Archives for November 2009

President Obama: Prioritize Science and Health in 2011

November 23, 2009 | by

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided $10 billion for biomedical research, including support for scientific research priorities, extramural construction/repairs/alterations, capital equipment, National Institutes of Health (NIH) buildings and facilities, and comparative effectiveness research [1].

This investment in the future of America’s health has revitalized the biomedical research community. Indeed, in June, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Recovery Act drove a record number of NIH grant applications. The stimulus package provides available funds for two years, through September 2010.

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This Thanksgiving, Research!America — the nation’s largest non-profit public education and advocacy alliance for discoveries in health — urges everyone to Thank President Obama for Reprioritizing Science and Health. Before year’s end, the President will decide what funding to recommend for NIH. Research!America provides a pre-formatted letter that thanks President Obama for his recommitment to science and urges him to continue making science and health a priority in 2011.

There has been a trend of flat or below-inflation funding for the NIH since 2003. Investment in biomedical research will lead to new medical breakthroughs and discoveries that will benefit everyone by helping to fight disease and improve the quality of life for everyone in America.

Please take a moment to email President Obama and urge him to continue prioritizing science and health in 2011.

References

  1. NIH’s Role in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). National Institutes of Health. 2009 March 6.

Medical Journal Conflict of Interest Disclosure and Other Issues

November 18, 2009 | by

Author disclosure of financial associations with commercial entities that have an interest in the research published in medical journals is common practice. The information provided in the disclosure helps readers assess the degree of commercial influence over the work. Recently, however, differing journal policies have led to unintentional omissions and there have been calls for medical journals to standardize their conflict of interest policies.

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Finding Credible Health Information Online: MedLibs Round 1.8

November 11, 2009 | by

Welcome to the eighth edition of MedLib’s Round, the monthly blog carnival that highlights some of the best writing on medical librarianship, encompassing all stages in the publication and dissemination of medical information: writing, publishing, searching, citing, managing and social networking.

There’s a revolution occurring on the Web: those “authoritative” articles written on traditional, static websites are being replaced with blogs, wikis and online social networks. In the sphere of health, medicine and information technology, this “real-time Web” consists of many who are professionals in the field; their posts are listed below.
In the digital age, these are the characteristics of new media: recent, relevant, reachable and reliable.
yale-medical-historical-library

Here at Highlight HEALTH, we advocate health literacy for improving self-management in health. To that end, all the sites in the The Highlight HEALTH Network strive to consistently provide credible, reliable sources of health and medical information.

A 2008 study by the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest found that searching for health information online can be dangerous, with search engine results pages dominated by websites that appeared legitimate but had zero medical authority [1]. Our hope is that this edition of MedLib’s Round — themed Finding credible health information online — will offer ideas and advice to help people use the Web more effectively to search and find credible health information.

Safety and Distribution of the H1N1 Influenza Vaccine

November 2, 2009 | by

Know What to Do About the Flu is a webcast series launched by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to hlep distribute timely and accurate information about the flu. Their goal is to distribute the latest facts and medical guidances so we can all be more effective in combating the spread of the flu and be better prepared should our families, our communities or our workplaces become affected.

In this edition, moderator Lark McCarthy discusses the level of testing prior to the H1N1 influenza A vaccine distribution and the subsequent monitoring that’s planned during and after the phases of distribution with Dr. Bruce Gellin, Director of the National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO) within the HHS, Dr. Jesse Goodman, acting chief scientist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dr. Harvey Fineberg, President of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director of the Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Health 2.0 Highlights: November 1st, 2009

November 1, 2009 | by