Doris and Alice on Big Pharma and Motorized Scooters
March 16, 2011
We had dinner with family friends Doris and Alice last night. Doris is 90 and Alice is 91. They have…
The Past is Hard to Forget when Evaluating New Dementia Screening Tests
March 15, 2011
If we care about primary care physicians actually using the screening tests we develop, then we should care about their…
A New Treatment For Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly?: The (IR)relevance of Clincial Resarch to Geriatric Populations
March 13, 2011
Atrial Fibrillation is a very common heart rhythm that substantially increases the risk for stroke. The likelihood of having atrial…
Palliative Care Consultations: An Answer to Medicaid’s Woes
March 8, 2011
With Medicaid spending ballooning to $381 billion in 2009, states are considering a lot of different ways to decrease costs…
Meeting Our Obligation to Caregivers – the REACH VA Study
February 28, 2011
I’m tired of innovative health care interventions targeted at those caring for the more than 5 million individuals living with…
Functional Status and Medicare Costs in the Last 6 Months of LIfe
February 27, 2011
A large proportion of health care costs is incurred towards the end of life. However, very little is known about…
Hospice, Palliative Medicine and the MOC
February 25, 2011
Some years ago, as part of my “Maintenance of Certification” (MOC), I needed to complete a “Self-Evaluation Process”. This involved…
Hospice Face-to-Face (FTF) Encounters for Recertification
February 25, 2011
As of January 1 2011 Medicare has mandated that all Medicare patients receiving hospice care in the home be seen…
Facing “The Enemy”: A new post by Amy Berman
February 24, 2011
“‘Those are my images, aren’t they?’ I asked the radiologist….The radiologist’s response was remarkable. ‘Would you like to meet your…
Pew Internet Report Includes Dementia, Caregiving, Pain, End-of-Life Topics
February 22, 2011
Earlier this month, Pew released its latest report on what Americans look for online when they are searching for health…