Acronyms have always dominated the practice of medicine and one of the older ones is RVS or Relative Value Scale. Simply stated, although far more complicated in reality, the RVS sets the fee structure that physicians will be paid by insurance companies and agencies such as Medicare and Medicaid. A lesser known acronym is RUC which represents the real power behind the RVS. This entity, the Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC), evaluates physician’s procedures and makes recommendations to the CMS or better known at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. These reimbursement recommendations are almost always followed, i.e., ninety percent of the time. More alarmingly, they almost always favor dramatic increases for specialists rather than primary care physicians…six times more frequently.

Why is this disparity so important one might ask? It is terribly important for a whole host of reasons. These include:

The compensation disparity between specialist and primary care docs widens geometrically. Specialists now earn $135,000 per year and $3.5 million during a career more than a primary care doctor;

• Clearly, with this type of incentive, many more docs are becoming specialists and eschewing the field of primary care;
• The PCP base is shrinking at exactly the time we need it most;
• The new Health Care legislation is heaping 37 million more Americans into the health care system and they all need a PCP

Income disparities shape medical student specialty choice Specialty and geographic distribution of the physician workforce: what influences medical student and resident choices? March 2009. Accessed January 4, 2010

It is not just “Houston” that has a problem…it is the American health care system and all Americans. Soon the waiting time for a PCP appointment will lengthen to dangerous intervals. Overworked and underpaid docs will be the norm and that isn’t good for anyone.

One solution is concierge medicine or often referred to as Direct Care. A Direct Care practice denotes an experienced primary care physician who limits his or her practices to 300 to 400 patients and works for an annual fee rather than accepting insurance payments. This allows patients to receive the care they need and deserve and PCP to practice medicine in a thorough and safe manner while achieving a reasonable earnings level.

Some alarming statistics based on a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine should lead to more awareness on the part of the public.

“If physicians’ ideas translate into their practices, then 14 percent of patients – more than 40 million Americans – may be cared for by physicians who do not believe they are obligated to disclose information about medically available treatments which they consider objectionable,” wrote Dr. Farr Curlin of the University of Chicago and his colleagues.

“In addition, 29 percent of patients — or nearly 100 million Americans — may be cared for by physicians who do not believe they have an obligation to refer the patient to another provider for such treatments.”

The study showed that men, Christian doctors and physicians with the strongest religious beliefs were most likely to say it is permissible to withhold information and not refer a patient to another source of controversial care.

The survey also found that a lot of doctors object to some forms of treatment. As stated by Curlin’s team, “For example, 52 percent of the physicians in this study reported objections to abortion for failed contraception, and 42 percent reported objections to contraception for adolescents without parental consent.”

They found that 86 percent of the doctors believed in presenting all options and 71 percent would refer patients to another doctor who does not object to the requested procedure.

The authors recommended that patients should ask their doctors outright about various options, since the survey showed that many doctors accommodate patients even when they have moral objections to certain situations. For example, of the 42 percent of respondents who reported objections to contraception for adolescents without parental consent, only 22 percent said physicians are not obligated to disclose all possible options to teenagers.

And regarding giving information to patients about terminal sedation, a practice that only 17 percent of the doctors found objectionable, only 11 percent of those doctors whose objections were based on moral reservations said doctors can withhold information.

“When we train doctors we encourage them to try to be ethical, and to practice ethically they must first make judgments in any situation about what is good for the patient,” Curlin said.

“They also have to have the will to do what they judge to be good. And in our culture, where there are so many possible uses of medical technology, people will disagree at times on what is permissible.”

Alternative health care doctors often share the message of people who love nature. Nature lover Adolph Just (1859-1936) wrote the book Return to Nature that became a best seller, It went through many editions and eventually was translated into many languages worldwide bringing millions of people a message of health and happiness.

Just believed nature held the answer to happiness, health and the Jungborn (the fountain of youth.) Just’s naturopathic retreat in the Hartz Mountains of Germany sold the following self help products to help get close to nature:
o Porous clothing
o Air Shoes
o Clay Packs
o Jungborn Bread

Just had suffered from repeated bouts of neurasthenia (fatigue, loss of memory, aches and pains) that allopathic medicine did not relieve. He tried several nature cures from various nature cure doctors that helped some, and then he added his own version that included:
o A light and air hut
o Long barefoot hikes into the mountains
o Baths in a babbling brook

Just improved and his health was regained.

Condemned by Just were things not in accordance with a natural life as:
o Polluting automobiles
o Closed in modern housing
o Deforming styles of dress
o Modern chemical agriculture

Just believed that too much time was spent talking, disputing, writing, studying, meditating, and investigating, etc and those activities should be discontinued. He recommended that we should be a part of nature and devote ourselves to the pleasure nature offers, with brotherly love as the focus.

His greatest contempt was directed against medical science, especially vivisection and vaccination. His nature cure philosophy brought him fame. Adolph Just was a teacher, humanitarian, and living example to follow. His simplicity, sincerity, and love for his work are still remembered. His sun and air cure, advocacy of nude living, and natural raw food diet live into modern times.

Integration of technology and neuroscience has now made it possible to impart vision to individuals suffering from blindness. Scientists around the world are trying to use the principles of neurotechnology and other fields of sciences in order to develop devices that can mimic the human eye so that blind people can be benefited.

Described below are some important innovations that have been made in this area and how neurotechnology is helping blindness.

1. Eye-pod: This is a device that has been developed by Neurotech, a Rhode Island based biotech firm. Using their proprietary Encapsulated Cell Technology, scientists and engineers at this institute have come out with a porous membrane that is filled with genetically modified human retinal cells capable of secreting a protein called as ciliary neurotrophic factor. This protein is known to protect the eye. This device has to be surgically implanted into the eye.

2. Another major innovation developed by engineers and scientists at Optobionics, Illinois, is a sensory device or a chip that can be surgically implanted into the eye. This device is based on the thought of integrating electronic devices directly into the human body. Known as Artificial Silicon Retina (ASR), this device is actually a 2mm wide silicon chip containing thousand of photovoltaic solar cells. These cells are capable of converting external light into electric currents that are capable of stimulating retinal cells in the eye.

3. Second Sight is another biotech firm based in California. Scientists at this organization have developed an electrode array that when implanted in the eye captures images by means of its small camera. These images are then processed and transferred to the electronic implant device present in the eye. This device then electronically stimulates the retina.

Take ownership of your personal health care records with a medical organizer. Begin today to use this valuable information to improve the quality of care you receive.

Collect and Share

Having up-to-date records about your medical condition allows you to share valuable information with your medical team. Accurately describing your symptoms and body changes allows your physician to provide the best possible care. Remember, according to the American Society of Internal Medicine, 70% of a correct diagnosis depends on what the patient tells the doctor.

Sharing information such as your family history may be the one crucial item that helps secure a correct diagnosis. An empowered health care consumer will continue to track, document and share information about their health status.

Partner with your Physician

A key strategy in receiving the best possible care in today’s health care system is to have an effective working relationship with your physician. Research suggests that patients who have an active working relationship with a primary care physician receive more preventative services and spend fewer days in the hospital.

The partnership with your physician will be enhanced when you are able to provide credible, up-to-date health information. Effective medical information gathering by patients and more conversation with their physician during office visits is related to better health status.

Take Control

Begin today to access and store all of your own medical records in a medical organizer. You will soon discover that your will be in a much better position to manage your condition. Use this information to be more actively involved in your own care.

The engaged health care consumer seeks an ongoing dialogue with their medical team. Having access to your life-long medical records will allow you to engage in meaningful discussions about your condition and potential treatment options. Use a medical organizer to take ownership of your health information; you will be glad you did.

Through Olympics cupping, designed for athletes you cannot only enhance your blood flow but at the same time reduce muscle tension and promote the cell repair. It is even beneficial for connective tissues and aids in the formation of new blood vessels present within them. Athletes make use of cupping services by sports physiotherapy center to heal a host of conditions and aliments.

Different Types of Cupping
In the ancient era, cupping was performed with the help of animal horns. Later different cups made up of ceramic and bamboo evolved. Effective suction through these cups was possible with the use of heat, the cups were first heated in fire and then applied. Once they were cooled, they drew the skin due to pressure difference.

Modern cupping utilize cups that are crafted from glass and are rounded like balls. The two main types of cupping include:

• Wet Cupping
• Dry Cupping

In wet cupping a combination of medicines and suction is used to treat the patient, while for dry cupping only the suction method is implemented. Your preferences, present condition and the problems that you are going through help you choose the appropriate one.

What To Expect From Olympics Cupping Treatment
During the treatment, a specialized cup is placed on the skin and the vacuum sucks the muscle upwards. This creates a pressure onto the vessels, allowing the muscle to relax and relieves tension. The cups are usually allowed to settle for a period of 5 – 10 minutes after which they are removed and placed at another part of the skin. The process continues until a particular segment of the body has been rejuvenated by the cupping session.

To help athletes make the most of it, practitioners combine the power of cupping along with acupuncture to treat skin issues, digestions and other associated problems.

Cupping is able to cure a wide range of conditions that athletes often suffer at some point or the other and these include:

• Facial Paralysis
• Lumbar disc herniation
• Herpes Zoster
• Cervical spondylosis

The best part about this therapy is that it has zero side-effects or risks, allowing you to attain a perfect body without any complications.

But, before you begin with your cupping session do make sure that you consult with qualified practitioners about your conditions, past medical records and your expectations from the treatment. Because this ancient integrative medicine requires the support of both practitioners and patients in order to achieve successful results.