http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/ Published by Patrick Malone & Associates, P.C. en-us 2012-02-08T16:42:04-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/02/save_money_by_avoiding_insuran.html As health-care expert Lisa Zamosky points out on WebMD, you might not be able to control medical costs, but scrutiny of your medical bills can help you save money. The key, she says, is knowing when and how to take... General Patrick A. Malone 2012-02-08T16:42:04-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/02/health_plan_model_disappoints.html What is the essential core of a health insurance policy that every insurer should have to offer its customers? The federal government is struggling to come up with a definition, but it's proving to be not so easy. Most people... Health Care Reform Patrick A. Malone 2012-02-07T16:20:52-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/02/minnesota_tells_dangerous_doct.html It's been known for a while that Minnesota ranks dead last in the nation in the frequency with which its doctors are disciplined by the state licensing board for harming patients. Now we know why. A new investigative series by... Certification and Licensure Patrick A. Malone 2012-02-06T15:58:48-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/02/promoting_transparency_in_hosp_1.html Progress is being made in the national effort to let patients know which hospitals do the best job in preventing infections. But patient safety advocates are worried that some of the early reports of hospital-specific data may be overly rosy... Infections Patrick A. Malone 2012-02-06T11:28:43-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/02/new_life_for_home_births.html For some people, the do-it-yourself movement is a congenital condition. As reported recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after a decline of several years, the number of women choosing to give birth at home boomed from 2004... Patrick A. Malone 2012-02-02T12:17:14-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/02/rick_santorums_damage_cap_prob.html Rick Santorum is not the first politician to be caught in a "Do as I say, not as I did" moment. So when it came out this weekend that Santorum had asked for more damages in his wife's medical malpractice... Health Care Reform Patrick A. Malone 2012-02-01T15:33:54-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/02/setting_standards_for_research.html Created by the health reform legislation of 2010, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is charged with helping to determine the most effective treatments using objective, science-based standards. We introduced this agency to our readers last year. Last week, as... Quality outcome measures Patrick A. Malone 2012-02-01T12:23:22-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/01/overscreened_and_overtreated.html Here's more evidence for the charge that the health-care industry overscreens, overdiagnoses, overtreats and often overcharges. A recent study by the University of Michigan published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that expensive tests like MRIs are used more... Testing Patrick A. Malone 2012-01-30T12:04:29-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/01/paula_deens_dicey_dance_with_d_1.html Most people understand that TV chef Paula Deen's brand of cuisine is to healthful eating as channel-surfing is to exercise. There's nothing wrong with her high-fat, high-sugar recipes, as long as you follow the rule, "Everything in moderation." But when... Diabetes Patrick A. Malone 2012-01-29T21:56:27-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2012/01/electric_heaters_floor_lamps_r_1.html A couple of home furnishing products recalled this month affect thousands of consumers, as reported on AboutLawsuits.com. Here’s a heads-up if you own either a Honeywell portable electric heater or a Big Lots floor lamp. The Honeywell recall affects about... Product Safety Patrick A. Malone 2012-01-25T15:31:38-05:00