A detailed study reported by Health and Human Services centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services said health costs are expected to grow at a rate of 7.3 percent annually between now and 2011. The report was published on March 12th, 2002 in the Journal Health Affairs, and predicts that by 2011, Americans are expected to
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A story from the December 2, 2001 Associated Press reported that the University of Oregon has begun an experiment involving “report cards” on hospital performance. The article starts off by saying, “Consumers have better information about buying cars or dishwashers than they do about hospitals that are best able to heal their ailments, health care
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From the 2003 year end wrap up of the American Medical News comes an interesting section with some very interesting facts. Some of these facts may be startling and may not be generally known. Much of health care information available today does not reflect the facts. So we will attempt to sort out some truth
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Nurse Operates, Doctor Accused From Barcelona Spain comes an interesting little story about a nurse who was allowed by a leading ophthalmologist in the city to perform surgeries. The accusations stem mainly from account of the male nurse performing cataract removal surgeries on patients. This story was reported in the British Medical Journal. The author
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USA Today, November 11, 199 issue reported that medical mistakes kill anywhere between 44,000 and 98,000 hospitalized Americans each year. The report by the Institute of Medicine calls the errors stunning and demands major changes in the health care system to protect patients. They call for a 50% reduction in su8ch errors over a five
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A feature story in the January 9, 2004 issue of the Boston Globe highlights just how expensive medical care is in the United States. According to the article medical expenses climbed at a much higher rate than the rest of the US economy. The article reports that according to the centres for Medicare & Medicaid
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An original investigation published in the December 12, 2005 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that more patients are looking for information on the Internet before talking with their physicians. Lead investigator Dr Bradford Hesse from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, stated, “The context in which patients consume health information has
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A July 8, 2003 Associated Press story that appeared on the MSN and the InteliHealth websites reported on a study showing that doctors withhold offering health care choices to their patients based on the types of insurance coverage they have. The study shows that nearly one in three doctors reports withholding information from patients about
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The above statement sums up the headlines of a Reuters article by Maggie Fox appearing January 30, 2006. The article is based on a statement by the American College of Physicians (ACP) who warn that, “Primary care is on the verge of collapse.” In a statement by that organization they continue, “Very few young physicians
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The above is the headline from the June 10, 2004 Canadian publication, “Globe and Mail”. The article reports on a study that shows that the treatment of patients who have been victims of medical errors cost the Canadian health care system $750 million each year and adds an additional 1.1 million days to hospital stays.
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