The Medical Accountability Network is pleased to announce the successful passage of a law that requires drug and device makers to disclose their gifts to physicians. The Medical Accountability Network, LLC is the consumer-oriented group of medical professionals that bring you SmartMEDinfo.com. We joined Pew Charitable Trusts in lobbying efforts for the past two years to enlighten elected representatives on the need for full disclosure in the medical industry. This has included letter writing and petitions by our physicians and pharmacists, all of whom see the effects of undue influence on doctors prescribing habits.

Under the new Federal law, “Physician Payment Sunshine Act”, doctors who accept fees, meals, gifts and other freebies from the makers of regulated medical products will now have their names posted on an internet site. Other covered “gifts” that strongly influence doctors recommendations include travel expenses and accommodations at medical conferences, stock options and consulting fees.

There is nothing illegal about the gifts from the drug industry. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 90% of physicians accept gifts from the regulated drug and device industry. Patients simply have a right to know who is influencing their doctor’s recommendations. While this new law may simply drive the advertising units to use nurse practitioners as spokespeople instead, it is a step in the right direction for the smart health consumer.

Reference

Steinbrook, Robert, M.D. Disclosure of Industry Payments to Physicians, New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 359:559-561, August 7, 2008, Number 6.

Weintraub, Arlene, New Health Law Will Require Industry To Disclose Payments To Physicians, Kaiser Health News, April 26.2010, available at http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2010/April/26/physician-payment-disclosures.aspx, last accessed 4/30/10.

Ready for a bit of refreshing good news?

1) Worldwide drop in mothers’ death rate

For the first time in decades, researchers are reporting a significant drop worldwide in the number of women dying each year from pregnancy and childbirth, to about 342,900 in 2008 from 526,300 in 1980. This was not due to high technology or doctor care. It appears that mothers are surviving pregnancy and childbirth better because of prenatal education, adequate nutrition, improved sanitation and hygiene and better access to midwives.

2) Heart healthy diet also prevents dementia

A diet rich in omega -3 oils from fish dishes, eaten with plenty of fruits and vegetables has been well established to protect against heart disease. But now researches have documented that this heart-healthy diet also protects against Alzheimer’s dementia. People who ate a modified Mediterranean diet with frequent fish meals and low sugar fruits and green veggies had a 38% less risk of Alzheimer’s than people on the typical American diet of sugary foods, refined wheat, white rice, meats and fast foods. So eat well for your heart and your memory!

3) Dark chocolate may be good for your liver

Dark chocolate appears to be good for patients with advanced liver disease. Cocoa contains antioxidants called flavonols. They relax the blood vessels causing them to widen, reducing the high vessel pressures that lead to bleeding in liver patients. This latest research adds to chocolate’s long list of health benefits, including protecting the heart and stimulating the feel-good hormones endorphins.

4) Stroke, heart attack and lung cancer are less deadly than before.

Stroke deaths, heart disease deaths steadily declining. Stroke death rates have continued to decline, dropping 25.6% in ten years. Death from ischemic (poor circulation) heart disease has dropped nearly 32%, however it remains the leading cause of death in the US. Even lung cancer death rates have dropped by 9.2%. (Now if only taxes could go in the same direction!)

Ref: Grady, D, Maternal Deaths Decline Sharply Across the Globe, NY Times, , April 13, 2010

Ref: Yian Gu, PhD; Jeri W. Nieves, PhD; Yaakov Stern, PhD; Jose A. Luchsinger, MD, MPH; Nikolaos Scarmeas, MD, MS. Food Combination and Alzheimer Disease Risk, A Protective Diet, Arch Neurol. 2010;67(6).

Ref: Hirschler, B., Chocolate may be good medicine for liver patients, Reuters, Apr 15, 2010, available athttp://af.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idAFTRE63E3SR20100415, last accessed 4/15/10.

Ref:  Towfighi, A., Stroke Declines From the Second to the Third Leading Organ- and Disease-Specific Cause of Death in the United States, Stroke. 2010;41:499-503.

In this high speed world of new products and services, it is particularly important to stay informed on your medical care. In fact, it is one of the major ways to make sure you’re going to get the best health care.  Having all the information and being truly informed before making decisions about your care is called informed consent.

If you truly know and understand your condition, the offered treatment and all the benefits, risks, warnings, side effects (common and uncommon) as well as your doctor’s own possible misinformation and conflicts of interest, you will make an informed decision. Sadly, despite being required by medical codes, state, federal and international laws, true informed consent is almost non-existent is today’s health care industry.

In recent years we have seen the highest number of recalls on FDA approved drugs, perpetual lawsuits against drug makers for covering harmful data, and “medication side effects” have reached the top 10 list of most common causes of death. The need for full informed consent has never been greater.  A perfect example of this is the recent explosion in the prescription and use of psychiatric medications and the suicide/homicide risk of every drug in this category.

There is a lot to know about what medications you’re taking and what effect they have on both body and mind. Often the limited information received from doctors and patient advocate groups is easy to find but not nearly complete. Worse, sometimes it is deliberately misleading.

SmartMEDinfo was developed to bridge the gap between incomplete patient briefings and confusing academic literature. Find what you need to make the most out of you and your family’s medical care.

The doctors and pharmacists who contribute to SmartMEDinfo are free of conflicts of interest and have the patient’s best well fare in mind. What sets them apart from others in their field is the uncompromising commitment to giving the patient all the information, in a way he can understand. Only in this way can we have truly educated and empowered patients.

Sign up for SmartMEDinfo today. We have special low yearly rates for large groups and practices.