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HEALTHBEAT SHOW NOTES .... Episode #112 - Recorded August 31, 2007

Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of HealthBeat, Chiropractic OnLine Today’s Health, News and informational Podcast.

In this week’s news:  We’ll Look At –

• Medicare Says It Won’t Cover Hospital Errors

• Bone and Joint Decade on Neck Pain

• CA certification to be required in Iowa

• FCER offers patient-appreciation kit

• And Finally, Health Corner Presents a Discussion about potential changes in the US Healthcare System

For HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

Welcome to HealthBeat Podcast #112, recorded August 31, 2007.  HealthBeat is Chiropractic OnLine Today’s radio program, providing current news and commentary about Chiropractic and Health.

This week’s Episode is sponsored by DaVinci Laboratories.  Please surf to our web site at www.ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the DaVinci link for your Health and Nutritional needs.

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And Now for some news ….

Medicare Says It Won’t Cover Hospital Errors

An article from the August 18, 2007 edition of the NY Times reports how in a significant policy change, Bush administration officials say that Medicare will no longer pay the extra costs of treating preventable errors, injuries and infections that occur in hospitals, a move they say could save lives and millions of dollars.

Private insurers are considering similar changes, which they said could multiply the savings and benefits for patients.

Under the new rules, to be published next week, Medicare will not pay hospitals for the costs of treating certain “conditions that could reasonably have been prevented.”

Among the conditions that will be affected are bedsores, or pressure ulcers; injuries caused by falls; and infections resulting from the prolonged use of catheters in blood vessels or the bladder.

In addition, Medicare says it will not pay for the treatment of “serious preventable events” like leaving a sponge or other object in a patient during surgery and providing a patient with incompatible blood or blood products.

The new policy — one of several federal initiatives to improve care purchased by Medicare, at a cost of more than $400 billion a year — is sending ripples through the health industry.

It also raises the possibility of changes in medical practice as doctors stay more closely to clinical guidelines and hospitals perform more tests to assess the condition of patients at the time of admission.

Hospital executives worry that they will have to absorb the costs of these extra tests because Medicare generally pays a flat amount for each case.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that patients develop 1.7 million infections in hospitals each year, and it says those infections cause or contribute to the death of 99,000 people a year — about 270 a day.

For more information, surf to our Show Notes for a link to this article - http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/washington/19hospital.html?ref=health&pagewanted=print

Bone and Joint Decade on Neck Pain

A seven-year project by the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders will reveal major findings when it is published at the end of this year in both Spine and the European Spine Journal. The study was previewed Aug. 18, 2007 at the plenary session at the Florida Chiropractic Association’s national conference.

According to Scott Haldeman, DC, MD, PhD, one of the researchers on the task force, “The study will tell you what is known and why you need to know it. … The problem for clinicians is inconsistent information on the most effective approach to help patients with neck pain. We have a lack of understanding of diagnostic tests that are valid and a lack of understanding on how to justify treatment.” The study will provide information to help clinicians deal with these problems, he said 

The task force conducted a systematic review of literature, using tight screening procedures. It also conducted five original research projects. The target audiences for the task force’s findings are clinicians, the legal system, insurers, the general public, and people with neck pain.

Most of the plenary session was devoted to previews of the results of the task force’s study. The audience heard 15-minute synopses on:

• “How serious is the problem of neck pain following motor vehicle crashes, in occupational settings, and in the general public?”

• “What treatments for neck pain can be justified based on the available evidence?”

• “What is the impact of the risks and benefits of neck pain treatments on patients’ health? Results of a decision analysis comparing common neck pain treatments.”

• “How does the scientific evidence advise us on the examination of patients and the documentation of patient response to treatment?”

• “What is the natural history of neck pain and what affects the future course of neck pain? How do we advise patients?”

• “Is the risk of stroke following chiropractic visits greater than the risk of stroke following primary care physician visits? Results of the Canadian Stroke study.”

In addition to Haldeman, presenters included Linda Carroll, PhD, and Eric Hurwitz, DC, PhD.

Lou Sportelli, DC, president of NCMIC, served as moderator.

Surf to our Show Notes for a link to this article - http://chiroeco.com/news/2007/August/Conventioneers-Preview-Major-Neck-Pain-Study.php

CA certification to be required in Iowa

Chiropractic assistants (CAs) in Iowa who perform rehabilitation services will need to be certified by Sept. 30, 2007 for reimbursement from Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield to occur.

According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), in 2006 Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield implemented a policy limiting the provider types who could perform physical medicine and rehabilitation services (PM&R).

Over the past 18 months, Wellmark has worked with the Iowa Chiropractic Society and Palmer Chiropractic College to develop minimum standards for CA certification. 

Although Wellmark allows individuals to choose the program they would like to take, it has also recommended the chiropractic technician program at Palmer Chiropractic College. 

An online version of this program became available on July 1, 2007. It can be accessed at www.dconline.cc/

The ACA is addressing the certification issue with the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC), the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations (COCSA), and the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) to discuss the profession’s position and possible courses of action to address this issue.

Surf to our Show Notes for a link to this article - http://chiroeco.com/news/2007/August/CA-Certification-Required-Iowa.php

FCER offers patient-appreciation kit

October is National Chiropractic Month, and a kit of materials for practitioners to use in planning and promoting a Patient Appreciation Day during this or any time are available from the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER).

The kit contains sample patient letters and media releases, a poster that can be customized to the practice, pamphlets, Patient Appreciation Day logos, sample radio spots, advertisement check list, and more.

FCER’s Patient Appreciation Day program was introduced as a way for doctors to strengthen relationships within their community and increase awareness of chiropractic research.

On the chosen day, the doctor will provide either a treatment for current and former patients, or an examination for new patients. In return for this service, patients will make a contribution to FCER.

The kit may be ordered online at www.fcer.org/html/PADP/PatApprDay.htm, or by calling 800-622-6309.

Surf to our Show Notes for a link to the FCER - http://chiroeco.com/news/2007/August/FCER-Offers-Patient-Appreciatie-Kit.php

Health Corner – In this edition of COT HealthBeat’s Health Corner, we present a discussion from the New England Journal of Medicine about a how the US HealthCare system may change in the upcoming years.

Dr. Jacob Hacker is a professor of political science at Yale University, New Haven, CT, and a fellow at the New America Foundation, Washington, D.C.

As always, please surf to our Podcast Show Notes at ChiropractiRadio.com for a full listing of web references mentioned in today’s show.

And remember - COT’s Healthbeat always recommends discussing any nutritional or exercise lifestyle modifications with a qualified healthcare professional.

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– Steve Jobs

For Chiropractic OnLine Today’s HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

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