Share inShare 3.17.12 | Deanna Pogorelc Watchful waiting v. new meds for hepatitis C (Best of MedCitizens) Every week, MedCity news highlights the best of its MedCitizens: syndication partners and MedCity News readers who discuss life science current events on MedCityNews.com. Now here’s the best of what YOU had to say: New Hep C meds may override watchful waiting for patients with no symptoms. “What should we advise patients with HCV who feel perfectly well? Of course, patients should make the call after they have been informed of the risks and benefits of treatment. In my experience, after this discussion, none of these patients wants to proceed. Hopefully, I am meeting my obligation to present the issues to them fairly. I am certainly aware of my bias, and do my best to compartmentalize it.” ADVERTISEMENT Cleveland biomedical companies growing, hiring talent. “Strengths in the Imaging, Orthopedic, Neurodevice, and Cardiovascular clusters are most prominent in the region’s industry. Deriving from these clusters are newer sectors in Biomaterials, Health IT, Biosensors and Regenerative Medicine.” CMS’s Physician Compare website gets even the basics wrong. “You see, according to the government’s database, I’m not a cardiac electrophysiologist. That’s right. I do not practice cardiac electrophysiology and never have. Instead, I am just a general cardiologist. Never mind that I have searchable credentials and billings to prove it. And if that’s not enough, according to the same database, I have offices in 254 locations (I’m not kidding). Something as simple as my vocation and office locations are already completely screwed up.” Drug testing welfare recipients is no substitute for treatment, education. “Forcing welfare recipients to pass a drug test before receiving benefits is a hot button issue that’s up for debate in many state legislatures. The USA Today’s letter section does a good job of presenting different sides of the issue.” Walgreens and SureScripts plan to deliver public health data electronically to providers. “Yesterday, Surescripts announced a national approach to sharing clinical summaries and public health data via its Clinical Interoperability Network.”