New website helps patients understand lab studies
A nonprofit website sponsored by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry offers detailed but easily understood information on lab work and test results. To view, click here.
Leading congressmen lead efforts to revise FDA
Rep. John Dingell and Sen. Chuck Grassley are pushing for changes in the FDA in light of recent problems involving product safety, such as deaths tied to contaminated blood thinners from China. Grassley aims to give safety evaluators full autonomy from the FDA Office of New Drugs, which he said is influenced by ties with industry lobbyists. Dingell introduced a bill on drug imports that would add registration fees and require certification to ensure the purity of ingredients. Click here to read more.
New York Times examines sometimes-wary physician-patient relationship
Studies and anecdotal evidence show some patients feel growing mistrust and frustration with their doctors, possibly due in part to the increasing media coverage of medical errors and the drug industry’s influence, while others have come to rely on medical websites and other sources of information. Click here to read more.
Fatal medication mistakes at home skyrocket
Deaths due to medication errors at home increased from 1,132 in 1983 to 12,426 in 2004, according to an analysis of nearly 50 million U.S. death certificates. Researchers blamed the surge on increasing home use of prescription painkillers and other potent treatments. The analysis did not include suicides, homicides and deaths linked to side effects of medicines. Click here to read more.
Patient advocacy firms become more popular in U.S.
An increasing number of companies are providing medical and insurance advocacy services to help companies and individuals navigate the complex U.S. healthcare system. “We’re asking consumers to make more complicated decisions, but the numeracy and health literacy skills of many consumers are not at the level needed to handle this new responsibility,” one health policy analyst said, according to the report. Click here to read more.