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NHS Should Value The Innovation And Leadership Of Consultants, Says British Medical Association Scotland
BMA Scotland has called on the NHS in Scotland to value the clinical leadership offered by consultants in Scotland in order for patients to benefit from developments and innovations in healthcare. In order to do this, they say, the NHS needs to plan and invest in a consultant workforce that can lead the NHS and deliver the best care for patients.
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Eliminating Polio Requires Global, Coordinated Effort -- Health Affairs Article Highlights Risks, Rewards Of Eradication
Eliminating polio everywhere will require global cooperation on several fronts, including lowering the cost for poor countries to vaccinate with inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), says a leading global health researcher in the July/August Health Affairs thematic issue on global health.
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HIV/AIDS Vaccine Coalition Urges Continued Funding For Research Amid Economic Crisis
A recently released AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition report says that although there has been a renewed focus on discovery, innovation and basic science in vaccine research, action is needed to ensure that research funding continues during the economic downturn, VOA News reports. AVAC executive director Mitchell Warren said the report is "about putting all the pieces together ... not just the search for an AIDS vaccine, but in fact the entire HIV prevention response." He added, "[T]he good news is we have some new pieces of the puzzle, and we"re expecting additional new pieces of understanding through research this year." Warren said that AVAC believes HIV/AIDS vaccine research is in "one of the most exciting times," with "new energy, new commitment to unlocking some of the basic scientific roadblocks that have impeded our ability to find a vaccine." For example, a study released earlier this week examined efforts to produce a vaccine through genetic transfer. Regarding the study, Warren said, "It doesn"t mean we have an AIDS vaccine, but it means we have an entirely new approach to trying to deliver protection." Warren said that the field of HIV/AIDS vaccine research has shown a renewed commitment since Merck canceled its vaccine trial in 2007. According to Warren, the new AVAC report examines knowledge gained from the Merck study, which has provided "an unimaginable amount of information." Meanwhile, the effect of the economic crisis on research funding is concerning, Warren said, adding, "I believe that every dollar spent is going to be held up to a greater scrutiny as budgets tighten and as funders have to re-examine their priorities." According to Warren, without renewed funding commitments, "we will not only incur a much greater public health catastrophe, but I would argue that the economic catastrophes to come, if we don"t respond aggressively to HIV, will actually have repercussions that will ... make the economic crisis pale in comparison" (DeCapua, VOA News, 5/18).
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Health Industry Officials Offer $2 Trillion Savings Plan To The White House

"Health industry officials delivered a plan to the White House Monday documenting how they"ll attempt to save $2 trillion over a decade through measures like reducing hospitalizations and cutting down on paperwork," the Associated Press reports. "Health insurers, doctors, hospitals, drug-makers and others were under pressure to make good on a pledge they made last month to curb their own costs to help President Barack Obama achieve his health care overhaul goals." Their three big areas of savings: $150 billion to $180 billion would come from more efficient use of health care services, $350 billion to $850 billion from better management of chronic diseases, and $500 billion to $700 billion through administrative improvements such as standardizing claim forms (Werner, 6/1). The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires reports that the groups "held seven "all-day meetings" to flesh out how they would save the huge sum of money. In a statement Monday, the organizations said they had made "solid progress" on their goal and would now pursue the changes they identified." The cost savings, which come from a "wide variety of s," were detailed in a Monday letter to Barack Obama. The America"s Health Insurance Plans, a trade group which represents managed-care companies, "pointed to efforts toward "fully automating and standardizing" health insurance claims and payments." "The American Hospital Association said it would seek to prevent infections, which can lengthen the duration of hospital stays. The American Medical Association, which represents doctors, identified ways to cut down on readmissions of patients into hospitals and prevent the overuse of some imaging procedures" (Yoest, 6/1). The coalition"s letter to President was signed by the leaders of the American Medical Association, America"s Health Insurance Plans, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association, American Hospital Association, Advanced Medical Technology Association and the Service Employees International Union. This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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