http://www.healthimaging.com One of the objections to the implementation of speech recognition software in a radiology practice is that it generates more errors than traditional transcription methods. According to a scientific presentation at the 93rd scientific assembly and annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), the opposite is true: transcribed reports show higher […]

By REED ABELSON http://www.nytimes.com Acknowledging that too many people simply cannot obtain health insurance on their own, the insurance industry plans on Wednesday to propose a series of steps the companies say would let more individuals, even those who have health problems, obtain coverage. The proposals, approved by a board of the industry’s main trade […]

The Oklahoman Editorial http://newsok.com ON the same day Oklahoma was again mentioned in a list of states with unfavorable legal climates, a conservative group urged adoption of a medical malpractice system that removes lawyers from the process. Removing lawyers from anything in which they’re entrenched is putting a match to a flammable pile of resistance. […]

By SHANNON DININNY ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER http://seattlepi.nwsource.com As rural areas cry out for more doctors, a hospital that serves workers and their families in Eastern Washington farm country could fall victim to a crackdown on boutique hospitals that cater to the urban rich. Doctors at the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center have spent 67 years mending […]

By Erin Frustaci http://www.fortcollinsnow.com There once was a time when at the first sign of an illness, whether it be a cough, sore throat or fever, a person would dial the family doc to schedule a quick appointment. There wasn’t the hassle or the waiting or the fighting with insurance companies. A lot has changed. […]

Ann Callis knows Madison County’s court system has taken mighty public knocks, from President Bush branding it an example of medical malpractice litigation run amok to a special-interest group calling the venue a “judicial hellhole.” As the county’s chief judge, Callis didn’t let such image-tarnishing depictions drive the reforms she’s pushed. But she’s got new […]

Julie Deardorff http://www.chicagotribune.com Tagging along with the holidays come ailments that challenge most Western doctors: stress, back and joint pain, head colds, heart attacks, anxiety, depression, upset stomachs and insomnia. Is it time to try acupuncture, hypnosis, meditation, guided imagery and massage? Surprisingly, even the most conservative mainstream research hospitals now answer “yes!” Twenty years […]

Essence coverage bypasses insurers By Patrick Howington The Courier-Journal Doctors often say health care would be better if insurers didn’t interfere in medical decisions. Now some Louisville and Lexington physicians have a chance to prove it. They have designed and will run a Medicare managed-care plan, Essence, that will start providing coverage Jan. 1. It […]

NCPA Report Suggests Reform to Benefit Doctors and Patients http://www.ncpa.org The nation’s medical malpractice system should be replaced by a system that automatically compensates patients for unexpected injuries or deaths, regardless of who is at fault, according to a new report from the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA). The NCPA report says the key […]