No liability in feeding tube case
June 14, 2008
A man in his late 40s was living in a nursing home. He was legally blind and suffered from dementia, multiple sclerosis, urinary incontinence, and difficulty swallowing. For this reason, a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube was inserted and the man returned to the nursing home.
Doctors fight ‘unfair, offensive’ proposals from Board of Registration
June 11, 2008
On a warm Friday afternoon in April, doctors, lawyers and health care administrators gathered in the bunker-like lobby of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine to offer their testimony about proposed changes to the Board’s regulations.
The atmosphere was tense: A sign on the door warned against “disruptive behavior,” and next to the sign-in desk stood a uniformed guard. Read more
MMS files suit over doctor ranking system
June 14, 2008
The Massachusetts Medical Society announced that it has filed legal action seeking to “correct the wrongs” of the physician ranking program implemented by the Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission, the purchaser of health insurance for most state employees and retirees.
Debate rages over drug company gifts
June 14, 2008
An influential association has concluded that drug and medical device companies should be banned from offering free food, gifts, travel and ghost-writing services to doctors, staff members and students in all 129 of the nation’s medical colleges.
Electronic record pilot program extended
June 14, 2008
The Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative is extending its electronic health record pilot program through the end of 2008.
Man sues hospital for revealing HIV status
June 14, 2008
A Boston man who claims his boss accidentally learned he was HIV-positive from a Caritas St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center emergency room physician is suing the hospital and the doctor for negligence, according to the Boston Herald.
American Medical Association: Revamp medical error report rules
June 14, 2008
Proposed rules for patient safety organizations are a good effort toward keeping reports on medical errors confidential, the American Medical Association said in a comment letter submitted to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. But the regulations could use some modifications to make the safeguards even stronger, the AMA said.
More patients benefit from advocates
June 14, 2008
The patient advocacy industry is growing in hospitals, The Arizona Daily Star reports.
Patient advocates monitor medications, review treatment plans, analyze detailed medical histories, alert nurses to problems with patients’ vital signs and advocate for patients in crowded emergency rooms.
U.S. faces imminent geriatrician shortage
June 14, 2008
There will not be enough geriatricians when the 78 million baby boomers begin to turn 65 in 2011, according to a recent Institute of Medicine report.
Doctors hesitant to e-mail patients
June 14, 2008
Most Americans want the convenience of e-mail for non-urgent medical issues, but fewer than a third of U.S. doctors use e-mail to communicate with patients, according to recent physician surveys.
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