http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/ Published by Patrick Malone & Associates, P.C. en-us 2012-05-23T20:41:26-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/05/virtual_colonoscopygood_result_1.html The list of medical procedures no one welcomes is long and varied, but pretty much everyone would opt never to have a colonoscopy if it weren’t necessary. It’s not so much the procedure that’s a problem, it’s the preparation—a diet... Cancer Patrick A. Malone 2012-05-23T20:41:26-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/05/a_possible_defense_against_kid.html For approximately 1 million Americans every year, kidney stones easily outrank childbirth, migraine headaches and other kinds of hurt for the booby prize of “most pain I’ve ever had.” Now those victims have some good news—new research by scientists at... General Patrick A. Malone 2012-05-21T20:18:40-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/05/conflict_of_interest_hurts_pai_1.html Here's another tale of Big Pharma insinuating itself into places it doesn't belong, to the detriment of quality care and patient safety. Established to support patients with chronic pain, their families and the health-care professionals who serve them, the American... Conflicts of Interest Patrick A. Malone 2012-05-20T20:07:27-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/05/cosmetics_can_help_you_look_go_1.html Beauty’s only skin deep, they say, but ugly cuts to the bone. And by “ugly” we’re talking about the potential for cosmetics to have unattractive consequences. At least that’s the thinking behind the push for more accurate product labeling on... Product Safety Patrick A. Malone 2012-05-17T12:32:58-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/05/psychiatric_patients_get_the_s.html The hospital’s emergency room is filled with patients representing a range of urgent problems. The kid with a broken ankle, courtesy a bumpy slide at second base. The woman wearing dark sunglasses and cradling her migrained head. The guy pressing... Emergency Medicine Patrick A. Malone 2012-05-15T12:50:40-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/05/is_an_electronic_medical_recor.html Early in 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Commonly known as the Stimulus, or Recovery Act, it was intended to juice the sluggish economy, and it reached into all corners of our culture. One of... Medical Records Patrick A. Malone 2012-05-14T12:43:25-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/05/sunshine_dims_with_delay_on_bi_1.html Here’s another arrow for the quiver of people exasperated with government. As part of its health-care reform, the Obama Administration proposed that drug companies be made to disclose payments they make to doctors for research, consulting, speaking, travel and entertainment.... Disclosure Patrick A. Malone 2012-05-13T12:23:17-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/05/getting_a_handle_on_high_deduc_1.html What with the uncertainty of the Obama Administration’s health-care reform and the increasing cost of medical care, few areas of U.S. commerce are as volatile as health insurance. But one segment of that industry is decidedly popular, although it’s fraught... Insurance Patrick A. Malone 2012-05-10T03:17:28-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/05/who_cares_if_it_works_i_have_a.html Who doesn’t like a good deal? The popularity of Groupon, the online deal-of-the-hour/day/week service has spawned a whole family of mimics. Unfortunately, suggests Gary Schwitzer on Health News Review, it’s a dysfunctional family when it comes to dubious medical treatments.... Advertising Patrick A. Malone 2012-05-09T13:46:28-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/05/more_clarity_for_mammograms_1.html Since 2009, when the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force threw a grenade into the “mammograms for everyone” approach to women’s care, researchers, doctors and women have been wondering just who should get a mammogram, when and how frequently. As widely... Cancer Patrick A. Malone 2012-05-07T13:37:49-05:00