This past Thursday the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing at which the security of HealthCare.gov was again called into question. The catalyst for the line of questioning came in the form of a recently published report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) suggesting 28 different ways in which the Center for Medicare … Continue reading
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision to regulate laboratory diagnostic tests (LDTs) is gaining momentum, but also facing much criticism. The FDA recently informed Congress of their intent to regulate LDTs, which previously did not require FDA approval. The FDA has yet to release their draft guidance documents, but they are on track … Continue reading
Health care policy in our nation is a car with two engines and two drivers relentlessly pulling against each other, creating an incredible mess that will be a responsibility for those not driving to clean up. This endless tug-of-war is stopping anything from being accomplished, and it seems that neither side shows any signs of … Continue reading
Traditionally, healthcare was restricted only to highly trained individuals and researchers who worked on their own or with other specialists. Today, however, social media and smartphones are allowing the general population to get more involved with the healthcare industry. Listed below are some interesting examples of how this phenomenon, called crowdsourcing, is improving patient diagnosis, … Continue reading
The notion that a physician shortage is growing in the United States has become deeply ingrained in the healthcare ethos. However, growing evidence shows that this widely accepted assumption might be fundamentally flawed. The traditional belief about the physician shortage initially seems to make sense for three reasons. First, the segment of the population over … Continue reading
In recent months, medical research has made tremendous strides towards creating treatments that cure major diseases. For example, in July, researchers indicated that they had found an effective way to use stem cells to cure sickle cell disease. Similarly, scientists are hopeful that advancements in gene therapy may lead to cures for diseases ranging from … Continue reading
Over the past five years, electronic cigarettes – devices that electronically vaporize a refillable, inhalable nicotine-laced liquid – have exploded into a $1.5 billion industry with over 4 million users. Although this is a small portion of the tobacco market, Bloomberg Industries projects that e-cigarettes may surpass traditional tobacco product sales by as early as … Continue reading
A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that just 22% of those questioned are confident that they can find information to compare the quality of local physicians. The top characteristics of a high-quality doctor as answered by Americans are, in order, a good listener, the right diagnosis, a caring … Continue reading
Spiraling out of Control Although Ebola has periodically caused serious localized damage in Africa since it was identified in 1976, the 2014 Ebola epidemic in Western Africa has been the deadliest in history. As of July, approximately 1,000 cases of Ebola have been recorded since February, resulting in over 650 deaths in West Africa. Unfortunately, … Continue reading
Did your doctor wash his or her hands before examining you? Infections in hospitals are all too common. The environment in which a patient is trying to heal can, in fact, be a welcoming breeding ground for infection and bacteria. As a result of the complex treatment required for each patient in the intensive care … Continue reading
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