News in brief - Aug. 25, 2003

Osteopathic group launches quality assessment program - Calif. offers loan repayment program - State Dept. puts students first in line - Quality is good, if someone else pays - Six cases against Purdue Pharma dropped

Osteopathic group launches quality assessment program

The American Osteopathic Assn. launched the Clinical Assessment Program, which measures quality improvement in osteopathic residency programs. CAP analyzes seven clinical areas, including immunizations, heart disease, diabetes and women's health, and compares them with evidence-based guidelines.

By year's end, all 143 family practice residency programs will participate in CAP as an accreditation requirement.

Calif. offers loan repayment program

The Medical Board of California's Physician Corps Loan Repayment Program offers up to $105,000 to newly licensed allopathic doctors who are paying off med school loans. In return, these physicians must practice in designated locations, which include shortage areas, migrant health centers, public housing clinics and community health centers, for at least three years. Osteopathic physicians are not eligible for the program.

State Dept. puts students first in line

The U.S. Dept. of State has asked overseas consular offices to give students, research scholars and professors priority in visa interviews.

As of Aug. 1, nearly all foreigners seeking entry into the United States must have in-person interviews with consular officials as part of new anti-terrorism screenings. Some college officials are worried that the interview will keep students from arriving on time for the academic term.

Quality is good, if someone else pays

Many Americans believe that health insurance plans should pay more to hospitals and medical groups shown to provide better care, but most don't want to pay "significantly higher" premiums to receive that higher-quality care, according to a Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll last month.

"They are comfortable with the idea that better-performing hospitals and medical groups get paid more as long as it's their insurers making the payments and not themselves," said Robert Leitman, Harris Interactive's president of health and public policy.Of the 2,357 adults surveyed, 44% favored the idea of health plans paying more to hospitals and medical groups proven to provide better care (16% were opposed and 40% were unsure); but only 16% said they were willing to pay higher premiums for the privilege of receiving care from these higher-quality institutions.

Of those surveyed, 58% also felt there are fair and reliable ways to compare quality of care, while 11% didn't think so, and 31% were unsure.

Six cases against Purdue Pharma dropped

Six lawsuits against the manufacturer of OxyContin have been dismissed since the end of June -- bringing the total number of cases tossed out to 36, the company says.

The lawsuits, filed in federal and state courts in Florida, Mississippi and West Virginia, claimed that Purdue Pharma L.P. put an unsafe or defective drug on the market, improperly marketed it and caused people to become addicted to the pain medication. The plaintiffs cannot file the same claims against the Stamford, Conn.-based company again. Hundreds of lawsuits against Purdue Pharma are pending.