Friday, May 24, 2013
The New Jersey Shore Anthem by Drew M & Chris C (Rock You Tonight)
JERSEY STRONG
My colleague/freind sent this video to me. It is about 4 minutes long and worth watching. I recognized most of the locations filmed and the creators even included a shot of my area where I spend my summer weekends.
Thanks Anne!
http://youtu.be/qFN_Bo5B1AQ
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Consumer Reports: What to reject when you're expecting
10 procedures to think twice about during your pregnancy
http://consumerhealthchoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/ExpectRejectGeneral.pdf
http://consumerhealthchoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/ExpectRejectGeneral.pdf
Feeding tubes for people with Alzheimer’s disease
When you need them—and when you don’t
http://consumerhealthchoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ChoosingWiselyFeedingTubeAGS-ER.pdf
http://consumerhealthchoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ChoosingWiselyFeedingTubeAGS-ER.pdf
New Jersey Hospital Has Highest Billing Rates in the Nation
NYT, May 18, 2013
New Jersey Hospital Has Highest Billing Rates in the Nation
By JULIE CRESWELL, BARRY MEIER and JO CRAVEN McGINTY
BAYONNE, N.J. — The most expensive hospital in America is not set amid the swaying palm trees of Beverly Hills or the luxury townhouses of New York’s Upper East Side.
It is in a faded blue-collar town 11 miles from Midtown Manhattan.
Based on the bills it submits to Medicare, the Bayonne Medical Center charged the highest amounts in the country for nearly one-quarter of the most common hospital treatments, according to a New York Times analysis of 2011 data, the most recent available. No other hospital was at the top of the price list more often.
Bayonne Medical typically charged $99,689 for treating each case of chronic lung disease, 5.5 times as much as other hospitals and 17.5 times as much as Medicare paid in reimbursement. The hospital also charged on average of $120,040 to treat transient ischemia, a type of small stroke that has no lasting effect. That was 5.6 times the national average and 23.6 times what Medicare paid.
For those prices, the quality of care at Bayonne Medical is no better — or worse — than that at most other New Jersey hospitals. In a 2011 state hospital quality report, Bayonne Medical scored only in the top 50 percent.
But profits at the hospital, which was bankrupt in 2007, have soared in recent years, in part because it has found a way to turn some of those high billings into payments.
The increasingly contentious issue of hospital charges drew renewed attention last week when the federal government released Medicare data showing that facilities nationwide submitted widely divergent bills for the same treatments.
And while the unassuming, six-story brick hospital here holds a notable place in those rankings, others stand out as well. The midsize Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa., was the top biller in the country for urinary tract infections. Oneprestigious Manhattan hospital, NYU Langone Medical Center, charged twice as much as the equally high-end NewYork-Presbyterian to implant a cardiac pacemaker. But Medicare considers the two New York hospitals so similar it pays them both about $20,000 for the procedure.
The hospital industry is quick to say that the charges are irrelevant because virtually no one — private insurers, Medicare or even the uninsured — pays anywhere near those amounts. Medicare sets standard rates for treatments and insurers negotiate with hospitals. But experts add that the charges reflect decades of maneuvering by hospitals to gain an edge over insurers and provide themselves with tax advantages.
Until a recent ruling by the Internal Revenue Service, for instance, a hospital could use the higher prices when calculating the amount of charity care it was providing, said Gerard Anderson, director of the Center for Hospital Finance and Management at Johns Hopkins. “There is a method to the madness, though it is still madness,” Mr. Anderson said.
A close look at the finances of Bayonne Medical Center sheds light on how hospital pricing at the extremes may financially benefit an institution. The practices at Bayonne Medical also highlight a new financial strategy used by a small number of hospitals to increase their profits by “going out of network” — severing ties, and hence contractual agreements that limit reimbursement rates, with large private insurers.
Neither officials nor owners of Bayonne Medical responded to multiple calls and e-mail requests for interviews. Because the company is privately held, it does not have to release financial data.
Bayonne Medical, which was founded in 1888, was losing nearly $1.5 million a month before it filed for bankruptcy in 2007. By 2011, under new ownership and a new financial model, its patient revenue had nearly tripled and its operating income had reached $9.3 million, according to the American Hospital Directory, a publication that compiles data from Medicare and other sources about health care facilities.
The hospital’s turnabout started in 2008 when it was acquired out of bankruptcy by a consortium of buyers in a deal valued at about $41 million.
Bayonne’s purchasers included Vivek Garipalli, who worked at the private equity giant Blackstone Group before co-founding the International Sleep Network, a company based in New Jersey that treats patients with sleep apnea and other disorders. Joining Mr. Garipalli was Jeffrey Mandler, the head of a health care imaging firm. To make money from Bayonne Medical, the new buyers made some big changes in the hospital’s business strategy.
First, they converted Bayonne Medical from a nonprofit to a for-profit hospital at a time when such hospitals were a rarity in New Jersey. Next, they moved to sever existing contracts with large private insurers, essentially making Bayonne Medical an out-of-network hospital for most insurance plans.
Under New Jersey law, patients treated in a hospital emergency room outside their provider’s network have to pay out of pocket only what they would have paid if the hospital was in the network. But an out-of-network hospital can bill the patient’s insurer at essentially whatever rate it cares to set. While the insurers can negotiate with the hospital, they generally end up paying more than they would have under a contractual agreement.
In recent years, Bayonne Medical put up digital billboards highlighting the short waits in its emergency rooms in an effort to attract more patients. Insurers complained that the hospital was seeking to take advantage of the higher rates it could charge.
While the law was aimed at giving patients more hospitals to choose from, it “has had the unintended consequence of rewarding folks for these inflated charges,” said Wardell Sanders, president of the New Jersey Association of Health Plans. “When people say these charges are just the sticker price and it’s meaningless, it’s not meaningless.”
Community leaders in Bayonne, fearing the hospital could close, said the buyers were always candid about the methods they intended to use to make the hospital a profitable enterprise.
“That raised a lot of concern, but what other choice did we have?” said Jeanne Otersen, who was a member of the Coalition to Save Bayonne Medical Center and is policy director for the Health Professionals and Allied Employees, a union that represents nurses at the facility.
Not surprisingly, the insurers fought back against the out-of-network model. In 2009, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey filed an injunction in New Jersey Superior Court saying Bayonne Medical’s owners had “flatly rejected” and refused to negotiate an in-network hospital contract with Horizon. When the existing agreement expired in early 2009, Horizon said Bayonne sharply increased its prices. Bayonne’s in-network charges to Horizon averaged $13,000 a day in 2008. A year later, when it was out of network, the charges soared to $29,000, the insurer said in a spring 2009 news release.
Bayonne Medical denied allegations in Horizon’s lawsuit that it was artificially inflating prices, and filed its own lawsuit against Horizon, claiming the insurer had intimidated patients and tried to get them to leave the facility before completing their treatments.
The two eventually settled in 2011, and Horizon became an in-network insurance provider. A spokesman for Horizon declined to comment on Bayonne Medical’s charges, citing terms of the settlement agreement.
Still, many other large insurance companies, including Cigna, United Healthcare and Aetna, remain out of network at Bayonne and are paying the higher bills.
“Their model is to charge exorbitant rates, particularly for emergency room services, and if the insurance companies don’t pay them, they threaten to go after the member for the balance of billing,” said Carl King, head of national networks for Aetna, whose in-network contract was also ended by Bayonne in 2008.
Like Horizon, Aetna said its bills from Bayonne Medical soared, and it also filed a lawsuit in 2011. The suit was dismissed.
Aetna’s internal data showed that Bayonne Medical’s emergency room charges jumped again in 2012 and are running 6 to 12 times as high as those of surrounding hospitals. Last fall, Mr. Garipalli bought the designer Tory Burch’s oceanside home in Southampton for $11 million, according to public records.
After purchasing Bayonne Medical, the investor group went on a buying spree, acquiring Hoboken University Medical Center in 2011 and the bankrupt Christ Hospital in Jersey City last year.
“This hospital is clearly pursuing an out-of-network strategy with a profit motive in mind and taking advantage of members who seek emergency services at their facility,” Mr. King said.
New Jersey Hospital Has Highest Billing Rates in the Nation
By JULIE CRESWELL, BARRY MEIER and JO CRAVEN McGINTY
BAYONNE, N.J. — The most expensive hospital in America is not set amid the swaying palm trees of Beverly Hills or the luxury townhouses of New York’s Upper East Side.
It is in a faded blue-collar town 11 miles from Midtown Manhattan.
Based on the bills it submits to Medicare, the Bayonne Medical Center charged the highest amounts in the country for nearly one-quarter of the most common hospital treatments, according to a New York Times analysis of 2011 data, the most recent available. No other hospital was at the top of the price list more often.
Bayonne Medical typically charged $99,689 for treating each case of chronic lung disease, 5.5 times as much as other hospitals and 17.5 times as much as Medicare paid in reimbursement. The hospital also charged on average of $120,040 to treat transient ischemia, a type of small stroke that has no lasting effect. That was 5.6 times the national average and 23.6 times what Medicare paid.
For those prices, the quality of care at Bayonne Medical is no better — or worse — than that at most other New Jersey hospitals. In a 2011 state hospital quality report, Bayonne Medical scored only in the top 50 percent.
But profits at the hospital, which was bankrupt in 2007, have soared in recent years, in part because it has found a way to turn some of those high billings into payments.
The increasingly contentious issue of hospital charges drew renewed attention last week when the federal government released Medicare data showing that facilities nationwide submitted widely divergent bills for the same treatments.
And while the unassuming, six-story brick hospital here holds a notable place in those rankings, others stand out as well. The midsize Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa., was the top biller in the country for urinary tract infections. Oneprestigious Manhattan hospital, NYU Langone Medical Center, charged twice as much as the equally high-end NewYork-Presbyterian to implant a cardiac pacemaker. But Medicare considers the two New York hospitals so similar it pays them both about $20,000 for the procedure.
The hospital industry is quick to say that the charges are irrelevant because virtually no one — private insurers, Medicare or even the uninsured — pays anywhere near those amounts. Medicare sets standard rates for treatments and insurers negotiate with hospitals. But experts add that the charges reflect decades of maneuvering by hospitals to gain an edge over insurers and provide themselves with tax advantages.
Until a recent ruling by the Internal Revenue Service, for instance, a hospital could use the higher prices when calculating the amount of charity care it was providing, said Gerard Anderson, director of the Center for Hospital Finance and Management at Johns Hopkins. “There is a method to the madness, though it is still madness,” Mr. Anderson said.
A close look at the finances of Bayonne Medical Center sheds light on how hospital pricing at the extremes may financially benefit an institution. The practices at Bayonne Medical also highlight a new financial strategy used by a small number of hospitals to increase their profits by “going out of network” — severing ties, and hence contractual agreements that limit reimbursement rates, with large private insurers.
Neither officials nor owners of Bayonne Medical responded to multiple calls and e-mail requests for interviews. Because the company is privately held, it does not have to release financial data.
Bayonne Medical, which was founded in 1888, was losing nearly $1.5 million a month before it filed for bankruptcy in 2007. By 2011, under new ownership and a new financial model, its patient revenue had nearly tripled and its operating income had reached $9.3 million, according to the American Hospital Directory, a publication that compiles data from Medicare and other sources about health care facilities.
The hospital’s turnabout started in 2008 when it was acquired out of bankruptcy by a consortium of buyers in a deal valued at about $41 million.
Bayonne’s purchasers included Vivek Garipalli, who worked at the private equity giant Blackstone Group before co-founding the International Sleep Network, a company based in New Jersey that treats patients with sleep apnea and other disorders. Joining Mr. Garipalli was Jeffrey Mandler, the head of a health care imaging firm. To make money from Bayonne Medical, the new buyers made some big changes in the hospital’s business strategy.
First, they converted Bayonne Medical from a nonprofit to a for-profit hospital at a time when such hospitals were a rarity in New Jersey. Next, they moved to sever existing contracts with large private insurers, essentially making Bayonne Medical an out-of-network hospital for most insurance plans.
Under New Jersey law, patients treated in a hospital emergency room outside their provider’s network have to pay out of pocket only what they would have paid if the hospital was in the network. But an out-of-network hospital can bill the patient’s insurer at essentially whatever rate it cares to set. While the insurers can negotiate with the hospital, they generally end up paying more than they would have under a contractual agreement.
In recent years, Bayonne Medical put up digital billboards highlighting the short waits in its emergency rooms in an effort to attract more patients. Insurers complained that the hospital was seeking to take advantage of the higher rates it could charge.
While the law was aimed at giving patients more hospitals to choose from, it “has had the unintended consequence of rewarding folks for these inflated charges,” said Wardell Sanders, president of the New Jersey Association of Health Plans. “When people say these charges are just the sticker price and it’s meaningless, it’s not meaningless.”
Community leaders in Bayonne, fearing the hospital could close, said the buyers were always candid about the methods they intended to use to make the hospital a profitable enterprise.
“That raised a lot of concern, but what other choice did we have?” said Jeanne Otersen, who was a member of the Coalition to Save Bayonne Medical Center and is policy director for the Health Professionals and Allied Employees, a union that represents nurses at the facility.
Not surprisingly, the insurers fought back against the out-of-network model. In 2009, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey filed an injunction in New Jersey Superior Court saying Bayonne Medical’s owners had “flatly rejected” and refused to negotiate an in-network hospital contract with Horizon. When the existing agreement expired in early 2009, Horizon said Bayonne sharply increased its prices. Bayonne’s in-network charges to Horizon averaged $13,000 a day in 2008. A year later, when it was out of network, the charges soared to $29,000, the insurer said in a spring 2009 news release.
Bayonne Medical denied allegations in Horizon’s lawsuit that it was artificially inflating prices, and filed its own lawsuit against Horizon, claiming the insurer had intimidated patients and tried to get them to leave the facility before completing their treatments.
The two eventually settled in 2011, and Horizon became an in-network insurance provider. A spokesman for Horizon declined to comment on Bayonne Medical’s charges, citing terms of the settlement agreement.
Still, many other large insurance companies, including Cigna, United Healthcare and Aetna, remain out of network at Bayonne and are paying the higher bills.
“Their model is to charge exorbitant rates, particularly for emergency room services, and if the insurance companies don’t pay them, they threaten to go after the member for the balance of billing,” said Carl King, head of national networks for Aetna, whose in-network contract was also ended by Bayonne in 2008.
Like Horizon, Aetna said its bills from Bayonne Medical soared, and it also filed a lawsuit in 2011. The suit was dismissed.
Aetna’s internal data showed that Bayonne Medical’s emergency room charges jumped again in 2012 and are running 6 to 12 times as high as those of surrounding hospitals. Last fall, Mr. Garipalli bought the designer Tory Burch’s oceanside home in Southampton for $11 million, according to public records.
After purchasing Bayonne Medical, the investor group went on a buying spree, acquiring Hoboken University Medical Center in 2011 and the bankrupt Christ Hospital in Jersey City last year.
“This hospital is clearly pursuing an out-of-network strategy with a profit motive in mind and taking advantage of members who seek emergency services at their facility,” Mr. King said.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Garage Sale
Well, the dreaded community garage sale is over. The rain helped shorten the weekend's plan, although there were a few folks who were out in the rain selling their stuff on Sunday.
I stayed true to my word--"nothing comes back in the house"! Next time I will say--"nothing comes back in the house and/or garage"!
It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We did get rid of some items we didn't need or want anymore and in doing so, we didn't have to contribute to the landfill.
Bonus: I took the opportunity to distribute Consumer Reports' Best Drugs for Less brochure, which educates people about generic drugs and other useful information.
I stayed true to my word--"nothing comes back in the house"! Next time I will say--"nothing comes back in the house and/or garage"!
It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We did get rid of some items we didn't need or want anymore and in doing so, we didn't have to contribute to the landfill.
Bonus: I took the opportunity to distribute Consumer Reports' Best Drugs for Less brochure, which educates people about generic drugs and other useful information.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Friday's BBD DigitalHealth Finds: Rating docs bad for your health? A hearing aid iPhone app. Is text4baby beneficial to moms-to-be?
Have you seen the FDA’s new Patient Network website? [FDA]
The website is an interactive tool for educating patients, patient advocates, and consumers on how their medications – both prescription and over-the-counter –and medical devices move from the realm of idea to the realm of the marketplace. It will open new channels of communication with the public, such as live chats with senior agency officials. It will help patients and consumers better understand the process for determining whether medical products are safe and effective and encourage them to contribute their ideas and concerns about the development and regulation of these products.
Social network offers discreet way to share health info publicly [Med City News]
A neurologist has started a healthcare social network called HealthKeep that he describes as the inverse of Facebook. Everyone is anonymous but their information is public. It was developed to help serve the 72 percent of Internet users who look for health information, most of whom rely on search engines. And though Facebook is a popular social network, most people wouldn’t feel too comfortable sharing potentially embarrassing personal health queries. This is how it works.
Study demonstrates efficacy of text4baby program [Fierce Mobile Healthcare]
A year-long evaluation of text4baby, a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health through text messaging, has found the program to be effective, according to an announcement of the results. The survey results “indicate that text4baby is increasing users' health knowledge, facilitating interaction with health providers, reminding them of their appointments and immunizations, and improving access to health services.” Among the findings:
New app turns smartphone into hearing aid [AARP International]
With everyone so “plugged in” to technology these days, researchers at the University of Essex of the UK have created an IPhone App that would allow users to turn their smartphone into a hearing aid. This app is currently available as a beta version and can be downloaded for free through the Apple Itunes Store. The app is currently in a trial period and the creators are hoping to make some fine tuning changes based on feedback from those who choose to download and test out their product. The app is fairly simple to navigate and offers different options for users to choose from, distinguishing it from a traditional hearing aid.
Can personal health data motivate behavioral change? It depends. [MobiHealth News]
One of the critical questions within the connected healthcare movement is whether or not personal health data will actually catalyze and then incentivize lasting behavioral change and better wellness. Will any kind of data serve to motivate behavioral change? Does it matter if we see our data on a smartphone versus a laptop screen? Do all people respond in the same way? Early on, we realized that our ability to transcend our customer base, from highly-engaged, “quantified self” early adopters to the mainstream world of the “frustrated sleepers”, would require far more than just the raw data itself. It turns out that the gift wrapping matters as much as the present inside.
Smartphone app gives doctors remote viewing powers [MIT Technology Review]
At the Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, nurses can see into the lives of some diabetes patients even when they’re not at the clinic. If a specific patient starts acting lethargic, or making lengthy calls to his mom, a green box representing him on an online dashboard turns yellow, then red. Soon, a nurse will call to see if he is still taking his medication. This novel way of keeping tabs on patients is one of several studies of an app called Ginger.io taking place at hospitals in the United States.
Why rating your doctor is bad for your health [Forbes – published in Jan. 2013]
Suffering from a toothache, a South Carolina woman headed to her local emergency room a few months ago. The doctor there responded by administering Dilaudid, a powerful intramuscular narcotic typically reserved for cancer-related pain. Why, his nurse queried, was he killing a flea with a sledgehammer? Afraid of malpractice? No, the doc replied, Press Ganey. “My scores last month were low.” Press who?
The website is an interactive tool for educating patients, patient advocates, and consumers on how their medications – both prescription and over-the-counter –and medical devices move from the realm of idea to the realm of the marketplace. It will open new channels of communication with the public, such as live chats with senior agency officials. It will help patients and consumers better understand the process for determining whether medical products are safe and effective and encourage them to contribute their ideas and concerns about the development and regulation of these products.
Social network offers discreet way to share health info publicly [Med City News]
A neurologist has started a healthcare social network called HealthKeep that he describes as the inverse of Facebook. Everyone is anonymous but their information is public. It was developed to help serve the 72 percent of Internet users who look for health information, most of whom rely on search engines. And though Facebook is a popular social network, most people wouldn’t feel too comfortable sharing potentially embarrassing personal health queries. This is how it works.
Study demonstrates efficacy of text4baby program [Fierce Mobile Healthcare]
A year-long evaluation of text4baby, a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health through text messaging, has found the program to be effective, according to an announcement of the results. The survey results “indicate that text4baby is increasing users' health knowledge, facilitating interaction with health providers, reminding them of their appointments and immunizations, and improving access to health services.” Among the findings:
New app turns smartphone into hearing aid [AARP International]
With everyone so “plugged in” to technology these days, researchers at the University of Essex of the UK have created an IPhone App that would allow users to turn their smartphone into a hearing aid. This app is currently available as a beta version and can be downloaded for free through the Apple Itunes Store. The app is currently in a trial period and the creators are hoping to make some fine tuning changes based on feedback from those who choose to download and test out their product. The app is fairly simple to navigate and offers different options for users to choose from, distinguishing it from a traditional hearing aid.
Can personal health data motivate behavioral change? It depends. [MobiHealth News]
One of the critical questions within the connected healthcare movement is whether or not personal health data will actually catalyze and then incentivize lasting behavioral change and better wellness. Will any kind of data serve to motivate behavioral change? Does it matter if we see our data on a smartphone versus a laptop screen? Do all people respond in the same way? Early on, we realized that our ability to transcend our customer base, from highly-engaged, “quantified self” early adopters to the mainstream world of the “frustrated sleepers”, would require far more than just the raw data itself. It turns out that the gift wrapping matters as much as the present inside.
Smartphone app gives doctors remote viewing powers [MIT Technology Review]
At the Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, nurses can see into the lives of some diabetes patients even when they’re not at the clinic. If a specific patient starts acting lethargic, or making lengthy calls to his mom, a green box representing him on an online dashboard turns yellow, then red. Soon, a nurse will call to see if he is still taking his medication. This novel way of keeping tabs on patients is one of several studies of an app called Ginger.io taking place at hospitals in the United States.
Why rating your doctor is bad for your health [Forbes – published in Jan. 2013]
Suffering from a toothache, a South Carolina woman headed to her local emergency room a few months ago. The doctor there responded by administering Dilaudid, a powerful intramuscular narcotic typically reserved for cancer-related pain. Why, his nurse queried, was he killing a flea with a sledgehammer? Afraid of malpractice? No, the doc replied, Press Ganey. “My scores last month were low.” Press who?
The Most Serious Kind Of Drug Recall Is Increasing
http://www.pharmalive.com/the-most-serious-kind-of-drug-recall-is-increasing/
A reminder that a class I designation means there's a reasonable probability of causing serious adverse health consequences or death.
Posted Thu, 05/16/2013 - 11:27am by Ed Silverman 1
Amid an FDA crackdown on manufacturing violations and a rising shortage of many prescription drugs, it may not be surprising to learn that there were also more recalls during the first quarter of this year.
Specifically, there were 107 recalls, which amounted to a 32 percent increase from the previous quarter and a higher number, on average, according to a report from Expert Recall, a consulting firm.
And given the increased scrutiny placed on compounding pharmacies by the FDA in the wake of the nationwide outbreak of fungal meningitis last fall, a compounder set the record for most recalls in this year’s first quarter with a total of 13.
Overall, there more than 13.1 million unit recalls, up from 11.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2012. The bulk were due to several large recalls, including that involved more than 1 million units each.
Interestingly, there were 14 Class I recalls this past quarter, which was more was document in each quarter of 2012. This is the most serious because these suggest what the FDA calls a reasonable probability that use or exposure will cause serious adverse consequences or death.
Similarly, there were more Class II and Class III recalls in the recently ended quarter than in each quarter during 2012. The number of Class II recalls amounted to 62 and the number of Class III recalls totaled 31.
In a further breakdown, six recalls involved over-the-counter medicines and three “high volume” products accounted for 85 percent of the total. The drugs, however, were not named.
The remainder of the 107 recalls involved prescription drugs, including 14 that were documented as Class I, 61 were Class II and 26 were Class III. And 67 recalls affected US customers nationwide. Only one recall affected customers outside the US.
Here is the report link:
http://www.expertrecall.com/wp-content/uploads/Q1-2013_Pharmaceutical-Recalls.pdf
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Mother's Day 2013
Happy Mother's Day to our
beautiful Blessed Mother
beautiful Blessed Mother
The new norm for my Mother's Day
The weekend started off on Friday evening with a liturgy for parents Grieving the Loss of a Child at Notre Dame Parish in North Caldwell. We have attended the mass the last few years. This year our dear friends, Pat & Jim, accompanied us. The loss of a child (young or older) is unfathomable. The heart pain can’t be understood by anyone who hasn’t experienced it. We can relate to the father who speaks with tears in his eyes and sobs in his throat; thankful that he has to courage to stand in front of the congregation and share his son or daughter’s story with everyone. The stories may vary, but the deep sadness is shared by every parent in the church. Though we are united in grief, we must remember we each grieve differently. The service at this time of the year has an extra special meaning; I am surrounded by mothers and fathers who know what it is not to be able to hug your child, not to hear the laughter that is music to a parent’s ear, not to have the chance to create new memories, and many more things that we will never have the chance to experience with our precious son or daughter. All we can do is remember our children; sadly, we can no longer experience them.
Janet McCormack (Associate Director, Family Life Ministries) did a superb job speaking the names of each child. No matter how long the list is, every name on it is spoken aloud, softly, and correctly. The mass is very poignant; just to hear our daughter's name overwhelmingly touches our hearts.
After the mass, people gather downstairs at “Charlie's Place” for light refreshments. The celebrants--Rev. Marc Vicari and Rev. Anthony Randazzo join the group. All the ladies receive a carnation and one person from each table gets to take the geranium home. When I get it I plant it at Laura's grave site. She will be getting a pretty pink geranium.
Fred and I want to “Thank” everyone who volunteers to make the mass for deceased children so special. We truly appreciate it.
For additional information, please contact the Office of Family Life Ministries, Archdiocese of Newark at 973-497-4327.
Janet McCormack (Associate Director, Family Life Ministries) did a superb job speaking the names of each child. No matter how long the list is, every name on it is spoken aloud, softly, and correctly. The mass is very poignant; just to hear our daughter's name overwhelmingly touches our hearts.
We remember...
LAURA ELIZABETH CITARELLA
now and forever.
After the mass, people gather downstairs at “Charlie's Place” for light refreshments. The celebrants--Rev. Marc Vicari and Rev. Anthony Randazzo join the group. All the ladies receive a carnation and one person from each table gets to take the geranium home. When I get it I plant it at Laura's grave site. She will be getting a pretty pink geranium.
Fred and I want to “Thank” everyone who volunteers to make the mass for deceased children so special. We truly appreciate it.
For additional information, please contact the Office of Family Life Ministries, Archdiocese of Newark at 973-497-4327.
Then on Mother's Day, I spent time with my son, daugher-in-law, and Julia (Danielle's mom). Danielle and David treated us to brunch at Bel Posto. We had a very pleasant meal together. Thank you kids! All moms received a beautiful red rose from the maître D.
Later in the afternoon we went to D & D's house and we got a chance to see our grand dogs, Jackson and Louie. I had a peaceful, delightful day with my son. (Laura was with us in spirit.)
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| Julia & Danielle |
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| Claudia & Danielle |
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David & Mom
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Statement by the whistleblower in the Ranbaxy case
Statement By Dinesh Thakur Regarding US Government's Case Against Ranbaxy
WASHINGTON, May 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the United States government brought to a conclusion an eight-year criminal and civil investigation of Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, India's largest generic drug company, and Ranbaxy, Inc., Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ranbaxy Laboratories, Inc., Ranbaxy USA, Inc., and Ohm Laboratories, Inc. ("Ranbaxy"). Ranbaxy has agreed to pay $500 million to resolve allegations of falsifying drug data and systemic manufacturing violations. Ranbaxy USA Inc. has pleaded guilty to multiple criminal violations. Dinesh Thakur served as the whistleblower in this case and is the former Ranbaxy Director and Global Head, Research Information & Portfolio Management.
Statement by Dinesh Thakur:
"I am relieved that the government's investigation has concluded. I am thankful for the remarkable effort of United States Food and Drug Administration, Department of Justice, United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, USAID, and State Medicaid Fraud Control Units. Their work has been tireless and dedicated.
"Eight years ago, as the Director of Project & Information Management at Ranbaxy, I discovered that the company falsified drug data and systemically violated current good manufacturing practices and good laboratory practices. Ranbaxy's management was notified of these widespread problems. When they failed to correct the problems, it left me with no choice but to alert healthcare authorities.
"I worked with U.S. regulatory authorities for two years to expose the fraud. In furtherance of this effort, I filed a lawsuit to hold Ranbaxy accountable. It took us eight years to help government authorities unravel a complicated trail of falsified records and dangerous manufacturing practices that threatened to compromise the quality and safety of Ranbaxy drugs. Along the way, the government barred the importation of Ranbaxy drugs, held the company accountable for its data fraud under FDA's Application Integrity Policy, and required it to implement corrective measures to prevent the problems from recurring.
"As a senior pharmaceutical executive, I understand the importance of regulatory oversight in ensuring drug quality and safety. There are unique challenges in a global drug market, which is highly dependent on international manufacturing and distribution. In fact, approximately 78 percent of prescription drugs dispensed in the United States are generic, and a growing percentage of drugs – both generic and name brand – is manufactured overseas. This case highlights the need for effective regulation that applies to drugs sold in the United States, regardless where they are manufactured.
I would like to thank FDA's Office of Criminal Investigation, United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, Department of Justice, USAID, and Andrew M. Beato, Bob Muse, and Rory Kelly of Stein Mitchell Muse & Cipollone LLP. I hope that our actions and this case have helped to improve the quality and safety of drugs in the United States and abroad."
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please visit www.dineshthakur.com
MEDIA INQUIRIES
For media inquiries, please contact media@gloverparkgroup.com or 202-337-0808.; for inquiries from India media, please contact Indianmedia@gloverparkgroup.com.
_______
News from Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman
May 13, 2013
New York City Press Office / 212-416-8060
Albany Press Office / 518-473-5525
nyag.pressoffice@ag.ny.gov
Twitter: @AGSchneiderman
A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN ANNOUNCES PHARMACEUTICAL GIANT TO PAY $500 MILLION PENALTY FOR SELLING DRUGS THAT FELL BELOW FDA STANDARDS
New York State To Receive $44 Million From Settlement Of Whistleblower Case With India-Based Ranbaxy
A.G. Schneiderman: We Will Continue To Hold Big Pharma Accountable And Recoup Dollars Stolen From New York’s Medicaid Program
NEW YORK - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced today that New York helped lead the negotiation of a national, $500 million settlement with a giant generic pharmaceutical manufacturer based in India. The settlement with Ranbaxy resolved civil and criminal allegations that introduced generic drugs that lacked necessary active ingredients due to poor quality control standards into interstate commerce. As part of the settlement, Ranbaxy will return $44 million to New York’s Medicaid programs.
“Pharmaceutical companies that manufacture and distribute worthless pills harm patients and abuse our Medicaid programs,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Under this national settlement, Ranbaxy’s flagrant violation of America’s drug standards will stop, they will pay civil and criminal penalties, and their US subsidiary has pled guilty to numerous felony charges in federal court.”
The investigation stemmed from a whistleblower lawsuit filed in federal court in Maryland under the federal False Claims Act and various state false claims statutes. The whistleblower’s complaint alleged that Ranbaxy knowingly manufactured, distributed and sold generic pharmaceutical products in the United States and that the strength, purity and quality of those drugs fell below standards required by the FDA. The products at issue consisted of 26 generic pharmaceutical drugs manufactured at Ranbaxy’s facilities in India at various times between April 1, 2003 and September 16, 2010. The drugs included Amoxicillin, a common antibiotic, and Fenofibrate, used to reduce high cholesterol.
The whistleblower suit was filed 2007 in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
Ranbaxy has agreed to pay the states and the federal government $350 million dollars in civil damages and penalties to resolve civil allegations of poor manufacturing practices in two Indian manufacturing plants, in Paonta Sahib and Dewas. Of this amount, $266,729,715.10 will be returned to the state Medicaid programs, which are funded jointly by the states and the federal government. The remaining $83,270,284.86 is designated for other federal health care programs affected by Ranbaxy’s conduct. The total portion of the settlement amount recovered by New York is $43, 882,807.70.
Additionally, Ranbaxy USA, a subsidiary, has pled guilty to seven felony counts alleging violations of the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and has agreed to pay $150 million dollars in criminal fines and forfeitures in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Ranbaxy entered into a consent decree in January 2012 with the federal government to address outstanding current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) and data integrity issues in the two Indian manufacturing plants at issue. These provisions include a wide range of actions to correct its violations and to ensure that the violations do not occur again.
A team from the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units (NAMFCU) conducted the settlement negotiations with Ranbaxy on behalf of the states and included representatives from the Offices of the Attorneys General for the states of New York, California, South Carolina, Maryland and Oregon.
The New York team consisted of Jay Speers, Counsel to MFCU and Meghan Collins, Associate Special Auditor Investigator. It was supervised by Deputy Attorney General Monica Hickey-Martin, Director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and Executive Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice Kelly Donovan.
WASHINGTON, May 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the United States government brought to a conclusion an eight-year criminal and civil investigation of Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, India's largest generic drug company, and Ranbaxy, Inc., Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ranbaxy Laboratories, Inc., Ranbaxy USA, Inc., and Ohm Laboratories, Inc. ("Ranbaxy"). Ranbaxy has agreed to pay $500 million to resolve allegations of falsifying drug data and systemic manufacturing violations. Ranbaxy USA Inc. has pleaded guilty to multiple criminal violations. Dinesh Thakur served as the whistleblower in this case and is the former Ranbaxy Director and Global Head, Research Information & Portfolio Management.
Statement by Dinesh Thakur:
"I am relieved that the government's investigation has concluded. I am thankful for the remarkable effort of United States Food and Drug Administration, Department of Justice, United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, USAID, and State Medicaid Fraud Control Units. Their work has been tireless and dedicated.
"Eight years ago, as the Director of Project & Information Management at Ranbaxy, I discovered that the company falsified drug data and systemically violated current good manufacturing practices and good laboratory practices. Ranbaxy's management was notified of these widespread problems. When they failed to correct the problems, it left me with no choice but to alert healthcare authorities.
"I worked with U.S. regulatory authorities for two years to expose the fraud. In furtherance of this effort, I filed a lawsuit to hold Ranbaxy accountable. It took us eight years to help government authorities unravel a complicated trail of falsified records and dangerous manufacturing practices that threatened to compromise the quality and safety of Ranbaxy drugs. Along the way, the government barred the importation of Ranbaxy drugs, held the company accountable for its data fraud under FDA's Application Integrity Policy, and required it to implement corrective measures to prevent the problems from recurring.
"As a senior pharmaceutical executive, I understand the importance of regulatory oversight in ensuring drug quality and safety. There are unique challenges in a global drug market, which is highly dependent on international manufacturing and distribution. In fact, approximately 78 percent of prescription drugs dispensed in the United States are generic, and a growing percentage of drugs – both generic and name brand – is manufactured overseas. This case highlights the need for effective regulation that applies to drugs sold in the United States, regardless where they are manufactured.
I would like to thank FDA's Office of Criminal Investigation, United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, Department of Justice, USAID, and Andrew M. Beato, Bob Muse, and Rory Kelly of Stein Mitchell Muse & Cipollone LLP. I hope that our actions and this case have helped to improve the quality and safety of drugs in the United States and abroad."
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please visit www.dineshthakur.com
MEDIA INQUIRIES
For media inquiries, please contact media@gloverparkgroup.com or 202-337-0808.; for inquiries from India media, please contact Indianmedia@gloverparkgroup.com.
_______
News from Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman
May 13, 2013
New York City Press Office / 212-416-8060
Albany Press Office / 518-473-5525
nyag.pressoffice@ag.ny.gov
Twitter: @AGSchneiderman
A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN ANNOUNCES PHARMACEUTICAL GIANT TO PAY $500 MILLION PENALTY FOR SELLING DRUGS THAT FELL BELOW FDA STANDARDS
New York State To Receive $44 Million From Settlement Of Whistleblower Case With India-Based Ranbaxy
A.G. Schneiderman: We Will Continue To Hold Big Pharma Accountable And Recoup Dollars Stolen From New York’s Medicaid Program
NEW YORK - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced today that New York helped lead the negotiation of a national, $500 million settlement with a giant generic pharmaceutical manufacturer based in India. The settlement with Ranbaxy resolved civil and criminal allegations that introduced generic drugs that lacked necessary active ingredients due to poor quality control standards into interstate commerce. As part of the settlement, Ranbaxy will return $44 million to New York’s Medicaid programs.
“Pharmaceutical companies that manufacture and distribute worthless pills harm patients and abuse our Medicaid programs,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “Under this national settlement, Ranbaxy’s flagrant violation of America’s drug standards will stop, they will pay civil and criminal penalties, and their US subsidiary has pled guilty to numerous felony charges in federal court.”
The investigation stemmed from a whistleblower lawsuit filed in federal court in Maryland under the federal False Claims Act and various state false claims statutes. The whistleblower’s complaint alleged that Ranbaxy knowingly manufactured, distributed and sold generic pharmaceutical products in the United States and that the strength, purity and quality of those drugs fell below standards required by the FDA. The products at issue consisted of 26 generic pharmaceutical drugs manufactured at Ranbaxy’s facilities in India at various times between April 1, 2003 and September 16, 2010. The drugs included Amoxicillin, a common antibiotic, and Fenofibrate, used to reduce high cholesterol.
The whistleblower suit was filed 2007 in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
Ranbaxy has agreed to pay the states and the federal government $350 million dollars in civil damages and penalties to resolve civil allegations of poor manufacturing practices in two Indian manufacturing plants, in Paonta Sahib and Dewas. Of this amount, $266,729,715.10 will be returned to the state Medicaid programs, which are funded jointly by the states and the federal government. The remaining $83,270,284.86 is designated for other federal health care programs affected by Ranbaxy’s conduct. The total portion of the settlement amount recovered by New York is $43, 882,807.70.
Additionally, Ranbaxy USA, a subsidiary, has pled guilty to seven felony counts alleging violations of the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and has agreed to pay $150 million dollars in criminal fines and forfeitures in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Ranbaxy entered into a consent decree in January 2012 with the federal government to address outstanding current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) and data integrity issues in the two Indian manufacturing plants at issue. These provisions include a wide range of actions to correct its violations and to ensure that the violations do not occur again.
A team from the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units (NAMFCU) conducted the settlement negotiations with Ranbaxy on behalf of the states and included representatives from the Offices of the Attorneys General for the states of New York, California, South Carolina, Maryland and Oregon.
The New York team consisted of Jay Speers, Counsel to MFCU and Meghan Collins, Associate Special Auditor Investigator. It was supervised by Deputy Attorney General Monica Hickey-Martin, Director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and Executive Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice Kelly Donovan.
Friday, May 10, 2013
HAPPY MOM'S DAY
To my family and friends,
Wishing you a wonderful Mother's Day.
Hoping you are celebrated for all that you do time and time again.
Enjoy the time with those you love!
Friday's Best Buy Drugs DigitalHealth Finds from Ginger...
Info about a mobile health best practices guide, tele-ICU monitoring
Five reasons virtual doctor visits might be better than in-person ones [MobiHealthNews)
Of course, virtual visits can’t do everything that a doctor can do in-person. But in the average primary care checkup, a patient sees a doctor for about 7 minutes. In that context, it’s not hard to see the advantage of cutting out the extra time and making the most of a short visit. Many speakers at ATA said that virtual visits aren’t just a “good-enough” replacement for when a “real” visit isn’t possible. In many ways, virtual visits are actually superior.
Your next doctor could save your life from hundreds of miles away [Forbes]
Collaborating with colleagues through a telepresence robot, taking notes while the teacher lectures to your avatar while you remain comfortably at home, and receiving a prescription from a doctor you’ve only met on a video screen are all realities today. But certainly caring for the critically ill and their need for immediate attention still requires face-to-face, hands on interaction, right? Wrong.
New guide offers best practices for choosing mobile health apps [iHealthBeat]
The American Health Information Management Association has released a best practices guide to help consumers evaluate mobile health applications, Healthcare IT News reports. The guide focuses in part on ensuring the privacy and security of personal health data.
Half of U.S. physicians use Epocrates on tablets [MobiHealthNews]
One again, Epocrates tops the list as the most popular app for physicians, according to Manahattan Research’s Taking the Pulse 2013 survey results. Of the 2,950 physicians surveyed, Epocrates was used by 70 percent of physicians via their smartphones and 50 percent via tablet devices.
For what types of health care services have consumers read or written online reviews? [iHealthBeat]
Thirty-one percent of U.S. consumers have read online reviews of doctors and 13% have written such reviews, according to a recent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute. The report found that 28% of U.S. consumers have read online reviews of hospitals and 14% have written such reviews, while 16% of U.S. consumers have read online reviews of insurers and 5% have written such reviews. Twelve percent of U.S. consumers have read online reviews of pharmacies and 5% have written such reviews, the report found.
Twitter for the engaged patient: A curated stream of new evidence [KevinMD.com]
Every weekday, I tweet a carefully curated stream of new evidence, analysis and commentary that covers all the health and health care angles that we – sick or well – might need to know about. I tweet material from major news outlets, peer-reviewed literature, blogs and magazines in the belief that to the extent possible, thoughtful consideration of emerging information and understandings about health and health care will serve us best. Here’s why I tweet what I tweet:
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Consumer Reports, Lisa Gill, on CBS This Morning (May 8 2013)
Watch my co-worker, Lisa Gill, on CBS This Morning yesterday addressing purchasing Rx meds online (a big issue this week with Pfizer's unveiling their plan to sell Viagra directly online). Kudos to Lisa for a wonderful performance.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50146340n
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50146340n
Scientists: Health Benefits Of Sunlight Exposure May Outweigh Risks
Helps me feel better about my love relationship with summer. I would be miserable without the sun.
BBC News (5/8) reports that scientists at Edinburgh University say that "the health benefits of exposing skin to sunlight may far outweigh the risk of developing skin cancer," as "research suggests sunlight helps reduce blood pressure, cutting heart attack and stroke risks and even prolonging life." Dr. Richard Weller, a senior lecturer in dermatology at Edinburgh University, remarked, "The work we have done provides a mechanism that might account for this, and also explains why dietary vitamin D supplements alone will not be able to compensate for lack of sunlight. We now plan to look at the relative risks of heart disease and skin cancer in people who have received different amounts of sun exposure."
The Daily Mail (UK) (5/8, Borland) reports, "Dr Weller will present his findings on Friday at the International Investigative Dermatology conference in Edinburgh."
BBC News (5/8) reports that scientists at Edinburgh University say that "the health benefits of exposing skin to sunlight may far outweigh the risk of developing skin cancer," as "research suggests sunlight helps reduce blood pressure, cutting heart attack and stroke risks and even prolonging life." Dr. Richard Weller, a senior lecturer in dermatology at Edinburgh University, remarked, "The work we have done provides a mechanism that might account for this, and also explains why dietary vitamin D supplements alone will not be able to compensate for lack of sunlight. We now plan to look at the relative risks of heart disease and skin cancer in people who have received different amounts of sun exposure."
The Daily Mail (UK) (5/8, Borland) reports, "Dr Weller will present his findings on Friday at the International Investigative Dermatology conference in Edinburgh."
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Thank you...
for all the good wishes! Your cards and calls mean a lot to us. 40 years...it is hard to believe! It doesn't seem that long ago that we spoke our vows in front of our family and friends. We have honored those vows. Although, we decided that we will go day by day for the next 40. All kidding aside, I pray we have many more years together and continue to honor those vows.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Friday's Digital Health Finds: Text messages for asthmatic kids, 5 ways to use Pinterest in healthcare, and more!
Study: Text messages are effective intervention for asthmatic children [Healthcare Informatics]
According to the results of a study, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, sending a child with asthma a text message that prods them on their symptoms and help them better understand the condition can improve outcomes. “It appears that text messages acted as an implicit reminder for patients to take their medicine and by the end of the study, the kids were more in tune with their illness,” Rosa Arriaga, study leader and senior research scientist in the College of Computing’s School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech, said in a statement.
Can making data beautiful engage patients and boost health literacy [Med City News]
Providing consumers access to their data without overwhelming their health literacy threshold is probably the biggest challenge for companies developing patient portals to provide access to electronic health records. Too much of a focus on images can be distracting but too much text can cause eye strain or be daunting for users. And you still need to guide users through the components so there needs to be, if not breadcrumbs, an easy way for users to navigate.
Why doctors should use their real name on Twitter [KevinMd.com]
What we say on Twitter as doctors, particularly with medically related topics, carries weight. By saying we are doctors gives our tweets a greater level of authenticity that is not commonly afforded to other users. Not only do we hold power with knowledge, we are respected for the judicious use of our knowledge which has been painstakingly acquired over many years and enhanced by a responsibility for life long learning. It is incumbent upon us to not abuse this privilege.
UC San Francisco opens Center for Digital Health Innovation [UCSF]
Institutions around the world are experiencing fundamental cultural and societal shifts brought about by the explosive use of social media, mobile technologies and cloud computing. “While health care has not experienced the full force of the social media revolution, it will shortly,” Blum says. These technologies will truly democratize health care, and UCSF must be prepared to integrate them into its infrastructure and workflows, he says. These technologies will generate an unprecedented flood of clinical and research data that UCSF will need to manage, analyze and optimize for clinical care, discovery, and education.
5 ways Pinterest can be used for patient education in healthcare [ParkerWhite]
As more and more people use the Internet to search about healthcare, Pinterest is a way to organize the information they find, also allowing for them to share content easily with others. The other potential benefit from Pinterest is to reach people when they’re in various Internet “mindsets.” It can be a way to reach the patient when they’re not necessarily concerned with a particular problem at the moment (i.e. searching for specific health information for an issue they have right now). Pinterest can provide a medium for reaching patients to remind people of the many aspects of their life in which health plays an important role.
Specialists see tools to treat pain in video games [NYT]
…TubeRunner is one of four of galaxy-themed video games created specifically for this complex, where pain specialists and game developers are piloting an approach to measuring pain. Dr. Julia Finkel hopes that using technical data from games and interactive activities to objectively identify and monitor pain can help determine how to evaluate the techniques used to treat it. Central to their effort to quantify pain, said Dr. Finkel, the chief of pain medicine here, is a squat, rectangular black box with three eyes peering up from below the screen. It was a Kinect, a motion sensor device that allows users to control games using gestures and spoken commands.
According to the results of a study, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, sending a child with asthma a text message that prods them on their symptoms and help them better understand the condition can improve outcomes. “It appears that text messages acted as an implicit reminder for patients to take their medicine and by the end of the study, the kids were more in tune with their illness,” Rosa Arriaga, study leader and senior research scientist in the College of Computing’s School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech, said in a statement.
Can making data beautiful engage patients and boost health literacy [Med City News]
Providing consumers access to their data without overwhelming their health literacy threshold is probably the biggest challenge for companies developing patient portals to provide access to electronic health records. Too much of a focus on images can be distracting but too much text can cause eye strain or be daunting for users. And you still need to guide users through the components so there needs to be, if not breadcrumbs, an easy way for users to navigate.
Why doctors should use their real name on Twitter [KevinMd.com]
What we say on Twitter as doctors, particularly with medically related topics, carries weight. By saying we are doctors gives our tweets a greater level of authenticity that is not commonly afforded to other users. Not only do we hold power with knowledge, we are respected for the judicious use of our knowledge which has been painstakingly acquired over many years and enhanced by a responsibility for life long learning. It is incumbent upon us to not abuse this privilege.
UC San Francisco opens Center for Digital Health Innovation [UCSF]
Institutions around the world are experiencing fundamental cultural and societal shifts brought about by the explosive use of social media, mobile technologies and cloud computing. “While health care has not experienced the full force of the social media revolution, it will shortly,” Blum says. These technologies will truly democratize health care, and UCSF must be prepared to integrate them into its infrastructure and workflows, he says. These technologies will generate an unprecedented flood of clinical and research data that UCSF will need to manage, analyze and optimize for clinical care, discovery, and education.
5 ways Pinterest can be used for patient education in healthcare [ParkerWhite]
As more and more people use the Internet to search about healthcare, Pinterest is a way to organize the information they find, also allowing for them to share content easily with others. The other potential benefit from Pinterest is to reach people when they’re in various Internet “mindsets.” It can be a way to reach the patient when they’re not necessarily concerned with a particular problem at the moment (i.e. searching for specific health information for an issue they have right now). Pinterest can provide a medium for reaching patients to remind people of the many aspects of their life in which health plays an important role.
Specialists see tools to treat pain in video games [NYT]
…TubeRunner is one of four of galaxy-themed video games created specifically for this complex, where pain specialists and game developers are piloting an approach to measuring pain. Dr. Julia Finkel hopes that using technical data from games and interactive activities to objectively identify and monitor pain can help determine how to evaluate the techniques used to treat it. Central to their effort to quantify pain, said Dr. Finkel, the chief of pain medicine here, is a squat, rectangular black box with three eyes peering up from below the screen. It was a Kinect, a motion sensor device that allows users to control games using gestures and spoken commands.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Sharp rise in emergency department visits involving the sleep medication zolpidem
Zolpidem is the active ingredient in Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar and Zolpimist
A new report shows that the number of emergency department visits involving adverse reactions to the sleep medication zolpidem rose nearly 220 percent from 6,111 visits in 2005 to 19,487 visits in 2010. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) report also finds that in 2010 patients aged 45 or older represented about three-quarters (74 percent) of all emergency department visits involving adverse reactions to zolpidem.
In 2010 there were a total of 4,916,328 drug-related visits to emergency departments throughout the nation.
From 2005 to 2010 there was a 274 percent increase in the number of female visits to emergency department involving zolpidem (from 3,527 visits in 2005 to 13,130 in 2010) -- in comparison to a 144 percent increase among males during the same period (2,584 visits in 2005 to 6,306 in 2010). In 2010 females accounted for more than two-thirds (68 percent) of all emergency department visits related to zolpidem.
Zolpidem is an FDA-approved medication used for the short-term treatment of insomnia and is the active ingredient in drugs such as Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar and Zolpimist. These drugs have been used safely and effectively by millions of Americans, however, in January 2013, FDA responded to increasing numbers of reports of adverse reactions by requiring manufacturers of drugs containing Zolpidem to halve the recommended dose for females. FDA also suggested that manufacturers reduce the recommended dose for men as well.
Adverse reactions associated with the medication include daytime drowsiness, dizziness, hallucinations, agitation, sleep-walking and drowsiness while driving. When zolpidem is combined with other substances, the sedative effects of the drug can be dangerously enhanced. This is especially true when zolpidem is combined with certain anti-anxiety medications and narcotic pain relievers which depress the central nervous system. The report finds that in 2010 half of all emergency department visits related to zolpidem involved its use with other drugs. In 37 percent of all emergency department visits involving zolpidem it was used in combination with drugs that depress the central nervous system.
“Although short-term sleeping medications can help patients, it is exceedingly important that they be carefully used and monitored,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. “Physicians and patients need to be aware of the potential adverse reactions associated with any medication, and work closely together to prevent or quickly address any problems that may arise.”
SAMHSA has several major efforts underway to promote prevention and risk reduction regarding prescription drug related problems. For example, SAMHSA ‘s Strategic Prevention Framework - Partnerships for Success II (SPF-PFS II) grant program provides funding to communities throughout the nation for programs raising awareness about the problems of prescription drug misuse and abuse among persons aged 12 to 25. SAMHSA has also partnered with the National Council on Patient Information and Education on the “Not Worth the Risk – Even If It’s Legal” campaign. The partnership has developed and distributed educational and outreach messages to encourage parents to communicate with their teens on prescription drug abuse and misuse. These messages have been distributed to television, radio and newspaper outlets across the nation.
The report entitled, Emergency Department Visits for Adverse Reactions Involving the Insomnia Medication Zolpidem is based on findings from the 2005 to 2010 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) reports. DAWN is a public health surveillance system that monitors drug-related morbidity and mortality through reports from a network of hospital across the nation.
The complete survey findings are available on the SAMHSA web site at: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/2K13/DAWN79/DAWN79-adverse-reactions-zolpidem.htm
For more information about SAMHSA visit: http://www.samhsa.gov/
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