US Healthcare Third Leading Cause of Death_Barbara Starfield, MD
Why didn’t Barbara Starfield’s Findings (JAMA 2000) cause a major overhaul of US medicine?
Nobody Should Volunteer for Clinical Trials As Long As Research Data Is Secret
An urgent call for a debate about the ethics of data secrecy. Absent the humanitarian raison d’etre for enrolling in a clinical trial, no human being should be put at any–even minimal risk–without adequate compensation as a laborer and the protection of Workmen’s Compensation insurance.
Gene Mutation Risk for Autism –5% to 20%
The Centers for Disease Control issued an alarming report: 1 in 88 US children are afflicted with autism–an increase of 25% between 2006-2008.
Infamous Endorsement of Anthrax Vaccine for Children
The single National Biodefense Science Board panelist who voted against the recommendation in support of an anthrax vaccine test in children was Patricia Quinlisk, M.D., M.P.H. State Epidemiologist and Medical Director Iowa Department of Public Health, who chaired the NBSB panel.
Patients in US Hospitals At High Risk of Harm from Professional Negligence
"When my brother went into the hospital with pneumonia, he quickly contracted four other infections in the intensive care unit…Michael died in the ICU." Maureen Dowd, NYT Columnist.
FDA Panel Recommends ECT Safety Testing
Panel Chairman Thomas G. Brott, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic, said he was amazed that essentially no research had been done on ECT’s effects using functional MRI imaging, repeated brain wave (EEG) studies, or autopsy examinations of patients.
Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science
A fascinating article in The Atlantic, "Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science" by David Freedman, profiles Dr. John Ioannidis, who says that as much as 90% of the published medical information that doctors rely on is flawed.
Why Psychoterapies Never Get Better
The latest psychotherapy fad is "cybertherapy embraces escapism and the mechanized techniques of "virtual reality." It has been given a veneer of legitimacy by a prominent article in the New York Times "Science" section.
Anesthesiologist who Committed Major Fraud Claims Bipolar Defense
"He was one of the most prolific investigators in the area of postoperative pain management. His fraud sets back our knowledge in the field tremendously.” Dr. Steve Shafer, the editor in chief of Anesthesia & Analgesia.
American Doctors Without Morals
Why has the Pentagon, the C.I.A., state licensing boards andprofessional medical societies ignored the gross and appalling violations by medical personnel?
AHRP Letter to Harvard Re: Dr. Biederman’s Research
AHRP proposes a multi-disciplinary team of independent scientists to review ALL of Dr. Joseph Biederman’s publications and supporting documents, including: research protocols, consent forms, and the original (of course, anonymized) data sets with associated code books for all pediatric studies.
Rolling Stone – Marketing a Phony “Miracle” Drug
“Bitter Pill” by Ben Wallace-Wells in the current issue of Rolling Stone is an excellent, informative, in-depth article providing an overview into the pharmaceutical industry’s immensely successful—albeit illegal—aggressive marketing tactics, for selling a particularly unsafe, dangerous class of drugs—the antipsychotics, Zyprexa in particular.