two and a half six months... Read More...

Published Wed, Oct 07 2009 11:00 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: THCB

The Big Day for Health 2.0

By Matthew Holt Yes, today is the big day for Health 2.0 or rather the first of two huge days. In less than 7 hours Indu and I will be stepping onto the stage and six months of work, rehearsals... Read More...

Published Tue, Oct 06 2009 1:36 AM by The Health Care Blog

Filed under: Health 2.0

Olberman, hysterical hypocrisy expose

By Matthew Holt A really fun piece from Keith Olbermann as he shows how the entire Gang of Six and more voted for fully socialized flood insurance and yet seem to have a problem with an independent government run public... Read More...

Published Sun, Oct 04 2009 1:21 AM by The Health Care Blog