Questions For A Sunday Morning

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Weight loss:  Commercial weight-loss schemes outperform physician recommendations.  Does your heart follow where your pocketbook leads?  (Chicago Tribune)

Prostate surgery: Risks associated with prostate surgery are lower at academic medical centers.  Does practice make, if not ‘perfect,’ at least ‘better?’  (Chicago Tribune)

Quality measures:  Will your physician ‘fire’ you to meet standards for incentive-based compensation?  Are you a parent who refuses to vaccinate your kids?  “You’re fired!” (Advisory Board)

Disease management:  Programs for Medicare patients do not improve quality, reduce costs or decrease hospital and ED visits.  It’s only one study, but disappointing nevertheless. (NEJM)

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