Unbiased Analysis of Today's Healthcare Issues
The Times of London reports (“…no surgery until you quit“) that smokers who needed surgery “…would not be added to waiting lists until they had given up smoking.” While there is vast medical evidence that shows the hazards of smoking as well as the fact that smoking reduces recovery time from surgery, should we really…
Below is an abstract of a working paper I am writing with Dr. John Fontanesi and two other co-authors at the CDC. The complete paper is available on my website. Influenza is the 7th leading killer in the United States. In order an attempt to attenuate the threat of an influenza outbreak, the Centers for…
Everyone has heard of the Asian Tigers. The countries of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan are four countries who have experienced significant economic growth over recent decades. Due to the meteoric rise in the economic indicators in these countries, many economists have named them the Asian Tigers. But what about the African Leopards? …
For those who rant about the evils of globalization, let us examine the Sushi Economy. NPR’s Marketplace discusses The Sushi Economy book with its author Sasha Issenberg. Mr. Issenberg talks about how globalization has made the sushi industry a reality in the modern world. Technological improvements in travel and communication have lead to an increased…
The latest edition of the Health Wonk Review is up at The Sentinel Effect.
Although there have been quality improvements in nursing home care over time, most elderly (including my own grandmother) dread the thought of entering a nursing home. According to a Mattimore et al. (J Am Geriatrics Soc 1997) study only 7% of patients surveyed were “very willing” to live permanently in a nursing home, while 26%…
Pay-for-performance (P4P) is supposed to improve the health care quality for all. One may not be surprised if it were the case that more affluent, more educated individuals benefit most from P4P and thus existing health care disparities may increase. Author Lawrence Casalino and Arthur Elster, however, posit that P4P may actually reduce the quality…
Today is Memorial Day. A day to remember all individuals around the world who gave their life during a time of war. I have never served in the military, so today I will defer to the Pen and Sworld blog written by retired U.S. Navy Commander Jeff Huber. In his post “My Memorial Day,” Mr.…
What is life like for prisoners in Guantánamo Bay? What (if any) due process do they receive? The docu-drama movie titled Road to Guantánamo, answers these questions by examining the incarceration of the Tipton Three. The film follows the three British Muslim youths from Pakistan to Afghanistan to Cuba. The three spent over two years…
Accoding to a Canadian study, infants can tell the difference between two languages without hearing the spoken words. To read more on the study, see today’s Washington Post (“Babies Can Discern Languages…“). Según una investigación canadiense, los infantes se pueden distinguir entre dos idiomas sin oÃr las palabras en voz alta.  Para más información acerca…