Skilled Nursing Patients Harmed At Higher Rate Than Hospital Patients; Indicates Vast Areas Of Healthcare Where Patient Safety Has Not "Matured"

One Third Of Skilled Nursing Patients Harmed In Treatment by Marshall Allen.  ProPublica.  March 3, 2014.

The projection presented by the study pointed to 21, 777 patients harmed and 1538 died during August 2011, the month for which records were sampled.

Traditional Cures Make A Comeback, While Some Don't

9 Old-Time Cures Doctors Swear By (And 3 To Skip) by Nancy Rones.  Health Land.  March 1, 2014.
Ginger and Ben Gay are among those making a comeback.  Putting raw steak on a black eye is a traditional cure that is not recommended.

Stethoscopes Found To Be More Contaminated That Physicians' Hands

Physicians' Stethoscopes More Contaminated Than Palms Of Their Hands.  Science Daily.  February 27, 2014.

The study recounted here emphasizes the importance of disinfecting the stethoscope after each use.

How To Legalize Marijuana The Right Way; Time For Federal Action?

The Right Way To Legalize Marijuana (No, We've Been Doing It Wrong) by Michael Hiltzik.  The Los Angeles Times.  March 3, 2014.

Is now the time to federally regulate marijuana before the industry becomes so wealthy that it thwart regulations?

Genetic Key To Protection from Diabetes Type 2 Located

Rare Gene Found To Protect Against Type 2 by Gina Kolata.  The New York Times.  March 2, 2014.

While the drugs described is very exciting, it can take 10 to 20 years to get a drug to market.

New Plan To Monitor Global Disease Outbreaks

Coping With Infectious Disease.  Editorial.  The New York Times.  February 21, 2014.

Discusses the importance of a new initiative to surveillance and treatment of infectious disease in up to 30 countries.  The spread of disease requires close monitoring.  The viral Chikungunya fever detected in Africa, spread to Asia and Europe, and recently invaded the Caribbean.

Health Security and Infectious Disease (Letters).  The New York Times.

Important issues are raised by these letters from three experts.

Consensus On Ways To Improve ACA

Finding Consensus On 5 Ways To Improve ACA by Kelly Kennedy.  USA Today.  February 27, 2014.
These five ways include elimination of fee-for-service payments and more transparent pricing.