Healthcare Breakdown

Eighteen percent of Americans say they or a loved one have acquired a dangerous infection following a medical procedure. One in three Americans report that they have been victims of some kind of medical error in everyday medical procedures.

Failure to Consider the Risks

Americans consume more medications than any other population on earth. And they’ve become increasingly aware that while medications are prescribed for certain benefits, the risks involved must be taken seriously. The economic stimulus legislation created a council of up to fifteen federal employees to coordinate the research and to advise Congress and the President how… Continue reading Failure to Consider the Risks

Genetics + Environmental Chemical Soup = Autism?

In the not-too-distant past, the rate of autism in the US was listed as 1 in 10,000 children. It is now acknowledged to be 1 in 150 children and as high as 1 in 93 children in New Jersey. While there are those who point to better diagnosis as the reason for the increase, little… Continue reading Genetics + Environmental Chemical Soup = Autism?

Conflict of Interest in Conventional Medicine Practice Guidelines

The April 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association has an article written by a group of doctors who recommend that medical professional associations adopt stricter conflict of interest guidelines. The new proposals call for associations to refuse general budget support from the industry.

Integrative Medicine and Healthcare Reform

The Bravewell Collaborative, a philanthropic organization, partnered with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to convene this past February’s Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public. The primary goal is to make a shift in US healthcare. John Weeks, publisher and editor of The Integrator Blog, poses this question to the integrative medical… Continue reading Integrative Medicine and Healthcare Reform

Going Back to Basics May Help Us Achieve Healthcare for All

According to Peter Chowka of NaturalHealthLine, the first two months of President Obama’s administration “have set the stage for the greatest transformation of American healthcare since the country declared its independence from Great Britain 233 years ago.” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) has been quoted as saying Congress hopes to enact a mandate that… Continue reading Going Back to Basics May Help Us Achieve Healthcare for All

Does the Medical Industry Have a Fundamental Lack of Integrity?

Two recent articles—one in the New York Times, the other in the Wall Street Journal—speak to a crisis of integrity in the medical industry that has led insiders like Dr. Jerome Kassirer of Yale and Tufts to muse that some of their colleagues appear to act as “paid prostitutes for the drug industry.”