Renowned Medical and Research Expert Discusses Four Critical Challenges Facing the US Healthcare System

New York, NY (September 19, 2006) - From digitizing our healthcare system to examining the growth in off-label prescribing, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is leading the discussion in order to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. Beginning this week, AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, MD shares her views on these and other issues in a series of four web video editorials in Medscape General Medicine (MedGenMed) on Medscape from WebMD.

In "Health Information Technology: Is the Time Past for "Watchful Waiting?" Dr. Clancy discusses the disparity in health IT knowledge between small and large medical practices and hospital systems - and the effect it has on the care we receive. This editorial is live today at http://medgenmed.com/viewarticle/544286.

In "Blueprint for Change: Will New Hospitals be Safer Hospitals?", Dr. Clancy outlines how she believes we can re-imagine hospital design in order to improve patient safety and make hospitals a better place for healing, working and learning. This editorial will be available October 23 at http://medgenmed.com/viewarticle/544700.

"Primary Care Physicians: A Vanishing Species or a Profession Reinvented?" features Dr. Clancy's perspective on the shortage of primary care physicians, based on her own experiences as a general internist. This editorial will be available November 17 at http://medgenmed.com/viewarticle/544701.

In "Off-Label Rx: Do We Need More Restraint or More Evidence?" Dr. Clancy calls for collaboration across the entire medical community to bring the practice of off-label prescribing into the fold of evidence-based medicine. This editorial will be available December 15 at http://medgenmed.com/viewarticle/544704.

"As an advocate of health IT and a leader in medical research, Dr. Clancy is keenly aware of how information technology can improve the quality and safety of health care delivery," said George D. Lundberg, M.D., Editor-in-Chief, MedGenMed. "This series of web video editorials provides a profound look at some of the obstacles to improving care throughout our system."

Medscape General Medicine (www.MedGenMed.com) is the original open access peer-reviewed general medical journal and is published by Medscape from WebMD (www.medscape.com), the leading professional medical information site.

To request an interview with Dr. Clancy, please contact Karen Migdail, AHRQ Public Affairs, at (301) 427-1855. For information about Medscape General Medicine or WebMD, please contact MacLean Guthrie at 212-624-3760 or macguthrie@webmd.net.

Contact:
MacLean Guthrie
212-624-3760
macguthrie@webmd.net

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