HIT Consultant (4/13) reports that despite physicians’ increased use of information technology, “more than two-thirds (70 percent) of them believe that health IT has decreased the amount of time they spend with patients, according to a new survey by Accenture.” Additionally, while “EMR adoption rates have reached record highs,” the survey “found fewer physicians believe that EMRs has improved treatment decisions (46 percent in 2015 vs. 62 percent in 2012), reduced medical errors (64 vs. 72 percent) and improved health outcomes for patients (46 vs. 58 percent).”

Related Links:

— “#HIMSS15: 70% of Physicians Believe Health IT Decreased Patient Engagement,” Jasmine Pennic, HIT Consultant, April 13, 2015.

The Wall Street Journal (4/14, Landro, Subscription Publication) reports in “The Informed Patient” that US hospitals are paying more attention to the psychological cost faced by families with children struggling with serious or life-threatening illnesses. Some hospitals are now using the Psychosocial Assessment Tool to help screen families after a child receives a diagnosis. The score allows medical professionals to assess if a family needs outside assistance for problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression or could otherwise benefit from counseling to help them deal with a stressful situation.

Related Links:

— “Hospitals Help Families Cope: The Psychological Toll of a Child’s Illness,” Laura Landro, Wall Street Journal, April 13, 2015.

In a 1,300-word story on the front of its Personal Journal section, the Wall Street Journal (4/14, D1, Petersen, Subscription Publication) reports on the advice given by experts to parents for helping adolescents with mental illnesses prepare for life at college, thus ensuring that the teens will be able to handle taking medication and continuing treatment while dealing with the usual challenges the first year at college brings. Experts advise that teens find a mental healthcare professional near or on campus ahead of time if there is any chance that a condition could relapse.

Related Links:

— “Good Mental Health Away From Home Starts Before College,” Andrea Petersen, Wall Street Journal, April 13, 2015.

The Los Angeles Times (4/14, Kaplan) “Science Now” blog reports that a study published online April 13 in the journal Pediatrics “offers fresh support for the idea that teens who see drinking on the big screen are more likely to drink themselves.”

TIME (4/14, Steinmetz) reports the study found that “15-year-olds who have watched more alcohol being consumed in films than their peers are more likely to have tried alcohol, more likely to binge drink and more likely to have alcohol-related problems.” Researchers arrived at that conclusion after using “data from a longitudinal study in the United Kingdom that surveyed 5,163 15-year-olds on a wide variety of topics,” then adjusting for confounding factors.

Related Links:

— “To fight teen drinking, experts call for stricter movie ratings,” Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, April 13, 2015.

On the front of its Business Day section, the New York Times (4/4, B1, Abrams, Subscription Publication) reported on the state and Federal lawmakers who seek to ban powdered alcohol, Palcohol, “before it even comes to market,” amid concerns that the substance could be easily abused. So far, “six states have passed legislation to ban powdered alcohol outright,” and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) “introduced a bill last month that would ban its sale and manufacture nationwide.” While in the past the FDA “has weighed in on some alcoholic products, like the beverage Four Loko,” the agency has not “become involved with Palcohol,” and “said that the ingredients in Palcohol were typical of those found in many processed foods and that they complied with” regulations.

Related Links:

— “Powdered Alcohol Meets Resistance in U.S. Before It Even Comes to Market,” RACHEL ABRAMS, New York Times, April 3, 2015.