Docnotes

Two interesting articles in Pediatrics

Two interesting articles in Pediatrics this week: (links are to abstracts only)
1) A Guideline Implementation System Using Handheld Computers for Office Management of Asthma: Effects on Adherence and Patient Outcomes

2) Outcomes After Judicious Antibiotic Use for Respiratory Tract Infections Seen in a Private Pediatric Practice

Online Access to full text Pediatrics articles is only available to subscribers of the journal, and this is expensive ($130) for individuals who are not AAP members. It's too bad that they haven't yet figured out how to provide access to the electronic versions of the full text without charging for the paper version as well.

icanPRESCRIBE: "icanPRESCRIBE is a decision-support

icanPRESCRIBE: "icanPRESCRIBE is a decision-support system that provides interactive, individualized consultation to clinicians for selecting and prescribing antibiotic therapy. This program will be available online as a web-based system, accessible with standard PC Internet browsers or handheld wireless personal digital assistant devices." icaninc website. I registered for the 2 week trial of icanprevent, which is a news source and set of resources for infection control personnel. It's a subscription service for which they charge $20. Not much there for practicing physicians. Don't bother signing up. icanPRESCRIBE remains vaporware ... slated for "late2000" release. We'll check back then, eh?

Speaking of checking back later, healinx has redesigned their website. It is much improved. Healinx is on the right track here .. but it's still too inconvenient for docs to use on a regluar basis ... even geeks like me don't log in to healinx every day to see if there is "e-communication" waiting from my patients. Despite HIPAA and state laws ... I think that many docs will continue to use e-mail to communicate with patients until some physician reveals the GC result to a spouse using a shared e-mail account unknowingly ... this will get headlines and lawyers buzzing .. then we'll all flock to healinx etc.

JAMA this week:Physician Manipulation of

JAMA this week:Physician Manipulation of Reimbursement Rules for Patients: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Docs lie to insurance companies.

From the horse's mouth: everything

From the horse's mouth: everything you wanted to know about HIPAA but were afraid to ask.

David Lebovitz sent me this

David Lebovitz sent me this link: ACP-ASIM: Buying medical supplies online: the next big thing?

AMA: Vaccines Do Not Cause

AMA: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism.

Doctor's Guide: State Of Mind

Doctor's Guide: State Of Mind May Contribute More To Low Back Pain Than Torn Discs

This week on Bandolier is

This week on Bandolier is an interesting discussion on grapefruit seed extracts for the treatment of candida. We are reminded by this article that "I can't find evidence of...X " is not necessarily synonymous with "there is no evidence for X."

Also on bandolier: Saw Palmetto works for BPH.

Next Month is TEPR. (Toward

Next Month is TEPR. (Toward The Electronic Patient Record) The program looks exciting. Too bad I can't make it there ... I'll be at the STFM meeting the previous week ... one meeting per month ...

There is a nice Immunization

There is a nice Immunization schedule at babycenter.com. You can direct parents here .. and/or print out a schedule for when immunizations should be done, based on the child's birthdate.