California recently legalized physician-assisted suicide and, no doubt, other states will soon follow their lead. While this may alleviate patient suffering, are we really at the stage where we allow physicians to help patients commit suicide? In fact, only 52% of doctors polled on SERMO (the largest social network exclusive to doctors) believe it should […]
Medicare currently requires patients to give up life-sustaining therapies in order to receive hospice benefits. That trade-off strikes some black families as unfair.
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Remember back in May when we told you about Dr. Michael Fratkin and his remote palliative care startup, Resolution Care? Word seems to be getting around.
There are as many ways of dealing with the end of life (or not dealing with it), as there are people who die.
If we are too successful in our national quest to cut healthcare costs, we may find ourselves killing new job growth and tanking the economy.
Don't neglect the importance of human connections in the push towards innovative health technology.
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
A 2008 study drew attention to a shortage of doctors with sufficient palliative care training to handle the anticipated demand from an aging population. Physician entrepreneur Michael Fratkin has started a palliative care business Resolution Care. It uses telemedicine both as a way to give primary care staff and specialists palliative care training and as […]
The ever-prolific Atul Gawande chatted it up last night with Jon Stewart on the Daily Show, promoting his latest book, “Being Mortal.” The two discussed end-of-life care – and how patients and physicians should temper their pursuit of “doing whatever they can” in favor of living out life in a more meaningful way. For instance, Gawande noted that at […]
You know the story on US healthcare and the elderly: Our current default is an American tragedy. It’s devoid of truth and candor; it’s inhumane and it’s wasteful. Recent gains in longevity have come by extending the period of disability right before death. Aggressive care treatment is often hoisted onto the frail because caregivers lack […]
Diane Meier is the director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, a national organization that aims to increase the number of palliative care programs in hospitals and elsewhere for patients with serious illnesses. Meier is also a professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York […]
Gabby Everett, the site director for BioLabs Pegasus Park, offered a tour of the space and shared some examples of why early-stage life science companies should choose North Texas.
So far this year, we have covered wearable technology, big data and funding in our monthly Google hangouts. Next month we will be broadcasting live from CONVERGE in Philadelphia. You can join the fun even if you can’t be there live and in person. You don’t have to travel at all to be part of […]
Dr. Linda Smith walks into a room at Providence Alaska Medical Center, ready with a stethoscope and a huge grin. She teases her patient, Dawn Dillard, saying that her spiky hair recently resembled a "faux hawk." Dillard found out she had uterine cancer...
Lung cancer causes 160,000 deaths each year. Diagnostic and treatment options have improved greatly in the past decade and continue to advance at a rapid rate. Someone seeking diagnostic assistance or seeking a venue for treatment should find an institution that has the full gamut of staff that has the experience and expertise and which […]
New York State felt so strongly about the importance of palliative care that last year it enacted pioneering legislation to make certain all those with advanced illnesses had access to this sort of treatment. Now other states are considering following New York’s lead.