Swine flu could shine a glaring light on the best and worst about American-style healthcare, according to this article from the Associated Press. In a country where one in seven people lack medical insurance, doctors worry that some individuals won't get needed protection because of cost. In a flu epidemic, the uninsured face the worst options, the article notes: They flood emergency rooms or self-medicate with cold preparations and hoping for the best. Many might not be aware they can also go to a federally-funded community health center and see a doctor or nurse for little or no cost.
A survey conducted for the Michigan Department of Community Health found that 62% of the state's doctors say their practices are full or nearly full, compared with 60% in 2007. The 2008 physicians' survey also shows that the number of Michigan doctors accepting Medicaid patients is declining. About 85% said they provide care to some Medicaid patients, down from 87% in 2007.
Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, which earlier this year said it might lay off 600 workers because of a projected operating loss of up to $20 million, has shed about 70 employees in a round of job cuts. The layoffs took place last month, but about 100 early retirements that are helping to offset the number of layoffs needed are continuing through this week, said spokesman Jerry Berger.
An article in the Annals of Internal Medicine examines press releases that academic medical centers sent out about their research, examining such details as whether they gave information on the studies’ size, hard results numbers, and cautions about how solid the results are and what they mean. The conclusion: The press releases “often promote research that has uncertain relevance to human health and do not provide key facts or acknowledge important limitations.”
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has launched a campaign aimed at getting Americans to research and ask questions of their healthcare providers. The public service announcements are meant to prompt people not only to ask questions but also to think about what those questions might be ahead of time, says Carolyn Clancy, director of AHRQ.
Several theories have emerged as to why all but one of the confirmed deaths from swine flu have occurred in Mexico. But a critical factor, according to specialists in the country, is that flu victims have delayed checking into hospitals until their condition has deteriorated so much they cannot be saved. While medicines are plentiful and cheap at Mexican pharmacies, swine flu antiviral medication was often not available or prohibitively expensive.