News: White House releases Patient's Bill of Rights
President Obama released a set of guarantees in the form of a patient's bill of rights following a meeting with insurance executives apropos new health reform laws. To read the entire document released by the White House, continue. . .
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Commentary: Rose Hill defends rehab model, deflects critics

News: Neglect in North Carolina hospital
A North Carolina state hospital has been cited for "immediate jeopardy" and may lose federal funding as a result of actions that came to light after a patient attempted to hang herself last month. She previously attempted suicide and had told the nurses of her plans and strategy on this occasion. The hospital has until the end of the month to address how nurses are expected to manage a life-threatening situation, as recounted in an investigation by the Centers for...
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News: Consumers right to sue upheld
The Supreme Court upheld (6 to 3) a patient's right to sue drug companies in state courts. Wyeth v. Levine involved a woman who received an injection which resulted in gangrene and the loss of a limb and her career as a musician. Warnings for the procedure were insufficient. The decision has extensive consequences for label warnings and consumer protection. States have recently ruled in cases involving disclosure and labeling for antipsychotic drugs....
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News: Patients at risk in North Carolina hospitals
Even before it was learned that a patient had been restrained inappropriately with his face held down, accreditation of North Carolina's hospitals was in jeopardy because of widespread patient neglect. That incident was yesterdays news, along with the documentation contained in 131-page federal report. Today's News Observer reports the sexual assault of a psychiatric patient at different hospital, Cherry Hospital. The technician involved in the assault was not fired until three weeks after the incident, the same day a reporter...
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News: Global mental health challenges
photo:iStock World Mental Health Day was the occasion for reports calling attention to the global marginalization of psychiatric conditions. A general assessment from the editors of The Lancet notes: "mental ill-health is likely to have been underestimated because the connection with other health conditions is often ignored. Worse still, the availability, accessibility, and quality of health services is poor and inequitable." Plans are underway for an international mental health summit next year in Athens. Ghana Officials in Ghana are joyful...
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News: Mad pride grows
The growth of public events to celebrate the Mad Pride movement includes grassroots activities in seven countries with participants diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia claiming autonomy and challenging discrimination....
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Commentary: Let's stop saying "Mental Illness"

"After more than three decades of doing this work," writes David Oaks, executive director of MindFreedom International, "I have found that we need to find some simple victories. Changing our own language is something that we still have control over. I want to emphasize, as I say in this essay, that my suggestion is not about political correctness or linguistic perfection, which are impossible goals.

My suggestion is that we can take a small step toward our principles by finding more inclusive ways of describing those formerly called "mentally ill."

Add a comment and join in this discussion.
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News: Privacy to medical records at risk
The privacy of medical records, which has long been a comfort zone for patients, might change if vendors succeed in digitizing patient information. The Wall Street Journal reports that insurance companies are trying to build data bases from patient claims that would be immune to HIPPA. According to the Associated Press Google has entered into an agreement to store up to 10,000 records of volunteers from the Cleveland Clinic. Although the records are described as password protected, questions are bubbling...
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