24 October, 2013

It’s official! Female doctors are better than men

A new study claims that the quality of care provided by female doctors is higher than that of their male counterparts, while the productivity of males is greater. The research team from University of Montreal reached this conclusion by studying the billing information of over 870 Quebec practitioners (half of whom were women) relating to their procedures with elderly diabetic patients.

"Women had significantly higher scores in terms of compliance with practice guidelines. They were more likely than men to prescribe recommended medications and to plan required examinations," lead study author Valerie Martel, who devoted her master's thesis with the Department of Health Administration to the subject, said. To assess quality of care, the researchers relied on the recommendations of the Canadian Diabetes Association, which provides clear guidelines for clinical treatment of the disease.

All patients aged 65 and over with diabetes must undergo an eye exam by an ophthalmologist or optometrist every two years. They must also receive three prescriptions for specific drugs, including statins, and it is recommended they undergo a complete medical examination annually.

Since the Quebec public health insurance board (Regie de l'assurance maladie du Quebec) medical-administrative data bank includes comprehensive information on every medical procedure, the researchers were able to measure these variables. In each case, statistical tests confirm a significant difference between men and women.

Among middle-aged doctors, three out of four women, for example, required their patients to undergo an eye examination vs. 70 per cent of their male counterparts; 71 per cent prescribed recommended medications compared to 67 per cent of male doctors, and a similar proportion prescribed statins (68 per cent vs. 64 per cent); 39 per cent of female doctors specifically asked their patients to undergo a complete examination (vs. 33 percent of male doctors).

In terms of productivity, there is a reversal. On average, male doctors reported nearly 1,000 more procedures per year compared to their female counterparts.

Source: www.timesofindia.com                24.10.2013       

Daily Vit D dose helps stave off diabetes

A daily dose of vitamin D can be used in the battle against Type 2 diabetes, experts have revealed.

Researchers are carrying out a major clinical trial to confirm whether taking vitamin D can prevent or delay the condition, the Daily Expressreported.

They believe that the “sunshine vitamin” may reduce diabetes risk by 25 per cent.

The study led by Professor Philip Raskin, from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas,Texas, is a four-year trial across America which will track 2,500 people age 30 or older who have pre-diabetes.

They will be given daily doses of vitamin D about five times higher than usually recommended.

Source: www.timesofindia.com                

24.10.2013

There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve is the fear of failure

Paulo Coelho