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E-health Enables More Personalized Medicine; Group Fights For Digital Patient Rights
Tonia Odom, a 35-year-old patient with rheumatoid arthritis, a sick father and a young son, each of whom has multiple health problems, has found some relief to the problems of managing her families" array of illnesses in at a Duke University clinic that"s a model of the "medical home" approach to medicine, the New York Times reports. "As President Obama and Congress try to create a national system that provides better care for more people at lower cost, you are likely to hear a lot more about this idea. The term, coined by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1967, is admittedly confusing. It does not mean a return to house calls. Nor need it apply only to people with complex health problems like those of the Odom family."

Doctor And Nursing Shortage Could Undermine Health Care Reform
A shortage of doctors and nurses could damage health care reform. Analysis finds that more incentives are needed for primary care doctors and that most medical graduates choose better paid specialties. Meanwhile, a nurse temp agency forms in Texas to address the shortages there.
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Galapagos Initiates Clinical Studies With GLPG0187, A Candidate Drug For Bone Metastasis
Galapagos NV (Euronext: GLPG) announced that it has initiated Phase I clinical development of its integrin receptor antagonist (IRA), GLPG0187. This is the second small molecule therapeutic from Galapagos" internal drug discovery program to enter the clinic in 2009. Candidate drug GLPG0187 could offer a promising new therapeutic approach for treating cancer patients. Initial development will focus on bone metastases from prostate and breast cancer.
Oncology

Medical Defence Union Encourages Doctors To Say Sorry If Things Go Wrong, UK

The Medical Defence Union (MDU) the UK"s largest medical defence organisation has reassured doctors that they are not admitting liability if they apologise when something has gone wrong with their treatment of a patient. Dr Christine Tomkins, MDU Chief Executive said: "For over 50 years we have advised our members to apologise if something goes wrong. Patients should receive a prompt, open sympathetic and honest account of what has happened. Any patient who has had the misfortune to suffer through an error of whatever nature should receive a full explanation and a genuine apology. "There are no legal concerns about taking this course of action. In fact it is now enshrined in law in Section 2 of the The Compensation Act 2006 which says "an apology, offer of treatment or other redress, shall not of itself amount to an admission of negligence or breach of statutory duty". In the MDU"s experience, an explanation and apology at an early stage can help reduce the risk of a complaint and is often all that a patient or a relative wants to hear." The MDU endorses Apologies and Explanations, guidance from the National Health Service Litigation Authority (NHSLA) which was circulated to Chief Executives and Finance Directors at all NHS bodies today by NHSLA Chief Executive, Stephen Walker*. The guidance emphasises that an apology is "natural and desirable" where there has been an adverse outcome and that an explanation can help patients and their families in these circumstances. Dr Tomkins added: "It is occasionally suggested that medical defence organisations actively discourage our members from saying sorry. This is a myth and we welcome another opportunity to set the record straight. Doctors have an ethical obligation to offer an apology and an explanation if something has gone wrong and there is no legal reason not to do so." Medical Defence Union


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