For generations, doctors have been saying we want our patients to be more involved in their care, since we know the value engaged patients play in improving outcomes for many preventable illnesses, from heart disease to diabetes. But today, most doctors are not adequately using an available tool to help patients take ownership of their care: the electronic medical record (EMR). A new Accenture survey shows that the majority of US consumers (84%), armed with their smart phones and home computers, want real access to their electronic medical records. Many individuals (41%) would be willing to switch doctors to have it.
The Minnesota Board of Nursing took steps on Thursday to strengthen its oversight of problem nurses, voting to speed up its disciplinary process and to ask the Legislature for more authority to investigate and punish violations. Meeting for the first time since the Star Tribune began publishing stories about its record of disciplining nurses, the Nursing Board identified at least 13 ways it could get tougher on nurses who harm patients, steal drugs or commit crimes. Most of the discussion was focused on seeking new power, despite recent criticism from Gov. Mark Dayton that they are failing to use the authority they already have.
In just over a decade the United States will need 130,000 more doctors than medical schools are producing. So says the Association of American Medical Colleges, which warns of a doctor shortage that will drive up wait times, shorten office visits and make it harder for Americans to access the care they need. The road to Obamacare has seen its share of speed bumps, as well as big potholes. But a physician shortage is unlikely to be one of its roadblocks. Shortage forecasters point to two major factors. One is an aging population.
Bowing to the Food and Drug Administration, the genetic testing service 23andMe said Thursday that it would stop providing consumers with health information while its test undergoes regulatory review. The decision was in response to a warning letter sent by the agency two weeks ago saying that the genetic test was a medical device that requires approval. "We remain firmly committed to fulfilling our long-term mission to help people everywhere have access to their own genetic data and have the ability to use that information to improve their lives," Anne Wojcicki, the chief executive of 23andMe, said in a statement Thursday evening.
Snow came early to the cotton and sorghum fields here, sending dozens of cash-strapped families to the food bank on a recent afternoon for frozen chickens, cucumbers and canned green beans. Quinetta Rascoe was waiting for them. Wearing a bright pink overcoat, a glittery rainbow scarf and an infectious grin, Rascoe climbed out of a Toyota sedan carrying a stack of Obamacare brochures. She eyed about 60 cars that were snaking into the parking lot behind Murfreesboro Baptist Church, prompting an unusual traffic jam one block off the town's dozy Main Street.
U.S. prosecutors have charged 49 current and former Russian diplomats and their family members with participating in a scheme to get health benefits intended for the poor by lying about their income. The charges come against a backdrop of tense exchanges between Russia and the United States over law enforcement actions in both countries. Russia's deputy foreign minister expressed disappointment Thursday that the U.S. had not tried to discuss the charges with Russia through diplomatic channels, but a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department said she did not expect the issue to harm relations between the two countries.