Index 2005: AMNews editorials

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The ethics of quarantine: Treading carefully
The AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs offers a timely framework from which physicians can consider their obligations if a crisis triggers implementation of this public health intervention. - Dec. 26

Expert witnesses need scrutiny: The Tennessee approach
Improper medicolegal testimony contributes to rising medical liability costs and mistrust in the legal system. It must be kept out of the courtroom. - Dec. 19

Boosting disaster response: Be prepared
AMA delegates call for state and local disaster preparedness plans and removal of barriers blocking physicians from volunteering in response efforts. - Dec. 12

Medicare's low-quality program
Medicare's system to report physician quality is burdensome to physicians and fails to promote better care. It must be scrapped. - Dec. 5

The first defense: Soap and water
An FDA advisory panel urges the agency to study the risks and benefits of the consumer use of antimicrobial soaps, lotions and other products. - Nov. 28

Reform required to control liability premiums: Senate must act now
Without tort reform, historically high medical liability insurance rates will continue to drive physicians out of practice. - Nov. 21

Patient safety: A leadership opportunity
The AMA has published tool kits designed to encourage doctors to get involved in the 100,000 Lives Campaign. - Nov. 14

Who's minding the store? Health clinic beyond aisle nine
As retail-based clinics open up, it's important to remember that convenience should not trump quality, and the physician is the key player in the health care team. - Nov. 7

Doctors need flu shots, too. And don't forget your staff
Experts are predicting an adequate supply of vaccine this season and encouraging physicians to be among the first in line. - Oct. 24/31

Wisconsin opens door to liability crisis
The state now has to fight to regain the noneconomic damages cap that kept the state out of crisis. - Oct. 17

Lessons from ethics' darkest days: Remembering medicine's role in the Holocaust
A lecture from the AMA and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum remembers a time when the course of medical ethics took a terrifying turn. - Oct. 10

Silent PPOs: Physicians need to know who holds their contracts
State legislators and regulators must ensure that physicians know if their contracts are being re-priced. - Oct. 3

Childhood obesity: School solutions
A school health advocacy agenda offers physicians a blueprint to address youth overweight and obesity in their communities. - Sept. 26

Eliminating health care disparities: You can make a difference
Every physician has a role to play, and the AMA has resources to help. - Sept. 19

Educating patients through the power of the press: The effect of AMA media briefings
The AMA has informed the public about the latest in health care news and treatments through this long-running series of presentations to the print and electronic media. - Sept. 12

Unhealthy mergers: The wrong trend
Federal regulators need to put a stop to the United-PacifiCare merger, as well as review how health plan mergers are affecting physicians and patients. - Sept. 5

Patient safety legislation: A crucial victory
Passage of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 marks a giant step toward sweeping reforms. - Aug. 22/29

Ethical guidance essential for living organ donors
The AMA's Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs examines the latest issues in living donor transplantation. - Aug. 15

The transforming of American medicine in World War II
At home and overseas, physicians and organized medicine made important contributions to the war effort and in turn were changed by their wartime experiences. - Aug. 8

AMA Model Managed Care Contract: Know what you're signing
The Association updates its model contract, which gives physicians a resource they can use as they review their health plan deals. - Aug. 1

Direct-to-consumer drug ads: Educational tool or sales booster?
Studying the complex effects of DTC drug advertising on the practice of medicine will lead to sound strategies to ensure its power is harnessed only for good. - July 25

Pay-for-performance must measure up
While health plans push such programs, the AMA House of Delegates insists that effective safeguards be put into place. - July 18

Shot in the arm for immunizations: Assistance on the way
A new AMA primer for physicians tackles an aspect of racial disparities by promoting on-time vaccinations for all. - July 11

Competitive path to better care: A moratorium's end
Congress did the right thing by letting expire the moratorium on physicians referring to specialty hospitals they own. - July 4

Clinical trial data: Getting the complete picture
Efforts to ensure that patients and physicians have complete access to study results remain important objectives in the practice of medicine. - June 27

The symbol for a new AMA: Medicine for the 21st century
The AMA's new logo is more than just a visually pleasing take on the Staff of Asclepius. - June 20

Health savings accounts: An insurance reform success
These products combining savings accounts and high-deductible health plans are catching on, and even attracting some consumers and businesses that previously had no coverage. - June 13

Physicians know when ASCs are the best choice
Reversal of a CMS plan to eliminate Medicare reimbursement of ambulatory surgery centers for certain procedures is a victory for organized medicine and for physicians. - June 6

Ephedra: A step backwards
A recent judicial ruling struck a blow at the Food and Drug Administration's ban on the food supplement, renewing very real safety concerns about its availability. - May 23/30

A lasting public health victory: Polio vaccine at 50 years
The polio vaccine's anniversary is a reminder of both the enormous threat posed by disease and the power of a concerted response in confronting it. - May 16

Medicare cuts threaten patient care: Questions of access and technology
Doctors must join the AMA's fight to fix the program's reimbursement problem. - May 9

The right to reject what plans demand: The Montana radiology case
Physicians' ability to stand together helped stop a health plan's lawsuit to force doctors to sign a bad contract. - May 2

FDA's drug safety challenge: Making improvements without adverse events
Scrutiny of Food and Drug Administration procedures to ensure safety and efficacy should not impact the practice of medicine. - April 25

AMA House of Delegates: Tradition of empowerment
Soon the AMA house will hold its Annual Meeting, harnessing the grassroots power of the nation's physicians - April 18

Pay-for-performance: Right rules reward quality
New AMA guidelines aim to make sure such programs keep their focus on patient care. - April 11

Health plans' dominance: More muscle in more markets
The latest AMA study on insurers' market share shows that it's greater than ever -- and that it's time to take steps to change that. - April 4

Tobacco treaty adds up: It's time for action
The landmark Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has come into force without United States ratification. American lawmakers must step up. - March 28

Ban genetic discrimination: National standard is needed
The Senate has passed a bill against using genetic testing to discriminate, supported by the AMA and President Bush. Now the House must follow suit. - March 21

Helping make hospitals safer: Patient safety campaign gets it right
The AMA is urging physicians to get involved in a hospital-based effort to prevent 100,000 unintended deaths. - March 14

Unilateral contract changes: Plan gives Michigan physicians the blues
Doctors are fighting in court against contract terms dictated by the state's Blues plan. A judge should see fit to rule in their favor. - March 7

Ending health care disparities: Equal access to quality care
A newly created Commission to End Health Care Disparities is taking on the pressing and persistent problem of unequal treatment rooted in race and ethnicity. - Feb. 28

Tailoring care for men
Men tend to avoid the doctor's office. Encouraging them to make health care a priority is a topic gaining attention. - Feb. 21

Fix Medicare's flawed pay system
Without action to stop pending cuts, physicians may be forced to stop taking new Medicare patients. - Feb. 14

NASCAR and alcohol promotion: Gentlemen, stop your engines
The auto racing circuit and others participating in the aggressive marketing of liquor toward youths must reverse course. - Feb. 7

Helping seniors quit smoking: Medicare's wise policy decision
Medicare's intent to cover this intervention is applauded by medical groups and public health advocates. - Jan. 31

AMA's advocacy agenda: 7 goals requiring medicine's strength
The AMA has targeted seven key advocacy issues critical to protect the nation's health care. - Jan. 24

Principles and managed care: Not mutually exclusive
The latest version of the AMA's compendium of managed care policies is now available and shows how to make managed care fair and equitable. - Jan. 17

You ain't nothin' with a blank contract
Health plans often ask physicians to sign contracts that don't tell how much is paid for each procedure. The AMA House of Delegates is calling for state regulators to require that private insurers reveal their fee schedules. - Jan. 3/10

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