specialists

A new study from Dartmouth is the latest to challenge the notion that high healthcare spending translates into better outcomes. Jonathan Skinner and Douglas Steiger looked at improvements in survival after heart attacks between 1986-2002. Nearly all the improvements occurred before 1997, but costs have continued to rise since. In addition, most improvements were in lower spending regions. It appears that simple and cheap interventions (such as giving aspirin and beta-blockers at …

One of the most well-funded and talked-about health IT projects takes a giant step forward this week (hopefully), as Britain's National Health Service officially launches the $10.9 billion Connecting for Health Initiative. The project is widely considered to be one of the most forward-thinking attempts to build a national health infrastructure yet. 'Choose and Book' gives patients the ability to set up appointments with specialists quickly. The system does all the right things, pushing …

There has been much fuss about the HSA, with some estimates suggesting more than 1 million accounts were opened in 2005. But the majority of those have been opened by people who already had high-deducible plans. However, as companies like UnitedHealth Group, Aetna and Cigna push these consumer-directed plans to their mainstream employer clients, they are gong to face two challenges. The first will be to educate Americans about how to evaluate the healthcare services they are asking for …

A report released earlier this week by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) examines trends in hospital emergency departments. Emergency department visits are up 26 percent over the last year. Researchers believe a major factor in the increase is the trend among patients to rely on emergency departments for primary care, even though the venue is an inefficient and expensive way of providing primary care. The group also notes the increasing role EDs are playing in attracting …

Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has published data on average patient wait times at hospitals in the Canadian province, often the subject of spirited debate between backers of the free market and supporters of Canada's health system. The information, which has been made available on a new Web site, may provide ammunition for critics who think delays in wait times to see specialists are too long. Web site

An FDA review panel gave the go ahead for Exubera to go on the US market.  The Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee approved a new inhaled version of insulin by a vote of 7-2. Supporters say Exubera, which was developed in a three-way partnership by Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis and Nektar Therapeutics, represents a major advance for diabetics, who until now had no choice but to endure often painful daily injections.

The approval came despite concern on the part of …

The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) reports that, for those physicians working in medical groups, specialists' salaries are stalling, barely increasing in 2004 after a total 20 percent rise over the past five years. However, the average specialist's salary is $297,000 compared to the average primary care physician's salary of $161,848. Release

Modern Physician reports that Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in 32 states are offering physician pay-for-performance programs, and 14 more are making plans to add them. A survey by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation for Healthcare finds that 68 percent of its primary care physicians and 48 percent of its specialists are enrolled in the program. Good news for supporters of pay-for-performance, not so good for those who still question the merit of the idea.

- see this story from Modern Physician

California will move nearly 500,00 blind, elderly and disabled residents to managed care in a deal worked out with Washington. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had tried unsuccessfully to get related legislation passed in Sacramento in May. Administration sources said the compromise would give California $3.3 billion more in federal funding for medical care for the state's poor. The news was met with dismay by some patient advocates, who argue the change could hurt the quality of care provided …

Patients in Massachusetts are waiting longer to see specialists than ever before as a direct result of the state's physician shortage, a new report finds. The amount of time patients must wait to see specialists in cardiology, gastroenterology, internal medicine, obstetrics-gynecology and orthopedic surgery is now three to six weeks.

The study, which was conducted by the Massachusetts Medical Society as part of its annual Physician Workforce Study, concludes that waiting times are …