Recent Surveys

Electronic Medical Records

An opportunity, and a challenge

Selected findings from a recent VRC qualitative survey* of ophthalmic practices conducted at the 2008 AAO conference:

Of the ophthalmic practices that are already using or starting to use EMR:
- The single greatest impediment to EMR is transitioning from paper to electronic files.
- Physicians interviewed stated that the cost of transitioning appears to be greater than the investment in the software platform.
- Several physicians noted that they needed to add up to 2-3 staff members during the transition period.
In addition to the probable future legal requirements about use of EMR, a key reason that practices are interested in making the transition it to be more eligible for inclusion in clinical trials.

* N=70 ophthalmologists

Yahoo! Health News

Companies start shipping U.S. flu vaccines
Two flu vaccine makers said on Friday they had started shipping supplies for the U.S. market, one of the earliest starts ever to distributing seasonal influenza vaccine.
For blood pressure, can you be fit but fat?
If you're trying to bring your blood pressure to healthy levels, a new study suggests that how much you weigh is more important than how fit you are.
What prevents falls after strokes? Study: Not much
While most stroke survivors will suffer falls, strategies to prevent these dangerous events continue to fall short, suggests a new study out of Australia.
The pill equally effective in obese, thin women
Despite studies suggesting that birth control pills might not work as well in obese women, a new study suggests that they prevent pregnancy the same no matter what a woman weighs.
Does CPR on a moving stretcher work?
Paging script-writers: Pumping on a patient's chest during CPR while a stretcher careens down a hospital hallway works just fine, Chinese researchers have found.

All Headlines