Georgia Pulse

MAG calling on all physicians in Georgia to complete Physicians Foundation survey

16 May 2012 13:23:37 CDT

The Physicians Foundation is conducting a survey of "all practicing physicians in the United States...to examine the morale, career plans and practice metrics of today's physicians — and to give physicians a voice...goal is to produce a 'state of the union' of the medical profession that can have a significant impact on both policy and public perceptions." The Medical Association of Georgia is encouraging all physicians in Georgia to complete the survey.

Click here to complete the survey.

Click here for more information on the Physicians Foundation.

FDA weighs prescriptions without medical visits

16 May 2012 13:23:37 CDT

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering a move that would allow patients to obtain prescription medications without ever seeing a doctor. Instead, patients would use technology to evaluate their needs. The new model of drug distribution being considered by the FDA would allow some drugs for chronic conditions, such as asthma and allergies, to be sold under "conditions of safe use," a proposed category that would describe prescription drugs sold over the counter. To determine whether patients meet conditions of safe use of the drug, the FDA is recommending the development of new technology to help diagnose and assess patients' needs.

New Jersey governor vetoes bill creating health insurance exchange

16 May 2012 13:23:37 CDT

Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who is often rumored as a possible running mate for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, said the state should wait to see how the Supreme Court rules on the federal health law.

FDA advisors recommend approving weight loss drug

16 May 2012 13:23:37 CDT

Advisers to government health regulators recommended that they approve sales of what would be the first new prescription weight-loss drug in the U.S. in more than a decade, despite concerns over cardiac risks. Shares of the drug's creator, Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc., nearly doubled, jumping from $3.66 to $7.15 in after-hours trading after trading was temporarily halted.

Rising cost of 'specialty' drugs prompts employers to limit their use

16 May 2012 13:23:37 CDT

One potentially useful strategy is called value-based insurance design, or V-BID. This approach ties employees' out-of-pocket costs to the value of a medical service: Treatments that are deemed to provide important clinical benefits cost employees less than ones that are less effective; some may even be free. According to a survey by human resources consultant Mercer, 17 percent of all employers with at least 500 workers used value-based design provisions last year, often with medications to treat chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

FDA panel favors novel arthritis drug from Pfizer

16 May 2012 13:23:37 CDT

Federal health advisers said that a first-of-a-kind drug from Pfizer appears to be safe and effective for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, though they recommended follow-up studies to gauge the pill's long-term side effects. The Food and Drug Administration's panel of arthritis experts voted 8-2 in favor of Pfizer's tofacitinib for patients who have not responded to one or more other drugs. The FDA is not required to follow the group's advice, though it often does. A final decision is expected in August.

Marcus Foundation donates $20 million to Piedmont Heart Institute

16 May 2012 13:23:37 CDT

The Marcus Foundation has awarded a $20 million grant to the Piedmont Heart Institute in Atlanta to establish the nation's first heart valve reference center. The Marcus Heart Valve Center at Piedmont Hospital will provide a single resource for patients with congenital or acquired heart valve problems. It also will be a resource for physicians to learn about the latest advancements in treatment for patients who have heart problems and other complex medical issues, and to increase access to care.

Mercer graduate (and former MAG president) completes degree 59 years after starting it

16 May 2012 13:23:37 CDT

Don't ever tell Roy Vandiver, 76, he doesn't finish what he started. Vandiver began taking classes toward his undergraduate degree at Mercer University in 1953. He completed that journey recently— 59 years later — when he graduated with about 550 other students. But don't think for a minute Vandiver was a slacker all those years between starting and finishing his degree. He's actually Roy Vandiver, M.D.

Virtual doctors visits catch on with insurers, employers

16 May 2012 13:23:37 CDT

Tired of feeling like the walking dead but worried about the cost of a doctor's visit, Amber Young sat on her bed near tears one recent Friday night in Woodbury, Minn. That's when she logged onto an Internet site, run by NowClinic online care, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group (parent of health insurer UnitedHealthcare), and "met" with a doctor in Texas. After talking with the physician via instant messaging and then by telephone, Young was diagnosed with an upper respiratory illness and prescribed an antibiotic that her husband picked up at a local pharmacy.

Physician frustration grows, income falls

16 May 2012 13:23:37 CDT

Only a handful of physicians are involved in alternative patient-care delivery models. About 3 percent participate with accountable care organizations but another 5 percent say that they plan to become involved in the coming year. ACOs are a type of payment and delivery model that ties provider reimbursement to quality metrics and reduction in the total cost of care for an assigned patient population. They may initiate bundling of payments for various clinical outcomes.

iPad trick: Searching digital handwriting (how-to)

16 May 2012 13:23:37 CDT

The iPad is being deployed in the workplace in increasing numbers, with enterprises looking to deploy cheaper tools that employees want to use. The bring your own device movement is picking up steam outside official company programs, with iPad owners bringing the tablet to use at work. As a result, it is not that unusual to see the iPad in corporate hallways.