OC’s Physicansite, BuyMedical Do Deal; Pru Rates Radiance a ‘Buy’
Talbert Medical Group recently sent all of its providers,mostly physicians,to an all-day seminar on improving bedside manners given by PacifiCare Health Services Inc. and the Bayer Institute for Health Care Communication.
Called “The Art of Caring” and conducted by Dr. Robert Bone, a faculty member at the Bayer Institute, the seminar covered such skills as listening carefully, clarifying what the patient is asking and using everyday language.
In one session, providers watched a video of actors depicting a variety of patient-doctor situations. One patient spoke only Hindi. Another demanded angrily that she get a refill of Claritin. And one patient was angry about having to see a new primary-care physician. Participants were asked to jot down which scenarios made them most uncomfortable and why.
Most of the time, patients are just having trouble expressing what they’re feeling or what they’re asking for, said Pat Evans, a certified nurse midwife who works in Fountain Valley.
“Sometimes patients just need education, just an extra few minutes. Sometimes that’s all it takes,” Evans said.
According to organizers, a poll of prior participants taken six months after their participation in the program suggested a jump in patient satisfaction, with patients believing their doctors treated them with more sensitivity and respect.
Pan-Fry Gets OK
Those who enjoy seared, grilled and pan-fried meats have a reason to celebrate.
A UCI College of Medicine study found that high-temperature cooking methods do not appear to increase the risk of breast cancer, refuting previous findings which linked breast cancer with eating well-done meats. Not only that, those who ate greater amounts of well-done white meats such as chicken seemed to be protected from the disease.
The findings appear in the April issue of Carcinogenesis.
Dr. Ralph J. Delfino, assistant professor of epidemiology, and Hoda Anton-Culver, professor of epidemiology, led a research team that found that a gene suspected of metabolizing cancer-causing chemicals on the surface of well-done meats had no link to breast cancer. The team compared the diets of 114 women with breast cancer with those of 280 women with benign breast growths.
It didn’t matter how the meat was prepared,blackened, barbecued, grilled or pan-fried. Women who ate chicken had half the risk of breast cancer compared with those who did not eat as much white meat.
“Although previous studies showed chemicals found on the surface of these foods have caused mammary cell cancers in rats, we didn’t see it happening in humans,” Delfino said.
Anton-Culver cautioned that the study was done on a small number of participants and that the causes of cancer are more complex than they appear from animal studies. The investigation needs to be expanded to women who do not have any breast disease, she added.
Another caveat: the study did not assess the risk of colon and stomach cancers.
It’s a Small World
Physiciansite.com, Newport Beach, announced a partnership with HealthStream Inc. of Nashville, Tenn., and Boston, Mass., to provide an online university for its member patients. Physiciansite.com members will be able to earn continuing medical education credits online. Physiciansite.com also recently signed a five-year agreement with healthcare e-commerce portal BuyMedical.com of Aliso Viejo. BuyMedical.com in turn recently signed a five-year deal to have Bergen Brunswig Corp., Orange, be its medical and surgical supplies partner.
Bits and Pieces
Prudential Securities recently began coverage of Irvine-based Radiance Medical Systems Inc. with a “buy” rating. This year, Radiance’s share price has more than doubled, from the 5 level to the 10-to-12 range most of last month … Biomerica Inc., Newport Beach, signed a two-year Italian distribution deal ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc., Costa Mesa, said it will expand its web services to include selling over-the-counter drugs to retail customers Medison America Inc., has moved to Cypress from its previous Pleasanton location. The new facility totals 21,000 square feet, twice as large as the firm’s prior digs, and the company has hired 10 new employees. Medison America is owned by Medison Co. Ltd., a South Korean diagnostic-imaging company that manufactures a 3D ultrasound system and reported sales of $300 million in 1999 VitalCom Inc., Tustin, announced it has activated its new PatientNet system at the Methodist Hospital in Houston. The system allows the hospital to monitor vital signs in real-time TriZetto Group Inc., Newport Beach, announced it has signed a five-year contract to provide AlohaCare, a Hawaii-based HMO, with HealthWeb, a portal and e-business application Electropure Inc., Laguna Hills, has formed a subsidiary, Micro Imaging Technology, and concluded a two-year research program that resulted in the development of a technology that measures fluid-borne microbes. The technology uses a laser beam to identify microorganisms such as cryptosporidium, salmonella, listeria and E. coli Allergan Inc., Irvine, and Dura Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, have entered into a multi-year, multi-product agreement to market select Allergan products. The companies will co-launch Alocril, a product that treats itch associated with eye allergies.
