Our most intriguing medical facts of 2011

Facts drawn from the pages of American Medical News, linked back to the story.

For every American who quit smoking in 2011, another became obese. (Dec. 26)
Nearly half of health organizations do nothing to protect data on mobile devices. (Dec. 19)
Health insurance premiums grew 50% from 2003 to 2010. (Dec. 12)
28% of physicians are considering forming or joining an ACO. (Dec. 5)
Only 9% of patients say online information influences their physician choice. (Nov. 28)
63% of doctors say they have changed an initial diagnosis based on new information found online. (Nov. 21)
Congress has provided temporary relief from Medicare pay cuts since 2003. (Nov. 14)
In 30 states, a single insurer holds at least half the individual insurance market. (Nov. 7)
91% of Americans don't know how much sodium healthy people are supposed to consume. (Oct. 31)
More is spent on the average Medicare beneficiary than he or she contributes to the program. (Oct. 24)
More than 30 states have outlawed the sale of chemicals used to make "bath salts." (Oct. 17)
75% of doctors cite medical liability concerns as the primary reason they practice more aggressive medicine. (Oct. 10)
No case of mental retardation being caused by the HPV vaccine ever has been documented. (Oct. 3)
A third of U.S. physicians have received Facebook friend requests from patients; 75% of them declined. (Sept. 26)
Florida leads the nation in health care fraud activity. (Sept. 19)
The overwhelming majority of online physician reviews are positive. (Sept. 12)
Miami has the highest rate of depression diagnosis among U.S. seniors. (Sept. 5)
An average of 7.4% of U.S. physicians are sued each year. (Aug. 29)
Anxiety and depression medications are used by 27 million Americans. (Aug. 22)
Physician office staff in Canada spend 2.5 hours a week on insurance matters vs. 20.6 hours in the U.S. (Aug. 15)
Nearly 12 million Americans are cancer survivors, 4 times the number in 1971. (Aug. 8)
82% of U.S. hospitals have delayed patient treatment because of drug shortages. (Aug. 1)
In 1991, no state had an obesity rate higher than 15%. In 2010, every state did. (July 25)
More than 100 doctors responded after a May 22, 2011, twister in Joplin, Mo. (July 18)
75% of doctors participate in Medicaid or CHIP, but only half take all new Medicaid or CHIP enrollees. (July 11)
Food companies spend nearly $2 billion a year marketing food and beverages to children. (July 4)
An estimated 4.5 million annual outpatient visits are due to adverse drug events. (June 27)
Your chances of declaring bankruptcy quadruple within 5 years of a cancer diagnosis. (June 20)
More adults visit doctors each year for adverse drug events than for pneumonia or strep throat. (June 13)
In the first five months of 2011, measles cases were reported in 23 states. (June 6)
3 in 4 Americans do not take their medications as directed by a physician. (May 30)
The wait to see a mental health specialist can be up to a year in rural communities. (May 23)
The measles virus can linger in the air for up to 2 hours after an infected person coughs or sneezes. (May 16)
7 states have no statewide smoking restrictions. (May 9)
More than 2 million seniors become eligible for Medicare every year. (May 2)
99,000 Americans die of hospital-acquired infections each year. (April 25)
80% of patients fear contracting infection in a hospital; 71% worry about medical errors. (April 18)
Health insurance claims filed electronically have a lower denial rate than paper claims. (April 11)
Office-based physicians supported 4 million jobs in 2009. (April 4)
1 in 4 working-age adults in the U.S. skips doctor visits, tests and medication. (March 28)
On average, elderly, chronically ill patients see 14 physicians. (March 21)
About 1 in 4 patients with a bloodstream infection dies. (March 14)
Vaccine-related death awards have a $250,000 cap. (March 7)
Only a handful of the 170 people wanted for health care fraud are health professionals. (Feb. 28)
Maine and New Hampshire ban the sale of physicians' prescription data to drug companies. (Feb. 21)
Cancer patients who receive palliative care live longer than those who don't. (Feb. 14)
Pennsylvania and Illinois require health professionals to wear clearly visible name badges stating their credentials. (Feb. 7)
Total medical liability premiums in the U.S. grew by nearly 950% from 1976 to 2009. (Jan. 31)
Only 7 states offer full Medicaid coverage to childless adults. (Jan. 24)
1 million to 2 million Americans have limited-benefit health plans. (Jan. 17)
More than half of U.S. physicians now use an EMR system. (Jan. 10)
22 states have prior approval rights on rate requests by health insurers. (Jan. 3)

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