Medical Malpractice Cases in Tennessee — Official Report
May 26, 2011
According to the Tennessee 2009 Medical Malpractice Claims Report, the total number of medical malpractice cases closed in 2008 in Tennessee was 3,154. The closed cases included those resolved by settlement, final court judgment, and by alternate dispute resolution such as arbitration and mediation[...]
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The Month Of May Is Lyme Disease Awareness Month
May 25, 2011
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) has declared the month of May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month. What Is Lyme disease? Lyme disease is a tickborne disease and is the most commonly reported vectorborne illness (that is, a disease transmitted to humans by ticks[...]
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The Month Of May Is Stroke Awareness Month
May 24, 2011
A stroke affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel is either blocked by a clot (blockage) or bursts (bleeding). When a stroke happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs and it starts to die. Someone who suffers a stroke ma[...]
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Regulation Of Medical Devices In The United States
May 23, 2011
The United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) regulates a broad range of medical devices, from artificial hearts to tongue depressors. The FDA has the authority to regulate medical devices both before and after they reach the marketplace. A “medical device” is[...]
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Nicotine In Secondhand Smoke Causes Brain Function Changes
May 21, 2011
Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Smokers are up to 6 times more likely than non-smokers to suffer a heart attack. Tobacco is also one of the strongest cancer-causing agents. Up to 90% of lung cancer deaths are attributed to smoking. According to the U.S. Centers for D[...]
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Recent Advances In The Treatment Of Latent TB Infection
May 19, 2011
The number of people in the U.S. diagnosed with TB disease is at an all-time low (11,181 total cases were reported in 2010); however, approximately 4 percent of the U.S. population, or 11 million people, are infected with the TB bacterium. TB continues to disproportionately affect racial/ethnic m[...]
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What Would Make The Best Personal Physician?
May 16, 2011
We all need to see a physician once in awhile. Whether we just need a check up for work or school, or we need treatment for a chronic or acute condition, most of us are at least marginally satisfied with our primary health care providers but many could use improvement. What would make the best per[...]
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Laws Limiting Physicians’ Self-Referral
May 15, 2011
Limitations on physician self-referrals were enacted into law in 1989 under the Ethics in Patient Referrals Act, commonly referred to as the “Stark law.” The Stark law, as amended, and its implementing regulations, prohibit certain physician self-referrals for designated health services (̶[...]
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