An estimated 2% injury rate for luge racers may be an underestimate, study authors write.

By PAUL LEVY There is a great debate set forth in the IHI’s Open School discussion of the wrong-side surgery case that occurred at our hospital a few years ago. (I have written about this below, but there are some…

Medical malpractice and reform proposals have been a longstanding battleground of U.S. health policy. On the one hand, studies have shown that health care is rife with errors and avoidable injury to patients. On the other, doctors and hospitals fear frivolous lawsuits and resent high malpractice insurance premiums. It’s been generally agreed that one result

As Congress gears up to return for its final legislative weeks before the midterm elections, Americans appear to be split on which party would better handle health care issues. A USA Today /Gallup poll released Sept. 1 found that 43 percent believe Republicans would be better stewards of health care policy, while 44 percent said Democrats would be the stronger party. This comes after reports of a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign from liberal interest groups to garner support for the overhaul law, organized with guidance from the White House. Is it possible for Democrats to win voters over to the health care overhaul before the

Within the last month the Congress neglected to pass a “Doc Fix” to reimburse physicians at the level they have been charging Medicare patients for the past several years. As a result, the reimbursement to all physicians has decreased by 21 percent. [Original News Article] Related NewsU-M Has Saved Medicare Money While Improving Treatment of

After Ann Callan, 85, fell and broke four ribs, she spent six days at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring. Doctors and nurses examined her daily and gave her medications and oxygen to help her breathe. But when she was discharged in early January, her family got a surprise: Medicare would not pa… Hospital –

You know we’re about to witness a huge Republican wave in the midterms when Democrat-friendly CNN publishes a poll showing the GOP with a seven-point lead in the generic ballot. According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday, the GOP leads the Democrats by 7 points on the “generic ballot” question, 52 percent to 45 percent. That 7-point advantage

Summary: Below, a story from Pulse—Voice from the Heart of Medicine , an online magazine that publishes true first-person stories and poems about the reality of illness and healing. The story below raises some questions in my mind. Is this a case of humanity being trumped by the “technological imperative” –i..e, “if you have the technology you must use it”? Or was the trauma surgeon correct in reaching for the ventricular fibrillator, making a difficult…

Guest Post by Dr. Chris Johnson See his website ( www.chrisjohnsonmd.com )

Newly installed Medicare chief Donald Berwick — the Cambridge health guru and former Harvard professor who is keeping a low profile after encountering controversy over his appointment — is moving quickly behind the scenes to seed the U.S. health care system with up to 300 accountable care organization sites to test new models of caring