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July 2008 — Hollywood Issue 
AARP recently joined forces with Hollywood to encourage the accurate portrayal of healthcare issues in TV shows and movies. Perhaps in response to this, ABC just launched a new primetime medical series, "Hopkins," a real-life documentary filmed at Johns Hopkins Hospital. This got the Epocrates team thinking about the accuracy of TV medical dramas, as well as the mixing of serious medical issues and celebrities. To find out more how medical shows research their content, we spoke with Epocrates member Dr. Ed Zabrek about his recent experience consulting for the longest running US medical TV series, "ER." Please read "Your Voice: Q&A." And in our 3rd annual Future Physicians of America survey*, we asked medical students how they feel about the association of famous people such as Lance Armstrong and Michael J. Fox with major diseases such as testicular cancer and Parkinson Disease. The majority of medical students believe that the use of celebrities for disease awareness campaigns is beneficial to society.
In this issue: * The Future Physicians of America survey is conducted by Epocrates on an annual basis. Its 2008 participants were 925 randomly selected medical students who use Epocrates products. ** Please note: The sweepstakes is only open to legal residents of the United States residing in the U.S. throughout the sweepstakes period. Sweepstakes ends July 31, 2008. One entry per person. If the link above does not work, please email your answer to youropinion@epocrates.com. |
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Save 15% on Epocrates® Essentials Deluxe this month!
Please note that this product is available for Windows Mobile OS and Palm OS syncing to a Windows PC. Discount will automatically be applied in the shopping cart. If you don't see the discount, enter JULYPULSE. Offer ends 7/31/08. |
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Herbal Medicines With information on over 600 alternatives medicines, it’s easy to find out how they could interact with prescription and OTC drugs. For example, ginger is reported to ease nausea suffered by cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, but when combined with hawthorn, there may be an increased risk of cardiac adverse effects. Available with Epocrates Rx Pro®, Epocrates® Essentials, and Epocrates Essentials Deluxe mobile software (select the Rx tab) and Epocrates® Online Premium web-based reference (select the DRUGS tab). |
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Positive and Negative Affect and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease Researchers examined Whitehall II study data to explore the association of affect and incident coronary disease over 12 years follow-up. Bradburn affect scale consists of questions on feelings over the past few weeks, designed to capture affect within a particular time period rather than longer term trends reflecting more enduring dispositions. They concluded there is a weak positive association between negative affect and coronary disease ...
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The ineffectiveness and adverse effects of OTC cough/ cold preparations in young children have been highly publicized. Is honey a safe and effective alternative? In a double-blind trial, researchers randomized 105 children (age, 2–18) with coughs attributable to URI to receive single bedtime doses of buckwheat honey, honey-flavored dextromethorphan, or placebo. Parents completed symptom questionnaires. Virtually all outcomes significantly favored the buckwheat-honey group ...
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Chronic Pain Management Mobile Resource Center A brand new Mobile Resource Center! The Chronic Pain Management Mobile Resource Center is now available as a FREE download. You’ll receive the most important and current clinical news and research in chronic pain management, with content selected and commented upon by contributing editor Scott M. Fishman, MD, Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine and Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of California, Davis. Mobile Resources Centers are available on Windows Mobile (Pocket PC) and Palm OS. IBS Mobile Resource Center Another brand new Mobile Resource Center! The IBS Mobile Resource Center is available as a FREE download. This convenient handheld resource provides an intelligent, editorially independent summary of the latest and most relevant clinical news and research in Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Chronic Constipation. The content is selected and commented upon by contributing editor Michael Camilleri, MD, Consultant in Gastroenterology, Physiology & Biophysics, Mayo Clinic and Professor Of Medicine and Physiology, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic. And don’t forget! Mobile Resource Centers are also available for Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, ADHD, and Infection Management. Mobile Resources Centers are available on Windows Mobile (Pocket PC) and Palm OS. Updates at a Glance
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What’s Happening With Epocrates and the iPhone? Epocrates is currently working on a non-browser based version of our product that you can download to your iPhone™ or iPod touch. It will not require an Internet connection, so users will be able to access Epocrates content anytime, anywhere. We look forward to making the product available this summer. Keep reading your emails from Epocrates for the latest on this exciting release. In the meantime, access our free, continuously updated web-based drug reference on your iPhone or iPod touch by visiting m.epocrates.com/iphone. Troubleshooting If you are seeing one of these error messages, please click on it to view instructions on how to fix the problem. |
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Q&A We sat down and talked to Epocrates member and Chief Medical Editor at Pocket PC Magazine Dr. Ed Zabrek about his experience consulting on the prime-time drama “ER.” Q: What did they need your expertise for? Q: Did you have any reservations about consulting for a TV show? Q: Did you enjoy it? Would you do it again? Opinion on Hollywood “As a physician, I am impressed by both the beneficial influence of Hollywood on the public awareness about illnesses and health issues, as well as the potential detrimental aspects of reality television productions emphasizing cosmetic surgery as a therapeutic panacea for the viewer. The cult of Hollywood celebrity garners cachet and fascination by the general population. Many newsstand publications and daily television programs serve a large audience in all age ranges whose singular focus is the latest personal and professional triumphs or tribulations affecting one A-list actor or another. When a celebrity sustains a serious health crisis such as cancer, myocardial infarction, substance abuse, or Alzheimer's dementia, the media frenzy certainly leads to greater public awareness about a disorder. Positive byproducts of this scenario may facilitate dialogue and inquiry between patients and health care providers, promote screening programs, and increase early diagnosis and prevention. However, these beneficial sequelae are often lacking, with reality television programs glorifying the virtues of cosmetic surgery as the solution for patients identifying with the subject portrayed on screen. The quick fix implication of such programming can be potentially harmful, leading to unrealistic expectations without emphasizing sound lifestyle and health principles for well-being.” Ernest Ast, MD We love to hear from our members about Epocrates products, or any other topics. This month, we’d especially like to hear your thoughts on the 2008 Olympic Games in China. Do you think the Games motivate increased physical activity? All customers featured in the newsletter will receive a free subscription to Epocrates Essentials Deluxe.
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