By Cheri
On the heels of the recent announcement of Dr. David Blumenthal as National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, there has been much debate about the benefits of expanding healthcare IT. Many feel that the $19.5 billion in funds allocated in the recent economic stimulus package won’t ultimately benefit patients.
Since his appointment, Dr. Blumenthal has yet to address the press about the roadmap for his office. While EMR (Electronic Medical Records) has grabbed headlines, there are several areas within healthcare IT that will see funding, including comparative-effectiveness, which will receive $1.1 billion.
Industry analysts have noted that comparative-effectiveness might be even more impactful to patients, as it will help physicians to make more educated decisions about treatment options. These applications will be particularly important for cancer treatment, allowing patients and physicians to better understand risks and adverse events that may develop from treatment.
What are your thoughts on this topic?
March 30th, 2009
By Dana
Ah, spring cleaning. With Friday’s temperatures soaring into the 50s here in Boston, I was inspired to start my annual ritual of readying my apartment for the changing season a bit earlier than usual. Come Saturday morning, I dug out every household cleaner I have and set to work—for an hour or so, at least, until the potent fumes got the better of me and chased me from the apartment for some fresh air.
It all reminded me of a Planet in Peril episode from about a year ago focused on the harmful effects typical household products can have on our bodies. The piece pointed out children under six are the most susceptible to these effects because their vital organs and immune system are still developing. I wasn’t surprised by that: if ammonia and bleach could ravage my 5’10” frame as badly as they did in a relatively spacious apartment, I can only imagine the effects they’d have on a small child.
Philip and Alice Shabecoff explore this very issue in a new book called Poisoned Profits: The Toxic Assault on Our Children. According to the Shabecoffs, there is a definitive link between everyday chemicals and childhood disease or death:
- Nearly one out of three children suffers from a chronic disease or debilitating birth defect.
- Almost 21 million of the nation’s 73 million children suffer from at least one chronic disease (including asthma, autism or cancer).
These numbers have grown exponentially in the past decade, and will continue to do so unless grave measures are taking to reverse this trend. We’ve taken great care to address the dangers that could befall our children from processed foods laden with saturated fat and cholesterol head on, but have yet to really take measures against the far more toxic materials seeping into their bodies at home and in school.
Petite Planet of BlogHer fame offers some helpful advice: “if you can’t pronounce an ingredient and/or don’t know what it is, don’t use it.” But short of strapping a kit comprised of vinegar, baking soda and lemons onto their backs, we really only have the ability to take the toxicity out of a relatively small slice of our children’s worlds. The logical step is to start applying pressure back on our local, state and federal governmental bodies and forcing them to be more vigilant in determining which chemicals and cleaning agents are safe.
Looks like it’s time to rethink “spring cleaning”.
March 2nd, 2009
