Consumer Reports, Sept ’05. p. 44 -- HMO’s and PPO’s Rated

Many HMOs and PPOs rated on 6 variables including: access to doctors & care, choice of doctors, customer support, billing, care from doctors.

The top 3 HMOs, beginning with the best, were Kaiser Permanente, Northwest in Oregon & Washington; Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan in New York; and Independent Health in Western New York.

The 3 lowest rated HMOs, beginning with the worst, were Aetna Health in Pennsylvania; Blue Shield of California Access + HMO; and Pacificare of Arizona.

The 3 top PPOs were Independent Blue Cross Philadelphia; Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Connecticut; and Blue Cross Blue Shield in Alabama.

The 3 lowest rated PPOs were Health Net, Humana, and Great-West Healthcare. The material includes information about appealing denials of care.

Wall Street Journal, Aug. 9th — English Physicians Find Pen Mightier Than Pill.

In England primary care physicians, who see the greatest percentage of people reporting depressive and anxiety symptoms for the 1st time (just as in the US), are more commonly writing prescriptions for self-help books and for patients to seek psychotherapy BEFORE writing a prescription for anti-depressants. Public libraries are increasing their stock of such books to meet the increased demand. How’s this for a marketing plan for American psychologists? (Ed.)

New York Times, Aug 23rd ’05 -- “The Other Brain Also Deals With Many Woes”

A nice primer on the emerging field of ‘neurogastroenterology’ or the connection between the brain and the digestive system called the ‘enteric nervous system’. Clear direct neuronal connections exist between the 2 systems, helping to account for why so many anti-depressants for example give GI side-effects. A field we will be hearing lots more about in years to come.

Preventing Patient Drop Out — Harvard Mental Health Letter, Sept ’05

Reviews a variety of thoughts on how to improve dropout rates in therapy based on a 35 year review of the literature.

“Don’t Take it Lying Down If Your Insurer Refuses to Pay; About 70% of Appeals Win”. USA Today, Sept 2nd, ’05

Article includes tips for consumers/professionals about how to successfully appeal insurance denials for service and claims.

“New Data Show Declines In Antidepressant Prescribing”. Psychiatric News. Sep. ’05, Vol. 40, #17

Articles notes a 20% decline in antidepressant medications to patients under 18 since March ’04 FDA warning implicating link between adolescent suicide and these meds.

Spotting Strokes – Press Release from U.S.C., Sept ’05

Offers 3 simple tests to check for signs of an ongoing stroke in anyone, as immediate treatment is critical and 80% of victims are found too late for effective preventative care. Tests are:

• Ask the person to smile, looking for facial paralysis.
• Ask him or her to hold up both arms, and to keep them raised for 20 seconds, to test for weakness and comprehension.
• Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “It is sunny today” to check for slurring or other difficulty speaking.

If a person fails any of the three tests, get them to a hospital as soon as possible, even if the symptoms seem to go away.

All the above articles were culled from the wonderful email list of Dr Ken Pope. For information on joining contact the IP editors.

Psychiatric Medication Information

A recently updated list of the most commonly prescribed 100 psych drugs with information about their Trade and generic names, dosages, and both FDA-approved and “Off-label” uses is available for download at www.PsychMeds.info. (Thanks to Ed Zuckerman for posting this on the Div 42 email list)

A New Practice Opportunity – Parenting Coordinators. Monitor on Psychology, p. 52, May ’05

Discusses a way for psychologists to work with the Courts in custody disputes and build this as a practice niche.

“Managed Care Suit Brings Concessions”. Monitor On Psychology, p. 32, March ’05

An update on the CIGNA lawsuit, from which some practitioners have recently noted they have received settlement money. Forces CIGNA to pay out fines in reparation to practitioners and to change a variety of their business methods. A great victory for the Practice Directorate!

“On the Psychology of Confessions”. Saul M. Kassin, p. 215 – 228. American Psychologist, April ’05

A fine piece on the problem of wrongful confessions and the psychology of how coercion of detainees and suspects can happen even in light of built in protections. A good read for all Forensic psychologists and those interested in police work.

“A Virtual Cure”. Monitor on Psychology, p. 87-89, July/Aug. ’05

A description of how psychologists are using virtual reality to do in vivo exposure therapy for desensitization of various phobias. A real wave of the future treatment it looks like.

The Ubiquitous Clinical Problem of Adult Intimate Partner Violence: The Need for Routine Assessment. K. McCloskey and N. Grigsby, Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 264-275, Vol 36, No. 3

A fine professional article about assessing for domestic violence, notable for excellent appendices that offer a structured guideline to follow for considering this problem with patients. For more information or a reprint contact Kathy McCloskey at mccloskey@hartford.edu

Pharmacological Management of Chronic Pain (Pt 1). M. Sammons. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. 206 – 210, Vol 35, No. 2

A summary of the treatment of Fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain syndromes via medication. A helpful overview for this field – all of us seem to have patients who suffer from these conditions and know their frustration at finding relief.

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