tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33036629248974113262024-03-12T21:29:15.961-05:00Diabetes & Other TopicsMany articles about diabetes appear daily, many of them very interesting. The intent here is to make some of these available for others who may not see them or have bypassed them. I will try to comment briefly on those I have grouped or on an individual article. This is not guaranteed to be a daily post, but I hope that this will give you ideas for your own research or blog posts. Please talk to your doctor about medical problems.Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.comBlogger387125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-8969473170034217092013-10-18T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-18T00:01:00.573-05:00This Blog Is Closing
It has been a short run this time, but
my health if more important. I have enjoyed some of the topics and
comments to them. I have really appreciated the emails and wish to
thank those people.
I will keep my blog here up and
operating, as long as I am able.
Good-bye
Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-22350816223279595252013-10-17T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-17T00:01:00.690-05:00Urgent Care Centers, We Really Need Them
Again, when something is needed, we see the primary care
physicians (PCPs) lining up against them and in states with strong
medical boards, they are being prevented from coming into existence.
I am talking about urgent care centers (UCCs). With the shortage of
primary care physicians, the strain on most hospital emergency
departments (ED), and rising health care costs, these urgent care
Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-72421251629547666282013-10-16T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-16T00:01:00.848-05:00Patients Hurt by Biased Research
Yes, this goes without saying. The actions of our pharmaceutical
manufacturers is almost criminal, no it is criminal. I say this
because once the drug is approved for one use; the drug reps are
promoting it heavily for “off-label” uses. Then they get FDA
approval for these “off-label” uses and doctors happily promote
their use and even have the philosophy that more is better.
This blog Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-10793477217498062282013-10-15T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-15T00:01:00.789-05:00Hospital Protocols Hinder Care
Hospital protocols do hinder and actually harm patients. I had a
hard time believing the first part of this doctor's blog until I
realized he was not joking. My next thought was why a hospital would
treat a doctor in this manner. I would have guessed that a doctor
and even a doctor's family would be expressed to the head of the
line. I am happy to see that they receive the same poor Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-88204735719394964492013-10-14T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-14T00:01:00.371-05:00Is All the Dementia Screening Necessary?
Before getting into this blog, I would like to include some points
that the World Health Organization (WHO) has in their guidelines
about assessing the value of a screening test.
#1. The condition should be an important health problem.
#2. There should be a treatment for the condition.
#3. Facilities for diagnosis and treatment should be available.
#4. There should be a latentBob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-26880295298409238062013-10-11T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-11T00:01:00.697-05:00Urban Gardening, The Challenges
As more of us people with diabetes are told to eat more fresh
produce, our supermarkets know that we are looking for fresh produce.
Even then, the produce is several days old and not truly fresh as
the grocery chains would like us to believe. Three or more days old
are not fresh any longer. What are we to do if we don't live on an
acreage and do our own gardening?
I wish I could do Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-378891958578161022013-10-10T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-10T00:01:00.367-05:00Can You Deal With the Elephants in the Exam Room?
First, it is necessary to identify the elephants that a discussion
is hard for providers and patients to talk about with ease.
#1. Sex
#2. Costs of care
#3. Alternative treatments
#4. Advanced directives
#5. Digital technologies
I find I have no trouble in discussing any of the above or more,
but studies show that they are often difficult for providers and
patients to talk Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-34347874295331657192013-10-09T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-09T00:01:00.059-05:00Communications By Any Other Name - Worthless
You may wish to skip this blog. This is because I am overly
critical of another blogger. I normally respect this blogger and she
has much good to say, but that was not my take on this blog.
Again, I wonder why is it that doctors misunderstand
communications. Every doctor has his/her interpretation of patient
engagement. Now I will add the term “meaningful use” to patient
engagement andBob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-13748543970169864072013-10-08T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-08T00:01:00.615-05:00Providers Label Patients as Second Class Citizens
I am glad someone is speaking out about what providers and the
health information technologies (HIT) are doing to shut us out as
patients. If doctors think that their pedestal is tarnished now,
wait until patients really understand what they are doing and they
may find that there may be some tar and feathers in the next round.
Not only this, but also many doctor-patient relationships may Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-55734428964947587312013-10-07T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-07T00:01:00.668-05:00Statins May Indicate Reduced Dementia
These two studies raise more concerns than they solve. Why are
larger doses of statins needed to reduce the risk of dementia. At
the same time, other studies are finding more muscle and joint
problems with the increased dosage of statins and more cases of type
2 diabetes.
This also raises the issue of which statins were being used by
patient numbers, possible ethnic variables, and theBob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-85370621614787832822013-10-04T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-04T00:01:00.731-05:00Does the Public Need Medicare Education?
According to this Medpage Today article, YES. This Joslin blog
also raises issues that people with Medicare and diabetes may not be
aware are available. While I don't utilize them personally, some
people may have the need of these services. Others that are in need
of these services may not be able to receive them because of the
shortage of certified diabetes educators in many areas of the Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-48838107532804548072013-10-03T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-03T00:01:00.479-05:00ED Use Might Go Up Under ACA
According to this article in Medpage Today, the author states that
a study shows emergency department (ED) use could surge under ACA.
This increase will happen under both the newly insured and those
insured under Medicaid.
Causing some of this will be the shortage of primary care
physicians and many states not accepting NPs, PAs, and Pharmacists to
work in the primary care field Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-24951459518826517732013-10-02T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-02T00:01:00.508-05:00Rodent Studies – Do They Really Mean Anything?
I admit I am tired of reading about studies involving rodents that
are heralded as a breakthrough. Most often that is the last we hear
about them and then we see no human trials or studies using the
rodent data. To me this means there is no viability for these to
move forward to humans and thus no meaning for the rodent studies
recently heavily promoted.
Now we have two more rodent Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-60079817504044745502013-10-01T00:01:00.000-05:002013-10-01T00:01:00.386-05:00October Calendar of Monthly Events
Out of the many national topics for the month of October, I
selected just two of the national month of October topics. The first
is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).
In 1945, Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in
October each year "National Employ the Physically Handicapped
Week." In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to
acknowledge the Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-37369217571518622052013-09-30T00:01:00.000-05:002013-09-30T00:01:00.521-05:00Statins Are Linked to Cataract Development
Happy – no, but I am glad I questioned the science promoted in
this blog and declared my belief that Big Pharma promoted the article
and maybe even the research and they do not wish to have the results
confirmed or denied. Sorry, but I couldn't accept the information as
it is presented and viewed the information as unreliable and even
possibly a farce.
This study confirms that the scienceBob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-40413412439850275762013-09-27T00:01:00.000-05:002013-09-27T00:01:00.623-05:00In Medicine, More Is Not Always Better
What hospitals lobbied too hard to receive and prevent doctors in
practice from receiving may have backfired on them. I say just
deserts for your greed, hospitals. This New York Times article paints the correct picture. I can only call the tactics by
hospitals as bullying tactics, not lobbying. What the Times article
leaves out is the amount of money used to support congressional
backers of Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-15674638906633215152013-09-26T00:01:00.000-05:002013-09-26T00:01:00.496-05:00FDA Now Against Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
The FDA likes to be embroiled in controversy and they chose to do
it quite regularly recently. This time they choose hyperbaric oxygen
therapy. As is so often the case, what they don’t tell you is more
important than what they do tell you. Yes, they are correct in
issuing the warning as hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has not been
clinically proven to cure or be effective in the treatment Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-62213711846530507852013-09-25T00:01:00.000-05:002013-09-25T00:01:00.082-05:00Home Care Coming Under Scrutiny
Who is checking on the people who are minding our elders? While
this is taken from information gathered in California, I know that it
applies to many other states. if not all states. According to a new
policy brief and related report by the UCLA Center for Health PolicyResearch, very little data exists to measure the care or quality of
care provided by private home care providers.
TwoBob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-66068115480686808172013-09-24T00:01:00.000-05:002013-09-24T00:01:00.226-05:00Cause of Disappearing Honeybees
Whether the agriculture industry is actually pushing this or not
remains to be seen, but I do know many farmers are and actively doing
this. This being the spraying of insecticides on crops to kill
insects. It is unfortunate that honeybees and other pollinators (a
term that includes native bees, honeybees, birds, bats, and other
species of beneficial insects) are being affected by the
Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-39034447683474125522013-09-23T00:01:00.000-05:002013-09-23T00:01:00.459-05:00Doctors Are the People Spreading Infections
While I know a few doctors that will disagree with me, they are
the ones that don't use hand or equipment sanitation, refuse to wear
gloves, and in general ignore good safety standards. Some of these
same doctors are the ones insisting on touching patients and giving
them comfort according to them. I say comfort my !@@, I would rather
know that the stethoscope has been sanitized and see themBob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-7441580265588202202013-09-20T00:01:00.000-05:002013-09-20T00:01:00.168-05:00New Physicians Want 35 Hour Work Week?
This blog is derived from this blog written by Leslie Kernisan.
She makes many points that I can agree with and I list them first
followed by points I have.
Points of agreement: (Read the blog for Dr. Kernisan's
explanations.)
#1. If the 35-hour work week will mean more thorough and better
care, then make this happen.
#2. If the newly minted PCPs would truly take care of the
Medicare Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-5098268979206810032013-09-19T00:01:00.000-05:002013-09-19T00:01:00.752-05:00Demand Continues for Primary Care Doctors
The demand for primary care doctors is here now and will for many
years to come. With the demand for these doctors increasing in many
rural or less doctor dense areas, recruiters cannot fill the needs.
Merritt Hawkins, a national health care consulting and recruitment firm, speaks to some of the issues, but not all. This firm along
with two other staffing companies spans the lower 48 statesBob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-11896313616220702212013-09-18T00:01:00.000-05:002013-09-18T00:01:00.928-05:00Security Now a Concern for Insurance Exchanges
Now lawmakers become concerned about the ability of the system to
protect personal health records and other private information. If
our congressional people would have been concerned about this when
they should have been concerned, maybe we would not need these
concerns now. Unfortunately, we still would, as Congress is not far
sighted enough, only to the next election and their reelection.Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-48295689925344935432013-09-17T00:01:00.000-05:002013-09-17T00:01:00.662-05:00Hospitals May Lose for Hospital-Acquired Infections
Hospitals are beginning to put standards and safety measures in
place to prevent hospital infections. With the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMS) and now other insurance companies
refusing to pay for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), this has
forced the issue and hospitals are taking notice. When hospitals
have their bottom line at issue, they will take action, which is a
Bob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3303662924897411326.post-56276280859577614062013-09-16T00:01:00.000-05:002013-09-24T00:43:23.965-05:00Some Doctors Don't Care About Patients, Only $$$
Apparently some doctors that are members of the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) really do not care about their patients with
diabetes, only the money that they can receive for helping patients
develop the complications. Rather sad that doctors will work so hard
to cause harm to a group of patients. Don't get me wrong, as some of
the doctors that are members of the SGIM do not agreeBob Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273528282720201489noreply@blogger.com0