Romney Tries to Refocus, What's Your Verdict?, Obama's 27 Minutes, Will Ferrell Punches a Baby (PM Note)

May 11, 2012 06:29 PM Bully vs. Stoner - It turns out politics isn't really like a high school popularity contest. Otherwise we'd have the election of the stoner vs. the bully, judging by the worst stories of our candidates' youths -http://abcn.ws/IRpBVR Romney Asked if He Was a Bully - Romney by ABC Affiliate WSOC in North Carolina -  A lot of people talking this morning about the incident from high school, back in 65. Some people going as far to say, maybe you were a bully in school. What do you say to those critics? "Well I think, I was one who did some stupid things in high school - a - and if anyone feels that they were offended by that, I certainly apologize for that." For the latest news, interviews with classmates, relatives of classmates  and fallout from Romney at Cranbrook, Day 2, Matt Negrin is putting together all the pieces - http://abcn.ws/JKrNuJ What's Your Verdict? Medal of Honor Imposters - The Supreme Court will soon decide if faking a medal of honor is just stupid and protected speech, or if it should be illegal - Take part in our online vote and discussion - A new series from Ariane de Vogue - http://abcn.ws/JmPQRd Judge Rejects Edwards Dismissal - http://abcn.ws/JKrL66 Live Tweets Near Air Force One in Nevada - @RalstonFlash - "Pilot says we are stuck on tarmac until POTUS departs. Groans from passengers. #voteslost" - "I think we are going to be stuck on the tarmac longer than POTUS spent in that Reno neighborhood. #27minutes #bitterlyclingingtomyiphone" Obama Raises Millions, Shoots Hoops with Clooney and Spidey and then… (record scratch) tours the epicenter of the foreclosure crisis and says he and Shaun Donovan are here to help - http://abcn.ws/Jk3FDv His Housing Argument - Refinancing applications are up since he announced administrative changes to some federally backed mortgage changes. But it's not entirely clear that those have led to an uptick in applications - http://abcn.ws/JGJbmw Romney Refocuses on Economy, Doesn't Mention Cranbrook or Gay Marriage at Event - http://abcn.ws/Kur3LZ With Liberty and Justice for Mitt - Yahoo! News' Holly Bailey previews Romney's all-important speech at Liberty University tomorrow - "Romney will make perhaps his most overt appeal yet to Christian conservatives on Saturday, when he delivers the commencement address at Liberty University, the evangelical school founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. The Romney campaign argues-and most conservative activists agree-that the party's overriding desire to defeat Obama will prompt even the most skeptical Republicans to line up behind the party's nominee. But the danger is that conservatives won't turn out to volunteer, write campaign checks or stoke grassroots enthusiasm for Romney. "Most Republicans are going to turn out for Romney because he's running against Barack Obama," says Richard Land, the head of policy for the Southern Baptist Convention. "But he also needs an energized base that will help him get out the vote… Right now, (social conservatives) are his to lose, but he could drive them away." - http://abcn.ws/IZ3kVG Obama Tells Supporters to "Nag" Congress - http://abcn.ws/KWefuO But John Parkinson Suggests His To Do List  is a Bit Lofty - "My goodness," Boehner scoffed with incredulity, summing up the House Republicans' lack of enthusiasm for the president's to-do list, which was released this week. http://abcn.ws/KRjlJc Get Outta Charlotte? - Moving the Democratic Convention Out of North Carolina over the anti-Same-Sex Marriage Vote? Not Likely - Although Elizabeth Hartfield there is precedent for a last-minute move. In 1972 Democrats and Republicans piggybacked. But this year? Republicans are hosting their convention in Tampa, Florida. Florida is one of the 30 states with a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. -http://abcn.ws/Jk3FDw George Stephanopoulos has 9 Insights on Gay Marriage - #2 - Did this cost President Obama North Carolina? We saw the results of the referendum on Tuesday with 79 percent of the electorate supporting a ban on same-sex marriage. Additionally twenty percent of voters in the Democratic primary voted against Obama, which could show that he's got some trouble in a state he won four years ago. #4 - On the flip side, how much will older voters be turned off?  Are they more likely to focus on Obama's stance on gay marriage, or Romney's plans for Medicare?  That's the key question for this group - and how they could make the difference in the mega battleground of Ohio.  Same goes for Iowa - and Obama's marriage shift could put Wisconsin in play for Romney too. Full List - http://abcn.ws/Kg4XPj There's No 'Me' in Civil Rights - John Berman's Politically Foul - "This is a president who occasionally does catch a case of the 'me's.' In his explanation for support of gay marriage to Robin Roberts, the president said:  "When I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together; when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained. My behalf?  Flag 5 yards, equipment violation…the uniform says USA, not "Obama." - More here - http://yhoo.it/J4ye0c Gay Marriage Minefield for Democratic Senate Candidates - Among the handful of Democrats in competitive Senate races, only three offered full support for the president's newfound position. The rest, however, either split with the president, were noncommittal, or didn't say anything. Chris Good -http://abcn.ws/KNKORH Romney Has Consistently Supported Gay Adoption and Supported Gay Marriage -http://abcn.ws/JiCE0u Marion Barry is Hiring - http://abcn.ws/KuVuBK Government Commissions Study of a Study about Studies - http://abcn.ws/JFX7gp Kissing Babies? Will Ferrell Punches One in New Political Comedy - http://abcn.ws/JKrNuJ

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Offitt on the offense against National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine budget

The Los Angeles Times wrote about an essay in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, stating:

“…many studies funded by NCCAM lack a sound biological underpinning, which should be an important requirement for funding. For example, NCCAM officials have spent $374 000 to find that inhaling lemon and lavender scents does not promote wound healing; $750 000 to find that prayer does not cure AIDS or hasten recovery from breast-reconstruction surgery; $390 000 to find that ancient Indian remedies do not control type 2 diabetes; $700 000 to find that magnets do not treat arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, or migraine headaches; and $406 000 to find that coffee enemas do not cure pancreatic cancer. Additionally, NCCAM has funded studies of acupuncture and therapeutic touch. Using rigorously controlled studies, none of these therapies have been shown to work better than placebo. Some complementary and alternative practitioners argue reasonably that although their therapies might not work better than placebos, placebos may still work for some conditions.

…

Although evaluating the research portfolio of any institute at the NIH is difficult, social and political pressures may influence area-of-interest funding, and decisions should be based on science. For complementary and alternative medicine, it seems that some people believe what they want to believe, arguing that it does not matter what the data show; they know what works for them. Because negative studies do not appear to change behavior and because studies performed without a sound biological basis have little to no chance of success, it would make sense for NCCAM to either refrain from funding studies of therapies that border on mysticism such as distance healing, purgings, and prayer; redefine its mission to include a better understanding of the physiology of the placebo response; or shift its resources to other NIH institutes.”

View the original article here

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Offitt on the offense against National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine budget

The Los Angeles Times wrote about an essay in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, stating:

“…many studies funded by NCCAM lack a sound biological underpinning, which should be an important requirement for funding. For example, NCCAM officials have spent $374 000 to find that inhaling lemon and lavender scents does not promote wound healing; $750 000 to find that prayer does not cure AIDS or hasten recovery from breast-reconstruction surgery; $390 000 to find that ancient Indian remedies do not control type 2 diabetes; $700 000 to find that magnets do not treat arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, or migraine headaches; and $406 000 to find that coffee enemas do not cure pancreatic cancer. Additionally, NCCAM has funded studies of acupuncture and therapeutic touch. Using rigorously controlled studies, none of these therapies have been shown to work better than placebo. Some complementary and alternative practitioners argue reasonably that although their therapies might not work better than placebos, placebos may still work for some conditions.

…

Although evaluating the research portfolio of any institute at the NIH is difficult, social and political pressures may influence area-of-interest funding, and decisions should be based on science. For complementary and alternative medicine, it seems that some people believe what they want to believe, arguing that it does not matter what the data show; they know what works for them. Because negative studies do not appear to change behavior and because studies performed without a sound biological basis have little to no chance of success, it would make sense for NCCAM to either refrain from funding studies of therapies that border on mysticism such as distance healing, purgings, and prayer; redefine its mission to include a better understanding of the physiology of the placebo response; or shift its resources to other NIH institutes.”

View the original article here

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Offitt on the offense against National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine budget

The Los Angeles Times wrote about an essay in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, stating:

“…many studies funded by NCCAM lack a sound biological underpinning, which should be an important requirement for funding. For example, NCCAM officials have spent $374 000 to find that inhaling lemon and lavender scents does not promote wound healing; $750 000 to find that prayer does not cure AIDS or hasten recovery from breast-reconstruction surgery; $390 000 to find that ancient Indian remedies do not control type 2 diabetes; $700 000 to find that magnets do not treat arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, or migraine headaches; and $406 000 to find that coffee enemas do not cure pancreatic cancer. Additionally, NCCAM has funded studies of acupuncture and therapeutic touch. Using rigorously controlled studies, none of these therapies have been shown to work better than placebo. Some complementary and alternative practitioners argue reasonably that although their therapies might not work better than placebos, placebos may still work for some conditions.

…

Although evaluating the research portfolio of any institute at the NIH is difficult, social and political pressures may influence area-of-interest funding, and decisions should be based on science. For complementary and alternative medicine, it seems that some people believe what they want to believe, arguing that it does not matter what the data show; they know what works for them. Because negative studies do not appear to change behavior and because studies performed without a sound biological basis have little to no chance of success, it would make sense for NCCAM to either refrain from funding studies of therapies that border on mysticism such as distance healing, purgings, and prayer; redefine its mission to include a better understanding of the physiology of the placebo response; or shift its resources to other NIH institutes.”

View the original article here

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At Home Gel Manicure With Red Carpet Manicure

If you’ve heard about gel manicures, you know that they are long-lasting and help harden your nails.  They are also somewhat expensive and time consuming to get, which makes the concept of an at-home solution sound appealing to me.  When I was getting my hair cut and colored at Ulta a few weeks ago, I saw the Red Carpet Manicure pro kit, and decided to give it a try.  Although it is pricey, it includes everything you need to create your own gel manicure (and is a great value in comparison to a professional gel manicure).

So, how does it work?  Well, the first time I tried it, I went a little too quickly and applied the layers too thick.  So, while it dried very fast, the polish peeled off a few of the nails a day or two later.  I’ve learned that it’s essential to apply the layers super thin, and to take my time.

The kit does come with the prep solution, the structure solution, a bottle of color, the brilliance top coat, the LED lamp, the remover, and the purify cleanser.  The light works really well at drying the layers too – something I was concerned about.  I didn’t love the color that was included in the package, but lots of other colors are available.

You can find the Red Carpet Manicure Pro 45 – Starter Kit at Amazon.com.

Affiliate link

Tagged as: gel manicures, mom beauty, mom manicures

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Patient satisfaction surveys don’t tell the whole story about health care quality

The following is a guest post by Harold DeMonaco, one of our expert editors for HealthNewsReview.org and director of the Innovation Support Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

————————————————————

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine is turning a few heads in the health policy arena.  The cost of satisfaction: A national study of patient satisfaction, health care utilization, expenditures and mortality  study examined the records of more than 34,000 adults for 4 years.  The results are a surprise to say the least.

For years, patients, insurers and government programs have pushed hard for improvement in the level of satisfaction of patients receiving healthcare.  The most recent push involves the development of Accountable Care Organization (ACO)  initiated by the Centers for Medicare  and Medicaid Services(CMS).  ACO’s link the quality and cost of healthcare directly to the reimbursement to providers.  Quality, as defined by CMS, is measured in five domains: patient/caregiver experience, care coordination, patient safety, preventative health, and at-risk population/frail elderly health.

The study in The Archives came to some interesting conclusions:

The most satisfied patients had an 8% lower rate of visits to the emergency room compared to the least satisfiedThe most satisfied patients had a 12% higher hospital inpatient admission rate.The most satisfied patients had a 9% higher prescription and total healthcare costsAND a 26% higher mortality.

I will apologize up front for providing only relative and not absolute numbers.  Absolute numbers are not provided in the article.  I get the lower ER visits but the rest comes as a surprise especially the higher mortality rate.  The least satisfied patients differed from the most satisfied at baseline in several ways.  The least satisfied tended to have poorer self rated health and there were more smokers.  But even after controlling for confounders, the authors concluded, “The association between higher patient satisfaction and mortality remained significant in an analysis that excluded patients with poor self rated health and three or more chronic diseases.”

A brief report published last September provided the results of a survey of primary care physicians on the topic of appropriate care.  Forty two percent of those responding thought that their patients were receiving too much care.  Only 6% thought that their patients did not receive enough. The reasons for over treatment remain a mystery but likely lie in both the clinicians and patient/family hands.

The Archives paper may suggest how great is the challenge of educating American health care consumers that “More Is Not Always Better.”  And it also suggests – once again – that patient satisfaction surveys don’t tell the whole story of quality health care.

View the original article here

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Patient satisfaction surveys don’t tell the whole story about health care quality

The following is a guest post by Harold DeMonaco, one of our expert editors for HealthNewsReview.org and director of the Innovation Support Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

————————————————————

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine is turning a few heads in the health policy arena.  The cost of satisfaction: A national study of patient satisfaction, health care utilization, expenditures and mortality  study examined the records of more than 34,000 adults for 4 years.  The results are a surprise to say the least.

For years, patients, insurers and government programs have pushed hard for improvement in the level of satisfaction of patients receiving healthcare.  The most recent push involves the development of Accountable Care Organization (ACO)  initiated by the Centers for Medicare  and Medicaid Services(CMS).  ACO’s link the quality and cost of healthcare directly to the reimbursement to providers.  Quality, as defined by CMS, is measured in five domains: patient/caregiver experience, care coordination, patient safety, preventative health, and at-risk population/frail elderly health.

The study in The Archives came to some interesting conclusions:

The most satisfied patients had an 8% lower rate of visits to the emergency room compared to the least satisfiedThe most satisfied patients had a 12% higher hospital inpatient admission rate.The most satisfied patients had a 9% higher prescription and total healthcare costsAND a 26% higher mortality.

I will apologize up front for providing only relative and not absolute numbers.  Absolute numbers are not provided in the article.  I get the lower ER visits but the rest comes as a surprise especially the higher mortality rate.  The least satisfied patients differed from the most satisfied at baseline in several ways.  The least satisfied tended to have poorer self rated health and there were more smokers.  But even after controlling for confounders, the authors concluded, “The association between higher patient satisfaction and mortality remained significant in an analysis that excluded patients with poor self rated health and three or more chronic diseases.”

A brief report published last September provided the results of a survey of primary care physicians on the topic of appropriate care.  Forty two percent of those responding thought that their patients were receiving too much care.  Only 6% thought that their patients did not receive enough. The reasons for over treatment remain a mystery but likely lie in both the clinicians and patient/family hands.

The Archives paper may suggest how great is the challenge of educating American health care consumers that “More Is Not Always Better.”  And it also suggests – once again – that patient satisfaction surveys don’t tell the whole story of quality health care.

View the original article here

Read More

Patient satisfaction surveys don’t tell the whole story about health care quality

The following is a guest post by Harold DeMonaco, one of our expert editors for HealthNewsReview.org and director of the Innovation Support Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

————————————————————

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine is turning a few heads in the health policy arena.  The cost of satisfaction: A national study of patient satisfaction, health care utilization, expenditures and mortality  study examined the records of more than 34,000 adults for 4 years.  The results are a surprise to say the least.

For years, patients, insurers and government programs have pushed hard for improvement in the level of satisfaction of patients receiving healthcare.  The most recent push involves the development of Accountable Care Organization (ACO)  initiated by the Centers for Medicare  and Medicaid Services(CMS).  ACO’s link the quality and cost of healthcare directly to the reimbursement to providers.  Quality, as defined by CMS, is measured in five domains: patient/caregiver experience, care coordination, patient safety, preventative health, and at-risk population/frail elderly health.

The study in The Archives came to some interesting conclusions:

The most satisfied patients had an 8% lower rate of visits to the emergency room compared to the least satisfiedThe most satisfied patients had a 12% higher hospital inpatient admission rate.The most satisfied patients had a 9% higher prescription and total healthcare costsAND a 26% higher mortality.

I will apologize up front for providing only relative and not absolute numbers.  Absolute numbers are not provided in the article.  I get the lower ER visits but the rest comes as a surprise especially the higher mortality rate.  The least satisfied patients differed from the most satisfied at baseline in several ways.  The least satisfied tended to have poorer self rated health and there were more smokers.  But even after controlling for confounders, the authors concluded, “The association between higher patient satisfaction and mortality remained significant in an analysis that excluded patients with poor self rated health and three or more chronic diseases.”

A brief report published last September provided the results of a survey of primary care physicians on the topic of appropriate care.  Forty two percent of those responding thought that their patients were receiving too much care.  Only 6% thought that their patients did not receive enough. The reasons for over treatment remain a mystery but likely lie in both the clinicians and patient/family hands.

The Archives paper may suggest how great is the challenge of educating American health care consumers that “More Is Not Always Better.”  And it also suggests – once again – that patient satisfaction surveys don’t tell the whole story of quality health care.

View the original article here

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And the Crazy Traveling Is Done…Thank Goodness

The Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne

My crazy six weeks of traveling has just ended.  Since late March, I’ve been on the Disney Fantasy, on a family vacation to Phoenix, on a press trip to Virginia, at the Disney Social Media Celebration, and to Mom 2.0 in Key Biscayne, Florida.  I love traveling, and although it is a strain on my family, I always enjoy it.

Until this trip….

Here’s just a few of the things that happened:

After landing in Miami, we told the cab driver that we were headed to the Ritz.  About 20 minutes later, Charlene realized we were in the wrong place.  Apparently, he thought we said “beach”, and was in the process of driving us and all of our luggage to some random beach.The Ritz were unable to accommodate the request I’d been promised earlier – a rollaway bed in our room.  Eventually, housekeeping arrived with a comforter for the floor, then, when we refused, he returned with a thin mattress.  We also never received the conference room drops.  Eventually, they did remedy the problem, but it was a hassle.About ten seconds after putting on my new white dress for the white party, I got a paper cut and bled on the dress.  Can’t take me anywhere.On our return, we waited about 30 minutes for a cab (at 5:20am), and just made it to our flight.  I wasn’t able to get coffee before the flight, but figured I’d get some on the flight.  Until the pilot informed us that the coffee pot wasn’t working…

Yes, it’s time for a bit of a travel break…

Tagged as: mom travels

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Off to Beijing for National Cancer Institute workshop for Chinese journalists

photo by Jorge Lascar on Flickr

The website will be on hold over the next week, as I’m traveling to Beijing to help lead a workshop for Chinese journalists hosted by the National Cancer Institute and the Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

This will be the third international journalism workshop I’ve done with the National Cancer Institute – with several more on the horizon within the next year.

We are gratified to see the global reach of efforts like ours – built on the pioneering work done by an Australian team that founded the first Media Doctor site two years before we got started.  Now, as the yellow stars on the map below show, such projects have sprung up around the world.  And the invitations for talks and workshops, like the upcoming one in Beijing, continue to come in.

View the original article here

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Off to Beijing for National Cancer Institute workshop for Chinese journalists

photo by Jorge Lascar on Flickr

The website will be on hold over the next week, as I’m traveling to Beijing to help lead a workshop for Chinese journalists hosted by the National Cancer Institute and the Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

This will be the third international journalism workshop I’ve done with the National Cancer Institute – with several more on the horizon within the next year.

We are gratified to see the global reach of efforts like ours – built on the pioneering work done by an Australian team that founded the first Media Doctor site two years before we got started.  Now, as the yellow stars on the map below show, such projects have sprung up around the world.  And the invitations for talks and workshops, like the upcoming one in Beijing, continue to come in.

View the original article here

Read More

Off to Beijing for National Cancer Institute workshop for Chinese journalists

photo by Jorge Lascar on Flickr

The website will be on hold over the next week, as I’m traveling to Beijing to help lead a workshop for Chinese journalists hosted by the National Cancer Institute and the Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

This will be the third international journalism workshop I’ve done with the National Cancer Institute – with several more on the horizon within the next year.

We are gratified to see the global reach of efforts like ours – built on the pioneering work done by an Australian team that founded the first Media Doctor site two years before we got started.  Now, as the yellow stars on the map below show, such projects have sprung up around the world.  And the invitations for talks and workshops, like the upcoming one in Beijing, continue to come in.

View the original article here

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