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January 3, 2012 The American College of Physicians urges internists to take cost-effectiveness into consideration when making decisions about patient care, triggering a debate.

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December 22, 2011 With official Washington trapped in partisan gridlock, doctors who treat Medicare patients are once again facing the prospect of a big cut in pay that almost no one supports.

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December 21, 2011 A British woman who saw a spot on a tonsil tried to get a better look using a pen and a mirror. She slipped and the pen went down her throat. Nobody believed her. Now that the pen has been removed they do.

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December 21, 2011 Patients have the legal right to see their doctor's notes, but actually getting them can be slow and expensive. Two new surveys say patients overwhelmingly want to read the notes. But doctors are much more dubious about the benefits of giving patients a window into their thoughts.

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December 1, 2011 Maybe you didn't need that MRI, but your doctor did. Scans are more likely to find no problems if doctors make money from the MRI, a study concludes. Congress and the states have tried to crack down on doctors self-referring to scanners they own, but the practice continues to drive up health care costs.

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November 29, 2011 KHNPatients, who've generally been schooled in their doctors' passive "don't call us, we'll call you" approach to medical care, need to snap out of it and start taking an active role in making sure test results get communicated both to them and to other doctors when necessary.

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November 23, 2011 Plumbers and emergency room doctors have plenty of business come Thanksgiving. An ER doctor has some useful tips for steering clear of her and her colleagues over the holiday.

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November 22, 2011 KHNOne approach tried in New York that expedites settlements in medical malpractice cases is expanding, and many policy experts and participants in the process believe it has promise.

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November 10, 2011 A Johns Hopkins surgeon who is pretty handy with an endoscope has figured out how to operate in some hard-to-reach spots at the base of the skull through a natural opening above the jawbone.

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November 10, 2011 Even after downplaying some parts of a document requesting partners for future health care ventures, Wal-Mart's ambitions to do something bigger in providing medial services in its stores remains clear. The company is seeking help in managing chronic health conditions — from asthma to osteoporosis — that are among the most prevalent problems in the U.S.

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November 9, 2011 KHNThe nation's biggest retailer is planning to offer a wide range of medical care in U.S. stores. A Wal-Mart document seeking partners for the effort says the company aims to become a major provider of primary care. Later, an executive with the retailer said the company document was "overwritten and incorrect."

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November 1, 2011 Instead of an annual check-up, many doctors suggest that a regular "check-in" is a better idea. At a check-in, you can discuss any health concerns you have and get the limited tests and preventive screenings that are appropriate and helpful for someone of your age and risk profile.

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October 28, 2011 WNYCU.S. News & World Report's ratings count when it comes to marketing to prospective medical students and fundraising, med school deans acknowledge. But they take the rankings less seriously as a scientific gauge of what actually goes on at their schools.

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October 18, 2011 KHNSooner or later most people who are trying to make a medical decision have to decipher statistics that describe how successful a particular treatment is likely to be. It's not as hard a task as you might think.

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October 17, 2011 When office costs are factored in, doctors lose money about half the time on common immunizations, a new analysis finds. Vaccine storage and personnel costs are often overlooked.

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