U.S. to Force Drug Firms to Report Money Paid to Doctors
By ROBERT PEAR
Published: January 16, 2012
WASHINGTON — To head off medical conflicts of interest, the Obama administration is poised to require drug companies to disclose the payments they make to doctors for research, consulting, speaking, travel and entertainment.
Many researchers have found evidence that such payments can influence doctors’ treatment decisions and contribute to higher costs by encouraging the use of more expensive drugs and medical devices.
Consumer advocates and members of Congress say patients may benefit from the new standards, being issued by the government under the new health care law. Officials said the disclosures increased the likelihood that doctors would make decisions in the best interests of patients, without regard to the doctors’ financial interests.
Click link to continue: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/health/policy/us-to-tell-drug-makers-to-disclose-payments-to-doctors.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
Showing posts with label Healthcare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Healthcare. Show all posts
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Thursday, March 18, 2010
What Patients Deserve to Know: Even Vegas has to Publish Its Odds
By Donna Smith
Since millions of American patients face medical debt they didn’t know they’d have – and many if not most of them purchased insurance to protect against that debt – it seems logical to me that patients should be fully informed up front of the financial risks they are taking on when they seek medical care. Doctors and others providers should publish and post in their offices their methods of debt collection and the numbers of patients they sue in an average practice year. They can put the disclosures of medical debt collection practices right next to the little signs that tell patients they must pay their co-pays prior to receiving medical care.
I shared the idea with my University of Chicago educated son, and he liked it. He said, “Even Vegas has to disclose the odds of winning.” True enough. Even those who love the market economy like to know as much as possible about their financial entanglements before they enter them.
Disclosure. Disclosure. Disclosure. (Much like the old real estate advice – location, location, location.) Financial. Debt collection practices. Health condition outcomes.
So, along with the releases and privacy statements and risk assignment forms I must sign before I am accepted as a patient, providers should also publish their outcomes evidence as well. How am I to know if a given provider is just good buddies with the referring physicians or if they truly have a success record with the condition for which I require care?
I’d feel better about reform that promised those things than I do about a reform measure that simply forces me to purchase the defective financial product sold as private health insurance. Private health insurance is marketed to me to protect my health and wealth, and yet it may or may not do either. It’s a crap shoot.
Did you know some medical providers in Pennsylvania go to what’s known as “collectors’ universities” to learn how to collect their medical debt from the families of deceased patients? They study two legal documents offered by the collection experts: the “Doctrine of Necessities” and “Collecting from the Deceased.” Ouch. Imagine that after your loved one’s for-profit private insurance company fails to pay all the bills when a child or spouse or parent dies. And Pennsylvania providers are no different than many others around the nation. Collecting medical debt is big, big business.
So regardless of what this Congress does or what this President celebrates in the Rose Garden framed by the billowing cherry blossoms, I’ll still be slugging it out in the front offices of providers, at the admissions desks in hospitals and at the pharmacy counters to try to secure the care I need and pay for. Nothing has been done to improve my chances of getting what I bargained for as a patient. I am to accept on good faith what the providers secure as a legal guarantee from me.
I want a single standard of high quality care through progressive financing. I want to be able to choose the care that is high quality. I simply cannot do that unless and until my rights as a patient are protected. And we are a long way away from that day. Under an improved Medicare for all system, I would be saved from the terrible loop that is the medical collection system in this nation. I’d still want to know health outcomes data, but that would be far easier to obtain and track. Wow, imagine that.
Should gamblers playing slot machines really be given the legal right to know pay-out odds in a nation that thinks patients have no right to knowledge of results expected from their medical care providers? Surely, reputable providers could not object to that sort of patient or citizen empowerment. But wait. A lawyer friend of mine from Colorado tells me that hospitals and many doctors could hardly be less cooperative in talking about this topic. Big surprise.
The day will come when patients will be the center of this debate. It has not come yet. This Congress and this administration have never put our interests first, so this effort was flawed from the start. Because the improvements I need to see as a patient are nowhere to be found in this mess, I understand why people lose interest in the fight. The disconnect between what we need and what we are getting from this round of health reform effort as patients and as citizens is a chasm too deep.
Link to article
Since millions of American patients face medical debt they didn’t know they’d have – and many if not most of them purchased insurance to protect against that debt – it seems logical to me that patients should be fully informed up front of the financial risks they are taking on when they seek medical care. Doctors and others providers should publish and post in their offices their methods of debt collection and the numbers of patients they sue in an average practice year. They can put the disclosures of medical debt collection practices right next to the little signs that tell patients they must pay their co-pays prior to receiving medical care.
I shared the idea with my University of Chicago educated son, and he liked it. He said, “Even Vegas has to disclose the odds of winning.” True enough. Even those who love the market economy like to know as much as possible about their financial entanglements before they enter them.
Disclosure. Disclosure. Disclosure. (Much like the old real estate advice – location, location, location.) Financial. Debt collection practices. Health condition outcomes.
So, along with the releases and privacy statements and risk assignment forms I must sign before I am accepted as a patient, providers should also publish their outcomes evidence as well. How am I to know if a given provider is just good buddies with the referring physicians or if they truly have a success record with the condition for which I require care?
I’d feel better about reform that promised those things than I do about a reform measure that simply forces me to purchase the defective financial product sold as private health insurance. Private health insurance is marketed to me to protect my health and wealth, and yet it may or may not do either. It’s a crap shoot.
Did you know some medical providers in Pennsylvania go to what’s known as “collectors’ universities” to learn how to collect their medical debt from the families of deceased patients? They study two legal documents offered by the collection experts: the “Doctrine of Necessities” and “Collecting from the Deceased.” Ouch. Imagine that after your loved one’s for-profit private insurance company fails to pay all the bills when a child or spouse or parent dies. And Pennsylvania providers are no different than many others around the nation. Collecting medical debt is big, big business.
So regardless of what this Congress does or what this President celebrates in the Rose Garden framed by the billowing cherry blossoms, I’ll still be slugging it out in the front offices of providers, at the admissions desks in hospitals and at the pharmacy counters to try to secure the care I need and pay for. Nothing has been done to improve my chances of getting what I bargained for as a patient. I am to accept on good faith what the providers secure as a legal guarantee from me.
I want a single standard of high quality care through progressive financing. I want to be able to choose the care that is high quality. I simply cannot do that unless and until my rights as a patient are protected. And we are a long way away from that day. Under an improved Medicare for all system, I would be saved from the terrible loop that is the medical collection system in this nation. I’d still want to know health outcomes data, but that would be far easier to obtain and track. Wow, imagine that.
Should gamblers playing slot machines really be given the legal right to know pay-out odds in a nation that thinks patients have no right to knowledge of results expected from their medical care providers? Surely, reputable providers could not object to that sort of patient or citizen empowerment. But wait. A lawyer friend of mine from Colorado tells me that hospitals and many doctors could hardly be less cooperative in talking about this topic. Big surprise.
The day will come when patients will be the center of this debate. It has not come yet. This Congress and this administration have never put our interests first, so this effort was flawed from the start. Because the improvements I need to see as a patient are nowhere to be found in this mess, I understand why people lose interest in the fight. The disconnect between what we need and what we are getting from this round of health reform effort as patients and as citizens is a chasm too deep.
Link to article
Friday, October 03, 2008
Are you registered and ready to Vote!
VoterForChange. com lets you do it all -- check your registration status, register to vote, request an absentee ballot, or even find your early vote location or polling place.
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Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Project Awareness: another lesson to be learned
Dear sir,You are requested to read the attached real story, Which may bring into light about the working nature and mugging of the corporate hospitals in india.. It is shame to the strong governments. To eradicate this mugging and control the shameful medical practices a strong new Act is required. So kindly consider to do a strong Act, in future this type of malpractice should not take place in India.
Regards,
D T S REDDYMaruteru – Mobile
From,tsprasad. From: t.s.prasad ()To:Date: Friday, 29 August, 2008 10:30:51 PMSubject: [auce79-83] treatment tragedy in Chennai hospital!!!!
This is a true sad incident happened to one of our INDIAN Family in this great country. Read this in his own words....... . This is really an eye opening article about the state of affairs in our so called CORPORATE HOSPITALS. Its unfortunate that this had to come to light as the stake of someone's life. But I hope this is a true indicator and makes us act with caution from here on. This is not a philosophical statement on one's life after death, this is about my wife who died in a hospital in Chennai. Whatever I have seen only in movies so far, is experienced by me.* We were living in the UK for few years; our family includes me, my wife (Padma), and our 7 yr old son and 8months old daughter. My wife had a symptom ofventral hernia (slightly bulged abdomen), we had consulted General Physician and Surgeon in the UK and advice was that she needed a surgery to have a mesh to fix the problem with a few weeks rest. We were also told that this is not an emergency and it can be done anytime though earlier is good. In fact the surgeon whom we consulted in UK talked about an example of a lady having this done for 30 years of the ymptom. My wife did not have any specific pain or something except a small discomfort of bulgy abdomen (like a 2 months pregnant lady) and she was in her normal routine of taking care of our children, taking our son to school, household work, etc. We were planning for Christmas vacation in India Dec 2007, we thought we will consult some 'good' doctors over in India and take a decision of when we will do the surgery if required and possibly felt doing in India is good because of family support. We have got a reference of Dr J S Rajkumar of Lifeline hospital and we booked an appointment to meet him. We landed in Chennai on 14th Dec 2007 for a three weeks vacation, met Dr Rajkumar at his city hospital (Rigid hospital) in Chet put on 15th Dec 2007 (Sat) at about 730pm. We have explained him the background, shown him all the comments of UK surgeon, medical reports related to my wife pregnancy, deliveries, etc (she had delivered both our children normally). After few minutes of assessment Dr Rajkumar told us this hernia requires laparoscopic surgery and we can do this next day itself. We were little concerned initially of getting this surgery done the very next day (particularly we were still not out of jet lag and she was feeding our baby) and got convinced with the 'salesy' words given by the Doctors. To quote a comment from the Doctor *"she will run in two days time and can lifttwo suitcases and you can return to UK as per your plan on 3rd Jan 2008"*). Also Dr Rajkumar told us that he will be on travel for 3days from 17th Dec and moreover he was teaching Post Graduates on 16th Dec about laparoscopic surgery and let us get itdone on 16th Dec. Then my wife was put into all sorts of equipments in the hospital (in the name of assessment); blood, urine, ECG, MRI and so on and the tests Re-conducted till about 11pm on 15th Dec. In fact they have opened the labs after losing hours and got the test done and handed over the test results to us. They had someproblem in the ECG and we were told that ECG can be done on the next day at Lifeline hospital. We were asked to report to Rigid hospital at 5am in the morning. Think of it, we went our residence around midnight and my wife had rush on some food to keep compliance on the fasting 8 hrs prior to surgery. After preparing for the hospital visit that night and a couple of hours sleep (3 hrs or so) we reached Rigid hospital on 16th morning at 5am or so and from there we were transported by an 'ambulance' to Lifeline hospital in Perungudi (outskirts of Chennai). We reached the hospital at 630am, paid some initial advance for the surgery and we were given a room. Padma went through some more basic checks like height, weight, etc. Padma was taken to the operation theatre at about 10am in the morning on 16th Dec. After the laparoscopic procedure she was moved to post operative ward at about 12 noon and Ihave met her in the afternoon to say a small hello when she gainedconsciousness . Dr Rajkumar met us on 16th Dec afternoon and he in fact *congratulated* me for successful surgery and said he has used proceed mesh (costly one) and advised his staff to move Padma to normal ward in the evening as she had to feed her baby. But, Padma was moved to normal ward only on 17th Dec morning, she was on IV fluids as per normal post operative procedure. Padma started to develop some fluids in her abdomen which duty doctors / surgeons have 'rightly' observed. She was put in some series of tests on 17 th, 18th, 19th and 20th – tests include multiple ultra sound, multiple CT scans, pricked her abdomen and taken fluids, she had a long tube through her nose overnight to collect fluid for tests, etc. We were told the fluid is normal after surgery and it will be alright after she passes stool, etc. In the meanwhile Dr Rajkumar returned from his travel and seen Padma on 19thon 20th Dec evening along with other surgeons. He made an assessment and he told me that he might want to do one more laparoscopic surgery to find out what is the fluid about. He wanted to do a surgery on 20th Dec evening itself, but he could not proceed as the hospital has given solid food that afternoon – hence anesthesia could not be given. (*lack of co-ordination among departments, time lost here, may be she could have survived if they have did the surgery on 20th itself)* On 20th Dec night, fluid started oozing from Padma's abdomen stitches, after the duty Doctor's assessment she was shifted to ICU. We really did not know what complication she developed in the ICU. On 21st Dec (Friday) morning around 830am I was called in to the ICU to convey that they are going to perform a surgery and I had to sign "*high risk consent",* they were telling this in front of my wife *(just think of a patient hearing this before the surgery). *I was just shocked at that and had no options to sign whatever they wanted. I said "all the best" *(my last conversation with mywife)* to my wife and she was taken to Operation Theatre. While I was discussing with the Doctors at ICU, the cashier in the hospital kept on calling me on mymobile. When I met the cashier he asked for Rs.60,000 to be paid immediately and I told him take Rs.40,000 and will give you the balance later in the day. Bang a reply came, "*you have to pay the money to for me to give clearance for surgery*". When I expressed my unhappiness about the comment, he insisted for me to sign a piece of paper saying that I will give the money later in the day. *(What money minded, in-human attitude!)*We had no news from the hospital on their own about the surgery, I had enquired the staff nurse and visited my wife in the ICU and learnt that she had a diagnostic laparotomy (open surgery) and there was hole in the intestine which was fixed.We have meet Dr Rajkumar at about 3:30pm on 21st Dec and understood that there was a *duodenum rupture* and he has fixed it, at the same time he removed the mesh which was fixed on 16th Dec. She was also paralyzed and put on ventilator as she was waking up. He explained it was between life threatening and beauty so they addressed the duodenum rupture problem. What we were puzzled were, how did the rupture happen? for that explanation given were - it could be due to ulcer. My wife had no evidence of ulcer in the past. Explanation given was 40%+ cases of ulcer is silent and there will be no symptom *(I lack medical knowledge to appreciate this)* - it could be due to post operative stress (*so many test post operation without any explanation of what we were doing could have created the stress on Padma is my argument)* On the same night (21st Dec) at about 930pm, I was called in to the ICU and Doctors conveyed that my wife condition is critical – her pulse is high, BP is low and they were attending to her. I insisted on talking to Dr Rajkumar immediately, but they refused to connect me to him at first and finally managed to speak to him. Dr Rajkumar came in around midnight and explained that the lungs are getting affected (shown X-ray of white patches on the lower portion of lungs) and she was the most serious patient in the whole hospital that time and they were trying their best. He also said, it will need another 12-24 hours of observation before they can say anything.We were completely panicked and just waiting outside the ICU and praying for Padma's recovery. We had to argue with the security outside the ICU to gain access to the Doctors to know her situation (*no courtesy from the security personnel, who just don't understand the situation)* At about 4:30am in the morning, my friend gained access the Doctors in the ICU and came out with the low face to tell me that Padma's condition is worsened. Again I tried to reach Dr Rajkumar and the hospital says they don't have his contact number (*just can't understand how they can behave like this). *Finally after some hue and cry Dr Rajkumar came on line to tell me that he is not God and don't think his visit can do any thing different. I cried, begged him to come over to give some ideas to his team to recover Padma. He came over at around 6am and said they are trying everything possible, etc; but her end came quickly. * The end came to our beloved Padma at 6:30am on 22nd Dec, throwing the entire family to rude shock and a life time sorrow. Our "LIVES AFTER DEATH" of Padma has changed for ever.* I can now think of so many questions retrospectively; 1. Why did the surgeon perform the surgery the very next day of consultancy, that too for a non-emergency one like this? (Padma had just traveled many miles, she was not even out of jet lag.) Was it for money? Was it for them to get one more sample for their post grads training?2. Did the Doctors made proper assessment on Padma's fitness for surgery, frankly did they even had time to go through the reports, after the tests till 11pm on the previous night for next day 8am surgery (particularly whenthe reports were with us till 730am on the day of surgery).3. Patient communication and counselling. Isn't it important to communicate to patient and their relatives on the development of patient condition (fluid collection started from the next day of laparoscopic)4. Did the absence of Dr Rajkumar for three days post the first surgery is one of the reason for this disaster? Were the other Doctors not able to diagnose or take a decision? Were they waiting for Dr Rajkumar return? 5. What is the real reason for duodenum perforation? My wife never had any history of ulcer to the best of my knowledge. Why did the hospital take so much of time to react (5 days after surgery) when such a crucial thing like preforation ICU has happened. 6. Was there any issue in the initial laparoscopic procedure which has caused the perforation? 7. Careless attitude by hospital staff? – my wife sex was recorded as "Male" initially and corrected after I told them. The staff was not even apologetic for this, he rather asked me "why didn't you inform". Can't he make out with the name Padma. *Think of it, if he has changed the blood group from A+ to B+; that is it!!* 8. Will anyone with basic common sense ask for high risk signature in front of the patient? I was asked to sign just minutes before surgery in front of my wife. 9. Is the hospital money minded?: They were demanding money on gun point almost. a. Prior to the first surgery the cashier said please give Rs.30000/- more for him to give clearance for surgery b. When my wife going for second surgery I was told by the cashier again, please give Rs.60000/- for clearance for surgery c. The hospital charged more than what was told for initial laparoscopic, without even communicating to me increase in chargesd. The final "bill" was just on letter head, without mention of currency, invoice number, etc. I had to insist on a proper invoice later. e. I was given to understand that they even made arguments on ambulance charges to send my wife dead body back home.!! *(making money on the dead body also)* 10. Why the hospital did not made me to talk to my wife when she gained consciousness after the second surgery? If not anything else, I could have held her hand. Even a criminal gets an opportunity to communicate his/her last wishes. Am I or my wife worse than? 11. *FALSE reports* - After all these hospital sends me false reports (on Jan 11, 2008 – three weeks after my wife's death) : a. They had mentioned she had LSCS (caesarean section) and large scar due to LSCS. When my wife delivered both the babies normally, how does one record as caesarean and *how there will be scar when there was no caesarean?*b. The hernia was mentioned "incisional hernia" – when there was no incision on her body how the hernia is categorised as incisional? It was actually ventral hernia. Don't think one can replace any term with any term just like that!c. Most importantly, the surgery was performed on 16th Dec 2007, the report said 17th dec 2007 12. *MISSING REPORTS - *From the hospital records Doctors notes were missing for 16th and 17th Dec. The first report is available for 17th Dec at 8:36pm. How come there are no Doctors' notes for *about 36 hours after the surgery?*Isn' t it fishy? Did something went wrong on the first laparoscopic procedure? Our entire family is still mourning and trying to reconcile the fact that our Padma is no more. My 7 year old son is aware that is Mom is not there, does he understand? My 1 year old daughter is too young to know what has happened. What will her questions be in future?My sincere advice to all isa) Do not get carried away by advertisement / TV shows / big buildings b) Please do not rush c) Do your own due diligence, particularly when things are not an emergency d) Try and understand the medical terms, do research prior e) Please ask questions, at every stage. f) Don't say "I can spend anything" g) Know patient rights * I am still not convinced that Padma has died after a 'simple' laparoscopic surgery? I am deeply upset of what has happened to Padma and for what is happening to us. What I could have done (or not done) which would have prevented this. What is that we cando to prevent this in future for others!!!************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ******Please join me in making awareness to others. While India is trying to woo many international Customers in the name of 'medical tourism'; first let the authorities make regulation on the health care system and take care of Indian people first. Our medical system must understand the differences between MEDICINE – TREATMENT and HEALTHCARE. What we get most of the time is medicine for the symptom while we need healthcare.
http://dtsreddy.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!13F578534B68D612!722.entry
Regards,
D T S REDDYMaruteru – Mobile
From,tsprasad. From: t.s.prasad ()To:Date: Friday, 29 August, 2008 10:30:51 PMSubject: [auce79-83] treatment tragedy in Chennai hospital!!!!
This is a true sad incident happened to one of our INDIAN Family in this great country. Read this in his own words....... . This is really an eye opening article about the state of affairs in our so called CORPORATE HOSPITALS. Its unfortunate that this had to come to light as the stake of someone's life. But I hope this is a true indicator and makes us act with caution from here on. This is not a philosophical statement on one's life after death, this is about my wife who died in a hospital in Chennai. Whatever I have seen only in movies so far, is experienced by me.* We were living in the UK for few years; our family includes me, my wife (Padma), and our 7 yr old son and 8months old daughter. My wife had a symptom ofventral hernia (slightly bulged abdomen), we had consulted General Physician and Surgeon in the UK and advice was that she needed a surgery to have a mesh to fix the problem with a few weeks rest. We were also told that this is not an emergency and it can be done anytime though earlier is good. In fact the surgeon whom we consulted in UK talked about an example of a lady having this done for 30 years of the ymptom. My wife did not have any specific pain or something except a small discomfort of bulgy abdomen (like a 2 months pregnant lady) and she was in her normal routine of taking care of our children, taking our son to school, household work, etc. We were planning for Christmas vacation in India Dec 2007, we thought we will consult some 'good' doctors over in India and take a decision of when we will do the surgery if required and possibly felt doing in India is good because of family support. We have got a reference of Dr J S Rajkumar of Lifeline hospital and we booked an appointment to meet him. We landed in Chennai on 14th Dec 2007 for a three weeks vacation, met Dr Rajkumar at his city hospital (Rigid hospital) in Chet put on 15th Dec 2007 (Sat) at about 730pm. We have explained him the background, shown him all the comments of UK surgeon, medical reports related to my wife pregnancy, deliveries, etc (she had delivered both our children normally). After few minutes of assessment Dr Rajkumar told us this hernia requires laparoscopic surgery and we can do this next day itself. We were little concerned initially of getting this surgery done the very next day (particularly we were still not out of jet lag and she was feeding our baby) and got convinced with the 'salesy' words given by the Doctors. To quote a comment from the Doctor *"she will run in two days time and can lifttwo suitcases and you can return to UK as per your plan on 3rd Jan 2008"*). Also Dr Rajkumar told us that he will be on travel for 3days from 17th Dec and moreover he was teaching Post Graduates on 16th Dec about laparoscopic surgery and let us get itdone on 16th Dec. Then my wife was put into all sorts of equipments in the hospital (in the name of assessment); blood, urine, ECG, MRI and so on and the tests Re-conducted till about 11pm on 15th Dec. In fact they have opened the labs after losing hours and got the test done and handed over the test results to us. They had someproblem in the ECG and we were told that ECG can be done on the next day at Lifeline hospital. We were asked to report to Rigid hospital at 5am in the morning. Think of it, we went our residence around midnight and my wife had rush on some food to keep compliance on the fasting 8 hrs prior to surgery. After preparing for the hospital visit that night and a couple of hours sleep (3 hrs or so) we reached Rigid hospital on 16th morning at 5am or so and from there we were transported by an 'ambulance' to Lifeline hospital in Perungudi (outskirts of Chennai). We reached the hospital at 630am, paid some initial advance for the surgery and we were given a room. Padma went through some more basic checks like height, weight, etc. Padma was taken to the operation theatre at about 10am in the morning on 16th Dec. After the laparoscopic procedure she was moved to post operative ward at about 12 noon and Ihave met her in the afternoon to say a small hello when she gainedconsciousness . Dr Rajkumar met us on 16th Dec afternoon and he in fact *congratulated* me for successful surgery and said he has used proceed mesh (costly one) and advised his staff to move Padma to normal ward in the evening as she had to feed her baby. But, Padma was moved to normal ward only on 17th Dec morning, she was on IV fluids as per normal post operative procedure. Padma started to develop some fluids in her abdomen which duty doctors / surgeons have 'rightly' observed. She was put in some series of tests on 17 th, 18th, 19th and 20th – tests include multiple ultra sound, multiple CT scans, pricked her abdomen and taken fluids, she had a long tube through her nose overnight to collect fluid for tests, etc. We were told the fluid is normal after surgery and it will be alright after she passes stool, etc. In the meanwhile Dr Rajkumar returned from his travel and seen Padma on 19thon 20th Dec evening along with other surgeons. He made an assessment and he told me that he might want to do one more laparoscopic surgery to find out what is the fluid about. He wanted to do a surgery on 20th Dec evening itself, but he could not proceed as the hospital has given solid food that afternoon – hence anesthesia could not be given. (*lack of co-ordination among departments, time lost here, may be she could have survived if they have did the surgery on 20th itself)* On 20th Dec night, fluid started oozing from Padma's abdomen stitches, after the duty Doctor's assessment she was shifted to ICU. We really did not know what complication she developed in the ICU. On 21st Dec (Friday) morning around 830am I was called in to the ICU to convey that they are going to perform a surgery and I had to sign "*high risk consent",* they were telling this in front of my wife *(just think of a patient hearing this before the surgery). *I was just shocked at that and had no options to sign whatever they wanted. I said "all the best" *(my last conversation with mywife)* to my wife and she was taken to Operation Theatre. While I was discussing with the Doctors at ICU, the cashier in the hospital kept on calling me on mymobile. When I met the cashier he asked for Rs.60,000 to be paid immediately and I told him take Rs.40,000 and will give you the balance later in the day. Bang a reply came, "*you have to pay the money to for me to give clearance for surgery*". When I expressed my unhappiness about the comment, he insisted for me to sign a piece of paper saying that I will give the money later in the day. *(What money minded, in-human attitude!)*We had no news from the hospital on their own about the surgery, I had enquired the staff nurse and visited my wife in the ICU and learnt that she had a diagnostic laparotomy (open surgery) and there was hole in the intestine which was fixed.We have meet Dr Rajkumar at about 3:30pm on 21st Dec and understood that there was a *duodenum rupture* and he has fixed it, at the same time he removed the mesh which was fixed on 16th Dec. She was also paralyzed and put on ventilator as she was waking up. He explained it was between life threatening and beauty so they addressed the duodenum rupture problem. What we were puzzled were, how did the rupture happen? for that explanation given were - it could be due to ulcer. My wife had no evidence of ulcer in the past. Explanation given was 40%+ cases of ulcer is silent and there will be no symptom *(I lack medical knowledge to appreciate this)* - it could be due to post operative stress (*so many test post operation without any explanation of what we were doing could have created the stress on Padma is my argument)* On the same night (21st Dec) at about 930pm, I was called in to the ICU and Doctors conveyed that my wife condition is critical – her pulse is high, BP is low and they were attending to her. I insisted on talking to Dr Rajkumar immediately, but they refused to connect me to him at first and finally managed to speak to him. Dr Rajkumar came in around midnight and explained that the lungs are getting affected (shown X-ray of white patches on the lower portion of lungs) and she was the most serious patient in the whole hospital that time and they were trying their best. He also said, it will need another 12-24 hours of observation before they can say anything.We were completely panicked and just waiting outside the ICU and praying for Padma's recovery. We had to argue with the security outside the ICU to gain access to the Doctors to know her situation (*no courtesy from the security personnel, who just don't understand the situation)* At about 4:30am in the morning, my friend gained access the Doctors in the ICU and came out with the low face to tell me that Padma's condition is worsened. Again I tried to reach Dr Rajkumar and the hospital says they don't have his contact number (*just can't understand how they can behave like this). *Finally after some hue and cry Dr Rajkumar came on line to tell me that he is not God and don't think his visit can do any thing different. I cried, begged him to come over to give some ideas to his team to recover Padma. He came over at around 6am and said they are trying everything possible, etc; but her end came quickly. * The end came to our beloved Padma at 6:30am on 22nd Dec, throwing the entire family to rude shock and a life time sorrow. Our "LIVES AFTER DEATH" of Padma has changed for ever.* I can now think of so many questions retrospectively; 1. Why did the surgeon perform the surgery the very next day of consultancy, that too for a non-emergency one like this? (Padma had just traveled many miles, she was not even out of jet lag.) Was it for money? Was it for them to get one more sample for their post grads training?2. Did the Doctors made proper assessment on Padma's fitness for surgery, frankly did they even had time to go through the reports, after the tests till 11pm on the previous night for next day 8am surgery (particularly whenthe reports were with us till 730am on the day of surgery).3. Patient communication and counselling. Isn't it important to communicate to patient and their relatives on the development of patient condition (fluid collection started from the next day of laparoscopic)4. Did the absence of Dr Rajkumar for three days post the first surgery is one of the reason for this disaster? Were the other Doctors not able to diagnose or take a decision? Were they waiting for Dr Rajkumar return? 5. What is the real reason for duodenum perforation? My wife never had any history of ulcer to the best of my knowledge. Why did the hospital take so much of time to react (5 days after surgery) when such a crucial thing like preforation ICU has happened. 6. Was there any issue in the initial laparoscopic procedure which has caused the perforation? 7. Careless attitude by hospital staff? – my wife sex was recorded as "Male" initially and corrected after I told them. The staff was not even apologetic for this, he rather asked me "why didn't you inform". Can't he make out with the name Padma. *Think of it, if he has changed the blood group from A+ to B+; that is it!!* 8. Will anyone with basic common sense ask for high risk signature in front of the patient? I was asked to sign just minutes before surgery in front of my wife. 9. Is the hospital money minded?: They were demanding money on gun point almost. a. Prior to the first surgery the cashier said please give Rs.30000/- more for him to give clearance for surgery b. When my wife going for second surgery I was told by the cashier again, please give Rs.60000/- for clearance for surgery c. The hospital charged more than what was told for initial laparoscopic, without even communicating to me increase in chargesd. The final "bill" was just on letter head, without mention of currency, invoice number, etc. I had to insist on a proper invoice later. e. I was given to understand that they even made arguments on ambulance charges to send my wife dead body back home.!! *(making money on the dead body also)* 10. Why the hospital did not made me to talk to my wife when she gained consciousness after the second surgery? If not anything else, I could have held her hand. Even a criminal gets an opportunity to communicate his/her last wishes. Am I or my wife worse than? 11. *FALSE reports* - After all these hospital sends me false reports (on Jan 11, 2008 – three weeks after my wife's death) : a. They had mentioned she had LSCS (caesarean section) and large scar due to LSCS. When my wife delivered both the babies normally, how does one record as caesarean and *how there will be scar when there was no caesarean?*b. The hernia was mentioned "incisional hernia" – when there was no incision on her body how the hernia is categorised as incisional? It was actually ventral hernia. Don't think one can replace any term with any term just like that!c. Most importantly, the surgery was performed on 16th Dec 2007, the report said 17th dec 2007 12. *MISSING REPORTS - *From the hospital records Doctors notes were missing for 16th and 17th Dec. The first report is available for 17th Dec at 8:36pm. How come there are no Doctors' notes for *about 36 hours after the surgery?*Isn' t it fishy? Did something went wrong on the first laparoscopic procedure? Our entire family is still mourning and trying to reconcile the fact that our Padma is no more. My 7 year old son is aware that is Mom is not there, does he understand? My 1 year old daughter is too young to know what has happened. What will her questions be in future?My sincere advice to all isa) Do not get carried away by advertisement / TV shows / big buildings b) Please do not rush c) Do your own due diligence, particularly when things are not an emergency d) Try and understand the medical terms, do research prior e) Please ask questions, at every stage. f) Don't say "I can spend anything" g) Know patient rights * I am still not convinced that Padma has died after a 'simple' laparoscopic surgery? I am deeply upset of what has happened to Padma and for what is happening to us. What I could have done (or not done) which would have prevented this. What is that we cando to prevent this in future for others!!!************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ******Please join me in making awareness to others. While India is trying to woo many international Customers in the name of 'medical tourism'; first let the authorities make regulation on the health care system and take care of Indian people first. Our medical system must understand the differences between MEDICINE – TREATMENT and HEALTHCARE. What we get most of the time is medicine for the symptom while we need healthcare.
http://dtsreddy.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!13F578534B68D612!722.entry
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Serious Illness? Learn How to Navigate the Health Care System
David Landay's Parental and Partner Losses Prompted His Consumer-Oriented Site
Hit Broadway producer David Landay watched cancer kill both his parents and HIV/AIDS snatch several close friends, and eventually his partner.
It seemed that dealing with death had become a frequent and unwanted aspect of his life.
"It was so common that my friend Sally came home and found this note on her refrigerator: 'Rich called. John is dead.' And it had just become that common," he said. "My partner David died, and after that, I decided I had to help full-time."
After navigating the difficult pathway of serious illness and the health care system, Landay wanted to help others do the same. So he launched a Web site, survivorshipatoz.org.
He developed the site to serve as a one-stop shop to help people dealing with cancer, AIDS or any other serious illness as they navigate the health care system.
"The idea would be to give people all the legal, financial and practical information they need; so that when you first got that diagnosis and all these questions come charging at you, the answers would all be there," said Landay, who produced the Broadway show "Woman of the Year" with Lauren Bacall, Raquel Welch and Debbie Reynolds.
He recognized that when people get hit with devastating news they are often are confused about what to do. They may not have enough savvy about the health care industry to debunk common myths.
"Health insurance is the most important asset you have, but one of the myths is you can't get it. Well, you still can get health insurance," Landay said.
Even with health coverage, meeting medical financial obligations can be difficult.
Read the rest and watch podcast. Click Here
Hit Broadway producer David Landay watched cancer kill both his parents and HIV/AIDS snatch several close friends, and eventually his partner.
It seemed that dealing with death had become a frequent and unwanted aspect of his life.
"It was so common that my friend Sally came home and found this note on her refrigerator: 'Rich called. John is dead.' And it had just become that common," he said. "My partner David died, and after that, I decided I had to help full-time."
After navigating the difficult pathway of serious illness and the health care system, Landay wanted to help others do the same. So he launched a Web site, survivorshipatoz.org.
He developed the site to serve as a one-stop shop to help people dealing with cancer, AIDS or any other serious illness as they navigate the health care system.
"The idea would be to give people all the legal, financial and practical information they need; so that when you first got that diagnosis and all these questions come charging at you, the answers would all be there," said Landay, who produced the Broadway show "Woman of the Year" with Lauren Bacall, Raquel Welch and Debbie Reynolds.
He recognized that when people get hit with devastating news they are often are confused about what to do. They may not have enough savvy about the health care industry to debunk common myths.
"Health insurance is the most important asset you have, but one of the myths is you can't get it. Well, you still can get health insurance," Landay said.
Even with health coverage, meeting medical financial obligations can be difficult.
Read the rest and watch podcast. Click Here
Friday, February 29, 2008
Adhesions News ARDvark Blog
Baxter Recalls All Heparin Vial Products
Written by Catharine Paddock, PhD
Baxter International Inc announced yesterday, Thursday 28th February, that it was recalling all remaining multi-dose and single-dose heparin sodium and HEP -LOCK heparin flush products now that alternative suppliers are able to meet national demand for them...[read article]
Peer-Reviewed Science Must Be The Source For Policy Decisions Regarding Drug Harm-Reduction
Possible Target To Treat Deadly Bloodstream Infections Found By Researchers
The Critically Ill May Be Harmed By Intensive Insulin Therapy
State-To-State Differences In Quality Of Care Revealed By New Child Health Data
Regulatory Agencies In Argentina And Brazil On The Specific Characteristics For Clinical Trial Development In Each Country
AMA Denounces Erosion Of Insurer Competition, USA
New National Poll: Majority Of American Voters Oppose Bush Administration's Proposed Cuts To Medicare
Clostridium Difficile Deaths Up In England And Wales
Antibiotic Resistant E. Coli Could Soon Become Prevalent, Similar To MRSA
Democratic Governors Call On Congress To Block Bush Administration Rules That Would Make It Harder For States To Expand SCHIP
Democratic Presidential Candidates Clinton, Obama Discuss Plans To Expand Health Coverage During Ohio Debate
Health Insurers Work To Address Issues Involving Retroactively Canceled Policies
AdvaMed Offers Qualified Support For Bill To Require Disclosure Of Payments From Medical Device Companies To Physicians
Medicaid Changes; Should Be Suspended Until Change In Administration, Senate Budget Chair Says
Potential Drug Targets Found In Scripps Study Of Sepsis In Mice
MIT Student Invents Knock-Out Punch For Antibiotic Resistance
Recovery Of Bowel Function After Gastrointestinal Surgery Aided By Chewing Gum
Blue Shield Of California Foundation Selects APIC In Initiative To Fight Healthcare-Associated Infections
Royal College Issues Guidance On The Management Of Premenstrual Syndrome, UK
Thalidomide Shows Promise For Treatment Of Recurrent Ovarian Cancer
ECRI Institute Salutes Patient Safety Week With Free Content On Disclosure Of Unanticipated Outcomes
Does Artificial Intelligence Help Clinicians To Recognize Atrophic Gastritis With Thyroid Disease?
Network To Study Health Care Disparities Affecting Minorities Launched By UCLA
NCCN Updates Ovarian Cancer Guidelines
Mayo Clinic Finds Capsule Endoscopy Can Detect Intestinal Damage Caused By Celiac Disease
Written by Catharine Paddock, PhD
Baxter International Inc announced yesterday, Thursday 28th February, that it was recalling all remaining multi-dose and single-dose heparin sodium and HEP -LOCK heparin flush products now that alternative suppliers are able to meet national demand for them...[read article]
Peer-Reviewed Science Must Be The Source For Policy Decisions Regarding Drug Harm-Reduction
Possible Target To Treat Deadly Bloodstream Infections Found By Researchers
The Critically Ill May Be Harmed By Intensive Insulin Therapy
State-To-State Differences In Quality Of Care Revealed By New Child Health Data
Regulatory Agencies In Argentina And Brazil On The Specific Characteristics For Clinical Trial Development In Each Country
AMA Denounces Erosion Of Insurer Competition, USA
New National Poll: Majority Of American Voters Oppose Bush Administration's Proposed Cuts To Medicare
Clostridium Difficile Deaths Up In England And Wales
Antibiotic Resistant E. Coli Could Soon Become Prevalent, Similar To MRSA
Democratic Governors Call On Congress To Block Bush Administration Rules That Would Make It Harder For States To Expand SCHIP
Democratic Presidential Candidates Clinton, Obama Discuss Plans To Expand Health Coverage During Ohio Debate
Health Insurers Work To Address Issues Involving Retroactively Canceled Policies
AdvaMed Offers Qualified Support For Bill To Require Disclosure Of Payments From Medical Device Companies To Physicians
Medicaid Changes; Should Be Suspended Until Change In Administration, Senate Budget Chair Says
Potential Drug Targets Found In Scripps Study Of Sepsis In Mice
MIT Student Invents Knock-Out Punch For Antibiotic Resistance
Recovery Of Bowel Function After Gastrointestinal Surgery Aided By Chewing Gum
Blue Shield Of California Foundation Selects APIC In Initiative To Fight Healthcare-Associated Infections
Royal College Issues Guidance On The Management Of Premenstrual Syndrome, UK
Thalidomide Shows Promise For Treatment Of Recurrent Ovarian Cancer
ECRI Institute Salutes Patient Safety Week With Free Content On Disclosure Of Unanticipated Outcomes
Does Artificial Intelligence Help Clinicians To Recognize Atrophic Gastritis With Thyroid Disease?
Network To Study Health Care Disparities Affecting Minorities Launched By UCLA
NCCN Updates Ovarian Cancer Guidelines
Mayo Clinic Finds Capsule Endoscopy Can Detect Intestinal Damage Caused By Celiac Disease
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Fentanyl patches recalled over leakage risk
20-Feb-2008 - Concerns have been building across North America about the safety of transdermal patches for delivering the highly potent narcotic analgesic fentanyl.
Both brand-name and generic companies selling fentanyl patches have recalled some of their products voluntarily due to the risk of a potentially life-threatening manufacturing defect.The problems emerged last week when PriCara, a division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, said all lots of 25 microgram/hour (mcg/hr) Duragesic (fentanyl transdermal system) CII patches sold by PriCara in the US, as well as all 25 mcg/hr fentanyl patches sold as an authorised generic by Sandoz in the same market, were being recalled voluntarily "as a precaution" from wholesalers and pharmacies. The action was taken in co-operation with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The patches involved all had expiry dates of December 2009 or earlier and were all manufactured by Alza, the drug delivery specialist that, like PriCara, is part of the Johnson & Johnson group. All 25 mcg fentanyl patches manufactured by Alza and sold in Canada - by both Janssen-Ortho as Duragesic and by Ranbaxy as Ran Fentanyl Transdermal System patches, under an October 2006 licensing and supply agreement between Janssen-Ortho and Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Canada - were also taken off the market. The Canadian regulatory authority, Health Canada, issued a public health advisory warning against use of the affected patches.As PriCara explained, the patches concerned "may have a cut along one side of the drug reservoir". That meant there was a possibility the fentanyl gel could be released from the gel reservoir into the pouch in which the patch is packaged, "exposing patients or caregivers to fentanyl gel". As the company pointed out, fentanyl is a powerful opioid compound classified under Schedule II of the US Controlled Substances Act. Exposure to fentanyl gel "may lead to serious adverse events, including respiratory depression and possible overdose, which may be fatal", it warned. Nor would patches with a cut edge that had leaked gel provide effective pain relief, PriCara noted. This is not the first time Johnson & Johnson has run into difficulties with Duragesic. There have been a number of recalls of the patch since it was originally approved in the US in August 1990, although PriCara spokesman Greg Panico said these involved different manufacturing issues from those behind the current recall.
Read More:
http://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/news/ng.asp?n=83383-actavis-johnson-johnson-fentanyl-duragesic
Both brand-name and generic companies selling fentanyl patches have recalled some of their products voluntarily due to the risk of a potentially life-threatening manufacturing defect.The problems emerged last week when PriCara, a division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, said all lots of 25 microgram/hour (mcg/hr) Duragesic (fentanyl transdermal system) CII patches sold by PriCara in the US, as well as all 25 mcg/hr fentanyl patches sold as an authorised generic by Sandoz in the same market, were being recalled voluntarily "as a precaution" from wholesalers and pharmacies. The action was taken in co-operation with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The patches involved all had expiry dates of December 2009 or earlier and were all manufactured by Alza, the drug delivery specialist that, like PriCara, is part of the Johnson & Johnson group. All 25 mcg fentanyl patches manufactured by Alza and sold in Canada - by both Janssen-Ortho as Duragesic and by Ranbaxy as Ran Fentanyl Transdermal System patches, under an October 2006 licensing and supply agreement between Janssen-Ortho and Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Canada - were also taken off the market. The Canadian regulatory authority, Health Canada, issued a public health advisory warning against use of the affected patches.As PriCara explained, the patches concerned "may have a cut along one side of the drug reservoir". That meant there was a possibility the fentanyl gel could be released from the gel reservoir into the pouch in which the patch is packaged, "exposing patients or caregivers to fentanyl gel". As the company pointed out, fentanyl is a powerful opioid compound classified under Schedule II of the US Controlled Substances Act. Exposure to fentanyl gel "may lead to serious adverse events, including respiratory depression and possible overdose, which may be fatal", it warned. Nor would patches with a cut edge that had leaked gel provide effective pain relief, PriCara noted. This is not the first time Johnson & Johnson has run into difficulties with Duragesic. There have been a number of recalls of the patch since it was originally approved in the US in August 1990, although PriCara spokesman Greg Panico said these involved different manufacturing issues from those behind the current recall.
Read More:
http://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/news/ng.asp?n=83383-actavis-johnson-johnson-fentanyl-duragesic
Pfizer pulls TV ads with heart expert Jarvik
By Lisa Richwine Mon Feb 25, 8:35 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc said on Monday it was pulling television advertisements for its Lipitor cholesterol drug featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik, inventor of the Jarvik artificial heart, because they created "misimpressions."
The ads involving Jarvik had come under scrutiny from a U.S. House of Representative committee as part of an investigation into celebrity endorsements of prescription medicines.
Democratic lawmakers had voiced concern that Jarvik's qualifications were misrepresented in widely seen TV commercials touting the blockbuster drug. They said Jarvik seemed to be dispensing medical advice even though he is not a practicing physician.
Read More
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc said on Monday it was pulling television advertisements for its Lipitor cholesterol drug featuring Dr. Robert Jarvik, inventor of the Jarvik artificial heart, because they created "misimpressions."
The ads involving Jarvik had come under scrutiny from a U.S. House of Representative committee as part of an investigation into celebrity endorsements of prescription medicines.
Democratic lawmakers had voiced concern that Jarvik's qualifications were misrepresented in widely seen TV commercials touting the blockbuster drug. They said Jarvik seemed to be dispensing medical advice even though he is not a practicing physician.
Read More
Monday, January 28, 2008
Gynecare Intergel: More Lawsuits Pending?
New Brunswick, NJ:
Gynecare Intergel Adhesion Prevention Solution was used to prevent post-operative internal scarring in women but voluntarily pulled from the market in 2003, continues to be an issue for the manufacturers, given reports of adverse side affects and pending litigation. It also provides perspective into how products are approved - and how sometimes, the approval process can go off the rails.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Gynecare Intergel Adhesion Prevention Solution for use in certain gynaecological procedures in 2001 - although the agency initially denied approval to the manufacturer, Lifecore Biomedical Inc. The FDA found that Intergel increased the chance of infection in women.Lifecore appealed, and a re-evaluation under the appeals process reversed the original decision of the FDA. Gynecare Intergel Adhesion Prevention Solution was given approval, but with the ominous tag that it was found to be 'reasonably safe.'The FDA ha since received more than a hundred reports of issues linked to the use of Intergel, including three deaths. In March of 2003 Gynecare Intergel Adhesion Prevention Solution was voluntary recalled by Gynecare Worldwide. Doctors were urged to discontinue active use of the product while the manufacturer studied reports of "pain, non-infectious foreign body reactions, and tissue adherence."It should be noted that the Food and Drug Administration has not issued a recall of its' own, but in 2004 the FDA Centre for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) advised the manufacturer that in its' view, the product was misbranded and cited the manufacturer with failure to submit required documentation pertaining to 11 specific reports of either serious injury, or deaths linked to the product.Intergel is made from sodium hyaluronate and iron, and was developed to help the healing process and prevent adhesions by separating and protecting tissues after gynaecological surgery. It was originally approved by the FDA only for open gynaecological procedures. Intergel was specifically NOT approved for laparoscopic surgeries or hysterectomies, as data presented a higher rate of infection when used in this fashion. Still, Intergel was often used off-label for hysterectomies, and laparoscopic procedures.Post-operative issues arising from use of Intergel include pelvic pain, internal scarring, infertility, allergic reactions, tissue adherence and issues with the bowel. Some patients have reported requiring repeat surgery to correct problems allegedly brought about by the use of Intergel.Examples of procedures for which Intergel has been prescribed include surgery for the removal of fibroids, and treatment for endometriosis. Following use of Gynecare Intergel, patients have reported symptoms ranging from abdominal pain to shortness of breath.One case, cited in the 2004 communiqué to Lifecore from the CDRH, identified a patient with such advanced adhesive disease that the left side of her pelvis appeared frozen.To date, about 80 product liability lawsuits have been brought against Lifecore Biomedical Inc, Ethicon Inc., Johnson&Johnson, and Vital Pharma, the packager contracted to handle Intergel. Gynecare was established in 1997 as the pioneering women's health division of Ethicon, a Johnson&Johnson company.
Gynecare Intergel Legal Help
If you or a loved one has suffered from the use of Gynecare Intergel Adhesion Prevention Solution, please contact a [Gynecare Intergel] lawyer who will evaluate your claim at no charge.
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/00835/gynecare-lawsuits.html
Gynecare Intergel Adhesion Prevention Solution was used to prevent post-operative internal scarring in women but voluntarily pulled from the market in 2003, continues to be an issue for the manufacturers, given reports of adverse side affects and pending litigation. It also provides perspective into how products are approved - and how sometimes, the approval process can go off the rails.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Gynecare Intergel Adhesion Prevention Solution for use in certain gynaecological procedures in 2001 - although the agency initially denied approval to the manufacturer, Lifecore Biomedical Inc. The FDA found that Intergel increased the chance of infection in women.Lifecore appealed, and a re-evaluation under the appeals process reversed the original decision of the FDA. Gynecare Intergel Adhesion Prevention Solution was given approval, but with the ominous tag that it was found to be 'reasonably safe.'The FDA ha since received more than a hundred reports of issues linked to the use of Intergel, including three deaths. In March of 2003 Gynecare Intergel Adhesion Prevention Solution was voluntary recalled by Gynecare Worldwide. Doctors were urged to discontinue active use of the product while the manufacturer studied reports of "pain, non-infectious foreign body reactions, and tissue adherence."It should be noted that the Food and Drug Administration has not issued a recall of its' own, but in 2004 the FDA Centre for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) advised the manufacturer that in its' view, the product was misbranded and cited the manufacturer with failure to submit required documentation pertaining to 11 specific reports of either serious injury, or deaths linked to the product.Intergel is made from sodium hyaluronate and iron, and was developed to help the healing process and prevent adhesions by separating and protecting tissues after gynaecological surgery. It was originally approved by the FDA only for open gynaecological procedures. Intergel was specifically NOT approved for laparoscopic surgeries or hysterectomies, as data presented a higher rate of infection when used in this fashion. Still, Intergel was often used off-label for hysterectomies, and laparoscopic procedures.Post-operative issues arising from use of Intergel include pelvic pain, internal scarring, infertility, allergic reactions, tissue adherence and issues with the bowel. Some patients have reported requiring repeat surgery to correct problems allegedly brought about by the use of Intergel.Examples of procedures for which Intergel has been prescribed include surgery for the removal of fibroids, and treatment for endometriosis. Following use of Gynecare Intergel, patients have reported symptoms ranging from abdominal pain to shortness of breath.One case, cited in the 2004 communiqué to Lifecore from the CDRH, identified a patient with such advanced adhesive disease that the left side of her pelvis appeared frozen.To date, about 80 product liability lawsuits have been brought against Lifecore Biomedical Inc, Ethicon Inc., Johnson&Johnson, and Vital Pharma, the packager contracted to handle Intergel. Gynecare was established in 1997 as the pioneering women's health division of Ethicon, a Johnson&Johnson company.
Gynecare Intergel Legal Help
If you or a loved one has suffered from the use of Gynecare Intergel Adhesion Prevention Solution, please contact a [Gynecare Intergel] lawyer who will evaluate your claim at no charge.
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/00835/gynecare-lawsuits.html
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Hernia Surgery Sufferers May Have Relief After All
Mesh Recall expanded
January 25, 2008
By Jean Martin
TrackBack (0)
Category: Defective Products
The judge hearing the cases in the Kugel Mesh Patch Litigation MDL has recently expanded the scope of the MDL to include more hernia mesh patches than what had been recalled. The judge opened up the MDL to include additional Davol and Bard mesh patches, including some that did not contain an internal ring, but were made of a special bi-layered material similar to the Kugel Mesh patches.
What does this mean for you? If you suffered from abdominal pain, bowel adhesions, bowel obstructions or bowel perforations after hernia surgery using a mesh patch for the repair, you may indeed have a legal claim even if you were previously told that you did not.
Even though some folks suffered the same problems - abdominal pain, constipation, bowel obstructions and bowel adhesions - many lawyers would not take their claim because the patch used had not been recalled. In contrast, Shipman & Wright, LLP filed the claims on the basis that the problems extended beyond that stated in the recall notice. We are happy that a judge has agreed to consider the issue and stand poised to file other cases on behalf of clients who were turned away by other attorneys.
January 25, 2008
By Jean Martin
TrackBack (0)
Category: Defective Products
The judge hearing the cases in the Kugel Mesh Patch Litigation MDL has recently expanded the scope of the MDL to include more hernia mesh patches than what had been recalled. The judge opened up the MDL to include additional Davol and Bard mesh patches, including some that did not contain an internal ring, but were made of a special bi-layered material similar to the Kugel Mesh patches.
What does this mean for you? If you suffered from abdominal pain, bowel adhesions, bowel obstructions or bowel perforations after hernia surgery using a mesh patch for the repair, you may indeed have a legal claim even if you were previously told that you did not.
Even though some folks suffered the same problems - abdominal pain, constipation, bowel obstructions and bowel adhesions - many lawyers would not take their claim because the patch used had not been recalled. In contrast, Shipman & Wright, LLP filed the claims on the basis that the problems extended beyond that stated in the recall notice. We are happy that a judge has agreed to consider the issue and stand poised to file other cases on behalf of clients who were turned away by other attorneys.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Medicines Australia Appoints Educational Event Auditor
Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Also Included In: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 18 Jan 2008 - 2:00 PST
Medicines Australia chief executive Ian Chalmers announced the appointment of international business consulting firm Deloitte to review all educational events conducted by pharmaceutical companies for doctors over the period 1 July to 31 December 2007. This appointment goes beyond an ACCC requirement that Medicines Australia member companies report the details of their educational events for publication on the Medicines Australia website. Deloitte will undertake an independent and objective evaluation of reported events, enabling Medicines Australia to assess the level of compliance with the industry Code of Conduct. Mr Chalmers said the audit procedure will assist member companies to achieve maximum compliance with the Code of Conduct. "The appointment of an independent auditor recognises concerns held by some in the community that there is a lack of transparency in the interactions between pharmaceutical companies and doctors. "We have listened to those concerns and we're taking action," Mr Chalmers said. "If the auditor considers any reported events may potentially be in breach of the Code, such cases will be subject to a rigorous, independent investigative process that may, where a breach of the Code is confirmed, culminate in significant sanctions. "I hope people will recognise that these events are important in educating doctors about new medicines and the quality use of medicines. I also hope that this audit gives the community confidence that the manner in which these events are conducted is closely and effectively monitored." Deloitte will report to Medicines Australia in February. Details of complaints against pharmaceutical companies, which have been submitted to and considered by the Code of Conduct Committee, are published quarterly on the Medicines Australia website. Medicines Australia
Also Included In: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 18 Jan 2008 - 2:00 PST
Medicines Australia chief executive Ian Chalmers announced the appointment of international business consulting firm Deloitte to review all educational events conducted by pharmaceutical companies for doctors over the period 1 July to 31 December 2007. This appointment goes beyond an ACCC requirement that Medicines Australia member companies report the details of their educational events for publication on the Medicines Australia website. Deloitte will undertake an independent and objective evaluation of reported events, enabling Medicines Australia to assess the level of compliance with the industry Code of Conduct. Mr Chalmers said the audit procedure will assist member companies to achieve maximum compliance with the Code of Conduct. "The appointment of an independent auditor recognises concerns held by some in the community that there is a lack of transparency in the interactions between pharmaceutical companies and doctors. "We have listened to those concerns and we're taking action," Mr Chalmers said. "If the auditor considers any reported events may potentially be in breach of the Code, such cases will be subject to a rigorous, independent investigative process that may, where a breach of the Code is confirmed, culminate in significant sanctions. "I hope people will recognise that these events are important in educating doctors about new medicines and the quality use of medicines. I also hope that this audit gives the community confidence that the manner in which these events are conducted is closely and effectively monitored." Deloitte will report to Medicines Australia in February. Details of complaints against pharmaceutical companies, which have been submitted to and considered by the Code of Conduct Committee, are published quarterly on the Medicines Australia website. Medicines Australia
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Adhesions Medical Headlines ARDvark Blog
Cardiovascular Sciences get $1M capital investmentBizjournals.com, NC - 17 hours agoAdhesions occur when two injured and adjacent tissues attach as part of the healing process. If this process occurs between internal organs or tissues that .....
CMS Issues Proposed Rule To Expand Plan Choices To Medicare Beneficiaries With Limited Incomes And Resources, USA
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a proposed regulation that aims to allow more Medicare beneficiaries with limited income and resources to remain in the Medicare prescription drug plan in which they are enrolled without having to pay a premium...
Memory Consolidation Improved By Daytime Sleep
ASPS Survey Taps Top Markets For Regional Plastic Surgery Data
Microneedles Ease Intravenous Drug Delivery
PSNC Responds To Consultation On Stoma And Incontinence Appliances
FDA Clears First Quick Test For Drug-Resistant Staph Infections
NHS Could Save Millions If People With MRSA Were Treated At Home, Report
Home Treatment Of Pneumonia Safe And Effective, Finds Study
AARP Seeks U.S. Supreme Court Ruling That EEOC Lacks Authority To Allow Employers To Reduce Health Care Benefits For Medicare-Eligible Retirees
Three-Year Registry Data From 1,278 Women Shows Long-Term Efficacy For Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE)
Fifth Annual Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium Press Program Announced
Cost Benefit Analysis In Spinal Surgery: Is It Feasable?
World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre For Patient Safety Seeks Comment On Proposed New International Patient Safety Solutions
Many Physicians Prescribe Placebos To Patients, Study Finds
Hospitalizations For GERD Up By 103 Percent
CMS Issues Proposed Rule To Expand Plan Choices To Medicare Beneficiaries With Limited Incomes And Resources, USA
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Glen Beck speaks out about health "care"
Hospitals Gone Bad
Glen Beck
January 7, 2008 - 3:00 ET
Last week I made a video on YouTube and I didn't think that it would be something that would be so huge. I didn't think that it would be -- you know, it was the number two video watched over the last few days on YouTube. I mean, why, I don't know. Maybe because I was honest in a world where most people aren't, I guess. Most people like me, I'm honest, and I shared with you a bit of the story of what happened to me. I believe if I haven't had listened to promptings, I'd be dead today. I also learned an awful lot about compassion. I went into the hospital and -- well, let me give you the story from the beginning.
It was the day after Christmas. I went in for just regular surgery and I went into a place that's not even -- I mean, this used to be a two- or three-day hospital stay but because better living through pharmaceuticals, I'm sorry, better living through HMOs, we no longer put people in the hospital for this. Nothing has changed. We just don't pay for it anymore. So congratulations on that. You get to go home right after the surgery
So I went to this place and I'm going to name names. My doctors are Littlejohn and McClain from Stamford, Connecticut and they are the best of the best. These guys are absolutely amazing. I have the best team of doctors you can imagine. So Littlejohn and McClain, I go in and they're performing the surgery and McClain is, you know, the guy with the knife and the anesthesiologist, he's there and he puts me under and I'm at this place called the Tully Hall Center. The nurse, when I first walk in, the first thing I say to her after about ten minutes of talking to me, I said, can I tell you something? Already this experience is the best experience because I am so nervous about all of this stuff and you've made me feel so good about everything. She was just fantastic. And I had a great experience. I go in, I go under.
Now, this is where it starts to go awry. Starts to go awry after the surgery. The anesthesiologist told me later, he said, I didn't want want to say anything but this is the worst case I've ever seen. He said, and I've never had anybody wake up on the table before.
Read the rest.......
Glen Beck
January 7, 2008 - 3:00 ET
Last week I made a video on YouTube and I didn't think that it would be something that would be so huge. I didn't think that it would be -- you know, it was the number two video watched over the last few days on YouTube. I mean, why, I don't know. Maybe because I was honest in a world where most people aren't, I guess. Most people like me, I'm honest, and I shared with you a bit of the story of what happened to me. I believe if I haven't had listened to promptings, I'd be dead today. I also learned an awful lot about compassion. I went into the hospital and -- well, let me give you the story from the beginning.
It was the day after Christmas. I went in for just regular surgery and I went into a place that's not even -- I mean, this used to be a two- or three-day hospital stay but because better living through pharmaceuticals, I'm sorry, better living through HMOs, we no longer put people in the hospital for this. Nothing has changed. We just don't pay for it anymore. So congratulations on that. You get to go home right after the surgery
So I went to this place and I'm going to name names. My doctors are Littlejohn and McClain from Stamford, Connecticut and they are the best of the best. These guys are absolutely amazing. I have the best team of doctors you can imagine. So Littlejohn and McClain, I go in and they're performing the surgery and McClain is, you know, the guy with the knife and the anesthesiologist, he's there and he puts me under and I'm at this place called the Tully Hall Center. The nurse, when I first walk in, the first thing I say to her after about ten minutes of talking to me, I said, can I tell you something? Already this experience is the best experience because I am so nervous about all of this stuff and you've made me feel so good about everything. She was just fantastic. And I had a great experience. I go in, I go under.
Now, this is where it starts to go awry. Starts to go awry after the surgery. The anesthesiologist told me later, he said, I didn't want want to say anything but this is the worst case I've ever seen. He said, and I've never had anybody wake up on the table before.
Read the rest.......
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Issue of Drugs and Pain Strikes a Nerve
Amid Painkiller Abuse Fears, Those With Legitimate Need Sometimes Go Without
By LEAH BETH WARDYakima Herald-Republic
Jan. 3, 2008—
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - Alex Four-Horns leans forward as far as his aching body will allow while his pain nurse massages a mixture of castor oil, ginger and lavender into his shoulder.
Castor oil has a soothing effect, giving Four-Horns some short-term relief from chronic pain, the result of a life-threatening automobile accident three years ago that left him in a coma for a month, broke both his thigh bones and damaged his knees and hips.
Once a strong, athletic man, Four-Horns, 29, now moves slowly, and he finds it difficult to keep up with his sons, ages 2 and 8. "My hip went out when I was putting up the Christmas tree with my boys," he said.
Healing oils, a lot of ibuprofen and occasional electrical nerve stimulation are the only pain management tools available to Four-Horns.
The state Medicaid program pays for occasional visits from nurse Dionetta Hudzinski to his home not far from downtown Yakima. Hudzinski, who has long been active in advocating for people with chronic pain, wonders if he might benefit from a prescription painkiller. But she can't find a doctor to treat him for pain.
Four-Horns' case illustrates what University of California pain physician Dr. Scott Fishman calls a war between two urgent public health problems -- the need to address many patients' undertreated and untreated chronic pain and the need to reduce the nation's alarming rate of prescription drug abuse.
Washington state became a battlefront in the pain war earlier this year when a group of state agency medical directors, led by Dr. Gary Franklin of the Department of Labor and Industries and in consultation with practicing pain specialists, issued voluntary guidelines to physicians for prescribing opioids for noncancer pain. Opioids such as OxyContin are powerful painkillers that mimic morphine. Heroin is made from morphine.
The state's chief recommendation is that doctors limit the total opioid dose to the equivalent of 120 milligrams of morphine a day. At that level, the state urges doctors to seek a consultation with a pain management specialist. No other state recommends a dosing limit, although others are exploring the idea.
The dosing guideline is about half the maximum average daily dose of 250 milligrams taken in recent years by injured workers and Medicaid clients with chronic, noncancer pain, according to Franklin. Doses in some cases exceeded 1,000 milligrams, he said. In contrast, some cancer specialists say their patients with chronic pain might require more than 600 milligrams of morphine a day.
Since the guidelines were published in March, they have become a flashpoint in the national debate over finding the balance between treating pain and stopping the illegal diversion of prescription painkillers into street drugs. The American Academy of Pain Medicine, an association of pain physicians, recently came out strongly against the guidelines, warning that they will scare doctors away from legitimately treating chronic pain. They attack the 120 mg dosing limit as unscientific and say there simply aren't enough pain specialists to take referrals from family doctors.
Read More
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=4080873
By LEAH BETH WARDYakima Herald-Republic
Jan. 3, 2008—
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - Alex Four-Horns leans forward as far as his aching body will allow while his pain nurse massages a mixture of castor oil, ginger and lavender into his shoulder.
Castor oil has a soothing effect, giving Four-Horns some short-term relief from chronic pain, the result of a life-threatening automobile accident three years ago that left him in a coma for a month, broke both his thigh bones and damaged his knees and hips.
Once a strong, athletic man, Four-Horns, 29, now moves slowly, and he finds it difficult to keep up with his sons, ages 2 and 8. "My hip went out when I was putting up the Christmas tree with my boys," he said.
Healing oils, a lot of ibuprofen and occasional electrical nerve stimulation are the only pain management tools available to Four-Horns.
The state Medicaid program pays for occasional visits from nurse Dionetta Hudzinski to his home not far from downtown Yakima. Hudzinski, who has long been active in advocating for people with chronic pain, wonders if he might benefit from a prescription painkiller. But she can't find a doctor to treat him for pain.
Four-Horns' case illustrates what University of California pain physician Dr. Scott Fishman calls a war between two urgent public health problems -- the need to address many patients' undertreated and untreated chronic pain and the need to reduce the nation's alarming rate of prescription drug abuse.
Washington state became a battlefront in the pain war earlier this year when a group of state agency medical directors, led by Dr. Gary Franklin of the Department of Labor and Industries and in consultation with practicing pain specialists, issued voluntary guidelines to physicians for prescribing opioids for noncancer pain. Opioids such as OxyContin are powerful painkillers that mimic morphine. Heroin is made from morphine.
The state's chief recommendation is that doctors limit the total opioid dose to the equivalent of 120 milligrams of morphine a day. At that level, the state urges doctors to seek a consultation with a pain management specialist. No other state recommends a dosing limit, although others are exploring the idea.
The dosing guideline is about half the maximum average daily dose of 250 milligrams taken in recent years by injured workers and Medicaid clients with chronic, noncancer pain, according to Franklin. Doses in some cases exceeded 1,000 milligrams, he said. In contrast, some cancer specialists say their patients with chronic pain might require more than 600 milligrams of morphine a day.
Since the guidelines were published in March, they have become a flashpoint in the national debate over finding the balance between treating pain and stopping the illegal diversion of prescription painkillers into street drugs. The American Academy of Pain Medicine, an association of pain physicians, recently came out strongly against the guidelines, warning that they will scare doctors away from legitimately treating chronic pain. They attack the 120 mg dosing limit as unscientific and say there simply aren't enough pain specialists to take referrals from family doctors.
Read More
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=4080873
Friday, January 04, 2008
Breaking News Glen Beck Surgery Goes "Horribly Awry"
....and boy is he mad!
He talks about being treated horribly at what he assumed to be a prestigious hospital.
He is a nationally known radio and television talk show host.
Sorry to say its all sounds familiar.
We don't know what type of surgery he had but will post as soon as we know.
In the mean time all our best wishes for Glen Beck.
Welcome to the very large club
Beck Surgery Goes "Horribly Awry"
Headline News' Glenn Beck talks about his recent botched surgery, rails against the hospital where he was treated, launches into the Presidential campaign and a lack of compassion then talks about how he became "full fledged suicidal."
He talks about being treated horribly at what he assumed to be a prestigious hospital.
He is a nationally known radio and television talk show host.
Sorry to say its all sounds familiar.
We don't know what type of surgery he had but will post as soon as we know.
In the mean time all our best wishes for Glen Beck.
Welcome to the very large club
Beck Surgery Goes "Horribly Awry"
Headline News' Glenn Beck talks about his recent botched surgery, rails against the hospital where he was treated, launches into the Presidential campaign and a lack of compassion then talks about how he became "full fledged suicidal."
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