http://www.healthandsharing.com/ en-us Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:45:50 EST Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:45:50 EST http://www.healthandsharing.com/31/healthblogdetail  Late last week, as the Congressional Budget Office was evaluating a "conceptual" version of the notorious "Baucus Healthcare reform" bill, Senator Orrin Hatch submitted a simple question to the non-partisan CBO regarding the potential cost savings of reforming the legal system. Realizing tha.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/17/healthblogdetail That is what my husband says anytime I complain about my weight. He doesn’t even look at me when he says it. “Just keep working out,” he says as he is reading the newspaper. It’s great advice, and guess what? Mandy says the same thing in her article on Metabolism. In fac.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/20/newsarticledetail Despite the majority of Americans making it abundantly clear that they do not want “ObamaCare,” the chief executive and leaders of the democratic party are largely ignoring their protests.  While variously referring to them as “right wing radicals,” “Astroturf.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/4/newsarticledetail By: Jill Serbousek After a week of watching the Swine Flu/H1N1, or whatever they are calling it today, it occurs to me that a little panic might be a good thing. Especially when it comes to the health of our kids. There is no harm in being aware of potential dangers in the world. The internet .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/3/newsarticledetail By: Jill Serbousek As many Americans, we spent time Sunday morning watching the Whitehouse press conference regarding the “Swine Flu Public Health Emergency.” As a busy mom, I kept saying to my husband, “What are the symptoms?” He would reply, “flu-like symptoms..... http://www.healthandsharing.com/1/roundtablestorydetailRecently I was forwarded an e-mail message from northern california that was a plea from a family with a child who has been diagnosed with a very atypical motor neuron disease in her early teenage years. What really caught my attention was the fact that this case beautifully illustrates the pote.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/30/healthblogdetail A lady named Beverly Gossage, who is the Director of HSA Benefits Consulting, wondered which insurance company in the United States had the highest percentage of denied claims in healthcare. Not only did she find the winner in the American Medical Association data, but more staggering is the a.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/14/roundtablestorydetail “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD   So how do our current Senators and Congressmen get around this straight.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/9/newsarticledetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD "Conflict of interest" is a very hot topic lately.  It seems that every organization in the country is re-defining "COI" and creating increasingly more rigorous standards to prevent the appearance of "bias" in any of their affairs.  In many ways this .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/22/articledetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD The U.K., Canada, Italy, and Norway have single payer models of health care. Are they working well for their citizens? (part 1) It depends upon what you mean by “working well”. In fact, in the recent past, health care costs have risen at a slo.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/16/newsarticledetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD   WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE ELDERLY UNDER THE NEW HEALTH CARE SYSTEM PROPOSED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA? "If the experience of other countries is any guide, the elderly have the most to lose under a national health insurance system.  In general, when healt.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/23/articledetail The U.K., Canada, Italy, and Norway have single payer models of health care. Are they working well for their citizens? (part 2) By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD In part 1 of our analysis of this multi-faceted question, we focused on the question of “access to care” in the Canadian .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/8/roundtablestorydetail By: Jill Serbousek If I was a student at East Shore Middle School I would be in detention today. You see, I’m one of those people who greet their friends with a hug. And, I have a lot of friends. In fact, haven’t we been teaching our kids to “hug” not “fight.&r.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/32/healthblogdetail During the 2008 presidential campaign it became obvious to me that people's passion for an idea or a certain vein of thinking can easily cloud the reality. I am not saying that it was only people on the other side of my politics, I think this is true for me as well. For example, I immediately .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/23/newsarticledetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD   The health care debate is coming to a head.  President Obama clearly stated in his recent address that he wants an “up-down” vote on his proposal, and he wants it now.  Unfortunately, there are so many things “wrong” a.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/14/articledetailThe Board of Advisors at HealthandSharing.com is comprised of a growing group of advocates for social networking in healthcare. Some are physicians who deal with normal, everyday ailments. Some are world-renown surgeons who perform cutting edge procedures every day. Some are nurses and allied .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/13/newsarticledetail   By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD   Will a single payer health care system hold down the increasing cost of health care in the United States?  President Obama and other proponents of this socialized form of health care argue that it will.  Of course there are many ways .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/12/healthblogdetailThe Candie's Foundation has gathered together some famous personalities and together are taking on the issue of teen pregnancy. Not a topic that a sexy shoe company might typically select, but they have. And, they have an awesome public service announcement airing on you tube featuring an excellent .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/5/media_articleWelcome to the debut of Health and Sharing. We are very excited about having you join the site. Please view our flyers to learn more.   http://web.me.com/jserbo/health_and_sharing/Welcome.html   Enjoy, Jill and Sohrab http://www.healthandsharing.com/14/healthblogdetail If they can’t make the claim, then they should change the text on the box. Truth in advertising is important. Will it stop me from buying Cheerios? Nope….  What is your opinion? http://www.healthandsharing.com/7/healthblogdetail As a successful spinal surgery patient I can speak from personal experience. I tried every reasonable non-surgical therapy for my lumbar herniated disc. However, they all failed me. When my radiating nerve pain was so bad that I could no longer feel my right leg, I told my surgeon that I was &.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/24/articledetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD Comparative effectiveness research is that research which is intended to compare the relative “effectiveness” of different treatments which are intended to treat the same disease or health related problem. Ignoring, for the moment, the fact that n.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/15/healthblogdetail As part of the medical device industry for over 20 years, I have become acutely aware of the money that is spent on developing, manufacturing, testing and distributing a medical device. When your company has a great product that tests well clinically, and offers patients a better option, then .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/21/newsarticledetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD   The American Medical Association has been vociferous and clear on its regulations of members “ethical” behavior.  For example, in relation to industry contributing to defray the cost of continuing medical education for members, the AMA s.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/10/roundtablestorydetail By: Jill Serbousek   First of all, I totally believe in preventive care. That’s right, I am constantly looking for new ways to prevent disease for myself and for my family. If there is a new diagnostic test that can be added to my annual physical, I ask about it. If insurance cover.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/8/newsarticledetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD How can we cut the cost of health care in the United States without also decreasing the access to quality of that care? This is perhaps one of the most important questions facing our nation today, and some of the answers are painfully obvious, but not being ad.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/20/articledetailBy: John H. Peloza M.D.   Special Book Review In “The Top Ten Myths of American Health Care. A Citizen's Guide,” Ms. Sally C. Pipes surgically exposes the misleading arguments of those who support government run national health care.  In a time when Americans seem to be.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/22/newsarticledetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD   The period between 1990 and 2005 saw an explosion in medical technologies and, simultaneously, tremendous advancements in medical care.  Ninety percent of those innovations occurred in the United States, and the vast majority of the cost of those in.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/4/healthblogdetail The media and politicians have been justifying their push for “universal healthcare” reform  using data from a report conducted by the World Health Organization that supposedly ranks countries by the quality of their healthcare systems. However, if the reporters and politicians.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/2/healthblogdetail I was watching Good Morning America today and I was amazed at a story about a home test kit for DNA. Remarkably, this company will send you a kit that you use at home. You simply spit into a mailable plastic test tube, send it to the company and wait a few weeks for your results. The company p.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/29/healthblogdetail Dr. Richard Fessler will be attending the Tea Party Movement’s March on Washington on September 12th. Not only is Dr. Fessler a world renowned neuro surgeon from Chicago, he is also a pre-eminent expert on the current healthcare reform bills and a proud American. If you would like to inte.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/19/articledetailRichard G. Fessler, M.D., PhD is a professor of Neurosurgery at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Fessler is a true pioneer in Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery techniques, an avid researcher and a popular educator throughout the world. He actively travels abroad to teach and to perf.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/17/newsarticledetail What does it mean when the president of the United States verbally attacks his own citizens?   By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD   You probably have already seen clips of President Obama's recent statements accusing surgeons of operating on patients rather than following a more cons.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/10/healthblogdetail When I have a medical question, I race to the Internet and research like crazy. I even print several items, mark up the articles with a yellow highlighter, throw out half of the garbage that I printed, then sit down with my doctor and ask questions. Note that I did not say that I called my Sen.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/18/articledetail The team at healthandsharing.com welcome a new member to their Advisory Board. Dr. John Peloza, an accomplished orthopaedic spine surgeon from Dallas, Texas.  John Peloza, M.D., is the Director of the Center for Spine Care in Dallas Texas. Dr. Peloza is an active surgeon and researcher in.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/3/healthblogdetail There is a great book called ‘The Top Ten Myths of American Health Care. A Citizen’s Guide,’ written by Sally C. Pipes. I highly recommend that every American purchase this book so that they may get themselves educated on the facts about the economics of health care in the Uni.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/16/healthblogdetail Often, in the media, issues are presented with such vigor that it sounds like they have all of the facts. However, that is frequently NOT the case. Take for example the many articles about physicians having financial relationships with medical device and pharmaceutical companies. The typical st.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/11/healthblogdetailI recently met a personal trainer and fitness model named Mandy Polk. While I think that I'm in fairly good shape physically, I didn't realize how far I have to go. Mandy invited me to her gym and we had our first work-out today. I think that I did okay, but I quickly realized that it's not all abou.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/27/articledetail   By: Jill Serbousek   I admit to needing a calculator when doing math problems that involve multiple digits. I even resort to using a spreadsheet because my calculator isn’t great when doing problems in the trillions. So, as I read through the news reports, government report.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/19/healthblogdetailLearned several items today that I decided to pass along a few links: 1. A special label on foods that you find in the grocery store. http://www.thebestlife.com/ This is a really cool system.  2. Fish Oil is a critical element for your diet.  http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahsho.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/profile/248/viewprofileblog_detail/76Jumping on Trampolines can be a fun family activity. Kids love to spring and tumble on them, as it is a great fun filled pass time for them. A trampoline is also a great exercise tool. It can help you lift your spirits and mood by giving you a great workout. Grown ups use them for exercising. If you.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/10/newsarticledetail By:  Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD   Senator Tom Daschle (Democrat, South Dakota) recently published a book entitled “Critical” in which he discusses the problems he sees in the American Health Care system, and proposes a program of health care reform which he be.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/19/newsarticledetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD Shouldn’t a health care bill deal with “health care” and only health care?  Isn’t it “wrong” to hide rules and laws within it that are not directly related to health care?  If so, then HR 3200 is way off base, and v.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/20/healthblogdetail The parents in Milford, Connecticut woke to headlines about a ban on hugging at School. Meanwhile, here in Memphis, where School is already out for the summer, we woke up to the debate about whether or not guns should be allowed in public parks. And, in this town, that is no simple matter cons.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/26/articledetail By Mandy Polk   How do I know if something is wrong with my metabolism?   Most folks will pull out the old “It gets harder, the older you get” or “I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted, when I was a teenager” lines to explain unexpected weight gain..... http://www.healthandsharing.com/24/healthblogdetail My initial reaction to this question is “yes.” After all, when hospitals care for a Medicare patient, they receive a flat fee for the care. This flat fee is pre-determined based on the category of the patient’s procedure, along with a few modifiers. It is inherently difficult .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/6/roundtablestorydetail By: Jill Serbousek   Before I answer that question I need to clearly outline my bias,  because I may have a conflict of interest. You see, I love Cheerios. Part of it is the nostalgia of the yellow box. Mostly, I just like to eat them. I appreciate that they are a healthy breakf.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/28/healthblogdetail The healthcare reform debate is starting to remind me of a television game show. In this show, the government has come up with a complicated set of rules, but when presenting the game to the American public, they say ‘you can keep your health plan, or you can select the plan behind door.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/25/articledetail By: Jill Serbousek The Health and Sharing team is pleased to announce that Certified Personal Trainer and professional Fitness Competitor Ms. Mandy Polk has joined their advisory board. Mandy spent her high school years as a three-time national championship cheerleader. This lead her to a life.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/14/newsarticledetail   By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD   Are the administrative costs of single-payer health care systems less than current private insurance system in the United States?  One claim made by advocates of single-payer health care systems is that private insurance is less “eff.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/7/roundtablestorydetail   By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD   Although I do not work with the pharmaceutical industry, I do work with the medical device industry.  The attacks and criticisms of the relationship between physicians and the device industry are the same.  To illustrate the argument abo.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/1/healthblogdetailPrevention There are several ways to prevent migraine attacks. A healthy diet (See Lifestyle Changes in this report), the right amount of sleep, and non-drug approaches, such as biofeedback, should be tried first for prevention. Behavioral Treatments Behavioral techniques that reduce stress a.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/3/roundtablestorydetail By: Sohrab Gollogly, MD  A recent article published in the New York Times entitled “What’s wrong with Summer Stiers?” reported on the efforts of the national institutes of health (NIH) to establish a program to tackle particularly difficult, hard to diagnose, and often myste.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/17/roundtablestorydetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD   Many analysts have concluded that the recent bipartisan health care summit yielded little change in party positions.  That may be true, but the summit was pivotal in one regard.  The democratic claim that the Republican Party is just the party .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/5/newsarticledetail By:  Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD           Senator Tom Daschle (Democrat, South Dakota) recently published a book entitled “Critical” in which he discusses the problems he sees in the American Health Care system, and proposes a program of health c.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/21/articledetail The media and political community have made a big deal out of the fact that the U.S. ranks 37 out of 191 countries on the World Health Organization’s Health Care Ranking System.  Is this tool a credible way to compare quality health care delivered in the U.S. vs the rest of the wor.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/22/healthblogdetailHi there, please post those fitness and/or nutrition questions that you have always wanted to ask, but have been afraid to. We will have our resident professional trainer, Mandy Polk and our doctors, Drs Fessler, Gollogly and Peloza answer them for you.  thanks, Jill http://www.healthandsharing.com/8/healthblogdetail Part of the miracle of having a baby is actually getting through the pregnancy safely and comfortably. During my pregnancy, ten years ago, I was sure that I had experienced every complication possible, until I hear other women’s stories. In this week’s patient roundtable story, Dr. .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/4/roundtablestorydetail By:  Sohrab Gollogly, MD In the spring of 2009 a young woman walked into my office with a simple complaint of low back pain.  She was recently married, was contemplating having children in the future, and had a long-standing history of low back pain.  She had a normal neurologica.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/26/healthblogdetail While watching the recent Hannity episode on healthcare reform, I learned about a paper written by the brother of Rahm Emanuel. Recall that Mr. Emanuel is Mr. Obama’s chief of staff at the Whitehouse. The paper is titled, “Principles for allocation of scarce medical interventions..... http://www.healthandsharing.com/23/healthblogdetail Will a single payer health care system hold down the increasing cost of health care in the United States? We think that single payer systems are with holding care, which naturally keeps cost lower than in the United States. However, we also feel that with holding care is unethical.  &n.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/9/healthblogdetail Summer is approaching, the bugs are appearing and kids are outside playing. Sometimes I’m not sure which issue is most pressing. So far we’ve only had a few mosquito bites and one scrape. No bruises yet, but it has been a bit too rainy for tree climbing. As a parent, what health iss.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/6/healthblogdetailThe Whitehouse issued a "public health emergency" yesterday, and this morning Obama said that there was "not a cause for alarm." We simply want to be prepared, after all there are only 40 cases confirmed in the United States and ("thank god"-my words) no one has died. Then, Mexico City closed their .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/21/healthblogdetail Posted By: Jill Serbousek At the heart of the healthcare debate is the idea that access to healthcare is either a human “right” or a “privilege.” Experts will tell you that your opinion about those two words will guide you into which political side that you take on heal.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/29/articledetail The period between 1990 and 2005 saw an explosion in medical technologies and, simultaneously, tremendous advancements in medical care.  Ninety percent of those innovations occurred in the United States, and the vast majority of the cost of those innovations was borne by the private sect.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/5/healthblogdetail At least not in terms of healthcare systems. As it turns out, the fact that Canada has lower numbers of “uninsured” doesn’t mean that those patients have better access to healthcare than Americans. In fact, the Canadian System simply moves their citizens who need healthcare to.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/18/newsarticledetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD Previous essays, which I have written have examined international examples of “single-payer” health care systems, and how successful or unsuccessful they have been.  To counter observations of the relative failures of those systems, proponents.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/18/healthblogdetail The news coverage on Healthcare reform and Medicare can be very confusing these days. The current administration continues to tout Medicare as a model for reform. Then other reports discuss the fact that Medicare cannot be sustained without the help of the private insurance industry, who suppl.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/12/roundtablestorydetail   By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD   Recent verbal attacks by President Obama on doctors have misinformed the public so dramatically that many physicians have felt compelled to respond, to set the record straight or tell the “other side of the story”, as it were.  .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/11/newsarticledetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD “Access to comprehensive health care is a human right…”1 Health care is a human “right”!  Virtually every government that has instituted a system of national health insurance has made this proclamation, but what exactly does .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/profile/240/viewprofileblog_detail/75It may come as a surprise for many people that therapy is available online and it is totally free of cost. This especial service being provided is comparatively new but it is becoming more popular day by day as several people log in to talk, get some advice and get some of the assistance that th.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/25/healthblogdetail First, will universal access to care increase the use of preventive health care measures?  Second, will preventive care truly decrease the overall cost of the health care system? http://www.healthandsharing.com/13/healthblogdetail I did some research this weekend about “tort-reform” and it’s true impact on access to healthcare. What I found was an article with this message:  “States that have enacted tort-reform measures have significantly improved access to health care, reduced costs, and st.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/20/media_article This week’s articles help to reveal how patients in other countries often don’t have access to the high quality care that we have in the United States, why Jill is having problems following the “math” in the media when it comes to healthcare reform and some enlightening.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/17/media_article Visit Health and Sharing Today   We may be a brand new website, but we have so many exciting things happening. Check out the home page today: 1: Dr. Fessler continues his review on how to cut the non-value added costs of healthcare.  Looking at healthcare reform issues from the per.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/18/media_article Use healthandsharing.com as your social network site for health and lifestyle issues   This week’s articles help to reveal how patients can benefit from the collaborative relationships between physicians and industry: 1: Dr. Fessler gives an insider’s view to the financial p.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/19/media_articleThis week’s health and sharing articles help to reveal how people blame the aging process on their “slowing metabolism.” Is it a myth? 1: Mandy Polk posted an article on the metabolism. First in a series of three articles, Mandy Polk, our resident personal trainer and nutritionist.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/1/newsarticledetailWelcome' to HealthandSharing.com. We are a social network site that helps you connect with people that share similar medical conditions or genetic traits as you. You can start your own health neighborhood called a NODE, or join an established NODE that is looking for people like you. Use this s.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/28/articledetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD American football is broken.  Why? How is the most popular game in America, seemingly enjoyed by nearly all of its citizens broken?  It is broken because of cost, conflict of interest, inequality, undue outside influence, and inefficiency.  First.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/27/healthblogdetail While listening to the town hall meetings last week I was shocked that President Obama openly turned the tables on the Insurance Industry and the physician community. It wasn’t a subtle attack either. In fact, it was an in-your-face-attack. Accusing surgeons of removing a diabetic’s.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/12/newsarticledetail   By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD “Only a single comprehensive program, covering rich and poor alike, can end disparities based on race, ethnicity, social class and geographic region…”1 Or as Aneurin Bevan, father of the British National Health Service (NHS), put it, .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/11/roundtablestorydetail By: Jill Serbousek Nobody disagrees that access to healthcare coverage is important for all Americans. Everybody also agrees that healthcare coverage is expensive. Regardless of who is paying, being sick or injured is going to cost something. So it is obviously more “expensive” to .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/15/roundtablestorydetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD Medical lawsuit abuse costs the American public in many ways.  First, and most obvious, it costs the economy billions of dollars each year.  Second, it costs the patient by being subjected to additional diagnostic tests designed to protect the doc.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/16/roundtablestorydetail By:  Carol Fessler   Sarah Palin has returned to front stage on the national scene and another round of nasty, puerile attacks from the left and hopeful enthusiasm from the right.  The right can’t understand why this attractive, self-made woman who has risen to the heigh.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/15/newsarticledetail By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD   One of the arguments proposed by advocates of single-payer health care systems, is that universal access to "free" care will increase the use of "preventive" care measures by patients.  By detecting disease "early", it is argued, overall costs.... http://www.healthandsharing.com/9/roundtablestorydetail By: Jill Serbousek and Mandy Polk   We have been receiving fitness and nutrition questions for several weeks, so I thought that we would answer several for you. Q1: If a person’s goal is to lose 10 pounds, and to get “fit,” what is the best strategy for them?   .... http://www.healthandsharing.com/13/roundtablestorydetail   By: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD      HR 3200 TITLE II, Subtitle B provides for the establishment of a public health insurance option.1  Within the various sections are defined the policies available, the premiums and financing, payment rates, changes to delivery s....