And Here’s the Bill to Block Medicare Pay Cuts to Doctors

From the Wall Street Journal Health Blog: The big health-care bill House Dems backed earlier this year would have blocked planned cuts in Medicare payments to doctors. That provision is not part of the bill Nancy Pelosi rolled out today. But that doesn’t mean it vanished — the Dems just made it a separate bill, [...]

Doctors have a duty to engage in social media

From KevinMD: Some physicians may be hesitant to participate in social media outlets, like Facebook and Twitter. Well, get over it. Great post by pediatrician Bryan Vartabedian who addresses this topic. Indeed, physicians have lost control of the online message, especially with, according to recent data, 60+ percent of patients visiting the web first when [...]

How Much Would Public Option Pay Doctors, Hospitals?

From the Wall Street Journal Health Blog: If Congress does create a new, government-backed health insurance plan, the plan will probably wind up paying doctors and hospitals at rates that are comparable to what private insurance pays.

Sanford / MeritCare Merger Approved

From ModernHealthcare: North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has signed off on the merger of the two largest health systems in the Dakotas. Fargo’s MeritCare Health System plans to merge with Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health.Stenehjem reviewed financial records and a consultant’s study and concluded the merger would be in MeritCare’s best interest. Sanford Vice [...]

Tweeting in the ER waiting room

From WISHTV: Hospital emergency rooms are naturally driven by technology. But one emergency room has gone social-tech. More than 70 patients a day are seen in the emergency room at progress west health care center in O’Fallon, Missouri. The center uses Twitter, the social networking internet site, to announce, among other things, ER wait times. [...]

Effects of bed height on the performance of chest compressions

From the Emergency Medicine Journal: Objectives: The correct chest compression technique was emphasised to enhance the result of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the 2005 guidelines. The present study compared the effects of different bed heights, including a bed at knee height, on the performance of chest compressions. Methods: Twenty-four healthcare providers participated in this study. Knee [...]

Incentives promote unnecessary, excessive tests in the ER

From KevinMD: A professor of medicine visits the emergency department with a seemingly routine case of shingles, and gets the million dollar workup.