http://doctorrw.blogspot.com Last year the American College of Physicians (ACP) warned of the collapse of primary care. This year they have proposed a series of reforms to help solve the problem, which they say will improve reimbursement and quality. I have more than a few concerns about the proposals. They’re supposed to shift compensation incentives from […]

http://www.emediawire.com The majority of Americans (86%) believe that the number of poor and uninsured people seeking medical care are raising the nation’s healthcare costs, and one out of three Americans think the federal government is in the best position to solve the problem of the uninsured, according to a national survey of 1,000 consumers released […]

By Josh Fischman http://www.usnews.com Elsie Bishop didn’t expect to die in New Mexico. The 74-year-old left her Arkansas home in the summer of 2004 on a driving vacation with a friend and reached Santa Fe in early September. After dinner one night, she complained of extreme nausea, and an ambulance took her to a local […]

By SUSAN ALLEN Staff Writer http://www.rutlandherald.com Many Vermont physicians are concerned about bureaucratic hassles that interfere with patient care, low reimbursement rates and other problems they face in trying to provide medical care, according to an informal survey of 300 of Vermont’s primary care doctors. So significant are the challenges, the survey found, that some […]

http://www.exduco.net An analysis of court settlements of medical malpractice cases in Texas and Florida shows that a reform plan known as “Early Offers” has strong advantages compared to the present tort system. Jeffrey O’Connell, professor of law at the University of Virginia, and colleagues W. Kip Viscusi and Joni Hersch, both now at Vanderbilt University, […]

Anne Thrower http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com A top official with the American Medical Association will visit Pensacola today and discuss his desire for a fundamental shift in the way employees get health insurance. Dr. Cecil B. Wilson, chairman of the AMA board of trustees, is scheduled to speak at the Escambia County Medical Society’s annual inauguration ball. He […]

http://home.businesswire.com The Physician Insurers Association of America (PIAA), a national trade association that represents doctor-owned and/or operated medical professional liability insurance companies, commented today on a report released last week by Ralph Nader’s national group, Public Citizen. The report, “The Great Medical Malpractice Hoax,â€? suggests that there is no medical malpractice lawsuit crisis in America […]

http://home.businesswire.com The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) unveiled a new program today that will recognize physicians and chiropractors who give superior care to the approximately 30 million Americans who suffer from back pain. The Back Pain Recognition Program (BPRP) will identify high-quality physicians and chiropractors who take a patient-centered approach to back pain using […]

http://www.surgicenteronline.com Physician practices will soon have new online resources to help enhance patient safety. The Health Research and Educational Trust (HRET), the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) have received a grant from The Commonwealth Fund to develop three educational, Web-based tools for physician practices. The tools, titled […]