The field of global health, once perhaps regarded as a noble humanitarian endeavor aimed at healing and helping the world's poorest people, is now becoming something of an "emerging industry" that the Seattle business community sees as a highly competitive enterprise. That was the gist of a three-day conference sponsored by the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. The meeting also launched a new organization called the Washington Global Health Alliance.
The president of Presbyterian Hospital of Plano, TX, said he must eliminate 17 positions because of the weak economy and tough competition among North Texas hospitals. Fewer people are coming to the hospital, said Philip Wentworth, the hospital's president, in an Oct. 20 letter to workers. "Reduced volumes reflect another national trend of consumers, due to the state of today's economy, opting to postpone elective procedures and diagnostic testing," Wentworth said.
Half of all American doctors responding to a nationwide survey say they regularly prescribe placebos to patients, results that trouble medical ethicists who say more research is needed to determine whether doctors must deceive patients in order for placebos to work. "This is the doctor-patient relationship, and our expectations about being truthful about what's going on and about getting informed consent should give us pause about deception," said Franklin G. Miller, director of the research ethics program at the U.S. National Institutes Health and one of the study authors.
The Bexar County (TX) Medical Society and The Association of Physicians of India's Chennai Division plan to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate communication, ideas, education, and camaraderie. This is the latest development between San Antonio and Chennai after the two cities signed a Sister City earlier this year. "This exchange of information is pertinent to clinical practice and the healthcare delivery system in the two cities," said Kausi Subramaniam, president of the Alamo Asian American Chamber of Commerce.
The number of people in England infected by the hospital superbug C. diff has plunged by more than a third in a year. There were 10,866 cases reported in English hospitals between April and June 2008, down 35% on the same period in 2007, according to figures.
GlaxoSmithKline has become the latest drug maker to report their payments to physicians. In addition to publicly reporting what the company pays doctors, Glaxo will also cap payments at $150,000 per year.