Pediatric News articles from August 2005

Pediatric News archives from August 2005

Tdap advised for preadolescents.(News)
August 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- The new adolescent/adult formula tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine should be routinely administered to 11- to 12-year-olds, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices...

Hepatitis birth dose now is the standard of care; ACIP's vote, pending CDC approval.(News)
August 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- The birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine is now the standard of care, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted at its summer meeting. Although giving newborns their...

FDA panel: delay safety changes to Concerta label.(News)(Food and Drug Administration)
August 1, 2005... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- A Food and Drug Administration panel decided to postpone changes to safety warnings in the label for Concerta, a stimulant widely prescribed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The FDA's Pediatric Advisory...

Early evidence of atherosclerosis seen in teens with type 1 diabetes.(News)
August 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- Adolescents with type 1 diabetes may have early evidence of atherosclerosis, Maria V. Karantza, M.D., reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. The increased risk appears to be related to...

Childhood immunization reaches new high.(News)
August 1, 2005... Childhood immunization coverage in the United States in 2004 surpassed the Healthy People 2010 goal of 80%, Stephen Cochi, M.D., announced at a press conference sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data from the...

Adolescent birth rates and mortality down.(News)
August 1, 2005... Health statistics for children showed record improvements in 2003, although the rate of infants born at low birth weights continues to increase, the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics reported in "America's Children: Key...

Suicidal ideation and perceived weight linked.(News)
August 1, 2005... Adolescents who perceived themselves to be very underweight (5th percentile or less), slightly underweight (6th-15th percentile), slightly overweight (85th-94th percentile), or very overweight (95th percentile or greater) were significantly...

Vote on routine second varicella vaccine dose is put on hold by ACIP.(News)
August 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- Pediatricians and family physicians would be more favorable toward giving children a second dose of varicella vaccine if a measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine were available, Mona Matin, M.D., reported to the Advisory Committee...

Infants' oral drops recalled.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The Perrigo Company is voluntarily recalling all lots of concentrated infants' oral drops nationwide. The drops are packaged with a dosing syringe, which does not allow for accurate measurement of doses less than 1.6 mL that may be prescribed...

Significant proportion of diabetic children present with DKA.(News)(diabetic keroacidosis)
August 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- One-fourth of children with diabetes present with ketoacidosis at onset, and a majority are hospitalized, Arleta B. Rewers, M.D., reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. Younger and...

Doctors to CMS: one identifier number only, please.(News)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will review national provider identifier protocols that now require separate numbers for each covered entity. The requirement could mean some physicians who are also part of group...

Please, can we have a directory?(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Security issues are currently keeping CMS from developing a directory of all NPI numbers for health providers and covered entities, but one may be developed in the future, Ms. Brandt told PPAC members. "We may get to a point where we have a...

West Nile virus season off to slow start; so far, people have been infected in Colorado, South Dakota, Arizona, California, and New Mexico.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2005... Significantly fewer cases of West Nile virus infection have been reported so far in 2005 compared with this time last year, but federal officials warn the season is still early. By mid-July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

Federal officials aim to boost confidence in vaccines.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2005... Federal health officials called a press conference last month to try to restore public confidence in childhood vaccines despite the charge by some parents that there is a connection between the vaccines and autism. Several autism advocacy...

Global attention needed to combat HIV/AIDS epidemic.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2005... The HIV/AIDS epidemic can be controlled but only with intensified global attention in the form of funding and leadership, United Nations officials and AIDS experts said in response to a status report by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. ...

Adding adenoidectomy no help.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Adenoidectomy in conjunction with tympanostomy tubes failed to reduce the incidence of otitis media, compared with the use of tubes only, in a randomized trial of 217 children aged 12-48 months, said Sari Hammaren-Malmi, M.D., of the University...

MRSA rising in Tennessee.(Clinical Capsules)(methicillin-resisrant Staphylococcus aureus)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Community-associated methicillin-resisrant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among healthy children in Nashville, Tenn., increased from 0.8% in 2001 to 9.2% in 2004, reported Clarence B. Creech II, M.D., of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in...

Congenital CMV and hearing loss.(Clinical Capsules)(cytomegalovirus)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Hearing loss was significantly associated with increased amounts of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the urine in a screening study of 76 infants with congenital CMV, said Suresh B. Boppana, M.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and...

Two doses of flu vaccine protective.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The 2003-2004 influenza vaccine was significantly protective against influenza in an analysis of 29,726 Colorado children aged 6-23 months and aged 6 months to 8 years, reported Debra R Ritzwoller, Ph.D., of Kaiser Permanente Colorado in...

Quinolone ear drops beat generics.(ID Consult)
August 1, 2005... Quinolone otic drops may represent a better choice for treating swimmer's ear in children than are the generics that we're accustomed to using. Both Floxin (ofloxacin otic solution 0.3%) and Ciprodex (ciprofloxacin 0.3% and dexamethasone...

Antibiotics not always needed in childhood conjunctivitis.(ID Consult)
August 1, 2005... Most children with conjunctivitis will get better by themselves and don't need an ophthalmic antibiotic, Peter W. Rose, M.B., and his colleagues reported. "Parents should be encouraged to treat children themselves without medical...

EGNR bacteremia complicates rotavirus disease.(Infectious Diseases)(enteric gram-negative rods )
August 1, 2005... Children with rotavirus gastroenteritis face a small but real risk of developing enteric gram-negative sepsis, investigators have reported. Physicians "should be aware of the possibility of this complication, especially when a child is...

Hand sanitizing gel cuts spread of stomach bugs.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2005... BOSTON -- Regular use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer in the home can reduce the spread of gastrointestinal infections among family members, Thomas J. Sandora, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America....

Idaho syphilis outbreak is tapering off.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... An outbreak of syphilis in southern Idaho that began in 2003 probably has peaked, according to Tom Shanahan, a spokesman for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Four babies with congenital syphilis were born in Idaho in 2003, and...

Helicobacter pylori tests are limited in children.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Some diagnostic tests for suspected Helicobacter pylori infection are better validated in adults than in children, John D. Snyder, M.D., reported at a meeting on clinical pediatrics sponsored by the University of California,...

Antibiotic Rx's still sought by 'educated' parents.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2005... When James A. Taylor, M.D., and his colleagues found that an educational pamphlet and a video changed parents' attitudes about antibiotic use 2 years ago, they assumed that such a change would lead to fewer demands on pediatricians and fewer...

Getting out of the office.(Letters From Maine)
August 1, 2005... There are two societal phenomena that frustrate me to the point of hanging up my stethoscope and converting my garage into a boat-building shop. The first of these is the expanding collection of behavioral dysfunctions among America's children...

Vitamin D supplements are underused.(Guest Editorial)
August 1, 2005... In 2003, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended a minimum vitamin D supplementation of 200 IU daily for all infants, due to concerns about a rising number of cases of vitamin D deficiency. Although most pediatricians may follow...

Caries culprits: chocolate, crackers.(Letters)(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... While it is accurate that infection is involved in producing the acid that eats away at dental enamel, I wonder how much good it does to try to delay colonization of an infant's mouth with the strep germ ("Preventive Medicine for the Mouth,"...

The nose doesn't always know.(Letters)(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... Dr. William G. Wilkoff's column was an interesting reminder about olfactory diagnoses ("The Nose Knows," Letters From Maine, June 2005, p. 20). But I wonder if he left out a piece or two of information when he mentioned a father who...

Phenergen contraindicated?(Letters)(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... The most widely used antiemetic in the United States and probably the world, Phenergan (promethazine), is now black-boxed after 20 years of use CPhenergan Contraindicated Under Age 2," April 2005, p. 9)? I've used it an entire career in...

Are lawyers deciding medical care?(Letters)(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... As I understand it, there are no hard data that Phenergan alone has caused any adverse outcomes in infants. Is this a case of the lawyers deciding on medical care? I would like to be educated on the real or imagined risks. I have seen...

E-mail security for HIPAA.(Products)(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... Attach Plus 2.2.7 software provides PDF and ZIP password protection for desktop systems to comply with HIPAA's technical security mechanisms requirement. The software supports several versions of Microsoft Outlook and a number of other e-mail...

Pocket PC medical dictionary.(Products)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... An updated Medical Pack medical dictionary is available for use with the most recent versions of CalliGrapher and PenOffice handwriting recognition software for mobile and desktop computers. The dictionary includes 130,000 medical words. For...

Cephalexin for oral suspension.(Products)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... Keflex powder for oral suspension (cephalexin) is available in two strengths (125 and 250 mg/5 mL) and bottle sizes (100 and 200 mL). The drug is indicated for the treatment of respiratory tract infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and...

Lighted ear curette tips.(Products)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... The Lighted FlexLoop and Lighted InfantScoop ear curette tips combine single-use tips with an LED light source to help visualize the procedure. The FlexLoop has a 4-mm oval tip for normal curettage. The InfantScoop has a 2-mm tip for smaller...

Redesign for EpiPen.(Products)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... The packaging of the EpiPen and EpiPen Jr. (epinephrine) auto-injectors has been redesigned to be more patient friendly. The new design includes improved self-administration instructions on the auto-in-jector label, color-coded packaging, a new...

Dictionary of drug names available.(Products)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... The 2005 U.S. Pharmacopeia Dictionary of Adopted Names and International Drug Names is available. This 41st edition contains nationally and internationally recognized names for all known drugs, including over 4,000 brand drug names. The...

Hot tongue and other not-so-hot strategies.(Behavioral Consult)
August 1, 2005... Over the course of their careers, most pediatricians will hear of an infinite variety of novel, offbeat, or even bizarre strategies for raising--and especially disciplining--children. Sometimes parents will come up with these ideas on their...

Tiered work-up doubles diagnosis of autism-related issues.(Behavioral Consult)
August 1, 2005... GRAPEVINE, TEX. -- A tiered diagnostic work-up can double the rate of diagnosis of the syndromes and conditions associated with early-childhood autism, G. Bradley Schaefer, M.D., reported at a meeting sponsored by the American College of...

Parental interactions can signal suicidal attempts; adolescents who display negative communication, especially with their fathers, are at higher risk.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
August 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- Adolescents whose interactions with their fathers are negative are more likely to reattempt suicide than are those whose interactions are more constructive, Barry M. Wagner, Ph.D., and his colleagues wrote in a poster presentation at...

Major depression is found common in teen mothers.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... LOS ANGELES -- Half of adolescent mothers experience significant depression in the first year after giving birth, according to a study of 417 young mothers followed for 48 months. The study included roughly equal numbers of Mexican...

Parental misperceptions about child's weight factors into obesity epidemic.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
August 1, 2005... BOSTON -- Many parents of children who are overweight or at risk for becoming overweight don't perceive their children's weight accurately, Patricia A. Cluss, Ph.D., and colleagues said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the...

Depression screening for parents accepted.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Screening for parental depression at well-child visits is feasible and parents are receptive to the idea, Ardis L. Olson, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. A brief, validated...

Screen for parental substance abuse.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- A simple two-question screen for parental substance abuse could help identify as many as one in five children who live with someone who abuses drugs and alcohol, reported Wendy G. Lane, M.D., at the annual meeting of the Pediatric...

Pertussis transmission begins at home: how do infants get pertussis? They get it from their family. That's right--their moms and dads, brothers and sisters, even grandma and grandpa!
August 1, 2005... According to a recent study of pertussis in 264 infants, a family member was identified as the source of the disease in three quarters of the cases. In fact, the infant's mother was positively identified as the source in 32% of the cases. In...

When to refer oppositional defiant disorder.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
August 1, 2005... LAS VEGAS -- Opposition and aggression are part of normal childhood development, but if they are developmentally inappropriate and last long periods of time, they can have serious consequences and may require a referral. Oppositional...

Atomoxetine reduced anxiety in ADHD patients; however, the drug did not significantly improve comorbid depression in children and adolescents.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- The attention-deficit hyperactivity drug atomoxetine does not appear to significantly improve comorbid depression in adolescents, but it does appear to reduce comorbid anxiety in children and adolescents, according to data from...

Trial finds no withdrawal syndrome with modafinil.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
August 1, 2005... BOCA RATON, FLA. -- Children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder did not experience withdrawal or discontinuation syndrome after abrupt cessation of modafinil film-coated tablets in a phase III, double-blind,...

Double-blind study shows Concerta effective against ADHD in teens.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
August 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Extended-release methylphenidate is effective in reducing the symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in adolescents, Linda Pfiffner, Ph.D., said at a meeting on clinical pediatrics sponsored by the University of...

Adherence to AAP guidelines for ADHD mixed.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- It appears that there is a wide range of adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Wendy Davis, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies....

Pharmacotherapy useful in adolescent obesity.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- The epidemic of childhood obesity shows no signs of abating, and studies have demonstrated only modest results from diet and exercise, unless an intensive boot-camp approach is used, Robert H. Lustig, M.D., said at a meeting on...

Guide helps in differential diagnosis of abdominal pain.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... Joseph A. Zenel, M.D., offered a handy guide to the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain at a meeting on clinical pediatrics, which was sponsored by the University of California, San Francisco. He also offered three clues that help the...

Obesity raises asthma risks, not outcomes in children.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... BOSTON -- Obesity has little impact on the disease-related outcomes of asthma in children, despite the fact that being overweight is an established risk factor for the respiratory condition, reported Umit B. Emre, M.D. Unlike adults, in...

Insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome very common in overweight teens.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- At least 13% of all adolescents and 54% of overweight teens are insulin resistant, and a significant proportion of these adolescents have metabolic syndrome--even according to adult definitions. These findings, reported in...

Zolmitriptan nasal spray helps migraines in teens.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... PHILADELPHIA -- For the first time, the triptan, zolmitriptan nasal spray has been found to be effective in the short-term treatment of migraines in adolescents, Paul Winner, D.O., reported at the annual meeting of the American Headache...

OC helps anorexic teenagers offset bone loss.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... LOS ANGELES -- The oral contraceptive Ortho Tri-Cyclen may help teenaged girls with anorexia nervosa build bone mass to counter osteoporosis later in life. Compared with placebo, it produced significantly greater increases in mean bone...

Childhood dancers are the forgotten athletes; limiting ballet while doing other exercises is the best tack to take with these young patients.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... LAS VEGAS -- The worst advice a physician can give to an injured young ballet dancer is to "quit dancing," a San Francisco sports medicine physician said at a meeting sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics and California Chapter 2 of...

Fitness classes beat team sports for helping children lose weight.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Specially designed physical education classes that increase levels of physical activity were better for overweight children than typical classes focusing on team-oriented sports and games, according to findings from a school-based...

Few residency programs train for physical activity counseling.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Pediatric residency program directors believe physical activity counseling is an important part of general pediatric care--but less than one-third of programs offer formal training, Sarah L. Goff, M.D., reported at the annual...

Hitch parity poses the greatest risk for SIDS.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- High parity has replaced preterm delivery as the greatest risk factor for SIDS, according to a study of national data, presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. "Our highest single risk factor was...

Test may determine caries risk per person; combinations of glycoproteins present naturally in a person's mouth appear related to cavity risk.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- A test may soon be able to determine which patients, whether children or adults, are at greatest risk for dental caries, Paul C. Denny, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science....

Fast care on sidelines vital for dental injuries.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... NASHVILLE, TENN. -- Protecting the periodontal ligament and replacing avulsed teeth as soon as possible are the keys to good outcomes for sports-related dental injuries, William Dexter, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American College...

Increased meningitis risk revealed.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Meningococcal disease is almost 12 times more likely to occur in a child whose mother is pregnant, possibly due to hormonal alterations in the mucosal barriers of pregnant women that predispose them to carry the bacteria. Elske van Gils...

Keppra.(New & Approved)
August 1, 2005... (levetiracetam, UCB Pharma) The Food and Drug Administration approved a new pediatric indication for Keppra as adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures in adults and children 4 years of age and older with epilepsy. * Recommended...

Tag-It Cystic Fibrosis Kit.(New & Approved)
August 1, 2005... (multiplexed human disease genotyping test, Tm Bioscience) The FDA approved the first DNA-based blood test, the Tag-It Cystic Fibrosis Kit, to aid in the detection of children with cystic fibrosis and adults who are carriers of the disease....

Nasal CPAP cuts ventilator for premature neonates.(Clinical Rounds)(continuous positive airway pressure)
August 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Using nasal continuous positive airway pressure to treat premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome substantially cut the time that these children had to receive mechanical ventilation, based on comparisons with...

Teen girls change contraceptive methods often.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Changes in contraceptive methods are frequent among adolescent girls, and tend to reflect pregnancy status and changes in sexual relationships and behaviors, Jennifer U Woods, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the North...

Study links obese moms, orofacial clefts.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... Obese women are 30% more likely than women of normal weight to give birth to an infant with an orofacial cleft, Swedish investigators reported. "One possible explanation is undetected type 2 diabetes. Obese women, in the absence of overt...

Expert urges restraint in fluoroquinolone use.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Even though ciprofloxacin has now been licensed for children, pediatricians probably should reserve their use of a fluoroquinolone for a few situations where there is no better option, Ann M. Loeffler, M.D., said at a...

Pityriasis amiantacea, tinea confused.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... BAL HARBOUR, FLA. -- Don't confuse pityriasis amiantacea with tinea, Amy Paller, M.D., advised at the annual Masters of Pediatrics conference sponsored by the University of Miami. Although the condition, which some consider a psoriatic...

Nickels and dimes can add up to real money.(Practice Trends)
August 1, 2005... ORLANDO -- Pediatricians have a reputation for being generous in caring for--and about--their patients. But that doesn't mean they should cut corners on coding, said Charles Scott, M.D., a pediatrician in private practice in Medford, N.J. ...

Pay-for-performance shortfalls.(Practice Trends)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- The much talked about "pay-for-performance" style of reimbursement system is still largely untested and is not designed to reap cost savings, "particularly since most of the quality measures it targets are measures of underuse,"...

Increase in pediatric labeling.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Incentives to encourage pediatric studies and subsequent labeling are working, according to a report from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development. Nearly 100 medicines for sale in the United States have received pediatric labeling...

AAP urges sex education.(Policy & Practice)(American Academy of Pediatrics)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Pediatricians should encourage adolescents to postpone early sexual activity and encourage parents to educate their children and adolescents about sexual development, responsible sexuality, decision making, and values, the American Academy of...

Soft drink wars focus on sugar.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The Center for Science in the Public Interest is targeting the public's consumption of soft drinks, something the group labels as "liquid candy." Data show teenagers are drinking more high-calorie soft drinks than ever before, and less diet...

Youth concerned about health.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Most young people believe it's important to pay attention to their health. A survey of 1,278 youth aged 10-17 years conducted by Harris Interactive found that 92% cared about this issue, although many acknowledged that they might not be leading...

Health insurance statistics.(Policy & Practice)
August 1, 2005... Health insurance coverage for children continues to improve: Seven million children under 18 years of age were without health insurance in 2004, compared with 10 million children in 1997, according to a survey conducted by the Centers for...

Medicaid's public support.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Most people think Medicaid is a "very important program" and should not be cut to balance state budgets, a poll of more than 1,200 adults conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed. In fact, the majority thought the federal government...

Kids miss smoking/addiction link.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Nearly one-third of children aged 10-12 years believe that they can smoke without becoming addicted, according to a survey of 418 families by the Group Health Cooperative's Center for Health Studies, Seattle. Terry Bush, Ph.D., and colleagues...

Florida's parental notification law.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... After a court battle and a state constitutional amendment, the requirement for parental notification when a minor seeks an abortion is now the law in Florida. The "Parental Notice of Abortion Act" was signed by Gov. Jeb Bush (R). The...

Lawyer takes stand for requests to alter records.(Practice Trends)
August 1, 2005... The long-held perception that medical records should never be altered at a patient's request is quickly becoming erroneous, according to health lawyer and ethicist George Annas. "We can delete (items from the record), as long as we note...

How to make a paperless office turn a profit; installing an electronic medical record system can increase patient registration, physicians' salaries.(Practice Trends)
August 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- There is a cost-effective way to go paperless and make a profit for your group practice, Jeffrey P. Friedman, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Friedman, an internist and founding...

Some practices order online scheduling.(Practice Trends)
August 1, 2005... Patients favor online systems that provide a 24/7 service for appointments. "By integrating with the Internet you get patients to do things for themselves without staff," Dr. Friedman said. His practice, Murray Hill Medical Group, developed...