After years of patient complaints about injuries and tens of thousands of lawsuits, the federal Food and Drug Administration yanked from the market a surgical mesh widely used to repair pelvic conditions in women. The agency has been slow to act on transvaginal mesh, which has been in use since the 1970s, with surgeons increasing….
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How to become a smarter consumer of health news
IN THIS ISSUE Do we smell a rat? Not all published medical studies can pass sniff tests. A solid Rx: Use lots of skepticism about role of $$$ in medical research Figuring out those numbers in studies Worse than bad science? None at all … BY THE NUMBERS 2.5 million Estimated number of scientific papers published….
Continue ReadingChilling reprise of ‘Dr. Death’s’ bloody spree should shame hospitals and alarm lawmakers
It carries the plot line of a compelling crime story: A knife-wielding assailant works his way into exclusive institutions across a metropolis. There, time after time, he rips into victims, inflicting great pain and suffering. He acts under the noses of people who should know better. He gets stopped only when someone in law enforcement….
Continue ReadingEvidence grows on lack of merit in GOP attack on harmed patients’ legal rights
Doctors should hold the prime role in the nation’s medical policy making, Tom Price, the orthopedist who is the Trump Administration’s top health expert, has insisted. But will the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary heed top experts in his field, writing in some of medicine’s leading journals, that he and GOP partisans lack real….
Continue ReadingBetter Health Care Newsletter by Patrick Malone
Our newsletter helps patients and their families get the best possible medical care. We teach consumers how to become their own advocates for high-quality care and how to ask the right questions and get the best answers – from doctors, nurses, and other health care providers. The American medical care system can be intimidating and….
Continue ReadingApril 2013
The Truth Will Out: Gaps in the Science of Nontraditional Medicine Dear Readers, Last month we turned a skeptic’s eye on the appeal of non-traditional medical therapies, also known as “Complementary and Alternative Medicine” (CAM). This month, we explain why science isn’t exactly a close, personal friend of many CAM claims, and the difference between….
Continue ReadingA Big Step for Civil Justice
Good news last week about protecting consumer rights. As spelled out by PopTort.com, the civil justice website, a large study supported by the federal government concluded that forcing individual credit card, bank and other financial/product services customers to agree to arbitration and forgo their class-action rights in the event of a dispute prevents righteous lawsuits….
Continue ReadingAmusement Park Injuries
Every year, thousands of amusement and theme park accidents occur across the United States. These accidents often result in serious injuries that lead to permanent disabilities. While statistically rare, amusement park accidents can be catastrophic. The majority of the nearly 3 million annual amusement park-goers enjoy their visits without incident. However, statistics show that: Approximately….
Continue ReadingCourt Nixes Litigation Standards Set by Pathologists
What if a truck drivers’ union tried to set standards for when juries could conclude that a driver was negligent in causing a motor vehicle wreck? Or what if a trucking company could defend its driver falling asleep at the wheel by showing that its other drivers had impeccable driving records? That’s about the situation….
Continue ReadingSenator Smacks Down Dr. Oz for Diet Supplement Nonsense
Dr. Mehmet Oz , a popular TV personality, is better known for his charisma than his medical expertise, and no wonder why – he’s constantly hawking dubious treatments, and recently the chair of the U.S. Senate’s Consumer Protection panel called him out for it. Oz’s shilling for diet supplements now has the attention of comic….
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