The Health Care Blog

The Meaning of “Value” in Health Care

By PAUL KECKLY There are terms in healthcare circles that get thrown around as if there’s a common and widely accepted definition. Consider “quality:” every hospital touts its quality, every physician confidently affirms their delivery of high quality...

Published Thu, Dec 03 2015 6:02 PM by THCB

Filed under: THCB, Paul Keckley

On the Preventability of Lethal Errors: A Response to Dr. Koka

By JOHN T JAMES, MD In my opinion, the title of Dr. Koka’s post (“Very Bad Numbers“) is far too inflammatory for a subject that needs to be taken seriously. Dr. Koka’s summary of the approach I took in my JPS study is a reasonable summary...

Published Thu, Dec 03 2015 10:25 AM by THCB

Filed under: THCB, John T James

The Healthcare Link in the San Bernardino Shootings

By JOE FLOWER Another day, another mass shooting. At this point the news reports say nearly 30 down, 14 or more dead, multiple perps, at a banquet for the San Bernardino, California, Department of Public Health. And instantly the argument is all about...

Published Wed, Dec 02 2015 3:03 PM by THCB

Filed under: THCB, Joe Flower

The Scientific Basis for Choosing to Be a Patient: Forearmed Is Forewarned

By NORTIN M HADLER, MD Today health is a commodity, disease is a product line and physicians are a sales force in the employ of a predatory enterprise. All this happened in the past 30 years in America1 and the rest of the resource advantage world seems...

Published Tue, Dec 01 2015 4:42 PM by THCB

Filed under: THCB, Nortin M. Hadler

Rethinking about Diagnostic tests: There is nothing Positive or Negative about a Test result

By ROBERT McNUTT, MD Making a diagnosis is easy if the test we use to make the diagnosis defines the disease. These sorts of tests, called “reference-standard” tests, when present at any level of the test’s result, make the diagnosis. A spinal...

Published Tue, Dec 01 2015 4:34 PM by THCB

Filed under: THCB, Robert McNutt

A Usability Conundrum: Whether it is EHRs or Hospital Gowns, One Size Never Fits All…

By JEROME H CARTER, MD Building clinical care systems that intimately support clinical work has to begin with the acknowledgement that clinicians perform many tasks within the context of a patient encounter, and those tasks very in type, number, and sequence...

Published Tue, Dec 01 2015 3:52 PM by THCB

Filed under: Tech, Jerome H Carter

A Home for Orphan Wearables

By PAUL LEVY How many people do you know who’ve bought a Fitbit or similar device to track their exercise patterns–who have then let the whole venture lapse? The Fitbit now resides comfortably and peacefully in their drawer! Well, there’s...

Published Mon, Nov 30 2015 11:55 AM by THCB

Filed under: THCB, Paul Levy

Very Bad Numbers

By ANISH KOKA, MD The date is July 17th, 2014. It is 10am in the Dirksen Senate building, and the congressional subcommittee on health and aging is about to focus on patient harm. The educating will be done by some of the leaders in the medical field...

Published Mon, Nov 30 2015 11:55 AM by THCB

Filed under: THCB

Venrock headlines Health 2.0’s Digital Health Investor Conference, WinterTech 2016

By DEEPA MISTRY Health 2.0’s WinterTech conference on January 13, 2016 at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco, CA showcases the latest in digital health investing featuring leaders from Venrock, Canvas Venture Fund, Helix, Doximity, Grand...

Published Mon, Nov 30 2015 10:51 AM by THCB

Filed under: Health 2.0

Cost, Value & Tools

By PETER PRONOVOST, MD Like a pro golfer swears by a certain brand of clubs or a marathon runner has a chosen make of shoes, surgeons can form strong loyalties to the tools of their craft. Preferences for these items — such as artificial hips and knees...

Published Sun, Nov 29 2015 11:34 AM by THCB

Filed under: THCB, Costs, Quality, Value, Johns Hopkins, Peter Pronovost, Tools

Closing the Loop on The Need for Better Telemedicine

By ANDREW ALTERDORFER I’ve had the great privilege of presenting our virtual care company, CirrusMD, to potential customers and investors at some of the premier health technology conferences this fall, making the cut for both the Health 2.0 Traction event...

Published Wed, Nov 25 2015 12:06 PM by THCB

Filed under: THCB

How to Safeguard your Career in Treacherous Healthcare Times

By MICHEL ACCAD, MD Dear medical student, I am honored by the opportunity to offer some advice on how to safeguard your professional career in a treacherous healthcare system. I will not elaborate on why I think the healthcare system is “treacherous....

Published Wed, Nov 25 2015 11:07 AM by THCB

Filed under: THCB, MICHEL ACCAD

Obamacare is failing? Not so fast.

By JOE FLOWER What is the hue and cry about this time? United Healthcare is saying it has lost large bales and wads of money on Obamacare exchange plans, and just may give up on them entirely. Anthem and Aetna allow that they are not making very much...

Published Mon, Nov 23 2015 4:21 PM by THCB

Filed under: THCB, Joe Flower

A Radical Policy Proposal: Go Easy On Older Docs

By DIANE EVANS, MD Through Dec. 15, federal regulators will accept public comments on the next set of rules that will shape the future of medicine in the transition to a super information highway for Electronic Health Records (EHRs). For health providers...

Published Mon, Nov 23 2015 12:43 PM by THCB

Filed under: THCB, Diane Evans

25 Reasons It is Time to Kill Meaningful Use

By HAYWARD ZWERLING, MD Over the last half decade, the Federal Government has successfully convinced a majority of physicians and hospitals to begin using electronic health records by providing $30+ billion dollars in subsidies to those who use an ONC...

Published Sun, Nov 22 2015 3:46 PM by THCB

Filed under: THCB

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The Meaning of “Value” in Health Care

On the Preventability of Lethal Errors: A Response to Dr. Koka

The Healthcare Link in the San Bernardino Shootings

The Scientific Basis for Choosing to Be a Patient: Forearmed Is Forewarned

Rethinking about Diagnostic tests: There is nothing Positive or Negative about a Test result

A Usability Conundrum: Whether it is EHRs or Hospital Gowns, One Size Never Fits All…

A Home for Orphan Wearables

Very Bad Numbers

Venrock headlines Health 2.0’s Digital Health Investor Conference, WinterTech 2016

Cost, Value & Tools

Closing the Loop on The Need for Better Telemedicine

How to Safeguard your Career in Treacherous Healthcare Times

Obamacare is failing? Not so fast.

A Radical Policy Proposal: Go Easy On Older Docs

25 Reasons It is Time to Kill Meaningful Use