Journalist Johannes Bohannon tells the story of how he crafted an “experiment” that “proved” that eating chocolate helps weight loss–and sold it to millions of readers in the media world. How timely, especially the part about journalistic laziness. Think of how often the techniques employed here been applied by medical equipment manufacturers and others. Excerpts, with my emphasis:Could we get something published? Probably. But beyond that? I thought it was sure to fizzle. We science journalists like to think of ourselves as more clever than the average hack. After all, we have to understand arcane scientific research well enough to explain it. And for reporters who don’t have science chops, as soon as they tapped outside sources for their stories—really anyone with a science degree,
Category: HEALTHCARE/MEDICAL
Hacking the nervous system
When Maria Vrind, a former gymnast from Volendam in the Netherlands, found that the only way she could put her socks on in the morning was to lie on her back with her feet in the air, she had to accept that things had reached a crisis point. “I had become so stiff I couldn’t stand up,” she says. “It was a great shock because I’m such an active person.”
ECMC appoints Cleland as CEO, Quatroche as president
A year after his appointment to the interim post, Richard Cleland has been approved as permanent CEO for the Erie County Medical Center Corp. , while Thomas Quatroche was named president. The appointments by the ECMC board of directors follow a practice of promoting from within at the Buffalo trauma center.
Large-scale analysis of medication data provides insights into who is covered by ACA
As the U.S. Supreme Court considers the legality of tax subsidies to buy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), an investigation by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of…
Aon Employee Benefits rolls out standalone plan design comparison tool
‘Aon Bench’ works for PMI and group risk
Companies with workers in Germany urged to review health benefits
Jelf International issues guidance for employers
Daily commute of just 20 minutes can cause ‘professional burnout’
Employers urged to be more flexible to improve workers’ health, happiness and loyalty
Employee health at risk as ‘weekend working’ takes its toll
‘Creeping’ trend can impact stress and absence, MetLife says
Hearing voices in your head more common than thought: study
Hearing voices in your head is more common than most people might think, new research by the University of Queensland finds.
Traveling nurse accused of diverting drugs from Concord Hospital, altering patients’ medical charts
A traveling nurse assigned to the emergency department of Concord Hospital is accused of pocketing prescription narcotics, including morphine and fetanyl, and altering the medical charts of patients, according to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. The New Hampshire Board of Nursing found the allegations against nurse Kerry Bridges involved “immenent danger to public health, safety and/or welfare” and immediately suspended her license while it investigates.