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Union <keyword id="6356374" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-minister" source="Orion">Health Minister</keyword> Mansukh Mandaviya is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday. The IMA informed that Mandaviya will hold the meeting via video conferencing at 4 pm regarding the <keyword id="15884888" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-situation-and-preparedness" source="Orion">Covid-19 situation and preparedness</keyword>. On Saturday, Mandaviya said that the government has been working to control the <keyword id="8913021" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="spread-of-covid-19" source="Orion">spread of Covid-19</keyword> and urged the people to wear masks and follow covid appropriate behaviour. "We are working on alert mode to control the spread of Covid-19 and are conducting environmental, sewage and human surveillance. Virus RNA was found in the sewage samples in Delhi and Mumbai," Mandaviya had said. He further urged the people to wear masks, avoid crowded places and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday decided to hold mock drills at all health facilities across the country on December 27 in the wake of the COVID alarm due to a surge in infection in many countries. This is to ensure readiness in the availability of oxygen support, and ICU beds among other preparedness measures in case of a surge of COVID cases in India. According to the Ministry, the objective of the exercise is to ensure the operational readiness of these health facilities for the management of COVID. Detailing the focus on the parameters during the mock drills, it said that the main focus will be on the bed capacities including isolation, oxygen-supported and ICU beds at the health facilities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday (December 22) to assess the COVID-19 situation in the country and cautioned against complacency while laying stress on testing and strengthening the surveillance measures, especially at international airports. He emphasized COVID-appropriate behavior at all times, especially in view of the upcoming festive season, including wearing masks in crowded public places. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Health Miniter Mansukh Mandaviya and NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer Parameswaran Iyer were among others who participated in the meeting. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/bsip-study-mangroves-shrinking-in-india-due-to-climate-change/articleshow/96511070.cms">BSIP Study: Mangroves shrinking in India due to climate change</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/pm-modi-tells-people-to-be-vigilant-as-covid-cases-were-rising-in-many-countries/articleshow/96493073.cms">PM Modi tells people to be vigilant as Covid cases were rising in many countries</a>

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to hold meeting with Indian Medical Association today

<keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword> seems to be surprising us with its each move. Yesterday, it gave Indians a chance to travel in ‘super’ luxury cars for free—though only for 15 minutes—and today, it has announced that the company, in association with <keyword id="2758393" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Oxxy">OXXY</keyword>, will enable access to better <keyword id="6354525" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Healthcare">healthcare</keyword> for all Indians. 

	This is the second initiative from the UBER and OXXY duo. Earlier, in March, they had joined hands to provide free rides to and from any hospital, diagnostic and path lab. And today, they have extended this partnership and announced that they will now offer free health checkups and subsidized medical rates for OXXY’s gamut of services, for all UBER driver-partners and riders in 18 cities across India.
 

	UBER users can dial OXXY 09999-000-102 or log on to www.oxxy.in to avail the service and then walk to any of the 100,000 centres including hospitals, diagnostic and pathological laboratories, spread across 1500 cities in India. The customer support team will be available 24x7. 
 Commenting on this latest development, <keyword id="30126" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Amit-Jain">Amit Jain</keyword>, president, UBER India said: “Healthcare plays a vital role in enhancing people’s lives, something UBER is dedicated and deeply committed to. Furthering our association with OXXY, I’m proud that we will now be able to provide quality and affordable healthcare to the millions of UBER driver partners and riders in the country, a problem that’s been persistent so far.” 

	Pankaj Gupta, founder OXXY, said: “A 360 degree healthcare should have been started in the country long back. Goes without saying healthcare should be transparent, convenient and affordable for all. It’s the need of the hour. We are delighted to extend this partnership to include health benefits too, with UBER, a company that cares about healthcare, as much as we do.”
 However, there is a catch: not all <keyword id="766710" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Medical-checkup">medical checkup</keyword>s would be free. As per the company press release, only the first medical checkup is free while the subsequent checkups will be highly subsidized. 
	 
	(Image: Reuters)

Know how UBER and OXXY will ensure ‘Uber’ health for all Indians

<ul><li>The National Health Service (NHS) England data showed that of the 13,918 patients who died in hospitals till April 17, 3% of them were of Indian ethnicity. </li><li>This was followed by Caribbeans as the second-largest ethnic group affected in the COVID-19 death toll at 2.9%, followed by Pakistanis at 2.1%.</li><li>The proportion of deaths among BAME groups is much higher compared to their roughly 13% make-up of the total population.</li></ul>People of Indian origin in the UK have emerged as the among the worst affected <keyword id="6367536" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="MINORITY">minority</keyword> group from the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic, according to an official data on COVID-19 deaths in hospitals across England. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75312583" title="Coronavirus cases in India rise to 21,393— a 6-month-old and a teen join the growing list of patients" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Figures released this week by the National Health Service (NHS) England show that of the 13,918 patients who died in hospitals till April 17 after testing positive for the novel coronavirus, 16.2% were of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background and those identifying with Indian ethnicity made up 3 per cent of that. This was followed by Caribbeans as the second-largest ethnic group affected in the COVID-19 death toll at 2.9%, followed by Pakistanis at 2.1%. The data, only a limited snapshot of the UK-wide COVID-19 tests, follows the British government's announcement of a review into the coronavirus death toll disparity among the BAME population. "We have seen, both across the population as a whole but in those who work in the NHS, a much higher proportion who've died from minority backgrounds and that really worries me," said UK health secretary Matt Hancock while launching the review last week. The proportion of deaths among BAME groups is much higher compared to their roughly 13% make-up of the total population. A further breakdown shows COVID-19 deaths among those identifying with white ethnicity at 73.6% and mixed ethnicity at 0.7%. Of the 16.2 per cent BAME figures, those of Bangladeshi ethnicity are at 0.6%, any other Asian background 1.6%, African 1.9%, any other black background 0.9%, Chinese 0.4% and any other ethnic group 2.8%. "The government must take every necessary step to address this devastating disparity and protect all sectors of the population equally and now," said Dr Chaand Nagpaul, Council Chair of the <keyword id="449783" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="British-Medical-Association">British Medical Association</keyword> (BMA), the doctors' union lobbying for the review. "It also means taking vital steps now to protect our BAME communities until we can develop a detailed understanding of the threats they face. This could include that those at greatest risk, including older and retired doctors, are not working in potentially infectious settings," he said. Meanwhile, an analysis of the COVID-19 death toll data for NHS workers, which stands at 69, also reveals a higher proportion of BAME casualties – including the death of Dr Manjeet Singh Riyat, the UK's first Sikh emergency medicine consultant, this week. The <keyword id="8989852" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="british-association-of-physicians-of-indian">British Association of Physicians of Indian</keyword> Origin (BAPIO) recently announced a new academic tie-up with the <keyword id="108001" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Imperial-College-London">Imperial College London</keyword> to set up a research forum to delve deeper into this disparity within the medical profession in the UK. "This research has the potential to give data required to delineate vulnerable groups in the pandemic and give clear advice on how to reduce the impact on the BAME population," BAPIO president Dr Ramesh Mehta said. The new study also aims at establishing a new research database as a national resource for the scientific communities to support other studies to improve the future wellbeing of NHS healthcare staff. According to experts, the reasons behind the disproportionately high coronavirus mortality rates for the ethnic minority population of the UK is likely to be down to a complex set of factors, including greater propensity among some ethnicities for heart disease and diabetes, specific vitamin deficiencies, the lack of social distancing measures within multi-generational family setting or a genetic predisposition. The government's review is aimed at collating enough data to look into measures that would minimise the risk for these communities. The UK accounts for 133,495 total coronavirus cases in the world, according to the latest data by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/" class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtfLink">worldometers</a>. Of the total cases, 115,051 are active, and 18,100 people have passed away from the disease until now. The UK's death toll due to the coronavirus is the fourth highest in Europe, behind Italy, Spain and France, all of whom have reported over 20,000 deaths. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/data-of-coronavirus-patients-state-wise-in-india/articleshow/74669748.cms">Coronavirus cases in India state wise</a>

Indians among worst affected Coronavirus minority groups in the UK, reveals official data

MUMBAI: A proposal in the Rajya Sabha to put a cap on doctors' fee has created uproar in the medical fraternity. The <keyword id="6365835" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Medical-Association">Indian Medical Association</keyword> (IMA) has already decided to go to the court, even as patient bodies and activists hail the move. 
 The proposal titled 'Regularization of Doctors' Fees' was put forward by <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> leader <keyword id="41270" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Renuka-Chowdhury">Renuka Chowdhury</keyword>. It calls for formation of an expert committee to study the pattern of charging, classifying the kind of services offered by doctors, and putting a cap on the consultation charges accordingly. At present, doctors' fees can range from a few hundreds to a few thousands depending on seniority and specialty. 
 "Regularization of consultation charges has never been done for any professional. Why only doctors?" questioned IMA <keyword id="44284" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Secretary">secretary</keyword> Dr Jayesh Lele. He said IMA has already taken legal advice and is prepared to go to the court, if the proposal is passed. "It is against the Constitution to fix remuneration of professionals," he added. 
 <keyword id="200423" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="senior-physician">Senior physician</keyword> Dr Pratit Samdani, who practices in several south Mumbai hospitals, was of a similar view. "It is wrong to pin down a single profession when there is a general consensus that professionals such as doctors, lawyers, architects decide their own remuneration," said Samdani. "For example, when one goes to an A-grade restaurant, he or she is willing to pay 50 per cent more than a B-grade restaurant. Then why seclude only doctors?" he asked. 
 
The final draft of the Maharashtra Clinical Establishment Act, which was submitted to the government in June, has also done away with the most important clause of 'standardization of rates for patients'. According to health activist Abhay Shukla of the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, the patients' groups and health activists had demanded the cap on the rates, while doctors' lobby had opposed it completely. 
 
 
 
 
"At the end, doctors had their way and the final draft did not have any clause on regularizing the rates," said Shukla, adding it was absolutely justified and possible to have standard rates. 
 
"Most western countries follow this pattern. Healthcare is a distress good and not a luxury good. Therefore, basic health services including the doctors' fees should have a cap," he added. 
 
Health activists were also of the view that if doctors followed a standard treatment protocol like the West, rate variation will not take place. "Standard treatment protocol will result in doing away with all unnecessary investigations, tests and medications that are commonly prescribed here," said Shukla.

Uproar Among Doctors Over Rajya Sabha Plan To Cap Consultation Charges

New Delhi, A <keyword id="15510" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Survey">survey</keyword> conducted by noted public health experts indicated that the side-effects post-vaccination, or '<keyword id="10759790" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="reactogenicity">reactogenicity</keyword>' in medical linguistic, is likely to occur in 66 per cent of the healthcare workers which are most probably to subside within a day of their onset. The survey, which compiled the responses from 5,396 <keyword id="6476236" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="respondents">respondents</keyword>, all healthcare professionals, who had received Covid vaccines, showed 66 per cent of them reported at least post-vaccination symptoms. The respondents in the survey stated that the most commonly reported symptoms they experienced after immunization were Myalgia (44 per cent), fever (34 per cent), headache (28 per cent), local pain at injection site (27 per cent), joint pain (12 per cent), nausea (8 per cent) and Diarrhoea (3 per cent) while tiredness (45 per cent) being the most prevailing one. "The occurrence of other symptoms such as <keyword id="51415" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sore-throat">sore throat</keyword>, insomnia, giddiness rigor, allergic rash, chills, vomiting, syncope were reported 1 per cent or less," study said. It also noted that the symptoms reported by the respondents were not severe in nature or required hospitalisation. Besides, the survey also pointed out that in 90 per cent of the cases, the symptoms were either milder than expected or met the expectation of the vaccine recipient. Meanwhile, the survey illustrated that side effects among the most of the respondents did not last beyond the duration of 24 hours of the onset. "37 per cent (1,225) of the respondents revealed that their symptoms did not prolong more than a day while 31 per cent showed that their symptoms lingered for 48 hours, while only 6 per cent of claimed that their symptoms stretched beyond the duration of 48 hours," the survey showed. Speaking to IANS, Dr. Rajeev <keyword id="1073143" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jayadevan">Jayadevan</keyword>, past president <keyword id="6365835" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-medical-association">Indian Medical Association</keyword>, who is one of the researchers of the survey, said that one of the key takeaways from the survey is that vaccines are safe and there is no need to fear that it will harm ones' body. "If over 5,000 people who took it (vaccines) and reported no serious problem, then that is a considerable reassurance that the general public can take the vaccine," he reaffirmed. Another key finding of the survey was the linear correlation between age and post-vaccination symptoms suggested that the reactogenicity of the vaccine declined with age; means the chance of having symptoms decreased with advancing of age. The frequency of symptoms was found highest, 81.34 per cent , in respondents aged between 20-29 years followed by 30-39 years (79.57 per cent), 40-49 years (67.94 per cent), 50-59 years (58.23 per cent), 60-69 years (44.76 per cent), 70-79 years (33.73 per cent), and 80-89 years (7.43 per cent). Jayadevan said that younger people produce a lot of inflammatory cytokines which elicit reactogenicity (symptoms in layman terms) which is why they have vigorous response to the vaccines, whereas it is found lower in elder population. However, he added that the reactogenicity is not considered a reliable sign of producing antibodies. "There is a misconception among people and even healthcare professionals who believe that the reactogenicity is associated with development of antibodies. Everyone responds differently to the vaccines and elicit varied levels of reactogenicity depending upon age and other factors at play. It cannot be considered as a sign to determine that one's body is producing an immune response to the vaccines," Jayadevan explained. Dr. Ramesh Shenoy, another author of the survey, who is a senior radiologist at a hospital in Kochi, Kerala, said that the conclusions derived from the survey could be that the vaccines are safe while its side-effects are mild in nature and short lived. "The testimonies of the two third of the respondents vouch for it," he added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/comparison-between-realme-x7-pro-5g-and-xiaomi-mi-10i-mobile-phones-with-price-and-specifications/articleshow/80873224.cms">Realme X7 Pro 5G vs Xiaomi Mi 10i – best mid-range device under ₹30,000 in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/experts-say-india-and-china-both-need-to-show-their-voters-that-they-won-in-ladakh-for-the-disengagement-to-be-successful/articleshow/80876036.cms">Experts say India and China both need to show their voters that they won in Ladakh⁠ for the disengagement to be successful</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/why-grofers-may-allow-an-american-blank-cheque-firm-to-buy-it-out-instead-of-fighting-ambani-and-bigbasket-for-ipo/articleshow/80874979.cms">Here’s why Grofers may allow an American “blank cheque” firm to buy it out instead of fighting Ambani and BigBasket for IPO</a>

66% healthcare workers report mild side-effects post COVID-19 vaccination, says survey

Expanding the scope of its hearing in the <keyword id="19980518" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Patanjali" source="keywords">Patanjali</keyword> Ayurved case, the <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Supreme Court" meta.hostid="266" meta.entityid="Supreme Court">Supreme Court</keyword> on Tuesday took a stern view of <keyword id="20610549" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="misleading-advertisements" source="keywords">misleading advertisements</keyword> by FMCG firms and asked three Union ministries to inform it about the steps they have taken to curb the practice which takes "public for a ride" and adversely affects their health. The court passed the order after Yoga guru Ramdev and his aide Balkrishna of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. told a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah that they have issued unqualified public apology in as many as 67 newspapers over misleading advertisements and are willing to issue additional advertisements expressing their contrition. The bench said the public apology published in newspapers were not on record and asked those to be filed within two days. It posted the matter for April 30 for further consideration. While hearing the Patanjali case, the apex court said the implementation of the relevant provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Consumer Protection Act and the related rules also needed a closer examination. It said the issue was not limited to Patanjali but extended to all Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) firms which have been issuing "misleading advertisements and taking the public for a ride, in particular affecting the health of babies, school-going children and senior citizens who have been consuming products on the basis of the said misrepresentation". "We must clarify that we are not here to gun for a particular party or a particular agency or a particular authority. This is a PIL, and in the larger interest of the consumers, public should know which way they are going and how and why they can be misled, and how authorities are acting to prevent it," the bench said. The court asked the Union ministries of consumer affairs, information and broadcasting, and information technology to explain what action they have taken to prevent the misuse of consumer laws. It also sought an explanation from the Centre over an August 2023 letter issued by the Ministry of Ayush to the licencing authorities of all states and Union Territories and drug controllers of Ayush asking them to not initiate any action under rule 170 of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. The bench also asked the <keyword id="20083252" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Medical-Association" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian Medical Association" meta.hostid="266" meta.entityid="Indian Medical Association">Indian Medical Association</keyword> (IMA), the petitioner in the Patanjali advertisements case, to "put its house in order". It said several complaints have been made about alleged unethical acts by members of the IMA who prescribe highly expensive medicines and line of treatment. The bench also ordered impleading the National Medical Commission (NMC) as a respondent in the matter for effective assistance to the court. At the outset, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd managing director Balkrishna, told the bench they have issued on Monday unqualified apology for the "lapses" on their part. "Where? Why it is not filed?" the bench asked. Rohatgi said it was issued on Monday in 67 newspapers across the country. When the court asked the senior advocate why did the respondents wait for a whole week before publishing the public apology, Rohatgi said, "Its language had to be changed". The court also quizzed him about the size of advertisements. "Is it the same size of advertisements that you normally issue in newspapers?" it asked Rohatgi, who submitted "It costs tens of lakhs (of rupees)". The bench ordered that the apology published be filed on record and added it wanted to see the actual advertisement published in newspapers. "The said advertisements are not on record. It is submitted that the same have been collated and shall be filed in the course of the day with copies to counsel for the parties. Needful shall be done within two days with copies to counsel for the parties," it said. The counsel said additional advertisement shall be issued by Ramdev and Balkrishna tendering unqualified apology for the lapses on their part. The bench said it was necessary to implead the three central ministries in order to examine the steps taken to prevent the abuse of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act and rules, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Consumer Protection Act. It said these ministries shall file affidavits enunciating the action they have taken to prevent the misuse/abuse of these statutes along with the relevant data since 2018. The bench said licencing authorities of all states and UTs shall also be impleaded as co-respondents in the matter. The bench told the IMA's counsel that while they are pointing fingers at Patanjali, "the other four fingers are also pointing at you (IMA)". On April 16, the apex court had warned Ramdev and Balkrishna against any attempt to "degrade allopathy" and permitted them to tender a "public apology and show contrition" within a week in the contempt proceedings in the misleading advertisements case against Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. The apex court is hearing a plea filed in 2022 by the IMA alleging a smear campaign against the Covid vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine. Ramdev and Balkrishna had earlier tendered an "unconditional and unqualified apology" before the top court over advertisements issued by the firm making tall claims about the medicinal efficacy of its products. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/google-pixel-8a-may-be-more-expensive-than-its-predecessor-as-per-a-new-leak/articleshow/109499394.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/google-pixel-8a-may-be-more-expensive-than-its-predecessor-as-per-a-new-leak/articleshow/109499394.cms" target="_blank">Google Pixel 8a may be more expensive than its predecessor, as per a new leak</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/best-smartphones-under-25000-in-india/slidelist/109529634.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/best-smartphones-under-25000-in-india/slidelist/109529634.cms" target="_blank">Best smartphones under ₹25,000 in India</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/at-17-indian-chess-prodigy-d-gukesh-becomes-youngest-challenger-for-world-championship/slidelist/109492021.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/at-17-indian-chess-prodigy-d-gukesh-becomes-youngest-challenger-for-world-championship/slidelist/109492021.cms" target="_blank">At 17, Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh becomes youngest challenger for World Championship</a>

Supreme Court expands Patanjali misleading ads hearing to include FMCG companies

Employees of <keyword id="6354731" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="State-Bank-Of-India">State Bank of India</keyword>'s associate banks, including State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Travancore and <keyword id="143585" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="State-Bank-of-Hyderabad">State Bank of Hyderabad</keyword> went on a one-day <keyword id="6358138" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Strike">strike</keyword> on Thursday. They are protesting against the decision to merge these banks with the SBI permanently. The employees demanded filling up of vacancies, increasing the number of staff in the <keyword id="157757" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="housing-loan">Housing loan</keyword> section and extending the compassionate ground appointments to associate banks, a PTI report said. 
		 
	
		The SBI associate banks employees also warned the management that they would go for a nationwide strike on June 24 if their demands are not fulfilled. They want the management to find a solution soon. 
		 
	
		Recently, talks were held in Delhi over the matter, but failed to reach a conclusion. This prompted the unions to call for the strike. The <keyword id="6452174" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="All-India-Bank-Employees-Association">All India Bank Employees Association</keyword> claimed that 50,000 employees participated in the strike today. 
	(Image: Indiatimes)

SBI's associate banks employees on strike today

Alex Wong/Getty ImagesSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.The largest group of physicians in the country slammed the Senate's healthcare bill on Monday, warning that the legislation fails to protect "their most vulnerable citizens.""Medicine has long operated under the precept of Primum non nocere, or 'first, do no harm.' The draft legislation violates that standard on many levels," wrote James Madara, the CEO and executive vice president of the American Medical Association, in an open letter to Senate leaders.Chief concerns with the Republican-backed Better Care Reconciliation Act include its failure to guarantee people who are currently covered will keep their "affordable, quality health insurance coverage," and the bill's drastic restructuring of Medicaid, Madara wrote."The Senate proposal to artificially limit the growth of Medicaid expenditures below even the rate of medical inflation threatens to limit states' ability to address the health care needs of their most vulnerable citizens," Madara wrote."It seems highly likely that a combination of smaller subsidies resulting from lower benchmarks and the increased likelihood of waivers of important protections such as required benefits, actuarial value standards, and out of pocket spending limits will expose low and middle income patients to higher costs and greater difficulty in affording care."The BRCA could see a vote in the Senate as early as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/senate-healthcare-bill-trumpcare-ahca-details-changes-2017-6">this week</a>.<h2>Read the AMA's full letter <a href="https://searchlf.ama-assn.org/undefined/documentDownload?uri=%2Funstructured%2Fbinary%2Fletter%2FLETTERS%2FBCRA-Letter.pdf">here</a>.</h2> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/things-got-awkward-when-april-ryan-asked-sarah-sanders-where-sean-spicer-was-2017-6">'Where is Sean?': Things got awkward when April Ryan asked Sarah Sanders why Spicer didn't attend the WH briefing</a></h3> Please enable Javascript to watch this video

American Medical Association: Healthcare bill violates the 'do no harm' standard

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="156263" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="JAMA">JAMA</keyword>, The Lancet, and other reputable medical journals peer-review <keyword id="6375624" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="studies">studies</keyword>, meaning experts evaluate the research before publication.</li><li>Journals should be judged by "the quality of peer-review that they conduct, the quality of the manuscript editing that they do, and [their] fact-checking with respect to numbers," JAMA editor-in-chief Howard Bauchner told Business Insider. </li><li>The Journal of the American Medical Association accepts just 4% of the papers it receives.</li><li>The average time for a JAMA article to go from submission to acceptance is 30 days, with another 25 days to online publication.</li></ul>Published studies are the backbone of medical understanding, both for <keyword id="6354525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="healthcare">healthcare</keyword> professionals and the general public. And medical journals are the gatekeepers of that research, ensuring accuracy and integrity.As the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> continues to wreak havoc around the globe, interest in medical studies offering any clarity or guidance are read with great interest. But faulty studies have led to confusion, conspiracy theories, and even death. <h2>How medical journals vet studies </h2><div type="image" title="Howard Bauchner, editor-in-chief of The Journal of the American Medical Association, in 2013." height="1770" width="1159" msid="76052962" hostid="261"></div>A good study is constructed and tested using the scientific method: A problem is found, data is gathered, and a hypothesis is put forward.Then that hypothesis is tested under strict controls and the results, whether they confirm the hypothesis or not, are recorded and a conclusion is developed. The barrier to entry for reputable medical journals is pretty high: <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/">The Journal of the American Medical Association</a> accepts just 4% of the more than 5,300 research papers it receives annually."Two-thirds of papers are rejected without external peer-review and one-third of the papers go out for external peer-review," Howard Bauchner, JAMA's editor-in-chief, told Business Insider.Peer-reviewed studies are analyzed by experts in the field, who look at the validity of the results, as well as the originality and importance of the research. Well-established journals like JAMA, NEJM, and The Lancet are peer-reviewed.Bauchner said many medical professionals want to review for JAMA, but their expertise must match the study closely.After a paper has been peer-reviewed, it will be edited, fact-checked, and reviewed by an associate editor, deputy editor, and senior editor. According to the JAMA website, the average time for an article to go from being submitted to being accepted is 30 days. It's then another 25 days from acceptance to online publication.<h2>The hallmarks of a reputable medical journal</h2>Medical journals should be judged by "the quality of peer-review that they conduct, the quality of the manuscript editing that they do, and the fact-checking with respect to numbers," Bauchner said. "So that the numbers in the manuscript are the same as the numbers in the abstract."Language describing results should be accurate, he added, including "whether or not results should represent causal or non-casual relationships."A reliable medical journal will be indexed in the <a href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov/">National Library of Medicine</a>, according to physician William Li, whose research has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. It should also have an editorial board composed of experts in the field the journal covers, Li said. The ability to distribute a study both in-print and electronically is also crucial. A large and active social media presence is "an increasingly important hallmark for a high-quality journal," Baucher added. JAMA tweets multiple times a day to its 367,000 Twitter followers. <h2>It doesn't always matter who funds a study</h2>There's often a lot of scrutiny around funding sources for medical studies, especially if they come from a pharmaceutical company or other industry groups.But, Bauchner said, if the study is based on original research and uses randomized clinical trials, it's fairly easy for editors to verify the results. "When studies are not clinical trials, when they're observational in nature, then readers need to be more cognizant of the funding source," Baucher said. "As do peer-reviewers and editors. That funding source may be relevant." That's true of industry funding, as well as academic sources and think tanks, he added.JAMA documents in detail any potential conflict of interest in funding, Bauchner said.<h2>How bad studies get published</h2>According to Nobel-winning pharmacologist Louis Ignarro, problems occur when "submitted studies are assigned by the scientific or medical journal to potential reviewers who are not true experts in the field." "This makes for bad review and possible publication of a bad paper," Ignarro told Business Insider. <div type="image" title="Louis Ignarro was the co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine." height="642" width="856" msid="76052969" hostid="261"></div>A bad study, he said, may have inadequate controls, unqualified subjects, or unblinded testing — meaning participants and researchers are aware of the specific test conditions."Hastily written conclusions not based entirely on the scientific and medical results" can also result in faulty findings, Ignarro said, as can poor statistical evaluation of the data. <h2>The problem with preprint papers</h2>A preprint is a full draft of a research paper that's shared publicly before being peer-reviewed or published. They often appear on online platforms like <a href="https://arxiv.org/">arXiv</a> (pronounced "archive"), <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/">medRxiv</a>, and <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/">bioRxiv</a>.The practice allows researchers to share findings with colleagues and establish claims. But it can lead to unverified information landing in the hands of journalists, laymen, and conspiracy theorists,At the end of January, a preprint on bioRxiv pointed to an "uncanny similarity" between proteins in HIV and the novel coronavirus, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/science/coronavirus-disinformation.html">The New York Times reported</a>. Some critics felt the study was feeding conspiracy theories about the coronavirus being engineered in a lab, <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/03/retraction-faulty-coronavirus-paper-good-moment-for-science/">STAT</a> reported. Others complained of rushed methodology and mistaking coincidence for a valid connection. "Had this manuscript undergone legitimate peer review, these flaws would have led to a swift rejection and it wouldn't be contributing to the conspiracy theories and fear surrounding this outbreak," Michael Shiloh, an infectious disease expert at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center <a href="https://twitter.com/michael_shiloh/status/1223409691205734400">tweeted</a>, according to STAT. In a follow-up tweet, Shiloh worried about "the potential for abuse when content is rapidly disseminated and taken as 'fact' when it clearly isn't." Reputable journals do release preprints: A disclaimer on Lancet's website explicitly <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/preprints">states</a> that "preprints are not peer-reviewed and should not be used for clinical decision making or reporting of research to a lay audience" without indicating it's just preliminary research.<h2>A bad study can have serious consequences</h2>The pandemic has resulted in "a flood of research reports," Li said, "some that are important and well-designed and others that are poorly designed with sketchy conclusions."With all the global anxiety, an unreliable coronavirus study could have catastrophic consequences.In March, an optimistic French study <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/malaria-pill-chloroquine-tested-as-coronavirus-treatment-2020-3">in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents</a> suggested chloroquine could help against COVID-19. The test group was very small, and six patients dropped out early on.<div type="image" title="hydroxychloroquine" height="2328" width="3477" msid="76052977" hostid="261"></div>But the results were touted by President Trump and others, and several people poisoned themselves by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-woman-husband-died-chloroquine-warns-not-to-trust-trump-2020-3">self-medicating with chloroquine phosphate</a>, a chemical used to clean aquariums. The Center for Evidence-Based Medicine has reported that studies on <a href="https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/hydroxychloroquine-for-covid-19-what-do-the-clinical-trials-tell-us/">hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine effectiveness</a> had immense discrepancies between the protocols laid out and the methodologies followed.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-veterans-affairs-hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus-patients-2020-5">In April</a>, the FDA stated that hydroxychloroquine has "not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing COVID-19." A month later, a study in the Lancet linked the drug <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lancet-study-hydroxychloroquine-for-coronavirus-risk-of-death-2020-5">to higher mortality rates</a> in COVID-19 patients.Reputable journals are methodical in their approach specifically to avoid publishing poor research. NEJM receives between 100 and 150 coronavirus-related submissions a day, according to communications director Jennifer Zeis. Since its coverage began, though, the journal has published only about 130 articles on the virus. "We have an experienced team of manuscript editors, illustrators, proofreaders, and production staff, who work to ensure that every article meets exacting standards," Zeis said.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-a-study-gets-published-in-a-medical-journal-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

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