Guide to Medical Labor Laws

MedicalNewsToday.com reports that the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) appeals to the Senate to consider the Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year 2007 recently issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) as it debates on patent reform legislation. BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood has expressed concern regarding the need for �the U.S. patent system to continue to provide the framework required to maintain America’s global leadership in innovation.�

As we all know, the US patent system capitalizes on American ingenuity and innovations. Thus, any proposal that could weaken patent certainty and discourage investment in the biotechnology industry should be rejected.

BIO is composed of more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and allied organizations across the United States and 31 other nations. They work focuses on healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology, among others.

An article from HealthLaw360.Com reports that the Food and Drug Administration advised Cephalon, Inc., maker of sleep disorder drug Provigil, to provide stronger warning label that would tell doctors not to recommend the drug to kids.

Provigil is one of the best-selling products of the drug company and is currently approved by the FDA for prescription by doctors to patients suffering from narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder and sleep apnea. This is in view of the cases reported that the drug causes side effects like skin rush to children under 16 years of age.

This move by the FDA is laudable as it clearly shows that children safety is one of their priorities.

For the link to the article, click here.

As a patient, we gave our full trust to our health care providers. We trust them that they would protect us to their best and cure our illness. Despite giving our full trust to our health care providers, we should also have an idea of what our rights are as a patient. It is important for us to know our rights as patients as these rights would protect us.

To be educated about our patient rights, I suggest that we all read this website that states all our rights as patients. The federal laws guarantee us with outmost protection. In fact they are many other laws protecting us, patients.

Image source: www.nwh.org

Medicare and Medicaid are government programs that alleviate health care costs. They are designed to help the less fortunate members of society that cannot pay for health care services.

Medicare is a health insurance program of the federal government. It caters to people aged 65 and older, people with disabilities, and those with late-stage renal disease. In practice, the Medicare recipients pay a premium for a particular period, which can vary every year, before they can start availing Medicare benefits.

Medicaid, on the other hand, is a joint federal and state assistance program. It helps low-income families afford health care services, particularly those with limited assets and resources and those living below the poverty line.

For more information about Medicare, click here.
For more information about Medicaid, click here.

The Internet is continually evolving and the tools to improve every aspects of human existence as well as the conduct of business and industries are mostly readily available online.

Email access has revolutionized the way people communicate and connect with each other. In the health care industry, for instance, NetDoc.com reports that a medical journal recently published a study showing that providing patients with email access to their surgeons improves communication and facilitates better treatment.

The study was conducted with the help of 100 patients who will be undergoing thyroid and parathyroid surgery. It was concluded that people with email access would certainly like to have email access of their surgeons to get medical advice and other important health information regarding their condition.

For the complete link to the article, click here.

Medical malpractice insurer Medical Mutual Insurance Co. has agreed to pay a $75,000 fine in settlement to the allegations that the company violated state law by investing in real estate partnerships for the sole purpose of compensating its top executives. This is what NewsObserver.Com reports through a health law article.

Four executives of Medical Mutual allegedly invested in nine real estate partnerships, with investments of up to $2.6 million.

Aside from monetary fine, the real estate partnerships will be transferred to the company.
However, despite paying the penalty, the accused individuals denied any wrongdoing.

For the link to the article, click here.

According to Wikipedia, medical malpractice is �an act or omission by a health care provider which deviates from accepted standards of practice in the medical community and which causes injury to the patient.�

Medical malpractice denotes bad or unskillful practice by a physician or allied medical professional where the health of the patient is compromised. The failure of a medical professional to follow the standards of medical practice could earn legal consequences.

Medical malpractice can results in harm, injury, prolonged physical and mental suffering and even death of a patient while under the care of a medical professional. To prove this claim, the patient must prove that the failure of a health care provider to comply with the standards of medical care was the cause of his harm.

Eurekalert.org reports that President Bush has signed another health law in the form of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2007 (H.R. 2764).

The bill includes a provision directing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to make findings from its funded research more accessible to the public. The findings will be available through open online access. For the record, this is the first time the US government has mandated a major agency like NIH to provide public access to funded research.

I am certain this development will be greeted positively by the public. Access to valuable medical information is very important to raise people�s awareness on major health trends, issues and challenges. It is also a sure way for the rapid advancement of science. I think the benefits from this new law will be felt more dramatically by universities, medical institutions and private sector-run medical organizations as they are the ones involved in medical research and development.

Paternal leave refers to to paid and unpaid time off for anyone who will be taking care of a child. The leave begins upon the birth of the child. The length of maternity leave differs on where you are located, so best consult the company handbook or the labor code for the exact paid and unpaid time that you are entitled to. Don’t be afraid to claim these benefits because you are entitled to them under existing labor laws.

In the United States, paternal leave is up to 12 weeks of unpaid time, which also covers other medical situations such as care for an immediate family member, the placement of a child in foster care, as well as being treated or suffering from a serious medical condition. This is is under the US Department of Labor’s Family and Medical Leave Act.

Hospitals are some of the most dangerous places to work in due to the close proximity to infectious waste and bio hazards. Such environments are governed by rules established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration which defines all required protection and equipment needed by people who work in such environments for their welfare. Recent studies that hospital cleaning chemicals and disinfectants are very hazardous to the health not only of the patient but to the staff themselves who may be using them in the performance of their duties. The strong nature of these cleaners that makes them good disinfection agents also makes them very dangerous to ones health. The OSHA requires hospitals to provide proper protection such as glovesm overalls and face masks and breathing apparatus for people who work to clean the many parts of the hospital so they do not get exposed to pathogens, biohazards and now these dangerous cleaning chemicals.Safety of the worker should always be the first priority and one should report needs that have to be addressed if not reported to the OSHA for poper action.