XTEND-15sec-NEWSt
16th July 2003
Please click on the summary link of interest:
FDA supports heart benefits in walnuts...n1
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed the health benefits of omega-3 rich walnuts. The agency will allow California's walnut growers to use a health claim stating that 'supportive but not conclusive' research shows the nuts may help reduce risk of heart disease.
Warren Matthews comments: Well that's a nice change seeing the FDA supporting a natural unadulterated, unprocessed food such as walnuts. I wholeheartedly agree…walnuts are good for you, and they taste good too. Make sure you get them in the shell.
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Transfats in US foodstuffs are to be revealed in new labelling laws...n2
As from 2006 all packaged foodstuffs sold in the US will have to carry labels informing consumers of the trans fat content following the introduction of new regulations designed to help combat the rising tide of obesity.
Warren Matthews comments: This must be the week for the US, FDA to do good things! Transfats are very dangerous to your health. They are not a 'natural' fat and are produced by a process of hydrogenation in which hydrogen is introduced to oils under pressure and heat. It prevents the oils from going rancid and also changes liquids to solids. It's a pity that the new labeling requirements won't become law until 2006.
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Survey shows one in three Doctors withholding information from patients... n3
According to an associated press article nearly one in three doctors report withholding information from patients about useful medical services that aren't covered by their health insurance companies, and the number may be on the rise, a study reports. To read the full article click here.
Warren Matthews comments: No comment. We just included this bit of news so you are better informed.
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Important notice: All material provided within XTEND-15sec-NEWS is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this publication. Consult your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and wellbeing or on any opinions expressed within this newsletter. The information provided in this newsletter is believed to be accurate based on the best judgment of the editor but the reader is responsible for consulting with their own health professional on any matters raised within.
Is Your Physician Withholding Information? (Full Article)f1
By Laura Meckler
WASHINGTON (AP) - Nearly one in three doctors reports withholding information from patients about useful medical services that aren't covered by their health insurance companies, and the number may be on the rise, a study reports.
Study authors say their work offers the first empirical evidence for what many have long suspected: that coverage limitations imposed by managed care are infiltrating doctor-patient communications.
"Patients aren't getting the whole story," said Matthew K. Wynia, director of the Institute for Ethics at the American Medical Association and lead author of the article being published in the journal Health Affairs.
Wynia and his colleagues surveyed 700 physicians and asked how often they had decided not to offer a "useful service to a patient because of health plan rules." Forty-two percent said never, and 27 percent said rarely.
But 23 percent said "sometimes," and 8 percent said "often" or "very often."
The results harken back to several years ago, when some managed care companies barred doctors from discussing medical options not covered by the health plan. Public outcry persuaded most companies to drop those rules, known as "gag clauses," and many states banned them from contracts.
The study found that doctors whose own salaries are closely tied to controlling costs were more likely than other doctors to report withholding information.
In addition, those who serve a large number of Medicaid patients were more likely to stay silent, as were those who believed patients might want them to deceive their insurance companies to get services covered.
Authors note an important caveat: The term "useful service" was not defined in the survey. To one doctor that could mean steering a patient to a generic drug rather than the more expensive brand-name version, while to another it could mean not mentioning a major surgical procedure.
The most positive interpretation of the study's results would be that doctors are withholding information on services that might be useful but are less clearly necessary than others, said Dr. Hoangmai Pham, senior health researcher at the Center for Studying Health System Change, who was not part of the research team.
The most negative interpretation, she said, is that doctors have been conditioned to withhold information, shortchanging patients.
All of it can be compounded by time pressures, Pham said: Doctors with a limited amount of time with a patient may not spend it talking about services that the patient has no way to pay for.
"It's simply not possible to discuss everything with every patient," she said. "You might go down your list of three or five top options but not discuss every last one."
Copyright (c) Associated Press
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