As many as 15 per cent of all diagnoses are inaccurate, says Jerome Groopman. James MacGowan Ottawa Citizen In a new book, the doctor explains why and what you can do about it In Dr. Jerome Groopman’s fascinating but alarming new book How Doctors Think, the New Yorker writer and Harvard Medical School professor tells […]

By ROGER ALFORD Associated Press Writer http://www.kentucky.com/ Until this campaign season, Dr. Phillip Aaron had never given money in a governor’s race. But the Adair County family physician said he would really like to see Gov. Ernie Fletcher re-elected. So much so that he contributed $250 to help with campaign costs. Doctors have become a […]

By Adam Jadhav ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH http://www.stltoday.com Yet another battle between plaintiffs lawyers and pro-business groups is under way in the Illinois Legislature, this one over the idea of civil damages for mental anguish. The flashpoint is a proposal that would allow family members of someone who has died to seek damages specifically for “grief, […]

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com Net income increases 87% and gross premiums increase 24% over the comparable year-earlier results. FARMINGTON, Conn., April 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Darwin Professional Underwriters, Inc. (“Darwin,” the “Company,” or “Our”) DR today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2007. Highlights include: Gross premiums written for the first quarter are $74.3 […]

http://www.insideindianabusiness.com Government, insurance, pharmaceutical and hospital leaders from Indiana and the nation will gather in Indianapolis tomorrow to take part in an event to shed light on the growing problem of the uninsured. Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson, Eli Lilly and Co. Chief Executive Officer Sidney Taurel and WellPoint incoming CEO […]

Healthy plants, internet access and good reading material will make patients’ complaints melt away By Abe Konigsberg http://www.nationalreviewofmedicine.com For most practices in Canada, overstuffed waiting rooms are an unavoidable, often unpleasant fact of life. But a three-physician group in Montreal decided to make lemonade out of life’s lemons and turn their waiting room into a […]

Stanley Feld M.D.,FACP,MACE http://stanleyfeldmdmace.typepad.com I hit a nerve with my criticism of P4P. The reaction came from healthcare professionals who have worked hard to help organizations generate guidelines to improve the quality of care. They recognize that the healthcare system is in trouble. They all are sincere in wanting to help fix the dysfunctional system. […]

By Phil Galewitz Palm Beach Post Staff Writer http://www.palmbeachpost.com The Florida Board of Medicine took far fewer disciplinary actions against the state’s doctors last year compared with 2005, according to a report this month by the Federation of State Medical Boards. Overall, the board penalized 523 doctors last year, compared with 834 in 2005 — […]

BY MARTHA STODDARD WORLD-HERALD BUREAU http://www.omaha.com Doctors should be able to apologize when things go wrong without fear that they will be handing ammunition to malpractice lawyers, the Legislature decided Tuesday. State senators voted 29-5 to give first-round approval to Legislative Bill 373, a measure that would make a health care provider’s expression of apology, […]