August Edition |
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Articles: Policy Round Up
Policy Round UpIn an attempt to offer an alternative to pharmaceutical industry marketing, four Democratic Senators introduced the Independent Drug Education and Outreach Act of 2008. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) introduced the bill on July 31. The IDEA Outreach Act of 2008 would authorize grants for (1) the creation of unbiased educational materials for doctors and (2) the establishment of programs through which non-profit organizations, such as medical schools, can send trained staffers into doctors’ offices to perform “academic detailing.” Academic detailing occurs when a staff of pharmacists, nurses and other health care professionals offer doctors independent data about the risks, benefits and costs of prescription drugs. The bill would provide a new way for doctors get their information about drugs. Bill sponsors argue that visits by industry sales representatives alter doctors’ prescribing patterns toward newer, more costly drugs. Some of which are no better than the older, less expensive therapies. Supporters of the bill point out that academic detailing programs have operated successfully in Australia, Canada and Pennsylvania. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in April 2007 projected that two dollars can be saved in drug costs for every one dollar spent on academic detailing. Advocates of academic detailing programs point out that they are not mainly about cost savings; they are about providing good information. Sometimes that even means encouraging more use of pharmaceuticals. “The fact that 94 percent of physicians have relationships with pharmaceutical companies is a clear barrier to a trusting and effective doctor patient relationship. Academic medical centers and professional medical societies must take the lead in protecting public trust in the medical profession by adopting reforms,” said David J. Rothman, PhD, Associate Director of The Prescription Project and president of Institute on Medicine as a Profession. The Prescription Project, supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts, promotes evidence-based prescribing and leads the National Coalition for Appropriate Prescribing. The two organizations have urged Congress to pass the IDEA Outreach Act of 2008.
The Office is Now OnlineKeeping with the trend of moving online, two doctors, David Best and Michael Banks, have created The Doctor’s Channel. This interactive online video site is in effect a YouTube for doctors, giving members of the online community the chance to create and upload user generated content. The topics span from controversial medical topics to travel and lifestyle tips, and the site plans to launch a Continuing Medical Education (CME) page that would count for a quarter-credit each. Within the Web site there are a variety of specialties that can be selected to view videos that relate to a specific subject. Among these are internal medicine, medical students, immunology, the business of medicine and oncology. There is also no limit to the range of topics that can be covered within each specialty. In order to interact within The Doctor’s Channel community—such as posting a video or comments—you must register. Once you do, you receive additional benefits like access to references and resources to complement the videos. You can also view info about the posting doctor, a summary of the video’s content and submit your own video or text comments. Other features of The Doctor’s Channel include a daily medical news video by Dr. Baker, one of the creators, called “Wireless Mike”; “Dueling Doctors” where groups of doctors debate hot topics in the world of medicine; “Curbside Consult” in which people can submit questions and receive video responses; “I Could Care, Les” where Dr. Les Edrich, a Long Beach, California surgeon, talks openly on controversial medical topics; and “Doc Life” which features travel and lifestyle tips for doctors, including the best places to eat and stay in various cities. To check it out, go to http://www.thedoctorschannel.com
Social Network SurvivorsThe social networking site CaringBridge has helped family members, friends and supporters of chronically ill patients stay connected, share information and offer encouragement. This takes social network communication to a whole new level. CaringBridge was founded in 1997 and, as reported to Stars and Stripes magazine, has had more than a half billion visits since the Minneapolis organization started. More than 75,000 CaringBridge sites have been created and maintained, providing a place for family members to update their communities on the trials, tribulations and triumphs of life with a disease.
Katie Krize is a 14-year-old from South Carolina. Kritze’s Mother, Michele, maintains the site for family and friends. Kritze has been living with neuroblastoma, an extracranial cancer in children, since she was diagnosed at the age of 5. “I told Katie good morning and kissed her head - this is our routine,” Michele wrote on July 23. “She furrowed her brow - kind of unusual as I am the only one she allows to kiss her. I asked her a few questions, and she responded by nodding her head. A few minutes later she did talk to me a little bit and we moved her and she talked. So she is not completely unresponsive.” At last count, more than 157,722 people had visited Katie’s site and many visitors had left words of encouragement for the family in the guest book. “My daughter Megan and I have been reading your daily journal postings everyday to see how little Katie is feeling,” wrote Mary Lee McKenzie on July 28. “The girls went to school together, and were in chorus together. All the struggles Katie has gone thru thus far have really opened the eyes of many of her classmates on just how fragile and precious life can be…We will always cherish the videos we have of Katie singing and will continue to pray for God's grace and blessings on your wonderful family.” The CaringBridge sites also include places for donations in the patients’ names and contact information for the journals’ authors and the hospitals where the patients are staying. The site has become a popular vehicle for a variety of medical circumstances, including premature birth, cancer, car accidents and military injuries. As the CaringBridge network continues to grow, even more patients and their families will receive the comfort and support that is necessary during such challenging times. |
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