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.
Cancer survivor speaks on caregivers
June 14, 2008
At the Kenneth B. Schwartz Center’s Sixth Annual Celebration of Women in Health Care on May 21, Kelley Tuthill, Team 5 Investigative Reporter and a cancer survivor, shared meaningful words on what health care providers should do – and should not do – when taking care of patients.
She recalled a moment when she was upset about how she would get through grueling radiation treatments coming on the heels of her round of chemotherapy. Read more
Young doctors are seeking regular schedules, free time
June 14, 2008
A recent survey conducted by Merritt, Hawkins & Associates, a physician staffing firm based in Irving, Texas, found that for 63 percent of medical residents, a concern about a lack of free time was “significant” as they entered the profession in 2006, compared with 15 percent in 2001, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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
Wealthy patients get more drug samples
March 17, 2008
Wealthier, insured patients receive no-cost drug samples from physicians more often than lower-income patients, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health. Read more
Panel addresses lack of physicians for female patients
March 17, 2008
Sen. Gale D. Candaras, D-Wilbraham, told a panel at Western New England College that the loss of doctors in key specialties serving women in Western Massachusetts has reached a point of crisis, according to the Springfield Republican. Read more
Hospitals bring in efficiency experts
March 17, 2008
Efficiency experts have come to the Boston area in an effort to bring cutting-edge business school methodologies to physicians and hospitals, according to The Boston Globe.
Hospitals post bed sore data
March 17, 2008
Massachusetts hospitals have revealed the rates of pressure ulcers their patients suffer during hospital stays as part of a series of statistics being made public by the Massachusetts Hospital Association on its Patients First website.
Health care purchasing guide published
March 17, 2008
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has published a guide for employers, health plans and others in using consumer financial incentives to improve health care quality and reduce costs. Read more
Saying sorry
March 17, 2008
In the book “Sorry Works!: Disclosure, Apology, and Relationships Prevent Medical Malpractice Claims,” three experts examine the concept of apology and address how it can be applied by physicians and hospitals – and understood by insurers, lawyers and patients. Read more



