New From JBL: The Jones & Bartlett Author’s Corner

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Jennifer Sharp

Jones & Bartlett is pleased to announce the launch of  the Jones & Bartlett Learning Author’s Corner, a resource for prospective and new authors. The site contains the most up-to-date, general information on art development, manuscript submission, the publishing process, and editorial contacts. It also houses pertinent documents including: author information forms, marketing questionnaires, and proposal guidelines.

We partner with educators, professionals, thought leaders and authors to develop authoritative content in formats that harness cutting-edge technology and push the limits of innovation. With Jones & Bartlett Learning, your ideas will reach more people in more ways than ever before.

If you have an original idea for content, we can help you develop your project for a new era of education. We go beyond the book by creating comprehensive tools for outcome-based learning.

Jones & Bartlett Learning attracts the world’s thought leaders in the specialized fields in which we focus. That’s because in health, safety, science and vocational education, we have the knowledge, the relationships, and the resources necessary to produce industry-leading content.

We invest in our authors in ways that our larger competitors cannot. Our agility in the marketplace means we grow with you. When you partner with us, you will discover the personalized attention, content development expertise, and marketing acumen that has made our model a success.

Interested in becoming an author? Please review our Proposal Guidelines to help focus your idea or project for consideration.

Interested in becoming a reviewer? Whether you wish to provide feedback on a recent publication or have interest in reviewing raw manuscript draft chapters, we hope you will take the opportunity to help shape our growing list of professional resources. Click here for additional information.

Jones & Bartlett Learning has led the way for innovative education since 1983. We invite you to partner with us as we redefine education in the 21st century.

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National Autism Awareness Month

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Jennifer Sharp

April marks the annual observance of National Autism Awareness Month.

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a “spectrum disorder” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause of autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.

In March 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDM autism prevalence report. The report concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 88 births in the United States and almost 1 in 54 boys.  The spotlight shown on autism as a result of the prevalence increase opens opportunities for the nation to consider how to serve these families facing a lifetime of supports for their children. Continue reading →

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Tarascon Title Is A Best Seller On Amazon

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Jennifer Sharp

Major internet retailer Amazon.com offers best seller lists as a way of identifying titles which are popular and frequently purchased by their customers. We are proud to announce that the Tarascon Palliative Medicine Pocketbook was listed as the #1 best seller under the Physician & Patient Hospice Care eBooks category last week.

The Tarascon Palliative Medicine Pocketbook is the only shirt pocket-sized, quick reference for guiding those difficult conversations with patients and family members who require palliative and hospice care. Containing communication skill techniques, prognostication tools, symptom management options and ethical issues, this portable guide is an ideal tool for any member of the Palliative Medicine team, including: physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, pharmacists and more.

What people are saying about the guide:

“This point is very helpful for a quick look up of info and new treatment considerations for PC.” – Amazon customer review Continue reading →

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Better Than Google: New Search Engine Helps Doctors Diagnose Rare Diseases

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Jennifer Sharp

Rare diseases are notoriously difficult to diagnose.  According to the FDA, one-third of people with a rare disease will wait one to five years before receiving a correct diagnosis. A new search engine created by researchers at the Technical University of Denmark, FindZebra, is aiming to change that.

“Zebra” is a medical slang term for a surprising diagnosis. The term derives from the aphorism “When you hear hoofbeats behind you, don’t expect to see a zebra”, which was coined by a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine to describe unexpected diagnoses. This term is widely used in medical communities, and refers to diseases occurring in less than 1 in 2000 of the population.

The FindZebra website states that it aims to “[address] the task of searching for relevant rare diseases given a query of patient data. The patient data is given as free text, which means that the queries do not have to use a controlled vocabulary or specific query language restrictions as in conventional diagnostic assistance systems. The patient data submitted as a query to the information retrieval (IR) system could consist of patient age, gender, demographic information, symptoms, evidence of diseases, test results, previous diagnoses, and other information that a clinician might find relevant in the differential diagnosis.”

Continue reading →

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February 28th is Rare Disease Day

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Jennifer Sharp

February 28th will mark the sixth annual Rare Disease Day which is meant to raise awareness for rare diseases and improve access to treatment and medical representation for patients and their families. The first observance was on February 29th, 2008, and was chosen because it was a “rare day.” In 2009, Rare Disease Day went global with participation from patient advocacy organizations in the United States, China, Australia, Taiwan, and Latin America. More than 60 countries and regions worldwide are now involved in planning awareness-raising activities.

Rare Disease Facts

  • In the U.S., a rare disease typically affects a patient population estimated at fewer than 200,000
  • There are more than 7,000 rare diseases affecting an estimated 30 million people in the U.S., and more than 300 million globally
  • Almost 1 in 10 Americans is affected by a rare disease
  • Approximately 80% of rare diseases are genetic
  • The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that 50% of the people affected by rare diseases are children
  • While individual rare diseases have small patient populations, collectively the rare disease community is larger than the AIDS and Cancer communities combined
  • Only 15% of  rare diseases have organizations or foundations providing support or driving research
  • An estimated 95% of all rare diseases do not have a single FDA approved drug treatment

The Global Genes Project

The Global Genes Project is a non-profit organization led by Team R.A.R.E and R.A.R.E. Project, and aims to raise awareness for people and families touched by rare and genetic diseases. What began as a grassroots movement has now expanded into 500 organizations worldwide. Continue reading →

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Jean Oneil

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. While most people are aware of breast cancer, many forget to take the steps to have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same.

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) is a collaboration of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to services.

  • For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
  • About 1 in 8 U.S. women (just under 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
  • Early detection is the best way to fight breast cancer and having an early detection plan can help you detect the disease in its early stages.

There are many online resources to help raise awareness, but few provide women with more resources than the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  One of their newest online tools is their Early Detection Plan. An Early Detection Plan for Breast Cancer helps you to be proactive about your health by reminding you to perform routine breast self-exams, and to schedule clinical breast exams and mammograms, depending on your age and health history.

From the organization’s website, you can create your own plan or download the handy mobile app:

Whether you’re a newly diagnosed patient, survivor, or loved one of someone suffering from breast cancer, Jones & Bartlett Learning has a vast selection of patient education resources to help answer your questions and alleviate your concerns.

100 Questions & Answers About Advanced & Metastatic Breast Cancer
100 Questions & Answers About Triple Negative Breast Cancer
100 Questions & Answers About Breast Cancer Sensuality, Sexuality and Intimacy

To view all of our patient resources, visit the Patient Education & Self Help section of the Jones & Bartlett Learning website.

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Patterns & Perspectives on Today’s Physicians

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Rebecca Leitch

The Physicians Foundation has compiled a survey of America’s Physicians to examine professional morale, practice patterns and perspectives on today’s physicians. The results have been aggregated by age, gender, primary care vs. specialist and practice owners vs. employees (or hospital-based practitioners).

The survey was sent to over 630,000 physicians (over 80% of physicians in active patient care) and 13,575 physicians responded.

Responses to the survey combined with some 8,000 written comments submitted by physicians reflect a high level of disillusionment among doctors regarding the medical practice environment and the current state of the healthcare system. How physicians will respond to ongoing changes now transforming healthcare delivery varies. Many physicians plan to continue practicing the way they are, but over half of physicians surveyed have reached a tipping point and plan to make changes to their practices. Many intend to take one or more steps likely to reduce patient access to their services, limiting physician availability at a time when doctors already are in short supply.

Key findings of the survey include:

  • Over 84% of physicians agree that the medical profession is in decline.
  • 57.9% would not recommend medicine as a career to their children or other young people.
  • Over one third of physicians would not choose medicine if they had their careers to do over.
  • Physicians are working 5.9% fewer hours than they did in 2008, resulting in a loss of 44,250 FTEs from the physician workforce.
  • Physicians are seeing 16.6% fewer patients per day than they did in 2008, a decline that could lead to tens of millions of fewer patients seen per year.
  • Over 59% of physicians indicate passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e. health reform) has made them less positive about the future of healthcare in America.
  • Close to 92% of physicians are unsure where the health system will be or how they will fit into it three to five years from now.

Physicians are working fewer hours on average and seeing fewer patients than four years ago. If these patterns continue, over 44,250 full-time-equivalent (FTE) physicians could be lost from the workforce in the next four years.

Survey respondents share some of the characteristics of the population of all practicing physicians but are different in several ways:

  • The physicians sample is disproportionately older than the national population, with the sampled physicians plausibly experiencing profound changes in the medical practice environment during the course of their careers.
  • The sample is also significantly more male and rural than the total physician population, and is more likely than the population to operate a solo practice or be an AMA member.

The survey clearly shows a pattern of older physicians, practice owners, specialists and male physicians being more pessimistic about the medical profession and in general more negative about the current state the healthcare system than are younger physicians, employed physicians, female physicians and primary care physicians.

Continue reading →

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Celebrating NYU Cancer Institute’s New Research System

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Rebecca Leitch

Re-posted from Yahoo News:

The NYU Langone Medical Center’s Cancer Institute recently purchased a highly advanced molecular analysis system for cancer research with funds donated by the New York mesothelioma lawyers of Belluck & Fox, LLP.

The NanoString Technologies nCounter Analysis System is a fully automated, multi-application digital detection and counting system that provides assays for gene expression, miRNA analysis and copy number variation. It has been employed in basic and translational research of cancer, metabolic disease, infectious disease and more since it was first introduced in 2008.

Scientists and other researchers at the Institute work to understand how cancer develops at the molecular level, and how to use knowledge about how cancer develops to reduce the risk of cancer and treat the disease. The Institute also offers a full continuum of personalized cancer care, from prevention through diagnosis, treatment and post-treatment support.

New York mesothelioma attorney Joseph W. Belluck, a founding partner of Belluck & Fox, said the firm was inspired to make a donation to the Langone Cancer Institute by the work of the Institute’s Dr. Harvey Pass.

“We’re excited that, with this purchase, Dr. Pass and his colleagues can obtain faster results as they seek the clues to better treatments and, one day, a cure for mesothelioma,” Belluck said.

“Dr. Pass has treated many of our clients and is one of our heroes. We know he is fighting for a cure and for our clients.”

Harvey I. Pass, MD is Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Surgery, Director of Surgical Research, and Division Chief for Thoracic Surgery and Thoracic Oncology for the NYU School of Medicine.  Pass is also an esteemed author of the Jones & Bartlett Learning patient education title, 100 Questions & Answers About Mesothelioma.

He is internationally recognized as an expert in the multidisciplinary management of lung cancer, mesothelioma, esophageal cancer, and the management of pulmonary metastases.  He is known for his development of novel clinical trials for the treatment of thoracic malignancies as well as building a strong translational component to his programs with benchwork investigations.

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Perioperative Statin Therapy Reduces Perioperative Cardiac Events and Hospital Length of Stay

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Joseph Esherick

Perioperative statin therapy has long been felt to confer cardiac protection during both cardiac surgery and major noncardiac surgery.  Until recently the data have been scarce to definitively make claims in support of this belief.  In 2004, Durazzo et al. conducted the first randomized trial examining the use of Perioperative statins in major noncardiac surgery.  They compared the use of atorvastatin 20 mg daily compared against placebo initiated 2 weeks prior to elective major vascular surgery and continued for 45 days post-operatively.  The investigators found that statins were associated with a 70% relative risk reduction of the combined end-point of death, nonfatal MI, unstable angina, or stroke. [1] Prior to this in 1999, Christenson had demonstrated cardioprotective effects of statins during coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. [2]

Statins are thought to be beneficial for a myriad reasons:

  • They lower lipids and have additional pleiotropic effects.
  • The cardioprotective effects of statins during the perioperative period is more likely related to their pleiotropic effects than their lipid-lowering effects.
  • Statins inhibit the action of HMG-CoA Reductase which is the rate-limiting step in cholesterol synthesis, but effective lipid lowering takes months.
  • Perioperative studies have demonstrated that statins confer a cardioprotective benefit when started even 1-2 weeks in advance of major surgery.
  • These pleiotropic effects of statins include suppression of endothelial nitric oxide which promotes coronary vasodilation.
  • Statins also reduce lipopolysaccharide-induced tissue factor release, decrease plasminogen activator inhibitor levels, and increase tissue plasminogen activator; the combination of which reduces coronary thrombosis.
  • Statins also have anti-inflammatory properties which may provide more plaque stability. [3]

Continue reading →

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The Dangers of Acid Suppressive Therapy

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Joseph Esherick

Acid suppression has long been associated with an increased risk of developing Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), having recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, and now has been shown to increase the complication rate and mortality from Clostridium difficile infection.  This risk applies to both H2-blockers and proton pump inhibitors (PPI), but the risk appears to be significantly higher for proton pump inhibitors.

Several prior studies and meta-analyses have demonstrated an increased risk of Clostridium difficile infection with proton pump inhibitor therapy.[1,2,3]    Howell et al. performed a case-cohort study investigating over 101,000 patient discharges at a tertiary medical care center over a five-year period.  They discovered a three-fold increased incidence of nosocomial CDI in patients receiving daily PPI therapy compared with controls not receiving any acid suppression therapy.  The risk of CDI was two-fold in patients receiving daily H2-blocker therapy and 4.5-fold increased risk for patients receiving twice daily PPI therapy.[1]  The meta-analysis performed by Deshpande et al. reviewed 30 observational studies between 1990 and 2010 and concluded that PPI therapy is associated with a two-fold increased the risk for CDI.[3]

In addition, we know that PPI use increases the risk of recurrent CDI.  A retrospective, cohort study by Linsky et al. analyzed 1166 inpatients at a single center over a five year period and determined that use of PPI within 14 days of CDI diagnosis increased the rate of recurrent CDI after appropriate treatment by 42% compared with those patients not receiving PPI therapy.[4]

Continue reading →

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