[paula_w]

sadly:
from pipeline email:

Safety violations at N.Y. brain lab may have bigger fallout
"Some research is suspended at a Columbia University center, but experts fear the case could deter people from participating in crucial brain-imaging studies"

The suspension of some research at a prominent Columbia University brain-imaging lab because of sloppy practices could have repercussions beyond that laboratory, potentially affecting brain-imaging studies nationwide and raising questions about the safety of participants, research experts said Saturday..."

Article in today's LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/health /la-sci-columbia-20100718,0,782909.story


__._,_.___
published: July 16, 2010

[paula_w]

Hard-hitting article by Dr. John Grohol about the Kreitchman PET Center at Columbia Un.

"Kreitchman PET Center at Columbia University Cut Corners
By John M Grohol PsyD


"In a little-noticed article over at The New York Times late last week, Benedict Carey noted how one of Columbia University’s premier research centers — the Kreitchman PET Center — had to halt all of its research studies because researchers were caught cutting corners. Not just once, but over and over again.

We’re not talking about flubbing up statistical data here. We’re talking about creating and administering improper, impure drugs to research participants. Drugs that may not only harm patients, but could even impact the researcher’s findings. (And researchers then wonder why it’s so hard to get research subjects…)
What is the Kreitchman PET Center? It is (or was) the nation’s leading research organization using positron emission tomography (PET) for psychiatric research. This is the cream of the crop when it comes to using PET scans in an effort to unlock the secrets of the brain to better understand..."


full article at
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/07/19/kreitchman-pet-center-at-columbia-university-cut-corners/

[Bob Dawson]

The first time JimmyBear heard about the Amgen volunteers, and the details of what had been done to them, the holes drilled in the head, being unplugged anonymously, etc., Jimmy kept saying, in the waiting room, "But they are not going to do that to me, are they?" Whispering in the ear of his caregiver: "They are not going to do that to me, are they?"
In those days, he could believe just about anything and often did not seem to realize he had choices. He genuinely feared that it was just something the doctors might suddenly decide to do to him. That somehow they had that power. That somehow they would do such things, unimaginable things. That somehow right and wrong were no longer applicable categories for discussion, if it was about Jimmy. Or about the retards.
No, no JimmyBear. Who is trying to scare you with those stories? Of course they would never do that to you.
JimmyBear was in and out of institutions at that time. A bit crazy. But he was right. He never remembered what you told him, but he always remembered how you made him feel. And the doctors made him feel afraid. Primitive, instinctive fear.
That they might to do him what they did to the Amgen voluteers, or this story that Paula has reported to us.
JimmyBear was right. It seems it can happen anywhere.
And again: If you mistreat patients or think it is okay to mistreat patients, you are in the wrong line of work. That happens in all industries. But it is in the health industry where the most damage can be done.
When Jimmy went back into the hospital again, we wondered. We wondered what they might do to him. As it was, they just kept him semi-aware with vast quantities of drugs.

[Bob Dawson]

But this time it is different. What is different? Somebody in the health industry speaks up and says: This is WRONG.

What is different this time? Dr. John Grohol, that’s what. He spoke up for the patients, and for science, and for truth. He shined a light into a very dark corner.

Kreitchman PET Center at Columbia University Cut Corners
By John M Grohol PsyD
a few quotes - go read the whole thing.

.....Worse yet, it wasn’t just a matter of researchers having lax quality control and not correcting it because they didn’t know about it — they knew about it and continued administering drugs in an unethical and unsafe manner to patients. Then they worked to cover up their behavior…

…Instead of having additional quality-assurance procedures, these yahoos over at the Kreitchman Center were apparently just using anything that had available — regardless of its impact on their subjects or research…

…It may have altered the mood and behavior of subjects under research, resulting in researchers drawing faulty conclusions in their peer-reviewed, already-published studies.

The researchers responsible should be immediately fired from their positions at the center, and a full criminal investigation should be opened.

The days of treating research subjects — especially those with a mental illness — like guinea pigs with impunity and a complete disregard for safety and ethics ended (I thought) in the 1960s…...

[Bob Dawson]

Quote this doctor says:
The researchers responsible should be immediately fired from their positions at the center, and a full criminal investigation should be opened.

The days of treating research subjects — especially those with a mental illness — like guinea pigs with impunity and a complete disregard for safety and ethics ended (I thought) in the 1960s…...[/QUOTE]

Them is fightin' words.
You don't have to whisper, JimmyBear.

[paula_w]

where else might this be going on? in this case, pharmas are safer I gathered from the article because they have more quality control? Is anything real? Does anyone care about ethics, competency, human life? oh that's right these people weren't human they had mental illness.

Do you suppose more quality controls will be put in place? or do they have to kill someone first?

This is just the beginning. People should be screaming about this. What happened to the good country doctors that made house calls? Take me back. i want to go back.

[lurkingforacure]

Originally Posted by paula_w

where else might this be going on? in this case, pharmas are safer I gathered from the article because they have more quality control? Is anything real? Does anyone care about ethics, competency, human life? oh that's right these people weren't human they had mental illness.

Do you suppose more quality controls will be put in place? or do they have to kill someone first?

This is just the beginning. People should be screaming about this. What happened to the good country doctors that made house calls? Take me back. i want to go back.

Paula, and others, you may try this at home...

One of our neuros, our main guy, recently left his large clinic (thanks mostly to pain in the #@! insurance and medicare/medicaid paperwork he was drowning in, hassles over getting timely paid, defending his medical decisions to someone who has never seen the patient) and is now working part time as the visiting neuro for our town's best (IMHO) hospital. He also, for a few patients including my husband, has agreed to see us privately (as in, no insurance hassle and direct pay only) on the following terms:

1. he will meet us anywhere we need, including our home, office, even a park (just kidding about the park, but that could be fun, eh?)
2. minimum is one hour (WHAT would one even talk about to a doctor for an entire hour! We are so used to rushed 10-15 minute visits! Think about THAT, it's staggering).
3. Discounts for more than one hour visits (yes, not kidding, and this is probably the best neuro in our city, no small statement, with unmatched knowledge of the pharmacological properties of drugs in the body and particularly the brain)
4. Cost? $300.00 for the first hour, multiple hours less. Our visits when he was in practice with his partners were almost that with the insurance discount but for only 10-15 minutes! (those visits amounted to about $1200.00 per hour going through his office and insurance...let's talk healthcare reform, shall we?)

I think in this day and age, there are a LOT of doctors who would similarly like to go back to the way things used to be...why not ask your doc if he would be willing to try an alternative arrangement? Like everyone else, doctors like to get paid when services are rendered...not 60-90 days later when the insurance company decides the claim is OK and how much should be paid. Not to mention having to defend your medical decision to the insurance reviewer every time they question a prescription you've written (including one the patient has been taking for three years), another nightmare for doctor and patient alike.

PS...over fifteen years ago, our primary sent out a letter informing all of his patients that he was no longer accepting insurance of any kind. If we wanted to see him, we had to do pay out of pocket. More and more docs are doing this, at least in our town.

Why not ask and see? He/she can only say no.

[Bob Dawson]

[QUOTE=lurkingforacure; .../1. he will meet us anywhere we need, including our home, office, even a park (just kidding about the park, but that could be fun, eh?)
2. minimum is one hour (WHAT would one even talk about to a doctor for an entire hour! We are so used to rushed 10-15 minute visits! Think about THAT, it's staggering).
3. Discounts for more than one hour visits (yes, not kidding, and this is probably the best neuro in our city, no small statement, with unmatched knowledge of the pharmacological properties of drugs in the body and particularly the brain)
4. Cost? $300.00 for the first hour

now that is a revolution ! Infiltrate the medical world and latch on to the good ones! There are some really good medical people out there; they can be hard to identify in a massive, anonymous system. If PWP get sufficiently organized at a local level, it might be possible to co-opt some of the good ones; and help them if we can; and guide them to Parkieville and all its extraordinary people.
I have a great neuro - I live an hour's drive away and he volunteered to drive out to my farm because he said he "wanted to personally discover the natural habitat of this strange species..."
He has been working with PWP for 35 years
Wherever possible, influence the good ones to come over to our side. Infiltrate and co-opt !

[soccertese]

Originally Posted by lurkingforacure

Paula, and others, you may try this at home...

One of our neuros, our main guy, recently left his large clinic (thanks mostly to pain in the #@! insurance and medicare/medicaid paperwork he was drowning in, hassles over getting timely paid, defending his medical decisions to someone who has never seen the patient) and is now working part time as the visiting neuro for our town's best (IMHO) hospital. He also, for a few patients including my husband, has agreed to see us privately (as in, no insurance hassle and direct pay only) on the following terms:

1. he will meet us anywhere we need, including our home, office, even a park (just kidding about the park, but that could be fun, eh?)
2. minimum is one hour (WHAT would one even talk about to a doctor for an entire hour! We are so used to rushed 10-15 minute visits! Think about THAT, it's staggering).
3. Discounts for more than one hour visits (yes, not kidding, and this is probably the best neuro in our city, no small statement, with unmatched knowledge of the pharmacological properties of drugs in the body and particularly the brain)
4. Cost? $300.00 for the first hour, multiple hours less. Our visits when he was in practice with his partners were almost that with the insurance discount but for only 10-15 minutes! (those visits amounted to about $1200.00 per hour going through his office and insurance...let's talk healthcare reform, shall we?)

I think in this day and age, there are a LOT of doctors who would similarly like to go back to the way things used to be...why not ask your doc if he would be willing to try an alternative arrangement? Like everyone else, doctors like to get paid when services are rendered...not 60-90 days later when the insurance company decides the claim is OK and how much should be paid. Not to mention having to defend your medical decision to the insurance reviewer every time they question a prescription you've written (including one the patient has been taking for three years), another nightmare for doctor and patient alike.

PS...over fifteen years ago, our primary sent out a letter informing all of his patients that he was no longer accepting insurance of any kind. If we wanted to see him, we had to do pay out of pocket. More and more docs are doing this, at least in our town.

Why not ask and see? He/she can only say no.

it's still fee for service, until that is replaced anything else is a band aid. actually, with medical records requirements in next few years, small practices will be forced to merge. in wash state, big clinics / hospitals are snapping up medical practices as they see govt changes coming.

great if you got the money. what happens if you need other services, rx filled? won't these docs "dropping out" just raise rates?

[paula_w]

Everyone is unhappy with healthcare and insurance, lawsuits, this i can understand. Wonder if they would come for 1/2 hour at $150? lol It's a wonderful concept! Do you worry about the sudden lack of medicare filings with a serious illness like pd?

It's truly something worth bringing it up. Wow two with housecall doctors in such a short length of time...thanks for the enlightenment; it's encouraging.

This Columbia thing cannot be swept aside. It is pure evil.