Medical Economics, Digital Edition, August 25th, 2011

A critical flaw in the code behind most websites and a breach at one of the nation's largest lab companies landed in the same week. Here's what physicians should check, ask and tell patients now.

The top news stories in medicine this week.

What do physicians need to counter burnout and misinformation? Time with patients

If Medicare cuts surgeon pay, it does not follow that Medicare should also cut reimbursement for primary care.

HFMA proposes ‘Declaration on Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability’ as physicians and patients feel the squeeze.

Prescription abandonment climbs sharply as out-of-pocket costs rise, and prior authorization delays push more patients away. Showing cost and coverage at the point of prescribing could change whether patients ever start therapy.

An AI system that simulates a panel of physicians reached the correct diagnosis in about 80% of test cases, compared with 36% to 47% for generalist physicians, though researchers caution the results come from a controlled, text-only benchmark rather than real-world practice.

From opt-out handling and consent records to encryption and carrier registration, here's what a compliant patient texting system needs and the questions to ask before choosing a vendor.