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Cafe society takes on health care
Friday, September 26, 2008 - 11:11 AM - 3 months, 1 week ago - Blog - Health Business Blog GOOD , a do-gooder media company “serving people who want to live well and do good” and Starbucks are partnering to provide “The GOOD Sheet,” a weekly page that explores key political topics. It’s an exclusive arrangement, so you won’t see these sheets at Peet’s. For 11 weeks leading up to and following the US presidential election, GOOD Sheets will be produced and distributed on specific topics, including gas prices, voter turnout and the environment. Health care is the topic for the second Sheet. You can see a reproduction here in case you miss it at Starbucks. It includes quite a bit of interesting information such as: “A look at what’s wrong” Spending breakdowns International comparisons of costs and outcomes A matrix of “how to health the system,” which lays out various alternatives (like single payer), compares them on key dimensions, and notes which aspects Obama or McCain have endorsed Along the bottom is a timeline of “how we got into this mess,” covering key events and trends over the past couple hundred years I like the idea of the GOOD Sheet. It presents useful, relevant information in a visually compelling way without dumbing down the issue or taking too strong a stance in favor of a particular outcome. I can imagine the Sheet elevating the discussion about health care to a level where arguments are productive and informed. The next topic is immigration , which is another area where it would be beneficial to elevate the conversation. Although I’m not a frequenter of Starbucks –I don’t drink coffee and don’t like the atmoshphere– GOOD Sheets might just get me to go. |
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High-Dose Epogen/Procrit in Ischemic Stroke Patients Linked to Higher Death Rate
Friday, September 26, 2008 - 11:05 AM - 3 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines Adverse events in other epoetin-alfa clinical trials should be monitored to ensure that the potential benefits outweigh the risks to patients. Medscape Medical News |
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EU Drugs Agency Recommends Approval of Kuvan for Hyperphenylalaninemia
Friday, September 26, 2008 - 08:40 AM - 3 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines The European Medicines Agency has backed approval of Kuvan for treating of hyperphenylalaninemia in patients with phenylketonuria, it said on Thursday. Reuters Health Information |
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EU Drugs Agency Endorses Alcon Glaucoma Treatment
Friday, September 26, 2008 - 08:38 AM - 3 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines The European Medicines Agency has recommended approval of Alcon's glaucoma treatment Azarga. Reuters Health Information |
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Presidential Candidates Present Their Healthcare Reform Plans in NEJM
Friday, September 26, 2008 - 07:06 AM - 3 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain lay out their healthcare reform plans, and critics on both ends of the political spectrum take them to task for it, in the New England Journal of Medicine's online edition. Medscape Medical News |
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Ikonisys launches test to determine early progression of cervical cancer
Thursday, September 25, 2008 - 06:58 PM - 3 months, 1 week ago - Blog - Health Business Blog I got an email a few days ago from a publicist for diagnostics company Ikonisys , asking me to mention the launch of a new test to determine the early progression of low grade dysplasia to cancer of the cervix. Ikonisys, a leading provider of next-generation, cell-based diagnostic solutions, announced today the launch of its clinically-validated, novel cervical cancer test, oncoFISH® cervical. Used in conjunction with the company’s proprietary CellOptics® platform, a robotic microscopy system, oncoFISH cervical provides the physician, while still adhering to current practice guidelines, with an assessment of risk of progression of low grade dysplasia to cancer of the cervix. oncoFISH cervical will be offered as a laboratory developed test through Ikonisys’ licensed CAP-accredited Clinical Laboratory. It sounded compelling to me, but I don’t know much about diagnostics and couldn’t really evaluate it. So I turned to my diagnostics expert, Keith Batchelder , MD, CEO of Genomic Healthcare Strategies (GHS), and asked him if this new test is a big deal. He gave me two answers: Short answer No, Longer answer Yes. Why no? This test is based on the premise that automated quantitation –using Ikonisys’s proprietary digital microscopy analysis system with reagents– of “rare cells” gives insight into regression/progression of cervical dysplasia to frank cancer. The premise is compelling, and may ultimately prove valid, but I don’t see enough current data (prospective) that warrants wild optimism. It’s still hype, with more research needed. Do the number of rare cells (and/or the cells they have a proprietary FISH “stain” for) directly correlate to progression in general (there are circulating tumor cell Dx companies that have yet to gain market traction), and in particular cervical cancer? Why yes? Automated quantitation for diagnosis in a particular disease (like Cytyc thinprep for pap smear) is already big business and it will become even bigger. Ikonisys is poised to be part of that wave. The bigger picture, we at GHS believe that companies that demonstrate the clinical utility of a quantitated Dx with real data and those that move that Dx closer to the point of care will be even bigger winners. So there you have it. Thanks, Keith. |
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Payment Reform Needed for US Healthcare System: A Newsmaker Interview With James King, MD
Thursday, September 25, 2008 - 02:55 PM - 3 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines Dr. King, the former president of AAFP, discusses payment reform, retail clinics, and the lower rates of medical students entering family medicine. Medscape Medical News |
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Proton beam therapy has no proven advantage
Thursday, September 25, 2008 - 11:38 AM - 3 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - GLG News(sm): Healthcare The cost of proton beam installations is massive, and is not justified in light of available litterature regarding the superiority of this therapy. There are only a handful of tumors, such as chordoma, where the proton beam therapy is recommended over other types of radiation. The higher compensation for this radiation is probably playing a part in the decision making for these new projects. |
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Health Insurance Costs Climb Again
Thursday, September 25, 2008 - 09:37 AM - 3 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines Premiums are up 5% this year, which is more than double the 1999 cost of health insurance. WebMD Health News |
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Sermo CEO to headline next Health 2.0 Northeast event
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - 05:29 PM - 3 months, 2 weeks ago - Blog - Health Business Blog I learned today that Daniel Palestrant, CEO of Sermo will be the keynote speaker at the Health 2.0 Northeast event in Cambridge, MA on October 7. That should make an already strong line-up even better. You can read my previous post on the event to learn more or register here. |
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