Healthcare Economist named top 100 health care blog
The Healthcare Economist was named one of the top 100 health care blogs by RN Central.
Author: Jason Shafrin
Writing Tips for Ph.D. Students
John Cochrane gives writing tips for Ph.D. students. One of the key insights it the following: “Many economists falsely think of themselves as scientists who just “write up” research. We are not; we are primarily writers. Economics and finance papers are essays. Most good economists spend at least 50% of the time they put into…
Economical Writing
Soldiers have their gun, musicians their instrument and economists their pen. Deft writing can elucidate the most esoteric economic ideas; poor writing is boring and impenetrable. Although few realize it, writing is the economist’s trade. Deirdre McClosky’s Economical Writing is an entertaining, practical guide for any social scientist. Below is a list of some the…
Health Wonk Review: Political Convention Style
The latest edition of the Health Wonk Review is up at the Disease Management Care Blog.
Your Grocery Bag: Apples, Milk…and Cavity Filling?
In the UK, a dental clinic has opened in a Sainsbury’s grocery store. The grocery store dental clinics aim to fill a patient need caused by the shortage of dentists in the UK. BBC News reports, “Dentist Lance Knight said the practice aimed at “making dental healthcare more accessible and convenient to better meet…
Lack of physician peer review
The Running a Hospital blog notes that a physician peer review system is absent in most hospitals. Physicians are only critiqued when something goes wrong. However, this need not be the case. “Our Chief of Neurology, Clif Saper, originated a thoughtful practice… The doctors in his department do randomly assigned reviews of the case notes…
The pitfalls of P4P
In the N.Y. Times, Sandeep Jauhar discuss the problems with P4P. Hat Tip: Cato-at-Liberty.
Age Inflation
Medicare was implemented in 1965 to cover the medical costs of the oldest members in society. In 1965, the U.S. life expectancy was only 70 years old. Now, however, life expectancy at birth is over 78 years. Medicare is now not just covering the oldest of the old, it also covers the “moderately” old since…
American Equality: Rich and Poor healthcare spending in America
Robert Samuelson writes: “Economist Gary Burtless of the Brookings Institution recently discovered this astonishing data: on average, annual health spending per person — from all private and government sources — is equal for the poorest and the richest Americans. In 2003, it was $4,477 for the poorest fifth and $4,451 for the richest.” HT: Greg…
Who goes to retail health care clinics?
The Carpe Diem looks at who is going to retail health care clinics. “Roughly 90% of the patients came for one of 10 relatively simple treatments… ‘Most of the conditions cared for in retail clinics likely do not require the level of training of a physician.’” Insurance companies are starting to support these retail health…