"For much of my 15 years of medical practice, I was a card-carrying member of the group of doctors who resent know-it-all patients…"

“…the Web surfers, the health column clippers, the types we suspect are out to feed their egos by proving they know more than their physicians.” These are the words of Marc Siegel, MD, an internist and professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine in a Washington Post article, Who’s in Charge. He has since completely changed his perspective into one of appreciation and says, “ It turns out that patients we acknowledge as stewards of their care tend to be more satisfied with their treatment.” The article uses numerous studies to support this conclusion.

To read the entire article, go to: www.washingtonpost.com

"The cost of diabetes in this country is greater than the gross national product of all but 25 of the worlds 192 countries…"

“…It is $132 billion a year, including $92 billion in direct medical costs,” according to a recent article, Health Plans Are Ill-Prepared for Looming Diabetes Epidemic, in Managed Care Magazine.

According to the article, studies consistently show that people with diabetes aren’t getting the help they need to control this chronic condition. Paul Wallace, MD, Kaiser Permanente’s medical director for health and productivity management programs is quoted saying, “The key to success is placing the patient at the center of care,” Yet the article points out that providers don’t provide the degree of aggressive management needed because diabetes management has yet to prove that it can pay for itself.

To read the entire article, go to: www.managedcaremag.com

"Ninety-five million Americans – about 80 percent of online adults – have searched the Web for health information in the past year, and the overwhelming majority have been disappointed."

"The health category is the last frontier where the Internet has not yet transformed that industry, the way it has done for travel, finance, and commerce," says Wayne T. Gattinella, chief executive of WebMD Health Corp., in a recent Washington Post article, The Web Returns to Health. Yet the article points out that the $2 trillion healthcare industry remains as fragmented as ever despite the efforts of many entrepreneurs.

To read the entire article, go to: www.washingtonpost.com